What's so great about tapered tang?

[Golanv]

Okay, so there are some things I really like about tapered tang. I find it a little more aesthetically pleasing much of the time, and I like that it lightens up the knife overall. I also appreciate the extra skill that goes into making a tapered tang.

However, and maybe I just need to use a tapered tang knife more, but I don't really like how the balance of a TT knife is forward and out of the hand. I don't mind this with something larger, such as a machete or an ax/hatchet/tomahawk, but to me this still feels awkward with something smaller like a knife. I still like feeling the weight in the hand rather than in the blade on such a small tool.

What do you guys think? For those of you that prefer tapered tangs, how long did it take you to come to prefer it over a full tang or SFT? Is there anyone who never came to prefer a TT?

 

[bonafide]

For me, personally .. it's the balance and sometimes the tapering affects the in hand feel. That all depends on the specific knife and then the steel thickness used.

 

[Hone]

It took me about 0.2 seconds to prefer the tapered tangs over SFT. I really like how on most of the 3.5" or larger Fiddlebacks it tends to put the balance point right at the center of the knife or first set of pins.

I own 1/8" SFT, 1/8" tapered, 5/32" SFT, 5/32" tapered, 3/16" SFT and 3/16" tapered Fiddlebacks. My pesronal favorite configuration is 5/32" tapered tang. To me that is the sweet spot and feels the best in hand.

 

[xxwjtxx]

Great & relevant question;
It all comes down to preference, hand feel and balance point. For multipurpose knives 4" or less, I LOVE tapered tang in 5/32"; its thick enough to handle any task, while maintaining a kind of nimbleness and dexterity. Similarly for knives over 4" my general preference is 5/32" or 3/16" SFT. If I'm in >4" territory, I'm probably doing dedicated rough work and prefer the weight / heft of the SFT and thicker steel. Its all preference at the end of the day though, as there are plenty of guys who do rough work with 1/8" or 3/32" just fine (see Dogwood Dan's knives). None the less, Andy's tapers are just sweet; I know a few of the guys in the shop help out with this portion of the process, and he seems to have passed the magic touch on to all of 'em... I'd say try both and see which you prefer... YMMV

 

[Golanv]

Thanks for the input. I may just keep using my TT a little more and see if my preferences change. On a different note, I kind of find the 5/32" a little thick for my preference, but I suppose it really does depend on the task at hand. Seems cumbersome for food prep, but I'd feel better about it if I were being hard on it.

 

[Golanv]

So, I figured out my problem. It isn't balance. I compared a Buck Vanguard, a SFT Fiddleback Nessmuk in 1/8", and a tapered tang Bushfinger in 5/32". The balance on the three were roughly in the same spot, between the middle and index finger. The balance on the tapered tang Bushfinger was slightly farther forward than the other two, but it was a negligible difference really.

The Bushfinger is my only tapered tang knife. I realized that I'm slightly less comfortable with it because it has a pretty narrow handle than what I'm used to, especially toward he pinky finger. Since it's a little less meaty on the end, it just feels like it's going to fall out of my hand at any moment. The Nessmuk has a big chunk of handle that my pinky and ring finger can wrap around. It just feels secure. So I guess my preference has more to do with handle thickness than anything else.

Maybe I need to track down a TT bushfinger with a thicker handle. I feel most tapered tang Fiddlebacks I have seen tend to have thinner handles overall, but I may be mistaken on that point.

 

[bonafide]

Maybe I need to track down a TT bushfinger with a thicker handle. I feel most tapered tang Fiddlebacks I have seen tend to have thinner handles overall, but I may be mistaken on that point.

While they're generally the same .. hand made knives = no two are alike. You'll see guys buy/sell the same knives style of Fiddlebacks. I assume they're looking for that quintessential perfect feeling in the hand knife. Again, I assume. I do know from personal experience of getting to hold/handle many of the Fiddlebacks as they're getting made. Sometimes when I pick one up, it REALLY talks to me. It might not be the size, handle type, etc I prefer .. but it's 'just feels great in my hand'. Make sense?

 

[Golanv]

Yep, that makes sense. I guess I have to go shopping for more knives now.

 

[scraca]

XX someone said what i was going to say

 

[Comprehensivist]

For me, personally .. it's the balance and sometimes the tapering affects the in hand feel. That all depends on the specific knife and then the steel thickness used.

It took me about 0.2 seconds to prefer the tapered tangs over SFT. I really like how on most of the 3.5" or larger Fiddlebacks it tends to put the balance point right at the center of the knife or first set of pins.

