Why do Japanese Smiths whet the anvil und their tools? I have never seen European or American Smiths doing that. Is that just for protecting the tools from overheating or has it a special use for the Blade?
Are there people that still teach the skill of sword crafting? Cause I'd love to do that. All that hard work for a piece of unparalleled beauty...just incredible.
@daasianboi The video is intended to show only the shaping and heat treating of a high performance blade made from modern steel. There's another video in the works to show the foundation forging of a more traditional layered steel blade made from tamahagane.
@96steelman Not a stupid question at all. A bevel is just a non-parallel surface. So basically a bevel is the slanted part which distinguishes a blade from, say, a crowbar. So bevelling (in the context of bladesmithing) means forging the blade from a flat bar of steel to a knife-shaped object with slanted sides.
Would you mind letting us know approximately how long each stage takes you to complete? I am a blade smith, but have not attempted a katana or similar sword. Also want to compliment you on the hamon you produce. I like to work with 1050, 1060 and 1095 for that very reason. It's hard enough to polish one out on a 6 inch blade, let alone a katana. Well done.
@DBowenKnifeWorks Hard to say. More hours are spent in polishing than any other part. Maybe 50 hours of polishing? Shinogi zukuri (beveled) blades take about twice as much time as hira suzuki (ridgeless) blades. Depending on the stock, you're looking at 5 to ten hours of forging. 5 hours for heat treating and prep. If you do a forge-welded (folded steel) blade, triple that. If you smelt your own tamahagane, double that. So maybe between 40 and 150 hours depending on the blade.
@ruku871 As the video says, this video is intended to cover the shaping and heat treating of a modern performance-oriented blade. There's another video planned which will cover forge welding -- the part of the process in more traditional style blades where steel is folded and layered.
@jamescoker1 W2 is not currently manufactured by any major steel manufacturer (as far as I know), but there are large stocks of it floating around. There are several people who occasionally sell it through the excellent forum on Don Fogg's web site. I'd check there first. It's just one of those things you have to keep an eye out for and then pick up a bunch of stock when you find some somewhere.
@Falorgain It's a propane forge. Basically it's shell of steel which encases a liner of refractory wool -- sort of like home insulation, but capable of withstanding much higher temperatures. The liner degrades over time and has to be replaced. The burners are venturi burners. All homemade.
@jamescoker1 The material used in the video is a refractory cement known as "Satanite." Traditionally smiths used proprietary clays made from pottery clay, limestone and charcoal ash in varying proportions. The advantage of Satanite is that it sticks to the blade really well and therefor is less likely than traditional mixtures to get knocked off during heat treatment. Otherwise it does exactly the same thing as traditional mixtures.
@trialsrider001 There's a longer answer to more or less the same question a few days ago. But basically it's a function of the polish and the lighting.
hey i have a question. Whats the end of the steel ur holding on to with your left hand ( cold part not heated). Is that where the handle fits on and if so how did you make it or did you attach it? Thanks in advance :)
@thejamaicanscarface That's the tang, referred to in Japanese as the nakago. This is only part of the full video, so it doesn't show it, but that part is forged, too. Then it's filed to final shape. A wooden handle is then carved to exactly fit the nakago. A hole is drilled in the nakago and a bamboo pin driven through which holds everything together.
@thejamaicanscarface ok so thats all made form 1, 1inch thick steel bar?..... that most be alot of pounding, and btw how do you get folds in your katana , because i was on your site and i was reading through some stuff and it said your swords had 1000 folds or 2000 folds?
@thejamaicanscarface im not sure if anyone ever answered ur question about this or not. In simplest terms, U take high carbon steel and make a solid 1 in bar, then take a low carbon steel and make a bar. You then take and make a sandwich looking like thing with 2 high carbon steel bars with the low carbon steel bar in the midle of the two. U then heat them up and Weld the bars (hammer the 3 bars into a single bar) together. now you will have a 1inch bar roughly 2 as long as u started with.
@thejamaicanscarface u then us a tool to bend that in half "folding" it back on it self. Then Welding the bars together again. obvously reheat as needed. When u start out u have 3 bars welded into 1 bar, then when u make ur first fold u have 6 layers, and everytime u make a fold ur layes double. look up videos here on youtube about welding/folding, but i know of a great example of doing this in the video called "Makinf Damascus steel" by Conan568. yea its not japenese but its a good example
@SuperAwesomeCloudMan There are as many answers to that as there are swordsmiths. Basically you just have to go search out information. One way is through people -- apprenticeships, interviews, classes, etc. Another way is through study -- books, videos, web sites, forums, etc. Another way is through trial and error -- getting an anvil and whaling away on some steel. To some degree, though, it's all of the above. The first step is making the decision to do it though!
@SuperGoliath89 It's basically a function of a combination of the polishing methods and the lighting used to photograph the blade. But a properly heat treated and polished blade of this sort should show a very bold hamon regardless of the light. Under normal lighting, however, it would be much more reflective...but for photographic purposes that makes it very hard to pick up the details of the hamon.
ah thanks im still grinding blades from O1 at the moment made my first axe head yesterday cant find a anvil but ill get there one day appreciate the reply sir.
@MysticKnight38 This video is only intended to show the forging of the blade. Folding is a very different process which will be shown in another video eventuallty.
How do you get such a highly visible hamon? Most swords i've seen have a hamon that can be seen if you look at the sword at a certain angle. except for my hanwei bamboo mat sword.
@Proteus3000 A well polished hamon should always be pretty visible. A lot of times, especially with martial arts type swords from China, the hamon is not properly polished. But also any blade that has been used a lot will see the hamon fade. Abrasion dulls the appearance of a hamon. Bottom line, assuming the blade is of an appropriate steel and has been hardened properly, it has to be polished correctly to bring out the hamon.
