How Japanese Masters Turn Sand Into Swords

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This is a video about how Japanese samurai swords, aka katanas, are made - from the gathering of the iron sand, to the smelting of the steel, to the forging of the blade. Head over to hensonshaving.com/veritasium and enter code 'Veritasium' for 100 free blades with the purchase of a razor. Make sure to add both the razor and the blades to your cart for the code to take effect.
Special thanks to our Patreon supporters! Join this list to help us keep our videos free, forever:
ve42.co/PatreonDEB
If you’re looking for a molecular modeling kit, try Snatoms, a kit I invented where the atoms snap together magnetically - ve42.co/SnatomsV
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A massive thank you to John McBride for making this entire project happen. This would not have been possible without John. Please check out his japan walking tours walkjapan.com/
Massive thanks to Craig Mod, Inoue-san, everyone in the Tanabe family, and Takanashi-san. Also a massive thank you to Kevin Cashen - cashenblades.com/
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References:
Tanii, H., Inazumi, T., & Terashima, K. (2014). Mineralogical study of iron sand with different metallurgical characteristic to smelting with use of Japanese classic iron-making furnace “Tatara”. ISIJ international, 54(5), 1044-1050.
Tate, M. (2005). History of Iron and Steel Making Technology in Japan Mainly on the smelting of iron sand by Tatara. Tetsu-to-Hagane, 91(1), 2-10.
Krauss, G. (1999). Martensite in steel: strength and structure. Materials science and engineering: A, 273, 40-57.
Krauss, G., & Marder, A. R. (1971). The morphology of martensite in iron alloys. Metallurgical Transactions, 2, 2343-2357.
Yalçın, Ü. (1999). Early iron metallurgy in Anatolia. Anatolian Studies, 49, 177-187.
Kapp, L., Kapp, H., & Yoshihara, Y. (1987). The craft of the Japanese sword. Kodansha International.
Matsumoto, C., Das, A. K., Ohba, T., Morito, S., Hayashi, T., & Takami, G. (2013). Characteristics of Japanese sword produced from tatara steel. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 577, S673-S677.
Inoue, T. (2010). Tatara and the Japanese sword: the science and technology. Acta Mechanica, 214(1), 17-30.
Images & Video:
Great video from NHK - ve42.co/NHK
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Special thanks to our Patreon supporters:
Adam Foreman, Anton Ragin, Balkrishna Heroor, Bill Linder, Blake Byers, Burt Humburg, Chris Harper, Dave Kircher, David Johnston, Diffbot, Evgeny Skvortsov, Garrett Mueller, Gnare, I.H., John H. Austin, Jr. ,john kiehl, Josh Hibschman, Juan Benet, KeyWestr, Lee Redden, Marinus Kuivenhoven, Max Paladino, Meekay, meg noah, Michael Krugman, Orlando Bassotto, Paul Peijzel, Richard Sundvall, Sam Lutfi, Stephen Wilcox, Tj Steyn, TTST, Ubiquity Ventures
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Directed by Petr Lebedev
Written by Petr Lebedev and Derek Muller
Edited by Trenton Oliver, Jack Saxon, Peter Nelson
Animated by Fabio Albertelli, Jakub Misiek, David Szakaly
Filmed by Petr Lebedev and Lui Kimishima
Produced by Petr Lebedev, Derek Muller, Han Evans, Giovanna Utichi, Emily Taylor
Additional research by Gregor Čavlović
Thumbnail by Peter Sheppard
Additional video/photos supplied by Getty Images
Music from Epidemic Sound

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20 мар 2024

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Комментарии : 8 тыс.

@shangerdanger Месяц назад

finally a video that's just about material science so a dumbass mechanical engineer like me can understand it lmao

@joecordero1699 Месяц назад

Bsme gang let’s goooo

@lpc9929 Месяц назад

Hey Google

@gaveintothedarkness Месяц назад

Same here, the math stuff just goes over my head.

@calholli Месяц назад

This stuff is undoubtably cool... But modern day CPM super steels are far superior than this old classic style of making swords.. (CPM is crucible particle metallurgy)

@hoochill Месяц назад

you like phase diagrams?

@mackerel9026 Месяц назад

man open youtube, man see sword, man happy

@dragonofmight3971 Месяц назад

real

@Kavaitsu Месяц назад

Nice pfp btw

@gustavl3107 Месяц назад

Man read comment, man upvote

@Lunk42 Месяц назад

Literally me

@konradk1066 Месяц назад

Man watch Shōgun, see Katana video, man click

@konstantinospalapanidis6414 25 дней назад

"Whatever you do you should do it with deep care, attention to detail, and love for the craft" So true.

@alainvosselman9960 4 дня назад

And start developing those qualities at a young age. So you have set a result-producing standard by the time you reach your late teens. It's worth a lot and shapes one's character i think.

@yellostallion 3 дня назад

A Yogi did say a few years ago, be fully involved in what ever the hell you do. Something profoundly beautiful may come out of it. So true!

@Metal_Master_YT 22 часа назад

The original saying is: "Whatever you do, do it with excellence."

@marcpeterson1092 6 часов назад

That is exactly how I feel about my heroine addiction.

@christophermolitor4554 15 дней назад

Props to Peter, this must've been intimidating at times and he did a great job being respectful and appreciative of the opportunity.

@AAbattery444 Месяц назад

Do you guys remember when shows like planet earth and the discovery channel pumped out interesting documentaries with this level of production quality? I miss those times. Shows just don't feel like this anymore. Thank you for bringing back that feeling veritasium. You guys can't get enough credit.

@theastuteangler9642 Месяц назад

man, when discovery channel dropped in the mid 90s, it was insane the level of production, the knowledge, the narration.

