How to Forge a [San Mai] Chef’s Knife- Your Edge
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 8 ก.ย. 2024
- The first 1000 who click the link will get 2 months of Skillshare Premium for FREE skl.sh/thatworks
In this Special Edition of Your Edge Ilya Alekseyev shows you how to for a Japanese kitchen knife using the San Mai construction. He goes into great detail in every step of the process. The body of the knife is made from wrought iron and the edge is W-2 on the first one and damascus on the the other knives. You see Ilya doesn't just make one demo knife. Instead he makes 3 knives to show different options that you can do with this style of forging. Ilya uses all hand tools to forge these knives and a charcoal forge. The reason behind this is to show you that you can do it without fancy power hammers and expensive forges. All you need is fire and a hammer and San Mai can be done.
Many Techniques are covered in this Your Edge video. Ilya Alekseyev is a Forged in Fire champion and brings years of experience to you for free. Think of this as a online master class totally free of charge. He shows how to forge the wrought iron and hot cut it for the insert. Then shows how to forge weld the pieces together using a striker and explaining how you could forge weld it yourself. He then shows how to forge out the blade properly and how to use hand files and scrapers to forge the geometry after forging. Ilya then heat treats the knife using a then coat of clay and quenching into water. All of the blade finishing is shown and explained. Everything from making the wood handles to etching and polishing. Sit back and learn how to make a San Mai kitchen knife the Slavic way !
After the forging is complete sit back and enjoy a slavic cooking show with Ilya as he shows you how to put the knife to use while preparing on of his favorite dishes, grilled mackerel. Learn how to make a knife and how to cook fish on a grill all in one video !
► To purchase one of these knives please vist thatworks.shop... .
T-Shirts - teespring.com/...
**Please consider supporting us by sharing this video to help spread the word!
Our Grinders - www.brodbeckir...
Thanks to our shop sponsor Red Label Abrasives ! Check them out for all your abrasive needs ! www.redlabelab...
Videos Shot, Produced and edited by - Matt Stagmer
Co-producer Ilya Alekseyev
Brand Manager - Chris Cash
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Helpful purchase links for creators and craftsmen
www.amazon.com...
A Great Starter Anvil - amzn.to/2PE1MYF
Camera Starter Pack for Content Creators - amzn.to/2QgdUjS
Great Forge for Beginner or pro - amzn.to/2Rhh1Fy
Snazzy Safety Glasses - amzn.to/2VkDfvm
John's Favorite Face shield - amzn.to/2Po9EvG
Rigid Double Horn Anvil - amzn.to/2IRmCRl
Powerline Video Editing Software - amzn.to/2THr0pa
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Music by - Epidemic Sound
Help support the channel and us as artists by becoming a patreon.
Ilya's Patreon - / slavicsmith
Matt's Patreon - / mattstagmer
Follow us on Instagram to track progress on these and other projects.
Matt's Instagram - / mattstagmer
Ilya's Instagram - / slavicsmith
Chris' Instagram - / mt_phillip_metal_works
#SanMai #Bladesmithing #ThatWorks
![Engraved Hammer from [100yr old] Anchor Chain](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/bHK_5UGlVu8/mqdefault.jpg)
Thanks to Skillshare for sponsoring this episode and thanks to all of you for watching and supporting us. If you would like to purchase one of these knives please go to ThatWorks.shop and be sure to follow us on Instagram for live videos. @slavicsmith and @mattstagmer
That Works fantastic video! 🤓 I especially love the cooking lesson at the end. 😍😍😍
ruste shackleferd thank you!
Hell yea sponsorships!
Nice video
Would be awesome watching you tackle, ghost of tsushima, Jin Sakai's katana
This channel is so underrated.
Yan Uehara agreed :-)
What happens is that they use techniques that others do not know or do not try to reproduce because they are extremely laborious and detailed
I agree Ilya alone deserves way more too many keep secrets of the trade and those techniques take a chance of that knowledge dying with them. Thank you Ilya for what you do for the trade. O and Matt too lol
Agreed
@@jorgegonzalez-pv8mv that is ridiculous
Ilya is such a cool craftsman. I love the fact he doesn't have an ego or anything to go with it. He's just straight facts and competence. He's a student who never stops learning and contemplating what he does. I know he wouldn't say he's a master smith, but, to me, his constant striving to do better is the very embodiment of what a master smith should be.
