How Japanese Masters Turn Sand Into Swords

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ต.ค. 2024

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  • @AAbattery444
    @AAbattery444 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +15143

    Do you guys remember when shows like planet earth and the discovery channel pumped out interesting documentaries with this level of production quality? I miss those times. Shows just don't feel like this anymore.
    Thank you for bringing back that feeling veritasium. You guys can't get enough credit.

    • @theastuteangler
      @theastuteangler 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +599

      man, when discovery channel dropped in the mid 90s, it was insane the level of production, the knowledge, the narration.

    • @dimitar4y
      @dimitar4y 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      (((they))) want you to be stupid. Stupid pays 90% of their work as tax that .. Honestly I got no idea where it all goes. But this ain't no 'spiracy.

    • @nes999
      @nes999 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +169

      Imagine if they had TV channel level budgets and power

    • @michaelmoorrees3585
      @michaelmoorrees3585 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +233

      Because they went for low hanging fruit, resulting in the likes of Ancient Aliens.

    • @dimitar4y
      @dimitar4y 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      because corporate hires morons who do nothing but excuses, accountants that reduce costs until there's nothing left, lawyers so they can cheat people and get away with it. All in the name of "Profit".

  • @toshiyukisaito8757
    @toshiyukisaito8757 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4482

    Hi Veritasium and Derek. I'm a descendant of a Katana blacksmith in Japan. The craft in my family has been continued up to the end of Edo era and no one is a blacksmith anymore, but my family had swords inherited from our ancestors. Thank you very much for your appreciation for the art of sword making in Japan. I enjoyed this video more than any other videos of yours since I found you 9-10 years ago. I've watched every single one of them since then.

    • @GluStiKk
      @GluStiKk 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +39

      Can I have one and can you teach me how to make a sword!!!

    • @Aneliuse
      @Aneliuse 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +250

      @@GluStiKkhe literally just said they are not blacksmiths but their ancestors were :p

    • @GluStiKk
      @GluStiKk 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +47

      @@Aneliuse i want a new sword bro wtf😡😡😡😡

    • @Aneliuse
      @Aneliuse 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +137

      @@GluStiKk just make your own sword from a cardboard box. We call that the poor mans katana.

    • @neoqueto
      @neoqueto 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +125

      ​@@GluStiKk you're not the main character.

  • @Darockam
    @Darockam 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4028

    What amazes me is that we're now perfectly able to explain in details all of the mechanisms involved along a process that emerged solely from trial and error. Science is amazing.

    • @pablo.pereyra
      @pablo.pereyra 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +187

      And we can produce better quality steel in less time and more quantity.

    • @traplover6357
      @traplover6357 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +30

      This ^^^ Love that science explains the why part

    • @Rom2Serge
      @Rom2Serge 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +104

      Now we have thousands types of various steels , supper alloys , the modern drill bit made out if tungsten alloy may easily drill trough the best of Japanese swords.
      Agree science went a long way .

    • @lbaxel9122
      @lbaxel9122 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +58

      Insane people were able to figure everything out like that before science

    • @ViktorRzh
      @ViktorRzh 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +62

      @@pablo.pereyraYep. And lets say, if you dig throu how this industrial processes were discovered. It was literally like - old dude with a dozen generations of experience and a few kids with mechanical engenering knowlage. And they actually figured this out even before science catched up. Early books on subject may casually reference alchemical works because it was a base understanding.

  • @DorineAalund
    @DorineAalund 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +656

    One of my father's favorite pieces of advice is "anything worth doing is worth doing right" and these Japanese artisans take that philosophy to the extreme.

    • @ericxueAAA
      @ericxueAAA 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

      In the rest of the world, anything worth doing is profitable...sadly

    • @darrenhernandez4915
      @darrenhernandez4915 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      Your father must be a smart man

    • @jama5424
      @jama5424 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Copied comment

  • @mackerel9026
    @mackerel9026 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +16277

    man open youtube, man see sword, man happy

    • @dragonofmight3971
      @dragonofmight3971 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +225

      real

    • @Kavaitsu
      @Kavaitsu 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +59

      Nice pfp btw

    • @gustavl3107
      @gustavl3107 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +375

      Man read comment, man upvote

    • @Lunk42
      @Lunk42 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +50

      Literally me

    • @konradk1066
      @konradk1066 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +121

      Man watch Shōgun, see Katana video, man click

  • @neophoys
    @neophoys 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2972

    18:20 slight error here: The combination of Ferrite and Cementite is Pearlite, not Perlite. Perlite is a volcanic glass, mostly made of silicates and used in gardening for its high porosity that helps to aerate the soil and provide microrefugia for microbes.

    • @helloidharbl6753
      @helloidharbl6753 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +754

      ** deep inhale**
      NNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRDDD
      Just messing with ya. Knowledge of such things is cool.

    • @thorwaldjohanson2526
      @thorwaldjohanson2526 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +83

      The spines usually also don't have enough carbon to form a pure pearlite structure, rather a ferrite-pearlite structure.

    • @jakeleclaire7786
      @jakeleclaire7786 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +174

      It’s “Leviohsa” not “leviosa”

    • @gingeral253
      @gingeral253 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      Wowzers

    • @fubbernuckin
      @fubbernuckin 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +36

      thank you for this. I knew about perlite from gardening and furnace concrete, and I was very confused when they said that some white volcanic gravel was the same thing these swords were made of.

  • @nax3y77
    @nax3y77 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +119

    23:38
    by bowing that low you showed deep respect for that man, I appreciate you exploring and understanding the culture of Japan, as well as taking the time to understand and enlighten the internet about Japanese craftsman ship, I myself am not Japanese, but have a deep respect and admiration for their culture and it makes me happy to see light being shed on their amazing traditions and country.

    • @Bacinator334
      @Bacinator334 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      So you watched too much anime?

    • @notzay5573
      @notzay5573 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ask the people of china how amazing there country is lol.(a joke about unit 731)

    • @KaiserTwo
      @KaiserTwo 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@notzay5573smh Japan gets incredible glazing in the form of perceptions about their countries that don’t even exist. I mean even for the subject of the video, apparently people think that Japanese swords were incredible- sure, they worked, but damn was it way too malleable. Chinese and Korean swords were way more powerful.

    • @dotand0
      @dotand0 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@KaiserTwo
      internet when
      thing in other countries : -_-
      same thing BUT in Japan: 0_0!!

    • @danielmckay372
      @danielmckay372 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      You're making way too big a deal of a simple show of respect. Everyone with half a brain knows bow=respect in East Asia. God some people get so weird about Japanese culture, some mfs damn near fetishize it. Like it's cool to appreciate it, I do, but there's really no need to glaze like that.

  • @azndude8668
    @azndude8668 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1875

    As a Japanese native, I can’t thank you enough for making a video on this subject. The metallurgy associated is just so fascinating and getting the neat graphics and explanations was awesome. Thanks for spreading the Japanese culture!

    • @rodidoesburg4061
      @rodidoesburg4061 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

      As a ninja I'm not so happy. But for real, is there still a proffesion as black Smith these days in Japan? (I'm from europe)

    • @АВЗ002
      @АВЗ002 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      How do you feel about the fact that the katana was copied from the Chinese tangdao sword with minimal changes?

    • @Jianju69
      @Jianju69 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +72

      @@АВЗ002 I'd say it's quite fortunate that the Japanese have preserved not only their own culture, but China's too, as China itself has forgotten so much.

