Blacksmithing : Forging a Blacksmith's Knife - The Forge

A full demonstration of forging a traditional "Blacksmith's knife" including old methods of heat treating as we teach on our knife making one days course.
If you would like to see more of what we do please visit : www.alexpoleironwork.com
The Forge Team is:
Alex Pole : / alexpoleironwork
Steve House : / moonshinemetalworks
Joe Garnett : / joegarnett_blacksmith

[@BlackBeardProjects]

So cool! What a great production guys. Love it! Looks calm like Torbjorn but with an epic voice over

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

Thanks mate!! You still need to come to The Forge some day, maybe after the next Makers Central?

[@RichardMartin]

Watching Alex forge this knife makes it seem really easy, which is the sign of someone who’s really good at what he does. Another great video, cheers all.

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

Thanks Rich!

[@hayworth.handmade]

Every time I watch this video it makes me want to forge. Very inspiring!

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

Thanks

[@RasmusLoen]

I was starting to think in my little head that I know how to make these, then you lot upload a video and I'm back at school! Well done, can't wait for the next one!

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

Haha! Thanks mate!

[@TandaMadison]

These videos are so well done. Just two in and already they feel like an essential reference.

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

Thanks, thats extremely kind of you

[@TreeBeardNero]

Loved my blade in a day course, definitely highly recommended.

[@projectdave7132]

Great vids so far, really liking the style. Thanks guys!

[@markpeacock1956]

I love the film making, history & skill here - these 1st two videos have been some of my favourite watches on YT in recent times!! Well done guys!

[@alanspeert8351]

You make it look so easy that's a sign of a great craftsmen

[@KarolineHinz]

I really love the editing style with the voiceover etc...super calming!

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

Thanks!

[@RedSmith]

Beautiful video and process. Great teaching guys! More please.

[@bergenbx]

Best video on the subject. Super inspiring. Just want to go to the smithy and give it a try. Please continue !

[@waynecurie71]

That was bang on with explaining how its made from start to finish especially for a total beginner like me, many thanks

[@Fishy1764]

Thoroughly enjoyed this video and the narration. Looking forward to having a go my self . I'm a hobbyist knife maker and just loved watching the process.

[@thevikingoli8847]

Thank the gods of Asgard there is someone like you who explains it like that. I've learned a lot from that. Thank you sir 🤘🤘🇧🇪🇧🇪greetings from Belgium bro

[@MaltandMake]

It's amazing how much you can learn from watching this and I'm sure I'll be coming back to it again and again for reference!

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

Hopefully we'll be able to keep them coming so you can keep learning from them!

[@whazee]

Awesome job guys! Its definitely a great education into blacksmithing. I love the classes you teach... I may need a refresher! 😄👍

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

You're welcome back any time my friend!

[@JOHN-fx3xo]

So so so cool. I want one. I want to make one.

[@Brownstone31]

Once again, beautiful job. It's like a history lesson, but interesting.

[@owenandlibbygower8471]

Great video, loving the channel. Compelling viewing.

[@hornetboy3694]

Awesome video thank you

[@GrahamDallas]

Really great video with relaxed and knowledgeable voice over. Some stunning shots and editing too.

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

Thanks mate, very glad you enjoyed it!

[@TMichaelJKnivestmichaeljknives]

Great work. Thanks for sharing.

[@GCustoms]

Wow! I really enjoy these videos. Alex’s narration is perfect, combining the process and some historical info. Love it! “Bryta hörnen” hard words. 😂

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

One day we'll learn how to say it properly! :D

[@jamesball7322]

I did enjoy the entire forging but I really liked how you tempered the blade with the hot block I like the old technique,good work

[@garethbaus5471]

It is a decent way to temper knives once you get the hang of it.

[@jamesball7322]

@@garethbaus5471 definitely useful at a demo with no oven 💪🏽👊🏼

[@garethbaus5471]

@@jamesball7322 it can also give you a lot of control when softening the spine if you want a differential temper after you have used an oven to properly temper the edge.

[@jamesball7322]

@@garethbaus5471 for sure

[@AndyCPugh]

I'm loving these videos!

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

Thanks Andy!

[@oojagapivy]

That was super educational. Thankyou

[@ajablades9524]

Love to watch.. Well done

[@FredMcIntyre]

Great information and awesome video!!! 😃👌🏻🔥🔪🔨 ... Well done! 👍🏻👊🏻

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

Thanks Fred!

[@CorsoWorkshop]

A beautiful video

[@longbowbanjoAL]

im the 200th like. man that block trick is next level precision.

[@shanelonergan1792]

I thoroughly enjoyed that video Alex well done you should start doing your own sloyd knife they seem to be impossible to get with your skill you'd clean up sorry if that's something you do already great channel again looking forward to watching more of your videos.

[@theojilderts9729]

Wauw the art of fine Smitting...blacksmith Theo harlingen holland Greets. You...thanks..

[@teodorstiernholm]

Thanks for this amazing video! I learned a lot! Greetings from a thirteen year old knife maker

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

You're more than welcome! Good luck with the knife making.

