Brief Introduction of Samurai Tanto

A common Japanese single or, occasionally, double edged knife or dagger with a blade length between 15 and 30 cm (6"–12"). Tanto first began to appear in the Heian period. Tanto were mostly carried by Samurai; commoners did not generally carry them. Before the 16th century it was common for a samurai to carry a tachi and a tanto as opposed to a katana and a wakizashi. Women sometimes carried a small tanto called a kaiken in their obi for self-defence.