# Damascus Steel Plane Blade



## Cheshirechappie (22 Nov 2017)

Bit 'different', this! Alec Steele is a young blacksmith (and showman) working in Norwich, and these are videos of his making plane blades in Damascus steel. Jacob will absolutely love it....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=017RX4U5BTI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwn9bdCBVhE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eoey7TBhZ-I


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## Rorschach (22 Nov 2017)

I lasted 20 seconds.


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## Alpha-Dave (22 Nov 2017)

I have watched a couple of his vids and given up. I don't know who his videography and editing style is aimed at, but it isn't me. Still, he has over 500,000 more people eager to listen to him than me, so more power to him.


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## Jacob (22 Nov 2017)

Yes he is a bit boring. 20 secs. :roll:


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## Rorschach (22 Nov 2017)

Jacob":2qm0w38s said:


> Yes he is a bit boring. 20 secs. :roll:



I just can't watch people like it, it's like most of the rubbish on TV these days. I am sure his work is good, in fact I have seen examples on pictures and it seems he is a bit of a boy wonder and I wish him the best but I can't watch him, at least not with the sound on lol.


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## NazNomad (22 Nov 2017)

I lasted 3 seconds... and that was with the sound off. :-(


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## Phil Pascoe (22 Nov 2017)

Hells teeth, he's infuriating. Annoying as I have made Damascus before and otherwise it would have been quite interesting.


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## tony_s (23 Nov 2017)

A prize git


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## Mark A (23 Nov 2017)

I appreciate the effort CC, but I agree with the others - he's insufferable. 

I recently came across a Youtube channel and for the life of me can't remember the name. The presenter is an older bloke who's articulate and relaxed, which makes a change from the usual hyperactive dross online.

Anyone help me out? He has some blacksmithing and construction videos, and I think he's building a house.

Mark


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## sunnybob (23 Nov 2017)

I wasnt going to bother to watch, but then all those "20 seconds, 3 seconds" comments got me.
Oh dear, i think i made my mind up at 1 1/2 seconds. Took me another second to make my fingers recover from the shock and press the button.
definitely a targeted audience. he missed me.


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## MattRoberts (23 Nov 2017)

Interesting, I think his style is a refreshing change from a lot of the videos in this space. I started watching when he made a huge slick for the samurai carpenter, and have watched a few of his series since then, but not all. There's only so many Damascus (insert bladed implement here) builds I can watch, so I'll keep my eye peeled for something else interesting


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## tony_s (23 Nov 2017)

Mark A- I think "Essential craftsman" might be the older you tuber that you mention

On another note: the fact that our damascus making friend is mates with the samurai carpenter comes as absolutely no surprise to me.....


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## Rorschach (23 Nov 2017)

tony_s":nr4rs40e said:


> Mark A- I think "Essential craftsman" might be the older you tuber that you mention
> 
> On another note: the fact that our damascus making friend is mates with the samurai carpenter comes as absolutely no surprise to me.....



I concur on the essential craftsman, his videos are great.

Samurai carpenter was good when he first started but he quickly got too crazy in his acting style and I couldn't watch anymore.


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## MattRoberts (23 Nov 2017)

Samurai is what I consider the new age of artisan craftsmen, blending traditional tools and techniques with new. He does, however, massively lack focus, so his content flits from one thing to another and is sometimes difficult to consume. He's certainly a character, but a good contrast to some of the dusty old guys that are around.

At the end of the day, YouTube is an entertainment medium, and entertainment programmes need good presenters. That's why these guys are sitting on around 500k subscribers - there's a big demographic that wants to see and hear what they have.


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## bugbear (23 Nov 2017)

Cheshirechappie":53ij70km said:


> Bit 'different', this! Alec Steele is a young blacksmith (and showman) working in Norwich, and these are videos of his making plane blades in Damascus steel. Jacob will absolutely love it....


Judging by the accent, he's not from Norwich!

BugBear (from Norfolk)


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## MikeG. (23 Nov 2017)

It was worth just jumping ahead 10 minutes at a time through the series of 3 videos on the making of this plane blade. There was an awful lot of work in it, particularly in the flattening, but, frankly, the idea is fundamentally flawed. It looks pretty, but there is no need whatever for the hardness/ flexibility thing which is the whole point of Damascene steel, and variations in the steel of a plane blade is simply a bad idea.


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## Cheshirechappie (23 Nov 2017)

Thank you, Mike - a thoughtful comment at last!

