What Is Full Tang on a Knife?
When it’s time to select a new knife, people wonder whether full-tang knives are always the best choice. When the tang on a knife is fully extended, the knife’s metal core extends from the tip of the blade to the end of the handle. This design can enhance the knife’s strength, stability, and performance. Many professional chefs appreciate the robust and balanced construction that makes Seido knives like the ones included in the Awabi Damascus Chef Knife Set well suited to heavy-duty tasks.
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WHAT IS KNIFE TANG?
“Knife tang” is the metal part of a knife that extends beyond the blade into the handle to hold the blade firmly in place. The tang on a knife is contained within the knife’s handle and frequently held in place by rivets. The many shapes and varieties of knife tang are categorized as either full or partial tang, which means that they go through all or part of the handle’s length.
DIFFERENT KNIFE TANG TYPES
Different types of knife tangs are crafted to suit different tasks and situations. Some of the best Straight-Edge Steak Knives feature complete tangs, but you may encounter other types of tangs in different kinds of knives.
FULL-TANG KNIFE
A full tang extends from the base of the knife’s blade to its handle’s end. The tang is the thickest part of the metal, and it’s usually as wide as the handle. This type of knife is heavy. If the tang is exposed along the top edge of the handle, it can feel uncomfortably cold if it’s used outdoors in freezing temperatures.
ENCAPSULATED-TANG KNIFE
An encapsulated-tang knife like Seido’'s Gyuto Executive Chef Knife has a full-length tang that is fully covered by its handle. Although it looks like a hidden-tang knife, it should be stronger, heavier, and better balanced.
SKELETONIZED-TANG KNIFE
When the inner portions of a full tang are removed, the knife has a skeletonized tang. These knives are lightweight but also well-balanced, sturdy, and durable.
PARTIAL-TANG KNIFE
In a partial- or half-tang knife, the metal tang extends only partway into the handle. These knives are not the strongest or most balanced knives, but they work well in some situations. Modern manufacturing techniques and epoxies have given rise to high-quality, partial-tang knives that are easy to carry and perfectly suited to a variety of special circumstances and medium-duty applications.
STICK-TANG KNIFE
One of the oldest types of partial tang knives is a stick tang or rat-tail tang knife. A stick tang is much narrower than the knife’s blade, but it often extends to the end of the knife’s handle. A threaded cap or pommel at the very end of the tang helps hold the handle and tang together. Stick-tang knives are often lightweight and well-suited to less demanding culinary and outdoor tasks.
HIDDEN-TANG KNIFE
When a knife’s tang is fully covered by the handle, it usually means that the knife has a partial tang, known as a hidden tang, of unknown length. The tapered tang is inserted into the knife’s hollow handle and held in place by epoxy.
PUSH-TANG KNIFE
A push tang is a type of partial tang that is created by forcing the tapered tang into the knife’s handle and then bonding it to the material with epoxy or a similar strong adhesive.
FULL-TANG KNIVES VS. HALF-TANG KNIVES
A well-balanced knife with a full tang will typically be safer and more durable than its partial tang counterparts because its metal extends through the length of the knife. Partial-tang knives can have weak spots, experience uneven wear, and become susceptible to breakage as time passes.
BENEFITS OF FULL-TANG KNIVES
Seido’s full-tang knives will feel sturdy and evenly weighted in your hand and are unlikely to snap under pressure or fall apart. They are resilient, easy-to-control knives that are refined enough to precisely slice and chop meat in any kitchen.
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SEIDO FULL-TANG KNIVES MAKE A WONDERFUL ADDITION TO ANY KITCHEN
When given the choice, most people will select the strongest knife available. Understanding what different types of full- and partial-tang knives have to offer is key to choosing the best knife for you. If you need an all-purpose, heavy-duty tool, you can’t go wrong with a full-tang knife from Seido Knives that will serve you for years to come.
