What knife do I use for what purpose?

What knife do I use for what purpose?

Which knife is the right one for you? Even though choosing your #oneknifeforlife is usually about what you personally prefer, there are several factors to consider since knives are made for different purposes. We thought we’d share some information that’ll help you sort out what characteristics you’d want and need for your knife. 

Full tang VS Partial tang

First of all - what is a tang? The tang of the knife is the unsharpened part of the steel blade that goes into the handle.

A full tang extends the full length of the grip-portion of a handle, versus a partial tang which does not. A full tang may or may not be as wide as the handle itself but will still run the full length of the handle. A full tang knife has a steel blade that runs through the whole handle. The two pieces of  the handle that surround the knife are fastened by two metallic rivets.

A partial tang is the complete opposite with a steel blade that only extends partially through the handle. Which makes it more of a lightweight handle. A partial tang has a complete seal against moisture and reduces the thermal expansion in the grip/tang.

Now you may wonder if this makes the quality differ between our full tang and partial tang knives? No - it's more a choice of what you personally prefer. So why are there two different models? There are many reasonsfor having full tang or partial tang types in different knives. Each model has its strengths and weaknesses depending on what you’re planning to use the knife for.

If you’re looking for a survival knife or tend to use your Roselli mainly for bushcraft we’d suggest our full-tang blades, because it contributes with greater strength. Yes, full tang knives tend to be better than partial tang knives if all else is created equal and if the task is to be used for ‘extreme conditions’. Meaning conditions that are well beyond anything the average person is ever likely to experience in their lifetime.

However, keep in mind that whatever tang-model, it is not the only sign of quality in a knife. The steel and the blade makes a big difference which is why it is highly unlikely that your Roselli partial tang will ever fail you in your lifetime.

Carbon steel VS UHC (Ultra high carbon) steel

Our standard carbon steelwith 0,8% carbon is anything but standard. This steel is our most trusted and used. Hard, durable and reliable - it is made to get the work done, and easy to get back to full sharpness by yourself.

Our own Ultra High Carbon (UHC) steel contains 1.8 - 2.0% carbon. The Roselli UHC steel is considered one of the hardest steel qualities in the world - with our UHC models measuring around 62-63 HRC (Hardness Rockwell C). This level of strength makes an extreme sharpness possible, and an edge which will stay sharp for a very very long time.

If you know that you’ll be using your knife on hard materials, then maybe you should consider not to choose a knife with UHC steel. It may be better for you to choose our carbon steel selection instead that has a somewhat softer and more flexible blade. 

For example, if you’re planning on cutting into something that’s too brutal on the edge of the blade, like animal bones or if you're thinking of batoning.

There are pros and cons to both hard and soft steel, one of them is chipping, that you can read more about here. What kind of knife that would suit you better is something you have to consider on your own. Just know that you’ll have to compromise the different characteristics depending on what you need.

Still uncertain of what Roselli you should get? Contact us and we’ll help you find the right one.