Thanks for your enthusiasm, it's that enthusiasm that makes watching such a joy and it has been inspiring an old man like me want to get in to forging knives.
First, I second the motion for Damascus coins. Call them signature medallions to stay out of trouble. Second, I realize that you have an ingrained habit and are unlikely to change, but for others watching choking up on the handle like you do greatly diminishes the effectiveness of the hammer blows. More work will be achieved from the blows with less swings by holding the handle at the end. Initially, accuracy will suffer until muscle memory kicks in, but after that it's much better. Third, although you look young, you are quite knowledgeable. I'm getting back into forging after a 30 year hiatus, and I'm learning from you; so keep on keeping on. 😀
as a Texas native, I just about lost it when Wrangler Jeans came up. Skills, style, and charisma. I'm glad you ain't my neighbor, I'd never get a girl.
Hello Alec. Can you one of these days talk about what camera, editing program and stuff that was a problem in the begining and that you had to solve (batteries, memory cards, planning all those slow, normal and fast motion clips...) that you use to achieved your amazing videos? I have nothing to do with forging (I'm an art restorer) but I just recently get helpless addicted in your videos!!!!! Best regards and keep the mind-blowing work. Cheers.
I haven't been able to watch the live shows since I started watching this channel but always follow up on Sunday morning. Alec great shows keep up the awesome work.
Alec look up sashimono. It's the art of woodworking with no nails or glue, just joints. There's a place near me that sells it and when I save up enough money I'm going to buy some pieces. I've been fascinated with sashimono furniture for a long time now and have watched all I could find on it. Keep up the awesome videos. Love watching you make things with your passion and energy! 👍
Alec your scale burns reminds me of weld splatter back when I worked as a welder!!! Id love to learn black-smithing. Between you and Scott Rea Project I'm learning trades of my ancestors
Heck when was the last time i have seen this video :D right now you are far far away from this workshop where you started but still this is just classic
Glenn of I Forge Iron is my cousin. He grew up (on the rural W Virginia road where he still lives) next to his uncle, my dad's cousin, Bill Cleek, who had a small forge behind the house. I think that perhaps that was Glenn's influence. I don't know Glenn well - having only visited their family a few times as a child and only once as an adult - but I Forge Iron seems to have developed into quite an interactive community.
sorry i missed the live show but im glad i caught the recording and oddly enough my absolute favorite draw knife has fold away handles basically you forge out your draw knife and instead of putting tangs you add what i like to call ears draw out a bulge of steel about 1.5-2 inches away from the blade forge them round then punch them square and use short carriage bolts with a washer and wing nut to attach handles which can be loosened to fold away the handles for storage some people even notch the wood for the handles so the blade sits partially inside the handles themselves .... food for thought there as it does expedite the process of forging the draw knife and are quite sturdy ive been using mine for years and it had a good hard life for decades before that i think it was manufactured somewhere around 1950 or so
I love watching these nice long form smithing videos while I edit and work on my own stuff. Keep up the awesome work man. I've actually tried making a drawknife like twice and both times one of the tangs would snap off in the middle of forging haha. I need a hotter forge for sure.
Thank you for your service, and of course its possible. Anything you want to do bad enough is within your grasp. You only need to take the time to find a way.
Even if you have a hydraulic hammer, you will always need to use a normal hammer and other tools for some shaping, fine adjustments and tweakings... Blacksmithing is a very physical job, so i'm hesitating to say yes to your question... Look at Alec for example. He has a hydraulic hammer, but use it mostly for forge welding only and spend most of his time at his anvil..
Mickr4 yeah that's what I'm thinking, I can swing a 3lb hammer for about 30 minutes before I'm useless, me an my son made some knives out of 3/4 rebar in my back yard with a cinder block forge I made. But not sure if I should invest any real money on tools if you can't really make much without lots of hammer work. Maybe I can get with a nearby smith and see if I could learn a bit while doing some basic shaping on their equipment.
If it is about making knives, then i'm certain that you could do it. After all, when it come to knife making, you can do most of it with a grinder and sanding belt. Most knife makers will use sheets of high quality steel and cut/grind it into the desired shape. (The most interesting part in making knives to me, is making the handles.) Of course, if you want to make damascus steel, then you will absolutely need to do some hammering. It's pretty, but it does not necessarily make the best knives. What really matter is the steel quality and the tempering. (Basically, if you want to make simple things like knives, i'd say go for it. I'm sure you can do it. You can also work on a blade a few minutes everyday until you finish it. There's nothing better than handling a blade you have made yourself.) P.s. I'm not from the US, but thank you for your service anyway sir. Bless you and your loved ones.
