Video: Crafting a sword from metal and leather and brawn

Here's a lovely video of two swordsmiths making a blade, set to some pleasant fingerpicked guitar. It's from the Mad Dwarf Workshop, an Indiana smith(y?) run by two young men who certainly don't fit the traditional mold of the pot-bellied SCA beardo blacksmiths.*

[via MAKE]

* Not that there's anything wrong with that. (Beardo.)

[#1 posted by zuzu , November 3, 2008 1:09 PM]

Not as cool as Nova's Secrets of the Samurai Sword.

[#2 posted by Scuba SM , November 3, 2008 1:52 PM]

Very cool. I have 5 damascus steel knives in process right now. I made those by starting with a billet of two pieces of steel, forge welding them together, cutting them into quarters, stacking them, and welding the new stack. One of the interesting things you can do with this method is drill or chisel into the metal after you've welded a number of layers together, and reshape the billet. The blade is then rough shaped on the anvil, ground to a final shape on a wheel and belt sander, and then hardened and tempered. A final polish is performed, then the steel is etched, to bring out the various layers. Gun blue can be added to further enhance the contrast.

I'm a little surprised the guys weren't wearing leather aprons when doing forge work.

In any case, it's good to have a working knowledge of smithing, and blade smithing in particular for the upcoming election/economic collapse which will result in complete anarchy and the destruction of the US. :p

[#3 posted by zuzu , November 3, 2008 1:59 PM]

In any case, it's good to have a working knowledge of smithing, and blade smithing in particular for the upcoming election/economic collapse which will result in complete anarchy and the destruction of the US.

It's the machinists who know how to make rifled barrels. Befriend a machinist today!

[#4 posted by xunilpenguin , November 3, 2008 3:48 PM]

I love Blacksmithing .. I hope to one day take a class at the John C. Campbell school.

I already have the belly and can grow the beard pretty quick!

ha!

dave

[#5 posted by Anonymous , November 3, 2008 3:50 PM]

Buummmmer; I was looking forward to "fingerpicked guitar", but what I got was finger-tapped guitar. Totally not the same thing, esp. since the latter totally bums me.

[#6 posted by Nelson.C , November 3, 2008 5:04 PM]

The only blacksmith I know is a clean-shaven young man of pleasing proportions. Maybe he'll grow the pot and beard later.

[#7 posted by SamSam , November 3, 2008 5:32 PM]

Nice. Very cool looking watery blade there. How sharp does it get, and does it hold an edge?

@ #2: From what I've read, what you described isn't true Damascus steel (nor is the sword in the video), but rather just pattern welding. Damascus steel involves introducing impurities such as charcoal or glass. Naturally my knowledge of this is superficial, so feel free to correct.

[#8 posted by Anonymous , November 3, 2008 6:26 PM]

Question: Why isn't he using IR filtering goggles? When I have worked a glory hole for glass blowing the temps were porbably cooler than that, yet I couldn't look at the hole unshielded without considerable pain from at twice the distance he's handling the metal from.

What gives?

Lex

[#9 posted by Scuba SM , November 3, 2008 8:39 PM]

SamSam,

You're more or less correct. From what I understand, the process that was used to make the true Damascus steel blades was unknown until several years ago. Damascus steel became a description of modern material made by pattern welding. I actually learned from Bill Fiorini several years ago.

Lex @8

Iron outright melts at 2800 degrees Farhenheit, whereas glass melts at roughly 3100 degrees F. As you're not attempting to melt the iron, and you are melting the glass, I figure your forge temp will be an easy 500 degrees below that of a glass furnace. I've only ever used a coal forge, and I felt no pain in my eyes while using it. It may be different when using a natural gas furnace like they are. Then again, they aren't wearing leather aprons either, so maybe they figure they don't need goggles.

and ZuZu,

Rifled barrels will only do you any good if you have ammo. Blades will be useful as long as you can find a suitable flat rock to keep them sharp. I wonder which we'll run out of first. :p

[#10 posted by Gainclone , November 3, 2008 9:33 PM]

It's the nuclear physicists who can whip up a dirty bomb in a hot second. Befriend a nuclear physicist today!

[#11 posted by Anonymous , November 4, 2008 1:45 AM]

There are some DIY blackpowder guys who make their own BP and cast their own bullets (although the latter is much more common than the former). It usually involves a a ball mill made from non-ferrite materials. If James T Kirk can do it, I'm sure someone else can! (and hopefully keep all their fingers).

[#12 posted by Smapdi , November 4, 2008 6:45 AM]

Is the first part of that Kaki King? I don't recognize the second part...