Easy San Mai ( By far the easiest method to hand forge San Mai )

[@Aleeknives]

For exclusive content and one on one coaching opportunities click here www.patreon.com/Aleeknives

[@Captaraknospider]

How long was it in the coffee?

[@Aleeknives]

I generally do a 24 hour soak and buff it with steel wool several times throughout the soak

[@Captaraknospider]

@@Aleeknives can I use 1500 sand paper instead of steel wholl

[@Captaraknospider]

@@Aleeknives thanks for the quick reply❤

[@Aleeknives]

Don't know, never tried it.

[@jcsk8er69]

Thanks!

[@Aleeknives]

Your welcome John!

[@Aleeknives]

Do you like the dark contrast on the blade?

[@andyc750]

yes, cool as

[@metalblueberries3742]

I love how the different contrast surfaces turned out. Certainly a riveting piece.

[@Aleeknives]

I totally agree! I was pleased with the results!

[@Aleeknives]

@@metalblueberries3742 thank you! I agree totally

[@mattgreef1676]

Beautiful mate

[@joeltower5964]

First time seeing san mai, just heard about it the other day. Holy smokes! Thats freaking awesome!

[@garyharmon1155]

Gorgeous piece, I like the way you make coffee, nice and strong lol Great job

[@Aleeknives]

🤣😂STRONG!

[@TWKKNIVES]

Hey brother I'm just trying to make my way through everything you've filmed then I like it, comment, share. I hope it helps! 🤘

[@christopherckarkson5605]

Hello, super knife and etch. Now that was a strong glass of coffee.

[@Aleeknives]

I tasted it! I finally fell asleep 3 days later🤣😂

[@hayworth.handmade]

This is probably my favorite San Mai video! That is so beautiful!

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you!

[@danielgoldman3653]

Another high quality blade! I can't get enough of your work. Thank you

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you Daniel! That means a lot!

[@sudo_nym]

He’s good, ain’t he!? 👍🏻

[@joachimrist2293]

Wonderful. That is a beautiful Blade. Very good Job. Greetings from Germany

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you! I appreciate it!

[@BamaDanKnives]

Wow looks awesome!! Thx enjoy your videos you explain so a old man like me understands!

[@Aleeknives]

I am glad you enjoyed it! Thank you!

[@Wengelsworkshop]

Crazy that you hand hammer everything. I can't wait to try and make San mia. I finally got a 2x72 and a bigger forge. Now I need a welder and some hammers lol. The need for tools never ends

[@Aleeknives]

Man your moving up! Hey I put your name on the list for the next challenge! The Bowie build off

[@Wengelsworkshop]

I appreciate it! Bowie knife build off sounds awesome

[@alexpastrav3436]

Wow , wow , wow . That's a masterpiece. I'm at the beginning in this art but after looking a few of your videos I'm quite confident that I gonna manage to do something like that. Thank you mate .

[@Aleeknives]

Fantastic!

[@alexpastrav3436]

@@Aleeknives Can you please tell me if the flat head hammer that you have used when put the material between your legh it has a special or specific name because I would like to try to find one like that. Greetings from Romania 🇷🇴!!! 🇷🇴 !

[@Aleeknives]

This is a special hammer that is annealed on one side side you can strike it with another hammer. It is called a "flatter"

[@nateand3]

That is so cool man. I'm glad you did the swedge. It's a great blade shape. Can't wait to see it become a masterpiece of useful artistry.

[@Aleeknives]

Thanks NateDawg! I love this shape so far!

[@nateand3]

@@Aleeknives the san mai with the coffee etch is gorgeous too btw. I freakin love san mai the 15n20 in the middle is definitely the way to go

[@Aleeknives]

Thanks man I like the darker finish also!

[@calebgant4189]

The forged finish not darkening is probably due to decarb on the scale layer. Awesome result with this one man!

[@Aleeknives]

Thanks Caleb! I suspected the same after seeing it.

[@gothamantiquities2595]

Bro, that nice came out beautifully! Wish I had that piece!

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you!

[@mountainwolf1]

I know i'am like 3 years late but this blade shape and finish is brutal I have got to try this. Thanks for sharing godbless and good health.

[@ronamedee2475]

Lots of great info in this installment. That came out really nice.

[@Aleeknives]

Thanks Ron! I appreciate that

[@FireCreekForge]

My favorite thing about zero atmosphere is there’s no problem just heating up to welding temp, no worries about scale, etc. Good job btw

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you! Hey I was blown away by the pattern on that last ball bearing knife you did!

