What tanto styles are in the short Japanese tanto sword collection?
Updated Feb 2026
The short Japanese tanto sword collection includes several distinct tanto styles that reflect the historical variety of the form. Standard tanto pieces feature the classic configuration: a single-edged blade with the distinctive angular Japanese tanto tip, a tsuba guard, ito-wrapped handle, and matching lacquered scabbard. Hamidashi tanto pieces are distinguished by a very small guard fitted flush with the handle collar, providing elegant minimal separation between blade and grip - a style historically associated with civilian tanto carried under formal dress. The shirasaya presentation is also represented: tanto blades fitted in plain unadorned wooden handles and scabbards that present the blade without any ornamental fitting, emphasizing the steel itself. Steel grades across the styles include 1045 carbon steel, T10 carbon steel in both standard and clay-tempered configurations, and Manganese Steel. Color options across the collection range from classic black and natural wood to brown and other natural tones consistent with traditional tanto aesthetics.