I rather agree with your thoughts. As a way to make a good plane blade, it's not really a sensible approach, especially given the quality and variety of tool steels available commercially these days. As you say, far too time consuming, and whether an edge of variable metallurgy would perform in practice is somewhat doubtful. Variable wear along the edge seems quite likely. That said, the resulting blade was rather visually attractive. 

However, I'm not sure that was the point of the exercise, which was more about using blacksmithing skills as entertainment. As Alec Steele has over half a million subscribers to his Youtube channel, I think it's fair to say he has succeeded in that. He's found a way to make a living using his skills, and more power to his elbow for that. Like I said - it's 'different'!

Oh - by the bye, BB, I've no idea where he was bred and buttered, but he is based in Norwich. http://alecsteeleblacksmith.com/about/

(Edit to add - Apology to Matt Roberts - your comments were thoughtful, too!)


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## Andy Kev. (23 Nov 2017)

Sorry Cheshirechappie but I'm afraid his style is so insufferable that I'll never be able to bring myself to find out if he's got anything worth saying or not. It just wouldn't be worth the pain.


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## n0legs (23 Nov 2017)

He's bloody brilliant, back up guys.
Loud, brash, confident and in your face,,,, so what? :lol: 
Young kid with a genuine love and interest in his trade, an old old trade I add.
If his videos get half a dozen kids into blacksmithing, well that's a damn good thing =D> 
Don't like, fair enough don't watch.
Encourage don't condemn.


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## Saer Llongau (23 Nov 2017)

Did anyone see the video where he made a Damascus chisel for this poser who calls himself "The Samurai Carpenter"? He used nail polish or whatever to coat the last few millimetres of the bevel before etching to make it look like a laminated blade :lol: He also obviously never stopped to think the a Damascus blade will have an uneven wear pattern :lol:


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## woodbrains (23 Nov 2017)

Saer Llongau":38umu3ro said:


> He used nail polish or whatever to coat the last few millimetres of the bevel before etching to make it look like a laminated blade :lol:



Hello,

That isn't why he did it, though.

Mike.


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## Saer Llongau (23 Nov 2017)

So why did he do it?


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## AndyT (23 Nov 2017)

I've just watched all three videos. Yes, it's entertainment, in the same way as lots of cookery programmes are - not as a way of learning to do it, but as a reminder that making things can be fun and rewarding.

Am I really the only one who was impressed to see a 19 year old with a power hammer and a big press?
And who agreed that a bit of heavy metal guitar was a suitable background music choice?

I was also impressed by the way the hammer beats were synchronised with the music!


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## Cheshirechappie (23 Nov 2017)

Saer Llongau":2ilimlkf said:


> So why did he do it?



Third video, at about 4 mins 15 seconds and onwards.


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## MikeG. (23 Nov 2017)

AndyT":2pi4xd9k said:


> ......Am I really the only one who was impressed to see a 19 year old with a power hammer and a big press?.........



Absolutely not. And it's not just having the kit and knowing how to make it work, it was the skills and knowledge on display which you'd ordinarily expect to see from a gnarly old boy in a checked shirt.


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## MattRoberts (23 Nov 2017)

Saer Llongau":27hr2vuu said:


> So why did he do it?


To stop the acid from etching the bevel


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## Saer Llongau (23 Nov 2017)

Okay, so there actually was a good reason for it.


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## woodbrains (23 Nov 2017)

MattRoberts":1zwukrrw said:


> Saer Llongau":1zwukrrw said:
> 
> 
> > So why did he do it?
> ...



Hello,

And the back, which he polished flat. The acid etch would have made it irregular, essentially pitted.

Mike.


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## D_W (24 Nov 2017)

The yngwie malmsteen of blacksmithing. Interesring at first, but you've soon had enough.


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## Andy Kev. (24 Nov 2017)

I think one of the key things about being an internet presenter is fairly obviously how you choose to present yourself. This bloke has clearly opted for a high marmite factor, which is a bit silly because if the the reaction on here is anything to go by, this clearly limits his appeal and therefore the number of people he reaches. It's glaringly obvious that his internet persona is superficial i.e. something which he adopts purely for show purposes - there's no way he acts like that over a cup of tea at the breakfast table. Compare and contrast with e.g. Richard McGuire, Peter Parfitt or Treebangham (the latter being mentioned in the review section). There is zero superficiality with these gentlemen and I suspect that their manner will put hardly anyone off.