@dimitar4y Месяц назад

(((they))) want you to be stupid. Stupid pays 90% of their work as tax that .. Honestly I got no idea where it all goes. But this ain't no 'spiracy.

@nes999 Месяц назад

Imagine if they had TV channel level budgets and power

@michaelmoorrees3585 Месяц назад

Because they went for low hanging fruit, resulting in the likes of Ancient Aliens.

@dimitar4y Месяц назад

because corporate hires morons who do nothing but excuses, accountants that reduce costs until there's nothing left, lawyers so they can cheat people and get away with it. All in the name of "Profit".

@shangerdanger Месяц назад

meanwhile i can craft a steel dagger in skyrim in 4 seconds. we've come so far

@falxonPSN Месяц назад

Indeed. And if the old commercials are true, when the PlayStation 9 lands, you'll be able to do it by thought alone!

@MrSerCeMan Месяц назад

Considering the direction in which modern gaming is going, you'll be able to do it in just 1 second soon... because that's how long it takes to do a microtransaction.

@onlyonecannoli7537 Месяц назад

Ah yes 14 damage don't think you'll cut through the carpet tho with that 😂

@ThePWNDR Месяц назад

it’s the guy who thirst traps with fish omg!! hi can i have one of ur gfs

@wl5420 Месяц назад

Yo so true!

@andrewmyers2920 Месяц назад

such a beautiful combination of geology, chemistry, physics, history, and craftsmanship

@dazingamaine4318 Месяц назад

truly awesome. nice to see an alien presenter. they truly look almost human.

@roostewrum Месяц назад

Sooo.... "metallurgy".

@pamtnman1515 18 дней назад

Agree. Wish they had included the handle and scabbard parts too

@jooei2810 18 дней назад

Don’t forget mysticism.

@mrsyre 6 часов назад

And sorcery 😂😂

@user-tp5tf5gs3l 27 дней назад

As a Japanese native, I can’t thank you enough for making a video on this subject. The metallurgy associated is just so fascinating and getting the neat graphics and explanations was awesome. Thanks for spreading the Japanese culture!

@FenrirRobu 26 дней назад

This video is made with care and a lot of effort. However, are you aware of the inaccuracies presented here?

@scriptself6092 7 часов назад

Japan doesn't have culture, it's a province of China, wake up.

@toshiyukisaito8757 Месяц назад

Hi Veritasium and Derek. I'm a descendant of a Katana blacksmith in Japan. The craft in my family has been continued up to the end of Edo era and no one is a blacksmith anymore, but my family had swords inherited from our ancestors. Thank you very much for your appreciation for the art of sword making in Japan. I enjoyed this video more than any other videos of yours since I found you 9-10 years ago. I've watched every single one of them since then.

@GluStiKk Месяц назад

Can I have one and can you teach me how to make a sword!!!

@annoswet1576 Месяц назад

@@GluStiKkhe literally just said they are not blacksmiths but their ancestors were :p

@GluStiKk Месяц назад

@@annoswet1576 i want a new sword bro wtf😡😡😡😡

@ink9812 Месяц назад

Tell me you're rich without telling me you're rich. "Oh, we have a few swords from the Edo period". You're so lucky

@annoswet1576 Месяц назад

@@GluStiKk just make your own sword from a cardboard box. We call that the poor mans katana.

@Darockam Месяц назад

What amazes me is that we're now perfectly able to explain in details all of the mechanisms involved along a process that emerged solely from trial and error. Science is amazing.

@pablo.pereyra Месяц назад

And we can produce better quality steel in less time and more quantity.

@traplover6357 Месяц назад

This ^^^ Love that science explains the why part

@Rom2Serge Месяц назад

Now we have thousands types of various steels , supper alloys , the modern drill bit made out if tungsten alloy may easily drill trough the best of Japanese swords. Agree science went a long way .

@lbaxel9122 Месяц назад

Insane people were able to figure everything out like that before science

@ViktorRzh Месяц назад

@@pablo.pereyraYep. And lets say, if you dig throu how this industrial processes were discovered. It was literally like - old dude with a dozen generations of experience and a few kids with mechanical engenering knowlage. And they actually figured this out even before science catched up. Early books on subject may casually reference alchemical works because it was a base understanding.

@kajeralocse 16 дней назад

I love how they preserved the rituals involved such as praying. This takes the hardwork and output beyond physical realm, to a spiritual realm. It gives meaning to what they're doing. The level of faith and respect to the elements is astounding. Thank you for showing this to me Veritasium!

@triggercrysisjames142 4 дня назад

As an amateur American blacksmith, I truly appreciate you making this video. The history and techniques of Japanese sword making is fascinating and should be understood by anyone that wants to learn blacksmithing. Thanks again! Great video!

@neophoys Месяц назад

18:20 slight error here: The combination of Ferrite and Cementite is Pearlite, not Perlite. Perlite is a volcanic glass, mostly made of silicates and used in gardening for its high porosity that helps to aerate the soil and provide microrefugia for microbes.

@helloidharbl6753 Месяц назад

** deep inhale** NNEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEERRRRDDD Just messing with ya. Knowledge of such things is cool.

@thorwaldjohanson2526 Месяц назад

The spines usually also don't have enough carbon to form a pure pearlite structure, rather a ferrite-pearlite structure.

@jakeleclaire7786 Месяц назад

It’s “Leviohsa” not “leviosa”

@gingeral253 Месяц назад

Wowzers

@fubbernuckin Месяц назад

thank you for this. I knew about perlite from gardening and furnace concrete, and I was very confused when they said that some white volcanic gravel was the same thing these swords were made of.

