The Process

Do you want to know how we make it? This is the way..

PRODUCTION BLADES

  All GZ Custom Blades "Production" blades are made by hand in collaboration with other Hungarian Craftsmen. Every knife starts its life as a sheet of steel which we laser cut with a high precision 

CNC controlled laser cutter. After this the blades arrive for initial grinding where we carefully remove all heat affected area and create the initial grind (primary bevel) for all blades. After this they depart to a heat treatment service provider where the blades receive a professional heat treatment suiting the intended use.

   When the blades hardened and tempered back, they go back for final grinding and handle work. All blades reach the final dimensions and handles marked and packed with the blades for the next step.

  After the blades are finished Cerakote Hungary takes good care of the blades, clean, sandblast, de-grease and prep them for Cerakote coating. When the coating is cured and dried Cerakote Hungary makes a custom formed kydex sheath for each and every blade. When the blades almost finished, they go back to sharpening to the grinding guru, who puts the final edge on each and every blade. 

  Once the edge is complete, the blades go for one last trip to Budapest, to GZ Custom Blades HQ, where my Co-worker, friend and the engine of the production blades Attila inspect, clean, cord wrap, prep and pack each and every blade. The owners receive their blades in a custom laser cut wooden box, a production certificate, in a kydex sheath, and depending on the model with an included static cord on the sheath.

CUSTOM BLADES

   The process of the custom knives are similar, except these are done 100% by me.

 

   I use high end steels with custom heat treatment protocols to ensure the end user receive the best possible product at the end of the day. The heat treatment involves a sub-zero treatment for most steels to maximize performance. Protocols based on Dr. Larrin Thomas research who is a steel metallurgist, steel developer and writer.

 

   Each and every custom knife are ground freehand, on a water-cooled belt grinder to ensure that the blades maintain maximum performance down to the microscopic level. Surface finish greatly varies from the more rustic rough finishes through Cerakote up to hand sanded finishes. Not just blade steels, but also handle materials are different. From the standard black G10 it can be anything from different G10 colors, wood, Krinite, Micarta, Stabilized wood or else....

Our steel selection

Lost with steel namings? Check our interactive steel guide and selector to find the best steel for your needs.

Steel Category
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What the ratings mean

Toughness

How well the edge and blade resist chipping and breaking under impact, twisting and batoning.

Edge retention

How long the edge keeps cutting before it needs sharpening.

Corrosion resistance

How well the blade resists rust from sweat, blood, humidity and salt water.

Ease of sharpening

How quickly you can bring the edge back on ordinary stones in the field.

Toughness, edge retention and corrosion resistance figures are sourced from metallurgist Larrin Thomas's independently tested ratings at Knife Steel Nerds — "Knife Steels Rated by a Metallurgist" (unnotched Charpy toughness, CATRA edge retention, salt-spray corrosion testing). Ease of sharpening is GZ Custom Blades' own field estimate and isn't part of that dataset.

All steels side by side

Toughness, edge retention and corrosion resistance run 0–10 and are Larrin Thomas's published, independently tested ratings (see source above), not GZ Custom Blades' own numbers. Ease of sharpening is GZ Custom Blades' own field estimate. * CPM MagnaMax, A8 Mod and Titanium Gr5 are not covered in Larrin's published ratings — their toughness/edge/corrosion figures are GZ Custom Blades' own estimates instead. Every steel is a trade-off: gaining in one column costs in another. Edge geometry, heat treatment and how you use the knife matter as much as the steel itself.

Not sure which steel fits your job? Ask the maker.
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