This is so well-written I can't agree more.
You don’t understand. The knife is a complete disaster. There is wrought iron in the edge and it is way over-forged.
No ego? - of course he has one. And clearly it is huge. He knows he is good and wants to be “different”. But he understands virtue ethics and wants to be virtuos - so he keeps his ego in check, by practicing virtue ethics, thus cultivating a character of virtue. E.g. balancing pride w. humility.
@@bill4639 if you would have payed any amount of attention then you would've seen that there is not any in the edge, (the whole reason for making a 'san mai' constructed knife) and if i'm not mistaken you cant "over forge" a piece unless you've gone and melted it.
fun fact: when ilya cuts onions, the onions cry
You win. I’m not sure what you win, but you def won!
I would cry if someone was cutting me. I get it onions. I get it.
It’s because his knives are made correctly.
Ilya makes a knife so good Chuck Norris runs and hides
no when Ilya cuts onions, Chuck Norris cries
11:10 (off camera). “What am I doing” LOL. Bro I feel u
A video about sharpening knives (and other edgy tools) with stone (water, oil, different edge geometry, basics and such) would be a good thing.
This will even benefit all the viewers, who cant forge at home, but want to take care of their blades ;)
I sharpen all my knives by hand and yes it takes time (good meditation), but the moment you get a mirror like finish and shaving sharpness ...
- pure bliss!
This.
Seconded!
Absolutely love the style where you have no music, just the raw sound and explenations every now and then
I love the "Your edge", I'm not a blacksmith but getting a look at such a skilled blacksmith while providing interesting historical/technical information is just really entertaining
Ilya is one of the only smiths I know who can claim other craftsmen lazy or bad, and do so rightfully. AND is also brave enough to do so on the internet. Mad respect to you sir.
"...is that salt or borax Ilya?!"
Ilya: yes.
aTastyKiwi indeed
Flux works on fish too I heard
"usually you can trick one of your friends to help you out as a striker on this or that weekend
but if you don't have friends..."
Offer to grill fish like that, and you'll have all the strikers you need.
I do love my weapons being forged...but somehow this is more interesting. Sure, the process of making a crazy fantasy weapon is entertaining to watch, but a simple knife is a wow moment for me. I dont know why. I guess seeing something so practical being made and then used. From a piece of metal into a useful tool. Loved the video. Thank you.
I have wanted to take up smithing for years now, originally I was thinking "I could make a sword, or spears, or..." now I just want to be able to make an elegant, high functioning, utilitarian knife that once someone has will last their lifetime. And repeat that when asked
I didn't realise how much I'd appreciate the culinary 'cut test' definitely more appropriate than hacking at some water jugs.
i finished all my knives on whetstones for over a year before i decided to buy a belt grinder. i can say that the whetstones made learning the beltgrinder so easy. i knew exactly what to do before i even stepped up to the machine. i didnt realize it at the time, but learning things by hand before you buy the machine makes you a much better craftsman.
listening to ilya talk about steel structure whilst pumping bellows as vaguely eastern sounding music plays in the backround is my version of zen meditation.
Can we get a tour of the shop? I hear birds throughout the video and I'm interested to see the shop, if you're interested that is. Amazing video as always and keep pushing forward
Also can we get a video about making your charcoal
Steve Grillot That could be fun
We will! I promise. Still feels like we are getting set up here with all the new additions
@@ThatWorks awesome, been thinking about trying charcoal but still in the thinking part due to sheer amount of charcoal needes
@@ThatWorks Where can i buy a guy with a sledgehammer and are they cheaper than a power hammer?
Those knives are beautiful! I bought a Yaginaba on Kappabara in Tokyo, and I use it whenever I need to cut fish. It's wicked sharp, and the edge lasts a ridiculously long time. San Mai knives take a bit of know-how to maintain. Once you own one, however, you'll never need another knife.
james yamamoto I couldn’t agree more
I think I learned more about san-mai forging techniques in this one video that in the last 2 years of watching other smiths tutorials. Blown away!
