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I am with Ray on the stub tang, or hidden tang. It makes putting spacers in like recon stone easier, not to mention if you want to use two different woods. I will usually run a full length hidden tang or weld a threaded bolt for a pommel. It all depends on the type of knife and it's purpose. Do not worry about the strength of a stub tang as Japanese Katanas are stub tangs, just remember to pin the stub tang in place. I pin all my hidden tangs whether or not they have a threaded on pommel or not.
On top of all that a stub tang uses less material. I made a billet of Damascus and was able to get 4 medium (4" blades +- 1/2") knives out of it by making them all hidden tangs. If I had made them full tangs I would have only got 2 medium sized skinners and one small knife out of it, if that.
Another trick some makers use to lighten and balance the knife is to drill out some large holes on a full tang.
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