@kylejohnson4662 3 дня назад

Japanese craftsmanship can be defined by one word: patience.

@Evil.Turkey Месяц назад

If you can find a Hattori Hanzo for under a million you should buy it for sure.

@Znatnhos Месяц назад

One of my father's favorite pieces of advice is "anything worth doing is worth doing right" and these Japanese artisans take that philosophy to the extreme.

@alexv3357 Месяц назад

"Never half-ass two things. Whole-ass one thing." - Ron Swanson

@segueoyuri Месяц назад

I've also heard people say "the way you do something is the way you do everything". This Japanese meticulousness and perfectionism pervades their culture everywhere you look. Veritasium posted a video about the blue led just the other day, it's a very good example of that. Once they put their mind to something, doesn't matter how hard it is or how many hours of work it takes... It'll be done

@thecookiemaker Месяц назад

reminds me of Amish furniture. My friend bought an entertainment center to put his tv and stereo system in. The back side of the piece that is never seen since it is up against a wall is just as detailed and well built as the front that gets all the eyes.

@n0m4nic Месяц назад

Now if only they knew what they were doing. Spring steel is far superior.

@jdapaul1351 Месяц назад

Explains Toyota's jidoka and kaizen principles.

@nadabutsi7537 Месяц назад

Small correction. By folding the steel you will actually lose a lot of steel due to slag and pieces flying off, the more layers the more material loss will happen. Alec Steele on youtube who specialises in modern damascus talked about this in one of his videos

@xakstyles 28 дней назад

Which is probably why it's only folded 8 to 13 times. 35 years ago, I watched something that talked about them being folded 1,000 times +, they must have not understood how the layers form

@spcraftsman2656 27 дней назад

@@xakstyles"if it's good, let's do it a thousand times. that'll make it better, right?"

@FenrirRobu 26 дней назад

@@xakstyles it's another marketing trick, saying folded to mean the number of layers formed rather than the number of actions performed.

@matchesburn 3 дня назад

@@xakstyles Technically you can easily get 1,000+ layers formed in pattern welding (not really what is being done here, really, due to the construction of the blade itself) by starting off with like 20 thin layers and folding it only it several times. The layer count expands exponentially. Larrin Thomas, the inventor of MagnaCut, actually has a YT channel called "Knife Steel Nerds" where he not-so-long ago tested damascus steel with alternating layer counts. (It helps that his father, Devin Thomas, is a master smith and has been making damascus knives for decades.). Including 25, 125, 625 and 3,125 layers. You couldn't even really make out the layers in the 3,125 layer one. You could definitely tell it was pattern welded, but individual layers no longer existed.

@twerkingbollocks6661 3 дня назад

@@xakstyles Folding it 10 times will give you 1024 layers, I guess they meant that?

@chadsummers7981 17 часов назад

We owe it to these Japanese craftsman. No modern science. Just skill practice and repetition. Absolutely beautiful

@SnootchieBootchies27 Месяц назад

What I find amazing is that they figured this out through experimentation and intuition, without actually needing to understand the chemistry involved.

@SariahPendragon Месяц назад

These swords are literally the physical embodiment of trial and error in a form that cannot be perfected further, and as you said, without understanding the molecular science. Japanese swordsmiths are geniuses.

@bass-dc9175 Месяц назад

@@SariahPendragonUhm ... I mean they did the best they could but traditional japanese katana were vastly inferior in terms of the steel it used, over European swords. Let alone modern ones. Saying the smiths of that time were highly skilled and did the best they could is valid. Saying they reached a "form that cannot be perfected further" is assinine. Modern mass-produced steel katanas will beat any traditionally crafted one in terms of performance. (And the "Traditional" needs to be put in quotations too, since the sand used as ore is sifted with electromagnets. Older Katanas have far more impurities than modern "Traditionally" crafted ones)

@ingerasulffs Месяц назад

@@bass-dc9175 Could you share a source or two for the statement "traditional Japanese katana were vastly inferior in terms of the steel it used, over European swords"? Thank you. I did my 20 minute research and in the 3 places I had time too look it turns out the Japanese traditional steel was not at all inferior to European traditional steel.

@iotaje1 Месяц назад

@@ingerasulffs People did a number of tests, for instance striking the swords with one another. The japanese sword breaks in half, not the European one. Japanese swords are also much thicker and heavier, this is evident when you see that a Katana is used two handed despite having a very short range. It is also sharpened on one side only and not very good at stabbing, which is how you best use a sword in war. The reason for this is that the Japanese smelting process produces lots of low carbon iron and a small amount of high carbon steel. In order to make a useful weapon the smith must forge weld many different pieces together and they are very good at it. Europeans use a single piece of high carbon but springy steel, which makes the blade very tough, and the outer layer is hardened by cementing aka case hardening. The japanese barely used their swords in combat, it was a status symbol so it's battlefield performance didn't really matter.

@markn6941 Месяц назад

@@iotaje1BS...google is free bro.

@anandakrishnan45 Месяц назад

"whatever you do, you should do it with deep care, attention to detail and love for the craft. Do that enough times, and you might just make something wonderful" - Veritasium

@stevdor6146 Месяц назад

whatsoever ye do, work heartily, as unto the Lord, and not unto men; knowing that from the Lord ye shall receive the recompense of the inheritance: ye serve the Lord Christ. -Col 3:23-24

@emailformosa Месяц назад

_… __-wonderful-__ beautiful”_

@digl_live Месяц назад

Probably one of his writers tbh. I'm not sure he writes any of his videos anymore.

@The_Random_Bastard Месяц назад

WTF??? did you even see the previous video with rods of god ?:D:D:D if they would follow what in your comment they would not take such huge L

@sportyeight7769 Месяц назад

We often forget the most important part. You will suck hard at it at first, then you'll become average, then maybe you'll become great.

