How Do Blacksmiths Make Swords?

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Credits:
Producer: Elaine Seward
Writer: Samantha Jones, Ph.D.
Scientific Consultants: Hatem Zurob, Ph.D. Abdallah Elsayed, Ph.D. Junling Hu, Ph.D., Michelle Boucher, PhD, Brianne Raccor, PhD

Executive Producer: George Zaidan
Production Manager: Hilary Hudson

Music:

Sources:
D block chemistry

Ironmaking

Fabrication of a Bronze-Age Sword

Heat treat colors for steel

Tempering colors

The Sword of the Samurai

Spectral Characteristics of Grinding Sparks Used for Identification
of Scrap Metals

Study on the Mechanism of Carbon Steel Sparks


THE UTILITY OF THE SPARK TEST AS APPLIED TO COMMERCIAL STEELS

Ever wonder why dogs sniff each others' butts? Or how Adderall works? Or whether it's OK to pee in the pool? We've got you covered: Reactions a web series about the chemistry that surrounds you every day.

[kimberlyw]

I work as an undergrad assistant for steel research and it's great seeing steel videos here :)

[emiyahimself]

I am the bone of my sword. Steel is my body and fire is my blood. I have created over a thousand blades. Unaware of loss,  Nor aware of gain. Withstood pain to create weapons, waiting for one’s arrival. I have no regrets. This is the only path. My whole life was Unlimited Blade Works.

[sirmontag]

Informative and interesting! The spark test thing was really cool, seemed like the sort of thing you'd need a lab for!

[thrownchance]

It depends on the steel how you have to harden it. Some you have to air harden, some in water, some in oil, usually you also control the temperature of the bath you are using and often you do it in more than 1 step.
At least for high strength components and not something a blacksmith would use.

[Darkev]

Such an amazing well produced video!!! Amazing job

[Lghtman]

Worth noting that if you can get a hot enough fire and metal with a hammer just about anyone can make a sword—but making a good sword takes real skill like this. Ditto an axe or any other steel tool or weapon. You can also make a crude knife or dagger with rocks or bones, and you can even make a “sword” with bones, rocks, or animal teeth fastened to the sides of a club. That’s how sword-like weapons were made in places without consistent access to metalworking.

[bohurley]

Cool video, but a foil is made from high carbon steel, not low carbon. The thing that sets a foil aside from a stiff sword or knife is the temper of the steel not the carbon content. Low carbon steel bends and stays bent, high carbon steel springs back. When high carbon steel is tempered to a higher temperature after quenching it creates an item that doesnt have as much edge retention but is springy and will go back to shape after bending, tempering at a lower temperature will create an item that is harder and has better edge retention but is more brittle. Springs for instance, are high carbon, not low carbon. You can take spring steel, that behaves much like a springy foil during its life, and use the same steel to make blades that are hard and hold a great edge. This is because all spring steel contains a higher carbon content, but depending how you temper the high carbon steel after quenching will cause it to take on different properties. Low carbon steel has neither springyness or hardness because both properties come from higher carbon content. This is why no sword or knife is made from low carbon steel aside from cheap display pieces which need neither property to serve their purpose. But foils actually have to be springy, which is why they are made from high carbon steel.

[marktroddyn]

Informative and easy to follow. Thank you!

[lovedesigns]

My boyfriend wants to be a blacksmith too :> but he needs to finish his study first :\. But real talk, any kind of this just like blacksmith, silversmithing, glassblower, It makes you more lively than office :>

[Noneblue]

yeppp...materials science at its finest!

[isinaitor]

I think fencing foils need to be flexible to aboid letal injures, but smallswords were stiff to make it an easy pearcing weapon having sometimes tree edjes to make the point even stronger.

[GA.T]

Man i bet it takes a while to get used to being around that type of heat all day

[SalvableRuin]

How did he put clay on a glowing hot blade with his fingers? That makes no sense. You need to show it or explain it properly. You showed him putting clay on a cold blade, but you said he put clay on it before cooling it.

[lukaszkarbolewski]

How much for this dagger ? I could buy one.

[AnotherGradus]

Here's to the follow-up 'Vanquishing Enemies' video guest starring Captain Disillusion!

[rottweilerable]

Can you please do a video on metal foam and/or amorphous metal

[starsixtyseven]

Yeah the low carbon vs high carbon thing is wrong, low carbon steel will not harden much in the ht so ot wont get any stiffer, tempering gives you flex from light brown to dark to blue to purple

[taufixskilo]

Sir, I'm from Malaysis. can i borrow your footage/video in 30 second? Ta

[Xyxle]

This make monkey brain go Oooooh OOooh Ooh

[UpMostt]

bro why did i think a dagger was as big as a pocket knife