Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post Reply
Robstreperous
Posts: 2497
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 11:46 am
Location: Long Island
Has thanked: 120 times
Been thanked: 453 times

Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by Robstreperous »

Guys & gals... After nearly 2 years of one of the most insanely detailed -- yet highly enjoyable -- interactions about how to design and build a knife.. Tonight I had the pleasure of using the result of my collaboration with Tim. I've only used it once --- but I was as critical as I've ever been with any knife I've ever owned or tried. So far I can not find a flaw with its performance.

It is among the lightest lasers I've ever used --- yet it chopped fennel and potato and carrot slickly without resistance. I mean it sank into the board when I was trying to be delicate. With the full understanding I'm saying this --- having used some extremely highly regarded knives --- it is among the 3 best I've ever used and easily competes and compares well with the best laser I've ever tried.


I'd assumed due to the cladding it would be sticky --- yet potatoes slid off it without effort.

It's a 270 yet the tip is nimble, agile and provides phenomenal feedback.

Speaking of feedback ---- while chopping with it I finally, for the first time, discovered what it is some of you guys have been commenting on that's eluded me so far. I get the "tappity, tapppita, bounce " thing... but ---- this is a clad knife not a monosteel....

It's got a flat spot --- yet I can rock with it.

It's thin and ridiculously light but root vegetables cower in its presence.

It's a 270 but I feel like I'm waving around a 160 petty....

Fit and finish? Forget about it... wait until I photo some closeups and show you the kingwood saya he did...

2 years in the making... probably 50 pages of notes on what to design and how... . all good things come with time and patience?

Effort, patience, fun and friendship well rewarded.

Tim! Well done!

Image
Cutuu
Posts: 3533
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:00 pm
Has thanked: 285 times
Been thanked: 105 times

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by Cutuu »

Looks great! You caught me off guard with the ktip.
User avatar
Jeff B
Posts: 14741
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 5:59 pm
Location: Louisville, Kentucky
Has thanked: 1954 times
Been thanked: 2324 times

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by Jeff B »

Caught me off guard with the Ktip too. Beautiful knife!

I'm a big Tim Johnson fanboy!
If God wanted me to be a vegetarian he wouldn't have made animals taste so good.
Robstreperous
Posts: 2497
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 11:46 am
Location: Long Island
Has thanked: 120 times
Been thanked: 453 times

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by Robstreperous »

The KTip works so well on this knife.

In general I like Ktips and bunkas but there's something about how it interacts with the rest of this knife's feel in particular that makes it just plain a joy to use. So accurate and nimble...

Tim mentioned to me a week or so ago he thought it was going to end up as a "specialist" knife in my arsenal. I'm not so sure. It's already competing for use with my Kashima and Tsourkan.
Kalaeb
Posts: 3271
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2017 8:59 pm
Location: Wisconsin
Has thanked: 208 times
Been thanked: 390 times

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by Kalaeb »

Well done on the collab gents. Looks like a great knife.
Cutuu
Posts: 3533
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:00 pm
Has thanked: 285 times
Been thanked: 105 times

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by Cutuu »

Rob I did not know there was such a thing as a perfect knife ;) .
User avatar
Drewski
Posts: 1309
Joined: Wed Mar 28, 2018 2:01 am
Location: Manitoba, Canada
Has thanked: 429 times
Been thanked: 46 times

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by Drewski »

Very nice, love everything about the looks of that knife. The finish on the blade, the K-tip, the handle.

I guess you'll be posting a lot of knives in the classifieds now?
User avatar
jbart65
Posts: 3276
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:18 pm
Has thanked: 8 times
Been thanked: 105 times

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by jbart65 »

Gee Rob, how bout some specs!

Looks really nice. Tim is doing a handle for me. Once I figure out exactly what I want, I’ll get a custom knife from him too.
Jeffry B
User avatar
mauichef
Posts: 3974
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:10 pm
Location: Boca Chica, Panama
Has thanked: 675 times
Been thanked: 1021 times
Contact:

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by mauichef »

I have a K-Tip by Tim and it is the thinnest knife behind the edge I have ever experienced. The remarkable thing is I'm not a laser guy...but this is one of my absolute favorites.
Congrats on a wonderful build Rob and Tim.
LostHighway
Posts: 111
Joined: Sat Jun 02, 2018 4:23 pm
Location: Minneapolis

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by LostHighway »

jbart65 wrote: Sun Nov 04, 2018 8:54 pm Gee Rob, how bout some specs!

Looks really nice. Tim is doing a handle for me. Once I figure out exactly what I want, I’ll get a custom knife from him too.
Yes, to this! Steel? Height at heel? Weight? Spine width(s)?