[@FireCreekForge]

@@Aleeknives thanks man!

[@Aleeknives]

Certainly! Love you channel dude

[@seth_ocaster]

Thanks for sharing this method. Going to try it today :)

[@Headliner99]

I appreciate your videos and the time it must take to make them. I’ve learned so much watching your channel. Tons of great new tips in this one. Thanks! 🐋

[@Aleeknives]

That is awesome feedback! Thank you! Cheers

[@dmitryk754]

Decarb on forged section prevents darkening. Very cool!

[@Aleeknives]

I figures that was what was going on there!

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Looks great! Nice job! I had to laugh on you using the flatter while holding it between your legs. Haven't you accidentally ever hit something on the anvil and it sent the handle north? I have. 😬

[@Aleeknives]

Oh believe Me I jave had lots of things go flying around the shop while forging! Did you watch my Gladius build🤣🤣😂🤣 I did a blooper reel at the end just for projectile.

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

@@Aleeknives I was referring to hitting the piece and it forcing the handle up into your crotch. It’s not fun. 🤣

[@Aleeknives]

Oh I got the reference! I was dancing on puns and needles the whole time!

[@TWKKNIVES]

Can't remember if I commented on this one or not so my question/comment is can I use two 1/8 in pieces of 15n20 for the core or does it have to be a single piece I'm just looking to beef the blade up cuz this will be my first attempt at San Mai?

[@codyorvis6598]

Hmm never seen the wood for setting welds thats an interesting concept

[@Aleeknives]

Didn't work! Lots of smoke!

[@codyorvis6598]

@@Aleeknives I'd imagine

[@codyorvis6598]

@@Aleeknives I was also gonna ask does it get really hot with the anvil so close to the forge

[@Aleeknives]

Not really but when it's hot outside I move it further away

[@rodgerklindt3165]

Awesome. Looking forward to the end product!

[@Aleeknives]

Thanks Rodger!

[@hiramdjonesjr]

Acid etching looks good to

[@danmurphy9304]

Looks Awesome, Airin!! Great work as usual!!

[@Aleeknives]

Thanks Dan! Appreciate that!

[@robertwinkel9209]

Excellent video and awesome skills!

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you

[@gurvinderkau1e5w18]

Coffee etch give awesome results. Beautiful san mai line .what is the purpose of forging valleys on blade???

[@Aleeknives]

It gives the pattern ripples vs just a straight line

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you!

[@tinsoldier5621]

Another great tutorial. might I ask why you dont use full tangs?

[@Aleeknives]

I use full tangs all the time! On this one I chose to do a hidden tang just due to the length of the billet that I had to work with

[@tinsoldier5621]

@@Aleeknives cool thanks for responding

[@kingcrank5]

More inspiration to try this.. really great work! Thanks

[@Aleeknives]

You are very welcome!

[@robertgolden1080]

Great blade. Love the contrast man.

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you Robert!

[@muchadesign]

Going to try this soon. Do you remember the initial thicknesses of the 1080/15N20 that you used? Thank you!

[@drakoontag]

Really cool blade man. I love the simple and functional design!

[@Aleeknives]

Thanks man! I appreciate that! Cheers

[@metalblueberries3742]

Fabulous video. My question is when you set your welds using a piece of wood, would if be better to use a hard wood to hammer your metal on? Just a question, I am not set up to forge weld anything. Thank you for your work in your channel

[@Aleeknives]

That is a good question, I will leave that that for someone else to try. It was way to smoky

[@andrewneilson227]

Will definitely be trying this. I really don't want to destroy my forge with flux so this is a good option. Time to get a welder!

[@Aleeknives]

Totally worth it! Yo I would be amazed how often you will use it!

[@jcsk8er69]

Thank you sir. By far the best and simplest way. Thank for the tip.hah. I'm new to the bladesmith and I'm excited to see what I can do.

[@justanothajoe]

very nice grinding

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you! I appreciate that a lot!

[@ashleycarey3190]

Did you just hammer what would be the cutting edge with the pein?? I'm going to start forging knives soon and San mai is what I really want to get good at I have no power tools so will just have my trusty hammer also would flux core welders be able to weld a San mai billet together thanks in advance love the content

[@Aleeknives]

Yes sir and a flux core would work just fine

[@emmanuelcirino4409]

AMAZING JOB. How do you recognize when you have to hit? I would appreciate the answer. Thanks and congrats

[@Aleeknives]

When you reach a yellow heat your good to swing!