    • @Can_non69
      @Can_non69 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      We thank your culture for this and other utterly amazing accomplishments. 🙏

    • @Tyletoful
      @Tyletoful 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +44

      ​@user-iy2ps7pg1h I'm not Japanese nor the person you asked the question to. I'll give my response as I've researched this and have some knowledge but am not a blacksmith nor a sword expert. With all that being said, the forging techniques used to create a Tang Dao are very similar to the forging techniques of the Katana and while we can't really confirm that the Katana's forging techniques were taken from Chinese forging techniques, it seems highly likely due to the amount of cultural exchange between the two regions. I would say however, after the steel is layered and then folded, the comparison between the two blades seem more far-fetched. A katana is used as a light weight single-edged sword used for slicing. The Tang Dao is a mostly straight double edged sword with the intention of slicing and stabbing. Saying a single edge sword is a copy of a double edge sword simply because the original material is the same is disingenuous. The video explains that as they cover the Katana with layers of clay, they are doing it not to produce a curved blade, but to harden the blade and soften the spine. This produces a harder blade edge as the carbon is pushed from the spine towards the blade edge. I'm not saying the Katana is "better" than the Tang Dao style of blades, because you're comparing a cross bow with compound bow. They might both be made out of the same material and they both allow the archer to not hold the weight of the draw as they aim, but they are two different bows with two different purposes.

  • @XYZ-lm7tp
    @XYZ-lm7tp 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +908

    I thought it would be a random video of forging a sword, but bro taught us whole chemistry, geology, and history behind it

    • @Mike1973NJ
      @Mike1973NJ 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

      He delivers! Awesome documentary !

    • @masakicarty808
      @masakicarty808 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @XYZ-lm7tp there are youtube videos, and then there are Veritasium youtube videos

    • @Monkeandmusic441
      @Monkeandmusic441 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Lol

    • @bobyan9768
      @bobyan9768 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      This is a great pique for introducing chemistry 😊for students

    • @BaardFigur
      @BaardFigur 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Too bad it's all wrong

  • @konstantinospalapanidis6414
    @konstantinospalapanidis6414 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1208

    "Whatever you do you should do it with deep care, attention to detail, and love for the craft" So true.

    • @alainvosselman9960
      @alainvosselman9960 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +18

      And start developing those qualities at a young age. So you have set a result-producing standard by the time you reach your late teens. It's worth a lot and shapes one's character i think.

    • @yellostallion
      @yellostallion 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      A Yogi did say a few years ago, be fully involved in what ever the hell you do. Something profoundly beautiful may come out of it. So true!

    • @Metal_Master_YT
      @Metal_Master_YT 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      The original saying is: "Whatever you do, do it with excellence."

    • @marcpeterson1092
      @marcpeterson1092 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      That is exactly how I feel about my heroine addiction.

    • @electricpaisy6045
      @electricpaisy6045 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      That's Japan in a Nutshell

  • @JackSparrow-st5tg
    @JackSparrow-st5tg 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +70

    He explains the physics so well I even enjoyed the razor ad at the end.
    The swords were obviously beautiful. The shear dedication, focus, love and genuine respect with which they are crafted inspires me.

    • @ВасяКирьянов-г3ж
      @ВасяКирьянов-г3ж 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      And also the price. All this 'artistry' was/is only a method of demonstrating bushi dominance over the 'commoners'.
      Remember that?
      "I found that the more work I put into my shoes, the more people wanted them. Fine leather, ornamentation, detailing. And time. Time most of all. Dozens of hours, spent on a single pair. I imagine you've worn a year of someone's life on your back. The highborn liked to cover their feet with my time, and they payed well for the privilege." (although, we should admit they took much more in return, ultimately)

    • @JackSparrow-st5tg
      @JackSparrow-st5tg 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@ВасяКирьянов-г3ж That is an interesting perspective. Thank you for sharing your opinion.

    • @ValCronin
      @ValCronin 15 วันที่ผ่านมา

      sheer

  • @shangerdanger
    @shangerdanger 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +21573

    finally a video that's just about material science so a dumbass mechanical engineer like me can understand it lmao

    • @joecordero1699
      @joecordero1699 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +243

      Bsme gang let’s goooo

    • @lpc9929
      @lpc9929 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +41

      Hey Google

    • @gaveintothedarkness
      @gaveintothedarkness 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +163

      Same here, the math stuff just goes over my head.

    • @calholli
      @calholli 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +149

      This stuff is undoubtably cool...
      But modern day CPM super steels are far superior than this old classic style of making swords.. (CPM is crucible particle metallurgy)

    • @hoochill
      @hoochill 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +111

      you like phase diagrams?

  • @Exilum
    @Exilum 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +718

    23:38 I love that because he bowed much lower than him, he felt compelled to bow a second time. You bow at different levels depending on how respectful you're being and the context, so him doing a 90° bow was probably very unexpected. You can''t not feel bad if someone bows 90° while you didn't 😭

    • @ahobimo732
      @ahobimo732 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +66

      I guess you can't tell how low the other person has bowed until you coming back up! 🤭

    • @NihongoWakannai
      @NihongoWakannai 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +39

      ​@@ahobimo732 you don't need to look, you should generally know how low to bow based on the social situation you are in

    • @dolgolae
      @dolgolae 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +21

      I noticed this too, I was really shocked at how low he went it almost felt like he was apologizing 😂

    • @Interspirituality
      @Interspirituality 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      @@ahobimo732thats deep

    • @robictibay5747
      @robictibay5747 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +25

      How about a 180 degree bow huh?

  • @Znatnhos
    @Znatnhos 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +916

    One of my father's favorite pieces of advice is "anything worth doing is worth doing right" and these Japanese artisans take that philosophy to the extreme.

    • @alexv3357
      @alexv3357 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +53

      "Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing." - Ron Swanson

    • @segueoyuri
      @segueoyuri 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +27

      I've also heard people say "the way you do something is the way you do everything". This Japanese meticulousness and perfectionism pervades their culture everywhere you look. Veritasium posted a video about the blue led just the other day, it's a very good example of that. Once they put their mind to something, doesn't matter how hard it is or how many hours of work it takes... It'll be done

    • @thecookiemaker
      @thecookiemaker 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      reminds me of Amish furniture. My friend bought an entertainment center to put his tv and stereo system in. The back side of the piece that is never seen since it is up against a wall is just as detailed and well built as the front that gets all the eyes.

    • @n0m4nic
      @n0m4nic 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      Now if only they knew what they were doing. Spring steel is far superior.

    • @jdapaul1351
      @jdapaul1351 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Explains Toyota's jidoka and kaizen principles.

  • @kaalen24
    @kaalen24 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +18

    Imagine crafting a sword that survives combat and gets passed down dozens of generations of family and is still around in 2024 when it was constructed in the 1600's. Not only that, its still beautiful to behold. Simply masterful.

  • @JoeSmith-bs1kt
    @JoeSmith-bs1kt 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +755

    Peter is such a good producer. Like he keeps getting crazy access to crazy places and then when he's on camera he's just like "it's gonna be great". So humble, but if you know how much work he's doing it's absolutely insane humility.

    • @JoeSmith-bs1kt
      @JoeSmith-bs1kt 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +76

      Bro he learned basic Japanese for this that's insane.

