The katana is an iconic symbol for the Japanese feudal samurai, and we all admire its exceptional design. Its little brother, the tanto blade, is the dagger that has the same profile but with a shorter length. Tanto-style blades are so unique that they have a very recognizable shape. They typically feature an unsharpened straight back that stops near the tip and bends to the point at an angle. Its sharpened edge has a similar appearance but with a more pronounced angle by the upper third of the blade slanting towards the tip. The sharpened edge after the pronounced angle can be straight as it reaches the point, but some variations have a slight belly on this area. People use tanto blades more for combat and defense applications than for the great outdoors.