Tru Grit Heat Treating

Walt2

Walt2

Joined
Mar 13, 2001
Messages
1,157
I am wondering how many people here have used Tru Grits Heat Treating and if there have been any issues with the results.
 
Walt2 said:
I am wondering how many people here have used Tru Grits Heat Treating and if there have been any issues with the results.
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I have used TruGrit since I started over a year ago. They have done about half dozen batches of blades for me. The first 4 or 5 went just fine.
The last two I have had some issues. PM me if you like and I'll give you some details.
 
They have done dozens of blades for me and I have seen hundreds go through the shop.

Jeff Mutz is their knifemaker and has been a custom maker for over 15 years. He knows what it takes
 
I switched heat treat from Texas knife supply this last year and have been using Bos Heat treat in Idaho. Mr. Bos is retired I believe but his right hand man does the heat treating now. I am very happy with the dozens of blades (mostly CPM 154, 440C, and 154cm) that I had treated. Every single blade has Rockwell testing "dots" on it so I know that they were tested. I have not used Tru Grits services but I buy a lot of belts from them and service has always been fast . Larry
 
I wanted to give an update on my TruGrit comments after having talked with a couple of forum members and some other considerations.
The main issue I had was a batch of knives not being heat treated to my specifications. That said, they were all heat treated to reasonable specifications for the type of blade I sent.
After talking with another forum member, I realized that I had not marked my knives very well when I sent them, and my markings burned off in the oven.
So I was willing to give TG the benefit of the doubt and I sent them another batch, 3 Yanagiba blades, my next serious project.
These I stamped on the tang with steel number punches at 63. They all came back treated and tested at 63, two weeks after I delivered them to TG at the last knife show.
I'm very happy with the service and won't hesitate to send them my blades for treating.
I also want to say that I was a little frustrated that Jeff's voicemail box was full and I couldn't reach him. I realized after that the show and his travel certainly contributed to that, and it's totally understandable. The one time I did feel the need to call and talk to him, Jeff was very responsive and easy to talk to about my blades.
Again, I have no reservations about sending my knives to Jeff at TruGrit for heat treat.
They have great belts too, and quick delivery.
I am a happy customer.
 
I use them when I have batches of knives less than about 7 pieces to be treated. Their prices are reasonable, especially for small batches and the quality is good in my experience. Highly recommended by me.
 
I just got two back from trugrit.

One I admit was probably too thin, the other wasnt. They were wrapped so tightly with this heavy tape that the edges on both blades are bent.

Sorta bummed out, guessing ill ship out blades that are significantly thicker or find somewhere else.

The other issue, a month after they recieved the blades I called to check in, he said im up next and they will be done tomorrow. Two weeks later no word so I called again, he said they are finished and turned out perfect, they will be in the mail tonight. It wasnt until a week later again that they ran my card and mailed the blades.
 
Hardened edges don't bend. They either warped in the HT or something else happened. File test them for hardness to be sure.

BTW, this is a four+ year old thread.
 
The only issues I have heard of from my customers that switched to me is blades way under hardened.
 
Four year old thread.

Since my last post in 2016 Jeff at Trugrit has done probably a hundred blades for me and they come back at the hardness I request, with a dot from the tester.

During this pandemic sometimes things get slowed down dealing with one thing or another.
 
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Stacy E. Apelt - Bladesmith said:
Hardened edges don't bend. They either warped in the HT or something else happened. File test them for hardness to be sure.

BTW, this is a four+ year old thread.
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I just realized that, found the thread from google.

It seems to skate the file, its not bent bad, just pulled over exactly where the tape was pulling the edges of the two knives together.
Kali4nia said:
Good guys down there. Jeff is an especially talented maker.
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Jeff did my first blade also, turned put amazing.

My only issue is t
AVigil said:
Four year old thread.

Since my last post in 2016 Jeff at Trugrit has done probably a hundred blades and they come back at the hardness I request, with a dot from the tester.

During this pandemic sometimes things get slowed down dealing with one thing or another.
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Maybe I shluld call and ask if theres any way I could get them back faster.

First time I sent one blade, the second I sent two. Im shooting for sending seven blades this time, three are ready to go!!

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LARRYZ10 said:
I switched heat treat from Texas knife supply this last year and have been using Bos Heat treat in Idaho. Mr. Bos is retired I believe but his right hand man does the heat treating now. I am very happy with the dozens of blades (mostly CPM 154, 440C, and 154cm) that I had treated. Every single blade has Rockwell testing "dots" on it so I know that they were tested. I have not used Tru Grits services but I buy a lot of belts from them and service has always been fast . Larry
Click to expand...
I’ve used PAUL Bos HT at Buck for over 26 years and never an issue because Paul Bos
or Paul Farner, the man that moved into Paul Bos’s place, have called me the one time I didn’t write the RC clearly with the stippler ....I stipple the type of steel and desired RC like 440C at 60-61 for instance .. & write a letter with a description of blade. Type of steel & desired RC...Paul Farner even called the one time a blade cracked. You couldn’t ask for better service. I do buy my belts from Tru-Grit. Excellent!
 
Tru Grit belt/parts purchasing seems to be a completely separate company/operations than the heat treating under their name. Belt purchases have always been great with immediate calls if a belt is out of stock and discussion on substitution or removing it from the order.

My heat treat experience was poor.
 
I have sent Jeff Mutz @ tru grit several blades over the last few years...its not the fastest service but my results have been excellent and to spec. as far as I can tell. I have sent him mostly the one off customs of exotic steels, damascus, laminates, etc. I think he takes his time and does it right.
 
Sent 8 blades to Jeff @ TruGrit via USPS. Misplaced the tracking number (my bad, fully realize that). Called TruGrit Shop 3 weeks after sending to check if they received them - whoever answered the phone said: give me a minute.....OH YEAH, I do have your envelope in my hand - you will be receiving an invoice in the next 2 days.
3 weeks later - nothing - call them again, email, - Jeff never responds.... finally begged someone at TruGrit to connect me to Jeff so I could just get my blades back - "We do not have your blades".... "what do you mean? Somebody confirmed they have them in their hand when I called!!" - " they made a mistake - talk to USPS".
I understand that I cannot prove anything since I do not have the tracking number and once you lose your receipt - USPS cannot track it, BUT....I'm not from the US and my name is very, very uncommon - so, when they read it back to me from my package via the phone - I'm sure it was no mistake.

Sad and frustrating - so much time wasted, money, and effort.
Time to look for a new HT place.
 
I’ve used true grit once. Had a pretty poor experience also; I got the run around for 4 months. They ended up doing it for free and paying for return shipping, but I would not recommend using them. Who knows though, they could have gotten better. My experience with them was October of last year, till January.
 
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