One of the technical terms most often used in knife descriptions is the word Tang. Luckily the Tang of a knife is fairly easy to explain, and can save you from buying inferior products that wind up being a waste of your money. The word Tang when used to describe a knife refers to the portion of the knife that extends from the end of the blade into the handle. Partial Tang knives are more likely to crack and break because they only have a small piece of metal that actually fits into the handle material. A full Tang knife is the best way to go. Full Tang knives are stronger because the blade metal extends all the way through the handle. They also are better balanced because the center of gravity is nearest to the front of your hand where you use your fingers to grip and control the action of the blade.