Making a Knife from Crucible Steel (Wootz Seax - Wootz Ep. 5)

We finish forging the crucible steel into a seax knife. This video shows the steps involved in creating a knife from the steel and polishing it as well as making a bolster and handle.
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Serpent in the Sword Videos:
• Forging a Viking-Age S...
Crucible Steel Videos:
• Crucible Steel / Wootz...
Blacksmiths: John West/Niels Provos
Voice Talent: Therese Pasquesi/Niels Provos

[@shane8037]

"wootz seax" is probably the funniest combo of two words anyone has ever said with a straight face.

[@sidgar1]

Such intricacy. You, sir, have superhuman patience. I cant even imagine how much painstaking work this took off-camera. The result is a truly beautiful piece. Cheers!

[@f1chtl]

thats not a knife, it is a piece of art!

[@solouroboros]

you shouldn't be disappointed about the grains in the blade. It's a gorgeous piece of work and you should be amazingly proud of it!

[@RovingPunster]

Stunning. Bravo. Question: It's been 5 yrs ... any more updates on the wootz project ?

[@danielflynn9141]

I love watching your meticulous attention to detail. Your patience is amazing. At first I felt the handle was going to be a bit too over sized, but the finished product convinced me otherwise. I also admire your use of beeswax and charcoal, along with the linseed oil. Many modern smiths would use synthetic ingredients to create that look, whereas yours is more natural and authentic.

[@teutonieth]

Watching a professional do his work nicely relaxes my "OCD" mind.

[@azvedicgurukul]

Its been two years or so now since I commented on it last but I still can't get over how well you made this project from every angle possible and without an over-reliance on complex modern machinery. This video truly sets a standard.

[@georgebrown6540]

That is truly museum quality workmanship, Absolutely stunning, thanks for sharing.

[@NielsProvos]

+George Brown glad you liked it

[@tonyharris3759]

Very nice work, have learned a great deal from you vid, thankyou. Am an engineer, have vast forge work experiance, have produced blades that, are still being used by hunters and farmers, fifteen to twenty years of wear, abuse and, lord knows what, but this gives me a whole lot more to think about. Thank you. Going back to the forge and ! but thanks, loved it...

[@whateverrandomnumber]

There are some guys experimenting with carbon as high as 2.8%. "Superplasticity" is the name to look for, but it seems you made some ultra high carbon steel yourself succesfuly. Congratulations on that, bro! Keep up the great work! Subscribed!

[@aleksinuutila2315]

I remember that Heimo Roselli destcribed his ultra high carbon steel in his book. It needed to be rolled and forged in low temperatures to prevent it from shattering. After the rolling it had the plasticity of "semi molten glass". Seems like the readon Niels failed with the wootz in the beginnimg was the temperature that was too high for such a steel.

[@NielsProvos]

Glad you liked it. Making this video actually took a lot of time, almost as much as making the knife :-)

[@chrisdalrymple8915]

Truly inspiring series of films from the initial start up with creating the Wootz steel to the true artisan skills of making the final Seax, thank-you so much for sharing your journey.

[@AndrewFord]

I just finished watching your video and I must say you did beutiful work and the channel is formated very nicely!

[@chriswilds5787]

A beautiful piece of work sir.

[@mrbratt69]

I just recently started watching your videos, I am a metal fabricator, but not like you at all, I would love to learn how to do blacksmith work that is why I have started watching videos about it, your videos are great, you are an artist as well, I have a knife blank so to speak, my father used to work for a company that used lasers to cut out different things, one time they cut out knifes for a company and my dad took one, watching these videos show me what I need to do

[@allemmon9577]

Excellent communications and most of all the tribute this video makes to the master craftsman and our heritage. Thanks, I greatly enjoyed and very much appreciate the display and re·emergence of a forgotten fine art.

[@NielsProvos]

Thank you for the kind feedback. I appreciate it. Help spread the word :-)

[@twistedfate0918]

This is an example of incredible craftsmanship. Much respect my friend, an incredible looking knife.

