Tanto Sword

The tanto is the shortest sword in the Japanese martial tradition and one of the most versatile forms for collectors. At 15 to 30 centimeters in blade length, the tanto is compact enough to display in contexts where a full katana would be impractical, detailed enough to reward close examination, and available in a wider range of blade geometry variations than any other Japanese sword type. The hira-zukuri flat grind, the shobu-zukuri leaf-shaped geometry, the kanmuri-otoshi and kissaki-moroha variations - the tanto tradition encompasses more distinct blade forms than the katana or wakizashi, making it one of the most interesting categories for a collector who appreciates the technical vocabulary of Japanese sword making.

The tanto sword collection here covers this range completely. Damascus steel tanto offer visual complexity - the folded grain pattern visible after acid etching gives each blade a unique surface character. T10 clay-tempered tanto develop a genuine hamon, the hardening boundary line that is particularly striking on a small blade where every detail reads at close examination range. The shirasaya tanto present the blade with maximum restraint, in plain wood without fittings. The formally mounted tanto with elaborate tsuba, ito-wrapped handles, and lacquered saya represent the full Japanese ceremonial tradition in compact form.

For collectors who display tanto alongside katana and wakizashi, the san-mai arrangement - three blade lengths displayed together - is one of the foundational formats in Japanese sword collecting. A tanto on the bottom tier of a three-tier stand alongside a katana above provides the scale reference that makes both swords' individual character more apparent. Browse the full tanto range by style in our tanto blade and shirasaya tanto collections.