Alec, not sure if this was discussed but during forging why do you hit the material then the anvil? Is this just a rhythm thing? Thanks again for all the great videos.
Alec, I am a disabled pensioner living in rural Victoria, Australia and am wondering how much would it cost to have the minimum tools, equipment to begin the blacksmithing journey??
I'm here from the Samurai's channel. By watching you I found a great local opportunity. I didn't realise there was a great place to learn blacksmith skills just around the corner from me. I'll be at Eveleigh Works soon. From Canada to England to Australia. Thanks mate. Great chisel and the drawknife looks good too.
Hey Alec, I thought there might be a technique or two in this video that you might find interesting. Blacksmithing - Forging a drawknife by Torbjörn Åhman
Hey Alec. Your charisma is astounding. I wanted to make a suggestion that may do well for you. Perhaps streaming on twitch under creative? I suspect you may have success there with how well you work your craft and how entertaining you are.
of you dad is into these things, or was, you should definitely either finish this one or make the Damascus draw knife and gift it to your dad. or both of them. your first made and your special edition.
I am wondering if you ever switch arms for swinging the hammer. I try to do with my left arm/hand what the right arm/hand does. That way there is equal strength and accuracy with either hand.
Place flat screens across from you during live feeds. On these screens, display the replies so you may proceed smoothly and interact with us on the fly. U are the man, bro. use large TVs and increase font size on the computer for optimal Steele visual accessibility. Easily locate HDMI connectors to input computer display to a flatscreen. I know you will continue to inspire us all, and do so in ways you may never realize, sir. I cannot stress the significance of the impression u leave us with. I weight 250lbs and thought I worked hard. but, now I can see I'm a lazy man overall. and I could use improvement. your easy going tenacity has influenced me in an awesome way. I cannot say how glad I am to have located you and the samurai. later.
Alex, I enjoy watching your videos and your enthusiasm is great to see. You are an accomplished smith and have done amazing things on your videos and I have learned a lot watching them. This one I was kinda concerned [24 years forging knives so far] that you were so casual in your heating the steel for so long between the hammering and talking, but when I read the comments I found it wasn't meant to be finished, but just a demonstration, and more, it was only 4140 or 4340 steel. Great video, but it is a bit misleading on the timing required for heating carbon steel only enough to forge and hitting it into shape in as few heats as possible. You are losing carbon and growing grain. Something like O-1 or even 5160 would be excellent for a draw knife, but would not tolerate the excessive heating.
Hey Alec 4340 is probably one of the best steels ever made and is the replacement for EN24. It is fully quench and temper able and is often induction hardened to 62 HRc not a bad choice for a blade just not used often outside of engineering because people don't understand its properties.
please install an amplified speaker in there (or wireless headphones for the students and yourself) to run your mic through while you are teaching to save your voice.
just a shits and gigs idea but could you make like a Damascus flower or crane ?? i think that would be a super neat idea, also an easy one for you to bust out. but less yack yack more wack wack !! : D
do you think that you might do another forge build, one just right for one person, or give a list of materials that you used for the forge that you're currently using. I saw the build but would love to have a list of mat and the preferred fuel. Thanks.
![TEEDEE TADA - DIAMOND NARAKORN X LEGO LYKN [Special Dance Performance]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QgtZedFeumA/mqdefault.jpg)
Idea for the future: Damascus coins with your signature mark. Shipping would be low cost and people can get their own piece of Alec Steele Damascus!
Danimal209 love the idear
i would buy one
I love this idea "count" me in. :)
I quite like this idea too
Danimal209 love that
Thanks for your enthusiasm, it's that enthusiasm that makes watching such a joy and it has been inspiring an old man like me want to get in to forging knives.
3 years late but hey Alec! From Canada. Thanks for all the great work and tips.
First, I second the motion for Damascus coins. Call them signature medallions to stay out of trouble.
Second, I realize that you have an ingrained habit and are unlikely to change, but for others watching choking up on the handle like you do greatly diminishes the effectiveness of the hammer blows. More work will be achieved from the blows with less swings by holding the handle at the end. Initially, accuracy will suffer until muscle memory kicks in, but after that it's much better.
Third, although you look young, you are quite knowledgeable. I'm getting back into forging after a 30 year hiatus, and I'm learning from you; so keep on keeping on. 😀
duude you got to make a damascus anvil!
dude that would be a great idea but i don't think his forge is big enough for that
Terraine Steenkamp anvils can be small
ohh i thought you meant a full sized one hahahahahha
like a jewelry anvil lol
DO ITTT
Thanks for letting me run the cameras tonight! Had a blast. See ya later! --JohnMichael
Make Stuff Break Stuff did a great job mate.
