OTF Knife Blade Shapes Compared: Tanto, Dagger, Spear Point, Drop Point and Serrated

By South Summit Team. Updated November 5, 2026. Every pick was in stock at the listed price when this was published.

Most people comparing OTF knife blade shapes should buy a spear point. It has a centered tip and still has enough edge to slice. The one we would hand most buyers is the Aero Trigger Blackout OTF Knife ($75.99). It has a 2.75-inch spear point listed in AUS-8 steel, and it is the most-ordered spear point here that names its steel grade. Skip it if your budget is under $40. Skip it too if you cut cord or strapping most days, because a partially serrated edge like the one on the Founding Liberty ($39.99) suits that work. Every OTF knife we sell is double action, and all of them are on the OTF knives page.

Quick comparison

How we ranked these

We took the best-selling OTF in each blade shape and edge type. We added one more: the most-ordered spear point that names its steel grade. Then we listed them in order of 30-day order dollar volume across our store network. These are knives buyers chose with their own money, and all were in stock on the day we published. We did not test them by hand, and nobody paid to be included. Specs come from each product's listed record. Every OTF knife we sell is double action, so the same slide fires the blade and pulls it back.

OTF knife blade shapes compared by what sold

1. Kawaii Quickdraw Front-Slide OTF Knife - Pink Aluminum

This is the most-ordered OTF in the store over the last 30 days. It has a 3-inch plain spear point and a pink aluminum handle, is 4.5 inches closed, weighs 2.75 ounces and has a pocket clip. The blade is listed only as "Steel," with no grade given.

View the Kawaii Quickdraw spear point OTF

2. Kawaii Click Confidence Mini OTF Knife - Hello Kitty Pink

This is the top-selling dagger and the cheapest pick here. It is a mini with a 2-inch blade and a 3.25-inch closed length, and the listing names no blade or handle material. Both Kawaii models carry a Hello Kitty theme, but South Summit is not affiliated with the character's owner and these are not licensed merchandise.

View the Kawaii Click mini dagger OTF

3. Aero Trigger Blackout OTF Knife - Midnight Black

This is the spear point we recommend for most buyers. It lists AUS-8 steel, an anodized aircraft-alloy handle, a switch, a 4.5-inch closed length and a weight of 2.8 ounces. It costs about twice as much as the Kawaii Quickdraw, and the clearest difference in the listings is that this one names its steel grade.

View the Aero Trigger AUS-8 spear point

4. Stealth Grip Quick-Strike OTF Knife - Black Rubberized

This is the best-selling American tanto. It has a 3.25-inch plain stainless steel blade, a rubberized handle and a side switch, and it is 5.75 inches closed. It is listed with a MOLLE nylon sheath as well as a pocket clip.

View the Stealth Grip tanto OTF knife

5. Stealth Grip Rapid-Deploy OTF Knife - Black Two-Tone

It is the same size as the tanto above, but with a clip point blade: 3.25 inches, stainless steel, plain edge. Pick it over the tanto if you want a thinner point and can give up the tanto's thick, strong tip.

View the Stealth Grip clip point OTF

6. Stealth V-Grip Double-Edge OTF Knife - Matte Black

This is the most-ordered fully serrated OTF. It is one of four in stock whose listed edge is serrated along its length. It has a 2.625-inch dagger blade and an aluminum handle, and it is 4.125 inches closed.

View the Stealth V-Grip serrated OTF

7. Founding Liberty Slide OTF Blade - USA Flag Aluminum

The top partially serrated pick is a 3.75-inch stonewashed clip point. At 8.52 ounces and 9 inches open, it is a full-size knife with a USA flag handle.

View the Founding Liberty partial-serrated OTF

8. Contrast Android Double-Action OTF Knife - White Aluminum

This is the best-selling of the seven drop point OTFs we stock. It has a 3.375-inch partially serrated blade and a white aluminum handle. It is also one of only two OTFs in our catalog that list a safety.

View the Contrast Android drop point OTF

9. Damascus Contrast Rapid-Action OTF Knife - Matte Black

This is the plain-edge drop point: a 3.25-inch stainless blade with an etched finish, a rubber handle and a side switch. If you sharpen your own knives, choose it over the Contrast Android.

View the Damascus Contrast drop point OTF

How to choose an OTF blade shape

The shape decides what the tip and edge do well. The edge type decides what you can cut and how hard the knife is to sharpen. Our blade shapes compared guide covers the general geometry. Here is how each shape works on an out-the-front knife.

Tanto OTF knife: strongest tip, weakest slicer

TEKTO calls the tanto point the strongest you can put on a pocket knife. It says a strong point counts for most on an OTF, where the blade travels in a track. TEKTO rates the tanto poor at slicing and says long draw cuts through rope or foam are slower and rougher with it than with a drop point. The tanto fits boxes and scoring work, and its corner cuts straps and zip ties. Sharpen the two edges as if they were two separate knives, and keep the corner between them crisp. Rounding that corner is the usual mistake.

Dagger OTF knife

The dagger's symmetrical profile looks the part on a front-firing knife. Knife Depot describes it as mainly a collection or display shape, and it has no belly for slicing. Buy one for the look or as a mini, but not as your only working blade.

Spear point and drop point

A spear point is symmetrical with a centered point. BladeOps says it balances piercing with some slicing, which is why it is our default pick. A drop point curves gently down to the tip. Knife Depot calls it a versatile all-rounder. BladeOps says its thicker tip is strong but less useful for piercing. Choose the drop point if most of your cuts are long draws, rope included.

Clip point

BladeOps says a clip point handles much like a drop point. The clipped part of the spine is thinner, though, and that makes the point weaker and easier to damage than a drop point's. Choose a clip point over a drop point if you pierce more than you pry.

Serrated OTF knife or plain edge

For a single knife, TEKTO recommends a plain edge. Serrations suit rope, webbing and seatbelts, but you have to sharpen them one gullet at a time with a tapered rod. A partially serrated edge puts teeth near the handle and keeps the tip plain. TEKTO says that design shortens both parts: you get less plain edge for slicing and fewer teeth for sawing. It calls the combo a working compromise, and the right choice for people who know they will cut cord, strapping or webbing most days.

Check the listed steel

Knife Depot advises avoiding OTFs listed only as "stainless steel," which it treats as a sign of lower quality. Several of the best sellers above list just "Steel," "Stainless Steel" or no blade material at all. Order volume shows what people buy. It cannot show the steel grade or how long an edge lasts, and we have not tested these knives. If a named steel is important to you, the Aero Trigger lists AUS-8, and several spear points and tantos in our wider OTF stock list D2.

Automatic knife rules vary by place, so check your state and city rules before ordering. For how the mechanism works, read OTF knives explained.

FAQ

What are tanto knives good for?

They suit work that loads the tip: scoring cardboard and plastic, cutting straps with the corner, and piercing hard material. TEKTO rates the tanto poor at slicing, so it is a bad choice if you mostly make long cuts.

Tanto or dagger for an OTF knife?

Choose the tanto for a working knife with a strong point. Choose the dagger for the classic symmetrical look or a small mini.

Is a serrated OTF knife worth it?

It is worth it if you cut rope or webbing most days. A partially serrated model covers both kinds of cutting, but each section is shorter. For one everyday knife, a plain edge is easier to keep sharp.

Can I buy a single action OTF knife here?

No. A single action fires the blade with the switch, and you reset it by hand. Every OTF knife we sell is double action, so the same slide opens and closes it.