[@emmanuelcirino4409]

@@Aleeknives Thanks a lot. I look forward to your next project!

[@_BLANK_BLANK]

I work outside. So that board idea seems like a good idea for my situation.

[@Aleeknives]

Could work well outside!

[@judbyry]

Great video, i tried after watching and had great success. It was my 1st attempt. But tell me, how do you attach a handle to such a short tang? Cheers from Australia.

[@Aleeknives]

Make a tight fit in a strong material and use a pin.

[@brysonalden5414]

When you were peening the billet I wondered what effect putting a ladder grind on it would have. Never tried it, but your billet looked thick enough. In any event, you got a beautiful blade!

[@Aleeknives]

That is a neat idea! I will try it!

[@brysonalden5414]

@@Aleeknives When you do, please post a video! Just subscribed.

[@Aleeknives]

Will definitely do that! Glad to have you here with us on the channel!

[@artisanstan2177]

Loving this knife. What is the name of the hammer that you are striking on to flatten out the billet at 4:20? Many thanks!

[@Aleeknives]

That is a flatter hammer.

[@Aleeknives]

Thanks for the compliments! Cheers

[@artisanstan2177]

@@Aleeknives perfect thank you! 🙏🏻

[@mcrich1978]

Looking good bro. I can't wait to try this. 🤘

[@Aleeknives]

You should definitely give it a try!

[@forginghard]

I like your blade

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you!

[@animaknives]

Hi Airin, really nice !!! How much time does it represent to obtain this nice contrast and dark color in the coffee?

[@Aleeknives]

Usually 24 hours

[@animaknives]

@@Aleeknives thanks 😉

[@mrnoodle3777]

That looks sick.

[@andyc750]

that is well cool, and thanks for the how to, tried my first attempt at laminating a blade this week and failed, my home built coal forge doesn't get hot enough and maintain the heat long enough it seems, you just confirmed the heat part with saying what colours I am going for, redesign and upgrades needed obviously lol, oh yeah heating your chain and laying it on the anvil will warm it up, found heating a lump of scrap metal and laying it on my anvil plate thing works well

[@Aleeknives]

Wow normally coal can get way hotter than a propane forge.

[@andyc750]

@@Aleeknives yes it should, and it does, easily enough to melt steel but I have a design flaw, means ash doesn't clear easily and so it gets hot enough to weld but not for very long, not long enough to soak the metal at the temperature needed

[@Aleeknives]

I see! I have never used coal to forge with

[@andyc750]

@@Aleeknives all a learning experience, and all things I am finding out as I go along, only a few months of doing this so will no doubt be plenty of other things that happen to overcome

[@Aleeknives]

That's what I love about knifemaking! There is always something to learn!

[@yarkhipov]

Is this tool on 6:44 a custom-made or it could be purchased somewhere? It's so annoying to draw this line with a drill bit, looking for an alternative

[@Aleeknives]

This is a height gauge

[@yarkhipov]

@@Aleeknives Thanks, it has taken just a few minutes to order one!

[@jojoemcgeejoe457]

Would it work to wrap up the billet in stainless steel foil and tie closed with baling wire to get the air-tight thing? Leaving four or so inches extra on the foil on both ends to roll up and crimp. And if it would, what would happen a sheet of plain paper, same length and width of the bars in the billet was placed between each bar, and a dusting of ground cast iron on each side of the paper in direct contact with the metal of the bars?

[@Aleeknives]

These are some really neat ideas! I will try them

[@jojoemcgeejoe457]

@@Aleeknives I do apologize for the bothering. I know nothing at all about forging or metallurgy, except what I've learned from watching vids and forged in fire. But I get these stupid ideas and they bug the heck out of me until I pass them on and let someone else suffer with them.

[@Aleeknives]

I think wrapping in steel foil might work. Don't know anything about cast iron dust though

[@jojoemcgeejoe457]

@@Aleeknives That, iirc, was something I saw in a blacksmith's vid a while back. The cast iron powder (he made his from a cast iron skillet) puts some carbon back into the steel when it melts. My brain keeps trying to tell me that a sheet of paper between the plates in a billet would suck up the oxygen while it's charing to carbon and would also add carbon into the surface layer of steel it's laid against. Might give a darker pattern line when etched? I probably heard a reference to that or something about that in the same vid I saw about the cast iron powder, but can't remember who it was.