It’s always informative to see how you forge different steel in different ways
Robert Stoker so very true. Every material is different and needs to be forged differently
@@ThatWorks Would you use a old file as a high carbon insert and wrap it inside of a car leaf spring?Would that work?
What common items i could use for that?(due this corona outbreak i cant exactly order steel )Or maybe ball bearing race as a high carbon insert?
Please share your wisdom with me !!!
I've been hesitant to do san mai because I was unsure. I think that I may have to give it a shot after recovery from shoulder surgery. Ilya is a heck of a smith.
Awesome video. I want to get into blacksmithing / bladesmithing badly.
I'm medically retired from the Marine Corps, I still have medical operations I have go though before I'm fit enough to do anything beyond lay in bed, these are great to watch to fill time.
Arkon Jon thank you and good luck on recovering !
Get well soon man, good luck!
get well soon
Thank you for your service! Wish you a quick, complete recovery.
First thing, I love the more silent sound editing, just the sounds of the hammer and forge.
Second, just beautiful work, so much more real and grounded, no material wasting, no excess of tools and superb forging inspiration
Я человек простой. Вижу Илью - ставлю лайк!
Ну тут и кроме самого Ильи есть много чего интересного, чтобы посмотреть
The comments on the craftsmanship and philosophy behind it were so awesome. Not to mention the great walkthrough of making it
That Shinsengumi shirt that Ilya wears during his cooking
Perfection
I didn't think I'd enjoy watching Ilya cooking as much as I do watching him forge, but here we are...
Many moons ago, as an apprentice, we had to make our own scrapers.
These were used in fitting bearings onto shafts etc.
That was the first time I came across heat treatment.
Yet another part of the game gone...hand power tools do the job now.
Great work Ilya...thanks
Илья честно,усы тебе не идут без бороды....не перестаю восхищаться твоим мастерством,ты реально Кузнец 99 уровня!!!!! с уважением из Краснодара
How am I just seeing this!? I’ve made San mai before but the series has me stoked! Ilyas engraving episodes were hugely beneficial!!!
Watching a Blacksmith cook with the Knife he just forged is a special experience... more please
What is something Ilya can’t do... like I’m actually astounded by the amount of skills one man has
8:25 "but if you dont have friends" LOL this man gets it!
Ilya seems like such an all-around great guy!
You know, anybody can get on TH-cam and describe HOW to actually forge a knife, but one of the things I most appreciate about Ilya's videos is when he gets into WHY you do things a certain way, and most of all, when he gets into the philosophy behind it.
The philosophy behind work in almost any eastern culture is not only fascinating, but often truly motivating, and the Japanese culture has some of the best and most enlightening philosophy about work, especially in fields like carpentry and apparently forging too. That's something we have a severe lack of in the west and it's a crying shame. I really do believe that our lack of any kind of meaningful metaphysical philosophy (I'm not talking at all about religion,) is why western culture is so rabidly egotistical and myopic.
Gotta love how Ilya just casually calls out 90% for modern bladesmiths :D
@31:30 "Make sure to wipe the excess on your clothing." I've got that part down to a science.
Because of this channel and how straight forward you all are I have been able to get my confidence back to work out in my shop. Listening to all the Your Edge videos has helped greatly. Such great care is done with these videos, Thank you for what you are doing.
FirestarBloodstones that is excellent ! Thank you for your support !
Ilya does such a great job of demonstrating the methodology and explaining the relevant history/tradition behind these impressive builds. Very insightful even for those of us who aren’t blacksmiths.
The best video I1ve ever seen!!! Good job Ilya, execelent, this video motivaded me a make one of this, thanks! Brazil here.
Filipe Jovetta you are welcome and thank you for the comment
You're an artist man. I love watching you work
Spectacular presentation! I am an old man with out the energy you possess; however, I have the heart to admire your excellent craftsmanship! 🤠
"Make sure to wipe the excess epoxy on your clothing." 😂😂😂🤣
I also use this technique!
Not only do you show the process, but you also give explanations for various parts of the process.