Thanks!
As a Canadian, I approve the Canadian Belt buckle quenched in Maple Syrup
Omg did you see the edge he put on that chisel. The Handle was stunning. But Alex that was a beautiful work of art man. You are freaking amazing
as a Texas native, I just about lost it when Wrangler Jeans came up. Skills, style, and charisma. I'm glad you ain't my neighbor, I'd never get a girl.
Hello Alec. Can you one of these days talk about what camera, editing program and stuff that was a problem in the begining and that you had to solve (batteries, memory cards, planning all those slow, normal and fast motion clips...) that you use to achieved your amazing videos? I have nothing to do with forging (I'm an art restorer) but I just recently get helpless addicted in your videos!!!!! Best regards and keep the mind-blowing work. Cheers.
I haven't been able to watch the live shows since I started watching this channel but always follow up on Sunday morning. Alec great shows keep up the awesome work.
Alec look up sashimono. It's the art of woodworking with no nails or glue, just joints. There's a place near me that sells it and when I save up enough money I'm going to buy some pieces. I've been fascinated with sashimono furniture for a long time now and have watched all I could find on it. Keep up the awesome videos. Love watching you make things with your passion and energy! 👍
I cant wait until you have the 1,000,000 subs u deserve. Keep it up.
but also go on forged in fire. it woulds expose you and give you a plug on national tv. business +
right? This guy deserves to be WAY bigger than it is now. Keep growing pal, it'll happen, just keep up the quality.
I miss when you would do these! Was always awesome to watch you work in real time once a week.
Alec your scale burns reminds me of weld splatter back when I worked as a welder!!! Id love to learn black-smithing. Between you and Scott Rea Project I'm learning trades of my ancestors
Make a damascus shotgun slug for TAOFLEDERMAUS. It would be interesting to see if it delaminates!
Hey Alec, can I give a sugestion?
What about a video teaching the process of hardening and tempering the steel.
Would be really helpfull, tks.
Step 1 cook hot pocket in microwave step 2 put steel in hot pocket step 3 profit
You are a amazing smith , really enjoy watching everyone of you videos.
Hey Alec,
Have you been thinking about what you want the Samurai Carpenter to make for you?
I also used to teach classes and learned that if you sip some hot herbal tea with lemon and honey after the class your voice will recover much sooner
I suggest whenever Alec says "ogilly pogilly" you have to chug the rest of your drink.
I have Coffee, Its hot :
Hope to see more collaborations with the samurai! Found your channel because of him. Amazing work keep it up!
i used to be a blacksmith then i took a drawknife to the knee, get your self some carhart jeans , you wont regret it. carhart everything is awesome
patrick jaroch. I just knew I was not the only Skyrim fan in here. Fus, ra, da!!!
Bravo for the Samourai wood chisel it sure rule a real piece of art
Hey Alec, can I give a sugestion?
What about a video teaching the process of hardening and tempering the steel.
Would be really helpfull
Great episode Alec! (Minnesota)
Myself and the Mrs watch you and she's a big fan!
Nice work. Multi cam angles looks good too very slick show 🤘🏻⚒
Heck when was the last time i have seen this video :D right now you are far far away from this workshop where you started but still this is just classic
Only 3 women watching excuse you it's more like 4 including me.
Lupita Angel and me 😊
These are the kind of ladies you can bring home to meet Mom(or maybe the exact opposite lol!)
We like women who can handle a real hammer...
Me too.
Why does it matter man our women. Enjoy the video enjoy the hobbie our trade of blacksmithing regardless gender. God bless
Another great show Alec! Keep up the awesome work!
Glenn of I Forge Iron is my cousin. He grew up (on the rural W Virginia road where he still lives) next to his uncle, my dad's cousin, Bill Cleek, who had a small forge behind the house. I think that perhaps that was Glenn's influence. I don't know Glenn well - having only visited their family a few times as a child and only once as an adult - but I Forge Iron seems to have developed into quite an interactive community.
sorry i missed the live show but im glad i caught the recording and oddly enough my absolute favorite draw knife has fold away handles basically you forge out your draw knife and instead of putting tangs you add what i like to call ears draw out a bulge of steel about 1.5-2 inches away from the blade forge them round then punch them square and use short carriage bolts with a washer and wing nut to attach handles which can be loosened to fold away the handles for storage some people even notch the wood for the handles so the blade sits partially inside the handles themselves .... food for thought there as it does expedite the process of forging the draw knife and are quite sturdy ive been using mine for years and it had a good hard life for decades before that i think it was manufactured somewhere around 1950 or so
I love watching these nice long form smithing videos while I edit and work on my own stuff. Keep up the awesome work man. I've actually tried making a drawknife like twice and both times one of the tangs would snap off in the middle of forging haha. I need a hotter forge for sure.
