As someone who regularly writes about and tests fixed-blade and EDC knives, I am rarely surprised by bladed tools. So, when something comes along that really challenges my preconceptions and pushes the limits of engineering cleverness, I get very excited.
I mention this because I want you to understand what I mean when I say I’ve never seen anything quite like GoGun Jörg Sprave’s “Instant Ronin” Double Tanto Knives. A set of two, these Japanese-inspired cyberpunk-like blades really have to be seen to be believed.
No ninja tricks here, just clever engineering
As their name suggests, these knives draw on the heritage of Japanese blacksmithing, at least in their stylistic design. The pair is designed to resemble tanto shortswords, commonly carried by Samurai throughout Japan’s history.
However, appearances are deceiving, in this case, as these are not, in fact, fixed blades. Deployed, they function as such, with a stout handle and a long blade, but those handles actually hide a mechanism that interacts with the blades themselves, serving as a wholly unique deployment system.
The knives and their mechanisms work in tandem, meaning you need both in order to fully grasp how they function. And while they’re best explained by showing the action, I’ll try my best to describe it:
