My Biggest Mistake Yet... The Road To Mastersmith (part4)

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[@WillStelterbladesmith]

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[@deplorablepiratecaptaingunberd]

Turn the blade into some fossil Damascus

[@MeriaDuck]

No, another victim of Better help. I actively unsubscribe from every channel with BH sponsor since a few weeks. Having to do that here hurts,.but I will.

[@Beamer1969]

The FTC found that BetterHelp had shared millions of customers' sensitive health information with advertisers such as Facebook, Snapchat, Criteo, and Pinterest. This went against the company's privacy promises. Take their money but DO NOT use the service.

[@r0nd0n39]

There's plenty of info about this sponsor and their practices. Even a modicum of due diligence would have prevented this.

[@Big_Un]

In case you haven't heard....This quote was taken from the FTC website: "The FTC says BetterHelp used a wide variety of tactics to share the health information of over 7 million consumers with platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, Criteo, and Pinterest for the purpose of advertising." Please do a better job of vetting the sponsors that you allow on your videos.

[@Cmarcotte4]

Knowing when to call it, is a skill unto itself. Many have not seen the edge till they are well past it. Fantastic work sir!

[@LittleGreyWolfForge]

I don’t have that at all. That’s why I love watching his videos.

[@andrewut7ya511]

Agreed, its hard to abandon a work in progress that you have put alot of effort into but at a certain point your effeort is better spent restarting or moving to a new project until your skills are sharper. I always tell myself that the guy with the most success in anything also has a tooooon of failures. Noone got good at anything without problems and failures.

[@ThatWorks]

Sorry that happened to you brother! Normally I'd try and encurage you to finish it out but with your mastersmith set I think it's important to feel like you mastered each piece!

[@MrNiccholas]

Maybe set it aside until after you finish your Mastersmith Set then pick it back up and try and see what you can make with it?

[@percyvile]

Definitely agree, finish this after the mastersmith set is finished

[@smacksteel708]

I disagree, toss that shit and make it perfect the next time

[@lw8882]

So many creators don't even photograph their failures. Will gives us the heartbreaking truth of working a long time on a project only for it to just not pan out. That's actually inspiring for me as someone who wants to buy some hand files and 1084 and learn to bevel some blades. Thanks for showing me that even the best creators I currently watch try new things and still go through the same trial and error process regardless of how long they've been doing it or the level of artistic and professional success they achieve. It does more to motivate me to get started than any amount of flawless show ready blades.

[@LittleGreyWolfForge]

Hey! Don’t buy cheap 1080. Trust me… no Amazon. It’ll break your heart.

[@lw8882]

@@LittleGreyWolfForge I was going to get my steel from a reputable seller in Australia. Thanks for looking out for a fellow maker though!

[@LittleGreyWolfForge]

@@lw8882 alright good! Lol I got scared… the Amazon stuff is overpriced for what it is, it has inclusions and cracks and doesn’t forge well, so if you do stock removal it’s not annealed either and will break your files.

[@LittleGreyWolfForge]

@@lw8882 also, you should watch tyrell knifeworks video on making an angle guide for your files. He’s a great maker and has some great stuff.

[@rayhosking3927]

Will your skill is only surpassed by your integrity, you are an inspiration to all who watch the channel. You will complete all your knives in the alloted time and become a master bladesmith.

[@chacehawkins4708]

I feel like crying. You have never sounded so sad, not even when the hammer fell over. Thank you for showing us that the road to Master Smith, or master ANYTHING is a tough and difficult road

[@misinformationwithrandy]

This is the character you need. Thanks for sharing this level of craftsmanship.

[@Milkthief]

This is something I don't see enough of from creative youtubers and is something that all crafters face. Actually seeing this made me feel a lot better cause this sort of thing happens to me all the time (even after making knives for over 10 years).

[@savagedeals472]

Sorry to see this piece not workout. So looking forward to the continuation of your master knives and the revisit of this design in the future.

[@prophez23]

Man I really felt your pain with this one. My heartbreak in my knife carrier wasn't as big of a loss as yours but I put a solid weeks work into building a huge Bowie that had over 19 inches total of vine and thorn file work and looked absolutely stunning and I was so proud of myself and then I heat treated it and I watched it banana like nothing I'd ever saw before to the point where I knew there wasn't a chance of saving it outside of divine intervention. It kicked me so hard in the gut that I couldn't go into my shop for a month. I still have it hammered into the wood beam in my shop as a reminder that some days you win and some days you're going fall flat on your face. But it's nothing but a thing and you dust yourself off and get back on the horse and put it all behind you. But dang man it still hurts seeing all that work go down the drain. Better luck next time bud.

[@Merennulli]

Oh wow. Sorry to see that happen. I'm glad you care about your work enough to be able to make the choice you did, but that's definitely painful.

[@macedindu829]

Heartbreaking, but a mature decision. No sense in throwing good after bad. If it's too far out from your initial plan, you just have to cut your losses. Kudos for having the stones to do it.

[@DustAndGrace]

My husband was literally squirming in his seat when the dramatic music was going! We don't watch TV, instead we watch channels like you and Marling Baits. We've been consistently watching you since the start of your master smith quest (I recommended we watch you since my husband started blacksmithing and I used to watch Alec's channel when you were on it). I've gotta say God is being glorified through your channel especially in your attitude towards knowing when to quit and your demonstrations of patience, gentleness and peace when a project is going south. Thank you so much for continuing to post 🙏🏽

[@vinceearl4240]

My heart goes out to you, Will. It takes bravery to take on a piece that can be ruined at any point in the process, especially when it gets easier to ruin the closer you are to finishing. It takes even more bravery to recognize/admit when you've passed the point of no return. Best of luck on getting your knives ready. Hopefully, down the line, you'll be able to figure out a way to get something you're proud of from that specific knife, and I certainly hope you bring us along when you revisit it, as well as when you try to tackle the design you were going for again!

[@mrstephentgarrett]

The mark of a true craftsman is knowing when your piece is beyond salvage. As an aspiring woodworker I have had to learn this as well. The knife was beautiful but if you aren't happy with it then it's time to start over

[@EPICNESS8991]

Will, not only are you an absolutely incredible craftsman, but even moreso a man of strong faith and pride in work. That is something everyone should be applauding you for. I personally can't wait to see the next piece of functional art you put out, and your ethos video! God bless you

[@nicholasviney5975]

Mastering anything is littered with mistakes, becoming a master at anything is the ability to learn from those mistakes. It may feel like a bit of a downer but the knowledge gained is truly uplifting.

[@saywhaatnow]

Massive respect for keeping your personal standards high. I'm sure it's insanely tough to lay this aside but it's what will make you a great master bladesmith.

[@henniebasson515]

When I was a young man and very "down" at one stage, my roommate said to me: " Haai - oorlog is erger!" In English: "Hey - war is worse!" I am sure you will get over it and make an even better knife next time. I would suggest that you "finish" that one later and keep it in your shop, letting visitors guess: "What is the mistake?" Kind regards.

[@matswallsten1628]

Doing what’s right and not what’s easy is a big lesson in life. You upgrade yourself every time we attempt to do something hard and really go for it, the journey and the learning is the price

[@ExplosiveDisregard]

Not going right back in on the same project to preserve the magic is pretty admirable. I know I have burned out on an idea trying to make it right before.

[@Steveesleddog]

Dang dude.. takes a lot of heart to know when to put it down. Keep your head up! Also the grinding room scene was very silly... love it.

[@utahknivesandgearnick7647]

Keep your head up buddy!!! Excited to see how you make a new version👊🏼

[@nilsdasberg7916]

Kowing when to leave it and not to force it ist a priceless Skill to acheaf. Well done. I Wish you all the best for the Rest of your mastersmith knifes

[@hazakdds7366]

I have learned from a couple of successes, but I have learned volumes from every single one of my many failures. Give yourself the gift of failure. It truly is priceless.

[@patmehgroin]

Will is such an inspiration. The attention to detail and pride he puts into his work is what i strive for in my own. God has blessed my dude, and he is destin to be the greatest Bladesmith. If he isn't already.

[@elikiskodesign]

What an incredible journey and creative trial. Your determination to see the 4 year vision through properly is truly inspiring.

[@lukemiller359]

Condolences and respect. I think it would be cool to see this piece recycled later down the road--after you've created what you intended and aren't pushing for a time goal. I'm imagining a damascus turkey carving kitchen knife with that crazy blade piercing. It's easy to guess from this side that there's plenty of material for a (vastly different) knife still in there. Or send it to a buddy to see what they can make of it. That would also be fun.

[@TheSilent333]

Oh man that's heartbreaking --- that design is something really special! I hope to see this knife fully realized one day. I have no doubt you're up to the challenges ahead of you :)

[@kevincassidy1057]

Will you are the man!!!! Nothing you do in life will ever be a waste of time if you learn from it. Please make this knife again and know that your failures are the biggest inspiration for your viewers and yourself to strive to do better! I have made 6 knives from start to finish, I absolutely hate every single one of them. 3 are very nice and I have posted on my insta and 1 I absolutely love, but still in every blade I see every failure. Keep at it this video makes me so excited to finally get done moving from Butte to SC so that I can fail on an epic level at my first attempt at making Damascus.

[@sethbrandhagen3175]

Tough break - but great attitude and perspective. Keep up the great work and I can’t wait to follow the rest of your journey through the next few knives.

[@ChileExpatFamily]

We learn from our mistakes. No worries. You are man enough to recognize your limitations. Jim in Chile

[@hulkthedane7542]

Good choice. Returning to it some day will be exciting! As will seeing your next project. Be a Master 👍👍

[@vandelftcrafts2958]

Betterhelp will have some calls from Will this time... heart breaking to have to put down such a nice project. Looking foward too see the next attempt on this build!

[@Craigsyl]

You are a good teacher. Thanks for the lesson.

[@elkyle]

Dang man that's rough. I really enjoyed watching you build this thing, and I really look forward to when you revisit the project and succeed the next time.

[@tybertimus]

That's a rough patch, but you've still got this. Can't wait to see the replacement, and the other knives.

[@Little_River_Forge]

You got this man. Don’t sweat it. Get this set banged out and have fun. Can’t wait to see that passed paper on your table in Atlanta 🎉❤

[@bluedogguy]

God bless you Will. I know you'll grow and learn. Have faith.

[@timcoombe7880]

Tough break Will. Don't forget, the man who never made a mistake, never made anything. Mistakes are lessons we all learn from. Onwards and upwards...

[@GregDog]

Always loving your work Will! 👍

[@snorkherder]

Good Call Will, Stepping away shows that you have the wisdom and humility to know when something isn't working how you want it to, God Speed on the Master Bladesmith Tests :)

[@MrNiccholas]

I'm sorry Will, I can only imagine how many different emotions you must be feeling right now. I think you are doing the right thing even though it hurts. I look forward to following along and watching your journey. It's amazing watching how much you have grown since you first started appearing in Alec's videos. Wishing you good luck with the rest of the knives you are preparing to make!

[@rickbirch4090]

sorry to see this but also glad to see when someone knows when to call it quits, can't wait to see this revisited in the future.

[@midias12]

That is heartbreaking but your commitment to a final piece is impressive

[@revilolavinruf]

As I'm getting started making kitchen knives I can fully understand that feeling. After spending hours and hours grinding chasing a small warp I ended up scraping the whole piece. I could only imagine the feeling being intensified by 4 years of planning. One thing I did notice is that after the pukey feeling went away I felt relief. This being because the silver lining is that you can do it even better and easier next time, and with much more confidence, making the whole venture so much more satisfying. After all, progress and success aren't the same thing, and progress means more than success.

[@Sarah-ko9zn]

I felt that heartbreak through my screen. Im.sorry that happened mate and looking forward to whenever you decide to attempt it again.

[@paulbrach5778]

It’s a fantastic design, Will. I look forward to you taking the lessons learned from this one and applying them to future pieces. See you in June 👍

[@samkeen]

Documenting failure like this is incredibly important. Keep your chin up, everything you’ve learnt here will continue to improve you as you become a master bladesmith! We’re rooting for you

[@ericmitchell985]

Man, that was absolutely freaking heartbreaking to watch. But, as all the other comments are saying, you're a phenomenal smith, and I'm sure the next time you revisit this, it'll be absolutely breathtaking.

[@dariusdarius9759]

Will, you are an inspiration to me and your craftsmanship is reaching higher levels day by day. I hope that this unfortunate event wont act as a setback to you, but as something to power your ambition. You made a smart choice with this knife but dont get discouraged and keep going because you are on the right path and heading towards something great.

[@jd.prestage]

Hang in there, Will. You're a very talented "young" man. And God is with you!

[@meterfeeder]

I'm so glad there wasn't a reference to the power hammer toppling over.

[@VikingMetalworksLLC]

It definitely hurts to have to start over. I love watching the journey

[@HDBrown-wc9xt]

You’ll get it !! Keep working hard

[@itterman]

Heart-breaking outcome :( Keep it up you do amazing work!

[@davidbarnes7617]

Respect. I've always enjoyed your content, but this one hit hard, and I appreciate you showing it, warts and all.

[@garychaiken808]

Great job. Thank you 😊

[@mrtank1967]

I’m praying for success on your adventures of becoming a Mastersmith.

[@stevendelvecchio3721]

Even though it didn't work out the way you wanted, it looked cool. Probably gave someone else ideas as well as needed info. Much respect for not compromising your vision. I look forward to seeing your Master Smith set pieces as they progress.

[@sanyok7777]

Oh brother brother I feel you 100% yesterday. I was working with the CPMS 35 and I was doing some hollow grind on the knife and everything was absolutely perfect but I decided to slightly work little bit more on the Ricoso area and I got too thin on the edge, literally paper thin and basically I can change the profile of the knife, but it’s not what I want and I am absolutely not pleased but it’s not the end of the world. We are healthy. We love God and Jesus Christ keeps us in his hands. we still learn a lot and moving forward.

[@ImTheWinningest]

It always sucks hard to throw away a lot of hours/money, but you made the right call. Better to start over and use what you learned to make it perfect, rather than continuing to make a smaller and smaller knife to get it acceptable.

[@nairolf8144]

Everything has been said in the comments, i'm impressed and inspired by the integrity. Well done Will.

[@brianbaldwin3700]

If you don't mess up then you're not doing anything. We're all human. You are a true craftsman

[@jeremyburns552]

Tough break brother. Love your work, enjoy your channel. Keep your head up. God has big plans for you.

[@MattKitten]

"My biggest mistake yet" Pssshhh, obviously SOMEBODY forgot about a power hammer that got tipped on its side, lol

[@petercozzaglio6070]

Thank you Will. I’m happy to know that I’m not the only one that feels like throwing up.😊

[@colintilbrook]

The Stress music up to the errors was masterclass.

[@CookinWithSquirrl]

Sorry for that buddy. Looking forward to your next blades.

[@JohnRoberts71]

Great content thanks for sharing

[@PEACErocksandgarden]

Dude that's such a hard decision but and it is a big butt it's a good decision. Thank you for sharing the content and look forward to the projects you decide to move forward on and share with us

[@alexparadi522]

Big hugs Will!

