Knife made from COPPER WIRE - Its SHARP!! - Aluminum bronze with forged edge

In this video I'll be making an aluminum bronze knife to use around my shop. I made this knife from copper wire and pure aluminum. 90% copper mixed with 10% aluminum makes a very hard alloy called aluminum bronze. I made the knife by creating a sand casting and then cutting the shape of the knife out of it. I then cast pure copper pins and used them to attach walnut handle scales.
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[@jamie_23]

I came for the casting... im staying for Penny!

[@Kats4Brekkie]

I do really enjoy watching. No fuss, no fancy effects, just good dialogue, and proper footage. Also I love the bits you do which are maybe not the ideal way but it's what I had to hand (polyurethane for example!) Great looking knife too.

[@jamie_23]

Well said that man!

[@thewhitemustang]

Yes, I agree. (To our benefit, I think he forgot to add the fancy annoying generic music effect that he usually plays over his voice.) This happens to be his Only video without the added distracting music playing over his voice. Most people just want to hear clear narration along with the natural sounds of the process (like this video). I don't understand why so many youtubers decide to play generic shite over their voice. It completely ruins it for me every time. It's become a plague on youtube. If viewers want to hear music while someone is speaking in a video, they can play any song with one click. There's no need for the video maker to force that stuff on us.

[@DrTubeman]

@@thewhitemustang Totally agree, all music playing in the background of videos on KZbin instead of just listening to the natural sounds is so annoying, but when that music is those bloody inanely fast buildup beat bop lazar sounds, it's so irratating and ruins any videos that it just puts people off watching the video altogether.

[@callmeprofessorneegusphd.9155]

Love when he uses dark underworld incantations to transmute the gloves straight onto his hands as well

[@seandoumas1264]

Agreed Most Restoration Videos are like Example: (Cutting parts and editing it also) And I want to know the hard work of the full process. Great work and just keep on going man

[@tpadgett2]

as a professional knife maker I'd say you did a hell of a job for your first knife. esp out of what nowadays would be considered non traditional materials (ironic, right?). I did, however, feel for you when you said you spent 6 hours on the bevel. I remember life before my 2x72. I'm glad those days are behind me. lol. for those that don't know, that grind would take about 3 minutes on a 2x72. but the effort and detail you put into your jig and the final result are fantastic. good job.

[@KrakenCasting]

Gorgeous! Aluminum bronze is a hell of an alloy. It's crazy tough and darn near impossible to corrode. The knife turned out great, I may have to make one myself before too long.

[@jonnylawless6797]

Almost impossible to corrode? Sold, I'll be having a knife made of aluminium bronze.

[@jeanladoire4141]

​@@terriblefezthat's beacause the only alloy that somewhat approaches bad quality tempered steel would be CuBe2 or CuCoBe alloys (copper/beryllium), wich can somewhat reach 40/45HRC. Some make non spark hammers with them. However it's a very expensive material, and its dust is toxic. Then you have copper/nickel alloys, wich can get hard but aren't as good and tough. Then you got aluminum bronze, wich can be water quenched and hardened, like steel. But it's not gonna go beyond 30HRC,and it would be brittle. He should have added some nickel and iron to the mix to improve the properties of his alloy

[@AuntieHauntieGames]

Low melting points is one of the great advantages that bronze age weapons had over their early iron counterparts, which is why many people still used bronze even when they figured out iron: a bronze weapon or tool that broke for any reason could always be melted back down and recast into a totally new weapon or tool, something which was considerably more difficult when working with iron. The advantage for bronze tools nowadays, of course, is that they conduct but do not spark.

[@Hooptyroo]

Wow for a first knife that’s really good. The home made bevel grinder looked torturous lol

[@billwendt9571]

I worked for AMSCO foundry (Specialty Steels) and we coated our cope and drag molds with a spray-on finish. Release was easier and casting surfaces were superb. We also had patterns for molding in vents and risers. Because you pull your patterns then add vents and risers by hand later, you risk distorting the mold. On your copper hammer video, you got a void because your sand binder isn't fully cured and high temps turn the binding agent into gas which has nowhere to go except into an otherwise beautiful casting. Also watch pouring temps in relation to barometric / atmospheric pressure and humidity (You need to learn how these affect laminar / turbulent flows). I know nothing about casting copper / bronze / aluminum, BUT after applying spray-on finish, we routinely aged our molds for at least 24 hours, then FIRED the insides with blow torches prior to clamping the halves together and pouring a heat of manganese steel. 'Hope this helps.

