TAS Knives Fixed Blade: Nazgul - Acid Etched/Titanium

This vicious blade from TAS Knives is as dark and ominous as the Nazgûl from Tolkien’s world! The long thin tanto wharncliffe-esque blade profile features an array of wicked edge grinds that end at a needle like tip and is fineshed off with a killer "incomplete Infection" acid etched finish that adds to the insidious looks. The handle is a mixture of PET CF plastic topped off with slabs of titanium that have been given a finish that resembles corrosion and are fixed in place with custom hardware and copper pins. Additional milled paired with the carbon fiber infused PET help shave weight making for a large and in charge tool that is sure to strike fear into whomever comes up against it. Lanyard hole at butt-end. Comes with a kydex sheath ready for your preffered mounting solution.

The Blade: Hand complex ground Wharncliffe/tanto-esque blade profile with his Incomplete Infection acid etched finish.

The Handle: Titanium and PET CF plastic given a cooroded looking finish with copper pins and custom hardware. Lanyard hole at butt-end.

Included: A coin, acting as its passport, stamped with the creation date, name, and all the materials used. A leather base featuring a cosmic Nazgûl illustration, drawn by an insanely talented artist at TAS Knives request.

About the Nazgul from the man himself: This model, with its signature grind, has been with me since 2019, when I crafted the first one. While the blade shape has stayed consistent, the width varies from piece to piece. This time, I’ve pushed the grind to be even more intricate.

The handle has seen a significant evolution since its original version in 2019. It began with wild paracord wrapping, then shifted to horn, followed by wood, and later titanium bolsters. Now, it features a combination of titanium and PET CF plastic, making it completely resistant to chemicals, sunlight, and time. Topping it off are 5mm-thick titanium plates, secured with hand-hammered copper pins. The blade is fastened with three sturdy screws.

I could spin a grand tale about blending classic and modern materials into a cosmic-fantasy weapon fit for intergalactic battles. But honestly, the real reason is more practical—my oven wasn’t big enough to heat-treat such a large blade with the handle attached, so I had to improvise. While cutting the handle from steel and titanium, I realized the weight was becoming an issue, even though the balance felt spot-on. That’s when I decided to incorporate plastic—lightweight, durable, and immune to harsh environments.

As for the blade: my signature slanted grind is now even more complex, with the addition of a cascading grind inspired by Bob Terzuola, along with my signature “incomplete infection” etching.

Grinding the three blades took nearly nine hours over two days, with five surfaces on each side to ensure perfect symmetry and precision. The etching alone took an entire day. Needless to say, crafting this blade- along with the handle - was quite an adventure!

TAS Knives are hand crafted by designer and maker Soso Tumasov from Tbilisi, Georgia (as in the country Georgia not the state). Many of Soso's pieces have an unique almost cyberpunk, futuristic apocalypse vibe to them, setting them apart from most of the blades you see on the market today. On top of the killer aesthetics, he also incorporates complex multi angle grind lines in his blades that truly show off his talent and dedication to the craft and is amazing at finishing common knife making materials such as titanium in a very innovative manner for an end result that stands out and execution that actually delivers.