The sad thing is that his persona is so (insert adjective of your choice) that for many of us we are not prepared to battle through it to able to judge the worth of what he has to say. "Your loss", you might say and nothing wrong with that. On the other hand I can see no reason why one must be tolerant of absolutely everything on offer. I suppose it all boils down to - in my case at least - being prepared to take the possible loss because I'm not prepared to tolerate what I see as an irritatingly infantile and false persona.


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## Rorschach (24 Nov 2017)

Andy Kev.":2qpkq9ns said:


> I think one of the key things about being an internet presenter is fairly obviously how you choose to present yourself. This bloke has clearly opted for a high marmite factor, which is a bit silly because if the the reaction on here is anything to go by, this clearly limits his appeal and therefore the number of people he reaches. It's glaringly obvious that his internet persona is superficial i.e. something which he adopts purely for show purposes - there's no way he acts like that over a cup of tea at the breakfast table. Compare and contrast with e.g. Richard McGuire, Peter Parfitt or Treebangham (the latter being mentioned in the review section). There is zero superficiality with these gentlemen and I suspect that their manner will put hardly anyone off.
> 
> The sad thing is that his persona is so (insert adjective of your choice) that for many of us we are not prepared to battle through it to able to judge the worth of what he has to say. "Your loss", you might say and nothing wrong with that. On the other hand I can see no reason why one must be tolerant of absolutely everything on offer. I suppose it all boils down to - in my case at least - being prepared to take the possible loss because I'm not prepared to tolerate what I see as an irritatingly infantile and false persona.



Nicely put. I respect his skill and the works he puts out, but I simply cannot enjoy watching him which is a shame.


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## MikeG. (24 Nov 2017)

Annoying as hell and all that.........but half a million people follow his stuff on YouTube. Half a million. He might be off-putting to us old buffers, but he clearly appeals to a huge number of people. Steve Maskery, for example, is a pleasant and harmless presenter of useful workshop videos, but I'd be surprised if he has a following a tenth the size of this chap...........and I suspect there are probably more woodworkers in the UK than blacksmiths from which to draw a following.


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## AndyT (24 Nov 2017)

Yup.

There's a bigger demand for entertainment than there is for instruction or detailed demonstration.

It would be interesting to see the age profile of his subscribers - I think it would be a lot lower than the profile of the members of UKW.


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## nabs (24 Nov 2017)

it also takes skill and effort to create well produced content and build an audience on youtube and, since this is really a brand new industry, a good amount of initiative too. 

When you consider the sheer amount of content available, finding 500k people who like your stuff - as in this case - is actually a very impressive achievement.

In terms of style, I do not understand why a shouty presentation and weird camera angles attracts viewers, and I never will - this is because I am an old duffer. luckily there are plenty of other old-duffers out there who are happy to make less shouty content for us to consume, so no need to grumble!


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## bugbear (24 Nov 2017)

AndyT":3d0fx642 said:


> I've just watched all three videos. Yes, it's entertainment, in the same way as lots of cookery programmes are - not as a way of learning to do it, but as a reminder that making things can be fun and rewarding.
> 
> Am I really the only one who was impressed to see a 19 year old with a power hammer and a big press?
> And who agreed that a bit of heavy metal guitar was a suitable background music choice?
> ...


I suspect he comes from a rather priveleged background (which would fit the non-Norfolk accent).

It is possible (just) that he has bought all the kit on the back of Youtube income. But (somehow) he went to Mississippi, aged 13, to take a course with (famous blacksmith) Brian Brazeal. That speaks of capital, and the bank of mum and dad is the obvious source.

BugBear


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## Mark A (24 Nov 2017)

I'm not an old duffer, and it still Zilch-Wedlock me off!


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## nabs (24 Nov 2017)

I am afraid you may be showing signs of early-onset-dufferdom Mark . I am going to get my teenage sons to watch it tonight and will report back with an alternative yoof-view.


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## AndyT (24 Nov 2017)

nabs":392f8u2w said:


> I am afraid you may be showing signs of early-onset-dufferdom Mark . I am going to get my teenage sons to watch it tonight and will report back with an alternative yoof-view.



To make your experiment even more useful, you might like to get them to watch a Tubalcain (MrPete222) video as a comparison. He's at the opposite end of the metalwork video spectrum - ex school teacher, slow, repetitive and really clear and useful. He's made hundreds of YT videos and has 155k subscribers. (Including me.)

https://www.youtube.com/user/mrpete222


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## MikeG. (24 Nov 2017)

bugbear":e2vs6do5 said:


> .........It is possible (just) that he has bought all the kit on the back of Youtube income. But (somehow) he went to Mississippi, aged 13, to take a course with (famous blacksmith) Brian Brazeal. That speaks of capital, and the bank of mum and dad is the obvious source.....



