Adam Savage Baffled by Obscure Armor-Making Tools! 

The MET's Arms and Armor Department: www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/collection-areas/arms-and-armor

Can we please get an update to this one once some of the intern’s research is completed? I’m sure we’d all like to know more of the story when it’s available.

Adam looks as happy as a bird that found a french fry.

I love it when collections are living history and still not only in use but provide historical record of the arts

My grandfather was a jeweler and watchmaker. I always loved going through his bizarre tools trying to figure out what they were for. When I couldn't figure it out - I would ask him. Now that I have his tools, I wish I remembered everything he told me.

Hi Adam and Crew. When i was an apprentic one off my old Masters used a rivethammer like that. It was to make a stand off rivet (Zapfenniete german). You butt the rivet in a hole in a sheet use the Hammer to make a shelf in the rivet as hi as you need it then u can rivet the next sheet with a stand off to the first

I am a blacksmith and was a tin smith... I think the hollow pein hammer would be really hand for riveting. My guess would be it would be used to press the two pieces being riveted together. Here is how I would use it. Place a rivet with a head already on one side through a hole to join the two pieces together. Back the rivet with a stake anvil. Hold a wooden mallet in one hand and the hollow pein in your main hammering hand. Place the hollow pein over end on the rivet to be formed and smack it tight with a mallet. Then flip the hollow pein around and begin heading the other side of the rivet. At a couple points during process the hammer and mallet could be used to alternate between tightening and heading. Small rivets are often done cold... and in the process of doing a rivet cold I could see how it might really help to do a bunch of tightly spaced rivets really quickly. My guess would also be that an assistant would be the one keeping the armor pieces stable and feeding the other guy the next rivet. Maybe even placing them in the holes and replacing the stack on the stake. So one guy holding the armor and a pocket full of cold rivets ready to go... the other guy with a mallet in one hand the hollow pein in the other. Just a guess though...

I love how many different fields Adam is interested in and appreciate the fact that he's never lost his passion and dedication to learning.

That intern definitely has a lot of work ahead of them! It looks like a fascinating project. Good luck!

The fact that this is the second video in one corner of a larger room makes me think there are some VERY COOL THINGS to see if the camera were to turn around.

The same hammer is used for loose fitting rivets on joints in metal working where you need to rivet two or more items with the rivet as the point of movement. the depth of hole in hammer is used to set the max crush limit for items needing a lose fit connection, the ones i have seen in past have adjustable depths on them but same basic hammer shape and hole in center. thanks for the content

I used to see the armor as a kid. Full circle to know the staff of just that department is a treasure trove in and of itself. Amazing

Amazing set of tools and loved the comment "I just want to touch everything!"

Mr. Savage, you NEVER disappoint with your content!

I'm simply floored by the set of tools there. I also was agape at the detailed and specific tools you showed on screen. Thanks for bringing this to our living room.

The MET's Arms and Armor Department: www.metmuseum.org/about-the-met/collection-areas/arms-and-armor Join this channel to support Tested and get access to perks: ru-vid.com/show-UCiDJtJKMICpb9B1qf7qjEOAjoin

My father was a machinist and I have his tools in a glass top display table. Micrometers, calipers, taps, punches, etc. Cool stuff that needed a place to be appreciated and easy to pull out and hold. Cheers, dad.

What an amazing collection! If I couldn't see it myself, seeing it through you is the next best thing.

To anyone who envies the intern who will be working on this: It's not hard to find a museum that needs interns (paid and volunteer) to do very important work behind the scenes. For one thing, hundreds of years worth of research and cataloguing has to be digitally imaged, and that process often involves figuring out how to reorganize stuff. It may sound tedious but in my experience it's not, and it's *very* rewarding to know you've made a contribution to scholarship that will benefit many generations to come.

Things you dont know until you know then you find out they dont even know.....How bloody awesome!!!

I love that Adam, when examining the mystery hammer, pulls out a copy of an Apollo flight flashlight to see down into it. Never change Adam.

I find this all fascinating. As someone that started learning and making theater and cosplay props on and off I can understand the frustration and necessity of making/repurposing your own tools, molds, patterns, cutouts, etc. to get the piece you want to make "just right". I started with paper and card board, learned wood working, some light metal work, a little bit of leather working, some painting, and only now I am touching on foam shaping and molding. The process is never-ending, rigorous, and frustrating but at the end, rewarding.

