Forging a Cu Mai Hunting Knife
Vložit
- čas přidán 26. 12. 2020
- In this video we'll be forging a cu mai hunting knife! Cu Mai is a go mai (5 layer) with copper in the 2nd and 4th layers. It produces a stunning effect!
My Website: www.tyrellknifeworks.com
My Instagram: / tyrellknifeworks
Abrasives by Brodbeck Ironworks: brodbeckironworks.com/
Maple burl handle by @flemmingwoodsupply - / flemingwoodsupply - Jak na to + styl
What do you think of this build? I didn't show the etching process but I actually had to cover all the copper with clear nail polish and just etch the 1080 by hand with a q-tip! Please give me your comments!
I was wondering about the etch...
Did you try to etch it first? I was thinking of a coffee etch
I was warned from another video that the copper etched much faster so it would be pitted or depressed it you etch the whole thing. I was thinking about coffee but decided against it.
I etched that mokume gane in my ferric with no issues. It still works fine. Is it supposed to lose potency?
@@wrk3182 yeah, it’s probably time for me too. It’s been over a year at least. No
Just want to give a shout out man, because of what you taught in this video I was able to successfully forge my first cu mai this week.
Thanks great, Ryan! Congrats! Email some pics to tyrellknifeworks at gmail for Viewer Knives. 👍
Looks awesome man! Very cool concept having the copper in the blade. 👍
Thanks!
Absolutely gorgeous!
Thanks!
I've never seen Cu Mai before and I think this knife turned out beautiful. The contrast between the two metals is striking.
Thanks for watching!
well it is really only used on japanese made knives so you wont see them in In the american market unless it is costom
omg that is gorgeous. I've recently discovered your channel and I'll admit Ive been binge watching. Your work is top notch. Thanks for sharing.
Welcome to the channel! Thanks for following along!
I'm so glad you made this video. I've been seeing blades with copper in them and had no idea how they came to be. Lol this knife is absolutely beautiful man
Thanks Nate!
wow! I'm blown away!! some great metallurgy shared as well!!
Thanks for checking out the video library! 👍
Another absolutely gorgeous knife.
Thanks for checking it out!
Beautiful Killer 🤩
Thanks for taking a look! 👍
Your knives are pure art!
Thanks so much! I appreciate you watching!
I’ve been binging knife-making videos for the past 2 or 2 weeks. This is one of my favorites. 👊🏽
Thanks Albert! Glad to have you aboard!
Another awesome piece, really like the color scheme and how within you made the copper just pop.
Thanks for taking a look. This was my first try at copper. 👍
The Lord has truly blessed you with talent. Your craftsmanship is superb!
Thanks so much, Jimmy!
Yeah I am not the smartest guy in the world i honestly thought you was going to leave those holes in the handle as a feature. Boy i am glad i watched the whole video. Truly a stunning knife.
Haha.. no, that is known as "skeletonizing" a handle. It's to reduce weight and make the knife more balanced. If you don't do this, its handle-heavy. Thanks for watching!
Wow. Unbelievable job. You continue to get better and that inspires the rest of us. Thanks
Thanks so much, Ed! I’m so happy you guys like the content! 👍
Beautiful Knife cant wait for it to arrive!
Thanks Steve! I didn’t get a notification of the order, glad you commented!! 👍 it’ll be on its way in a day or so!
That is an amazing process, love your work brother
Thanks so much! I appreciate you watching!
Thank you for the video and explaining each step - especially about forging the copper. I've now done a few copper blades with the knowledge you shared. I've started using my oven for heating since it's easier to hold a 1700 to 1800°F temp for setting the copper "weld". Thanks.
I’m glad it was helpful, Ken! 👍. Thanks for watching
Now that’s a good looking knife! Thanks for making this video I’ve been curious about Cu mai for a while now and it was nice to see someone make a step by step video about making it
Thanks for watching. I’m glad you liked it. Stay tuned for some cool builds coming up!
I really like.this style of knife. Im not able to make cu-mai damascus yet, but i think this type of knife will be my next build. Side note. What a beautiful knife!!!!!!!! Your handle scale game is epic too!!