I own 1/8" SFT, 1/8" tapered, 5/32" SFT, 5/32" tapered, 3/16" SFT and 3/16" tapered Fiddlebacks. My pesronal favorite configuration is 5/32" tapered tang. To me that is the sweet spot and feels the best in hand.

Great & relevant question;
It all comes down to preference, hand feel and balance point. For multipurpose knives 4" or less, I LOVE tapered tang in 5/32"; its thick enough to handle any task, while maintaining a kind of nimbleness and dexterity. Similarly for knives over 4" my general preference is 5/32" or 3/16" SFT. If I'm in >4" territory, I'm probably doing dedicated rough work and prefer the weight / heft of the SFT and thicker steel. Its all preference at the end of the day though, as there are plenty of guys who do rough work with 1/8" or 3/32" just fine (see Dogwood Dan's knives). None the less, Andy's tapers are just sweet; I know a few of the guys in the shop help out with this portion of the process, and he seems to have passed the magic touch on to all of 'em... I'd say try both and see which you prefer... YMMV

While they're generally the same .. hand made knives = no two are alike. You'll see guys buy/sell the same knives style of Fiddlebacks. I assume they're looking for that quintessential perfect feeling in the hand knife. Again, I assume. I do know from personal experience of getting to hold/handle many of the Fiddlebacks as they're getting made. Sometimes when I pick one up, it REALLY talks to me. It might not be the size, handle type, etc I prefer .. but it's 'just feels great in my hand'. Make sense?

Golanv,

The above voices are based on experience and wisdom and I agree with their comments for the most part. My default selection is pretty much the same as Hone's in that I feel that a tapered 5/32" blade is ideal for the 4" models and some of the 5" models. I like 1/8" tapered or SFT or even 3/32" SFT on the 3" models. I say this because I value neutral balance on the first finger more than handle thickness. I have have average size hands, so fat handles are not as important to me as someone with XL or XXL size hands. I have owned three different Camp Knives in 3/16" SFT and they all have been some of the most amazingly balanced large knives that I have ever owned.

Tapered vs. SFT is just one component of the balance equation. The others that contribute to that are steel thickness, grind height (& type), and handle thickness. As Bud (bonafide) pointed out, each knife is hand ground and unique. By virtue of his his regular Sneak Peek visits to the shop, he has handled more Fiddleback knives than anyone who who does not work there. Pay attention when he says that some knives of the same model have the feel he likes, while others don't feel as perfect for his preferences. Since everyone's hands are unique, preferences will vary and there are no wrong answers.

I have owned about fifty different Fiddlebacks in my year-and-a-half here. I have kept about eighteen of my favorites from that group. They are a mixture of 1/8" tapered & SFT, 5/32" tapered, and 3/16" tapered and SFT. The only steel configuration that I have absolutely eliminated from my personal consideration is 5/32" SFT. It just feels handle heavy and wrong to me in any Fiddleback knife that I have owned. I don't care how nice the handle material or spalting is, I won't be buying any more 5/32" SFT. That is my personal preference and your preference may vary. I have no problem with that.

My final advice is to choose a tapered tang as a default selection if you value balance or go with an SFT if you value handle thickness above balance.

Thanks for starting this thread and bringing this discussion to the forefront.

Phil

 

[thurin]

It's cool seeing everyone's take on this. I'll add my opinion into the mix as well.

I like the look of the tapers. It's part of the Fiddleback "package" that makes the knives sexy to go along with their hardworking capabilities.

I fit into the category Phil mentioned with XL hands. For me, size of the handle is a lot more important than balance of the blade. Balance doesn't help me if I'm getting hotspots cuz the handle is too thin or shaped wrong for my hands. Balance comes into play after the fact, or maybe more appropriately as the initial impression. "Ooh, this knife feels good." But the true test for me is how are my hands feeling after processing a bunch of firewood and playing around carving on wood for an hour. Comfort of the handle, which for me is mainly determined by it's size, is the #1 contributor to this.

The above is in regards to 4" and larger blades. For smaller, EDC type blades, again the balance doesn't really come into play. When every knife that fits into that category is a "3 finger" handle in my hands, balance isn't much a factor either.

As folks have said, they way you're going to find out what you like is by handling the knives and coming up with your criteria for what "does it" for you. It might be balance. It might be handle style. It might be handle size. Everyone's different.

 

[Mistwalker]

For me it is the balance. To me all the extra mass of the full tang is just added weight for no real reason. The full thickness at the pommel end adds no strength to the blade and serves no purpose for me. Some prefer the aesthetics of the full tang, I like the balance of the tapered ones.