[@1234567890CAB]

I was surprised that he didn't bake or otherwise heat the mold before pouring

[@tellyfaulkner3466]

Wow. I know nothing about this stuff but thank you for sharing this bit of insider knowledge. I'm sure it will help.

[@yellowice0]

8:12 if you counter sunk a couple of holes in the wood before you peened the pins I think the chances of you splitting the wood would go down, not very deep ones, but just enough to allow for for the metal to bulge out, it would also make the pins to have a tighter connecting grip as there's more material hang over against the knife scales.

[@_BLANK_BLANK]

Countersinking is a bit too wide for the peening to fill it in, what people normally do to avoid cracking is using a reamer to slightly taper the hole.

[@corbin_fishing]

Love the new puppy 😍

[@theinternetthug]

Oh my God. Penny is adorable!

[@MrTarfu]

Thank you for actually peening the pins, so many people just slather on a bunch of epoxy and call it good enough

[@slimtimm1]

All I can say is WOW!!!

[@technoe02]

Yeah, steel might last longer but it will never look as good as this does. I love it

[@kriss3d]

Very pretty. And I'm glad you used a full size tang instead of so many forged knifes that have a single thin tang instead of the entire width of the handle. Very nice work. I'd love to see a followup on how it works after extensive use.

[@nikolajc7617]

that knife is Cast not forged.

[@brianstephens8667]

As an amateur knife collector, I think looks good! Please keep us updated on how long it keeps an edge!

[@trentw6806]

Ya probably already saw but he mentions this knife in his copper hammer video i just watched. Kept its edge better than he expected

[@brianstephens8667]

@@trentw6806 I went to the video and checked it out! Thanks.

[@robertkattner1997]

It totally depends what you cut.

[@tomgarcia9200]

how do you not have a belt sander man. You're a genius without that essential shop tool.

[@jonathanclark7444]

I love how many different methods you show on this channel, its great to get a breif overview of it to then research more fully later.

[@MrGerd]

Never seen this kind of alloy on a knife. Nice looking tool. Cool :)

[@TheFrozenMind]

I like the color of brass and it's full tang. great video and excellent craftmanship.

[@heidilloid6844]

This dude should try to enter on "Forged In Fire"

[@Serbianguy432]

Well done! The knife turned out very nice and, as always, the video itself is a joy to watch. With all the sounds and close in filming I feel as though I'm part of the project.

[@msteele999]

Well done - I enjoy watching you do different projects

[@bradymcphail9690]

I’m just beginning my journey in the other side of metal working after 45 years of welding/ fabrication. I find what you are sharing to be the next level to becoming a master level metal worker

[@jackstrange186]

Such a wonderful new assistant. Penny sweet.

[@kentieber7309]

that was an excellent project. I love the way you go step by step in your videos .that helps us understand processes to help with our own projects

[@kolinkomita2975]

Really cool. I'll be watching as I get more into metalworking.

[@maxmai7972]

Honestly the result is astonishingly good

[@ytuser4562]

What an awesomely unique design for a blade. The shape and colors are so cool to me.

[@DeweyKentM]

Awesome project! I really like everything about this knife; the bronze, the copper, the walnut, and the combination of all three in a very simple yet pleasing shape. It makes me want one of my own.

[@acomingextinction]

Beautiful, beautiful knife. Bronze + walnut really is a classic look.

[@TheRealVM5M]

All I paid attention to at the metal part was the puppy HES SO CUTEEEEE also your metal work is extremely clean and I really like it keep it up

[@jonanderson5137]

I'm a knife sharpener, about 15 years of experience. Used to really be into chasing the perfect edge. My hands can feel how gummy that alloy is by watching the video. I still grind edges by hand and talking about 6 hours to profile an edge sounds about right. Maybe not for your alloy, but for some higher end steels that come with absurdly obtuse edge profiles. I'll say this, your approach was beyond reproach! Always take your time, nothing is free. Edge packing is a persistent myth when it comes to steel blades.