[@ItekTackle]

I feel for you Will. I know how hard it is to put that much time and love into something and have a "learning experience" like that. Keep it up and I look forward to your next design.

[@williammorrin7933]

Sorry to hear that you aren't finishing it I was looking forward to seeing the end product.

[@Za11oy]

I'm sure it's quite the blow that it didn't quite work out, and it'll surely be a slog to get it done again through the entire process in the remaining 11 weeks you have. But, I'm confident you can make it happen. As others have said, good idea to switch it up to one of the other blades and not just chase after it in the wrong mindset. I wish you luck, and may you remain strong in the adversity! Courage Will, you'll get that Mastersmith acknowledgement yet!

[@t.maximilianwaechter3208]

Man that's rough, hope the next one works out better man!

[@johnmyles42]

Just keep it up, love the videos.

[@robertjames8220]

You're going to make a fantastic mastersmith.

[@magicaardvark1]

You deserve that Master Bladesmith title Will. Get it done my friend

[@abrakadabra5134]

Sometimes the hardest thing is knowing when to call it quits. It's a pity things worked out the way it did but you never really lose if you learn something from it.

[@adriancarl1210]

Mistakes are aina, but our learning curve. Thanks Will

[@kbar3618]

Prime example of when having standards and ideals can really hard. Good on you Will for sticking with yours, you will be so much better for it.

[@deraldswain5516]

Hate that for you Will. Love your passion and the mentality you have behind your work.

[@jeffhreid]

Sorry for the setback Will. Every failure is the best teacher. Stay positive.

[@FoldingIdeas]

Dude, that hurt, I’m so sorry

[@floridaman5411]

How do you control grinding with the edge facing into the direction of belt travel? I was grinding that way making an arrow head shaped marking knife when the blade cut the belt. It then smacked the blade out of my hand and sent it spinning into my side…really fun explaining that at the walk in clinic!

[@Beamer1969]

After you finish your master knife set I would love to see a video on how to save this fail, but only when time is not an issue.

[@hellmuth666]

Can't wait to see the V2 💪💪💪

[@zex69]

The road to master bladesmith continues ❤

[@chewyakarieckenicholas6049]

I'm sorry that happened for you Will I personally would have loved to see the finished product it was really starting to look like a beautiful blade but keep at it man and I truly believe that you will nail the rest of them

[@GoldmansGarage]

Just want to say I’m sorry this didn’t work out. It will hopefully be a good learning experience and the next time you’ll nail it!

[@cae2487]

Heartbreaking Will!! Its never fun investing so much time and effort into something that won't ever get to what you wanted. I look forward to when you get up the fortitude to try and tackle this build again in the future. Good luck with your 11 weeks i think you are capable enough to make it through this chapter.

[@robert.brokaw3829]

Keep the power of positive thought throughout this adventure. Stay safe.

[@AlAmantea]

As devastating as it is, maturity is knowing when to stop and move on. Congratulations on the failure, Will. We all learn so much when we fail, that is never a useless endeavor. Falling down is the biggest part of learning to walk and to run. Don't throw it away, though. Keep it, and hang it on the wall, as a reminder of the lesson. You paid for it already. It is a graduation into your next chapter.

[@Jiminycroquet]

it weirdly encouraging to see that someone who is ten million times better at knife-making than I am can still fail

[@Kfirst86]

I totally get where you're coming from, it's one of the reasons I don't really make knives, or anything else really, for all but a few people.. I appreciate your integrity as a craftsman. If it's not 100% right, then it was just practice. Time to start over or move on!

[@entropy11]

The musical tension while you're grinding I'm dead

[@donaldneill4419]

Sorry man, that sucks. Good on you for making the tough call to not settle for second best.

[@junglebiker2363]

Sorry, Will! I'm sure Take 2 will be even better. Love your videos. After you're done with your MS set, you should give an update on your truck, whatever happened to that thing?

[@anthonyhart2988]

You've got this, Will!