Described herein are several methods and apparatuses for treating a cutter tool adapted to be used in tunnel boring operations. In one form, an initial cutter member blank is formed and heat treated prior to a laser cladding process. An alloy is often applied to the surface of the cutter blank adjacent to the cutting elements by the cladding process whereby the cladding process has insufficient heat transfer from the cladding process to reduce hardness properties of the inserts and/or the cutter blank. In one example a fabric-like material defines the region of the exterior hard surface.