Beautiful knife!
timos
Posts: 1437
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2017 3:01 pm
Location: oxford, MA
Has thanked: 100 times
Been thanked: 133 times
Contact:

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by timos »

Hey Rob, thanks for posting this! Rob and I did pour over every detail of knife design we could think of. I think I may have even sent him some to scale cad templates so he could make a cardboard version to see if he liked the profile. I have always regarded my commission work as "custom". building the knife to suit the customer is a big part of the deal and appeal for sure. I model the profile of all of my customs in CAD and create spec drawings similar to what I do in my full time gig. I also have this tendency to say ill do things I have never done before, lol. It is a real bear to keep the core steel centered over such a long length in such thin stock. I mean to say; it was by far my biggest grinding challenge yet. It took two tries and that was on top of having done a dozen or so 250's already. Carter's heat treat on the 52100 steel is excellent too. On top of all that add in a complex handle with bog oak, musk ox, and honduran rosewood burl....sheesh! Fun stuff! Im glad you like it Rob!
Tim Johnson
Oxford, MA

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few”
--s. suzuki
Image
Web: http://www.timothyjohnsonknives.com
Email: tim@blackstoneknife.com
Instagram: @timostheos
Robstreperous
Posts: 2497
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 11:46 am
Location: Long Island
Has thanked: 120 times
Been thanked: 453 times

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by Robstreperous »

LostHighway wrote: Mon Nov 05, 2018 9:06 am
jbart65 wrote: Sun Nov 04, 2018 8:54 pm Gee Rob, how bout some specs!

Looks really nice. Tim is doing a handle for me. Once I figure out exactly what I want, I’ll get a custom knife from him too.
Yes, to this! Steel? Height at heel? Weight? Spine width(s)?

Beautiful knife!
jbart65 wrote: Sun Nov 04, 2018 8:54 pm Gee Rob, how bout some specs!

Looks really nice. Tim is doing a handle for me. Once I figure out exactly what I want, I’ll get a custom knife from him too.

Hey guys. We started this build so long ago ----- I'm digging through email trying to find the specs... I'll need to confirm with Tim but..

Steel is 52100 clad in 440. Billet was from NJ Steel Baron and Carter Hopkins did the heat treat.

It's shorter at 50 mm from heel to top of the spine. Length is a full 270 mm tip to heel. The tip is raised 12mm above the board and there's a true flat spot that starts 95mm from the heel. Weight? I dunnooo.... my scale's broken. But it's a feather... Weighs significantly less than my Kashima.

What I can't find is the width of the spine... It's really thin. From memory it's around 2.5 MM but I'll need to get Tim to confirm for me.

I'll take some choil shots and the like over the weekend.
User avatar
jbart65
Posts: 3276
Joined: Thu Jan 26, 2017 9:18 pm
Has thanked: 8 times
Been thanked: 105 times

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by jbart65 »

That's good enough, Rob. I'd be curious to know the weight, but this is plenty of detail. Thanks!
Jeffry B
timos
Posts: 1437
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2017 3:01 pm
Location: oxford, MA
Has thanked: 100 times
Been thanked: 133 times
Contact:

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by timos »

Hey, yes this stock thickness was 3/32" (2.5 mm) and finished probably a hair under that.
Tim Johnson
Oxford, MA

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few”
--s. suzuki
Image
Web: http://www.timothyjohnsonknives.com
Email: tim@blackstoneknife.com
Instagram: @timostheos
easilver
Posts: 683
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 8:45 am
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by easilver »

That is a beautiful knife. Use it in good health.
Ed in L.A.
timos
Posts: 1437
Joined: Wed Jan 25, 2017 3:01 pm
Location: oxford, MA
Has thanked: 100 times
Been thanked: 133 times
Contact:

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by timos »

Just an FYI, if anyone is interested, this knife has a twin and it is available. You can contact Duy Pham or let me know and I will get in touch for you.
Tim Johnson
Oxford, MA

“In the beginner’s mind there are many possibilities, but in the expert’s there are few”
--s. suzuki
Image
Web: http://www.timothyjohnsonknives.com
Email: tim@blackstoneknife.com
Instagram: @timostheos
J david
Posts: 1109
Joined: Sun Jan 29, 2017 5:07 pm
Been thanked: 5 times

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by J david »

My Tim Johnson knife shipped today. Only time will tell if you got the perfect one or if I did. I'm very excited.
Robstreperous
Posts: 2497
Joined: Fri Jan 27, 2017 11:46 am
Location: Long Island
Has thanked: 120 times
Been thanked: 453 times

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by Robstreperous »

J david wrote: Mon Nov 19, 2018 4:21 pm My Tim Johnson knife shipped today. Only time will tell if you got the perfect one or if I did. I'm very excited.
Be very excited. I'm excited for you.

So..... wouldn't a truly perfect knife be enjoyed by all simultaneously? Perhaps Tim's craftsmanship has transcended the mortal world and he's now forging mystical blades in a state of nirvana? If yes we could be using the same blade?

I'm enjoying mine so much I wouldn't entirely rule it out. We both could have the perfect blade! :mrgreen:

Seriously enjoying mine very much. It carved my Thanksgiving turkey (off bone of course) dropped through the skin yet sliced the flesh without tearing as if it was a scalpel. This morning it went through the veggies I'm using for muligatawny to use up the last of my frozen turkey meat and stock.

Magical knife --- it's now taking on a gorgeous blue patina on the 52100 portions.
User avatar
Delboy
Posts: 226
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2019 12:55 pm
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Tim Johnson built me the perfect knife.

Post by Delboy »

Wow, such an amazing knife……Stunning!
"Now remember Rodney, he who dares..."
Post Reply