Making Knives From An Old Scythe

Рет қаралды 22,764

Жыл бұрын

Knives are made from an 19th century Isaiah Blood Company scythe. Exploring the fabrication of these old tools is fascinating. I got to HAND it to them, these things are sharp!
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Пікірлер: 167

@arjenav5968 Жыл бұрын

As an IT guy who has never held a forging hammer or glowing steel, I thoroughly enjoy your videos. Nice editing, good voice, and always interesting topics, good explanations for the techniques you use. Now you've made me itch to dig through my garage to look for grandma's scythe that should still be around.

@contra009 Жыл бұрын

gotta love how well centered that strip was in the cross section. what a cool find

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

Brilliant manufacture

$@soonerfrac4611$

@soonerfrac4611 Жыл бұрын

Very cool blades. Maybe try them as cladding instead?

@jonathanyoung2588 Жыл бұрын

That cross section is rad. I love when you do old stuff, especially with the history bits. Another good video, Steve. Don't let it go to your head and go off killing hookers or anything

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

😝

@BeardManTimLaird Жыл бұрын

I really liked how the first one came out with the handle and all. I think you did a great job salvaging the material. It definitely is intriguing how they did the layered mild steel on top of a carbon steel.

@jozsefordog5638 Жыл бұрын

Recently i was in a closed scythe factory here in the Austro-Hungarian Empire, full of those medieval looking wooden triphammers, which were used well into the 20. century. Their products are thin, really thin, like you could bend the blade up and down next to the spine with your fingers. As others pointer out, the trick is work hardening the edge on a tiny little anvil with a hammer. Thank you for the great video, it was interesting to see how diverse and complex such an ordinary object can be

@Kratos_God_of_50_BMG Жыл бұрын

See, this is one of the reasons why your channel is so great. You show your successes AND failures, making your videos more real than some others!

@Rascal77s Жыл бұрын

Really cool video! I wasn't surprised that they were making laminated steel. Its basically how the Japanese made swords going back almost 1000 years. I was just really surprised to see it on an old scythe. That was a really cool blade.

@kylebates3627 Жыл бұрын

This is super cool, I love seeing the history in something so old. The story is a huge reason I like using recycled materials. Every piece is unique in their history

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

✊

@brysonalden5414 Жыл бұрын

Who knew they were doing san mai blades on scythes back then? The video certainly kept my attention, and made me feel better about the 3/32" steel I was given that seems to warp at a harsh look when it comes out of the fire. Thanks!

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

It’s awful

@bjf10 Жыл бұрын

San mai construction goes back to the middle ages for knives (steel core wrapped with wrought iron! See the Museum of London book "Knives and Scabbards" for some cool cross-sections.

@jackshields606 Жыл бұрын

Always hard to make something decent from scrap: never know what you'll get. Usually you just get dirty. They all look pretty good considering what you started with.

@Charlielizard Жыл бұрын

This was great. Was amazed to see that thin strip of high carbon steel in the center. Great video and think everything turned out great considering the thin pieces you were working with. You get an A+. 👍👍👍

@Wuzzup129 Жыл бұрын

The construction of the Isaiah Blood scythe is bonkers, but it makes sense. Some garden cutting tools I use are variable hardness. Harder at the tip while softer near the spine. Great for holding an edge while taking heavy hits from chopping tree limbs.

@henkvandebeek7921 Жыл бұрын

Super interesting to see videos like this and not just a regular knife build. Great content as usual

@lyonmandan Жыл бұрын

I half expected you to magically forge weld that super thin metal into a Damascus pattern.

@Pablo668 Жыл бұрын

Awesome work as always Steve. I once grabbed a random bit of leaf spring steel at work. I hollow ground it, and hardened it by heating just the edge as much as possible without anything on it. Cooled in oil, honed it. Turned out pretty sharp and the edge lasted quite a while.

@clarklarson7468 Жыл бұрын

They would work harden the edge with a hammer and a little anvil

@nijosm Жыл бұрын

You beat me to it . Exactly what I was going to comment

@DatBoiOrly Жыл бұрын

3:08 that strip around it is actually a core of high carbon steel to do with durability of the edge since scythe blades have a very very shallow edge profiles to be able to cut grass with ease so this core is added to protect the thinnest part of that edge so you have to sharpen it less when your working or if it hit something hard it'll be something minor to repair rather than with a fully mild steel one having to hammer it back flat then resharpen it which is a 10 min job excluding resharpening part.