This is a beauty. You really did an artistic master piece.
That was my first attempt at cu mai. I’ve done much better since! Thanks for watching
This turned out absolutely beautiful! You do very clean work my friend, I love your videos. 👍🏻
Thanks Dylon!
Super special as always, you sir have great skill. Love the way it turned out.
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Really really wow 😲,,,, I love ❤️
رائع سيدي الغالي ،،،،،،،
Insanely amazing work.
Thanks so much!
Wow amazing results. First time I have heard of this technique. Nice vid, Awesome knife!
Thanks Neil!
Great vid, that copper affect looks amazing, great stuff.
Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
One of the coolest knives I've ever seen.
Thanks Zack!
I can’t wait to get to level of experience to make this! I’m going to get silly! I’ve seen many knives made with this type of CuMai, but your how to video was stellar!
Thanks Brady! It really wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Or I got lucky, one of the two. 🤣
Yesssss! Not enough videos on it.
Loved the video, looks great bud
Thanks, glad you got something out of it!
That turned out really beautiful
Thanks for watching!
Another great build, thanks for the awesome video
Thanks for taking a look, Darrell! 👍
Stunning ! looks beautiful mate ! Glad to see your channel growing, Greetings from germany !
Thanks!
It’s my first time seeing this, but you definitely knocked it out of the park!! 😁👍🏽
Thanks! I have one even nicer available on my Etsy site. 😉
What a gorgeous knife
Thanks!
Your knife turn out so beautiful 😍😍😍😍. And love how detail your video to help someone want to try do a cumai knife 😍
Thanks for watching!
Absolutely beautiful knife
Thanks! I’m working on another similar but with another layer of copper. 👍
@@TyrellKnifeworks can't wait
Awesome. Finally, something I would like to do. That's why I follow you
Thanks for watching!
WOW Denis this was spot on! I have been anxious to try this one but with a hammer and no press! I suspected you didn't need to hit forge welding temperatures! That was some super strong G-10 😂😂😂😂 Your skill and dedication is awesome! The knife is beautiful! A+++
Thanks Airin! I loved this process and for sure I’ll be doing it again. That G10 was freaking me out for a good five minutes before I smacked my head and realized it was my drill press stop! 🤣
I wonder what it will look like after the copper forms different a patina. I think it could be really cool! Would you go thinner on the copper to get an accent but show less actual copper that is softer in nature?
Beautiful knife and very unique!
Thanks! Glad you like it!
Nailed it!!!! I said the same thing when I pulled my blade outta the quench!😂 Literally the best Cu-Mai video on CZcams. Also love the 45 degree bevel jig and how you used the file guide for the false edge! Definitely gonna be using those tactics.🔥⚒💪🏻
Thanks Spencer! It was cool collaborating with you. 👍
Like Always, Very Beautiful Knife
Thanks for checking it out, Donnie!
what a amazing job you did on that i may have to try that when i get better at knife making
Thanks! Not sure if I got lucky, but it worked pretty easily. 😜
Oh yeah!!! A dream video come true for me!
Thanks so much!
Wow, you are an amazing craftsman. I still got no idea if this was science fiction or a forging video. I'm definitely going to try this out by myself.
Thanx for the video mate
Greets from Germany
Ha, no science fiction here! Thanks for the compliment and thanks for watching! 👍
Looks good!...great job!
Thanks!
Fantastic job man! 🍻
Thanks for watching!
Absolutely beautiful knife, I will be trying this out for sure. I don't know why I thought you wouldn't see the copper the entire time. When you started grinding it I was like ok that makes sense lol.
It was easier than I thought. Or I just had beginners luck! 😜
Beautiful! 💯👌👍👍👍
Thanks for watching!
excelente trabajo, te escribo desde Argentina, felicitaciones!!!!!!!!
¡Bienvenido al canal! Gracias por ver
Thanks for the info and sweet knife.
Thanks for watching!
جميل جدا تطعيم الفولاذ بالنحاس
مقبض رائع
فيديو ملهم شكرا لكم ولجهودكم ولقناتكم الكريمه
شكرا جزيلا! أنا أقدر مشاهدتك!
