In almost any high-quality sword or fixed-blade knife, a portion of the blade extends past the guard (tsuba) and into the grip (hilt/tsuka) of the weapon. This part of the blade is used to fasten the grip securely to the rest of the blade, and is referred to as the tang. A blade is considered full tang when the tang extends through the entire length of the grip. Full tang swords offer solid construction and are designed to stand up to rigorous practical use.
