The tang of a sword or fixed-blade knife is that part of the blade extending into and usually through the grip that is fastened to it. Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century Look up Sword in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A knife is a sharp-edged (single or double edged) instrument consisting of a thin blade used for cutting and fitted with a handle. ... See also: Hilt (band) and Peter Hilt Hilt of Szczerbiec The hilt of a sword is its handle, consisting of a guard, grip and pommel. ...

A "full tang" means that the grip conforms to the shape and follows the outline of the tang, which is a solid piece of metal (typically steel). It is one piece of metal from tip to base but the hilt is usually encased. Scales (flat pieces of handle material, like stag, wood, or synthetics) may be affixed to the tang with rivets or pins. Alternately, the tang may be wrapped with braided cord or paracord. Injection-molded rubber (Kraton) or plastic (Zytel) are other grip options. A full tang generally implies a tough and durable sword or knife hilt, provided the steel has been properly heat treated and is not too hard (brittle). this method of production means that the sword or knife is stronger as it is a solid construction rather than a blade fixed to a base which can come off through wear or contact. Paracord was originally used in the suspension lines for parachutes. ...

A "hidden tang" or "rat-tail tang" means that a long rod extends from the blade through a drilled or hollow grip, and is threaded so as to hold the grip in place by tightening a fastener at the end. Such fasteners are frequently built into the sword's or knife's pommel, which is then screwed on. This tang design results in a lighter and much weaker weapon. See also: Hilt (band) and Peter Hilt Hilt of Szczerbiec The hilt of a sword is its handle, consisting of a guard, grip and pommel. ...

A "stub tang" means that the blade has only a short tab of metal at the end -- often less than an inch in length -- which fits into a slot in the grip and is held in place with epoxy, occasionally with a pin for reinforcement. Stub tangs are frequently found on low-quality knives and some swords. Use of a stub tang greatly reduces the amount of metal required, as well as the skill of workmanship needed for manufacture. This results in lower prices for the consumer, but a shoddy weapon prone to breakage. Most knives with cast-metal grips utilize a stub tang.

External Links

Different types of tang construction

See also

• blade
• hilt