Description
The Tantilla is a folder that closes to five inches, with a long serrated section and black handle scales. It is the one knife here you can carry, use hard, and stop thinking about.
| Steel | VG10 stainless steel |
| Handle | Black G10 scales |
| Hardness | 58–60 HRC, oil tempered |
| Included | Pocket clip; no sheath included |
Use case: everyday carry, and specifically the kind that involves cardboard, cord, tape and packaging rather than food prep. A pocket clip keeps it upright and reachable.
What VG10 gives you
VG10 is a Japanese stainless with a high chromium content and vanadium added to refine the grain. The practical effect is a steel that takes a very fine edge, holds it far longer than a budget stainless, and does not care about moisture. It is harder to sharpen than a soft stainless and easier than D2, which puts it in a comfortable middle. If you have ever put a knife away damp and regretted it a week later, this is the steel that removes the problem rather than managing it.
The serrations
A serrated edge cuts by concentrating force on the points of the scallops, which is why it goes through rope and webbing so much faster than a plain edge, and why it tears rather than slices through anything soft. The trade is sharpening: you need a tapered ceramic or diamond rod that fits inside the scallops, and you work only the ground side. Done that way, a serrated edge goes a very long time between touch-ups, because the points wear before the recesses do.
Carry and the lock
Five inches closed sits at the upper end of comfortable pocket carry. The clip is there so the knife rides against the seam rather than lying flat, which is what makes something this size disappear. Check the lockup when it arrives and again after a few weeks, once the pivot has settled and the action has loosened to where it will stay.
Care
Stainless, so there is no oiling routine and nothing to watch for. Wash the blade in warm water with dish soap after sap, food or adhesive, then dry it and put it back in your pocket. Clear the serrations with a stiff nylon brush; a rag will shred and leave fibers behind. Flush the pivot occasionally and add a single drop of light lubricant to keep the opening smooth. The black scales need nothing at all.
Questions people ask
Is this the right knife to carry every day? Depends what you cut. How to choose an EDC knife works through the decision.
How do I clean out the pivot? Carefully, and without dismantling it if you can avoid it — see how to clean a pocket knife.
What is the plain-edge alternative? The Taipan pocket clip knife is smaller, plain edged and forged rather than stainless.
Model: BMK-VG6
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