The tang of a knife is the portion of the knife's blade metal that has been shaped to fit the handle material. It provides strength at the join between the knife blade and the knife handle. In a hidden tang construction knife the tang is usually shaped into a rod or spoke to be hammered securely into a wooden handle and optionally secured with epoxy or other adhesive. In a knife construction with a handle made from pinned scales, the tang is shaped as the handle is shaped and provides much more stable support. Folding knives rarely have tangs, as they would prodrude from the folding chassis and defeat the point of the knife's folding ability.