[@SturleyArt]

Beautiful work. Love the shape and design and the cold hardening was fascinating.

[@joewhitney4097]

Interesting build, enjoyed watching the forging process with these materials. Love the use of the bronze and walnut. Thanks for sharing.

[@wantafastz28]

Well this was always something I was wanting to try. Glad someone else did the trail and error part for me.

[@LickingKoala]

this knife is BADASS. love everything about it, congrats buddy !

[@augustm.moschera8646]

You did a great job! I've seen hundreds of knife making videos and this was excellent.

[@hendriklubbe]

Excellent craftsmanship, beautiful!

[@tianzining]

You are the first KZbinr that makes me think forging is not that dangerous if you are well protected.

[@dont.ripfuller6587]

nuclear fission is not that dangerous if you're well protected...well protected means knowledgeable of the task at hand and what dangers it presents,.such as things that make things explode in your face unexpectedly. Knowledge is power, stay strong 💪🏽📚

[@tianzining]

@@dont.ripfuller6587 yeah, but human made mistakes. So I respect people knowing what they are doing, following procedures and prepared when shit still happens

[@DiesInEveryFilm]

Really cool project and something ive been wanting to try myself for a long time, thanks for sharing.

[@carlnikolov]

Amazing amount of patience and skill as usual!

[@dschoas]

This is a thing of beauty! Congrats for the first knife.

[@PyroMynx]

Oooh, I'd buy this knife too! I love the wood and copper together.

[@dutanada]

Awesome! You did a very good making thing! Amazing Beautiful Knife !! 👍👍👍👏👏👏🏅🥇🏆🏆

[@riskybusiness3413]

An absolute work of art - 11/10

[@SetTheCurve]

I’ve wanted to make a set of dumbbells out of this alloy for years. It’s beautiful.

[@spicyboinezu8434]

Great work, really glad to be able to be here for your first time doing something like this, as this was very creative

[@rush2124u2]

That was excellent and adding the polyurethane protect the wood and makes it shine. Good Stuff

[@starhawke380]

Looks great! you made the right call in not using steel for sure. Everyone does that. This has way more character and a story behind it.

[@TheDrivebynerf]

Oh wow I may use this for a knife build Been looking for something like this for long time. Thank you

[@BatMan-sg9kh]

Love the aesthetic of it

[@spookydonkey2195]

Penny is adorable!

[@heyimamaker]

I really like the proportions of the knife, nice work!

[@Joseph-um6lk]

Your work Ethic should be taught in schools. Truly masterful work especially being your first try.

[@rescobar8572]

Great video!!! Awesome knife! I can see a tiny tag for Penny getting cast in the near future 👀 😀 😄

[@theviewer7262]

Thanks for showing..well linking a video regarding how you create your molds. I absolutely loathe when "youtubers" don't reveal things as such. Ur a real baller man. Keep it up and thanks man

[@haydnsterne8067]

The bevil jig is amazing love it

[@no-one3795]

Beautiful knife. I like the color.

[@my1956effie]

That looks pretty impressive for a first knife build. 👍

[@madeddiesman-stylemonsterm6662]

Beauty! What a nice functional work of art!

[@TG--]

That looks gorgeous

[@gabeofalltrades0770]

That was extremely entertaining. I’m a traditional knife maker (out of steel) but it was cool seeing it done another way

[@18wheeler77]

That’s a very interesting transition from the blade to the tang.

[@Elmojomo]

Man, that blade came out beautiful, first knife or not! By the way, that 'cold forging' process he mentions is called edge packing. It's normally done hot during the process of forging a blade, and it absolutely makes a difference in the toughness of an edge, in case anyone is wondering if it's worth it.

[@duanebuck193]

That's a nice looking knife, and it looks like it would do most shop cutting/trimming with ease. Super interesting build to watch!

[@CNYKnifeNerd]

It's a basic electricians knife pattern. Even the cheapest steel knife would outperform this for basic "shop cutting/trimming" That's not to say it wasn't a cool build, just that it's the wrong tool for 99.9999% of use cases.

