Am I the only one in the world who hates tapered tang knives?

LARRYZ10

LARRYZ10

Joined
Feb 6, 2010
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I have made and sold over 200 knives in the past 3 years including 2 tapered tang knives and I hate the way they look. What a waste of grinder time in my opinion. They are not much more trouble to make than a flat tang but they look gay to me. Larry <website link removed>
 
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Don't like em. It makes the knife look like it had a second point that someone slapped handle scales onto.
 
what a very unprofessional statement. "they look gay to me" i would nevdr buy a product from you or advise anyone of my friends to purchase one of your knives, even if it was the best workmanship and orice avaliable.
 
I have a beautiful tapered tang bowie from TK Steingass. Personally, I don't care one way or the other about whether the tang is tapered, but it counts as evidence that the maker is paying a lot of attention to detail and willing to go the extra mile for the customer.

Funny what little things can rock someone's boat.

I checked out your website, Larry. You do some really nice work. I had to stop looking at your knives for sale because my wallet is in intensive care.
 
Yeah, kinda unprofessional, but whatever.

I've never owned a knife with a tapered tang, but I doubt I would dislike the feature if I did. It cuts down on weight without a significant loss in strength. And I like the look.
 
LARRYZ10 said:
I have made and sold over 200 knives in the past 3 years including 2 tapered tang knives and I hate the way they look. What a waste of grinder time in my opinion. They are not much more trouble to make than a flat tang but they look gay to me. Larry <website link removed>]
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I think they look great and if done correctly make the knife come alive in your hand.

The feel of the knife in hand trumps any looks issues IMO..
 
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To continue with Dan and Pap's points, one of the things that I like about my bowie with a tapered tang is the balance, which is just in front of the hilt. The forward balance is helped by the taped tang and makes the knife feel really fast in the hand and especially powerful as a chopper. With a 7.25 inch slab of 3V steel, the balance really adds to the performance.
 
LARRYZ10 said:
I have made and sold over 200 knives in the past 3 years including 2 tapered tang knives and I hate the way they look. What a waste of grinder time in my opinion. They are not much more trouble to make than a flat tang but they look gay to me. Larry <website link removed>
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Do you do any knives in pink?
 
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I have a few tapered tangs from some Bolos made in the Philippines,to custom hunters and think they have an excellent feel in the hand,they feel very balanced,I really like them.
 
I sure do and I am trying to figure out to put little clothes on the knives that match my furniture. Larry
 
A lot of you like the balance of a lighter tang. I can do that by drilling multiple holes in the tang without tapering it and fileworking the spine. I just don't like the untraditional look of taperred tangs. I have been doing just that for customers who want a light knife or a knife that balances in the center or forward of center. I will still make you a tapered tang if you want but I I still don't like them. Larry Lehman Lehman Custom Knives
 
Really they look Homosexual to you? iv never met a knife that doesn't like going in its sheath...:thumbdn:
 
I do have some tapered tang knives...a few custom goloks and a various other drop point hunters. The 'look' is interesting and used to be a feature that many thought was the mark of a good maker. I have sold some off as well that I wish I had kept! My big Barker-Crowell chopper is another knife that looks great and feels wonderful in the hand. Though mass produced, the tapered tang on this knife was done very well and contributes to the balance of the tool.
 
LARRYZ10 said:
A lot of you like the balance of a lighter tang. I can do that by drilling multiple holes in the tang without tapering it and fileworking the spine. I just don't like the untraditional look of taperred tangs. I have been doing just that for customers who want a light knife or a knife that balances in the center or forward of center. I will still make you a tapered tang if you want but I I still don't like them. Larry Lehman Lehman Custom Knives
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Do you ever run into a situation with knives with shorter blades where you have to use both a tapered tang and tang holes to achieve a forward balance?
 
LARRYZ10 said:
I have made and sold over 200 knives in the past 3 years including 2 tapered tang knives and I hate the way they look. What a waste of grinder time in my opinion. They are not much more trouble to make than a flat tang but they look gay to me. Larry <website link removed>
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They look gay? Gay isn't an insult and that statement is a very unprofessional way to present yourself on here.
 
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LARRYZ10 said:
They are not much more trouble to make than a flat tang but they look gay to me.
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Gays usually have the best fashion sense... I know one who bought a pair of $900 shoes by Salvatore Ferragamo.

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And he has knives, too.
 
LARRYZ10 said:
A lot of you like the balance of a lighter tang. I can do that by drilling multiple holes in the tang without tapering it and fileworking the spine. I just don't like the untraditional look of taperred tangs. I have been doing just that for customers who want a light knife or a knife that balances in the center or forward of center. I will still make you a tapered tang if you want but I I still don't like them. Larry Lehman Lehman Custom Knives
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Ummmm you DO realize that tapered tangs are TOTALLY traditional, don't you? :confused: Just one example: a family friend has an antique Village Blacksmith industrial cleaver from the early 1900's that was forged with both a full flat taper from spine to edge (not ground, so technically not a full flat "grind"), distal taper to the blade, and ALSO taper to the tang.
 
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