    • @BishopStars
      @BishopStars 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      Katana means Japanese sword

    • @veritasium
      @veritasium  7 หลายเดือนก่อน +365

      You know I'm screenshotting this comment to send to Derek right? -- Petr

    • @illeshurkecz5204
      @illeshurkecz5204 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

      ​@@veritasiumToo late, I already did. - me

    • @theyruinedyoutubeagain
      @theyruinedyoutubeagain 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Get that raise boy @@veritasium

  • @bass-dc9175
    @bass-dc9175 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1593

    There are a few things here that require correction or additional information.
    1) "They are strong and sharp enough to slice a bullet in half."
    You can do the same with a $0.5 mass produced, cold stamped butterknife. As Penn and Teller demonstrated.
    2) "The method for making these swords has remained virtually unchanged for hundreds of years"
    Both the gathering and production of the Ore have been enhanced with modern techniques. From more efficient automated bellows to sifting methods for the collected sand using electromagnets to remove most of the impurities which would be present in purely traditional iron sand. And ofcourse the forging of the sword itself with electric hammers which also result in a way better quality sword, because of the consistency of the strikes.
    And that is not a bad thing.
    3) "They are still considered to be among the best in the world."
    And this is: Inaccurate. Even in terms of Katana: Modern high-forged, mass-produced spring steel ones, will outperform traditional katana.
    4) "One sword has been appraised at 105 million dollars, making it the most expensive sword ever produced"
    Appraisal price has nothing to do with how expensive a sword should be. That is rather missleading, because if someone were to appraise a sharpened butterknife at 106 million, that would not make it the most expensive sword. Because neither the labor cost nor the materials used justify that price.
    The reason it is valued that high is because of its representation of historical value, less to do with the sword itself and more the culture around it.
    5) "Only steel made in this way (Tatara method) is used in the best japanese swords."
    Incorrect. As previously mentioned: Modern high-forged, mass-produced spring steel ones, will outperform traditional Tatara katana.
    They are however still amazing pieces of art, but calling it "the best japanese sword" is missleading.
    6) "80% Pure Iron sand is an excelent source material for high quality steel" (Context: Compared to Iron Ore)
    Only if you, do not refine the Iron Ore further.
    As soon as you refine both the ore and the sand equally, you get much better Iron than what was produced from traditionally collected Iron Sand.
    7) "The edge of these swords is much harder than it is in the west"
    That is: Accurate. And it offers one of the differentiating advantaged and disadvantages that I would have loved to hear here.
    Harder Steel is more brittle, but keeps it edge better. Making it exceptional agains cloth and layered soft armors or flesh. It cuts exceptionally well.
    The tradeoff is: Hard armor can shatter the blade more easily. Which is why as armor technology advanced: The blade became less and less relevant. Piercing weapons dominated. And spring steel is still hard enough to keep an edge exceptionally long, while being way more resistant to damage.
    _______________________________
    To finish this off: This is not meant as a "european swords were better" style comment. The skill required to produce these Katana is amazing, the restrictions they had in terms of material led to techniques which compensated for a lot of it and the swords are indeed pieces of art which deserve admiration.
    I merely want to pushback against the missguided beliefs of the "Katana-Super-Sword" and the "Near-Perfect-Steel-Making" techniques that is widespread, even in this very comment section.
    QUOTES:
    "These swords are literally the physical embodiment of trial and error in a form that cannot be perfected further"
    "Katanas are just the best overall swords in the world."
    "It is amazing that they made the best steel to this day using only sand."
    There is value in keeping tradition, but these beliefs are objectively in error.
    Remember where you came from and embrace the lessons learned with modern tools. THAT is how you make the best product. Not overglorifying what was merely done out of nessecity.

    • @roromad9603
      @roromad9603 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +158

      thank you. i love the artistry of japanese swords, but to think that the same quality isnt done elsewhere in the world is a very limited view of the world.

    • @Prtvsh
      @Prtvsh 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +68

      @@roromad9603 Shad made alredy pretty good sumarisation of all mentioned "misinformations"

    • @efgee
      @efgee 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +71

      I do love the Japanese katana, and it is my favourite sword, but yes, I have to agree that there are too many untrue myths surrounding the Katana. No one sword or sword types is the "best", it all depends on the many different elements of the combat environment and the sword user.

    • @angamaitesangahyando685
      @angamaitesangahyando685 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +22

      Immense gratitude! In a way, a conspirologist might even accuse Veritasium in promoting pseudo-science (remember the self-driving cars advertisement?).
      - Adûnâi

    • @eagle162
      @eagle162 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +33

      ​@@Prtvshno he hasn't, shad is probably the worst historical TH-camr out there, he has given out inaccurate statements regarding Japanese swords and other weapons ignoring criticisms and disregarding corrections, including regarding European weapons not really discussing how many were actually made at the time but rather looking at modern recreations with better metal working. The majority of the historical community don't even like him and even actually historians are not fans.
      Here are some actual info regarding swords both Japanese and European.
      Neutron diffraction study on full-shape Japanese sword"
      The Investigation of Establishing Time of Zuku-Oshi and Kera-Oshi with Data of Iron Image of Buddha Making Age and Old Document "Kokon-Kajibiko"
      Ancient and historic steel in Japan, India and Europe, a non-invasive comparative study using thermal neutron diffraction, F.Grazzi et al, 2011.
      The Sword and the Crucible: A History of the Metallurgy of European Swords Up to the 16th Century, A. Williams, 2012
      Some Aspects of the Metallurgy and Production of European Armor OCTOBER 18, 2016
      Archaeometallurgical Investigation on Historical Sword-Making Techniques in Northern Italy Between the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, G.Tonelli et al, 2022
      November 04, 2019 Japanese Swords "Mythbusting" - Part 1
      La question du minerai de fer pour la période médiévale (IXe - XVIe siècle)
      Home-made steel: A week at Manabe Sumihira's zuku-oshi tatara
      Mineralogical Study of Iron Sand with Different Metallurgical Characteristic to Smelting with Use of Japanese Classic Iron-making Furnace “Tatara”
      Micromorphology, chemistry, and mineralogy of bog iron ores from Poland
      SOME THOUGHTS ON UTSURI
      Posted on 2013/08/22
      January 27, 2019
      Iron and Steel Technology in Japanese Arms & Armors - Part 3: Bladesmithing
      Also Gunsen History@gunsen_history.
      This person has actually made a few responses to him regarding his katanas videos.

  • @4RILDIGITAL
    @4RILDIGITAL 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +380

    The attention to detail in every step of making these swords is beyond words. Not only are they a thing of beauty, but the skill behind them makes them even more impressive.

  • @smittywerbenjaegermanjense2350
    @smittywerbenjaegermanjense2350 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    There’s only a few things I will never get tired of watching over and over again on TH-cam, and the making of a traditional Japanese Katana is one of them.

  • @shangerdanger
    @shangerdanger 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +8795

    meanwhile i can craft a steel dagger in skyrim in 4 seconds. we've come so far

    • @falxonPSN
      @falxonPSN 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +179

      Indeed. And if the old commercials are true, when the PlayStation 9 lands, you'll be able to do it by thought alone!

    • @MrSerCeMan
      @MrSerCeMan 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +100

      Considering the direction in which modern gaming is going, you'll be able to do it in just 1 second soon... because that's how long it takes to do a microtransaction.

    • @onlyonecannoli7537
      @onlyonecannoli7537 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +34

      Ah yes 14 damage don't think you'll cut through the carpet tho with that 😂

    • @ThePWNDR
      @ThePWNDR 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      it’s the guy who thirst traps with fish omg!! hi can i have one of ur gfs

    • @WL69420
      @WL69420 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Yo so true!

  • @SnootchieBootchies27
    @SnootchieBootchies27 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +724

    What I find amazing is that they figured this out through experimentation and intuition, without actually needing to understand the chemistry involved.

    • @SariahPendragon
      @SariahPendragon 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +70

      These swords are literally the physical embodiment of trial and error in a form that cannot be perfected further, and as you said, without understanding the molecular science.
      Japanese swordsmiths are geniuses.

    • @bass-dc9175
      @bass-dc9175 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +41

      @@SariahPendragonUhm ... I mean they did the best they could but traditional japanese katana were vastly inferior in terms of the steel it used, over European swords. Let alone modern ones.
      Saying the smiths of that time were highly skilled and did the best they could is valid. Saying they reached a "form that cannot be perfected further" is assinine. Modern mass-produced steel katanas will beat any traditionally crafted one in terms of performance. (And the "Traditional" needs to be put in quotations too, since the sand used as ore is sifted with electromagnets. Older Katanas have far more impurities than modern "Traditionally" crafted ones)

    • @ingerasulffs
      @ingerasulffs 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +20

      @@bass-dc9175 Could you share a source or two for the statement "traditional Japanese katana were vastly inferior in terms of the steel it used, over European swords"? Thank you.
      I did my 20 minute research and in the 3 places I had time too look it turns out the Japanese traditional steel was not at all inferior to European traditional steel.