40:00 minutes - $3000.00 or even more canadian pesos!! LOL!!! good one! Us Canadians LOVE laughing at ourselves.
sennest then find the channel "ave" thats where he got that
u can still drink ur maple syrup after quenching in it it's just a little sweeter I do it when I get thursty in the shop
Greg Bennett lol sounds delicious except for probably some metal flakes
colinfurze & alec steele i would watch that......
I love how excited that made him - bringing it up every ten minutes :P
Thanks Alec once again a good job
you guys are both so good to what you do nice work
Proud to be one of the 2.1 percent.
+Terese Duffy yehawww
you are officially the coolest peraon i know
Hello from Tokyo Japan!!
Lmao your voice is so soothing. Lol I’m listening to this when I go to sleep
I am a disabled US Marine (bad back arthritis in wrist & shoulder) is it possible to be a blacksmith using only power tools?
Damon Hicks yes
Thank you for your service, and of course its possible. Anything you want to do bad enough is within your grasp. You only need to take the time to find a way.
Even if you have a hydraulic hammer, you will always need to use a normal hammer and other tools for some shaping, fine adjustments and tweakings... Blacksmithing is a very physical job, so i'm hesitating to say yes to your question...
Look at Alec for example. He has a hydraulic hammer, but use it mostly for forge welding only and spend most of his time at his anvil..
Mickr4 yeah that's what I'm thinking, I can swing a 3lb hammer for about 30 minutes before I'm useless, me an my son made some knives out of 3/4 rebar in my back yard with a cinder block forge I made. But not sure if I should invest any real money on tools if you can't really make much without lots of hammer work. Maybe I can get with a nearby smith and see if I could learn a bit while doing some basic shaping on their equipment.
If it is about making knives, then i'm certain that you could do it. After all, when it come to knife making, you can do most of it with a grinder and sanding belt. Most knife makers will use sheets of high quality steel and cut/grind it into the desired shape. (The most interesting part in making knives to me, is making the handles.)
Of course, if you want to make damascus steel, then you will absolutely need to do some hammering. It's pretty, but it does not necessarily make the best knives. What really matter is the steel quality and the tempering.
(Basically, if you want to make simple things like knives, i'd say go for it. I'm sure you can do it. You can also work on a blade a few minutes everyday until you finish it. There's nothing better than handling a blade you have made yourself.)
P.s. I'm not from the US, but thank you for your service anyway sir. Bless you and your loved ones.
Alec, not sure if this was discussed but during forging why do you hit the material then the anvil? Is this just a rhythm thing? Thanks again for all the great videos.
i believe it is a re positioning of the hand on the handle.
Mind blowing would be you colabing with Paul Sellers. Doing some Damascus hardware for a clock or cabinet, with him using tiger maple.
Alec, I am a disabled pensioner living in rural Victoria, Australia and am wondering how much would it cost to have the minimum tools, equipment to begin the blacksmithing journey??
Stephen Jones 8
4140 is my favorite material to machine !
I'm here from the Samurai's channel. By watching you I found a great local opportunity. I didn't realise there was a great place to learn blacksmith skills just around the corner from me. I'll be at Eveleigh Works soon. From Canada to England to Australia. Thanks mate. Great chisel and the drawknife looks good too.
Just a tip Alec! You can pause the comments by touching the screen and maintaining the pressure!
Gordon Ramsey of blacksmithing.
Hey Alec, I thought there might be a technique or two in this video that you might find interesting. Blacksmithing - Forging a drawknife by Torbjörn Åhman
great show, sorry I couldn't see it live.
I cant believe I missed this live.. and to have Colin Furze watching too.. its ok to be a fan girl man lol
well done mate continue the good work
Love the live shows mate! :D
I would like to see the finished draw knife with the handles :) maybe samurai carpenter and you could make a wood plane.
what if alec steele pulled out a tooth and made a replacement out of damascus steel
From Canada Eh! I'm glad The samurai sent me here... :)
Alec I want thank you making the Draw Knife. I still look forward to seeing you make a Damascus draw knife someday.
Alec isn't it about time you made a suit of armour? I think we all would like to see that.
