Full Tanga Katana buying Guide

One word that newcomers to katana often see when they are new to katana is Full Tang, and for those who don't know it well, they often overlook this hidden structure within katana, so how important is this unexposed, unsharpened part of the blade handle? Here is a brief overview of the complete Full Tang katana to help you with some of the things to look for when shopping for a katana.

What does Full Tang mean on a katana?

Full Tang is the internal structure of katana's hilt, where the top and blade are a single piece of steel without welding and joining methods such as nesting and piercing, when a katana is described as being of Full Tang construction, it indicates that the inside of the handle is full-topped steel with a certain width, which makes it a very strong construction, t is also known in technical terms as Nakago or angel.This means that when you hold the handle of this katana, you can safely wield it even if you can't see inside, which is what the term “full tang sword” means.
Of course, this is not unique to the katana, as many European and Chinese swords have a similar construction, especially on short knives and outdoor military knives.

What is partial tang katana? 

The opposite of the Full Tang is the partial tang, which, as the name suggests, means that the steel inside the handle is half or even a third of the size of the Full Tang. In the case of short knives, the difference in strength between the two types of construction The difference in strength is not always obvious, since there is little chance that a knife will be subjected to such harsh conditions as to cause the handle to break, except during violent testing. But when used on a katana, it is more important to consider the role of the length of the handle on the center of gravity of the entire sword and whether it can be pried by the force of the handle to cut through objects more easily and quickly, so the full tang construction of the katana is much more rugged and durable.

Are Full Tang katanas better?

Full Tang has a great advantage in strength, Full Tang area is large, the force is the outer handle and blade, and it is not easy to break when chopping, so when you buy a katana you are generally advised to Full Tang structure. Ignore it if you're just going to buy a katana to put on your wall for decoration, and the overall weight of the Full Tang katana is on the heavy side due to the fact that the entire handle is stuffed to the gills, a katana used purely for decoration also doesn't need to meet the weight and feel of a real-world standard. That being said, one might ask why the outside of the Full Tang katana's handle is not removed since the entire handle is made of steel. There is an argument that the katana will frequently collide with various objects in melee combat, such as enemy armor. For example, the enemy's armor, if the Full Tang structure is directly exposed, then the shock absorption will be poor, and when cutting into the object will make the user's hand quickly numb, unable to grip the sword, and it is difficult to sustain the fight.

Battle ready Full Tang katana

Now congratulations on adding to your knowledge of katana construction, and if you're ready to shop for a Full Tang katana of your choice, there are a variety of options for customizing your katana to make it a unique addition to your collection.
With all these beautiful Full Tang katanas, there is always something to suit your taste.