Been wanting to try this along time man but no one shares the secrets! Thanks man I truely appreciate it!
Thanks for watching! I’m glad you liked the build.
That is extremely cool
Thanks, hopefully it works out like I imagined!
Wow!!! Now I want to try some cumai
Thanks for watching!
I’ve never seen how to make cu Mai before! I need to try it! Thanks!
I'm glad you liked the build and learned something as well. Thanks for watching, Drew!
What a beauty
Thanks for taking a look!
coolest knife ever
Thanks, Dominik! I think the more recent video I did with the copper streaks came out even better, be sure to check that one out! 👍🏻
@@TyrellKnifeworks i most definitely will
Nice knife brother you really outdid yourself on this
Thanks! Glad you like it!
Wow! It did come out very nice!
I wonder if one could do it without a press...
Great Cu Mai Tyrell!
I’m sure you could do it without a press. It’s not a real forge weld so I think it would be easier. Thanks for watching!
I'll tell you what I think.......it's beautiful!!!
Thanks for checking it out!
Ficou muito legal mesmo. Parabéns
Obrigado! estou feliz por ter gostado. Obrigado por assistir!
Waw that was supper !! congrats!!
Thanks for watching!
Gorgeous.
Thanks!
@@TyrellKnifeworks You are quite welcome. It's builds like this, and others I have seen from the simple and elegant to the more complex but expertly done that have made me want to swing a hammer. I am in the slow process of building my forge. This is not an inexpensive hobby at all!! But I was also well aware of that, and so am taking my time and making sure I get the equipment and tools that is one step above what I want to do.
Thank you again for sharing this.
@@Mascot47 send me some pics of knives once you get up and going! If you have questions, checkout some of my Triple-T videos. 😉
YOOOOO that was awsome
Thanks, glad you like it!
That blade looks amazing!!!!
I have never seen anyone put copper in a blade like that, but man, that friggin works.
The knife turned out awesome, but there is a part of me that wonders what black walnut skins would have looked like on it. And that is NOT to say there was anything wrong with the skins you chose, beautiful knife👍
Thanks, Dale! I’m really happy how it turned out.
Well done sir...
Thanks for watching, Louis!
Great job Dennis! I started doing one of these about a year ago. I found out very quickly that you have to worry about how hot you get the copper. I side tabled it and haven't gotten back to it. I was very worried about how to heat treat a knife like that. You've answered a few questions for me maybe I'll give it another go soon. My tools are not as precise or sophisticated as yours I'm still a little worried. 😎
You’ll get it done! I was surprised it went so well. I really love this process and the outcome so you’ll be seeing more of it.
You are awesome bro
Thanks for watching this build!
Absolutely amazing blade and fantastic job. You know what I was thinking what else would look freakin awesome, if you did that same process but instead make it a Japanese style blade with the same scales and pins. I say that because after you polish them it looks a lot like jade. That maple burl is absolutely stunning beautiful and reminds me of jade. Anyway awesome stuff man!
Thanks! I may do a Japanese blade sometime in the near future.
Just subscribed, what a beautiful blade!
Thanks for the sub! Welcome to the channel!
Wonderfull!!! Thanks for vídeo! I'm from Brazil. Niterói city, estate Rio de Janeiro.
Thanks for watching! Welcome to the channel. 👍
One question please? The copper merges with stainless steel?
I'm sure you could forge braze the copper to stainless steel. I haven't tried it myself but I suspect it would work just fine.
@@TyrellKnifeworks There is a cutlery here @leandro._pires in the instagran. He makes beautiful pieces. Take a look!! It only makes san mai and cu mai. I will try to make a piece in cu mai with stainless steel. Thak you cutlery brother!
Great video Denis! I had no interest in doing this, but after watching you, I have changed my mind! 😎👍🏻
I’ve got another one of these coming up soon! That one should be pretty spectacular! 😮
Hermoso cuchillo
Gracias por ver!