Most importantly, you never forget to have some fun with it.
Another great video.
Who would've expected a forging tutorial and a cooking tutorial in one video. Nice job!
He makes knives, cleans fish with them, and grills them?
I'm straight and even I find that sexy.
Mrs. Ilya is one amazingly lucky woman.
You're definitely gay
I kinda agree. Maybe it’s his way of doing things: if it ani’t worth doing right it ain’t worth doing. He’s come a long way from the first man at arms, in the back
I hate my brain because when I read 'Mrs. Illya' my brain conjured up the image of just Illya in a dress
Ilya, you sir, are a natural born teacher.. Amazing job as allways!
Ilya, you are an absolute master! I learned more in this 39 minute video than I've learned in 100 hours of others' videos!
I had never even heard of scraping a blade to remove the humps, bumps and hammer marks!
I love how you give us the background on everything and the reasons that things have been done this way or that for Centuries!
BTW, I really like your choice of music as it is calming and very enjoyable to listen to!
Im so happy I found this channel. I always watched Ilya's episodes on man at arms reforged and was sad it skimmed over all the technical stuff (which is normal, it fit the format better). So I'm really happy I found this channel where it's nothing but technical stuff. This is like finding the lore wiki of your favorite RPG. Ggs boys
props to the person who edits and color corrects these videos, beautiful and criminally under praised work!
I’d love to learn more about your scraper - what steel, hardness, edge profile? Seems a really neat way of flattening blades without burning through a mound of abrasive paper.
The pattern in the cladding really makes these knives beautiful. Amazing video as always.
11:09
"what am i doing?"
Ilya: "you're getting set on fire"
Watching a english-speaking maker channel using metric system
I'm a fairly proud 'merican and all, but I only use metric for my leather crafting measurements: easier to remember whole numbers and mm provides a very small margin of error.
Kitchen knives are surprisingly my new favorite thing to make. It's a different and tricky thing to get right compared to utility or EDC knives which are more open-ended to me.
YES YES YES YES YES. this is one of the resons I love watching you guys. highly entertaining and an education at the same time
I know I'm late to the conversation, but I didn't expect a Binging with Babish mini episode at the end of a That Works video. I love it!
I can't express how good and complete this video is. Quality of both the video and the craftsmanship itself is off the charts. Love the useless story of the fresh water octopus as well
просто шикарные ножи Илья!! твое мастерство вызывает восхищение!
Perfect description of San-Mai! Just bought a Murray Carter knife. Very thin, very sharp. So appreciate this channel!
Just discovered this channel the other day, but I like seeing this video with a more traditional technique in addition to the more modern techniques from other videos.
Илья, глубочайшее тебе уважение. Если можно хотелось бы по максимуму традиционных технологий которыми ты владеешь, ну и твои гравировки - это отдельный кайф.
You guys are so skilled you make it look like magic. I can see why there are so many legends about mythical swords/knives.
Thank you for this video. I thought I knew a lot but still I learned so much. I'm going to leave the welder on the shelf from now on.
This is brilliant.
Blades AND the cooking.
Mad skilz.
I'd like to see what is required to make a thin, springy blade like a filleting knife.
I absolutely love wrought iron.. with the exception that it's very dirty in a propane forge. I work out of a single car garage in the city so I can't really get away with a built in place forge. Maybe someday.. An excellent video! Thank you!
Finally a video titled accurately. How to forge and not only do you show the forging but you explain what and why. So many of these videos say how to than play some out of place music and show the hole video in fast forward. Really good 👍 video thanks for sharing 👍.
Ah, i see, a Gintama shirt during the cooking portion, you sir are a man of culture indeed. :) Great job on this one!
Oh, also, recipe for the fish please! (I'm serious btw)
I want Ilya to make a cooking channel spin off of this. 😄😄😄
This is so good I've already watched it twice. And I'll have to keep studying it, there so much in there to learn!
And this is just one video...!
Thank you for this video, very informative. You guys are the best! I only have a propane forge, an anvil, and a bunch of hammers. But this shows I have enough. Looking forward to trying out san-mai some day.
Looks like Ilya can also do some cooking videos for that works as well .