@slappybuckshot Moc pěkné a obdivuji práci, kterou děláte. Já sem úplně na začátku a mám to jako koníček. Je to můj sen si vykovat katanu snad časem. Velmi úspěchu ve vaši práci.
@slappybuckshot Moc pěkné a obdivuji práci, kterou děláte. Já sem úplně na začátku a mám to jako koníček. Je to můj sen si vykovat katanu snad časem. Velmi úspěchu ve vaši práci.
He can try to make a katana or really hit steel into a shape like a katana but he completely misses the point here. The forging of a katana is akin to a religious shinto ceremony. The blade as with all natural things regarding shinto will have a spirit the weapons smith was a religious man who certainly never used machines to help in the process. I do like how he hand polishes the blade though.Thats why his blades are not as expensive as an original.
@seonidh I beg to differ. Job one for traditional smiths was making functional weapons. They used the technology of their time and worked in the religious context of their place and time. Modern Japanese smiths use power hammers because most of them can't afford to keep three apprentices on staff as strikers. If the power hammer had been available in the 13th century, Masamune would have used it. Shinto recognizes religious significance in the mundane -- even in power hammers.
@GrandeAwesome Buy books, check out videos, go to forums. The website listed on the bottom of the video shows where to get the full videos, which include where you can buy materials, what tools you'll need, etc. The intention of the videos you'll find on the web site is to answer all the basic questions about the craft in as comprehensive a fashion as possible. But that's just one source. Keep digging, keep reading, keep researching....it's all out there if you look hard enough.
@slurrrpy Yes. Brine is a very fast quench medium. So you're more likely to cause the blade to crack that way. But some steels are so resistant to hardening -- i.e. they need to be cooled extremely fast in order to cause the steel to convert to martensite -- that brine is the only practical way to get them to harden.
Is there a way to control the amount of sori the katana takes on when it is quenched? if so is it the way you apply the clay that determines the amount of sori?
@Proteus3000 Within limits, yes. Basically if you apply the clay thinner on the spine, the blade will curve less. But it also depends on how hot the blade is when you quench, how deep-hardening the steel is, what quench medium you use, how long you quench it, etc. Bottom line, I haven't discovered a reliable way to predict it very accurately in real conditions. In theory, if you could isolate enough variables, you could nail it, though.
@slappybuckshot is quenching instruction in one of your dvds? im going to florida next week and if i have any money when i get back im probably gonna buy some videos pretty soon.
@Proteus3000 Sure...within limits. The truth is that a well made, properly heat-treated sword will do the job when forged from any of a wide variety of steels. People fixate on the type of steel when in actuality the way it's made is far more important. Every steel has limitations. Some are more brittle, some are more flexible, some are more shock resistant. A bad weld could compromise a Damascus blade. But if everything's forged right, it should perform fine.
@TheGavinch This video is only intended to demonstrate the forging of the blade itself, so it's not folded. In my tamahagane video I talk a bit about folding, but eventually I'm going to devote another whole video to forge welding, as that's really a completely different process.
@BLeSSeDoGkUSH420 Yes. It contains a little bit of vanadium, which makes it a bit harder. Because modern steels are homogeneous, they're marginally less likely to split open on a bad weld. The main advantage of tamahagane is esthetic: it just looks more interesting than modern steels like W2.
I don't know anything about metal, but I can tell you are not only a great artist but very proicient in this craft. Some people are simply ignorant; I am surprised they can even write to post anything here.
What would be a good start for someone interested in the topic. I have looked for metal arts and such in colleges around my area( Chicago) but no luck. How do you construct your forge, or where do you find access to source of energy.
Your katanas are simply gorgeous. These are museum like!
@outuwana Don Fogg's website (and its forum) has great resources for anybody interested in learning about the field, including info on making propane forges and things of that nature. Otherwise, I'd recommend reading books and buying videos. There are several good books about bladesmithing including those by Hrisoulas, Goddard and Fowler. If you're interested in Japanese swords, my video series is a good place to start. Also a book, "The Craft of the Japanese Sword" by Yoshihara and Kapp.,
@slappybuckshot Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate you take the time to reply with so many hits. I checked out the Craft of teh Japanese sword, and I devouring it. I am reading fogg's site which I got from an interview of yours somewhere in the net, where you mentioned it, and for sure you will hear from me when I am ready for your videos. I am a photographer, and I think you did great with teh video production department.
How about forges, do you recomend propane or coal for swords?
@HairofSteel555 The forging process itself for a monosteel blade like this is about five hours, give or take. It's the grinding, filing, heat treating, and polishing that take a long time. Also, if you make a traditional blade from tamahagane (not shown in this video), the foundation forging of the steel billet takes me about three times as long as does the forging of the blade.
@Cokecanninja Sure. Bear in mind that leaf springs can be made from a variety of steels. But if you heat treat leaf springs properly (and you happen to have the right kind of steel), you can make a nice blade.
@hanzithaking It vaporizes explosively, blowing off much of the fire scale that forms on the steel. This keep the steel smoother, resulting in fewer dings and depressions in the forged blade so you can forge closer to your final dimensions.
@slappybuckshot ok thank you so much for the feedback i have just finished my blade and there was some holes or dings on it that i had to grind down but now i dont have to or atleast not so much.
@mattnjaqui I guess the most satisfying blades for me would be shinogi-zukuri katanas forged from my own tamahagane. With all the smelting, folding, and forge-welding involved, that kind of blade is WAY more complex to make than the modern steel blade shown in this video. But on the other hand, sometimes it's nice to just make a simple hirazukuri tanto where you can relax and take chances without worrying that one mistake will torpedo huge amounts of hard work.
Though katana did traditionally have folded steel blades, this process is no longer needed because the quality of modern steel is far superior. Folding only helped take out most of the impurities in the steel and leaves a patern. It does not however make a katana tougher, sharper or more durable. That's what differentially hardening does.