    • @iotaje1
      @iotaje1 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

      @@ingerasulffs People did a number of tests, for instance striking the swords with one another. The japanese sword breaks in half, not the European one.
      Japanese swords are also much thicker and heavier, this is evident when you see that a Katana is used two handed despite having a very short range. It is also sharpened on one side only and not very good at stabbing, which is how you best use a sword in war.
      The reason for this is that the Japanese smelting process produces lots of low carbon iron and a small amount of high carbon steel. In order to make a useful weapon the smith must forge weld many different pieces together and they are very good at it. Europeans use a single piece of high carbon but springy steel, which makes the blade very tough, and the outer layer is hardened by cementing aka case hardening.
      The japanese barely used their swords in combat, it was a status symbol so it's battlefield performance didn't really matter.

    • @markn6941
      @markn6941 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@iotaje1BS...google is free bro.

  • @christophermolitor4554
    @christophermolitor4554 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +864

    Props to Peter, this must've been intimidating at times and he did a great job being respectful and appreciative of the opportunity.

    • @StopBanningMaStuff
      @StopBanningMaStuff 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      In what world is this intimidating....

    • @christophermolitor4554
      @christophermolitor4554 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +64

      @@StopBanningMaStuff Handling molten materials for one. But also managing the cultural significance of the process as an outsider. To be the one to potentially make a mistake in a basically sacred art form would be devastating. If something has a ritualistic value it can be very important to the people performing it and you might not even know how you even ruined it after you already did. Heck I'd just be nervous to swing a katana in front of a master, it'd be like giving a book report with the author in the audience, they'd know everything you got wrong immediately.
      Peter seemed to do a good job of paying attention, showing gratitufe for being there, and not pretending like he's the star of the show like some TH-camrs might. With Japan basically having an issue with overseas content harassers it's great to see someone give a good impression of TH-camrs.

    • @HARTTG
      @HARTTG 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@StopBanningMaStuffnot in a literal sense 🤦🏻‍♂️

    • @ThwipThwipBoom
      @ThwipThwipBoom 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Opportunity? Bro paid to be there. It's a standard sword making class that tourists in Japan like to take for easy internet points when they share their pics of the class on social media.

    • @christophermolitor4554
      @christophermolitor4554 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      ​@@ThwipThwipBoom Really, which one? I want to do it. I'm hoping to plan a trip to Japan, sounds like a great time.

  • @tearstoneactual9773
    @tearstoneactual9773 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    This was a wonderful documentary and presentation. I have loved the katana for a long time. I've been into martial arts since age 7 (I'm 41 now). I have learned about blacksmithing, about metal fabrication, geology, chemistry and many other subjects. I was just waiting for a mistake, but you guys did a great job. This was a wonderful look inside. I've always viewed a well-made sword as a work of art, especially these. Those were some absolutely stunning works of art. I'm honored.

  • @lucdercourt9791
    @lucdercourt9791 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4018

    For that price it better be brimming with haki.

    • @smallpatatu
      @smallpatatu 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +323

      For that price Ryuma should come to my house and give it to me 😂

    • @kryeohs
      @kryeohs 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +220

      and a full training course with mihawk

    • @Diamondthetimewaster
      @Diamondthetimewaster 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +15

      Bruh

    • @Cannotoad1201
      @Cannotoad1201 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      F

    • @Richard_Nixon-mr6rq
      @Richard_Nixon-mr6rq 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      ???

  • @harimonting01
    @harimonting01 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +226

    He looked so genuinely happy when he used the sword for the first time. I myself can feel the excitement just by watching.

    • @Wordavee1
      @Wordavee1 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      And what did he use it for, chopping a bit of bamboo!!
      Now what will he do with it? Spend years training to use it like the Japanese warriors did?
      Or put it on a stand on his mantlepiece and tell visitors how craftsmen spent days making finely tempered steel sword, with a razor edge ......for them to look at!!! 🙄

    • @harimonting01
      @harimonting01 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

      @@Wordavee1Yes, it's an art. They don't use it to kill people anymore. What do you expect?

    • @morifan3128
      @morifan3128 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      ​@@Wordavee1 Well, yeah at this point it's about the art of making one instead of killing, would you rather they kill each other? Weirdo.

    • @joshaguana6361
      @joshaguana6361 12 วันที่ผ่านมา

      @@harimonting01 Wordavee1 is just bitter and jealous. They are (together with his kind) the exact example of a human being created out of HATE. They don't deserve to live in a world of Appreciation and Art. It has never been their vocabulary. Never. They know nothing about Japanese Cultural ancestry so they tend to comment on their assumptions and blatant claims even falsified because they are ignorant about the culture and neither do they know about the unique and admirable dedication of the people who produce such traditions.

  • @anandakrishnan45
    @anandakrishnan45 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +912

    "whatever you do, you should do it with deep care, attention to detail and love for the craft. Do that enough times, and you might just make something wonderful"
    - Veritasium

    • @stevdor6146
      @stevdor6146 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +18

      whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ.
      -Col 3:23-24

    • @emailformosa
      @emailformosa 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +20

      _… __-wonderful-__ beautiful”_

    • @дигл_лайв
      @дигл_лайв 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      Probably one of his writers tbh. I'm not sure he writes any of his videos anymore.

    • @The_Random_Bastard
      @The_Random_Bastard 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      WTF??? did you even see the previous video with rods of god ?:D:D:D if they would follow what in your comment they would not take such huge L

    • @sportyeight7769
      @sportyeight7769 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      We often forget the most important part. You will suck hard at it at first, then you'll become average, then maybe you'll become great.

  • @mdmj1000
    @mdmj1000 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

    Extremely cool that Veritasium has made a video on sword smithing. Point on folding, not mentioned is that folding is true welding - it's very difficult with older/ancient methods, the difficulty of what they do is understated. Fantastic video.

  • @chicken
    @chicken 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +543

    This was beautiful to watch. I've played so many videogames with "smelting" and "forging" survival crafting - but I've never seen how it was done by hand. This was amazing.

    • @ruburtoe1
      @ruburtoe1 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Runescape?

    • @KaitlynBurnellMath
      @KaitlynBurnellMath 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      It's nice how knowing a little bit about smelting helps make sense of the smelting system in those videogames too.
      A friend of mine: "Why aren't there any steel ore nodes in this mine?" Well, because steel is made by mixing iron and charcoal, you don't mine it. Similarly with Bronze--there's no "bronze mining nodes" in this mine cause you need to mine copper and tin.

    • @nido84
      @nido84 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      @@ruburtoe1 replace the "ru" with "pe" but replace the "escape" with "ner" but replace the "pe" with "mi" but replace the "ner" with "ecraft"

    • @sealiosshorts
      @sealiosshorts 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Get a life you bot

    • @JWC_4_2_0
      @JWC_4_2_0 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @chicken, are you also X?

  • @kylejohnson4662
    @kylejohnson4662 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +746

    Japanese craftsmanship can be defined by one word: patience.

    • @agps4418
      @agps4418 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +48

      i would say, integrity. it's not that they can afford spending a long time (being patient/patience), but they're aware that spending a long time is the right way to do it

    • @kylejohnson4662
      @kylejohnson4662 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +14

      @@agps4418 also a good word for it.

    • @curr-7984
      @curr-7984 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      @@agps4418oath like they’ve really thought about every possible variation they could make to perfect the swords

    • @skytte71
      @skytte71 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

      The one word is PIP: Perseverance - Integrity - Patience 😊

    • @yagsipcc287
      @yagsipcc287 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Yup also have you seen how they do paper work same thing everything has to be perfect, one mistake you need to start over.

  • @uGotGot1618
    @uGotGot1618 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1141

    These swords are incredibly cool and worth every dollar, but just so you know, a cutting device doesn’t have to be all that exceptional to split a bullet without itself being destroyed. You can do it pretty consistently with a run of the mill axe from the hardware store.

    • @MiguelAbd
      @MiguelAbd 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +180

      Man, you're on point. It is such a bad argument to show something so cool as swordsmithing.