Hey Alec. Your charisma is astounding. I wanted to make a suggestion that may do well for you. Perhaps streaming on twitch under creative? I suspect you may have success there with how well you work your craft and how entertaining you are.
of you dad is into these things, or was, you should definitely either finish this one or make the Damascus draw knife and gift it to your dad. or both of them. your first made and your special edition.
I use Nomex trousers and a leather apron to help avoid burns.
You should do some feather damascus, the pattern is amazing.
after the Draw knife. ..a froe would be cool
What about a tool shelf where Samari makes the back / shelf and you provide some hangers out of steel / railroad spikes.
Hi Alec! if you are out of ideas, I would love to see someone making a froe!
I am wondering if you ever switch arms for swinging the hammer. I try to do with my left arm/hand what the right arm/hand does. That way there is equal strength and accuracy with either hand.
Wait what? Heat treat?? Material?? Bollocks!
Did you come around to makeing a Damaskus drawknife Alec? You mentioned it about 1 hour into this video. Would be looking forward to seeing that😀.
Alec,
DO YOU HAVE A ERNEST RELLFINGHEIS ANVIL? IF SO HOW DO YOU LIKE IT?
what are you brushing off the steel, and just how necessary is it, and how often. Thanks. Love your channel.
He brushes off the scale. Basically an oxidisation layer. Hammering the steel with it on there will leave marks on the job making it less attractive.
Thanks Ross.
Have you been on forged in fire
your amazing Alec
Place flat screens across from you during live feeds. On these screens, display the replies so you may proceed smoothly and interact with us on the fly. U are the man, bro. use large TVs and increase font size on the computer for optimal Steele visual accessibility. Easily locate HDMI connectors to input computer display to a flatscreen.
I know you will continue to inspire us all, and do so in ways you may never realize, sir. I cannot stress the significance of the impression u leave us with.
I weight 250lbs and thought I worked hard. but, now I can see I'm a lazy man overall. and I could use improvement. your easy going tenacity has influenced me in an awesome way.
I cannot say how glad I am to have located you and the samurai.
later.
time for another hair cut i never seen somebody hair grow so fast
Awesome draw knife!
Alex, I enjoy watching your videos and your enthusiasm is great to see. You are an accomplished smith and have done amazing things on your videos and I have learned a lot watching them. This one I was kinda concerned [24 years forging knives so far] that you were so casual in your heating the steel for so long between the hammering and talking, but when I read the comments I found it wasn't meant to be finished, but just a demonstration, and more, it was only 4140 or 4340 steel.
Great video, but it is a bit misleading on the timing required for heating carbon steel only enough to forge and hitting it into shape in as few heats as possible. You are losing carbon and growing grain. Something like O-1 or even 5160 would be excellent for a draw knife, but would not tolerate the excessive heating.
Im not a smith so I had to cut my drawknife out of an old 10" table saw blade. Might not look as cool but it gets the job done.
Hey Alec 4340 is probably one of the best steels ever made and is the replacement for EN24. It is fully quench and temper able and is often induction hardened to 62 HRc not a bad choice for a blade just not used often outside of engineering because people don't understand its properties.
My Internet signal was getting eaten by the pine trees today and I missed the Live.
Abby Babby glad I'm not the only one who shares that pain!
please install an amplified speaker in there (or wireless headphones for the students and yourself) to run your mic through while you are teaching to save your voice.
Alec I was wondering if you have ever tried making a Damascus steel meat cleaver???
Forge a Damascus war mace!
yay
I never knew you had to hit it so bloody hard. Thought it would be softer when that hot. Just shows how little I know:) But very fascinating.
Throw it to the samurai and make him finish it for practice
One pint for each time Alec says Alec Steele in a video.
"why am i still touching it?" probably fatigue
He sounds even more like Eddie Izzard a year ago than he does now.
Is everyone at the Forge named "Sam"? ...Some East Anglian blacksmithing tradition?
Hey Alec, a bit late, but try and take a screen shot of those comments so you can read a few?
This is more of a history question, but do you know what kinds of stones were used for anvils before anvils became a thing?
Dude nice work
If I took a drink everytime you dropped something I would get "hammered". Besides I would run out of Canadian Pesos.
Make a tong clip for each pair, put a flair on the end of one of the handles so it doesn't fall off?
Black screen ends at 0:56(then 23:12 later on)
You're welcome. :)
just a shits and gigs idea but could you make like a Damascus flower or crane ?? i think that would be a super neat idea, also an easy one for you to bust out. but less yack yack more wack wack !! : D
do you think that you might do another forge build, one just right for one person, or give a list of materials that you used for the forge that you're currently using. I saw the build but would love to have a list of mat and the preferred fuel. Thanks.