I grew up in my Grandfather's sheet metal shop in Philly. He always said that, JR on any tool meant it was the Jr. (junior) version of that tool. G being the "Grand" tool (as in 4' or longer) SR (Senior)being the most common used size, and JR being the smaller hand held tool size. "B" tools are the most rare tools, because they're one off's. They were "Bastard" tools, meaning they were made by one man, then improved on by the next owner. (waist not, want not) Making the old style obsolete. Sadly they were all stolen back in the 1960 MLK riots. Also, that's a Rivet Hammer. 1 hole in each piece of sheet steel, push the rivet up from below, slide the hole down over the rivet give it a blow to "set" the rivet. (tightening it in the 2 pieces of metal) then peen over to your desired look. If you're ever in Philly, The Art Museum has some sweet suits of armor.

Just WOW! Adam's enthusiasm is infectious. And then to see the dedication people to preserving an artform that probably progressed metallurgy by leaps an bounds. Just friggin interesting. Thank you!!

This was one of the best. Absolutely fascinating! So much to do so little time!

7:45, Adam jumping with joy at the fact they have tools they don't know the use of.

I recognize that mystery tool! That hollow-peen hammer is not technically a hammer; It's a hot-working monkey tool. Notice that it's not wedged, and that's because it's not meant for swinging. You put the hollow part over a long tenon and you hit the face of the 'hammer' to flatten the junction between the tenon and the wider material. Bet any money that the face is soft and the hollow end is hardened. If you have a heavy piece of steel with a little tenon sticking out of it it could be radiating too much heat to work safely or comfortably with a hand-held monkey tool. Thus they put it on a stick so they don't get burned. It's riveting-adjacent I suppose since you can make flush rivets with it.

I share the same love Adam! Wow! To be in that room with you and all that gadgetry!!!! Awesome!!! Your work is second to none!

I hope there are more videos of this collection.

What a fantastic shop tour guide Sean Belair is.

The Frazier Museum in Louisville, Ky has a huge collection of gunsmithing tools that are well over 150 years old with many tools that they have know idea what they were used for.

Omg I could spend years in that shop! Amazing collection and that's just a small part seen on camera. Just wow I am extremely jealous!

A wonderful French Museum of tools and equipment is the Maison de l'Outil et de la Pensée Ouvrière à Troyes (The Museum of Tools and the Philosophy of Labour) in Troyes; capital of the Aube département, which I'm sure Adam would enjoy. It houses a vast collection of pre-20th century items going back hundreds of years, plus a huge related library. Sometimes the things used for making objects are more amazing than the objects themselves ! Not to be missed by Fans of this channel!

For a channel full of awesome videos, this one was just top notch.

Very cool, Adam. Thank you for bringing us along!

I'm so glad you noticed the calipers! I'd been shouting at the screen for half the video 😅

I think it's wonderful that the tools are both part of the collection and still used as tools. I think that better shows their quality and I'm sure the creator would be proud knowing his tools were still being used to this day.

Wooow! How is this video not over an hour? So much to learn!

Such a beautiful series, the pulse of living history breathing through this unique mini series, valuable historical tapestry

Oh my god the MET is my favorite museum of all time mainly due to the Arms and Armor section. So cool to see this!!

I love the way that Adam completely failed to play it cool. He was like a kid in a toy shop.

Casually dropping the Royal Armories in Leeds. Located in the heart of England, West Yorkshire. An amazing place to visit!

I knew you would spot those calipers...what an incredible collection , so glad its been preserved and still used as well on original ancient armor....that's amazing :)

WOW! Not only the tools but also people are part of living history. Amazing and even touching 😮

That was fantastic in every way. Thank you Adam and RU-vid's algorithms.

As someone who has toold that have been handed down including some very strange tools that were custom made for working on horseless carriages I know every single one of my tools I love them & in a few years when I die they go to a friend & he will give them to his nephew continuing the journey

What a great episode!!! That was such a treat. The poor guy was sweating a lot but he's a cool dude.🍻

Omg! This is incredibly awesome! How cool is it that we got to share that experience with you! Thank you Adam!

Every second of this is delightful to me. I hope they make a blog or something about the state of the intern's discoveries!

The level of joy is just amazing

This whole series is absolutely fascinating! I love it!

what a Beautiful collection of tools !

Couldn't imagine a better shop for Adam to visit than this or a better person to present it to the world. Looking forward to a one day build of Adam making horse calipers.

thank you so much for sharing this. never would have seen something like this otherwise and that is some incredible living history!

So absolutely cool!!! I love the historical look at making

Thank you SO much for this tour! Its definitelyon my list of "go to" places now!

We had those big wooden calipers in my highschool (gymnazium) circa 2000. It had chalk holder instead of one point and we would use it as a big comoass and draw circles in geometry classes on a blackboard. Good times.

One of my favorite places in the world! So exciting that you got to go behind the scenes!