@TheKingdomofErnor Traditionally Japanese smiths form the blade from a billet or "blank" that's typically made up of a skin formed from high carbon steel and a core made from lower carbon steel. Forge welding those layers together is known as "lamination." There were many lamination methods, including "san-mai" in which a sandwich of three pieces (medium carbon "bread" and high carbon "meat") and kobuse which is more like a hotdog with the bun being high carbon and the dog being lower carbon.
@TheKingdomofErnor Traditionally Japanese smiths form the blade from a billet or "blank" that's typically made up of a skin formed from high carbon steel and a core made from lower carbon steel. Forge welding those layers together is known as "lamination." There were many lamination methods, including "san-mai" in which a sandwich of three pieces (medium carbon "bread" and high carbon "meat") and kobuse which is more like a hotdog with the bun being high carbon and the dog being lower carbon.
@slappybuckshot Thanks :D. I've seen this in a few videos, but I wasn't sure if it was the lamination process, since they sorta just showed it without any explanation and then hastily went on to the part they all love, the hamon.
@TheKingdomofErnor Incidentally there's often confusion about the difference between the process of folding and forge-welding -- which is how the steel is made from the raw tamahagane -- and the lamination process, which comes later in the forging. They're both forge welding processes, but they have totally different purposes. The former is for making the steel, and the latter is for forming the billet or blank from which the blade is forged.
@DeathDealer2469 There are a whole bunch of diffferent stones that are used, depending on the situation. The foundation stones (arato, binsui and kaisei) are not super expensive (under $100 apiece). It's the natural stones used for traditional finish polishing that cost a mint (and the best ones can't be bought here at all). I use modern abrasives for the final stages of the polish. That gives a different appearance from traditional stones, but costs a lot less and goes a bit faster.
This video wins simply because of the detailed description of the geometry of the blade. Every other katana forging video goes 'lololol blade is forged by Japanese mageeck'.
@Pikaqiu That's semi-correct. In a traditionally made blade, there is a core of lower carbon steel (not iron, just lower carbon steel) around which harder steel is jacketed. But this video was intended solely to demonstrate how to forge and heat treat a blade using modern steel. The homogeneity and strength of modern steel makes it unnecessary to use a softer core. The shaping and heat treating are more or less identical to those used in traditional blades. But the steel is different.
How much would all of the materials cost, where would a safe place to forge be located, where can I find a tutor, and do you think a 14-year-old California boy can forge a katana like that? *I must learn to do this.
@YoshiFue The materials aren't that expensive. But the equipment can run quite a bit. Forging is safest outside (so you won't get poisoned by carbon monoxide). There are quite a few good knifemakers around, some of whom can be persuaded to teach. As to whether a 14 year old can do it...well, you can start now and someday you'll be good. It's pretty much like learning to play an instrument or learning to play basketball. Nobody turns into Kobe Bryant overnight.
@godzilla74114 Admiral Steel is one on-line source that a lot of bladesmiths use. Also there are several knifemaker supply places that carry bar stock, including Texas Knifemakers Supply, K&G, etc. There are several on-line suppliers like OnlineMetals that carry drill rod, too, which can be used for forging.
@godzilla74114 Admiral Steel is one on-line source that a lot of bladesmiths use. Also there are several knifemaker supply places that carry bar stock, including Texas Knifemakers Supply, K&G, etc. There are several on-line suppliers like OnlineMetals that carry drill rod, too, which can be used for forging.
There are community colleges that have blacksmith courses. When your old enough, take a class. It will get your feet wet and your hands dirty. It give you something a video will not teach, experience. I bet the DVD set is a nice watch though.
@YoshiFue you dont need an anvil either all you need is an i beam or inch thick steel plate on top of a log thats all i use and i can make some real good stuff and im 3 years older than you
@BlueZeroRedFalcon Folding was done to process the carbon content of the blade, not to give the blade greater strength. You don't need to fold the steel if you have high quality steel.
Folding was done to homogenize the poor property iron found in old japan. He used W2 steel which is already enriched and is a modern steel, fold modern steel is a waste of time. Folding does not make the sword stronger if the steel is already high grade.
@dogongood It's great stuff. It's got excellent edge-holding properties -- probably as good as or better than anything that's commonly used for martial arts blades.
@slappybuckshot So it keeps it's edge, but does it keep it's structure? How much can it withstand? I want to be sure it won't snap like a twig the first time it meets something relatively hard.
@purplemon739 With pretty much any steel, the question is whether it's properly heat treated for the job at hand. If you heat treat W2 or 1095 correctly, you'll have a very tough steel. I've cut tons of hard, thick, heavy bamboo with W2 and never had any problems. But, like I say, it's not really the steel...it's the way that the smith handles the steel that's most critical.
@slappybuckshot So it keeps its edge, but does it keep its structure? How much can it withstand? I want to be sure it won't snap like a twig the first time it meets something relatively hard.
@jumperabg There are a number of blacksmith's suppy companies that sell propane forges. Or you can make your own. (The one shown in this video is homemade.) Search the web and you'll find a number of good designs. Don Fogg's web site is a great place to start.
@Jaconator23 Short answer....no. There will always be impurities. In a blade like the one in this video, you're stuck with whatever the mill put in the steel. When you make your own steel (as I do in one of my other videos), it's a whole different story. The impurities are actually part of what makes the steel interesting.
@86mountainman It's water. When you hammer the hot steel on the water, the water turns to steam, explosively blowsing the fire scale off of the blade, leaving a cleaner surface.
imagine the cut you can get if you do one wrong move while sharpening this bitch
Newbpwng 5 days ago
they make it look so easy but when you try to do it yourself your sore all over for a week
natcali256 1 week ago
Why do Japanese Smiths whet the anvil und their tools? I have never seen European or American Smiths doing that. Is that just for protecting the tools from overheating or has it a special use for the Blade?