    • @AlexBesogonov
      @AlexBesogonov 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +112

      You can do it with a butter knife.

    • @jmcu17
      @jmcu17 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +70

      I've seen someone do it with a butter knife. Not impressive at all.

    • @hanjarake_taro
      @hanjarake_taro 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      謎理論

    • @Tearakan
      @Tearakan 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

      Yeah bullets aren't the hardest materials

  • @kawaranai9743
    @kawaranai9743 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +19

    22:55 the swordsmith is actually impressed by mr. producer's cut

  • @triggercrysisjames142
    @triggercrysisjames142 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +108

    As an amateur American blacksmith, I truly appreciate you making this video.
    The history and techniques of Japanese sword making is fascinating and should be understood by anyone that wants to learn blacksmithing.
    Thanks again!
    Great video!

  • @KathleenYates-z3t
    @KathleenYates-z3t 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +61

    I never tire of watching swords being made by masters. Especially Japanese masters, because of the great care and ceremony involved. Thank you for another viewing.

    • @x0j
      @x0j 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      omg heckin japan

  • @kajeralocse
    @kajeralocse 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +66

    I love how they preserved the rituals involved such as praying. This takes the hardwork and output beyond physical realm, to a spiritual realm. It gives meaning to what they're doing. The level of faith and respect to the elements is astounding. Thank you for showing this to me Veritasium!

  • @Thesupperals
    @Thesupperals 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +34

    "Whatever you do, you should do it deep care, with attention to detail, and love for the craft." That explains why so many under paid karoshi happen to be found in the animation studios.

  • @patrickkirsch1239
    @patrickkirsch1239 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +219

    I'm a PhD student in Materials Science and Engineering and I wanted to say thank you for this video. A lot of your work goes into the materials science behind things (the semiconductor/ blue LED video was a great materials science video too) but this went into depth on something similar to the project I work on. It's difficult to describe what I do in grad school to people, so this video is perfect.

    • @rodidoesburg4061
      @rodidoesburg4061 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      What do you think about material science in building engineering? Is that somewhat the same

    • @patrickkirsch1239
      @patrickkirsch1239 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      @@rodidoesburg4061 If by building engineering you are asking about more structural engineering/ architectural engineering this is a little different. Materials science and engineering is more of an atomistic approach for how a material behaves. So when a material scientist talks about structure, they are usually referring to the crystal structure (how the atoms arrange next to one another, to build a larger crystal) This is different from building engineering, or at least what I believe you are referring to, where structure means bulk properties like strength, ductility, etc. materials science figures out why a material has a certain strength or ductility based on how it was produced, where building engineering just applies the bulk properties to engineering problems like what steel to use to reinforce a building. Long winded but let me know if that answered your question!

    • @cayman7806
      @cayman7806 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      What do you do for grad school? I finished grad school recently and was everything metals (casting, mainly).

    • @patrickkirsch1239
      @patrickkirsch1239 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      @@cayman7806 I’m looking at how a new additively manufactured steel that the navy uses to weld their submarines and ship hulls together compares to the actual material they use for the ship hulls when it comes to environmental assisted cracking (seawater+ stress+ not a stainless steel = cracking which leads to failure). The navy wants to try and expedite their submarine production and if they can limit the amount of time needed in heat treatment facilities by printing the parts rather than traditional wrought production, they can make more subs. What did you do for grad school?

    • @cayman7806
      @cayman7806 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@patrickkirsch1239that’s neat. I worked with the Air Force to develop a benchmark casting process that could be used to develop property process structure maps for novel aerospace alloys. Lots of simulation modeling and lots of melting/pouring metal.

  • @nickverbree
    @nickverbree 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

    The crystal structure animations in this were awesome and I've shared this to a bunch of smiths who I've struggled to get the idea across to. Brilliant work, and a great watch.

  • @desmondkilroy8181
    @desmondkilroy8181 12 วันที่ผ่านมา +1

    Anything can be art when one strives with care and dedication.

  • @stephano1221
    @stephano1221 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +90

    The village at 4:44 is Shirakawa, which is the village that Hinamizawa - from Higurashi: When They Cry - is based on

    • @RhynoD2
      @RhynoD2 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      Ah, good reason to NEVER GO THERE, then.

    • @zerocool6452
      @zerocool6452 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Oh wait you are right, how did I miss that?

    • @gadnihasj
      @gadnihasj 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      So you're saying the village at death minutes, double death seconds..

    • @Kuristina_M
      @Kuristina_M 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      Oh my… no wonder it feels familiar

    • @crueltear
      @crueltear 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@RhynoD2You can go, but there is no return from the forest where cicadas cry.

  • @Sambell-r3c
    @Sambell-r3c 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +327

    As a Japanese native, I can’t thank you enough for making a video on this subject. The metallurgy associated is just so fascinating and getting the neat graphics and explanations was awesome. Thanks for spreading the Japanese culture!

    • @FenrirRobu
      @FenrirRobu 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      This video is made with care and a lot of effort. However, are you aware of the inaccuracies presented here?

    • @scriptself6092
      @scriptself6092 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Japan doesn't have culture, it's a province of China, wake up.

    • @gregoryballestero4369
      @gregoryballestero4369 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I've seen a program on NHK that showed this guy in Japan who makes this crazy white charcoal from like whole branches he stacks in a kiln before he lights the fire when they come out they make that metallic "clang" when they're knocked together

    • @ginnox2049
      @ginnox2049 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      no need to thank...because they didn't tell the truth that the sword making techniques was taught to your people by the Chinese.

    • @scriptself6092
      @scriptself6092 5 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@ginnox2049 prove?

  • @ProAlchemist
    @ProAlchemist 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +310

    As a metallurgist, I'm still amazed people figured this out over time and laid the groundwork for where we are today.

    • @traplover6357
      @traplover6357 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +13

      Wondered how many generations it took to form this whole process from raw materials to perfection.

    • @redrob6331
      @redrob6331 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Were tataras used for all iron and steel production in pre-modern Japan?

    • @solandri69
      @solandri69 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

      When you consider the state of modern metallurgy, it's mind-boggling thinking of how we got here. You think of all the different elements, different combination of elements, and different concentrations of each element which can be added to make a steel alloy. The different heat treating processes which can be applied to it. And you come up with a staggeringly ginormous number of possible different combinations, each with its own slightly different properties. Countless smiths over millennia tried out different combinations, noted its strengths and weaknesses, and passed that knowledge down to their apprentices, which was eventually collated into textbooks and catalogs of common knowledge. What we know about alloying today is the cumulative total of countless lifetimes of experience spanning thousands of years.

    • @calholli
      @calholli 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      This stuff is undoubtably cool...
      But modern day CPM super steels are far superior than this old classic style of making swords.. (CPM is crucible particle metallurgy)

    • @eli3998
      @eli3998 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      ​@@traplover6357hell even getting the raw materials is impressive, I'd've never thought of that sand trick, props to whoever figured that out

  • @LUCIFER-uv3dt
    @LUCIFER-uv3dt 12 วันที่ผ่านมา +3

    Thats why HAGANEZUKA gets mad angry when TANJIRO breaks his sword.

    • @Microbit0
      @Microbit0 15 ชั่วโมงที่ผ่านมา

      Probably because it was really bad quality

  • @AntonioFreyre
    @AntonioFreyre 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +453

    whoever did your color grading this time deserves a raise - beautiful looking video

    • @animenation7171
      @animenation7171 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +14

      Nah that's just japan

    • @RafidW9
      @RafidW9 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +32

      ​@@animenation7171moronic comment from someone who knows nothing about editing

    • @jg4780
      @jg4780 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +28

      Mexico and China crying in gray shades

    • @averagejoe2307
      @averagejoe2307 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@RafidW9 moronic comment from someone who knows nothing about comedy and sarcasm

    • @yuvbaz
      @yuvbaz 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      I immediately noticed the grading (or maybe lack of grading). Very unique and unexpected for a Veritasium video, but also beautiful.