@jamessnodgrass7360 Жыл бұрын

I can remember my Grandfather using one when I was a child, I always thought that they looked awkward and unwieldy. But they worked well. The San mai construction is a slick way to conserve steel. I envy your patience to work around the issues. Good job 👏

@NineteenEighty8 Жыл бұрын

Truly appreciate the information you give on object/projects you are working with like the history. Informative is good.

@jeverettrulz Жыл бұрын

great videos always. love the "and, make somethin" @10:34 .. basically what all my knife making amounts to lol

@19Chrisi97 Жыл бұрын

I really dig that first knife! Awesome! Really like the asymmetrical tang solution😁👍

@xxxdiresaintxxx Жыл бұрын

I like them, you're always coming up with new ideas and I like it.

@alecmcjarison999 Жыл бұрын

Beautiful how they stamped that shape in

@danwerkman Жыл бұрын

I think that was a very tricky assignment, also blown away with San Mai, would never have said that was possible for a grass cutting tool not to mention such a big thin item... Think that on its own is video worthy. Cool video.

@TheRedhawke Жыл бұрын

I like the blades and would love to see a video of how you made the handle with the copper wire wrap. Very cool

@verdantpulse5185 Жыл бұрын

I grew up in the town Isaiah Blood's shop was in. That section of the creek is still referred to as "the Axe Factory".

@j.r.tidwell3318 Жыл бұрын

I used one of them when I was younger. My Daddy had one with a handle in it. I cut tall grass and weeds with it. Daddy call it a sickle or something close to that. It really worked good.

@MCsCreations Жыл бұрын

Fantastic experiment, Steve! Really nice work! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

Thanks, you too

@timhvac6869 Жыл бұрын

I like them and I love the history lesson with it 🙂

@d4bl0w Жыл бұрын

It was a bit confusing with all the different projects/knives in one video. But made me feel like I was experiencing all the trial-and-error. So I appreciate that. The final product, the knife with the handle, really looks amazing. And the style of the handle gives it a Japanese touch. Great job!

@gothamantiquities2595 Жыл бұрын

Dude that was awesome just seeing the history side of it and then you made those beautiful pieces. That was tremendous!

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

🙏

@tellket Жыл бұрын

Wow. That’s thin material and I’m surprised anyone would attempt to repurpose it to a knife Thanks for the post.

@taz9041 Жыл бұрын

Great vid I loved how you kinda tried different strategies for each piece as complications occurred instead of just cutting it all up and putting it in a canister. The final products are extremely unique knives, blown away.

@shanemcguire170 Жыл бұрын

Steve, I think this is one of those projects where you take the Scythe cut it into several pieces, add some better steel, fold many times, and build a billet out of the folded steel. Then make knife. Just a thought....

@tinkeringaround6241 Жыл бұрын

Always learning with the green beetle nice job

@TalRohan Жыл бұрын

I really like those, particularly impressed with the first one which now looks like a japanese cut off saw or for making super thin veggie cuts for Saurkraut. I have one of the anglo american scythes and use it a lot, its quicker than a petrol brushcutter, but it has wobbles along the blade length which, I now know is from some one braising it to fix a problem. Most scythes were not generally heat treated at all but hammered along the cutting edge to work harden a very thin section and then honed in use. You can either hammer at an angle which makes a serrated honed edge or straight along the blade to make fine grass cutting edge which usually isnt quite as strong as the serrated edge. Very cool to see the etching and then your new blades resulting from your research.

@SuperJnne Жыл бұрын

As always I enjoyed seeing you work

@richardbryant7972 Жыл бұрын

Very nicely done, I’ve got couple of those somewhere think I’ll try them out.

@heavymetal19610 Жыл бұрын

Fascinating....thxs for sharing!!!

@RexKrueger Жыл бұрын

I've done that record/stop thing on my camera a bunch of times. Super frustrating.

@bjf10 Жыл бұрын

Beautiful work as always; super cool project!

@drstrangefart Жыл бұрын

VERY cool experiment, sir.

@ryanblystone5153 Жыл бұрын

Thank you

@derekhughes9274 Жыл бұрын

Interesting, I can see possibilities for other projects. Cool.

@copperwizard2046 Жыл бұрын

Good job man, it looks great!

@b2bogster Жыл бұрын

Absolutely awesome and unique. As always you come up with great projects. Thank you keep up the good work!

@danthemakerman Жыл бұрын

Did not know they were so thin! As always really cool experiment!

@ed.sol.crafts Жыл бұрын

Those came out awesome! You always make the coolest stuff!

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

🙏

@beezo2560 Жыл бұрын

Loved the science you did finding the layering. Didn't know they did that back then. The finished product is pretty cool and will have a neat origin story. Well done. Love the channel.

