Samurai Tanto

Tanto£ºis a common Japanese single or, occasionally, double edged knife or dagger with a blade length between 15 and 30 cm (6-12 inches). The tant¨­ was designed primarily as a stabbing instrument, but the edge can be used to slash as well. Tant¨­ first began to appear in the Heian period, however these blades lacked any artistic quality and were purely weapons. In the early Kamakura period high-quality artful tant¨­ began to appear, and the famous Yoshimitsu (the greatest tant¨­ maker in Japanese history) began his forging.