@spidernevi 6 дней назад

This must be a very epic journey for him. The forging process itself is an epic ritualized group efforts

@JohnCNewJr Месяц назад

I admire the respect your producer showed to this art form. Well done.

@JoeSmith-bs1kt Месяц назад

Peter is such a good producer. Like he keeps getting crazy access to crazy places and then when he's on camera he's just like "it's gonna be great". So humble, but if you know how much work he's doing it's absolutely insane humility.

@JoeSmith-bs1kt Месяц назад

Bro he learned basic Japanese for this that's insane.

@BishopStars Месяц назад

Katana means Japanese sword

@veritasium Месяц назад

You know I'm screenshotting this comment to send to Derek right? -- Petr

@illeshurkecz5204 Месяц назад

@@veritasiumToo late, I already did. - me

@theyruinedyoutubeagain Месяц назад

Get that raise boy @@veritasium

@Exilum Месяц назад

23:38 I love that because he bowed much lower than him, he felt compelled to bow a second time. You bow at different levels depending on how respectful you're being and the context, so him doing a 90° bow was probably very unexpected. You can''t not feel bad if someone bows 90° while you didn't 😭

@ahobimo732 Месяц назад

I guess you can't tell how low the other person has bowed until you coming back up! 🤭

@NihongoWakannai Месяц назад

@@ahobimo732 you don't need to look, you should generally know how low to bow based on the social situation you are in

@dolgolae Месяц назад

I noticed this too, I was really shocked at how low he went it almost felt like he was apologizing 😂

@Interspirituality Месяц назад

@@ahobimo732thats deep

@robictibay5747 Месяц назад

How about a 180 degree bow huh?

@tomconner5067 Месяц назад

The curve in the double edged blade increases the rigidity of the edge and prevents excess flexing, keeping the edge at the correct shaving angle and a close shave with minimal skin contact feels comfortable and cool

@DeweyBlanton-ku7db 8 дней назад

You are one of very few outsiders to get first hand experience of this traditional way and thanks for sharing.

@lucdercourt9791 Месяц назад

For that price it better be brimming with haki.

@smallpatatu Месяц назад

For that price Ryuma should come to my house and give it to me 😂

@kryeohs Месяц назад

and a full training course with mihawk

@Diamondthetimewaster Месяц назад

Bruh

@Canetoady Месяц назад

@Richard_Nixon-mr6rq Месяц назад

???

@pjaywils6073 Месяц назад

Have watched several videos showing the making of Japanese swords. Always interesting to watch. This video is no exception and I'd like to say many thanks for clearly explaining the science behind how the various steels are combined to produce the swords. Very informative 👏 👌

@vishnusankar5364 9 дней назад

Hi Peter, it's a great video. I liked the way you explained each process even though I knew few processes i didn't know why they are for. Thanks for the clarification. I appreciate that you are grateful and you had a huge respect for the opportunity you got. All the best. Looking forward for the next video.

@ProAlchemist Месяц назад

As a metallurgist, I'm still amazed people figured this out over time and laid the groundwork for where we are today.

@traplover6357 Месяц назад

Wondered how many generations it took to form this whole process from raw materials to perfection.

@redrob6331 Месяц назад

Were tataras used for all iron and steel production in pre-modern Japan?

@solandri69 Месяц назад

When you consider the state of modern metallurgy, it's mind-boggling thinking of how we got here. You think of all the different elements, different combination of elements, and different concentrations of each element which can be added to make a steel alloy. The different heat treating processes which can be applied to it. And you come up with a staggeringly ginormous number of possible different combinations, each with its own slightly different properties. Countless smiths over millennia tried out different combinations, noted its strengths and weaknesses, and passed that knowledge down to their apprentices, which was eventually collated into textbooks and catalogs of common knowledge. What we know about alloying today is the cumulative total of countless lifetimes of experience spanning thousands of years.

@calholli Месяц назад

This stuff is undoubtably cool... But modern day CPM super steels are far superior than this old classic style of making swords.. (CPM is crucible particle metallurgy)

@eli3998 Месяц назад

@@traplover6357hell even getting the raw materials is impressive, I'd've never thought of that sand trick, props to whoever figured that out

@harimonting01 Месяц назад

He looked so genuinely happy when he used the sword for the first time. I myself can feel the excitement just by watching.

@Wordavee1 Месяц назад

And what did he use it for, chopping a bit of bamboo!! Now what will he do with it? Spend years training to use it like the Japanese warriors did? Or put it on a stand on his mantlepiece and tell visitors how craftsmen spent days making finely tempered steel sword, with a razor edge ......for them to look at!!! 🙄

@harimonting01 Месяц назад

@@Wordavee1Yes, it's an art. They don't use it to kill people anymore. What do you expect?

@VZAAGE Месяц назад

This is one of the best channels on RU-vid... and this is the coolest video shared so far.

@complexity5545 Месяц назад

Great vid. My inner warrior man was glued to this. Making the steel (stock) was the best part.

@_Mukuchi Месяц назад

those slices were unbelievably clean, people don't know how difficult it actually is to slice a mat so cleanly

@cesarkopp2 Месяц назад

I recently discover a well-done sharp machete can do better than most swords, in circumstances where do you need to cut things.

