Google Engineer Shows How To Forge Swords and Knives

An anonymous reader writes "Niels Provos, an engineer at Google working on malware and phishing protection, is showing on YouTube how to forge knives and Viking swords. The process is absolutely fascinating and follows the steps of Viking blacksmiths from a thousand years ago. It starts by taking small bars of metal that get heated and hammered together until they become a solid piece. He then shows how to form it with the hammer, heat treat and polish it. All the videos are narrated explaining the purpose of each step. Sure beats sitting in front of the computer."

Comments

NOVA did a show on ancient blacksmithing recently.

[papasui]

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/ancient/secrets-viking-sword.html

Re:Would love to do this

[Bearhouse]

Good advice! May I add a few things...

- Ear protection. You don't have to go for uncomfortable headphones, but cheap ear plugs are definitely a good idea.
- Keep a fire extinguisher handy
- Expect to get through a number of wire brushes; brush off the slag regularly, if you want a clean result
- Experiment with quenching, (water is OK, oil is better, but see remark above fire ex. above), if you're using good-quality steel, (easy to pick up as parent suggested)
- Try carbon face hardening if you're using (cheap) mild steel

In either of the two last cases, all you need is an open-topped container...

I suggest you start here...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steel

Re:Watch those hammers!

[JDevers]

Unfortunately a very small number of gun deaths in the US are committed with rifles.

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-12-18/american-gun-deaths-to-exceed-traffic-fatalities-by-2015

From a nested link in the link you posted, gun deaths outnumber blunt object deaths 17 to 1 in 2011. The other years in the article were similar.

http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/cjis/ucr/crime-in-the-u.s/2011/crime-in-the-u.s.-2011/tables/expanded-homicide-data-table-11