Cold Steel Master Tanto 6" VG-10 San Mai Razor-Sharp Blade 5.5" Kray-Ex Handle Military Tactical Fixed Blade Knife w/Secure-Ex Sheath

The Cold Steel San Mai Master Tanto is an amazing knife. First, the fit of the handle to the pommel and hilt is as precise as one could hope for. The handle itself provides a very secure grip under a vast array of conditions. The finish is uniform through and through. The lines, bevels and angles are equally nice. Clearly, a lot of attention to detail was given this knife's construction. I'm sure some professional complainer will find something to gripe about, but all things considered, this is an exceptionally nice piece. What's even more amazing is the price. For $100 or so, you get way more than your money's worth. I've seen knives costing a lot more than this that were not as well crafted. This is a working tool, not a safe-queen show piece. The Master Tanto is nicely balanced and feels comfortable and secure in the hand. With its full tang, it's rock-solid to boot. Just as the package says, use caution when handling because it is scary sharp. The sheath has a belt provision, and it rides high and tight against the body. There is absolutely no tension on the blade when sheathed. If you invert a sheathed knife, it will easily and quickly fall out. For rapid deployment while worn on a belt, this may well be a good thing. If you need additional security while in the field, then the handle strap will keep the knife in place. While not military-grade tough (in my opinion), the sheath seems adequate. I'm one of those guys who has been there and done that, so it takes a lot to impress me, and the Master Tanto certainly does. What an awesome piece for the money!

My very first Cold Steel knife was a Master Tanto I purchased in the 1980’s. It was almost identical looking but with a brass hilt instead of the current edition’s stainless steel and a leather sheath instead of the plastic ones of today. I loved the knife but sold it to a roommate. They were originally made in the USA, then made in Japan until recently, but the current ones are made in Taiwan. Amazon had an amazing sale and I decided it was time to repurchase one of my all-time favorite knives. The first one delivered to me did not have an even blade grind and I could tell by how uneven the 3 layers of steel appeared. I returned it and promptly had another sent which was much better. The quality appears on par with the USA or Japanese made one I had before, and I prefer the steel hilt of the newer ones. I also think the VG-10 steel may be better than whatever I had before and the VG-1 of recent ones made in Japan. The edge seems to stay sharp longer. The Tanto Lite has the same handle dimensions, although the weight and balance are different. If you are curious to try it out to see if you like the handle shape and texture, you could get the Tanto Lite first. The knife is well balanced and fits the sheath well. If you like Japanese style Tanto knives then I highly recommend the Cold Steel Master Tanto.

Yes I was getting ready to buy the "Magnum" size version of this yet this size I think is more useful. I really love the shape & sweep of blade. Nice and thick. Very strong. Not a "micro-guy", still plenty big and impressive. Top quality too. I lie this outfit,Cold Steel. Also own the ESPADA L & XL which are super impressive high quality folding knives. Infuture I might just buy this in Magnum too.

Love the knife! Hate the sheath! The original tanto sheaths were top quality and fit perfectly. The so called tactical sheath doesn't fit at all. The top loop is all that holds it in, and the blade slaps around inside.

This knife comes extremely sharp. Be careful. I used it to split some tiny branches for a camp fire it was like a hot knife through butter.

Made in Taiwan, but this knife is every bit as quality as my Japanese era cold Steel Tanto's.

Master tanto is my baby. I have a clip for the sheath and sometimes feel like a real samurai when walking with it under my clothing. I live in a state where you can do that lol. It’s a beautiful knife and the quality is superb. Also came dangerously sharp and pointy.

I own all the San Mai variants and all the CPM-3V variants: Master Tanto, Magnum Tanto II, Magnum Tanto IX, Magnum Tanto XIIWhile the VG-10 San Mai blade is beautiful, the sheath for each variant has its own issue:1> The Master Tanto: The knife with the weird guard simply will NOT snap firmly into the sheath like the Magnum Tanto II / IX / XII would. If you don't use the snap-button retention strap, it is so loose that it will fall right out of the sheath when tilted slightly at any angle. At first I thought something was wrong with the Master Tanto sheath, then a family member ordered the same knife and had the exact same issue. Even with the snap-button retention strap, it will rattle so much inside the sheath.2> The Magnum Tanto II / IX / XII: The sheaths for these models are the opposite. Instead of being loose like the Master Tanto, the Magnum II / IX / XII will snap very firmly into the Cold Steel provided sheath. Except that it's so firm that it's next to impossible to disengage / remove it from the sheath once it's snapped in place.I have never seen such bad tolerance like these sheaths. While the blades are of high quality, I don't even know how these sheaths could even pass QC.If you plan to buy the Master Tanto or Magnum Tanto II / IX / XII, be prepared to set aside some funding to have a custom sheath made for them.I have owned numerous Cold Steel products since 1990, and it pains me to say that cutting corners on these cheapened sheaths really distracts from the quality of these beautifully laminated San Mai blades and the hard-working 3V blades.I won't bother returning them, since the quality of the blades is really good. Will I buy them again? Extremely unlikely. Will I recommend them? Only for those who are willing to spend extra to have custom sheaths made.Even the much cheaper Cold Steel Recon Tanto in SK-5 has a much better sheath.