Tapered Tangs

danbot

danbot

Joined
Oct 31, 2009
Messages
11,813
One of my favourite features on a fixed blade is a full tapered tang. I don't know what it is about it exactly, but I like it a lot! It just sets off the whole handle and makes it appear slimmer than it is. Was Bob Loveless the first to do it? Why don't more makers do it? What's your opinion?

wggpEl5.png
 
I think Loveless was the 1st modern maker to do it/popularize it--though it depends on how you define "tapered full tang."

I believe it's done both for looks and balance/weight.

Most makers don't do it as it requires a lot more skill than drilling extra hidden holes in the tang to hopefully get the balance right.
 
My parents had a tapered tang boning knife(sabatier I think) that is older then I am and I'm 40. I highly doubt loveless was first even among "modern makers."

The reason they don't do them from what I read once is that they're a lot of work and there's no demand for them. I think the whole "I gotta have a full tang" silliness is partly to blame. If a maker can sell a knife without having to do the extra work to mate everything up correctly on a tapered tang but instead can just drill a few holes in a "full" tang to achieve the same balance, it's a no brainer from their point of view.

I like them too and you see them every once and a while on the exchange. I had a tapered tang kuk that was pretty awesome.
 
I love tapered tangs. I always look for them when I'm looking at fixed blades.
 
Shotgun said:
My parents had a tapered tang boning knife(sabatier I think) that is older then I am and I'm 40. I highly doubt loveless was first even among "modern makers."

The reason they don't do them from what I read once is that they're a lot of work and there's no demand for them. I think the whole "I gotta have a full tang" silliness is partly to blame. If a maker can sell a knife without having to do the extra work to mate everything up correctly on a tapered tang but instead can just drill a few holes in a "full" tang to achieve the same balance, it's a no brainer from their point of view.

I like them too and you see them every once and a while on the exchange. I had a tapered tang kuk that was pretty awesome.
Click to expand...

I kinda took about a five year hiatus from knives until recently, so I'm not up on the "I gotta have a full tang" silliness. What's that about?
 
danbot said:
I kinda took about a five year hiatus from knives until recently, so I'm not up on the "I gotta have a full tang" silliness. What's that about?
Click to expand...
All of the advice written on survival and general woods bumming says a full tang is a must. This of course flies in the face of all of the hard use blades that don't have one throughout history. Or that most "full tangs" are really just skeletonized tangs. Someone floated the idea that this was due to people buying cheap stick tangs or knives that have poorly designed stick tangs and just writing them off altogether because they broke. Not sure if that's the case but it makes sense.

I just know I've beat on mora's too much to adhere to that advice. ;)
 
Shotgun said:
All of the advice written on survival and general woods bumming says a full tang is a must. This of course flies in the face of all of the hard use blades that don't have one throughout history. Or that most "full tangs" are really just skeletonized tangs. Someone floated the idea that this was due to people buying cheap stick tangs or knives that have poorly designed stick tangs and just writing them off altogether because they broke. Not sure if that's the case but it makes sense.

I just know I've beat on mora's too much to adhere to that advice. ;)
Click to expand...

Oh, I see. Thanks for the explanation!
 
I love tapered tangs. It helps with the balance. You don't want a knife that is too handle heavy, and obviously the tapering can balance it out. Looks real good too. They are hard to find though. I've wondered myself why more makers don't do 'em. Reading the posts above, I guess you guys are right. Must be because they take time and aren't worth the trouble for most makers.
 
I think they are absolutely magnificent, and especially so when done by Steingass. I click on his sale adds just so I can drool at the pics of knives that I'll buy some day when i no longer have to feed kids!
 
Do you think there would be any practical way to automate the process to make it easy for large scale producers to do tapered tangs?
I mean, the angle on the scales would be easy since it would just be plugging in a different angle measurement into a CNC machine anyway. But I'm imagining that grinding the taper on the tang would be the hang up.
 
Never too late or too old to learn something new. :thumbsup: I have never (in so many years) encountered a tapered tang. Beautiful! :cool: Unfortunately, now I am on the hunt for one; #@&% you BF (especially you, danbutt, I mean danbot). ;)
 
I love tapered tangs, I've had them from winkler and big chris. Both done well, they make a light balanced blade that handles like an extension of the hand. That said, on my beater blades, I prefer no taper.
 
I pass on tapered tangs. Prefer a full length, skeletonized tang which allows for an exposed end for light hammering/striking. Even without an exposed end, full and skeletonized or bust.
 
I am a fan of the tapered tang...anytime I have a custom built I request tapered...I have one in the mail now from Dale Howe...it's his Ram's horn Wyoming Skinner...I had him do it tapered with mosaics...I'm also a big fan of mosaic pins...

Cheers/bg
 
GrReaper said:
I love tapered tangs. It helps with the balance. You don't want a knife that is too handle heavy, and obviously the tapering can balance it out. Looks real good too. They are hard to find though. I've wondered myself why more makers don't do 'em. Reading the posts above, I guess you guys are right. Must be because they take time and aren't worth the trouble for most makers.
Click to expand...
easy fix for balance without the taper or skeletonized tang....just add more blade length. longer is better anyways.:)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top