TJ Custom Cutlery
About me
Welcome to my page! My name is Tim Johnson and I make custom cutlery part time in East Hampton, CT! I have been involved in custom knives and handles off and on since 1998 and started doing this on a more consistent basis in 2021. I work in a variety of steels like carbon, tool steels and stainless, as well as using premade damascus billets from well regarded US Makers and make my own billets on occasion too! No imported damascus billets from tin cans and bumpers here!
The Process
1
Creating the blade
First, we pick the appropriate blade steel for the task. Stainless or carbon, high toughness or high wear resistance, or something more balanced. Then the blade is profiled by cutting the barstock or forging steel to shape. Then I drill any needed holes in the tang and prep the blade for heat treating.
2
Heat Treating
I use a custom built heat treating oven to get proper and consistent temperatures. If needed, I normalize and anneal the steel, and then soak at the correct temp/time for the steel, then quench. I use Parks 50 and AAA oils, as well as quench plates as applicable to the steel. Once quenched, higher alloyed steels go through a cryogenic or sub zero treatment, get hardness tested on a calibrated Wilson Hardness Tester, and tempered to the desired Rockwell hardness to balance the properties of toughness and edge retention.
3
Blade grind and Handles
After being hardened and tempered, the profile is cleaned up, the blade flattened and cleaned up, and then the grinding process starts, progressing through 36-400 grit or higher belts, and then finishing. Once the blade is done, then it's on to the handle! There is such a variety of handles materials to choose from, liners, pins, spacers, etc. The handle is installed to the blade, profiled, shaped and contoured and finished for a comfortable grip.
Once the handle and blade are done, the custom sheath is created, the blade is sharpened and then etched my logo and other information if requested.
Check us out online!
You can find updated pictures and works in progress and available on Instagram @TAZJ575 or TAJ Outdoors on Facebook!
You can also contact me directly at tazblades@yahoo.com