[@MrRHAWKER1]

a fantastic knife a work of art you should be very proud of yourself it's the best knife I've seen thanks

[@groovyhippie1165]

Beautiful work! Thanks for taking the time to put this video together, I learned a lot.

[@artistmacd]

You're one of my favorite channels on youtube. You have this fantastic mix of the technical, the logical, and the artistic. You aren't afraid to show mistakes, and bring the viewer along on your own educational experiences. Absolutely fascinating, and admirable.

[@Detoxin]

Great video! Like how you show all the different steps and motivate your choices.

[@sparkjax1]

Masterfully done. Beautiful knife. Can't wait to see what's next.

[@Ivan-L.]

The combination of the background music, the voice and the knife making process in this video are very therapeutic :) Great craftsmanship! Thumbs up!

[@yatudlabiereicit]

One of the most beautiful knife i've ever seen. fancy yet humble in its design.. great use of the bone. Gorgeous i say !

[@Brunojn]

Magnificent work, really, both with the knife and working with the wootz steel.

[@danieldiaz5342]

Hey man, really appreciate the attention to detail you put on your work. It shows you really have a passion for what you're doing, keep it up!

[@adamjparsons]

Awesome knife with amazing attention to detail! I would be honored to own one!!

[@mkemali]

I am amazed by every video you post. Thank you.

[@lloydstringer8089]

You have a real eye for detail . Iv just found you on youtube and can not weight for your next post .best chanel on youtube for me.

[@meclucas]

Congratulations on the amazing video Niels Provos. Your craftsmanship inspire me to build my own shop someday. Keep the videos coming and the awesome work you do. Thank you.

[@manatoa1]

Beautiful work. I really like the way you used carbon paper to find the high spots on the bone. Very nice trick.

[@cransky666]

I polished an old axe which was my grandfathers, has to be the most tedious yet rewarding work!

[@Wanderer_of_Sol]

Amazing work, as always. You really inspire me as a novice blacksmith. I can't wait to see what projects you have planned for the future :)

[@jacco4418]

How much inspiration one video about a knive can give amazing

[@XxJ4R7xX]

Beeswax + charcoal, oil + coloured oxide, giving me some ideas. Awesome work!

[@Flatine1]

Amazing work, once again. I liked the fact you toke more time this time to display the finished product. Keep it up.

[@GhassenSic6Six]

you, sir, have my deepest respect, keep all of this art work coming..

[@1111AliG7890]

That was the most beautiful thing i've ever seen on youtube. Thank you a lot for sharing this masterpiece with us.

[@Dexterity_Jones]

1st: Thanks for the new video 2nd: That blade looks amazing I would just like to say that I enjoy your videos, complete with commentary, your thoughts and what you think is wrong/future progression. I also enjoy how you kept the technical side of things, for myself, while its nice to watch someone create something its also nice to know WHY they are doing X-step. cheers, and keep up the work, its been fun watching you progress.

[@Snuffbegins]

Awesome video, can't get enough of the music too it fits so well.

[@NielsProvos]

Cutler's resin, a mix of pine resin, bees wax and filler material. As for windex, I like the ammonia in it for dissolving grease, etc. As for books, you could try the complete bladesmith.

[@infinitepunch1]

Three words. What a masterpiece! Niels, what you do, is art, in my opinion of course:) but just thank you, for this amazing and inspiring video. Greetings from Finland!

[@turboraton]

What a patient and well done job. Greetings and congratulations from Peru!

[@woodninjaswoodturning3787]

Ancient work in modern times.. Excellent work

[@jsmith3980]

Yes,2000 years ago.Ancient India..Tamils and Telegus.

[@lovejcdc]

That is one badass awesome knife. I know I would be absolutely honored to own it. Great job

[@tiedemann8225]

you are a artist. Very nice work.

[@nggdsb]

That knife looks AWESOME!!!

[@glooozo]

Looks great, Niels. Well done!

[@tanfo8]

Fantastic work! Beautiful blade

[@viorelmarianghilencea9559]

A very beautiful knife, with antique shape and looks. Was a plasure watching this video.

[@jibberjabba1969]

Love the video Niels thank you for taking the time to make it.