@_Mukuchi Месяц назад

@@cesarkopp2 I bet a machete would definitely make the job easier. I was just referring to in battōdo and iaidō, it takes a lot of training and practice before you actually get to cut a real mat, and most beginners either are unable to completely cut through the mat or even if they cut through, the sliced edge is curved and there are split ends of the tatami everywhere. It is hard to slice a tatami mat with a katana in such a way that it results with the sliced pieces to look like it was digitally sliced in a 3d modeling software. (I assume professionals can do even more impressive cuts at a much more slanted angle, his cuts were mostly perpendicular to the mat's side by an angle nearing 90 degrees which in theory is easier but still is impressive nonetheless)

@jonathanodude6660 Месяц назад

@@_Mukuchi why is that? what is the technique and why is it difficult without it?

@offeibekoe452 Месяц назад

@@cesarkopp2qqQ

@jamievarni1530 Месяц назад

Oh, yes I do! Experience is a bitter teacher.

@uGotGot1618 Месяц назад

These swords are incredibly cool and worth every dollar, but just so you know, a cutting device doesn’t have to be all that exceptional to split a bullet without itself being destroyed. You can do it pretty consistently with a run of the mill axe from the hardware store.

@MiguelAbd Месяц назад

Man, you're on point. It is such a bad argument to show something so cool as swordsmithing.

@AlexBesogonov Месяц назад

You can do it with a butter knife.

@jmcu17 Месяц назад

I've seen someone do it with a butter knife. Not impressive at all.

@hanjarake_taro Месяц назад

謎理論

@Tearakan Месяц назад

Yeah bullets aren't the hardest materials

@TAPOUT5282 Месяц назад

Thank you for all the time and work that went into this video. Thank you very much for sharing this amazing video with us

@neokaneida 3 дня назад

i have seen plenty of sword/ katana making videos... this is the best one ive ever seen in my entire life. great job!! thank you.❤❤❤

@4RILDIGITAL Месяц назад

The attention to detail in every step of making these swords is beyond words. Not only are they a thing of beauty, but the skill behind them makes them even more impressive.

@OlexTheGreat Месяц назад

As an aspiring blacksmith, my favorite science RU-vidr posting a video about blacksmithing is like Christmas all over again

@rangleski3695 Месяц назад

How do you feel about them using modern techniques like the electric hammer? as a lay person, im a little disappointed they werent still using originals methods.

@dolgolae Месяц назад

@@rangleski3695not the original commenter but I think as how blacksmiths are more rarer than what is used to be in Japan, I imagined getting apprentices to help hammering would be also a rare occurrence. That’s my theory anyways but I feel the same way with you that I wish it was kept as the traditional ways but I understand to a certain point.

@PrograError Месяц назад

@@rangleski3695 IHMO the eHammer is basically like Ai tools (sans GenAi) or even modern farm tools. It's only a tool so much it reduces the effort needed to get to the final product...

@trimetrodon Месяц назад

I read an article about these swords in Machine Design magazine. The most important detail is not “the” alloy used, but a combination of TWO steels, that are layered by folding so that a very hard alloy forms the edge, and a softer, more flexible alloy prevents the sword from shattering. Whoever independently discovered this process was a genius.

@CloudWolfs Месяц назад

Just the fact of trial and error and countless tests just to get the process right to where they are now even back then is absolutely mind blowing and incredible

@chicken Месяц назад

This was beautiful to watch. I've played so many videogames with "smelting" and "forging" survival crafting - but I've never seen how it was done by hand. This was amazing.

@ruburtoe1 Месяц назад

Runescape?

@KaitlynBurnellMath Месяц назад

It's nice how knowing a little bit about smelting helps make sense of the smelting system in those videogames too. A friend of mine: "Why aren't there any steel ore nodes in this mine?" Well, because steel is made by mixing iron and charcoal, you don't mine it. Similarly with Bronze--there's no "bronze mining nodes" in this mine cause you need to mine copper and tin.

@nido84 Месяц назад

@@ruburtoe1 replace the "ru" with "pe" but replace the "escape" with "ner" but replace the "pe" with "mi" but replace the "ner" with "ecraft"

@sealiosshorts Месяц назад

Get a life you bot

@JWC249 Месяц назад

@chicken, are you also X?

@naygoats955 Месяц назад

2:47 Ah yes the bronze katana technique I haven’t had to use this since the heian era

@Leoliat Месяц назад

I was gonna say this dawgg

@catsmeow3656 Месяц назад

Lmaoo I was trying to find a comment like this

@ZydenHi Месяц назад

God dammit

@RedIsntHome Месяц назад

I came here to say this

@0accuracy427 Месяц назад

scrolled for this one

@Flames-dp6hw 7 дней назад

I absolutely enjoyed this one. I knew a little bit of the sword making but I learned so much about the steel smelting that I had never heard of before. Absolutely amazing!! Thank you for creating this!;

@patrickkirsch1239 Месяц назад

I'm a PhD student in Materials Science and Engineering and I wanted to say thank you for this video. A lot of your work goes into the materials science behind things (the semiconductor/ blue LED video was a great materials science video too) but this went into depth on something similar to the project I work on. It's difficult to describe what I do in grad school to people, so this video is perfect.

@rodidoesburg4061 Месяц назад

What do you think about material science in building engineering? Is that somewhat the same

@patrickkirsch1239 Месяц назад

@@rodidoesburg4061 If by building engineering you are asking about more structural engineering/ architectural engineering this is a little different. Materials science and engineering is more of an atomistic approach for how a material behaves. So when a material scientist talks about structure, they are usually referring to the crystal structure (how the atoms arrange next to one another, to build a larger crystal) This is different from building engineering, or at least what I believe you are referring to, where structure means bulk properties like strength, ductility, etc. materials science figures out why a material has a certain strength or ductility based on how it was produced, where building engineering just applies the bulk properties to engineering problems like what steel to use to reinforce a building. Long winded but let me know if that answered your question!

