Forging My First "Cu Mai": Copper / Damascus Pattern Welded Drop Point Skinner Blacksmithing

Come along as I learn how to forge a knife with copper integrated into the blade.
firecreekforge...
/ firecreekforge
#cumascus #copperdamascus #damascus

[@D.Schrader]

Thank for taking us on your journey

[@FireCreekForge]

You bet, thanks for watching

[@GammahDamage]

These videos give me confidence to try new techniques!

[@FireCreekForge]

good deal!

[@bakkenta1]

Very nice narration. Many channels don’t provide adequate description for the tasks they are performing.

[@FireCreekForge]

Glad you liked it!

[@mtnbkr8480]

How to videos are an important part of learning, but these How NOT to videos are equally valuable. 👍

[@traviscampbell7081]

I just attempted to do a cumai blade for my brother for his birthday. Long story short, he might get one for Christmas 🤣

[@bobmurray3229]

Another beautiful and well crafted knife 🇺🇸

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir!

[@troyswain1310]

I really appreciate all of you KZbinrs content. I’ve built my own forced air forge, 2x72 belt grinder and am currently converting a log spitter into a hydraulic press. I agree that you do not own a skill until you learn it and actually try it until success.

[@gregwaters944]

Like the way you experiment with different techniques and show the results.

[@xaviersonntag4302]

I've tried out 2 cu mai knives and did acually run into the problem of having the molten copper come out of the billet....however I learned on my second knife if you let the copper completely melt between the layers and cool then you can forge it at a lower temp knowing that it was completely fused together...thats my experience on it anyhoo....I enjoyed the video and little talk at the end...keep up the beautiful craftsmanship and can't wait for your next build!

[@FireCreekForge]

Yes I think that is the key

[@Derekmoss82]

Learning to forge myself and your information and technique was very helpful def earned my subscription

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir!

[@GibsonCutlery]

Still a beauty! Kudos for the perseverance!

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks for watching!

[@SuperRobertheath]

I think that turned pretty cool.

[@fireplusbirdfilms6517]

Thanks for sharing your learning process. It's valuable to see things that don't work out right just as it is to see stuff that does work out. I think the way the copper flowed around the final billet unevenly actually looks cool.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir

[@brysonalden5414]

As others have commented, I appreciate your sharing your processes, especially when they didn't work the way you wanted them to. I'm finding that some of the skills I now have as a smith are a result of screwing things up in the past and figuring out a way to do it better. And, of course, I still screw things up!

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir!

[@johnw.brunson9400]

Cool looking knife.

[@dsikes618]

Awesome video. Keep them up. This knife looked sick. I would keep it as a show piece. I love watching the videos. I’m very interested in forging but have never tried it. I will one day give it a shot.

[@derrickguthrie4704]

I wish I could come apprentice with you and learn bladesmithing. Great vid again and keep up the great work.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks for watching!

[@chewyakarieckenicholas6049]

I love the way it looks and I am going to give it a shot and I hope to make it look as good 👍

[@PhoenixIronworksNS]

When I make CuMai knives I keep the heat below the melting point of the copper and weld it completely closed. The weld is for 0 atmosphere more so than liquid copper. Pressure is your best friend with these so use the press not a hammer and you’ll get a better weld. Same with Damascus, prep is key. Make sure all the oils are cleaned off, i soak everything in kerosine for 2 to 3 days before I put it together. Nice knife

[@jonritenour8329]

Nicely done

[@lyonsden7830]

I still think its a cool littel knife end thanks for shareing it with us all

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks for watching!

[@kenglass1980]

Great starting point. Blade looks amazing with the black edge steel. Get that right and the copper will glow! With the layered Damascus it kinda looks like an OS map of hills meeting the sea with the copper being the beach....

[@rockbutcher]

At the end of the day it was a great learning experience, and interesting to be led through by you. I must say that the copper ringed raindrops is NOT a pattern I've seen other blade smiths create. You could be onto something there!

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks for watching!

[@jeffreycarter1223]

It still came out pretty cool looking, with the tiny spots of copper it looks more like a patina or somthing along those lines. As always great work.

[@markj284]

Thank you for sharing this information, New to all of this, I would be excited to achieve what you ended up with, looks good to me...

[@jonathanengwall2777]

Truly awesome looking knife

[@steveschlobohm5793]

Hello Elijah! I'm finally back after a year and its great to see you are still doing videos. I have a lot of catching up to do. Thanks for all you do. Stay safe my friend!

[@FireCreekForge]

Hi Steve, good to see you back! Thanks for watching

[@justanothajoe]

I look forward to seeing take 4. I like that you post videos even if you don't get to your desired result. I think your humble nature and honesty is refreshing!

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir!

[@shepardsforgeh2031]

I've used nicke the way you used copper and got good results. Good on you for not giving up man those are tricky builds!