[@leonardmettlach2614]

Hope your still making buddy 48 yr old mqker and still love it

[@peterfritzsche4654]

Great video cheers 👍

[@reforzar]

Bravo!

[@alanscannell]

Great talk through on how to make one of these. I watched you guys make em at makers central would love to try making one at some point 👍

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

You should come to The Forge one day mate, it'd be great to have you here.

[@alanscannell]

@@alexpoleblacksmith I'd love to it's on my to do list 👍

[@maconhoth1005]

Wicked video guys.

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

Cheers!

[@vincentgolden5352]

Great video im kinda new to knife making and the tempering part i found especially helpful because i cant afford a tempering oven. I have just got the material to build a belt grinder to make life easier i was hand filing everything and that is painful. Thanks for sharing and takecare

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

Glad you got something out of it!

[@garethbaus5471]

The tempering part can be done in a regular oven or toaster oven. Just make sure to harden it first.

[@aaronschannel639]

What size stock did you start with kind sir? Awesome job by the way.

[@kevinherbst5369]

Very nice process video! The Livestream on ig as well!!

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

Thanks!

[@AMBOSS_Silesia]

I know it's hard to belive due to knife's form, but there are no historical evidence of these knives being made back in the past. I mean in medieval times etc. No historical finds, no drawings, nothing. It's just modern interpretation of some knives being found in few places. Anyway it's very enjoyable to watch. Best regards to a blacksmith from a blacksmith, Greg

[@grantpahlke9045]

Thank you for the video. After tempering on the hot iron to straw color, did you cool it down back in the oil or in water?

[@arctrooperherk2069]

What size bar are you using for material?

[@jeffallen1151]

Awesome job. Do you make any to sell?? If so how much. I'm interested in getting one

[@bencinderz8709]

Do you have a shop? Would love one of these…

[@jimmyjackjumpup6765]

What would you price them at for sale at market?

[@fe02lix]

As a scandenavian more specifik in denmark and a beliver in the viking metholegy i always wanted a dat kind of knife in danish that kind of knife is kaldt a kvinde kniv

[@Piscesluna]

I thought I recognized the word for woman in Danish, so in essence a woman's knife? Interesting. :)

[@stmarysvirus5139]

What size stock are you using in this video?

[@dearcastiel4667]

This is actually a celtic knife design, and it wasn't even nearly as common as it's name "blacksmith knife" suggests. Only a handful of such knives have been found, the vast majority throughout history are half-tang, full tang and rat-tail tang knives. It would have made little sense for a blacksmith to waste double the material on the tang to make a simple quick knife. As far as I am aware, this design was popularised by a design from Thijs Van de Manakker in the 80's, who took inspiration from one of the few "bent tang" early celtic knives that have been found.

[@Mch-kk9yn]

Did he leave it on the edges of the forge like mentioned in the video? Or did he temper it on the block instead?

[@tb4444444]

Leaving in the coal on the edge of the forge relates to normalising the steel. When forging the heating and cooling of the steel leads to grain growth in the metal. If you went straight to hardening you’d end up with something very brittle and that would struggle to take an edge. To normalise you heat to just below critical temp and cool slowly. This improves the grain structure. When you then move onto hardening you heat it to just above critical, in basic carbon steels this correlates with the curie point so some smiths with check with a magnet. You then quench quickly which cools the steel and locks it in a hardened state. After quenching the steel is (hopefully) very hard, but also brittle. This is where tempering comes in which is controlled heating to a temp of around 200c to bring the hardness down and the toughness up. This is what you saw being done over the block of hot steel. As the knife heats up it will react with oxygen to form an oxide layer. These have different colours correlating with temperature. So that the colour could be seen the bevels and spine were ground quickly to expose clean steel. The bevel was then heated to straw colour and the spine to blue. If you look up tempering colours you can find a chart of them. In short he did both, cooling from the normalise on the edge of the forge, tempering on the hot block.

[@Mch-kk9yn]

tb4444444 wow thank you so much, that helps massively

[@sirtblairjr]

That's really good. Nice. We can make everyday? Looks good. There's nothigh wrong with making a Damascus? It's looks good ,too? knifeThis Can be a first knives made..what do you think? Thanks for sharing.

[@bobthorney7478]

what steel used?

[@alexpoleblacksmith]

We use EN9 for these blades, it's a straight carbon steel, not overly high carbon so although it hardens well it's not brittle and is very forgiving for the beginners on our courses.

[@tmophoto]

why is the hammering so damn loud over the voiceover? put this on some headphones and try to listen to it.

[@dagbjarturkjaranaxelsson3873]

200 c ?

[@davidnagashima6528]

I feel like if you were using the knife and your hand slipped your hand would slip off the handle and onto the blade

[@garethbaus5471]

If you do that with that handle profile you are pretty incompetent and probably shouldn't be allowed to handle sharp objects in the first place.

[@AtoZpets901]

പുലിമുരുകൻ കത്തി😆😆😆😆

[@scottadams1061]

Sorry if I’m being a jerk but I watch videos to learn. What’s the point of looking at a freaking blurred image?

[@hawasiraq1147]

Ｙｏｕ ｔａｌｋ ｔｏｏ ｍｕｃｈ