99pppo 1 month ago
In technical terms, it aint a japanese sword but a american sword in japanese style. Considering he is american.
KineticNK 1 month ago
Are there people that still teach the skill of sword crafting? Cause I'd love to do that. All that hard work for a piece of unparalleled beauty...just incredible.
moastytoasty54 1 month ago 2
2:25 that looks awesome
Xcess91 2 months ago in playlist More videos from slappybuckshot
amercian swordsmith. japanese sword. W2 steel. lol
Samurailord 2 months ago
question: what ever happened to the many folds that takes months to make a katana? also theres only a 50% rate it would come out correct.
daasianboi 2 months ago 5
@daasianboi The video is intended to show only the shaping and heat treating of a high performance blade made from modern steel. There's another video in the works to show the foundation forging of a more traditional layered steel blade made from tamahagane.
slappybuckshot 2 months ago
this might be a stupid question but if you bevel a sword, what does that mean?
96steelman 2 months ago
@96steelman Not a stupid question at all. A bevel is just a non-parallel surface. So basically a bevel is the slanted part which distinguishes a blade from, say, a crowbar. So bevelling (in the context of bladesmithing) means forging the blade from a flat bar of steel to a knife-shaped object with slanted sides.
slappybuckshot 2 months ago
@slappybuckshot ok, thanks for the info lol
96steelman 2 months ago
Would you mind letting us know approximately how long each stage takes you to complete? I am a blade smith, but have not attempted a katana or similar sword. Also want to compliment you on the hamon you produce. I like to work with 1050, 1060 and 1095 for that very reason. It's hard enough to polish one out on a 6 inch blade, let alone a katana. Well done.
DBowenKnifeWorks 2 months ago
@DBowenKnifeWorks Hard to say. More hours are spent in polishing than any other part. Maybe 50 hours of polishing? Shinogi zukuri (beveled) blades take about twice as much time as hira suzuki (ridgeless) blades. Depending on the stock, you're looking at 5 to ten hours of forging. 5 hours for heat treating and prep. If you do a forge-welded (folded steel) blade, triple that. If you smelt your own tamahagane, double that. So maybe between 40 and 150 hours depending on the blade.
slappybuckshot 2 months ago
he left out folding the blade
ruku871 2 months ago
@ruku871 As the video says, this video is intended to cover the shaping and heat treating of a modern performance-oriented blade. There's another video planned which will cover forge welding -- the part of the process in more traditional style blades where steel is folded and layered.
slappybuckshot 2 months ago
Wery Nice:)
teknofil007 3 months ago
@MatteHandArt post a video
sgreen4 3 months ago
cool
blacksmith605 4 months ago
@motopro1000 so the blade does not weld to the anvil
NumeralKillerlive 4 months ago
Cool video
sbjennings99 4 months ago
whats the song called?
asianface95 4 months ago
Lol my eyes must be kinda tired, or I'm thinking of ninjas- I thought the last part of the title said "Forging a Katana with Water Scrolls"
iCheesey 4 months ago 3
i have watched this video and found it a lot better than all the 'look at my sword i made from a straight piece of metal and a grinder' videos
culchieman1995 4 months ago
Uggggggh weeaboos...
squeehunter 5 months ago
wow incredible work looks like it requires alot of practise
proteus3333 5 months ago
hm..ive always wanted to make my own sword..mabye ill make one this summer....
yondaime1964 5 months ago
IS their any recommended legit sites that make and can ship swords to you?
DarkCloud1010 5 months ago
Truly a weapon for gods.
JESUSISGREATEST 5 months ago
where could i get some high carbon w2 steal?
jamescoker1 6 months ago
@jamescoker1 W2 is not currently manufactured by any major steel manufacturer (as far as I know), but there are large stocks of it floating around. There are several people who occasionally sell it through the excellent forum on Don Fogg's web site. I'd check there first. It's just one of those things you have to keep an eye out for and then pick up a bunch of stock when you find some somewhere.
slappybuckshot 6 months ago
i love katana <3
huyquydo 6 months ago
Wow pro polishing. Good work bro.
Kingofpunishers 6 months ago
What type of forge was used in the video and how is it made?
Falorgain 7 months ago
@Falorgain It's a propane forge. Basically it's shell of steel which encases a liner of refractory wool -- sort of like home insulation, but capable of withstanding much higher temperatures. The liner degrades over time and has to be replaced. The burners are venturi burners. All homemade.
slappybuckshot 7 months ago
Damn.Your arm must be deezed from all that hammering.HUGE Biceps and shoulders
WoWCreflo 8 months ago
how do you make that clay to make the hamon
jamescoker1 8 months ago
@jamescoker1 The material used in the video is a refractory cement known as "Satanite." Traditionally smiths used proprietary clays made from pottery clay, limestone and charcoal ash in varying proportions. The advantage of Satanite is that it sticks to the blade really well and therefor is less likely than traditional mixtures to get knocked off during heat treatment. Otherwise it does exactly the same thing as traditional mixtures.
slappybuckshot 8 months ago
@slappybuckshot Where do you get satanite?
ScandinaviansAreCool 6 months ago
@ScandinaviansAreCool I buy it from Ellis Custom Knifeworks -- which you can find with a quick web search.
slappybuckshot 6 months ago
@slappybuckshot The site is currently down could you please tell me where else i can get satanite?
ScandinaviansAreCool 6 months ago
why do bladesmiths wet the anvil when forging?
motopro1000 8 months ago
wow.