  • @Kelnx
    @Kelnx 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +959

    These methods make them more expensive due to the labor involved, but far better steel is made everyday industrially. If there were a reason to do so, a modern sword could be devised using cutting edge technology that could outperform and outlast any sword ever made in the past. So what you are seeing here is not the making of "ultimate swords", but really amazing pieces of art that carry history in them.

    • @Bruno-cb5gk
      @Bruno-cb5gk 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +146

      Yeah, this video is pretty misleading. It's also omitting a lot of information about other swords, making the katana seem a lot more unique and advanced than it actually is.

    • @ALittleMessi
      @ALittleMessi 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +106

      I mean that's the story with almost all specialty made Japanese goods. Could you get something produce in a lab/factory that's technically better? Sure. People pay for the history and culture of it.
      The same can be said for organic food. Even the debate about AI art will literally come down to "did a human put blood sweat and tears into this?".

    • @nateh2652
      @nateh2652 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +39

      Any through tempered spring steel is going to make a superior sword. Shadiversity just did a breakdown on this video, and while painfully long, its really good. It seems veritasium fell victim to a lot of the mysticism surrounding the katana and tamahagane steel.

    • @cccccccocckkadoodadloo
      @cccccccocckkadoodadloo 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +20

      @@ALittleMessiyah you not wrong that logically makes sense however- being a fine furniture trainee (if we talking about straight functionality of swords ignore me but u mentioned art) there is a certain feel that human crafted objects art- furniture posses that machine made processes really really struggle to replicate if at all.

    • @cccccccocckkadoodadloo
      @cccccccocckkadoodadloo 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

      My point is- is not always bout the history and culture and yes human craftsmanship can and does produce ‘better’ things even if technically they are not perfect.

  • @BrookeBourke-x5f
    @BrookeBourke-x5f 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +53

    22:56 it’s simply beautiful to see the awe and joy of the guy alongside the master’s clear proudness of his own work with that twinkle in his eyes

  • @RussMcClay
    @RussMcClay 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    This is one of the most educational, entertaining and informative videos I've seen on TH-cam. The research, info-graphics and access that was granted is remarkable. Thank you.

  • @naygoats955
    @naygoats955 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +68

    2:47 Ah yes the bronze katana technique I haven’t had to use this since the heian era

    • @Leolikat
      @Leolikat 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      I was gonna say this dawgg

    • @catsmeow3656
      @catsmeow3656 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Lmaoo I was trying to find a comment like this

    • @Zytotoxin
      @Zytotoxin 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      God dammit

    • @RedIsntHome
      @RedIsntHome 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      I came here to say this

    • @0accuracy427
      @0accuracy427 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      scrolled for this one

  • @mu11668B
    @mu11668B 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +26

    I remember as a kid I had access to some educational DVDs produced by NHK. All the videos were live demos of physics and chemistry experiments. One of the experiments talking about redox was this kind of iron smelting procedure. It wasn't as high-tier like this one and the "kiln" was just a tower of cinder blocks. This videos just brought back my memories watching those quality contents.

  • @MrWillt100
    @MrWillt100 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    It is a great privilege to be allowed to witness this aged process, thank you so much.

  • @OlexTheGreat
    @OlexTheGreat 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +272

    As an aspiring blacksmith, my favorite science TH-camr posting a video about blacksmithing is like Christmas all over again

    • @rangleski3695
      @rangleski3695 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      How do you feel about them using modern techniques like the electric hammer? as a lay person, im a little disappointed they werent still using originals methods.

    • @dolgolae
      @dolgolae 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      @@rangleski3695not the original commenter but I think as how blacksmiths are more rarer than what is used to be in Japan, I imagined getting apprentices to help hammering would be also a rare occurrence. That’s my theory anyways but I feel the same way with you that I wish it was kept as the traditional ways but I understand to a certain point.

    • @PrograError
      @PrograError 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@rangleski3695 IHMO the eHammer is basically like Ai tools (sans GenAi) or even modern farm tools. It's only a tool so much it reduces the effort needed to get to the final product...

    • @Joker-em6oz
      @Joker-em6oz 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@rangleski3695so as a smith, you shouldn’t be. First, the only way things could be done by hand like that is through the use of apprentices which no longer exist like that or through a mechanical hammer. So in Europe, there were several power hammers powered by running water. You could think that the modern electric power hammer as an evolution of that and that it really is an “original” method as it’s just a more advanced version of ancient tech

    • @Joker-em6oz
      @Joker-em6oz 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ⁠@@PrograErrorwhich is honestly not fair nor true. Things like Damascus could never be made by a one man team which the modern blacksmith is. We lack free or essentially free labor in the form of apprentices to do lots of metal moving. This makes several things impossible as we would lose too much material in the process

  • @Kiesmander
    @Kiesmander 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +45

    I'm incredibly impressed by the edge alignment on Petr's cuts on those tatami rolls. No scooping or anything.

    • @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
      @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      I don't even know what edge alignment is and I'm still impressed by it.

  • @Ready_Set_Boom
    @Ready_Set_Boom 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +25

    I love how much the producer appreciated the craftsmanship and dedication of these artists.

  • @mattsweatt85
    @mattsweatt85 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Wonderful documentary on the Japanese Sword the most beautiful piece of art and craftsmanship on the planet imo. Thank you so much, I was entertained but more than that profoundly informed.

  • @vossti
    @vossti 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +9

    Ive been into japanese swords for ages now...and ive seen quite a number of western versions of them being forged on youtube, however i never knew its the quenching that gave them the traditional curve and not merely forging them into that shape... awesome piece guys..

  • @filip_reznicek
    @filip_reznicek 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

    Experiencing all of this through Peters eyes is such a cool addition. The facts are interesting, but all the emotions gave it another dimention. I love it!

    • @ninjasheeps3690
      @ninjasheeps3690 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      It did but im noticing a trend of more videos with new People in the focus which kind of makes me worry if maybe derek is planning on leaving the channel

  • @andrewmyers2920
    @andrewmyers2920 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +316

    such a beautiful combination of geology, chemistry, physics, history, and craftsmanship

    • @dazingamaine4318
      @dazingamaine4318 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      truly awesome. nice to see an alien presenter. they truly look almost human.

    • @roostewrum
      @roostewrum 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

      Sooo.... "metallurgy".

    • @pamtnman1515
      @pamtnman1515 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

      Agree. Wish they had included the handle and scabbard parts too

    • @jooei2810
      @jooei2810 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Don’t forget mysticism.

    • @mrsyre
      @mrsyre 6 หลายเดือนก่อน

      And sorcery 😂😂

  • @kcried1081
    @kcried1081 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    Japanese culture is simply beautiful and needs to be preserved at all cost!!

  • @tsaqifrizky5276
    @tsaqifrizky5276 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +27

    02:44 Ah yes, my "anti-bronze-sword" technique, I haven't used this since the Heian era

  • @_Mukuchi
    @_Mukuchi 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +370

    those slices were unbelievably clean, people don't know how difficult it actually is to slice a mat so cleanly

    • @cesarkopp2
      @cesarkopp2 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +13

      I recently discover a well-done sharp machete can do better than most swords, in circumstances where do you need to cut things.

    • @_Mukuchi
      @_Mukuchi 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +26

      @@cesarkopp2 I bet a machete would make the job easier. I was just referring to in battōdo and iaidō, it takes a lot of training and practice before you actually get to cut a real mat, and most beginners either are unable to completely cut through the mat or even if they cut through, the sliced edge is curved and there are split ends of the tatami everywhere. It is hard to slice a tatami mat with a katana in such a way that it results with the sliced pieces to look like it was digitally sliced in a 3d modeling software.
      (I assume professionals can do even more impressive cuts at a much more slanted angle, his cuts were mostly perpendicular to the mat's side by an angle nearing 90 degrees which in theory is easier but still is impressive nonetheless)

    • @jonathanodude6660
      @jonathanodude6660 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@_Mukuchi why is that? what is the technique and why is it difficult without it?