[@eightbit3342]

What a quality knife! and such a warm colour and i am blown away by the sharpness, really didn't expect that, nice one dude :) 8-bit.

[@wbwillie]

I like the look of that, I've been wanting to get a small electric furnace for melting soft metals like that anyway, so this is just another reason to do so

[@elchupacabra1193]

I too enjoy aluminum bronze. If I had enough copper sources around, I'd probably go exclusively with it.

[@elizabethwatson71]

VERY nice. One thing you may not notice (I’m a chef and this caught my attention as I’ve injured myself in the past on this oversight) right as the wood ends, on the blade, and the angle begins…those crisp edges need to be eased over. A quick grip on the blade, combined with a bit of force or pressure, that sharp edge could damage your hand. As I said, I think it’s brilliant! I’d love to see you do an entire collection made this way.

[@experdivolution]

looks amazing !! great job

[@I.no.ah.guy57]

Such a sweet knife, you did a great job. I'd love to make a knife like that someday

[@roguedemon100]

Congratulations on a really great-looking knife! An excellent , professional job! 👍⭐⭐⭐

[@GregorPQ]

This is a very beautiful knife!

[@isaiasbalbuena6356]

Beautiful piece of art !!!!!

[@johnthemainguy9059]

Great video, great subject. I really like the instructive voice over. Interesting coincidence that you and Black Beard Forge posted videos of cast bronze, cold forged blades within hours of each other.

[@johnthemainguy9059]

And hello Penny!

[@AuntieHauntieGames]

Bronze knives (and other bronze tools) are pretty popular with engineers, in part because they do not spark. :D

[@violettracey]

That looks awesome!

[@dangerousandy]

That looks superb

[@Megamind_of_MetroCity]

Came out really nice!

[@andreipendle1778]

Pretty sweet blade, really. Congratulations!

[@agoodballet]

Nailed it! Awesome blade man!

[@steve8395]

I love your glove trick. LOL!

[@miguelp4812]

So cool. I probably would've polished the metal to make it more smooth and shiny. But it's a really cool knife. Thanks for sharing!

[@rodrigolara6733]

I really like the color.

[@johnpaulbacon8320]

Nice outcome.

[@CreepyChappy]

Awesome knife

[@dougevans6389]

You done a good job on that! That’s a damn good looking knife!!!

[@navtheartist8148]

Amazing build

[@arthuralexander0918]

Great looking blade!

[@jeffffro7674]

That's one of the best looking knives I've ever seen my friend!!! WOW!!! I hope the edge holds up cause I'd love to make one of my own!!!

[@absolutez3r019]

copper doesn't hold an edge very well, too soft a metal. But it does look cool

[@quindecim7507]

@@absolutez3r019 it's not made of copper, it's made of aluminum bronze, an alloy of copper and aluminum. copper is soft, but aluminum bronze is incredibly tough. The only thing about the knife made of pure copper was the pins.

[@norm5785]

Very nice thank you for sharing your awesome project with us today from Henrico County Virginia

[@Arrowed_Sparrow]

That is a gorgeous and perfectly simple knife. And thank you for lowering the audio of the power tools. Far too many channels enjoy blowing out people's eardrums lol.

[@dansadler2319]

Outstanding work sir

[@andyf1235]

Very cool. A knife is on my cast to do list. Would appreciate some kind of update on how the knife holds up over time.

[@Varangian_af_Scaniae]

Really nice knife! But 6 hours grind, God damn that is patience. Hope you appreciate your own work😆. What was the cause of the small bubbles in the cast? Is there an easy solution so bubbles can be avoided in future casts?

[@4realGTFOH]

That little knife is pretty cool

[@uzundeprem5743]

Thanks for the clean video

[@j.dtarran8302]

Great Craftsmanship with an interesting alloy I might try.

[@Traderjoe]

That is friggin awesome! Let us know how it holds up over time. I saw a video on corporals corner and he used a pure copper knife and used it to strike sparks off a ferro cerium rod and I was very surprised it could do it. I wonder if this could? Use the corner of the spine if you try it. What’s good about this is it probably will not oxidize.

[@guye7763]

Excellent. Well done!

[@gustavthemagician]

Lovely job and i like your way of thinking, you work with what you have laying around. Subscribed.