Thanks! As for the tang length, there's no real hard rules on how long it has to be. This one is almost 3 inches long and extends about 2/3 of the way into the handle. The tang looks very small when compared to the big knife, but it's a fairly reasonable size. On a knife like this that's built for slicing, you will never have an issue. If this was a butchers knife or something like that that is going to see a lot of impact, then I'd make the tang thicker, longer, and I wouldn't put in as aggressive 4 way shoulders. It's extremely dependent on what you're making. Larger and longer tangs also are heavier, which is generally a negative in the context of the kitchen knives I make. Even just an ounce or two can make a big difference for chefs who will be using it for their whole shift, maybe not so much for a regular home cook. The hot glue idea is interesting, but I'm not sure I would feel comfortable using hot glue. It is not very durable and has low adhesion strength, and so any vibrations can wear the glue interface over time. Obviously because of its low strength it would not be suitable for any hard use knife for sure. I think I would also be worried about it's high viscosity, I don't know how well it will fill any gaps near the shoulders of the blade. If water gets into the handle it can rust the tang away slowly without the user ever noticing.