How To Make San Mai, Building Knives And Forge Welding Stainless

I'm working on knives in the shop, forge welding san mai billets, and I decided to give stainless san mai a go again.
My website: firecreekforge.com
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#stainlesssteel #kitchen #knife

[@FireCreekForge]

I just want to clarify something: It is necessary based on everything I've read, to seal up a stainless san mai billet with your welder for an air tight billet. The option for flux or not that I mentioned was referring to the non stainless steel version. The reason is because chromium oxides form very easily and do not dissolve with normal flux.

[@_BLANK_BLANK]

I havent had much luck with anything stainless. I feel like a couple things might help me out, since i just stopped trying for now. Wasting too much time and material. But having a welder with argon like mig or tig, and getting a press. Since im doing it by hand. Just makes things a bit harder to really get that pressure for a good forge weld, especially with stainless. Probably didnt help i was trying to use high alloy core steels.

[@erikcourtney1834]

@@_BLANK_BLANKI feel sorry for your arm and shoulder forging stainless, especially a billet. It does not move well under the hammer.

[@_BLANK_BLANK]

@@erikcourtney1834 yeah. Definitely harder to move. The worst i have ever tried forging was 10v. It was like forging cold steel

[@erikcourtney1834]

@@_BLANK_BLANK I’ve never messed with 10v. You should try forging h13…. Hardest thing to forge that I’ve came across. It’s very tough at higher heats which is why its the perfect steel for doing hot work.

[@DavidEricWilliams]

I like the “day in the life” approach to the video. Another beautiful knife!

[@oldkokitsum4022]

Your presentations are excellent. Keep it up. If I hit the lottery I'm having you make me something nice.

[@SonoraSlinger]

Always giving us the most we can get from a forging video. Total class as always

[@FireCreekForge]

Glad you like them!

[@lukelofgren4108]

That's a fact!

[@minnesotatomcat]

I can’t believe you’d sell the first one!! That’s gotta go on the wall on display brother, you earned that one 👍

[@FireCreekForge]

Yeah, but I got bills to pay! haha

[@hayworth.handmade]

You are a wealth of knowledge to new(ish) makers like myself. I really enjoy your content and i learn a lot. Just wanted to thank you for passing on your knowledge so, thank you!

[@polehenge8237]

I love your content. Informative, Skillful, and Inspirational. I've given up watching any other knifemaker on youtube. The SS San Mai is one of your best so far. Keep up the good work mate.

[@stephenjohnson6841]

You have to love when an experiment turns out! Thanks again Elijah!

[@rhodie33]

I have been watching your videos for a while now and your skill as a knife maker really impresses me.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you, I'm always learning new stuff which is one of the cool things about the job.

[@malcontent6150]

Quality, pride, and dedication are the driving forces to success. Forge on brother!

[@soonerfrac4611]

Beautiful blade as usual. Congrats on the experiment.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you!

[@muellermade]

I've wanted to try stainless san mai, it looks so cool! Great work!

[@T_B]

Congratulations! You sound very proud...as you should be. I could hear the joy as it cooled down uniformly. Thanks for letting us see that!!

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks! Yes I was pretty happy it turned out!

[@theriversexperience9383]

Another great video as always. That's awesome that this build worked out. Stainless San Mai is a pain lol.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir

[@krissteel4074]

Really impressive result, I've not had any luck with 300 series stainless cladding. Its not to say it cannot work but other people seem to have made it happen as well.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks! I've heard of various types being used. I'll probably try the 300 series to see if I can get that to work, it should stay soft making drilling etc easier.

[@Tenoct91]

Should have named this one: The day I dropped everything! 😁

[@FireCreekForge]

Tell me about it, haha

[@terryhagen2711]

Nice looking set of elk antlers in your shop

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you!

[@randylippert6416]

Another beautiful work of art👍👍

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you sir

[@StrayWolfForge]

Nice work and thank you for explaining the process.