[@jojoemcgeejoe457]

@@Aleeknives Found something tonight that points at anything between the plates is not best practice, so, the ignorant idea of the paper and dust is nix. Souce is youtube vid titled: RMS demo, pattern welding with Steve. In the beginning, he talks about research done that shows even borax flux leaves inclusions that weaken the welds. The vid is from a class he was teaching on "dry welds". It's on Black Bear Forge channel. I'll shut up with the ideas now. :/

[@bkohn]

Great video bud! I’m itching to buy a welder so I can try SanMai!

[@Aleeknives]

Yeah I think we talked about buying you a welding machine over on Instagram a while back! Sell one of those beautiful knives your making and buy one bro! Total setup with an argon bottle and regulator should be less than 1k

[@jumpnjack8686]

Thanks. Always learning, always teaching and sharing. Is the coffee stain permanent? Cheers my friend.

[@Aleeknives]

Thanks man! The coffee etched fairly deep but it will wear off during hard use

[@J.TurnerHandmadeKnives]

What thickness stock did you use? Whst length?

[@pintsizedadventures6282]

That was an awesome blade brother 👏

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you! I really can't wait to get in handled

[@Glenfilthie1]

Will you do a sheath for it as well?

[@Aleeknives]

You bet!

[@seanl5707]

Nice coffee trick

[@Aleeknives]

Oh damn! The Sean himself! Call me bro, got a new phone lost all my contacts!

[@elusuarionoexiste7964]

Muy bueno tu trabajo 👍

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you!

[@Sharkdog11b]

Did you say you used 15n20 for the cutting edge? I’ve never done that I feel it would be soft but I’m definitely no San mai expert at the moment

[@Aleeknives]

15n20 actually makes wonderful mono steel knives and great as a core metal for san mai also

[@Sharkdog11b]

@@Aleeknives very cool I appreciate you I’ve learned so much from you coming up as a blade smith you really stand out in great ways.

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you!

[@mattgreef1676]

Evening from the uk mate quick question if you are not going to use wood for a cold anvil how do u battle that. I forge outside and my anvil is always cold 🥶

[@Aleeknives]

I have decided that if I need to forge weld steels together I will simply forge a mono steel blade to heat up the anvil first!

[@mattgreef1676]

@@Aleeknives so heat the forge up with hot steel sweet il try that mate ty

[@Aleeknives]

Couldn't hurt to knock out 2 projects at once anyway!😁 I didn’t like all the smoke from the wood!

[@mattgreef1676]

@@Aleeknives at first I was like yes the answer to all my problems then I was like oh un 999 on speed dial 😆

[@mattgreef1676]

@@Aleeknives lovely work though mate

[@PlattMentalWorks]

awesome tips and tricks BEAutiful knife!!!

[@hasanozdemir1333]

How long should we keep it in the coffee?

[@Aleeknives]

I have experimented with several different times and have found 12-24 hours usually does the trick. Buff with 0000 steel wool several times throughout the cycle to make ot etch evenly

[@sudo_nym]

Looking good, Airin! can't wait to see part 2, man. I must look at getting myself a height gauge for marking my centreline. I've been using a flat marble slab and a drill bit so far, and although it works, it's a bit crude and inaccurate. This was a really enjoyable video. You know I always enjoy and appreciate your work. Take care 👍🏻

[@Aleeknives]

The height gage is worth the dollars for sure.

[@sudo_nym]

@@Aleeknives I'm looking at some right now.

[@Aleeknives]

I think I bought mine for $60 shipped. I didn't go on the high engh end for sure

[@sudo_nym]

@@Aleeknives I just bought one for £30, so about $45 delivered. 👍🏻

[@Aleeknives]

Wicked!

[@UnHolyLuke]

Man.. i just noticed u only have 7,75k subs?! U r like Walter or Jeremy with ur indepth guide/sharing ur knowledge plus knives u made can compete with the best out there.. u should have more and i wish they come soon. Continue in great work and thanks for inspiration and hard work u put in these

[@Aleeknives]

I appreciate that! I have a lot of fun making these videos! I watch their channels also! Great guys here on KZbin

[@philochristos]

That turned out well.

[@Aleeknives]

Thanks Sam!

[@Aleph-Noll]

wow thats really awesome!

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you Aleph!

[@TheRedhawke]

Amazing knife, love the contrast and can't wait to see what you do with the handle. I would like to see that blade profile brought down to about 3" for a really nice skinner. I know it's not a shape most would associate with that task but it works great for me.

[@Aleeknives]

That would make a fantastic skinner. The tip could work in both directions

[@wagnerstolarike1967]

Boa noite, você escureceu a lamina no café?