[@Gx2aug]

I bet that they didn`t had the drill bits in the viking times :) Awesome job ! Thank You for sharing your craftsmanship.

[@MrLennysheep]

ahhh yes! finally! I've been having poor results from etching for a long time now but I always let oil onto the pieces unknowing of it's effect. thankyou!

[@ryannlarge8414]

That is a beautiful knife any man would be proud to own.

[@nqkoisii]

WooW What a great work.Thank you.Fantastic knife!

[@TweexGamingGeek]

I can't stop watching this video. Niels, I beg of you to make another video soon :)!

[@NielsProvos]

I expect to post around 5 new videos in the next couple months; so stay tuned.

[@dhrdan]

Wow that came out beautiful.

[@masterof1]

Wonderful video this very much encourages me to continue to become more and more technical with my knife builds. Thank you for your knowledge as well as your determination, clearly I need more practice in patience.

[@elvishfiend]

Beautiful work as always! If you are having trouble cleaning out a pocket in the wood for the tang with chisels, you could consider using a router

[@cookaboorra]

So Craftmanship is not dead. From try & see to a finished "chef d'oeuvre"

[@deamoneater357]

That is an absolutely beautiful blade! Keep up the good work!

[@GarysBBQSupplies]

Excellent video! Lots of detail and good camera work. Thanks :)

[@Javierm0n0]

I love watching you work it's very reminiscent of the work i like to do *when i get the chance). Highly detailed and precise.

[@tommeh9696]

Your blades are pieces of artwork.

[@mr.winter7267]

from a knifemaker to another,, thump up, very good job, its beautyfull.

[@xSubaa]

Amazing job on the seax. It looks very classy!

[@Kattycha]

This is such a beautiful knife. Good work!

[@techstro8434]

i really love the work settings soothes my soul

[@Cretaal]

I think the title of this movie combines all my favorite things. Woots, Seax, Crucibles and knives :) I love how your intro looks so runic

[@michaelharder9737]

gotta say, beautiful looking knife you made, and very informative videos!

[@TheEphemeris]

This is a beautiful, well crafted knife!!!

[@ShturmanBasov18]

Amazing work! Looks absolutely great!

[@PrimalEdge]

Gorgeous work!!!

[@repalmore]

The creation of wootz steel is a huge undertaking one of which I am not able to undertake so I especially appreciate the amount of effort needed. I wish to point out something that I hope you will see where I'm coming from not desiring take anything away from the huge amount of work you've put into this. I do engraving and have trained my eye through other disciplines. That being said, I accept this is just my opinion, not a statement of fact or the like. The spacing on the copper guard end looks off to me. To me, the spacing from bone edge to line should be the same on both ends of the bone section. Are there historical artifacts that would reflect the different spacing on the bone section? Other than this very small detail, you've created a work of art. Thank you for making and posting these videos.

[@flOOighenTM]

That is a badass knife. Great job and great video.

[@talipucar8157]

It is not "damascus" to glue and pattern two steel types. I finally found someone who knows the truth "wootz" is a crucible-steel. yes. İt is wootz steel. Damascus knife. Congratulations.

[@ssimon64]

Yes I believe the other type you mentioned is "pattern welded" cool looking and often called Damascus, but not true Damascus.

[@justinmccord3829]

I thought you weren't supposed to quench traditional wootz damascus

[@hooligan566]

Beautiful....simply beautiful

[@Galloroemer]

Wonderful and many valuable tipps for me! Thank you very much. Greetings from Germany!

[@NielsProvos]

Thomas Schaefer Glad you liked it. Viel Erfolg.

[@Oseois]

you belong somewhere better than youtube. amazing work!

[@jordanfullen8903]

Wonderful detail. You have a great deal more patience than I have!

[@GrimReaperCalls]

Holy smokes, that's bloody awesome. Great work!

[@houseblacksmithing9836]

I like the attention to detail you gave this knife, I like the blade and the bone/wood contrast. To me the only thing wrong with it is the size of the handle, seems like it would be unweildy for the everyday tasks a sax would be put too.

[@wildyracing1]

Great work! I wish there were more people involved in wootz steel so that the lost technique of forging true damascus would be revived.