Streetman911 8 months ago
awesome blade.why does it look so dark but the hamon isnt?
trialsrider001 8 months ago
@trialsrider001 There's a longer answer to more or less the same question a few days ago. But basically it's a function of the polish and the lighting.
slappybuckshot 8 months ago
@trialsrider001 i make custom knives but katanas are what i really want to make.some day
trialsrider001 8 months ago
hey i have a question. Whats the end of the steel ur holding on to with your left hand ( cold part not heated). Is that where the handle fits on and if so how did you make it or did you attach it? Thanks in advance :)
thejamaicanscarface 8 months ago
@thejamaicanscarface That's the tang, referred to in Japanese as the nakago. This is only part of the full video, so it doesn't show it, but that part is forged, too. Then it's filed to final shape. A wooden handle is then carved to exactly fit the nakago. A hole is drilled in the nakago and a bamboo pin driven through which holds everything together.
slappybuckshot 8 months ago
@thejamaicanscarface ok so thats all made form 1, 1inch thick steel bar?..... that most be alot of pounding, and btw how do you get folds in your katana , because i was on your site and i was reading through some stuff and it said your swords had 1000 folds or 2000 folds?
thejamaicanscarface 8 months ago
@thejamaicanscarface im not sure if anyone ever answered ur question about this or not. In simplest terms, U take high carbon steel and make a solid 1 in bar, then take a low carbon steel and make a bar. You then take and make a sandwich looking like thing with 2 high carbon steel bars with the low carbon steel bar in the midle of the two. U then heat them up and Weld the bars (hammer the 3 bars into a single bar) together. now you will have a 1inch bar roughly 2 as long as u started with.
levicw05 7 months ago
@thejamaicanscarface u then us a tool to bend that in half "folding" it back on it self. Then Welding the bars together again. obvously reheat as needed. When u start out u have 3 bars welded into 1 bar, then when u make ur first fold u have 6 layers, and everytime u make a fold ur layes double. look up videos here on youtube about welding/folding, but i know of a great example of doing this in the video called "Makinf Damascus steel" by Conan568. yea its not japenese but its a good example
levicw05 7 months ago
quick question: how exactly would one go about becoming a sword smith.
SuperAwesomeCloudMan 8 months ago
@SuperAwesomeCloudMan There are as many answers to that as there are swordsmiths. Basically you just have to go search out information. One way is through people -- apprenticeships, interviews, classes, etc. Another way is through study -- books, videos, web sites, forums, etc. Another way is through trial and error -- getting an anvil and whaling away on some steel. To some degree, though, it's all of the above. The first step is making the decision to do it though!
slappybuckshot 8 months ago
Question: Is the dark color of the finished blade due to the fact that he's using W2 high-carbon steel?
SuperGoliath89 8 months ago
@SuperGoliath89 It's basically a function of a combination of the polishing methods and the lighting used to photograph the blade. But a properly heat treated and polished blade of this sort should show a very bold hamon regardless of the light. Under normal lighting, however, it would be much more reflective...but for photographic purposes that makes it very hard to pick up the details of the hamon.
slappybuckshot 8 months ago
ah thanks im still grinding blades from O1 at the moment made my first axe head yesterday cant find a anvil but ill get there one day appreciate the reply sir.
lyndon2472 8 months ago
i wonder where he gets the tamahagane
choopdewoot 8 months ago
@choopdewoot Check out Walter's video about tamahagane smelting. It shows the whole process of making it.
slappybuckshot 8 months ago
what is the liquid on the anvil its not steaming so not water and not burning so not oil im a bit lost ?
lyndon2472 8 months ago
@lyndon2472 It's water. It vaporizes explosviely blowing off the scale, leaving a cleaner smoother surface.
slappybuckshot 8 months ago
what he didn't do the folding?
MysticKnight38 8 months ago
@MysticKnight38 This video is only intended to show the forging of the blade. Folding is a very different process which will be shown in another video eventuallty.
slappybuckshot 8 months ago
can someon please tell me where can i get or buy a bar of metal (its not like i could buy it in a store near me)
Lancewilson1000 9 months ago
@Lancewilson1000 Try Admiral Steel (you can find them on line) or various other places like onlinemetals.
slappybuckshot 9 months ago
@slappybuckshot how to add damascus + tamahagane + nanotube carbon + titanium material ?
zaimjuwani 8 months ago
@Lancewilson1000 don't feel like going to your local scrap yard and finding some steel there?
malevolenceXXXensues 8 months ago
Why isn't the sword being folded over and over again to create layers? I've seen that sort of things in other video's
lolligheidddd 9 months ago
@lolligheidddd It's been answered in the comment just before yours.
ivanlagrossemoule 9 months ago
How do you get such a highly visible hamon? Most swords i've seen have a hamon that can be seen if you look at the sword at a certain angle. except for my hanwei bamboo mat sword.
Proteus3000 10 months ago
@Proteus3000 A well polished hamon should always be pretty visible. A lot of times, especially with martial arts type swords from China, the hamon is not properly polished. But also any blade that has been used a lot will see the hamon fade. Abrasion dulls the appearance of a hamon. Bottom line, assuming the blade is of an appropriate steel and has been hardened properly, it has to be polished correctly to bring out the hamon.
slappybuckshot 10 months ago
@slappybuckshot Moc pěkné a obdivuji práci, kterou děláte. Já sem úplně na začátku a mám to jako koníček. Je to můj sen si vykovat katanu snad časem. Velmi úspěchu ve vaši práci.
TheKordox 9 months ago
@slappybuckshot Moc pěkné a obdivuji práci, kterou děláte. Já sem úplně na začátku a mám to jako koníček. Je to můj sen si vykovat katanu snad časem. Velmi úspěchu ve vaši práci.
