Low Budget Full Tang Knife?

Jul 24, 2017
1,163
444
somerset
Wrights, Bark river, Nowill etc, all do the hunters Dadley, green river, deck / boating knife, full tang, cheap and good quality due to being easy to make, there thin, they flex, so cut well and don't break easily, get one and try it there is little they wont do, some even come with a sharpening steel that is also good for opening up knots, so capable they get made by many and come under many names, I know I beat this drum a lot but you don't have to start with a Mora, that dose not have the full tang which was one of the requirements.
 
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Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
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Wrights, Bark river, Nowill etc, all do the hunters Dadley, green river, deck / boating knife, full tang, cheap and good quality due to being easy to make, there thin, they flex, so cut well and don't break easily, get one and try it there is little they wont do, some even come with a sharpening steel that is also good for opening up knots, so capable they get made by many and come under many names, I know I beat this drum a lot but you don't have to start with a Mora, that dose not have the full tang which was one of the requirements.

I'll be honest, my googling skills have left me and I'm struggling to find one at a sensible price - can you give a couple of direct links please?
 
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Erbswurst

Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
Mar 5, 2018
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Berlin
We had in Germany really cheap full Tang knifes, but unfortunately they are longer than 12 cm which is the limit in the german law.

I don't really understand why no European Smith makes some. They are able to produce cheap Mora and cheap Opinels and- yes - even cheap Victorinox Knives.

I don't believe that such a knife has to kost more than 60 € if one starts a mass production.

Herbertz sells such stuff, but somehow I don't like them.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
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Humanity has done very well with stick or partial tangs.
Fulltang knives are a passing fad.
Just wait and see. Maybe the next fad will be a katana.
Or the German Rambo sized beast knifes, like in the 70’s!
 
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Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,885
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Herbertz sells such stuff, but somehow I don't like them.

I’m not surprised. Herbertz ride on the Solingen reputation unfortunately. Not so much in their upper range maybe, but most are mediocre at best, cheaply produced Taiwan at worst. Steel (440J) is not a good user knife steel.

They’re distributors more than makers, I’m sure the Buck 110 lookalike I’ve seen wasn’t German made.

Boker make a better and more honest knife. The Magnum range are worth a look, and this little Bugout in D2 steel looks good too.

https://www.bladehq.com/item--Boker-Plus-Bugout-Fixed-Blade-Knife--90318
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
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What is the benefit of a full tang knife? A well designed partial tang knife is immensely strong.
Of the knives I have damaged, most damage I have done is the tip breaking, the cutting edge either chipped or chunk broken off.
Bent blade.

Not sure what the difference between playing and working with a knife is.
I cut stuff I need to cut.
Every workman in Scandinavia carries a knife, usually a Morakniv or Hultafors. design depending on what he does.
Knifes from Mora ( and other now dead manufacturers designed and made knifes for workmen and the Armed Forces.


The more stupid things I have done is using a stone as mallet cutting barbed wire into shorter lengths. Yes, ruined the edge of the knife. Had to do it.

In museum exhibitions I have not seen steel full tang knives, most look like rat gangs.
The museums in Oslo and Borg have together around 20-25 knives, over a Millennia old, and all are rattangs.
That famous meteorite based knife king Tutankhamun owned is a rat tang too.

All Japanese swords and knifes, fighting and domestic, the same.
Could be saving steel, could be easier manufacture. Or that the handle is more comfortable?
 
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Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
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www.mont-hmg.co.uk
What is the benefit of a full tang knife? A well designed partial tang knife is immensely strong.
Of the knives I have damaged, most damage I have done is the tip breaking, the cutting edge either chipped or chunk broken off.
Bent blade.

Not sure what the difference between playing and working with a knife is.
I cut stuff I need to cut.
Every workman in Scandinavia carries a knife, usually a Morakniv or Hultafors. design depending on what he does.
Knifes from Mora ( and other now dead manufacturers designed and made knifes for workmen and the Armed Forces.


The more stupid things I have done is using a stone as mallet cutting barbed wire into shorter lengths. Yes, ruined the edge of the knife. Had to do it.

In museum exhibitions I have not seen steel full tang knives, most look like rat gangs.
The museums in Oslo and Borg have together around 20-25 knives, over a Millennia old, and all are rattangs.
That famous meteorite based knife king Tutankhamun owned is a rat tang too.

All Japanese swords and knifes, fighting and domestic, the same.
Could be saving steel, could be easier manufacture. Or that the handle is more comfortable?

It was said 'tongue in cheek' Janne :)

Seriously though, you Scandinavians swear by other forms but as far as I can tell most knives used in the 19th Century in North America were full tang - often just based on 'butcher's' style knives.

To each their own though, Erbswurst asked for a full tang, that's what we should be offering him - not telling him he's wrong because of personal preferences (which is what too many of these conversations turn into - and I'm as guilty as anyone).
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
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I am obscenely obsessed with ‘hidden tangs’ because (apart from some old German and Norwegian kitchen knives) ALL knives I own have them.
Not by choice.

It is very difficult to find a good quality, cheap knife as PeaSausage requires. I have searched quite a bit for his sake.

Uncertain quality, cheap cost - go to a famous Chinese website.

Erbsie, what is the reason you want a full tang?
 

Feurio

Member
Jul 15, 2019
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Bavarian Alps
He said he wanted an indestructible beginners’ knife and the Scandinavian rat tags weren’t robust enough.
While that may be true for the standard Mora Companion design, is certainly isn’t for all other models. That’s all I wanted to point out. If it was a personal preference, than that’s a different matter of course!
 
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EffyGent

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Sep 6, 2019
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I think that it is often very helpful, especially for new people, to offer alternatives that might not meet the stated parameters, but meet the stated needs and goals.

If someone wants a full tang for strength but also wants cheap, pointing out that quality non-full tang knives could be a far better option than cheap full tang ones

Sent from my HUAWEI VNS-L31 using Tapatalk
 
Jul 24, 2017
1,163
444
somerset
I'll be honest, my googling skills have left me and I'm struggling to find one at a sensible price - can you give a couple of direct links please?
Jhon Nowill, green river knife at Heinnie.com £18.95!
used mine today just for cord cutting, I'm making a mountaineering stick will be stripping and rough carving said item with it soon.
 
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Broch

Life Member
Jan 18, 2009
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Mid Wales
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Jhon Nowill, green river knife at Heinnie.com £18.95!
used mine today just for cord cutting, I'm making a mountaineering stick will be stripping and rough carving said item with it soon.

Cheers :)

The Seaman's knife looks interesting too at £14.95. Now that you've pointed me in the right direction there are a few quite serviceable full tang knives on there for sensible prices.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
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Yes, a version of a classic Sailors/ maritime knife.

Those are incredibly cheap. I guess if they added the word ‘bushcraft’ they would multiply the price!

I would say you found the best one, of the shape of the blade is to Erbswursts liking.

That one, is it sharp on both sides? Flexible blade?
 

z_bumbi

Tenderfoot
Apr 22, 2016
94
46
Linköping, Sweden
It was said 'tongue in cheek' Janne :)

Seriously though, you Scandinavians swear by other forms but as far as I can tell most knives used in the 19th Century in North America were full tang - often just based on 'butcher's' style knives.

Some of those knives where even made in Sweden. But on the other hand I also guess that a lot of rat/sticktang knives where brought from Sweden to USA and those smiths that moved still made knives that people around them where used to.
 

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