A sword is basically made of two different pieces. There is the sword blade and the handle. The sword blade needs to be made of a sturdy material that is somewhat flexible and very strong. A steel that has been folded many times often serves this purpose. A high-carbon steel is used for small knives because carbon hardens the steel. However, that hardness also creates brittleness. For a sword, you want it to be hard but still somewhat flexible. If it is flexible, it will bend slightly with stresses and not break. However, you need the steel to also be firmly affixed to the handle. If it’s not affixed tightly to the handle, the blade might snap off without the metal actually being damaged. Essentially, the juncture of handle and blade becomes a point of weakness. You want to remove as many points of weakness as possible. Full tang swords do this.
What Is the Tang?
A sword blade is affixed to the handle by virtue of a tang. The tang is the portion of the metal blade that extends into the handle. Most swords that function only to be hung on the wall or for show are not full tang swords. They are affixed to the handle by a rivet and/or adhesive. However, if you want a sword that is actually functional, you need a longer tang.
In a full tang, the blade ends in an unsharpened section of metal. The handle is then fixed over this unsharpened portion called the tang. This means that the sword is one solid piece with a handle attached to the bottom of it. You can visit the website to see some examples.
Advantages
Full tang swords have advantages over some of the smaller tang swords because they are so durable. The handle is not a point of weakness. They will not break off at the handle or bend at the handle, no matter what you do.