[@Xularius]

I am looking forward for your next video. Pleas keep the research up, it is very exciting!

[@donaldhill3823]

Beautiful work.

[@VOIPWoot]

this was outstanding. I really like how you included a bit of history. Subed!

[@89jmills]

what a great knowledge and talent you have, thankyou for your videos

[@ErdenizS]

Well there have been many European swords I wanted for years, but one just can't import them here. You sir, made me decide picking up and try to learn blacksmithing. Hope I will aspire to be a decent one...

[@JohnnyKronaz]

That is beautiful. I wish I could create works of art like that.

[@ChanmailleMan]

Beautiful work!

[@talipucar8157]

YEAH. THERE IS A REAL DAMASCUS KNIFE. BEAUTIFUL BUSINESS. CONGRATULATIONS.

[@LaneMaddox00]

you sir are a true craftsmen

[@gabadoo6969]

Very nice seax Niels!!!!Your logo reminds me the Gerhard Wieland's logo ,pretty much the same!!Also me and a friend we are in the same search for wootz as you as well,we have 6 ingots till today but we didn't manage to forge none of them yet!!!Your previous video was extremly informative for us,i have to say many thanks to you!!Best wishes from Greece!!

[@harveyts3]

Love these videos Neil. I looked you up after the first one and seems like your a pretty amazing guy. Thanks for taking the time to makes these.

[@Cretaal]

By the way, I watched your video series on wootz entirely, and came up with some thoughts. First is your foundry where you melt your metal. Let it get as molten as possible. Since the crucible contains the gasses, it couldn't hurt to let it all mix and settle up, so I would venture a guess and say the longer it stays in and the hotter it gets, the more fluid the metal gets, and the better it mixes. Second on the foundry is the top. Maybe it would be possible to make some sort of cap with a smaller diameter hole, so it lets air in, but doesn't bleed out too much heat too fast. My logic is that if it gets hotter, it becomes more homogeneous as a steel. Then if it cools as slowly as possible, the definition in your separation should be much more satisfactory, as the crystals form better the slower they cool. And when the ingot gets to the anvil, I would probably avoid the heavy machinery and work the ingot down with a hammer. Crucible steel holds together really tight, and should be worked down carefully and slowly from what I've researched. If I may be so bold, I would recommend using a hammer the whole way through to preserve the integrity of the structure through use of less force over a longer period of time. The power hammer seems to be too much on the steel at once.

[@Cretaal]

I hope this wasn't intrusive at all. I'm just relaying some things I've learned in researching metal and forging blades. Then again, I'm the guy in a shack of a forge, so take it with a grain of salt. But the more input, the better. Anything to see us unlock the secret of Wootz again!

[@NielsProvos]

Cretaal Your comments are completely fine! Thanks. It's time to run a few more ingots anyway.

[@Cretaal]

Niels Provos I do not know if it's myth or technique. But from what I had researched, a crucible would be fired for 3 days (on a bellows, but you have an air blower, so probably 1 day?) and left to cool for a week in its furnace to form the dendritic structure. I have my doubts as to that claim, I'm quite sure the ingot would become one massive crystal, but you never know. I'm sure an experienced smith like you can figure it out :)

[@NielsProvos]

We leave it in the furnace for maybe an hour and let it cool down over 5 - 6 hours. Back then they used solid fuel anyway and probably did large batches, e.g. 20 or so crucibles at a time.

[@Cretaal]

Could be. I might be getting in to the field of recreating wootz at my forge after I build a foundry for smelting. Perhaps if I took some pointers from your videos I could do some experiments out here. Thank you for the wonderful content, and if I stumble in to anything, I'll share it with you.

[@NielsProvos]

It does look similar to Wieland's. I might have to go back to the drawing board and see if I can differentiate it more. Good luck with the crucible steel. I want to do a few more runs soon myself.

[@luigigdelucia1333]

truly a work of art thank you for sharing this video.

[@adsfacvadtrvawefdghjdsfpoi5704]

Just came here from epic fantasy, its nice to see some actual skill and time spent on a craft.