[@jucerpaulvlog]

NICE VIDEO.. MORE VIDEOS, GOD BLESS TO YOUR CHANNEL

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you!

[@emiliojaureguiplatt8463]

How long did the weld took you?

[@Aleeknives]

about 2 minutes

[@jeffreydauterman]

As always. Beautiful result. Hey how hot is the water for the coffee etch??

[@Aleeknives]

Hot tap water

[@jeffreydauterman]

@@Aleeknives copy that brother.

[@Aleeknives]

Although I might say that my tap runs hot!

[@jeffreydauterman]

@@Aleeknives lol understood. I did by coffee so I’m one step closer.

[@HoutmeyersP]

Looks great ! The reason why the 1084 did not etch black at the ricasso is because during the forging you lost some carbon on the outside .... that outside will also not be as hard as the inside. The carbon remained better deeper into the billet. High carbon steels will also color much darker when hardened than when they remain in a unhardened state. If you edge quench knifes or partially cover a blade with clay(to get a hamon) the parts that cooled slower (parts not in the oil or covered by clay) will not be as black as the parts that cooled faster.

[@Aleeknives]

Very good points here! This is completely true. Thanks for your input! Cheers

[@guntursetiawan1431]

Its look great knife bro

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you

[@SnoPro440]

Never seen it done like that I’ve been forging for 30 years I do Soshu Kitae & Shihozume methods for my long blades I learned those methods while I was in Japan spent seven years learning from some of the best in the world

[@jumpnjack8686]

How long in the coffee? Also does this work on all steel types? Thanks!

[@Aleeknives]

24 hours or more. Works best on high carbon steel and I like to use steel wool to buff the blade half way through

[@jumpnjack8686]

@@Aleeknives Thanks!

[@Aleeknives]

Sure thing!

[@dominicdwk]

What kind of welder do you recommend? I'm a novice

[@Aleeknives]

Can't go wrong with Miller on the high end, Hobart in the middle and harbor freight on the low end. For small jobs like this I think any of them would work fine! I bought the Hobart and love it!

[@dmitryk754]

Decarb prevents stain on those forged texture parts

[@alonsoestudilloramos2405]

Cuanto tiempo en el cafe??

[@Bonsaiandknives]

Pretty nice blade. How long stayed the blade in the coffee? Do you have experience about the duration of this coffee surface?

[@Aleeknives]

24 hours in coffee, I lock in the coffee with a wax coating. Over time the black does fade with use

[@Bonsaiandknives]

Wax coating on the areas you want to have blank?

[@Aleeknives]

Nope I coat the entire blade with Renaissance wax instead of using oil.

[@hammerstoneartifacts4986]

How thin do you make your rough bevels? I'v been leaving them about as thick as a dime. When l try and put an edge on...It takes FOREVER! I'm using 01 hardened in an old school brick and wood forge. I took your advice and pre drilled my holes before heat treating. SOOO much easier! When l tried drilling post heat...I swear l heard the knife laughing at the drill press! Keep up the great content brother!

[@Aleeknives]

I go about a dime or even thicker but I complete the grinding after heat treat and go down to a very thin edge. My secondary bevels are real small on most knives except big choppers and camp knives. If I didn't have a grinder I would go thinner before heat treat but your asking for problems when you go that thin

[@bigsquize]

How thick are the 3 pieces of steel to begin with?

[@Aleeknives]

These were all .200 thick when I started

[@marcusrauch4223]

0:20 did you damage your camera? EDIT: wrong timestamp.

[@Aleeknives]

How do you mean?

[@marcusrauch4223]

@@Aleeknives That weird black spot on the screen. It looked like the camera got burned in from too much light.

[@Aleeknives]

Man I watched that video like 5 times looking for anything that resembles a black spot at the 2 minute mark and have found nothing. The only thing that I can think of that you might be referring to is when I masked out the arc of the welding machine so it wasn't so bright for people watching in a dark room. If that is what your talking about then no it didn't hurt the camera looking at the welding arc. I did that on purpose, you can't see past the arc anyway so I mask it out while editing the footage. Cheers, tha ks for hanging out!

[@marcusrauch4223]

@@Aleeknives Thank you for the info. And for hinting at my typo in the timestamp. whoops.

[@Aleeknives]

🤣😂🤣I feel much better now knowing the video wasn't screwed up somewhere

[@JesusLopez-fc7bd]

Very nice job!!.Master.!!

[@AIIZREVIEWS]

I’m a little surprised you went with the HC on the outside and the 15n20 for the core. Definitely looks cool but I don’t suspect the edge retention will be that of 10XX core.

