Awesome Blacksmithing

The swordsmiths of That Works take on another great video game inspired build, this time crafting the Lothric Knight Sword from Dark Souls III. Rather than an over-the-top fantasy weapon, this impressive and strong straight blade is as practical as a real world sword that could have been wielded by an actual knight.

Inspired by the new Assassin’s Creed game Valhalla, the swordsmiths from That Works created a real-life replica of the badass Viking axe that’s front and center in Boss Logic’s game art. We love the detailing on the engraved logo and weathered finish that makes it look like it’s seen some serious battle action.

When he’s not making glowing katanas, Keaton Goddard of Faraway Forge likes to create new tools and weapons by recycling stuff from the junkyard. Watch as he makes a beautiful rapier from a rusty old leaf spring, with a hilt crafted from bent bicycle sprockets, oak, and a trailer towing ball.

Bladesmith shurap loves to make damascus from all kinds of unusual objects. In this case, he managed to get his hands on a bunch of rusty, ancient blades that date back as far as 1100 years to the Kievan Rus era. He then smooshed them down into one elegant new weapon. Historians and archaeologists look away.

That Works take a moment away from smithing video game weapons to craft something more historically accurate. They first make steel by carburizing iron, then forge it into an incredibly deadly spear like the ones used in the 8th and 9th centuries. We were surprised just how effective it is when swung, not just when stabbing it.

Faraway Forge envisions a universe in which battles are fought with light-up katanas. He first forged its two blade sections, tempered them to different finishes, and welded them together. He then sandblasted the handle, and installed electroluminescent tape and wire to give it an awesome red glow.

That Works take on a video game weapon that dates back all the way to 1986. But rather than the pixelated flail found in the 8-bit Castlevania, they built a replica of the one Trevor Belmont finds in the 21st century animated series. It’s a painstaking process to build such a complex weapon using blacksmithing techniques.

(PG-13: Language) The swordsmiths at That Works pay tribute to The Witcher by forging an impressive replica of Geralt’s steel blade. They even folded some meteorite into the steel, giving it an even more mystical appeal. The build even includes a detailed replica of Renfri’s broach attached to its hilt.

We rather enjoy watching tools being recycled to serve another purpose besides their original use. In this clip from Hassan “Habu” Abu-Izmero, he takes us through the process of transforming an old steel box wrench into a razor-sharp axe.

After their run on Man at Arms Reforged, Matt Stagmer, Illya Alekseyev, and the swordsmiths of Baltimore Knife and Sword are back with their own channel, That Works. Their first build is an impressive replica of Asta’s imposing sword from Black Clover. It’s not as slickly produced as their previous series, but a bit more informative.

For this project, metalsmith Shurap created a gigantic chisel using numerous layers of steel. The oversized tool is designed for woodworking, but is so beautiful that it could just be a work of art on a stand. Watch how the intricately-carved handle was made here.

Metalsmith Freerk Wieringa walks us through the lengthy process of transforming a steel blank into an incredible weapon – an oversized bowie knife that would make Crocodile Dundee proud. The grinding and sanding sequences are especially satisfying.

Not only is this teensy axe that blacksmith Paul Pinto made adorable, he upped the challenge of creating it by using a miniature anvil and hammer he previously made. The only problem with the video is the sped up drilling sound reminds us of the dentist too much.

Blacksmith Torbjörn Åhman walks us through the painstaking process of creating a pair of handcrafted scissors, using an old coil spring as the starting point for his work. We never get tired of looking at red hot steel as its shaped into useful things.

Did you know that many bike tires contain a metal wire to form their bead? Metalsmith shurap decided to see if he could extract the steel from eight old tires and melt it down to form it into a damascus steel blade. We don’t quite understand the use of the pepper in the process though.

Metalsmith Koss walks us through the process of taking an old, worn file and transforming it into a shiny new knife. The finished tool uses reshaped and sharpened steel from the file, with the addition of new G10 scales for its handle. We love how he preserved the texture of the file as part of the blade design.

Mt Phillip Metal Works shows off an amazing method for turning a bar of metal into an intricate and sculptural decoration inspired by the scaly tail of a dragon. The technique was inspired by the work of fellow metalsmith Matt Harris.

How to Make Everything decided to how many U.S. one cent coins it would take to make a copper sword. He first had to separate older and newer pennies to get the ones that are mostly copper, then set about the task. We’d love to see the blade patina over time.

Blacksmith and blademaker Jake’s Custom Knives shows us how he takes old coil springs from cars and turns them into shiny new weapons. In this case, he transformed a section of the suspension coil into an awesome little samurai sword.

Blacksmith Alec Steele and students training at his workshop provide a condensed look at how layers of molten steel are repeatedly smashed together, first by machine, then by hand to create a pair of stunning damascus hammers.

Metalsmith Dmitry Shevchenko (aka “Shurap“) continues to crank out knives using unconventional materials. After showing us how to make damascus steel from screws, washers, and cable, he’s back to craft the patterned metal from a car’s timing chain.

Massachusetts blacksmith shop Hammer on Steel hand-forges each of these bottle openers from iron and steel. They make a perfect groomsmen’s gift, and can be custom monogrammed with the recipient’s initials at no extra cost.

After showing us how to damascus steel using a bunch of melted down steel washers, metalsmith Shurap is back with another cool upcycling video, as he takes a few sections of braided steel cable, heats them up, and works them into a sweet looking blade.