    • @offeibekoe452
      @offeibekoe452 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      ​@@cesarkopp2qqQ

    • @jamievarni1530
      @jamievarni1530 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Oh, yes I do! Experience is a bitter teacher.

  • @abbasduman6963
    @abbasduman6963 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +140

    I find it so amazing how Japanese people still keep their art and traditions alive. The mastery is unbelivably beautiful.

    • @ВасяКирьянов-г3ж
      @ВасяКирьянов-г3ж 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I find it so amazing how Japanese people still keep making a show of everything. Makes them feel special, perhaps.

  • @nitzneymann3977
    @nitzneymann3977 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The fact that they've perfected this type of steel-making and its chemical combination by just the eyes makes this craft an absolute beauty. I just can't put it into words! 💎

  • @link6913
    @link6913 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +65

    Another banger. Shoutout to Petr for his hard work on this one. You can tell hit put his whole heart into it.

  • @CondorrK
    @CondorrK 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +15

    This is so beautiful. Thank you Veritasium, I've loved Japan, the culture and sciences there for a long time but the swords from there are a thing all its own.

  • @Abunchoflettersmakeaword
    @Abunchoflettersmakeaword 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +14

    Always been fascinated by these swords, then I became a weld inspector and learned metallurgy, gave me a whole new appreciation, this video did a great job explaining, awesome work!

  • @Farmer1277
    @Farmer1277 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    That's always been a process I'd love to witness firsthand like you did. The way the Japanese makes swords is just truly remarkable.

  • @kshegde3000
    @kshegde3000 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +12

    As always Japan's culture is blended with artistry. An artistic video on the art of crafting a katana was well justified.
    Loved every moment of this. Would love more of this type of content.

  • @RedIsntHome
    @RedIsntHome 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +19

    2:45
    They probably made them to use against Sukuna

  • @HiGiBu
    @HiGiBu 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +95

    couldnt unhear 16:39 may thy blade chip and shatter

  • @RandUnland
    @RandUnland 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    A true work of art in its own right.
    The excellence in the technic and knowledge of the maker, is complemented by the mastery of the user.
    Neither should ever be taken lightly.

  • @moulderat11
    @moulderat11 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +105

    I really enjoyed this episode, I think what made it enjoyable was seeing Petr's enjoyment and passion. He was able to participate in something many people would enjoy to do once in their lives.

    • @HannyDart
      @HannyDart 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      And he was appreciative of that fact!

    • @frankthetank8050
      @frankthetank8050 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      So why don’t you go and buy that 105 Million katana then?

    • @jordyv.703
      @jordyv.703 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@frankthetank8050 What?

    • @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721
      @vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Petr hasn't been on camera for long, but he's already gotten me audibly cheering when he slices a thing with a blade.

  • @TheMcFish
    @TheMcFish 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +35

    That smile and the little nod from the master at 22:55 was golden

  • @kricku
    @kricku 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

    19:23 You know the reference

    • @darkkingshocker
      @darkkingshocker 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

      Overdrive

    • @KoolCatMEOW
      @KoolCatMEOW 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      SUNLIGHT YELLOW OVERDRIVE!!!!!!

    • @akahelpwttubers
      @akahelpwttubers 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @WillBilliam

  • @maximege7013
    @maximege7013 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Been working on the early stages of a crafting game. Knew nothing of smelting, still... don't. But this has been the most interesting video I've seen this far. It's simple to understand, well explained, perfectly produced.

  • @rudijohnsen9674
    @rudijohnsen9674 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +237

    When you were partying, I studied the blade. While you indulged in the latest binge-watch, I mastered the ancient techniques of sword-forging. As you scrolled endlessly, seeking validation through likes and follows, I cultivated patience and precision in the heat of the forge. Now, as the world marvels at the artistry of the Japanese sword, and collectors clamor for a piece of history, you have the audacity to ask me to share the secrets of the katana. Remember, while you chased fleeting pleasures, I embraced the discipline of the blade.

    • @peterobinson3678
      @peterobinson3678 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +18

      Ok, boomer...🤔😂

    • @df71091
      @df71091 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Tldr

    • @kennethn3179
      @kennethn3179 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +3

      Wtf? 😂🤣

    • @ELYESSS
      @ELYESSS 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

      When you were partying, I studied the blade. While you indulged in the latest binge-watch, I mastered the ancient techniques of sword-forging. As you scrolled endlessly, seeking validation through likes and follows, I cultivated patience and precision in the heat of the forge. Now, as the world marvels at the artistry of the Japanese sword, and collectors clamor for a piece of history, you have the audacity to ask me to share the secrets of the katana. Remember, while you chased fleeting pleasures, I embraced the discipline of the blade.

    • @life-destiny1196
      @life-destiny1196 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +52

      Y'all wouldn't know a pasta if someone served it to you in some fancy restaurant

  • @alexanderren1097
    @alexanderren1097 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +138

    The statement at approx 0:45 that the Japanese made a weapon that was the pinnacle for their style of warfare is incorrect if it refers to Katana since they were NOT primary battlefield weapons. If you want to talk about swords on Japanese battlefields then you need to look at Tachi, O-dachi, and other swords all of which were larger and more robust than katana. Even then, no sword was EVER the primary weapon that Samurai used on battlefields. Swords were always backup weapons or carried for self defense during unarmored “civilian” settings.
    The battlefield weapons of Samurai were bows/arrows, yari (spears), naginata (comparable to Chinese Guandao or European glaives), and guns. And yes, not only did Samurai use guns, they LOVED their guns once they found out about them from European traders and had bought enough to figure out how to make their own

    • @TheGismono
      @TheGismono 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      Makes sense, The 'Tachi' seams closer to that of the european 'Long Sword' in use cases. While the fighting style of 'O-dachi' would fill a same kind of roll as a 'Flamberge'.

    • @yakfacethethird3054
      @yakfacethethird3054 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

      Absolutely. At most, the O-Katana was a battle-field weapon, but not the katana. The katana was more used for show, status, and sometimes duels.

    • @the8thark
      @the8thark 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +10

      The important part of that statement is
      "The materials they had at hand"
      The Japanese did not have perfectly clean iron ore to begin with. They also could not make pure steel because the bloomery furnace did not liquify the iron. Only the outer slag/impurities were removed. The slag/impurities on the inside of the iron ore stayed. This is exactly why they folded the steel. It was the best compromise. Can't remove all the impurities, so lets fold the steel so the entire blade is uniformly impure, not perfect in some spots and super impure in other spots.
      You are not incorrect in what you say. I agree with you. However as a secondary battlefield weapon (not primary like the yari or guns) and based on the materials they had at hand the katana was the best they could make.
      Also around the 1500's the Japanese used the older Tachi and the newer uchigatana.
      Uchigatana means strike sword.
      Around the late 1500's the Tachi went out of fashion and the uchigatana was then just known as Katana. Katana just means sword. There was no longer two different backup weapon swords being used so no need to differentiate them.
      At that point when everyone is using a striking sword, no need to call it striking sword, so peopel just called it a sword (Katana).

    • @RealZeratul
      @RealZeratul 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

      @@dfriedbauer why would one watch Veritasium documentaries and at the same time write comments downplaying the value of well-written comments such as OP's, which provide corrections and extra info to everybody interested in it?

    • @takaakiyamada5451
      @takaakiyamada5451 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@the8thark You believe the false rumors about Japan that the Chinese and Koreans are spreading.
      Iron ore has far more impurities than iron sand.
      So if impurities are a problem, as you say, then before modern furnaces were invented, iron products made from iron ore were of lower quality than iron products made from iron sand. .

  • @WwarpfirewW
    @WwarpfirewW 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +27

    22:50 the master swordsmiths smile of satisfaction about perfect cuts done by foreigner with masterwork sword

  • @kennyhagan5781
    @kennyhagan5781 16 วันที่ผ่านมา

    In the 80s I watched a documentary on this very subject and I am surprised that very little of the procedure has changed in the intervening decades. I must say that the man makes a beautiful sword.