And? It sounds like you hold that against him.


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## woodbrains (24 Nov 2017)

Hello,

I think I am an old duffer, (50) but having worked in a school workshop for 6 years or so, I actually watched all 3 videos linked by CC, concurrently. I think my threshold for youthful exuberance must be high. Does it count as a skill? 

I was quite envious of his set up, his forge hammers are awesome and I like his milling machine. The only thing that stopped me doing this sort of thing in the past was lack of funds. It is just the sort of thing that appeals to me. I'm glad for him, clearly he has the means to do what he enjoys. I do think that this sort of presentation isn't for everyone, but there are lots of dry, all be it informative videos out there. It would be daft trying the same thing himself. Especially since a 19 year-old, who is clearly aware that his skills are still developing, would not be taken seriously if he gave a tutorial. This sort of bombastic, let's give it a go and see how it turns out, we'll all learn together style, is a good way of presenting to a new, young audience. If he attracts and inspires other young people to take up this sort of work, then great.

Mike.


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## bugbear (24 Nov 2017)

MikeG.":2g9cm9pk said:


> bugbear":2g9cm9pk said:
> 
> 
> > .........It is possible (just) that he has bought all the kit on the back of Youtube income. But (somehow) he went to Mississippi, aged 13, to take a course with (famous blacksmith) Brian Brazeal. That speaks of capital, and the bank of mum and dad is the obvious source.....
> ...


A poor kid with identical talent wouldn't have the same access. Just sayin'.

BugBear


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## MattRoberts (24 Nov 2017)

Andy Kev.":rz9wmlft said:


> I think one of the key things about being an internet presenter is fairly obviously how you choose to present yourself. This bloke has clearly opted for a high marmite factor, which is a bit silly because if the the reaction on here is anything to go by, this clearly limits his appeal and therefore the number of people he reaches. It's glaringly obvious that his internet persona is superficial i.e. something which he adopts purely for show purposes - there's no way he acts like that over a cup of tea at the breakfast table. Compare and contrast with e.g. Richard McGuire, Peter Parfitt or Treebangham (the latter being mentioned in the review section). There is zero superficiality with these gentlemen and I suspect that their manner will put hardly anyone off.
> 
> The sad thing is that his persona is so (insert adjective of your choice) that for many of us we are not prepared to battle through it to able to judge the worth of what he has to say. "Your loss", you might say and nothing wrong with that. On the other hand I can see no reason why one must be tolerant of absolutely everything on offer. I suppose it all boils down to - in my case at least - being prepared to take the possible loss because I'm not prepared to tolerate what I see as an irritatingly infantile and false persona.



I think it's actually the other way around, and the "many of us" you mention is actually "the vast minority". You have to bear in mind that someone who has half a million subscribers often equates to multiple times that amount of people who watch the videos but haven't yet subscribed. He has videos with 1.4 million views and below. 

Peter Parfitt, who you gave as an alternative example, has less than 30k subscribers and his highest viewed video is 230k. 

The vast majority have chosen, and they choose people with the presentation, editing, style and exuberance of people like Alec Steele and the samurai carpenter. 

There is definitely an "old duffer" theme running through here - come on guys, lighten up and embrace young people actually championing craft work


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## Cheshirechappie (24 Nov 2017)

"A poor kid with identical talent wouldn't have the same access. Just sayin'.

BugBear"

From his website, he started out with a charcoal pit furnace in the back garden, and a piece or railway rail for an anvil, a gift from a blacksmith he met at a country fair. 

He's only just moved to his new workshop, the previous shop being a tin shed up a back-alley somewhere. The move and new workshop were financed by his business earnings. That's documented, along with the move itself, in his recent videos.

Maybe his parents helped him with his course in America when he was 13. Which parents wouldn't help out their children where they can? However, building the skill, the Youtube following, the merchandising, the courses he runs....his work, as far as I can tell.

Just sayin'...

(Edit to add - Ashley Iles started out with no capital whatsoever and no backing from anybody else. All he had was an apprenticehip in patternmaking and an idea. His first workshop was a 10 foot by 10 foot basement space rented in Sheffield (Solly Street). He had to teach himself how to forge and grind, and learn where he could from who he could. Later, as his business grew, he moved to larger premises - and the rest we know.

You don't necessarily need significant financial backing to make a success of an enterprise, but you do need a lot of energy, hard work and sheer bl---y minded determination.)