Awesome video! You were incredibly instructional. Do you think this process would work with copper alloys like brass/bronze? The alloys have lower melting points
Hey Ty, I’m pleased you like the video! Using brass would work but the melting point is 1710F so it’s getting really close to your temps to move the steel. You’d have to be precise with your temps and not overheat it. Starting with thinner cladding so you don’t need to move the steel much would be advisable. 👍
Ok....I was going to ask how you protected the copper in the etch but now I know thank you! I am most definitely gona try this!!! Thank you!
Glad I could help!
Glad you decided to etch it and bring out the dark edge ,good work bro
I’d love to see this done for feather 🤔😳
You can layer a feather over it but I don't think it would work to actually feather copper with the steel because it would end up on the edge. Thanks for watching!
@@TyrellKnifeworks I feel the same way about all Damascus actually,unless it has core steel I’m not a fan of Damascus for that reason
I’ve looked through scopes to see the weld lines from pattern steel which is why I toss core into any of my new billets
Maybe I’ll do up some feather with copper and toss a core in it 🤔✌️
If u get a large gap in steel we use a buzz bar ( copper ) as a back up plate hit it with a small hammer and it fall off after u welded one side
Good to know... thanks for watching!
This knife is a simply a work of art. May I ask where you got the sheets of copper from?
You can get copper sheet just about anywhere. Most of the knife supply sites have it or you can get it on Amazon. Thanks for watching
This is my favorite knife yet. It's a stunner!
Would brass or bronze be able to be used? Those against a high shined steel would pop too.
And can Damascus be made from mixed metals?
Thanks for taking a look, Linda! If you haven’t seen the more recent “bowie on fire” build, definitely check that one out if you like this one! You certainly creat Damascus with different metals like brass, bronze, nickel, silver, etc. as long as it doesn’t end up on the cutting edge. Thanks for watching!
The best 👍
Thanks!
Very cool blade and technique. I was surprised to see you use JB weld 5 min epoxy over G Flex.
JB Weld 5 min has always worked perfectly for me. I know people rave about G Flex but I’ve never had any problems. Maybe I’ll try it at some point.
Awesome! But I would have doubts about using it hard... Have you tested how well the "welds" hold?
The welds are very strong, as strong as the copper that is. There’s no seams at all between the layers. The only issue would be scratches on the copper from heavy use, but that’s just aesthetics.
It’s looks very cool but how will it go on steel spike test? Or coconut chop? Etc. ….
It will do just fine. Remember the entire core and cutting edge is 1095 high carbon steel. The copper is just for looks and doesn’t affect the core strength. Thanks for watching
I now have a new challenge. That’s beautiful sir. I have used the JB weld 5 min stuff. Did not go well at all. I am now using the 650 G Flex. Many times better than JB.
I've never had a problem with the 5-min epoxy. I think folks sometimes don't mix it enough and that's the problem. Thanks for watching!
Doesn’t copper aneal when quenched? Will you end up with a thin 1095 core wrapped in soft copper? How well has the life held up? Definitely does look awesome!
The copper bond is extremely strong and the core is 1080 and its about 3/32" so its quite thick. If you held it, you'd see its extremely solid and satisfying! 😉
This gives me a fantastic idea for a sculpture I have in mind, but I need to do some experimenting to see what hydrochloric acid etch does to copper first
I would imagine hcl would eat up copper quick. Try it out and see. Thanks for watching!
@@TyrellKnifeworks just been having a read and according to the internet Copper has no reaction to Hydrochloric at all so I should be good to use it layered into wrought iron take it to a high polish and it will only etch the iron....will let you see the result.
@@TalRohan that’s good to know. 👍
Outstanding, beautiful with the copper, do you know anyone who is making and selling these knives?
Thanks! This one is for sale and still available. Email me or hit me up on Instagram if you’re interested. (IG is in the description)
Super nice Knife! Is it crucial that the Billet is welded up air-tight?
You want it sealed so the copper can’t escape in case it gets too hot. Thanks for watching!
My suspicion was totally wrong- I thought that you will use the copper to kitchen knife, not to made cu mai! Denis, Great work!! As always :)
Ha, thanks David!
