What is a Full Tang Blade?

For most functional knives and swords , there is a part of the blade that is left unsharpened and extends down into the handle. When a knife or sword is full tang, it means that this piece of metal runs down the length of the entire handle as a solid, continuous piece. Learn more about different tang options and the advantages of a full tang blade today.

What Are The Different Tang Options?

Knives and swords come in all shapes and sizes, and tangs are just as variable. You can find blades that have a full tang or a partial tang. While you know that basics of what a full tang is, some partial tang options include:

• Rat-Tailed
• Tapered
• Push

Where You’ll Find Full Tang Blades

You can find a full tang in most survival knives and a number of swords that are meant for combat. Since the tang extends all the way into the handle, it is usually sandwiched between two pieces of material and fastened on either side with metallic rivets. When discussing what a full tang is, it’s important to note that there are some variations on this style including hidden, extended, skeletonized, and encapsulated tangs.

Is Your Knife A Full Tang Blade?

In many full tang knives, you can see the outline of the metal piece sandwiched between the exterior material that creates the handle of the blade. While this is a good indication of a full tang, not all knives and swords are made this way. In encapsulated and hidden tang knives, you can’t see the blade material in the handle. Any knife or sword that has a weakness in the blade-handle joint is probably not full tang.

What is the Advantage of Full Tang Weapons

Now that you know what a full tang is, it’s important to understand why weapons are forged in this way. Some of the benefits of a full tang include:

• Blade and handle will not break apart under pressure
• The movement of the blade and handle work in tandem for better aim
• There is less risk of breaking the handle
• More robust option for chopping, levering, and batoning

The only major advantage a partial tang blade has over a full tang is the weight. Because the metal of the blade is much shorter, the knife or sword won’t be as heavy.

Shop Full Tang Weapons Here

At Swords of Northshire, we only design and create full tang swords and knives. We want all our weapons to be fully functional, durable, and battle-ready. Hand forged through traditional Japanese and Chinese methods that were passed down through generations, the quality of our blades and tangs is indisputable. Discover the perfect full tang weapon for your needs when you shop our collections now.