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks man, yeah I like nickel; it's way easier as the working and melting temps are similar to steel

[@christianborghi7544]

I’ve been experimenting with copper too , currently I’m trying cable fused with copper for the outsides , from test piece I done it’s looking good

[@Anothermachine]

I have seen this technique performed successfully using a canister in which the copper goes molten but cannot escape the layers. It is extremely beautiful when completed.

[@jimtaylor6663]

Even if unintentional, it's still a great pattern.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir!

[@Hopeknives13]

Beautiful either way 👍🏼

[@sterlingallis6702]

I’ve made about 4 CU Mai blades now, and I usually have better luck if I use 5160 or 1095 and I get my billet around an orange heat. Any hotter and the copper tends to work its way out when I use my power hammer.

[@dlbknives4869]

Practice makes perfect

[@lancemillward1912]

Good lessons there.

[@406751]

Still looks awesome bud. Practice makes perfect, keep at it and it'll start to look better and better. God bless

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir

[@jeffcopeland3958]

It still looks great!

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks Jeff!

[@herreragonza5891]

Really cool

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir

[@tonyhedgewolf]

This has been on my mind recently, I've got two commutators from broken motors here and have wondered if it would be possible to forge them...

[@lorneclose7312]

Nice work tried this recently thought I had a bond till I cut into it. Tyrell knives says to keep your heat under 1800f

[@AirBearForge]

Thanks for this

[@butthedd0233]

Onward and upward. Keep going

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir

[@ianfuller312]

The reason you are getting cracking is your temperature was just a bit too high. The copper actually gets in between the grain boundaries of the steel. Fine line between sticking together and causing this.

[@bruceb51]

Copper is very unpredictable, you never know where it's going to go.

[@Bikers920]

i like this knife 👍🏻

[@peterskey8155]

Still a good looking blade.

[@dankaczor8965]

You are absolutely right that 52100 will not stick to copper. If you have seen Tryell Knifeworks he has done a good amount of pieces like this as he normally uses 15N20 and basic carbon steels. If you want to use 52100 it might be a good idea to use one of those metals as a buffer zone between the copper and 52100. The chromium content in 52100 does not forge weld well with many materials, and the higher forging temperature does not help either.

[@scotttod6954]

Nice to see someone stepping out of thier comfort zone. Canister cumascus possible?

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks for watching!

[@williammorton8555]

Clean your shop. Nice work.

[@canifixit3504]

I like it

[@afg122602]

it may not have much copper but thats a beautiful damascus pattern

[@terrymiller9717]

Nice

[@russellcrawford4809]

awesome

[@eagleriver900]

Bing Bing bang boom bam !! Woohp Doowhp !

[@harryvanniekerk7269]

I think your process was correct, you simply needed thicker copper plates. blessings

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks for watching!

[@georgetaurozzi8785]

Sweet

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you

[@DUCKWALK65]

hey i know that this an old video, but another guy on here did what you did with the copper. you've more then likely will have already seen those videos from, Tyrell from knifeworks using copper to make beautiful knives. if not try emailing him and ask him about the temps he used to forge his knives with copper.

[@FireCreekForge]

Yes sir, Dennis does a great job on his copper Damascus blades. He mentioned that he forges them at a lower heat to keep the copper from melting..

[@kyarmwrestlingcr1115]

What were you using to hand sand with an cool knife

[@joshortiz1576]

Have you tried welding all the way around the edge so that you can get the copper to liquid state on Temps to help get the copper to stick as it cools?

[@FireCreekForge]

Sort of, I need to make sure my arc welds are solid all the way around

[@joshortiz1576]

@@FireCreekForge i personally have never done it but seen it done many of times. I really like contrast with the copper. I hope your able to do it. Would love to see the outcome!!!

[@stevenconyon4685]

Pattern looks awesome tho

[@willlothridge3197]

Interesting

[@dgibraltar]

It actually doesn't look badly. May I respectfully suggest you check out Tyrell Knifeworks. He seems to have a handle on that process. Keep up the great work.

[@FireCreekForge]

Yes sir I've seen his, but I have to dial it in myself..

[@dgibraltar]

@@FireCreekForge that I understand perfectly

[@deanscott9876]

I had a similar experience doing my first laminated knife with copper. I could not get the outer 15n20 layer to stick but the inner 1085 layer bonded perfectly, so I turned it into a copper clad blade. I was thinking my anvil may have been to cold and drew the heat from the outer layer.🤔 Customer wanted for me to make another copper clad knife and I told him I probably couldn’t do it again if I tried lol.

[@VexChoccyMilk]

You could use an oxyacetylene torch and braze a layer of copper onto a finished knife, Michaelcthulu has done large blades like that.

[@ericwilliams2733]

Is it possible to add copper into the Damascus pattern. If so i wud love to see that

[@FireCreekForge]

Probably is possible, would likely be tedious

[@snohwk78]

Near looking even though it wasn't what you were shooting for.

[@richardkudlak3885]

Koana(Thank you in Innuiaktun/Eskimo)

[@FireCreekForge]

You're welcome!