Nice, asked another bladesmith that does this & was sort of vague in in description.
After wiring new shop I'll give it a try.
It’s actually a pretty easy process. Give it a try! 👍
Tyrell Knifeworks oh, real quick question. Were you at a bright orange? Noticed you mentioned not a welding heat, for me that's almost white.
You want it hot enough to move the steel. You do NOT want forge welding heat or anywhere near that or you are going to melt the copper. Keep it between 1600 and 1800F. I hope that helps.
You’ve got me thinking about oxidized copper now, after seeing your temper cycles. I wonder is there’s a way to get some surface oxidation on that copper without compromising any strength or structural integrity? I’ll have to do some experimenting!
Are you looking for oxidation on the copper? I guess you’re referring to the color bands. Hmm not sure. You’d want to do your final sanding and then perhaps do another lower temp temper. 🤷♂️. Interesting idea.
Great stuff, you and I both have the same style of teaching and working lol. Leave in the human parts. Spilled my layout fluid, forgot my drill press stop..... hahaha beautiful knife
Thanks Joshua! Glad we have something in common . 😜
Layout fluid markers 👍
I don't have any of those but I should invest in some. Thanks for watching.
Well f’n done. Absolutely gorgeous knife, great video and great to the point instructions! I loved it. I think I may have seen that knife on one of the knife makers groups I’m in on Facebook. Damn fine job, sir!
Thanks so much! I’m happy to hear you are getting something out of the content! 👍
Tyrell Knifeworks yeah, man! I just learned about your channel and I’m digging it! I’ve been thinking of doing a raffle knife on my fb group and I’m pretty sure a cu-Mai is in order. Firing up the forge today or tomorrow to give it a shot!
Do it! It’s surprisingly easy. Just be sure to weld all the sides and keep it under 1800 and you’ll be fine. Good luck!
Tyrell Knifeworks that’s honestly the only things that’s kept me from trying it in the past. I had the same misconception you talked about that the entire stack had to reach forge welding temps. What you explained it I ran straight out to the shop to see if I had enough copper hahah
Ha, you’re welcome then, lol! Send me a pic of the completed knife. I’ll be showing viewer knives on Triple-T soon. 👍
Hi mate from across the pond. Beautiful blade mate. The temperature is that Fahrenheit
Yes, all temps are in Fahrenheit. Thanks for watching.
Very nice! It seems like the copper would be pretty soft after the heat treat. Does it seem like it'll be probe to scratching? What would happen if you tried chopping into wood with it?
Also, do you have a video on handle shaping? I'd be keen on hearing your thoughts about size, ergonomics, etc.
The copper is pretty durable, not like steel of course though. Batoning it into wood would probably scratch it too.
The quench would definitely soften the copper. Depending on the alloy, the steel temper might precipitation harden it again.
Really digging your videos! I have watched this one like 8 times! Ha!
You should do a video on your press. Show us the different dies and dimension of the dies. I am working on a press now so that would be cool! What material did you use for your large round drawing dies? Thanks
Thanks! I’m thrilled you’re liking the content! I’ve done a video on the press, check my Triple-T videos. I think it’s #3. The dies are 5” squares so that you can turn them 90 degrees. The big rounding dies are actually from 1” square stock that i ground down on the grinder. 👍
@@TyrellKnifeworks I will definitely look for the video. dude having your dies square so you can turn them 90° is a great idea! I definitely will implement that in my build. Thanks for the reply
Glad I could help. Checkout that video, it has a complete parts list. If you have questions, contact me and I can help.
When using a 1080 core, will the knife blade still rust? Also will the copper layer turn green eventually without proper maintenance? I havent started making samascus yet, but i am saturating myself with the knowledge and going to give it a try soon... I won't be starting out with any intricate designs like this, but i just ask the questions as they come up in my brain 😅😊
This is a carbon steel knife so it will rust if not cared for. I like to tell people, keep the steel from rusting and the copper will be just fine. The copper Bowie knife I’m most known for (on the cover of Blade mag Knives 2023) is now 3 years old and looks amazing still. Thanks for watching.