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## Phil Pascoe (24 Nov 2017)

I have no doubt whatsoever that the guy has a talent, but I just found him too infuriating to watch. As others have said, it's YouTube and young people would rather watch someone shouty and in your face than an extremely competent old man plodding away methodically.
It rather reminds me of a something a musician friend said when I commented how easy one of Leonard Cohen's backing musicians made the instrument look - have you any idea how many thousand of hours he's practiced making it look that easy?


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## D_W (24 Nov 2017)

AndyT":2qcxgnjz said:


> nabs":2qcxgnjz said:
> 
> 
> > I am afraid you may be showing signs of early-onset-dufferdom Mark . I am going to get my teenage sons to watch it tonight and will report back with an alternative yoof-view.
> ...



I think the people catering with content are always going to be on the lower side vs. the people catering with flash. 

Youtube has a formula for success, which generally involves drawing in people who are not actually going to do what you're presenting - but presenting it in a happy way that makes them feel like someday they could. 

The youtube formula also involves a huge amount of editing and production, which isn't much fun unless you like editing and production.


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## bugbear (24 Nov 2017)

D_W":6dybzzfo said:


> Youtube has a formula for success


YouTube has a large enough audience that multiple types of content can find an audience.

Abom79 has 150,000 subscribers, and fast paced he isn't.

Keith Rucker (a friend from OLDTOOLS) has100,000 subs, and he's nigh to stationary.

BugBear


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## D_W (24 Nov 2017)

bugbear":1wls6fc7 said:


> D_W":1wls6fc7 said:
> 
> 
> > Youtube has a formula for success
> ...



I guess that's not clear enough. You can't make a living off of 150k subscribers. You can probably make a living off of half a million (for now). 150k or so level used to be enough for people to make quite a bit of money. 

The path to generating a lot of views is quite clear, and it doesn't involve focusing on the content. It involves "collabs", production, promotion, focusing on the title more than the content, etc. You have to draw in more than just the ardent folks on your topic.

Making videos for a living doesn't sound like much fun to me, so it's not something I've looked at to do it (who would want to do all of the editing, and pushing videos when you really don't have anything to offer?), but more as a matter of figuring out which videos and creators to avoid. "collabs" and things of that sort, create almost nothing, but they are a way for promoters to try to harvest subscriber groups from each other, and to find one topic, and make a whole set of videos for several pools of users. I just can't get into that, but for someone like the blacksmith mentioned here, if you read comments for just a fraction, you find that the group is sort of that type of group. For a kid 19, he's quite talented, but I'd be interested in historical reproduction or creation of something that was really at the top of a trade, and not just art objects. 

Few people would be interested in those things, though. I'm sure his irons don't match a Ward iron, despite looking more interesting. The geometry isn't refined. when he makes the chisel, same formula - flashy damascus, but the top of the chisel art exists with a chisel with a forged bolster and very delicate edges while retaining flatness - that is much harder, and much less interesting looking. 

Just my opinion, but sharing what you know on youtube and ignoring the people demanding well-produced videos (they're just looking for entertainment and not knowledge), is sort of like a better than a forum forum, because you can show something. 

Charlie and David C can tell me that I can't plane a board flat or keep it flat with through strokes, and it takes ten minutes to show it happening (twice in the case of the discussion on here). I could do it 100 times and the results would be the same. If I only posted that I could do it, nobody believes it (fine, it doesn't make it false just because people don't believe it). If I post a video, there's not a whole lot to debate. If I say I can plane plywood without risk, all I have to do is actually make a video of it. A discussion on here floats into the ether in a few days and is nothing but argument. 

If I wanted to try to make money and expand viewership on youtube, it would have to be by getting away from the concrete. Yelling at the camera, exaggerating, clickbait titles, e-begging on patreon and all kinds of other obnoxious stuff. Sounds gross. Right now, people like me can still post videos and keep them ad free (which means no money, and no real drive to make trash, and no viewers who are just looking for entertainment) - i hope that doesn't change, but it's not my choice.


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## AndyT (24 Nov 2017)

I recently learned of the existence of sites which analyse publicly available YouTube stats and give some idea of the earnings by channel. I looked at socialblade.com. 

I've no evidence of how accurate or inaccurate it is, but I assume it's better than guesswork. 

For Alec Steele, it estimates annual earnings at £15.1K - £241.8K - which is admittedly a rather wide range, but not negligible at either end of the scale. 

https://socialblade.com/youtube/user/alectheblacksmith

There's plenty of scope for comparisons with your own or your favourite other channels.