[@leoneljm]

Is it just cosmetic or does it have any advantages?

[@WESCROTCH]

This type of Damascus has a name. But your name is better. 🤣

[@filosce7191]

Hi!!! what is the thickness of copper? thanks

[@FireCreekForge]

About .015 of an inch

[@breakawaybooks4752]

Discovered pure copper flux did we?

[@FireCreekForge]

Is that a thing..?

[@jimsmirh2406]

It’s still a pretty sharp knife though.

[@bmunson4920]

I suggest you reference some of the videos other use for the Damascus process. You seem to have constant separation of layers issues, which I believe can be solved by folding over layers repeatedly. At best I have seen you cut a piece into sections and tack weld them together, but I do not believe this is as effective as constant folding over the piece in layers.

[@michealdelaura1853]

1st

[@theguywitheyebrows]

glorious!! i gotta dothis, im not into damascus much personally, though it is beautiful. would this work with 1095/cu/1095/cu/1095?

[@FireCreekForge]

Yes it should work fine

[@thunderdick6117]

What you are doing isn't brazing it's called clading using heat and high pressure to bond two dissimilar metals . They make U.S, coins by clading. One really cool way clading is done is with explosion welding. Explosion welding was discovered in WW2 when people realized that shrapnel and armor defeating rounds had welded themselves to the armor plating of tanks and bunkers.

[@FireCreekForge]

Interesting! so brazing would be if the copper actually went molten...

[@thunderdick6117]

@@FireCreekForge brazing is just glorified soldering . It's just using a copper and zinc alloy a.k.a brass in the same way you would use lead or tin based solder . There are other alloys that when used are called brazing but it's kinda like a generic name for joining one or more kinds of metal together with an alloy that has a lower melting temperature than the metal or metals you are trying to join together.

[@TyrellKnifeworks]

Great to see you try this technique! When I do it I keep it right below the melting point. Around 1800F or a bit higher. Never try to forge the edge, it’ll split no matter how well it seems to be brazed together. Great video showing your attempts. 👍

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks for the tips!!

[@publicblacksmith9467]

Nice and goodjob

[@theriversexperience9383]

One thing to make sure of is to only forge on the flats, never while vertical. The layers separate/shift easily when the billet is hot.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks man

[@WUNDER8AR]

Personally not a fan of the CuMai hype. It certainly looks interesting but I don't see a practical use. Also probably more prone to corrosion than just plain steel or damascus. Something to note is that copper and ferric chloride makes for quite a nasty poisonous solution. Take care

[@81selfmade1]

Even though you didn't get the affect you wanted it's still a really slick looking design

[@Anderson-HandForged]

great video i have recently been messing with this as well with some good sucess use the 1095 and get your heat up just below that melting point and press it good try some rounding dies too it will give the copper lines that look like a ekg pretty cool actually look for ward to seeing more Mark

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks Mark!

[@Fanroghscorner]

Even tho it wasn't what you set out to make it's still a very beautiful looking knife 😊

[@salvothegermanshepherd4399]

Awesome stuff

[@kevenbeene4585]

Always enjoy the vids

[@russellvonastel7111]

You have an amazing talent

[@chili5369]

It took me two tries. First one I also was worried about melting the copper and the second time I heated the heck out of it and it was really cool, it looked like my blade was a cross section of a copper vain. Check it out its on my channel

[@FireCreekForge]

Cool! Thanks for watching!

[@joshy0369]

Pretty cool 😎 man

[@donknotts5625]

Great video

[@samuraidriver4x4]

You are right, it's pretty much brazing and not welding. Good learning experience and when you have got the technique down it's going to be satisfying. Thanks for sharing.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir!

[@johnfire7346]

I litterly just finished my first cu-mascus it was interesting. I did a canister Damascus cladding and 5160 for the edge. Great job definitely not a easy process I got 20 hours in mine all hand hammer and grind time how many hours do you got?

[@FireCreekForge]

Cool! I don't know but too many!! haha

[@renepicard4225]

GREAT JOB

[@jeffreycarter1223]

Either way this looks way cooler than my Damascus. I can barely get twist or raindrop to come out cool looking because I’m poor and can quite make myself buy a press. What I would like to see you take a stab at is like a canister build with copper and maybe some scrap Damascus cut offs with a good core .

[@FireCreekForge]

Thats an idea, thanks for watching!

[@sanyok7777]

legit

[@jameshines8095]

Nice

[@outbackladas]

Good effort, nothing ventured nothing gained as they say. Regards from Down Under.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you!

[@richardzago5562]

Thank you for the full experiment both successful and learning

[@FireCreekForge]

You bet, thank you

[@donvandenberg5301]

I know that's not what you were hoping for, but it's still a damn nice looking blade.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir!

[@danielclawson2143]

Hi Elijah. Just thought I'd jump in the comments and say hey.

[@FireCreekForge]

Hi Daniel, thanks man

[@mgmcd1]

This is good stuff. I like the explanation of steps as you work along.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks for watching!