I recall a similar 'hollow peen' hammer (wasn't referred to as that) in my high school metal shop.. back in the 80s.. and it was used to do fluting on tight curves.. whether it's the same thing.. who knows

I love hearing Leeds get name-dropped, it was just a tourist attraction to me when I lived there but across a few historical channels and a few sites, I am now starting to see that it is an important part of figuring out our history, not just as the western world, But as a species. (They have a very through collection from China and India from what I remember)

Thanks Tested team, I was looking forward to this. Wow.

Adam should definitely make horse armor calipers for his shop

Of all the things Adam gets excited about out there, this must be the thing he is most excited about. He can barely contain himself and it is amazing to watch.

This was pretty cool. I can’t wait to hear more about the history of these tools!

Out of the firey furnace arose the world we know today. I love tools, facinated with all types. This is a world apart, yet intimately part of our world today. Great stuff Adam, thanks for sharing.

I would happily watch you guys walk through the collection for hours.

I'm so glad they are still using the tools.

That was very interesting. I had a metal shaping class at Dagger Tools here in Michigan and the methods and terminology for Metal Shaping for auto and motorcycle panels is pretty much the same. I'm sure from a historical perspective they are based on ancient methods passed down through generations.

I wish I had one item that would make Adam gasp in astonishment. His giddiness is so infectious

Love this! Thank you for sharing this with us!

Adam, please stay in touch with these people and follow up with the history of these tools that their intern digs up!

Great content! Thank you Adam.

That man is clearly passionate about is work. Cheers.

Wow! Great story to cover! Thx

Dude, those giant pliers in the thumbnail look like the pliers off of a old 90s PS1 gem called clock tower,super cool btw!

That looks like heaven!

oh man this reminds me of when i was an armorers apprentice.... so much fun.... love seeing all those tools again.. and i seem to remember using a hammer like the one with the hole in for rivets... but not sure these days...

So cool. Must share.

Adams Enthusiasm is the best it is contagious!

That was a darn cool episode!

I've been to the royal armouries in Leeds several times. I would highly recommend. You can tell Adam is in his element here. Great watch. Would love to visit this place and have a rummage

What a wonderful treat. I'd love to see a piece by piece documentation of the collection, hopefully something is made and fully released to the public one day.

Fascinating!!!!! Thank you Adam!!!!

7:57 I have a similar hollow peen tool with the hole in it, that my grandfather handed down to me. My hammer isn't hardened on the 'head side' so it can be struck by another hammer safely. How I use it is when I have 2 pieces of metal that need to be affixed, but still move independently, I peen the rivet to the first plate, leaving the rest of the rivet proud.. then i put the second plate over top and final peening to join the 2 together. there may be other uses, but that's what my grandfather showed me

Always happy to see someone else who gets as excited I do about the tools that make the things that wow people.

What a treat it would be to explore that workshop!

I have a set of those anvil shears that I inherited from my grandfather along with a couple of anvils and assorted tools. It's cool seeing that collection. It stirs up a lot of good memories.

I never really thought about learning something about old processes not by studying the finished products that were made, but by the tools the makers had. Some tools might have super niche applications for which most people just used a more common tool that takes slightly more time to use, but generally speaking, craftsmen would keep tools around in their workshops because they need them for their products. Having both finished pieces and the tools allows you to try to understand the process from two different directions.

Such beautiful tools.

This is my favorite video you have ever made. Thank you

Very cool video, Adam. Old tools are fascinating. Years ago, I inherited my Great-grandfathers blacksmithing tools that he used 100 years ago. I totally understand your enthusiasm in getting to see that collection.

adam, another use for the tool at 8:35 is as a 'wad punch' you use a sledge hammer on the polished end to strike the dounut side into a patch of leather, like the tine tool for cutting stiching holes, the hole catches the 'plug' cut by the circle; or if the rivit is HOT, it can be a rivet cutter, to cut the rivet away, to split parts during a repair job, to replace leather parts.

I love all of these tools so much as well. Of course Adam is at peak happiness !🤙🏽⚒

I hope to one day find a workplace half as interesting, communal and creative

8:15 edited cleaned out answer: It's a hammer used for driving rivets to a specific depth without deforming the washer that's found at the base (of that specific rivet). The reason it's rare it's because it's actually used in conjunction with a specific anvil that you're missing, called a "bombarde" anvil. First you drive the washer in, which locks the rivet. Then you snip the excess off and peen the remaining end over the washer, finishing the rivet permanently. You can see these in copper, brass, for steel for leather.

A wonderful magical place

Fascinating and educational. I ❤ your content. 💯👍

You're an incredible individual, #AdamSavage. Thank you for sharing your wealth of knowledge and taking us on thrilling adventures.

Blimey! As a 53 year old man who's worked with my hands for most of my adult life, this has given me serious workshop envey. What a place, and that they still use the tools is amazing!

I've seen instruments like theese in my fellow armorysmith's videos, but never so many of them. This is amazing!