The crop is the thickened part of the blade that turns into the handle. It serves several purposes:

• Protection: Protects the user's hand by preventing it from sliding forward while cutting.
• Balance: Adds weight to the knife, providing better balance between the blade and handle. This makes the knife easier and safer to use.
• Strength: Strengthens the connection between the blade and the handle, which increases the durability of the knife.

Pliers are the extended part of the blade that extends into the handle. There are different types of pliers, including full, half and partial pliers:

• Full pliers: Extends the full length of the handle and offers the best balance and strength.
• Half pliers: Extends halfway down the handle and is lighter, but offers less balance.
• Partial pliers: Restricts to a small portion of the handle, which makes the knife lighter but less stable.

The pliers play a crucial role in the overall strength and balance of the knife. A knife with full tang is generally considered the most robust and reliable.