TheKordox 9 months ago
He can try to make a katana or really hit steel into a shape like a katana but he completely misses the point here. The forging of a katana is akin to a religious shinto ceremony. The blade as with all natural things regarding shinto will have a spirit the weapons smith was a religious man who certainly never used machines to help in the process. I do like how he hand polishes the blade though.Thats why his blades are not as expensive as an original.
seonidh 10 months ago
@seonidh I beg to differ. Job one for traditional smiths was making functional weapons. They used the technology of their time and worked in the religious context of their place and time. Modern Japanese smiths use power hammers because most of them can't afford to keep three apprentices on staff as strikers. If the power hammer had been available in the 13th century, Masamune would have used it. Shinto recognizes religious significance in the mundane -- even in power hammers.
slappybuckshot 10 months ago 11
i heard that japanese iron is inferior to iron made in america but the steel in japan is superior to modern american steel, is that true?
Proteus3000 10 months ago
Man... I want to do this, but I don't know where to start. Or where to get these materials.
GrandeAwesome 10 months ago 5
@GrandeAwesome Buy books, check out videos, go to forums. The website listed on the bottom of the video shows where to get the full videos, which include where you can buy materials, what tools you'll need, etc. The intention of the videos you'll find on the web site is to answer all the basic questions about the craft in as comprehensive a fashion as possible. But that's just one source. Keep digging, keep reading, keep researching....it's all out there if you look hard enough.
slappybuckshot 10 months ago
@slappybuckshot Thanks! I'm 15, and I just wanted to come up with something cool like a family heirloom. I'll start looking into it!
GrandeAwesome 10 months ago
can you use SALT WATER to cool the blade?
slurrrpy 11 months ago 2
@slurrrpy Yes. Brine is a very fast quench medium. So you're more likely to cause the blade to crack that way. But some steels are so resistant to hardening -- i.e. they need to be cooled extremely fast in order to cause the steel to convert to martensite -- that brine is the only practical way to get them to harden.
slappybuckshot 11 months ago
What is the metal made out of how did you get the Sword like that kind of metal?
gohabbo123 11 months ago
Is there a way to control the amount of sori the katana takes on when it is quenched? if so is it the way you apply the clay that determines the amount of sori?
Proteus3000 11 months ago
@Proteus3000 Within limits, yes. Basically if you apply the clay thinner on the spine, the blade will curve less. But it also depends on how hot the blade is when you quench, how deep-hardening the steel is, what quench medium you use, how long you quench it, etc. Bottom line, I haven't discovered a reliable way to predict it very accurately in real conditions. In theory, if you could isolate enough variables, you could nail it, though.
slappybuckshot 11 months ago
@slappybuckshot is quenching instruction in one of your dvds? im going to florida next week and if i have any money when i get back im probably gonna buy some videos pretty soon.
attackoftherandom 11 months ago
@attackoftherandom Definitely. The Forging DVD has got plenty of information about quenching.
slappybuckshot 11 months ago
would you be able to make a Damascus pattern with a modern steel and maintain its performance?
Proteus3000 11 months ago
@Proteus3000 Sure...within limits. The truth is that a well made, properly heat-treated sword will do the job when forged from any of a wide variety of steels. People fixate on the type of steel when in actuality the way it's made is far more important. Every steel has limitations. Some are more brittle, some are more flexible, some are more shock resistant. A bad weld could compromise a Damascus blade. But if everything's forged right, it should perform fine.
slappybuckshot 11 months ago
do you also make euro swords?
Proteus3000 11 months ago
@Proteus3000 No, I never have. That's one of those things on my long, long, long when-I-get-around to-it list!
slappybuckshot 11 months ago
Is the metal already folded, or is it not folded?
TheGavinch 11 months ago
@TheGavinch This video is only intended to demonstrate the forging of the blade itself, so it's not folded. In my tamahagane video I talk a bit about folding, but eventually I'm going to devote another whole video to forge welding, as that's really a completely different process.
slappybuckshot 11 months ago
is W2 steel stronger than tamahagane?
BLeSSeDoGkUSH420 11 months ago
@BLeSSeDoGkUSH420 Yes. It contains a little bit of vanadium, which makes it a bit harder. Because modern steels are homogeneous, they're marginally less likely to split open on a bad weld. The main advantage of tamahagane is esthetic: it just looks more interesting than modern steels like W2.
slappybuckshot 11 months ago
I don't know anything about metal, but I can tell you are not only a great artist but very proicient in this craft. Some people are simply ignorant; I am surprised they can even write to post anything here.
What would be a good start for someone interested in the topic. I have looked for metal arts and such in colleges around my area( Chicago) but no luck. How do you construct your forge, or where do you find access to source of energy.
Your katanas are simply gorgeous. These are museum like!
outuwana 11 months ago
@outuwana Don Fogg's website (and its forum) has great resources for anybody interested in learning about the field, including info on making propane forges and things of that nature. Otherwise, I'd recommend reading books and buying videos. There are several good books about bladesmithing including those by Hrisoulas, Goddard and Fowler. If you're interested in Japanese swords, my video series is a good place to start. Also a book, "The Craft of the Japanese Sword" by Yoshihara and Kapp.,
slappybuckshot 11 months ago
@slappybuckshot Thank you for your reply. I really appreciate you take the time to reply with so many hits. I checked out the Craft of teh Japanese sword, and I devouring it. I am reading fogg's site which I got from an interview of yours somewhere in the net, where you mentioned it, and for sure you will hear from me when I am ready for your videos. I am a photographer, and I think you did great with teh video production department.
How about forges, do you recomend propane or coal for swords?
outuwana 11 months ago
How long is the average process of forging one of these?
HairofSteel555 11 months ago
@HairofSteel555 The forging process itself for a monosteel blade like this is about five hours, give or take. It's the grinding, filing, heat treating, and polishing that take a long time. Also, if you make a traditional blade from tamahagane (not shown in this video), the foundation forging of the steel billet takes me about three times as long as does the forging of the blade.
slappybuckshot 11 months ago
Could you use a leaf spring from a car suspension to make a katana?