@cayman7806 Месяц назад

What do you do for grad school? I finished grad school recently and was everything metals (casting, mainly).

@patrickkirsch1239 Месяц назад

@@cayman7806 I’m looking at how a new additively manufactured steel that the navy uses to weld their submarines and ship hulls together compares to the actual material they use for the ship hulls when it comes to environmental assisted cracking (seawater+ stress+ not a stainless steel = cracking which leads to failure). The navy wants to try and expedite their submarine production and if they can limit the amount of time needed in heat treatment facilities by printing the parts rather than traditional wrought production, they can make more subs. What did you do for grad school?

@cayman7806 Месяц назад

@@patrickkirsch1239that’s neat. I worked with the Air Force to develop a benchmark casting process that could be used to develop property process structure maps for novel aerospace alloys. Lots of simulation modeling and lots of melting/pouring metal.

@AntonioFreyre Месяц назад

whoever did your color grading this time deserves a raise - beautiful looking video

@animenation7171 Месяц назад

Nah that's just japan

@RafidW9 Месяц назад

@@animenation7171moronic comment from someone who knows nothing about editing

@jg4780 Месяц назад

Mexico and China crying in gray shades

@averagejoe2307 Месяц назад

@@RafidW9 moronic comment from someone who knows nothing about comedy and sarcasm

@chiShija Месяц назад

@@jg4780nah mexico bein graded in near monotone orange

@EricTheOld 3 дня назад

Every trade is from deep down professionalism Great video and much respect

@Middlestepofficial 24 дня назад

"Strong enough and sharp enough to slice a bullet in half". Meanwhile, Japanese sword: made of steel. Bullet: made of lead. You can slice a bullet pretty much with a inox steel butter knife.

@SilverforceX 16 дней назад

It can also slice a 50 cal MG bullet, 6 or 7 times, before fracturing. The MG bullet is steel!

@Ose-here День назад

it was a japanese butterknife, of course. the most predominant weapon during the sengok era.

@Kelnx Месяц назад

These methods make them more expensive due to the labor involved, but far better steel is made everyday industrially. If there were a reason to do so, a modern sword could be devised using cutting edge technology that could outperform and outlast any sword ever made in the past. So what you are seeing here is not the making of "ultimate swords", but really amazing pieces of art that carry history in them.

@Bruno-cb5gk Месяц назад

Yeah, this video is pretty misleading. It's also omitting a lot of information about other swords, making the katana seem a lot more unique and advanced than it actually is.

@ALittleMessi Месяц назад

I mean that's the story with almost all specialty made Japanese goods. Could you get something produce in a lab/factory that's technically better? Sure. People pay for the history and culture of it. The same can be said for organic food. Even the debate about AI art will literally come down to "did a human put blood sweat and tears into this?".

@nateh2652 Месяц назад

Any through tempered spring steel is going to make a superior sword. Shadiversity just did a breakdown on this video, and while painfully long, its really good. It seems veritasium fell victim to a lot of the mysticism surrounding the katana and tamahagane steel.

@cccccccocckkadoodadloo Месяц назад

@@ALittleMessiyah you not wrong that logically makes sense however- being a fine furniture trainee (if we talking about straight functionality of swords ignore me but u mentioned art) there is a certain feel that human crafted objects art- furniture posses that machine made processes really really struggle to replicate if at all.

@cccccccocckkadoodadloo Месяц назад

My point is- is not always bout the history and culture and yes human craftsmanship can and does produce ‘better’ things even if technically they are not perfect.

@kricku Месяц назад

19:23 You know the reference

@darkkingshocker 5 дней назад

Overdrive

@abhinandankumargupta-xm6dp 16 дней назад

As a mechanical engineering student, i can say that the metallurgy and material science concepts explained in this video in such simple manner, its gold...

@tommcclelland119 Месяц назад

Truly amazing. Thank you for sharing this experience.

@user-tr8ze7hs5t Месяц назад

I never tire of watching swords being made by masters. Especially Japanese masters, because of the great care and ceremony involved. Thank you for another viewing.

@x0j Месяц назад

omg heckin japan

@HiGiBu Месяц назад

couldnt unhear 16:39 may thy blade chip and shatter

@aussieglizzy6998 Месяц назад

You are deaf

@samskordi6079 Месяц назад

Must be intentional!

@anthonyserafini Месяц назад

As it is writen

@whereswilliam488 Месяц назад

As it was written

@H1shman День назад

19:35 clay is watered down into a paint and artists use a brush to paint on layers to achieve the high level of detail in the Hamon in addition to the process of wrapping thicker layers of clay. Though if you are referring to the blade thought to be made by Sukekane, the dragon is simply engraved and not from using clay and quenching. Incredible video by the V team.

@mahdiebrahimzadeh6581 Месяц назад

deep into a cultures, feeling every concept behind ceremony and having sense of being part of that glorious human history. thanks your channel, perfect job

@rudijohnsen9674 Месяц назад

When you were partying, I studied the blade. While you indulged in the latest binge-watch, I mastered the ancient techniques of sword-forging. As you scrolled endlessly, seeking validation through likes and follows, I cultivated patience and precision in the heat of the forge. Now, as the world marvels at the artistry of the Japanese sword, and collectors clamor for a piece of history, you have the audacity to ask me to share the secrets of the katana. Remember, while you chased fleeting pleasures, I embraced the discipline of the blade.

@peterobinson3678 Месяц назад

Ok, boomer...🤔😂

@df71091 Месяц назад

Tldr

@kennethn3179 Месяц назад

Wtf? 😂🤣

@ELYESSS Месяц назад

@life-destiny1196 Месяц назад

Y'all wouldn't know a pasta if someone served it to you in some fancy restaurant

@olsonspeed 3 дня назад

Metal smelting and forging taken to high art, true craftsmen of exceptional skill.

