Awesome Forging

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.

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.

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.

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.