Hand Forging a Nail for the First Time: Beginner Blacksmithing
Hand forging a nail for building the medieval door to the saxon house. The first 1000 people to click the link will get a free trial of Skillshare’s Premium Membership: https://skl.sh/taoutdoors10201
Join me on my quest into blacksmithing as I learn how to forge a nail using a coal forge and hammer. I travel to Alex Pole’s blacksmith shop in Somerset, aptly named “The Forge” where he teaches me beginner blacksmithing tips like how to use a coal forge, how to use a hammer and anvil and most importantly, how to forge a nail by hand! I learnt so much on this adventure, and it truly made me appreciate the skill and craft of our ancestors. Stay tuned for more videos with Alex down the road…
Alex’s Forge: https://www.alexpoleironwork.com/
Alex’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIIRulQA5ZmCYO_n2PRTskQ
Alex’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alexpoleironwork/?hl=en
Alex’s Forged Kitchenware: https://www.alexpoleironwork.com/collections/shop
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#blacksmithing #forge #forging #nail #taoutdoors
I loved the intro speech.
I usually use coarse thread screws when I’m building my self-build house. I hope they are as strong as the nails…
I’ve seen many a nail forged at colonial settlements here in Virginia USA. Jamestown, Yorktown, the Lost Colony etc. It’s really incredible how much time and effort it takes to make a single nail. They always give one to my kids so we have a handful now. Very cool video!
If I need nails I just gotta look in my tires, people around my town don’t know how to pick nails up.
I know that feeling. I always get (at least) one nail incident per car that I own.
@MYEVILTWIIN Damn! That’s a lot of nails
@Mark Embling Yeah, it’s tragic lol
@Mark Embling It’ll make you want to make whoever dropped them eat the damn nails lol
@MrBrowning42 when i retire i’ll open a nail and screw shop lol
Amazing the skills we have lost due to automation. Glad to see these skills being kept alive by people like you and Alex. Enjoy your channel!
There are a couple places in the US that have villages/towns that operate like they were still in the 17 or 1800s. It’s interesting as hell to visit, a lot of work when something like a hurricane comes through and you need to make new cedar shakes by hand and then have the blacksmith forge the nails to put the cedar shakes up.
@m2hmghb I grew up down the road from the last working blacksmith in NW Arkansas. As a kid I would ride over on my bike to watch him make things in his forge. Watching the sparks fly as he struck the iron with his hammer and shaped horse shoes, plow blades and the like. Still makes me smile to watch this in young people like Alex.
Very interesting..
You will have an arm like popeye at the end of each shift🤣🤣🤣🤣
it felt like I was watching a Louis Theroux documentary, because of the voice over! great video!
When Louis met Nails
Interesting video thanks for sharing it Mike it would be interesting to see him making a scotcheye auger at some point try making a video on making and using a viking pole lathe turning cups and bowls the traditional way
👍Theres a reason pegs and dowels were used in place of nails. Scandi and Japanese building techniques are amazing examples
I clicked on this not even thinking it was You TA then I realised it is you
Same here, thought it was a Video by Alec Steele, since I also have subscribed to his channel, until I opened it.
Nevertheless great Video !
For those of us who have been long-time subscribers, we remember, a couple of years ago, when you forged a hatchet with Alec Steele in Norfolk UK (before he moved here to the USA in Montana).
@TA Outdoors That vid is how I found Alec Steele and got into blacksmithing. Built my own wood/charcoal forge and made my own anvil. Learned a lot from you and Alec.
I went the other way and found Mike via Alec’s channel. I still sub to both and have learned tons from both of them.
Yeah I remember
@Nismo Xero I found Alec’s e same way
@Jeff Closs Yea, thats how I found TA, from watching Alec’s channel and remember watching the whole build of both hatchet and knife, its been 2, almost 3 years ago
cant believe I forgot about this channel, I was fantasizing building a cabin in the woods and then I remembered. Guess ill hit that bell as youtube wont put this channel in my feed
I’m a hobbyist bladesmith using a charcoal forge, and my friend just gave me a brand new anvil made from a piece of railroad track with high carbon steel welded onto it. Honestly, the first thing that I made was an axe (hatchet) that came out really nice. But one thing i’m certain of is that I have a lot left to learn… I’m happy I can already make my own stuff, but it’s nowhere near as good as what you can get made by professional bladesmiths. But in time, I might get good enough.
Great new type of content from TA Outdoors! I would gladly see more of this and other similar old methods of doing things. /Henrik
Cheers Henrik!
Next video: How they made the iron for the nails
Lol
There are a few good videos out there, search for example for “bog ore iron”. Takes days to roast the ore, build furnace, smelt the ore and hammer the bloom iron. Then you need to spend hours forging the bloom iron into steel.
I metal detect, I love finding old hand forged nails. I love the history and the work behind them!
Near where I live there’s a pub called the Boltmakers Arms which did get me thinking about how something a commonplace as a nail (which, as you say, most would take for granted) once required tremendous skill and craftsmanship to make
Incredible historic discovery! Stand by for more background info, just to scratch the surface of the incredible world of Blacksmithing!
I’ve been following Alec Steele for a while. I’m so glad to see that another one of my favorite youtubers getting into this
The hammer you used was to heavy for you, and also the anvil was too high for you. Compare it’s hights to Alex and you. It was perfect hight for him to just drop the hammer, you had to swing. You did great though, good job.
those hands! this is the kinda guy that hits the “F” button by a mistake when trying to hit a number on the numpad.
Nice video, was thinking about this myself not long ago, how would i make my own nails, nice seeing it in practice