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

Cool, thanks!

@BeastlyIronworks Жыл бұрын

You never disappoint me buddy, a top shelf video as always,

@mayfieldca Жыл бұрын

Some English scythes were also forged using trip hammers around the Sheffield atea

@gaddiusgaddium9082 Жыл бұрын

Man, your channel is stellar

@theyakninja Жыл бұрын

In the place where my father is from, it is common to make utility knives out of old scythes and they are widely used. Not sure though if those scythes had steel layering. And! scythes are work hardened before resharpening to give the edge some extra hardness

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

Nice! I’d love to see what they come up with

@Flying0Dismount Жыл бұрын

Most scythe blades don't have a great heat treatment and are instead left as forged and the user peens the edge to work harden and stones it to sharpen, and when that gets dull and damaged through use, they dress the edge and peen it and sharpen it again...

@stephenkeefer3436 Жыл бұрын

I think it’s way cool. Good one.

@trueherbsman Жыл бұрын

love them!

@rotbart1047 Жыл бұрын

im mowing with austrian scythes now for some years. a scythe is a special kind of blade as far as i got it isnt heat treatet or on a very low hardness otherwise it would snap. but you need to coldforge the edge every now and than to be able to sharpen it to a usefull level. sry for errors englisch is not my first language i am from austria and my scythe is from a 500 year old company (i guess its made some times in the 20th century)

@ColdHawk Жыл бұрын

Woww. It’s a San Mai scythe? That is genuinely mind boggling. I can’t believe that much effort went into creating such a basic tool. Truism: they just don’t make ‘em like that anymore!

@noneyabidness9644 Жыл бұрын

Reaper knife? Coolio.

@cavemanvi Жыл бұрын

Rip coolio

@noneyabidness9644 Жыл бұрын

@@cavemanvi wait, did he die? Lol, ohh, cause of the reaper knife.

@b2bogster Жыл бұрын

That is absolutely fascinating 👏 San mi idea for a sith. Fantastic!

@leonxpc1 Жыл бұрын

Great video by the way.

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@krissteel4074 Жыл бұрын

Wow, that material construction sure is something else, my only real experience with scythe construction was when Torbjörn Åhman made his on youtube They must have had quite a set of rolling mills at that factory for sure. For what the material is and lets face it, its still some old-ass found metal the knives from it are really neat

@Traderjoe Жыл бұрын

I was hoping you’d fold it in half lengthwise and forge weld it to thicken the blade up. Possibly even use it as a laminate with another flat piece in the middle to make three layers, welded together

@AZCobraman Жыл бұрын

I have a scythe blade that belonged to my grandfather. The handle rotted away, but the blade is in pretty decent shape. May have to mess with it some.

@stimpsonjcat67 Жыл бұрын

It makes me feel better about the failures I have. Thank you for your suffering.

@StuartSmithHandForgedKNives Жыл бұрын

fascinating

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

Hey Stu!

@RobPollen Жыл бұрын

That looked like a fight

@pallien7501 Жыл бұрын

I have seen a lot of old knives actually made from scythes here, but Norwegian scythes is a bit thicker and narrower making it a lot easier to reforge to knives.

@Smallathe Жыл бұрын

Very cool! Looks like a lot of work, missing footage or not...

@jerryjohnsonii4181 Жыл бұрын

Two thumbs way Up !!!!!!!!!!

@AndyColglazier Жыл бұрын

Purty cool!

@Kurogane_666 Жыл бұрын

I love the videos and your works of art, I have to ask, did you/ could you do a video on making something like a stainless steel Damascus that has a deep edge like I've seen a few knives that are stainless steel and have a wave pattern that's a deep edge that's actually into the steel I've been trying to figure out for the last 2 years how to make them

@leppeppel Жыл бұрын

I still can't get over the fact that there was a scythe and axe manufacturer named Isaiah Blood. Talk about cool names.

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

😁 in business for 70 years too

@b2bogster Жыл бұрын

You certainly picked an up hill battle with one Mr. Beatle..

@dustyak79 Жыл бұрын

Found a old scythe was searching to see if someone else did this. I don’t have much forging equipment my I suggest doing some videos on reclaimed steel with little to no experience and regular shop tools.

@johnthemainguy9059 Жыл бұрын

Not a fan of cookie cutter profile/cut-out knives, but that has to be the best option for a piece of thin San Mai type steel.

@peterrosenberg8716 Жыл бұрын

The name Isaiah Blood Scythe is straight out of a horror movie. "down in that there holler, back in '32, Ole Isaiah Blood Scythe scythed up a whole mess of folk."