This was by far the best knife making and cooking video at least on this channel if not on whole TH-cam
First time I've gotten hungry from watching one of your videos, awesome work.
Может уже кто и писал подобное, но, когда я смотрю подобные видео на этом канале, у меня в голове крутятся строчки:
"А Илья кует
Аж душа поет!
Дни и ночи напролет
Все кует Илья.
Им любуюсь я.
Работящий мужик Илья!" (с) Ю.Лоза
А большинство рускоязычной аудитории не понимает о чем он половину видео говорит, лучше молча делать.
Thank you for posting this video, it was great to see old school techniques. I've given myself wicked cuts shaping with a file - be careful out there, everyone. I was very surprised to see the san mai technique being done so early well before the wrought iron was drawn out at all. I would worry that I'd lose track of where the high carbon steel ended up using this technique. I'll have to start practising to see if I can catch on.
A Gintama shirt. I knew that Ilya was a man of taste and distinction.
As usual your craftsmanship is off the chart. almost makes me want to forg instead of stock removal. Almost lol. Thank you for sharing love That Works videos you guys are very inspiring.
I have watched all episodes from aweme and been binge watching every second of content from this channel so addicted can't get enough.thanks for all the hard work and vids getting us thru these horrific time .be safe.
I enjoy watching bladesmithing but just the shear fact you added facts and tradition into it made it that much better.
Absolutely gorgeous and I love the history lesson!
I could watch that hand filing and scraping all day long!
Ilya your are one of the best in this world, for your passion, your kindness, and more importantly, your techniques. Is a pleasure to watch you working. I don't forget the first time was in forged in fire when you win with spiked shield. Thanks a lot.
Love how much you can learn from.iilya just to make a basic set of kitchen knives
Channel is way to underrated
There's something oddly satisfying about watching someone forge a blade and prepare a meal with it after
Love watching the knife build. However, I do not appreciate how hungry you made me with the fish at the end.
Cameron Carson I know I know
This video is incredible, beautiful smithing,beautiful knives, beautiful cooking, beautiful video making, very in depth and informative and how well placed that high carbon ended up was just superb, plus its always great to see the charcoal forge and some traditional techniques. Just excellent, thank you
Ilya, You are a great teacher who keeps my interest, which is no small task. Keep up the good work.
I loved this video!!!! In my opinion there should be more raw and unedited videos like this. I love seeing the craftsmanship
Raw and unedited? There isn't excessive background music and whatnot, but this is a far cry from being a bunch of raw footage posted as a video.
Damn damn damn.. just came across this video and went to buy one of these beauties and I guess they all sold out fast.
Fantastic video!
I love how clearly and simply you explain all the processes. I enjoyed seeing and hearing how you use the corner of the anvil instead of switching to a straight or cross pein hammer. That makes so much more sense.
As always, beautiful work! Also, wonderful cooking at the end.
25:12 This choice of backing music resonates so much, forging is a very peaceful activity for me. Don't get me wrong, I love Meshuggah as much as the next person I just don't really want that with my craft videos
Also, Thank You so much for every video, love you guys!
You guys should have a show that is nothing but Ilya grilling with a soundtrack of nothing but intense Asian jams. I would watch the shit out of that. Amazing and inspiring work as always!
Awesome video, awesome work. I'm about to make my dad a San mai chefs knife, so this video couldn't have come at a better time for me!! Thank you!!
Biggest flex ever shows us the process of making a beautiful knife and then uses it to cook
So much fun to watch, your metal knowledge is very strong and a pleasure to learn form. My favorite part of these videos is you add music instead of me listing to another grinder scream, or hammer chimes off of an anvil.
Thanks for the education and history lesson Ilya, always a joy listening to you guys explaining the methods and reasons behind it, never done any blacksmith work, but it makes me want to try and make something.
"But, if you don't have friends..." How does he know about my personal life?
Even though he's a bit of an elitest I love Ilya so much. I'm fascinated by and appreciative of anyone with his level of skill and a desire to share that knowledge :)
Master Chef 👨🍳 Ilya 🙌🏽 great knives 🔪 every skilled chef should have at least one in their arsenal
A real teacher.