Cokecanninja 1 year ago
@Cokecanninja Sure. Bear in mind that leaf springs can be made from a variety of steels. But if you heat treat leaf springs properly (and you happen to have the right kind of steel), you can make a nice blade.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
how much? id buy one.
XXXHellblazerXXX 1 year ago
He should engraved his name at sword.
zousandazou 1 year ago
Isn't the song the same as the ninjump background?
godisgood1derful 1 year ago
why do you have water on your anvil ?
hanzithaking 1 year ago
@hanzithaking It vaporizes explosively, blowing off much of the fire scale that forms on the steel. This keep the steel smoother, resulting in fewer dings and depressions in the forged blade so you can forge closer to your final dimensions.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
@slappybuckshot ok thank you so much for the feedback i have just finished my blade and there was some holes or dings on it that i had to grind down but now i dont have to or atleast not so much.
hanzithaking 1 year ago
what is your favorite sword to make?
mattnjaqui 1 year ago
@mattnjaqui I guess the most satisfying blades for me would be shinogi-zukuri katanas forged from my own tamahagane. With all the smelting, folding, and forge-welding involved, that kind of blade is WAY more complex to make than the modern steel blade shown in this video. But on the other hand, sometimes it's nice to just make a simple hirazukuri tanto where you can relax and take chances without worrying that one mistake will torpedo huge amounts of hard work.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
@grandmastermalav
Though katana did traditionally have folded steel blades, this process is no longer needed because the quality of modern steel is far superior. Folding only helped take out most of the impurities in the steel and leaves a patern. It does not however make a katana tougher, sharper or more durable. That's what differentially hardening does.
DarkChaoto 1 year ago 3
Why didn't he fold the steel?
grandmastermalav 1 year ago
i want one D:
xPowerofwillx 1 year ago
I tried to make one. But then I realized I was using the wrong type of metal to begin with.
GoodEvenings 1 year ago
THE MOST AWESOME VIDEO ON THE INTERNET!!!!
damiadetekura 1 year ago
Why does everyone think that because its curved its a katana. Watch and learn
iwantyouall 1 year ago
id like to really learn how to become a blacksmith, but for leisure though. But i dont know where to learn though :(
Mrmusicmaster88 1 year ago
What exactly is lamination, and what is the process used? I can't seem to google any information on this.
TheKingdomofErnor 1 year ago
@TheKingdomofErnor Traditionally Japanese smiths form the blade from a billet or "blank" that's typically made up of a skin formed from high carbon steel and a core made from lower carbon steel. Forge welding those layers together is known as "lamination." There were many lamination methods, including "san-mai" in which a sandwich of three pieces (medium carbon "bread" and high carbon "meat") and kobuse which is more like a hotdog with the bun being high carbon and the dog being lower carbon.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
@TheKingdomofErnor Traditionally Japanese smiths form the blade from a billet or "blank" that's typically made up of a skin formed from high carbon steel and a core made from lower carbon steel. Forge welding those layers together is known as "lamination." There were many lamination methods, including "san-mai" in which a sandwich of three pieces (medium carbon "bread" and high carbon "meat") and kobuse which is more like a hotdog with the bun being high carbon and the dog being lower carbon.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
@slappybuckshot Thanks :D. I've seen this in a few videos, but I wasn't sure if it was the lamination process, since they sorta just showed it without any explanation and then hastily went on to the part they all love, the hamon.
TheKingdomofErnor 1 year ago
@TheKingdomofErnor Incidentally there's often confusion about the difference between the process of folding and forge-welding -- which is how the steel is made from the raw tamahagane -- and the lamination process, which comes later in the forging. They're both forge welding processes, but they have totally different purposes. The former is for making the steel, and the latter is for forming the billet or blank from which the blade is forged.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
@slappybuckshot Thanks for the information :3.
TheKingdomofErnor 1 year ago
What grades of stones are used and where do you find them? I understand they are expensive.
DeathDealer2469 1 year ago
@DeathDealer2469 There are a whole bunch of diffferent stones that are used, depending on the situation. The foundation stones (arato, binsui and kaisei) are not super expensive (under $100 apiece). It's the natural stones used for traditional finish polishing that cost a mint (and the best ones can't be bought here at all). I use modern abrasives for the final stages of the polish. That gives a different appearance from traditional stones, but costs a lot less and goes a bit faster.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
Wow, very amazing! This beats the hell out of my hammering of nail into small blades via common hammer and wimpy blow torch!
inanevenator 1 year ago
This video wins simply because of the detailed description of the geometry of the blade. Every other katana forging video goes 'lololol blade is forged by Japanese mageeck'.
halfassedfart 1 year ago 35
i want to make a katana as a display, this will kinda help
hotaru1able 1 year ago
@Pikaqiu That's semi-correct. In a traditionally made blade, there is a core of lower carbon steel (not iron, just lower carbon steel) around which harder steel is jacketed. But this video was intended solely to demonstrate how to forge and heat treat a blade using modern steel. The homogeneity and strength of modern steel makes it unnecessary to use a softer core. The shaping and heat treating are more or less identical to those used in traditional blades. But the steel is different.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
i can make the blade. not sure of the hilt. i'm 12 years old
musicalswordmaster 1 year ago
How much would all of the materials cost, where would a safe place to forge be located, where can I find a tutor, and do you think a 14-year-old California boy can forge a katana like that? *I must learn to do this.
