Awesome Forging

The guys from That Works show off the build process for another awesome weapon replica. Matt and Ilya turn their attention to the ornate Dagger of Death’s Flowers from Resident Evil Village. Carving that handle from a solid block of aluminum looked like a ton of work.

The coiled sword in Dark Souls III is one of the coolest fantasy swords we’ve seen. Aleksey from Bellerophon Studios demonstrates a number of classic blacksmithing techniques to bring this awe-inspiring twisted blade to life. Matt from That Works provides the informative narration.

We love watching rusty old objects get turned into shiny new ones. In this video from Random Hands, they transforming a weathered railroad track into an elegant Japanese weapon. The process starts by cutting off a hunk of steel, forging it into a bar shape, then gradually shaping and grinding it into its final form.

The beautiful patterns of damascus steel make for some of our favorite tools and knives, and the thicker the tool, the more dramatic the look. In this clip from metalsmith Hassan “Habu” Abu-Izmero, watch as he welds together, forges, and twists multiple layers of steel to create a truly special pair of pliers.

Metalsmith Shurap enjoys making tools, weapons, and sculptures by recycling other metal objects. For this blade, they cut out a hexagonal grid from blocks of metal, then carefully arranged nuts and bolts into the form before forging and pressing it. The finished blade has a unique and compelling pattern in its center.

Inspired by the incredible work of artist Peter Walker, fellow blacksmith Alec Steele wanted to try his hand at sculpting a miniature head out of metal. The process involves squaring off a bar of steel, then hammering and chiseling to make indentations while it’s still molten hot.

The guys from That Works are knee-deep in other projects, so they’re sharing the video spotlight with the talented smiths at Bellorphon Studios. Watch them use two very different techniques to make a mismatched pair of axes based on the ones Eivor wields in Assassins’ Creed Valhalla. The flames start at 3:20.

We love how metal can be used over and over again. After one object has served out its life, it can often be melted down and turned into something new. In this clip by metalsmith Random Hands, he shows us how he took a rusty link from an old piece of ship’s chain and hand-forged it into a beautiful new samurai sword.

A fire basket (aka “brazier”) is exactly what it sounds like – a metal basket that holds a bunch of flaming logs. Blacksmith Torbjörn Åhman walks us through the process of creating one of these, which involves cutting, stamping, bending, forging, and welding multiple matching pieces of metal. Also, hot riveting never gets old.

Leaf springs from cars and trucks might not offer the best ride quality, but they make some pretty awesome weapons when recycled by a skilled bladesmith. Faraway Forge crafted a beautiful Japanese tanto-style knife from one such rusty piece of metal. We love how he kept the pitted texture as part of the finished piece.

Inspired by The Seven Deadly Sins manga and Netflix show, Matt and Ilya of That Works created a real-world replica of King’s imposing Spirit Spear Chastiefol. If you love blacksmithing videos, this one is well worth a watch, as it’s packed with satisfying footage of power hammering, punching, grinding, and brazing.

Making the woven metal armor known as chainmail (or “chainmaille”) is a time-consuming, laborious process. So imagine what it must be like to create a suit of chainmail armor for a giant. Blacksmith Timothy Dyck painstakingly forged 250 circles then riveted them together to make a scaled-up version fit for Paul Bunyan.

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.

Russian YouTube channel Creative Forging shows off a neat technique for creating an awesome dragon scale patterned handle from a solid bar of steel. The trick involves making a series of 45º cuts into the metal, then heating it in a furnace and twisting it while still pliable.

Footage from Shandong Iraeta’s factory where they manufacture steel grinding balls. Watch as tubes of metal are heated, then forged into molten orbs which roll down an assembly line before landing in a cooling vat. The music makes it just that much more dramatic.

To celebrate his 1 millionth YouTube subscriber, metalsmith Alec Steele went out and spent over $4500 on a 100 gram solid gold bar. He then set about the task of seeing if he could apply his forging skills to the notoriously soft metal. We wonder how many dollars he left on his anvil.

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.