If you talk about knives with enthusiasts, you’re likely to hear about the full-tang knife. The term may be unfamiliar, but this type of knife is well known and highly valued among survival tools. This article covers the essentials you need to know about it.
What is a full-tang knife?
As you may have noticed, “full tang” is an English term. It means that the tang extends all the way through the knife’s handle. Before going further, it may help to review the names of a knife’s parts, since they are not necessarily obvious to a beginner. A knife consists mainly of a blade—which includes the tip, blade face, and cutting edge—and a handle, into which the tang extends.
The key to understanding a full-tang knife is the “tang.” This is the part of the blade that extends into the handle, and its length determines the type of knife. If it reaches only halfway into the handle, the knife has a partial tang. If it extends all the way through the handle, it has a full tang.
A full-tang knife has a blade whose tang extends all the way through the handle. It is also described as a one-piece knife because it can still be used without its handle. A handle is preferable, however, for comfort and safety.
A knife handle can be attached in several ways. It may be formed by molding material around the tang, fastened with rivets, or simply secured with glue.
How the handle is attached is an important part of knife design. When it is securely attached using one of the methods described above, the knife can be hygienic and easy to wash. A full-tang knife with a well-attached handle is therefore an excellent choice for kitchen use.
The origins of the full-tang knife
Full-tang knives are nothing new. In fact, you could say this type of knife has always existed. Its many advantages have helped it earn a lasting place in knife making.
The full-tang knife earned its reputation partly because other knife designs could have weaknesses, such as a fragile tang, a poorly attached handle, or an unstable blade. These flaws could leave you with a broken handle or a blade that had some play. The full-tang design emerged as a way to address these problems.
That said, there are reliable, sturdy partial-tang and folding knives on the market. The key is to choose a quality brand such as KA-BAR, Condor, or Gerber.
Advantages and disadvantages of full-tang knives
Full-tang knives offer many advantages, but their main strength is durability. That sturdiness is what makes them so well regarded and versatile. Full-tang knives can be used in all kinds of situations.
Full-tang knives do not have the same weaknesses as some other knife designs. For example, unlike folding knives, they are very unlikely to fold under heavy work that puts pressure on the blade.
Compared with a partial-tang knife, a full-tang knife has a securely fixed blade with no play, giving it greater stability. A partial-tang knife’s handle may also break more easily and can be difficult to repair. A full-tang knife’s handle, by contrast, generally breaks only under extreme conditions; even if it does, you can still use the knife without it. These advantages make a full-tang knife a good survival tool to take into the wilderness. For reliability and safety, a full tang is hard to beat.
Full-tang knives do have drawbacks, however. Their relatively heavy weight can make them harder to carry and more cumbersome. When portability matters, folding and partial-tang knives may be preferable.
Uses for full-tang knives and other weapons
Full-tang tools are valued for their versatility. A full-tang knife can be used in all kinds of situations, which is why it is often described as a survival knife and an ideal choice for bushcraft. In the wilderness or another challenging environment, you may need to do many tasks to find food, stay warm, and meet other basic needs. You might need to make tools, hunt, or process game for food. A full-tang knife can help with these activities thanks to its sturdy handle and stable blade. In such situations, you can rely on it.
Other full-tang weapons
The full-tang design has proved practical and reassuring to use. That’s why it has been adopted for many other survival tools and weapons. Many of these tools are made from a single piece of metal, including:
- The hatchet: a hatchet is a useful survival tool, especially when it has a full tang. With a full-tang hatchet, you don’t have to worry about the head separating from the handle while you chop wood. It is built for strength. For a better grip and greater comfort, the handle is sometimes wrapped in cord, as with Bushcraft brand hatchets.
- The axe: a full-tang axe is generally built the same way as a full-tang hatchet. The main difference is weight: an axe is much larger, so a hatchet is easier to handle.
- The machete: full-tang machetes are often made from stainless steel, making them easy to maintain and clean. Like other full-tang tools, they are strong and durable. It is extremely rare for a full-tang machete’s handle to break. A machete can be used to clear brush, for example.
- Fighting knives and daggers: these defensive weapons are also made with full tangs for greater strength. Full-tang fighting knives and daggers often have stainless steel blades and non-slip handles for added safety, as with fighting knives from Extreme Knife. If you’re new to these weapons, the simplest distinction is that a dagger is a longer fighting knife.
- The katana: a katana is a curved Japanese sword with a sharp blade. It is traditionally made from raw steel worked into composite steel. A full-tang katana is even stronger and more durable, although it can be very heavy and difficult to carry and use.
Other full-tang tools and weapons share the knife’s characteristics and advantages. Strength and durability remain their defining features. The key point is that a full-tang design offers advantages for a tool or weapon of its kind. Full tangs are associated with safety, sturdiness, and effectiveness.