  • @testep02
    @testep02 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

    I've seen numerous documentaries on Japanese swordsmithing. I could watch a thousand more. So glad one of my favorite science channels decided to tackle the subject.

  • @arsumbris6392
    @arsumbris6392 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

    That's incredible. Those artisans are amazing, I admire them. Very gracious of them to include you.

  • @ZamirMubashir
    @ZamirMubashir 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +19

    Derek has really become a master of story telling over the years! I could watch him describe paint drying!

    • @ArceoInfinity
      @ArceoInfinity 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      I'm always recommending him too people and would usually compare his narratives to that of Neil deGrasse Tyson if he narrated things out of astronomy.

    • @Nyx_2142
      @Nyx_2142 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Perhaps too much story and not enough fact these days. Video is full of myth and misinformation regarding the katana. Every time I think of trying to get back into his videos, he puts out drivel like this. Guess that's to be expected from a dude with a degree that basically doesn't actually exist and he rarely has qualifications in anything he speaks about.

  • @mesanders1113
    @mesanders1113 17 วันที่ผ่านมา

    Your crew mate got to live out a life dream shows you arent in it for fame or money mad props more respect than ever before.

  • @meisteryogurt1460
    @meisteryogurt1460 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

    I could have watched this video for over an hour, that's how focused I was. The ending caught me by surprise. There are so many intricacies, so many details in every step of the process that could still be explored.

  • @tannersiebel
    @tannersiebel 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    I always hope for more of the sharpening process in these videos than I get, but I learned a ton about the metallurgy that isn't normally covered. It was a great video and I enjoyed every bit of it. Props to Petr for making it through the 24 hour forging process, and for his cuts on the tatami. Thanks for sharing this!

  • @mphRagnarok
    @mphRagnarok 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

    May thy knife chip and shatter 16:40

  • @ronin7997
    @ronin7997 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Great insight into the science and metallurgy of the smelting process. There are a lot of great channels on the forging of these blades, but most skip the smelting of the ingots or use steel already manufactured.

  • @joshcryer
    @joshcryer 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    Always a full watch. Thank you for making another special video and to John McBride for making it happen and Petr for going there and enjoying this experience.

  • @sora_gaming
    @sora_gaming 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

    There is a very old documentary from french-german arte tv channel about the production of japanese swords (and some stories regarding them). It's nice to see, that this tradition of traditional steel production and sword making is still alive 20 years later, although with somewhat more modern tools and approaches. The tv team was very lucky back then to see a real master piece being forged by Sadatoshi Gassan.
    Thanks for this production!

  • @ImNicoli
    @ImNicoli 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

    Love the channel, highly recommend that you further research the reasons why these were built this way, and compare to other swords of the period.
    I believe you'd be surprised by the actual performance of various cultures weapons of the time.

  • @MattH-wg7ou
    @MattH-wg7ou 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    Gotta love the Japanese culture of making things from the most complex to the most simple and taking absolute pride in making it the absolute best possible!

  • @Unf0rG1Vin
    @Unf0rG1Vin 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +11

    This is by far, one of my favorite videos you have made. so in depth

  • @Minalien
    @Minalien 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +7

    7:03 "Things are very much getting real"
    C'mon "things are heating up" was RIGHT THERE 😭

  • @NickyG-NZ
    @NickyG-NZ 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +8

    Seeing the whole process really drives home how much work goes into this, in my head it's just "oh you fold the metal? cool cool" but this is an insane level of work and care. It's interesting to see what's changed over the years too, it seems like they've automated the least complex but most mechanically intensive parts like using mechanical bellows, it makes sense to focus the manual effort on the critical parts. Solid work by Petr too, looks like he worked hard and learned a lot.

    • @havtor007
      @havtor007 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Nah the part that is automated is very important to get better quality steel.
      it is also why calling it the same as how it was in the past is very misleading.

    • @autismsings8848
      @autismsings8848 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@havtor007 can you explain how manually operating the bellows would get better quality steel lol?

    • @havtor007
      @havtor007 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@autismsings8848 They are pretending to be doing authentic old school.
      The magic of the japanese steel is that people believe it is better because it is hand forged.
      If you automate any part of the process you are disrupting the important parts.
      Japanese steel was of poor quality this way makes it so you take poor quality and make it decent.
      In Europe they had the same method but instead of folding they twisted the steel this makes the same process as Japanese steel happen.
      Modern steel are all just straight up better steel.
      Modern steel is faster to produce cheaper stronger better in every aspect.

  • @Tekyng_of_Baregan
    @Tekyng_of_Baregan 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

    I've "learned" all these things, but this is the first time I've understood it, specifically the banded iron and why nonconformity in steel makes it stronger. Thank you! :)

  • @Evil.Turkey
    @Evil.Turkey 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +5

    If you can find a Hattori Hanzo for under a million you should buy it for sure.

  • @gurukrishna9267
    @gurukrishna9267 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +71

    Absolutely fascinating video! As someone with a background in Physics and Material Science, I found the process of making katana swords incredibly intriguing. The blend of traditional techniques and advanced material science truly showcases the art and science behind these remarkable weapons. The meticulous process of folding and forging the steel not only results in a blade of exceptional sharpness and durability but also creates a beautiful pattern that makes each katana unique. This video is a great reminder of how deep understanding of materials can lead to extraordinary outcomes. Thanks for sharing such educational content!

    • @thorwaldjohanson2526
      @thorwaldjohanson2526 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      I agree on the artistry part, but a 120 dollar Chinese spring steel sword will outperform this in any aspect.

    • @Lemon_Force
      @Lemon_Force 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      @@thorwaldjohanson2526 absolutely correct these swords do not perform all that well

    • @LouisKing995
      @LouisKing995 7 หลายเดือนก่อน

      The folding is not only not a unique process to Japan but it is also only done to remove the impurities of their lower quality metal. It doesn’t make the blade superior, it just makes not terrible lol.

    • @Nyx_2142
      @Nyx_2142 4 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@LouisKing995 Doesn't even remove the impurities, just homogenizes the metal for the blade so the impure (weak) areas aren't concentrated and the higher quality steel is spread throughout as well. Still garbage steel, just makes it usable.

    • @Joker-em6oz
      @Joker-em6oz 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      @@Nyx_2142that would be wrong. It has been shown that if you fold it enough you can remove all impurities. Unfortunately that happens way after 8 to 12 folds

  • @chadsummers7981
    @chadsummers7981 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +91

    We owe it to these Japanese craftsman. No modern science. Just skill practice and repetition. Absolutely beautiful

    • @Soupie62
      @Soupie62 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +23

      Well... the air hoses in the foundry. Plus, the hammer at the swordsmith. Both are modern science.
      The science gives names to the different alloys of steel, and help you understand WHY the product is so good.
      The trick is knowing what to update, and what to leave as a tradition.

    • @hongsonnguyen8204
      @hongsonnguyen8204 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +2

      you mean no cutting cost? morden science is good if it improve the quality right?

    • @KaiserTwo
      @KaiserTwo 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      These are all modified by modern techniques bro😭

  • @2B_X2B
    @2B_X2B 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

    The chemistry behind it was explained well, very insightful

  • @krioshhh7384
    @krioshhh7384 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +6

    I'll just say that the way of cooling swords with clay to get a harder edge for me was a mind-blowing solution. The person who discovered it must've been a genius.👏

  • @乂
    @乂 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +15

    Imagine spending all that time on a sword just for it to shatter apart in water. I’d be heartbroken.

    • @Proferk
      @Proferk 6 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      cry in your six likes, sold account

  • @tomconner5067
    @tomconner5067 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +4

    The curve in the double edged blade increases the rigidity of the edge and prevents excess flexing, keeping the edge at the correct shaving angle and a close shave with minimal skin contact feels comfortable and cool