Awesome Steel

This metal flask from The Sneerwell collection is the perfect gift for the cantankerous guy who has everything. It holds up to 6 oz. of booze and features a patina finish that’s been applied to a stainless steel container, ensuring its contents stay potent while looking worn and weathered on the outside… pretty much how we feel every morning.

We’ve seen footage from a factory that uses automation to make rebar, but this facility in Pakistan takes a more hands-on approach. Hydraulic Hands posted this video showing how workers break apart large steel bars, heat them in a furnace, and gradually extrude the fiery hot ropes into long sections of rebar, which wriggle across the floor like orange snakes.

Ferrofire’s carbon steel striker tool works with standard ferrocerium rods to quickly start fires. In addition to its sharp striker edge, it has a serrated tip for making wood curls or soft ferrocerium to use as tinder. The striker comes two to a pack, but ferro rods are sold separately. Ferrofire also sells combo kits that include a striker and a rod.

We love the design and heft of this old-school metal toolbox from Japan’s Trusco Nakayama. It offers a classic look, a durable steel body in a bold blue finish, and a smooth-opening double-hinged top. Its two-level design keeps small items organized separately from larger ones.

Hitting molten metal with a bat seems like a bad idea. But The Slow Mo Guys are happy to take that risk if it entertains viewers. After melting some nails into a crucible, they tossed the liquid steel into the air, whacked it with a cricket bat, and captured the fiery spectacle at 10,000 FPS. Watch in 4K if you can.

Maker Connor Holland has previously shown us how he creates puffy metal objects by hydroforming. He teamed up with artist Hanna Clarkson to create a wearable armored puffer coat by welding together sheets of steel and then inflating them with compressed air or water. The finished suit looks like the Michelin Man and a Dalek had a child.

This multi-function pocket tool deploys like a switchblade, but it’s everything but a knife. Its steel blade combines a slotted screwdriver, a pry bar, a bottle opener, and a multi-wrench, while the back of its handle has an emergency glass breaker tool. A deep-carry clip keeps it easily accessible.

One of the coolest weapons that ninjas carry is the throwing star – also known as a shuriken. Maker B offers a satisfying machining video showing how he transformed a large industrial bolt into a pocket-sized shuriken with points that deploy with the push of a button. He made its body from the bolt head and its retractable points from slices of its threaded shaft.

Yoshiharu Hamono’s Penato Knife gets its name from its carbon steel blade’s pennant-like shape. It comes with a brass body and sheath, so you’ll be happy to leave it on your desk or shelf even when you’re not using it.

Petrol Vibes makes metal wall art based on the silhouettes of sports cars and motorcycles. In addition to classics like the Ferrari 250 GTO and C2 Corvette, they can fabricate custom designs. Each is made from laser-cut 2mm steel and comes in sizes from 31″ to 55″ wide.

Maker Mr Novruz walks us through the process of turning a single length of stainless steel wire into a cool and useful holder for keys. There’s something wonderfully satisfying every time he bends and twists the metal.

We always enjoy seeing how various metal items can be forged into Damascus steel. Random Hands shows off the process of turning a stack of measuring tape blades into a unique kitchen knife with one of the prettiest blade patterns ever.

394 Components makes this handy pocket tool that combines two different kinds of pry bars. One has a traditional wide tip, while the other has a skinny “finger” style tip for getting into tight places. Both bars are made from hardened steel with a black oxide coating and have 1/4″ hex driver cutouts.

After working from home for more than a decade, we love the idea of a standalone space to get away from distractions. Lou Maxon worked with architect Olson Kundig to create a home office on wheels that be rolled from the house into the woods of the Pacific Northwest. Nelsontreehouse, treehousepete, and dash.arc got up close with the steel structure.

British Colombia artist Kevin Stone creates large-scale metal sculptures. Among his works is this massive steel dragon inspired by Drogon from Game of Thrones. It took him two years to complete the 15,000-pound metal beast, which even breathes fire. Coolest Thing met the artist and got a look at some of his incredible works.

Steelpan drums are made from the bottom of an oil drum. Filmmaker Chas Sheppard met artist Jimi Phillip to see how they’re made. He starts by pounding a concave shape, then sketches each pan and hammers them before heating, tempering, and tuning by ear. This BTS footage from Sounds Like Steel stands on its own.

Rogan’s pocket tool is made in the USA from high-carbon steel. It’s got two chiseled edges that provide utility as a pry bar, log-splitting tool, and root-chopping digging tool. It’s also strong enough to hammer in tent stakes. It comes with a length of paracord for wrapping its handle. An optional sheath is available too.

Redditor arcedup works in a steel mill and wanted to test out the video capabilities of their phone. While they were at it, they captured this wonderfully satisfying clip of molten hot steel being turned into a coiled rod. Is it wrong that we want to make the world’s largest Slinky with it?

Stonewall, Canada’s Origin handcrafts each of these beautiful fixed-blade knives from recycled file steel. The minimal utility knife is great for carving, cutting cords, and opening packages and features a 2″ cutting edge. It comes with a leather carrying case in brown or black.

The manhole covers here in the U.S. are pretty utilitarian. But in Japan, manhole covers can be works of urban art. This video from Process X takes us inside a high-tech factory that turns raw steel into embossed discs, then has artists embellish them with colorful enamels applied with squeeze bottles.

Given how beautiful this sledgehammer looks, we’re not sure we’d hit anything with it. The 10-pound steel hammer is handmade by Joseph’s Metal Works. Its bronze-accented head is filled with steel shot BBs, with a torched patina and a protective clear coat. Deerskin leather wraps around its metal handle.

Hand Tool Rescue came across Michael Volpe’s 1919 patent for an insane multi-wrench. The concept for the hand tool was that it could turn just about every imaginable fastener. He decided to make a replica of the impractical wrench in hopes that one day he might find every kind of fastener it can tighten.

The Process K channel shares videos of industry at work in factories around Korea. In this clip, you’ll see how thick steel bars are stretched and pulled while hot to create skinny lengths of rebar used for reinforcing concrete. Let’s face it, can you ever get enough footage of molten hot steel?