Ya' know, if I was planning to stab someone wearing yoroi, I'd probably choose something a wee bit longer than a tanto, like a wakizashi/maezaki/kodachi/shoto or whatever we're supposed to call them now.
I guess a tanto would work better than a sharp fingernail, but even if I managed to hit something vital on my opponent, a tanto would likely be pulled from my hands when he fell. Or did they carry multiple tantos for that purpose? And weren't tantos mostly carried by women, anyway?
And I guess I'm not as high-class as you guys who can use a tanto - hagire or not - to cut open boxes. I only have a really cool box-knife that opens & closes with a switch (that's all my wife will let me use...she carries the tanto!).
Ken Goldstein
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Judo Kodansha/MJER Iaido Kodansha/Jodo Oku-iri
Fencing Master/NRA Instructor
"A positive attitude may not solve all your problems, but it'll annoy enough people to be worth the effort."