YoshiFue 1 year ago
@YoshiFue The materials aren't that expensive. But the equipment can run quite a bit. Forging is safest outside (so you won't get poisoned by carbon monoxide). There are quite a few good knifemakers around, some of whom can be persuaded to teach. As to whether a 14 year old can do it...well, you can start now and someday you'll be good. It's pretty much like learning to play an instrument or learning to play basketball. Nobody turns into Kobe Bryant overnight.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
@slappybuckshot so any suggestions on where to order small amounts of bar stock?
godzilla74114 1 year ago
@godzilla74114 Admiral Steel is one on-line source that a lot of bladesmiths use. Also there are several knifemaker supply places that carry bar stock, including Texas Knifemakers Supply, K&G, etc. There are several on-line suppliers like OnlineMetals that carry drill rod, too, which can be used for forging.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
@slappybuckshot thanks for the info. :)
godzilla74114 1 year ago
@godzilla74114 Admiral Steel is one on-line source that a lot of bladesmiths use. Also there are several knifemaker supply places that carry bar stock, including Texas Knifemakers Supply, K&G, etc. There are several on-line suppliers like OnlineMetals that carry drill rod, too, which can be used for forging.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
@YoshiFue
There are community colleges that have blacksmith courses. When your old enough, take a class. It will get your feet wet and your hands dirty. It give you something a video will not teach, experience. I bet the DVD set is a nice watch though.
Ralphnaderchop 1 year ago
@YoshiFue you dont need an anvil either all you need is an i beam or inch thick steel plate on top of a log thats all i use and i can make some real good stuff and im 3 years older than you
rc8rsracer 1 year ago
I want one of these soooooo bad!!! I NEED ONE!!!! (donations accepted! Email me at stupidman-1999@hotmail.com!!!)
fudgemuffin24 1 year ago
there is a step missing. i dont see the folding of the steel to give the sword more layers and strenth. or ur just forging this sword for show
BlueZeroRedFalcon 1 year ago
@BlueZeroRedFalcon it's a western version XD so it's gonna be very weak
GearSAlec 1 year ago
@BlueZeroRedFalcon Folding was done to process the carbon content of the blade, not to give the blade greater strength. You don't need to fold the steel if you have high quality steel.
temmy9 1 year ago
@BlueZeroRedFalcon
Folding was done to homogenize the poor property iron found in old japan. He used W2 steel which is already enriched and is a modern steel, fold modern steel is a waste of time. Folding does not make the sword stronger if the steel is already high grade.
Bayard8 1 year ago
i want so hard katana
MrGodOfWarful 1 year ago
umm oil works better for when you hardening it.
Mhogsett7 1 year ago
@Mhogsett7 Ummm, no.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago 10
@slappybuckshot LOL Walter =D. You said it much more politely than I might have!
CrisAnderson27 1 year ago
@slappybuckshot why do people keep using oil if thats not as good? i get why water is usualy better but what is the advantage of oil?
attackoftherandom 10 months ago
@Mhogsett7 I have but one thing to say to you; Are you a professional blacksmith? No, you say? Didn't think so.
FourChanJunkie 1 year ago
@Mhogsett7 wont the oil just burn the sword making the metal melt instead of making the sword better?
chuyy15 1 year ago
@Mhogsett7 Oil doesn't cool fast enough for this type of blade/steel, you also want the edge to cool very fast to cause the curvature of the blade.
irishbmx 1 year ago
Beautiful work and I'm glad they left the furniture off the blade, but that dude really should wear hearing protection!
OzClawhammer 1 year ago
Woah...
fudgemuffin24 1 year ago
Blacksmithing will be an incredibly valuable skill after the coming collapse.
StuPedassle711 1 year ago
How well does W2 hold up and keep for martial artists.
dogongood 1 year ago
@dogongood It's great stuff. It's got excellent edge-holding properties -- probably as good as or better than anything that's commonly used for martial arts blades.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
@slappybuckshot Thanks for the info.!
dogongood 1 year ago
@slappybuckshot could i use 1095 ?
maarhoefe 1 year ago
@maarhoefe Sure. 1095 is a relatively close cousin to W2.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
@slappybuckshot So it keeps it's edge, but does it keep it's structure? How much can it withstand? I want to be sure it won't snap like a twig the first time it meets something relatively hard.
purplemon739 1 year ago
@purplemon739 With pretty much any steel, the question is whether it's properly heat treated for the job at hand. If you heat treat W2 or 1095 correctly, you'll have a very tough steel. I've cut tons of hard, thick, heavy bamboo with W2 and never had any problems. But, like I say, it's not really the steel...it's the way that the smith handles the steel that's most critical.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
@slappybuckshot Which makes perfect sense. Crappy smith = crappier blade. Thanks!
purplemon739 1 year ago
@slappybuckshot So it keeps its edge, but does it keep its structure? How much can it withstand? I want to be sure it won't snap like a twig the first time it meets something relatively hard.
purplemon739 1 year ago
Where i can get a forge xD ???
jumperabg 1 year ago
@jumperabg There are a number of blacksmith's suppy companies that sell propane forges. Or you can make your own. (The one shown in this video is homemade.) Search the web and you'll find a number of good designs. Don Fogg's web site is a great place to start.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
@slappybuckshot ok i will make one xD
jumperabg 1 year ago
can you ever get rid of 100% of the impurity? and if u can would it be an awsome blade, or u'll for some reason need some impure stuff?
Jaconator23 1 year ago
@Jaconator23 Short answer....no. There will always be impurities. In a blade like the one in this video, you're stuck with whatever the mill put in the steel. When you make your own steel (as I do in one of my other videos), it's a whole different story. The impurities are actually part of what makes the steel interesting.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
Is that oil on the anvil??
86mountainman 1 year ago
@86mountainman It's water. When you hammer the hot steel on the water, the water turns to steam, explosively blowsing the fire scale off of the blade, leaving a cleaner surface.
slappybuckshot 1 year ago
Comment removed
86mountainman 1 year ago