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

Heheheh

@Shroom_Lord666 Жыл бұрын

Isaiah Blood Company is a good band name.

@chriss3886 Жыл бұрын

I wonder if old (late 1800s - early 1900s) shears: carpet or appolstery would work?

@tylershufelt8529 Жыл бұрын

What kind of torch head is that

@andyc750 Жыл бұрын

the reason the edge is mild is because they used a hammer and dolly to sharpen old scythes, the carbon steel in the middle kept it all from going out of shape

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

Edge was high carbon steel on all of these I think

@andyc750 Жыл бұрын

@@GreenBeetle no, they were either mild or un hardened traditionally, soft steel is plenty hard enough to cut grass etc and they really were sharpened with a hammer

@mikebabb2155 Жыл бұрын

I want one.

@redbearworkshop3219 Жыл бұрын

Very interesting, I always thoughts those blades were just mono steel. I do wonder how well one of the blades would hold up to everyday use.

@johnthemainguy9059 Жыл бұрын

From what I've read, mowers used to sharpen their scythes many times a day. Watch out for rocks!

@bigernbladesmith Жыл бұрын

The continental type was also about 40 hrc and the edge was work hardened by peening the edge instead of sharpening, with occasional honing. So at first I thought you had one of those until you etched it.

@demipig Жыл бұрын

And now all the beetles neighbors know what ended up happening with their Halloween decorations.

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

Lol!

@jacobrawles8687 Жыл бұрын

Scythes were usually made from mild steel and you sharpened them with a peaning stake.

@NineteenEighty8 Жыл бұрын

As a disabled veteran with chronic scoliosis.. hearing "spine walking" made we wince in pain lol

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

😁

@pascalleong560 Жыл бұрын

Arm thing made me jump 😂

@BertchCustomKnives Жыл бұрын

That blows my mind that was a san mai blade from back then.

@norske907espeseth8 Жыл бұрын

To Cool 🤘😎🤘

@RisenHentaiDemon Жыл бұрын

hey that Scythe is from my home town ^_^

@harvesterbladeco Жыл бұрын

Now make a scythe from old knives.

@JackSilver1410 Жыл бұрын

I know scythes in theory, but I've never actually held one. I knew they were "remarkably thin," but I didn't really appreciate how thin. That looked like a step away from forging foil.

@jeanladoire4141 Жыл бұрын

So basically that was a san mai scythe (3 layers, two soft and the hard in the middle). Very high quality, and forge welded the traditional way too, then stretched and forged. Can you imagine if even 1% of tool companies nowadays used this technique? Tools would be indestructible

@jeanladoire4141 Жыл бұрын

Also no offense, but you're forging old steel wrong, friend ! You seemed to forge it way too cold. Always treat old steels like damascus, but worse. It always wants to split. So forge hot, if you're scared about the scale, heat in a reducing environment... And, well, hammering even after heat treatment to get everything straight is sometimes necessary, even if it's not done often in modern knife making. Keep making awesome videos! :P

@evaderknives Жыл бұрын

I think you are as stubborn & determined as me... Na, close, but I think I still hold the title. I mean just look at my legs, hahaha... Hope all is well my friend, take it easy.

@leslewin2821 Жыл бұрын

Hey mate. Glad to see you are still kicking. Haven’t heard from you in a while. You should do a KZfaq catch up video Dave. I’d love to know what you have been up to. Take it easy 👍🇦🇺

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

Stubborn, yep!

@evaderknives Жыл бұрын

@@leslewin2821 I put up a video last month checking in... be careful you might not recognise me, hahaha... I post almost everyday on instagram/titok/facebook. I just lost the passion for KZfaq. Hope you've been doing good. Take it easy.

@probationbird9786 Жыл бұрын

Really nice work! I'm such a noob to all of this, forgive me for asking what may be a really dumb question; Could/would you take another scythe blade, cut it into pieces and forge weld it into a billet, and then move forward with a project from there? I know the two different steels in there would mess with edge hardness, etc. but I think it would be an interesting damascus pattern, and make for an attractive knife... Again, noob, but I'd like to hear your response, it's the only way I learn.

@GreenBeetle Жыл бұрын

Probably

@Somerandomguy2998 Жыл бұрын

Wait, so is the edge harder than 60 HRC?

@robertshelton3796 Жыл бұрын

is "spine whacking" a standard metal working term?

@chrish1585 Жыл бұрын

I would think that once you determined the construction, clean it all, cut it and stack it and forge weld it and do a few folds. Then forge weld in a high carbon bit and forge a knife. Just my opinion.