Are all Bob Lum Tanto folder dull?

yzhai · #1

This question may be silly, cause I've been on this spyderco's land not long.

I've just been to a local dealer's and had a look at all the spydies there. The tanto made deep impression on my mind, looks like ready to penetrate any surface... But I just found that its edge is rather dull compared with other spydies like military, especially for its first part of edge from the tip. Is that normal? If it is, why is it sharpened like that?

panguero · #2

Mine Lum is like that.

fisherman · #3

The tanto tip (apple-seed grind)is designed to be as tough as possible and is made, in my understanding, to act like a root cap on a root. If the whole knife is dull then there may be a problem.

I do not own the knife, just going off what I have read.

fisherman

yzhai · #4

Well, actually most part of its edge is just not razor-sharp, and I would say that the tip part is really dull. I know tanto is designed strong, but I think a well shapened tip blade doesn't impair its strenth much but increases the penetration a lot.

Just wondering if it happens on all lum tantos and why.

ftkinney · #5

i was thinking about getting one. could you send it back to spyderco and they could give it the quick once over and get it good and sharp?

FTK

panguero · #6

OK-I have a Lum Tanto Ti. The main, flat portion of the blade is razor sharp and will melt through sheets of paper like it is cutting butter. Now the tip is not as sharp and from what I can see, the blade is thicker up front and is not beveled at the same angle. Therefore, due to this wider, more open angle, the tip does not have as keen an edge as does the back portion of the blade. The turned-up, tip section still slices cleanly through paper, and the point is sharp.

Bottom line, this knife appears to be brutally strong and sharp enough to penetrate anything you'd likely encounter in a tactical/survival situation (man or beast). Once the tip has puntured the target, the back portion of the blade is ultra sharp. So the design is valid and Spyderco's version of it is OK with me.

The apple seed grind is obviously hand ground, and as a result the tips can look a little less perfect compared to a machine ground, cloned type of tip.Perhaps you can go to a dealer with stock and pick through some to get a pretty nice looking one.

If you need a very stout tanto folder and a Spyderco, you must live with the way these are crafted. I like mine even with the funky tip grind. I am anxious to see the new, upcoming, fixed blade Lum. Bet the tip is similar on that one too.Just a big guess and my two cents on all of this.

Edited by - sharp1 on 12/2/2001 1:44:16 PM