@veironhedlund8061 Месяц назад

rookie mistake veritasium. picking one of the most heavily debated nerd questions in history. this is the superman vs goku of the weapon world.

@SinHurr 16 часов назад

Should be easy then, because Superman wins. The math works in his favor in almost every incarnation.

@lethalcuhh4820 Месяц назад

As a civil engineering student, your animations, live-steel production, and the well explained processes have taught me far more about the creation and forging of steel than the boring, crappy powerpoints shown at my uni.

@stephano1221 Месяц назад

The village at 4:44 is Shirakawa, which is the village that Hinamizawa - from Higurashi: When They Cry - is based on

@RhynoD2 Месяц назад

Ah, good reason to NEVER GO THERE, then.

@zerocool6452 Месяц назад

Oh wait you are right, how did I miss that?

@gadnihasj Месяц назад

So you're saying the village at death minutes, double death seconds..

@2710cruiser Месяц назад

Oh my… no wonder it feels familiar

@crueltear Месяц назад

@@RhynoD2You can go, but there is no return from the forest where cicadas cry.

@rahulsingh7508 Месяц назад

I don't know why I am in tears after watching this video. The art of making Katana is beautiful beyond any justifiable explanation.

@RedIsntHome Месяц назад

2:45 They probably made them to use against Sukuna

@DavidWhoHasBeenSaved Месяц назад

😎

@mphRagnarok Месяц назад

May thy knife chip and shatter 16:40

@JustusScottJr 17 часов назад

I've seen only a few really good documentaries about katakana in English. This is the best I've seen at explaining the material science. Very well done. Thank you!

@Kanotoa Месяц назад

Great video. I was familiar with the process of making katanas but this went more in depth. Great video, thank you!

@Ready_Set_Boom Месяц назад

I love how much the producer appreciated the craftsmanship and dedication of these artists.

@Kiesmander Месяц назад

I'm incredibly impressed by the edge alignment on Petr's cuts on those tatami rolls. No scooping or anything.

@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 Месяц назад

I don't even know what edge alignment is and I'm still impressed by it.

@87Benz-tf9qs 3 дня назад

Everything Japan makes is done with great skill. I have seen so many videos of items from swords to wood furniture and Everything seems to be done with such amazing skill and attention to detail and the end results are always nothing short of amazing. Very smart skilled craftsmanship.

@daryback7103 3 дня назад

I love the philosophy and way of life behind every traditional handmade katana and their masterful blacksmiths. "The Smith must always wake up as the sun rises, as the colour of the sun is the key to forge a katana." This quote is lovely, as its an ancient way to teach not only to sleep and wake up early, but also a motive to do so if you want to be a master blacksmith. How could you tell, in those days, what is the exact colour of the sun without looking it up yourself??

@link6913 Месяц назад

Another banger. Shoutout to Petr for his hard work on this one. You can tell hit put his whole heart into it.

@Amino_Domado Месяц назад

I'm so HAPPY that Miyamoto Musashi is mentioned in this video!!! I was expecting it because you love to add some historical background in your videos.

@tsaqifrizky5276 Месяц назад

02:44 Ah yes, my "anti-bronze-sword" technique, I haven't used this since the Heian era

@TheMcFish Месяц назад

That smile and the little nod from the master at 22:55 was golden

@thomasburke7995 21 час назад

Just wow.. properly the best video i have seen on Japanese sword craft from the perspective of a western journalist.

@PeterRichardsandYoureNot День назад

So, the true miracle is that these sword masters figured all this out by trial and error over centuries. That is the truly amazing tale here.

@WwarpfirewW Месяц назад

22:50 the master swordsmiths smile of satisfaction about perfect cuts done by foreigner with masterwork sword

@pieterpennings9371 Месяц назад

“He fought 60 duels to the death, and won every last one of them”. Yea, otherwise he wouldn’t have gotten to 60

@PlayerJ1 Месяц назад

lmao

@sequoia7284 Месяц назад

If that wasn’t specified it would imply he lost the 60th.

@pieterpennings9371 Месяц назад

@@sequoia7284 no because he says he retired after or something so he not ded

@jtg1912 Месяц назад

Not every duel ends in death for the loser

@sequoia7284 Месяц назад

@@jtg1912 every duel to the death does in fact end in death for someone.

@arie1293 21 час назад

Very cool and educational. The explanation of quenching and carbon atoms was fantastic. I have such a better understanding of its function now. Before, all I knew was slow quench is softer and fast quench harder but did not know why. I can better appreciate why these cost so much now, particularly the ones made before electric bellows and mechanically driven hammers. Many thanks to those who let you film this!

@GTJonas 29 дней назад

Fantastic video. I only wish it had been much longer. I could easily have watched it for an hour or longer. Impressively high production quality-as always.

@Bokilano Месяц назад

Wow. Everything is “handmade” except the bellows and that giant hammer and look at that crane. What an amazing purely “handmade” process. Definitely everything is done by hand and I mean by “hand.”

@ZamirMubashir Месяц назад

Derek has really become a master of story telling over the years! I could watch him describe paint drying!

@ArceoInfinity Месяц назад

I'm always recommending him too people and would usually compare his narratives to that of Neil deGrasse Tyson if he narrated things out of astronomy.

@drunkenghoul 13 дней назад

I love the quality of the video and easy way to present information.

@jessereid8482 День назад

blades are the most beautiful form of art because they are not only gorgeous enough to be admired, but dangerous and useful enough to be respected. art with a purpose is beauty, not a painting on canvas, destined to crack and rot in a glass case.