[@Labrador_Forge]

15n20 is a very good high carbon steel on its own. Absolutely no concern with edge retention here

[@Aleeknives]

15n20 is every bit as good as any 10 series steel

[@bearfootknivesgunforge9183]

Had same issue with using wood on Damascus. 1 time was enough for me to nix it. Nice San Mai bro

[@Aleeknives]

Exactly

[@robertgarza600]

What forge are you using?

[@timjohle8876]

How long did you leave it in the coffee. I think it tuned out great. Great job brother.

[@Aleeknives]

Thanks Tim! I generally go 24 hours and pull it at 12 to give it a scrub with 0000 steel wool. That is when the magic happens!

[@timjohle8876]

@@Aleeknives And how many times do you heat the coffee in this time period. Or is it just the first initial dunk.

[@Aleeknives]

Honestly I don't think it needs to be heated at all! It actually etched the best after you buff it with steel wool halfway through the process and at that point it is no longer hot at all

[@timjohle8876]

@@Aleeknives Thanks brother. I appreciate it.

[@tarts9767]

👍👍👍😊 Awesome blade! How durable this coffee darkened layer is?

[@Aleeknives]

Not very durable but easily re done if needed

[@tarts9767]

@@Aleeknives Thanks ! 👍😊

[@andrewcours8023]

You can do fluxless welds without having to weld up the seams. I do it often. Just make sure your pieces are flat and tight. I usually run them up to 120 on the platen then clamp in the vice and tack weld. Preheat your forge, I toss a peice of scrap steel in so I can see the temp that I want. Then toss the billet in and bring direct to welding heat. Light/firm taps on the anvil to set the weld and your golden. Setting welds isn't rocket science till you start including stainless or non-ferrous metals like copper. Nice video though, lots of great tricks and tips here. Great looking blade!

[@Aleeknives]

Great info man! Thank you! Cheers

[@andrewcours8023]

No prob man. I like the cut through the BS approach. Give it a try man. it works. And no need to destroy the forge with flux right? But I do keep flux handy just in case still. On top of sealing the billet from oxidation, it also has the added benefit of dissolving forge scale. So if a misshap occures...

[@austinpoper6907]

Great video! Question, I am going to try my first San mai here soon. What thicknesses of steel should I start with?

[@Aleeknives]

Your core material won't change much but the outer layers smash down a lot. It is a good idea to have hefty outer layers this one I used 3 layers of .200 thick stock

[@austinpoper6907]

@@Aleeknives Thanks so much!

[@Aleeknives]

For sure!

[@jlpservicesinc1452]

Love the anvil. Still watching the video..

[@Aleeknives]

😁 love that bad boy also!

[@ridgerunner66]

That blade is amazing. Was wondering how well the coffee etching holds up to use? Also cold anvil, is there any way to heat it before use? Thanks for the video. Can't wait to see it finished. Davin

[@Aleeknives]

The coffee is a topical coat that does wear off with use for sure! Really easy to re-do it if you felt like

[@nickaschenbecker9882]

3 things: 1.) Nice knife. You made that look super easy which means you explained it well. (2.) Nice truck! (3.) I'm glad you underscored using CHEAP coffee. I see a lot of people using Nescafé and that's SUCH a waste of money. We're after tannins, not flavor. 😂😂😂😂

[@Aleeknives]

100% with you Nick!

[@kivalcosta1900]

Beautiful

[@Aleeknives]

Thank you Kival Costa!

[@jasonburns956]

I think the rough forged flats are decarb and that why it didn't etch

[@Aleeknives]

I think your right!

[@hiramdjonesjr]

Take a nice peace of rebar or round stock. Weld an old visegrip to the peace of rebar or round stock. Make the peace of rebar or round stock a little bit taller then your anvil put a base on the other end won't have to put your work between your legs to free up your hands

[@Aleeknives]

cool idea!

[@davidscadlock5569]

Great video - Thank You!!!!!!

[@Aleeknives]

You are welcome David!

[@jamesball7322]

Pretty freak n even bro ,good work

[@Aleeknives]

Thanks James! It came out nice and straight!

[@chili5369]

Hey brother great video I've seen it many times. How long did you leave it in the coffee? I keep trying this and mine doesn't not look like that lol I even went to Wal-Mart to get the same coffee hahahaha

[@Aleeknives]

Generally 24 hours and I pull it out about every 6 hours and buff it with 0000 steel wool to make sure it coats evenly