Introduction and services offered

[taz575]

My name is Tim Johnson (Yes, another Tim Johnson Knifemaker!) and I am located in East Hampton, CT. I wanted to put up a quick post about who I am and what I do! Some of the old timers may remember me from the older CKTG forums, but the newer people may not. I used to do rehandles for CKTG and individual customers as well as thinning and conversions for a few years back around 2011-2015 and started getting into custom knife work. I got hit with massive wood allergies due to the dust and had to close down the shop in 2015. After some diet changes, weight loss and getting a better shop area, I am back in the game!

I can make up custom handles for Wa or western handled knives and can even convert western tangs to Wa tangs and put a western style/shaped handle on a wa tang, too! I prefer to do the handle install myself on Wa tangs and include spine/choil rounding as part of that service. Many Wa tangs are a bit wonky (Wabi Sabi) where they aren't straight or even and I have the tools/equipment to deal with that so you don't have to deal with the headache!

I also do thinning and regrinding with my 2x72 belt sander with a variable speed motor. I can also do chip removal and reprofiling as well. A Variable Speed belt sander lets me slow the speed way down to keep the temper in the metal. I do most of my full custom knife blade grinding after heat treat and am familiar with this process. I finish off the edges with water stones and strops. I can do flat or convex grinds and will be working on some S grinds in the future for better food release. Workhorse or lasers, I can do them both! I do not do stone polishing at this time, although that may change further down the road!

I also make custom handle material using various fabrics (burlap, yarn, denim, canvas, duck cloth, linen, burlap, carbon fiber and Basalt are some of the fabrics I use) and boat building epoxy (not Bondo!) I use a 6 ton bottle jack in a custom made press and molds to make blocks of handle material. These handles are very durable, but may have tiny air bubbles due to process. I typically fill them with CA glue when I notice them. I can do custom colors and have a few patterns I can do (Straight layered, random/camo, or pulled burlap strands). Fabrics darken when the epoxy wets them out, so lighter colors are harder to keep bright unless I use thicker fabric (duck cloth white actually stays white and doesn't go translucent!)

I can do full custom knives from kitchen knives, to fillet knives, hunting/camping/survival knives, etc. I don't do folders due to the need for different machines that just won't fit in my shop. I normally send my blades out to be professionally heat treated, but for some projects, I go to Dragons Breath Forge to have them heat treat the blades. They are familiar with San Mai blades, damascus and carbon steels and do an excellent job!

I use the stock removal method, which allows me to use a huge variety of different steels. Stock removal means I buy a bar of steel, cut it to shape on a bandsaw, drill pin holes and then having the blade heat treated. Once it is heat treated and tempered, I finish grinding the profile and grind the blade and flatten the handle tang out on a big belt sander (similar to what is used on Forged in Fire). I have used a variety of steels, such as A2, D2, Elmax, M390, CPM S30V, CPM S35VN, AEB-L, Nitro V, 440C, D2, 1095, 1084, 52100, O-1, White #1, 80CRV2, 5160 and have some CPM CruWear, CPM154 and 50100 on hand as well. I can get other "super steels" like CPM M4, S45VN, 20CV, Magnacut (when it gets back in stock) for those that want to a knife in those steels as well.

Any questions, drop me a PM and we can discuss options further! I am also on Instagram TazTJ575. I often post pictures of what is available or I am working on. I have a page TAJ Outdoors on Facebook as well.

[Jeff B]

Good to have you back Tim! My first custom handles were in 2013 on a Kono 300mm Suji and Tojiro bread knife and came from your stable.

[taz575]

I have a Kono White #2 300mm suji and the Tojiro bread knife; both are great blades! I am pumped to be back! Always loved redwood burl handles!