@user-sc6bg3ky5t Месяц назад

22:56 it’s simply beautiful to see the awe and joy of the guy alongside the master’s clear proudness of his own work with that twinkle in his eyes

@filip_reznicek Месяц назад

Experiencing all of this through Peters eyes is such a cool addition. The facts are interesting, but all the emotions gave it another dimention. I love it!

@ninjasheeps3690 Месяц назад

It did but im noticing a trend of more videos with new People in the focus which kind of makes me worry if maybe derek is planning on leaving the channel

@avedic Месяц назад

It's genuinely astonishing that humans are as smart as we are..... The sheer number of concepts involved in this is mind boggling. This entire video makes me proud to be human. We're pretty amazing actually.

@sya_7489 17 часов назад

Honestly, your channel teach me more about anything and in a much better way than school

@mu11668B Месяц назад

I remember as a kid I had access to some educational DVDs produced by NHK. All the videos were live demos of physics and chemistry experiments. One of the experiments talking about redox was this kind of iron smelting procedure. It wasn't as high-tier like this one and the "kiln" was just a tower of cinder blocks. This videos just brought back my memories watching those quality contents.

@user-ys8ub9pt8h Месяц назад

"So sharp it can cut a bullet in half" Nearly every sword can cut a bullet in half.

@Yesnaught Месяц назад

Stamped steel butterknives, too.

@t0mn8r35 4 дня назад

This was a very well made and interesting video. Excellent editing and narration. Japanese swords have always fascinated me and tis video explained the making of them very well. Thank you!

@MarcoTheGrim 25 дней назад

This Peter trip to Japan gotta be the most productive ever for youtube.

@moulderat11 Месяц назад

I really enjoyed this episode, I think what made it enjoyable was seeing Petr's enjoyment and passion. He was able to participate in something many people would enjoy to do once in their lives.

@HannyDart Месяц назад

And he was appreciative of that fact!

@frankthetank8050 Месяц назад

So why don’t you go and buy that 105 Million katana then?

@jordyv.703 Месяц назад

@@frankthetank8050 What?

@vigilantcosmicpenguin8721 Месяц назад

Petr hasn't been on camera for long, but he's already gotten me audibly cheering when he slices a thing with a blade.

@alexanderren1097 Месяц назад

The statement at approx 0:45 that the Japanese made a weapon that was the pinnacle for their style of warfare is incorrect if it refers to Katana since they were NOT primary battlefield weapons. If you want to talk about swords on Japanese battlefields then you need to look at Tachi, O-dachi, and other swords all of which were larger and more robust than katana. Even then, no sword was EVER the primary weapon that Samurai used on battlefields. Swords were always backup weapons or carried for self defense during unarmored “civilian” settings. The battlefield weapons of Samurai were bows/arrows, yari (spears), naginata (comparable to Chinese Guandao or European glaives), and guns. And yes, not only did Samurai use guns, they LOVED their guns once they found out about them from European traders and had bought enough to figure out how to make their own

@TheGismono Месяц назад

Makes sense, The 'Tachi' seams closer to that of the european 'Long Sword' in use cases. While the fighting style of 'O-dachi' would fill a same kind of roll as a 'Flamberge'.

@dfriedbauer Месяц назад

Ok nerd

@yakfacethethird3054 Месяц назад

Absolutely. At most, the O-Katana was a battle-field weapon, but not the katana. The katana was more used for show, status, and sometimes duels.

@the8thark Месяц назад

The important part of that statement is "The materials they had at hand" The Japanese did not have perfectly clean iron ore to begin with. They also could not make pure steel because the bloomery furnace did not liquify the iron. Only the outer slag/impurities were removed. The slag/impurities on the inside of the iron ore stayed. This is exactly why they folded the steel. It was the best compromise. Can't remove all the impurities, so lets fold the steel so the entire blade is uniformly impure, not perfect in some spots and super impure in other spots. You are not incorrect in what you say. I agree with you. However as a secondary battlefield weapon (not primary like the yari or guns) and based on the materials they had at hand the katana was the best they could make. Also around the 1500's the Japanese used the older Tachi and the newer uchigatana. Uchigatana means strike sword. Around the late 1500's the Tachi went out of fashion and the uchigatana was then just known as Katana. Katana just means sword. There was no longer two different backup weapon swords being used so no need to differentiate them. At that point when everyone is using a striking sword, no need to call it striking sword, so peopel just called it a sword (Katana).

@RealZeratul Месяц назад

@@dfriedbauer why would one watch Veritasium documentaries and at the same time write comments downplaying the value of well-written comments such as OP's, which provide corrections and extra info to everybody interested in it?

@danielso6589 5 дней назад

Just took my material science class this semester, you got no idea how happy i am when i understood everything regarding the microconstituents and phase change

@FilSan86 Месяц назад

One of the best Veritasium videos for me.

@nickverbree Месяц назад

The crystal structure animations in this were awesome and I've shared this to a bunch of smiths who I've struggled to get the idea across to. Brilliant work, and a great watch.

@inactivefan Месяц назад

Bro said “chip and shatter” and my brain was back in Dune mode so fast

@McNuggetsOrElse Месяц назад

As it was written

@utkalsanjel2804 Месяц назад

Lisan Al-Gaib

@Suicidekings_ Месяц назад

When I was a Blacksmith's apprentice many years ago, I was told by my Master that slag came from Dragons. The dragon would sneeze into your forge if you looked away, and leave behind the giant dragon's booger. Everyone, even the most experienced smith, will look away from there forge. The story is told to enforce the idea that it is important to always keep an eye on your forge. The reason it's important to remove the slag is because it draws heat away from your forge, and subsequently your material.