[@FireCreekForge]

You bet, thanks

[@MASI_forging]

Another great video as always 😍😍

[@HDBrown-wc9xt]

Best part of the video. Taking care of the bottle of propane . Just picking it up like it’s a 2 liter of coke . Beast mode

[@FireCreekForge]

But it's mostly empty

[@HDBrown-wc9xt]

@@FireCreekForge modest

[@charlesdevous1001]

Brother i dont know you but have been subscribed for a good while. The way you break down what youre doing and explain the process is second to none. You are one of the few that dont edit out your mistakes, and are realistic about what happens in the forge. On top of that you make an awesome product. Ive also, along the way, heard what youve had playing in the background in older videos (paul washer, etc). I can almost feel the frustration in some recent videos. Just stay the course and keep doing exactly what you do brother. You do it better than most. And you know more about the science behind it than almost all other youtube smiths. God will always provide brother. Just get out of your head. Keep doing good work and the right people will notice. He does things when we least expect it. On His time. Trust in Him, itll all work out. And congrats on another success.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you for the encouragement!

[@magnusbergroth5319]

Great job and great video! 👍

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you! 👍

[@oubliette862]

I've been wanting to see someone work with stainless. some pattern welded stainless, or a stainless titanium san mai, or just stainless san mai. I've never seen someone attempt a stainless titanium san mia, but I know they can be welded together somehow. I didn't research the details because I'm not trying to make one, but I learned that it was done in the past with certain aircraft components on the sr71.

[@Hopeknives13]

Beautiful 🔥🔥🔥

[@jcubetube3778]

I went from one 100# tank to 2, split into my one hose to the forge and I’ve cut my PSI in half, added 100* and no freezing…I have the same forge as you but it’s the 3 burner. I achieved 2465*

[@FireCreekForge]

Good to know, thanks

[@StitchJones]

Gotta call you Capt. Dropsy this week, LOL!

[@FireCreekForge]

Yep, I do some drop forging...

[@erikcourtney1834]

I use 304 stainless for San mai just because Its free and have plenty of it. I know Karl Anderson says the 416 is the best choice along with 1095. I believe the 304 polishes up better according to pictures since I haven’t used 416. I do know for sure the scale on 304 is extremely hard to remove. Not sure if a power hammer will help with this or not, all I have is a press so it doesn’t do anything for removing scale. The water, hammer, and anvil trick does help though. Just thought I’d share some of my experience with stainless san mai.

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[@erikcourtney1834]

If you like the carbon migration line keep the billet at a welding heat while forging. The longer the forging the better the migration (obviously). Don’t use Damascus for a core either if you want any migration lines. I used 160 layers of 1084 and 15n20 between 304. It’s rather depressing. It’s shinny polished stainless directly into Damascus. It wasn’t what I was going for. To much nickel ruins stainless San mai in my opinion. I could keep going but I believe you’ll learn and figure it out as I did……Trial and error.😉 God bless.

[@samhiss6807]

Thanks for sharing! God bless

[@FireCreekForge]

Thanks for watching!

[@kennethomeara9848]

Congratulations!

[@FireCreekForge]

Thank you!

[@CroshVine]

I saw someone put salt on their billet because its melting temp is the exact temp that steel should be quenched at.

[@FireCreekForge]

I have heard of something like that

[@andrewmcgibbon9785]

Pask makes made a video a few weeks ago about modifications he made to his 4" x 6" horizontal/vertical bandsaw to make it more efficient. Check it out. Maybe you might find a few of the mods helpful

[@Redstagwsmnp]

You know the more you make the more I have to buy. Lol

[@FireCreekForge]

Haha

[@442kid]

El First O'

[@brandonwilson896]

i thought that 400 series stainless was work hardenable? or maybe you said that and i missed it?

[@FireCreekForge]

I don't know if it is quite possible. It doesn't anneal easily though, found that out.

[@christobaliancantu7112]

Bro! You're in Lubbock!?

[@FireCreekForge]

We are in the Lubbock region, yep

[@christobaliancantu7112]

@@FireCreekForge freaking sweet!!! Moved up to Plainview a year ago from the Texas hill country. Started making knives since then. Still learning. Well, it's good to know there's an awesome knife maker nearby.

[@_BLANK_BLANK]

What steel did you say it was? You said it fast and i missed it. 1.2501? Or is it something else. If its one of the european designations i always get those mixed up.

[@FireCreekForge]

The edge steel is 125Cr1

[@_BLANK_BLANK]

@@FireCreekForge oooh! Ok got it

[@jamesharmon3827]

Watching you run the drill press with those gloves just made me cringe. I know of two people that lost the end of their thumbs exactly that way.