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## D_W (24 Nov 2017)

Figure that the high end of that range is reserved for topic channels where advertisers will pay a lot. Not sure blacksmithing fits into that (maybe it's for stuff like channels reviewing designer purses). 

I went and looked at one of steele's videos to see if he'd gotten onto the train of ebegging (selling shirts, patreon, etc) and he has. That's part of the formula that I was talking about - farming the members. There are channels with fewer subscribers where the channel owners have learned to farm the users for revenue not related to adsense, etc. 

That's just the way youtube has gone, and it's not like you can't go out and find videos, but I usually get enough of the subscriber farmers pretty quickly because the videos are overproduced and you can't really learn much from them. That's just my opinion - it's clear that the people working those channels know what they're doing and they're attracting viewers and are good at it, and then beyond that, they're good at getting additional revenue from their viewers. 

But the trade is then that making videos becomes an obligation, and you start seeing things like wrangerstar where the guy is (literally) a former jeep parts salesman acting like he knows what he's talking about, but he knows little about anything other than having been in debt (according to his own description). And he ends up making videos like showing falling a back-leaner with a farm jack - something that will get someone killed. 

I saw that there as a recent blow-up about Sellers giving away a plane if you sign up for his channel and then surrender commenting rights on your channel to a service that he is using. I have no idea what they'd do with someones' channel, but Paul is also a viewer farmer, and the fads that arise from his channel seem to come and go quickly.

Personally, I just wish more people would go out to their garage when they have something to share, turn the phone on, talk to it a little bit about what they're doing, and put up a video. Unless you have a day job and an agreement not to post anything, there's little to lose. Someone could make fun of you, but that's more a reflection of them than you.


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## richarddownunder (26 Nov 2017)

Well, having made a few (dozen) knives (no damascus) I stumbled on and watched a few of his vids and although I may be an fairly old codger, I enjoyed them - nice to see some enthusiasm, the video editing is quite cleaver in places and he is hilarious at times - and at least he is safety concious - it's not completely reckless like some of the stuff on you tube. I suspect he'll have a TV show at some stage and be earning more than all the rest of us put together and good luck to him I say.

What I did find scary was at 4.45 in the plane making video following. Is this really dodgy table saw technique or am I just a wus (with all my fingers still intact).

Cheers
Richard


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## D_W (26 Nov 2017)

Presumably, he's hoping for the TV show, and not a life of actually making things day to day. He does quite well for someone 19, and though I rarely watch his videos, I did watch a few when he was making a giant pile of hammers. 

I don't suspect guys like Peter Ross have much to worry about in terms of mastery of the trade, though. Not really into the whole pattern steel thing that people refer to as damascus, but it's all the rage lately, and it goes all the way to razors (where it makes little sense).


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## richarddownunder (26 Nov 2017)

D_W":3fr9wfut said:


> Presumably, he's hoping for the TV show, and not a life of actually making things day to day. He does quite well for someone 19, and though I rarely watch his videos, I did watch a few when he was making a giant pile of hammers.
> 
> I don't suspect guys like Peter Ross have much to worry about in terms of mastery of the trade, though. Not really into the whole pattern steel thing that people refer to as damascus, but it's all the rage lately, and it goes all the way to razors (where it makes little sense).



Ive visited a local guy who makes damacus knives. They can look pretty spactacular but its so expensive it'd cost something like NZ$500 just for the metal for a decent knife, whereas a bit of 12C27 cost more like $30. Here is one of my efforts. No forging here, just a bit of grinding on a linisher...


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## Phil Pascoe (26 Nov 2017)

The steel doesn't have to be expensive- my blacksmith friend has made stunning blades from leaf springs, old files and chainsaw chains, things like that.
It works as long as you have materials of different hardness.


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## D_W (27 Nov 2017)

richarddownunder":wlzvas6r said:


> D_W":wlzvas6r said:
> 
> 
> > Presumably, he's hoping for the TV show, and not a life of actually making things day to day. He does quite well for someone 19, and though I rarely watch his videos, I did watch a few when he was making a giant pile of hammers.
> ...



Looks fabulous, and very practical!


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## Jamesc (27 Nov 2017)

Just my 2p worth.
I enjoy watching the likes of Alec, it is far better than most of the offerings on TV. If I see another so called celebrity clawing for fame just because they eat some bugs I think I will scream (I usually do).
I look at Alec and similar as entertainment with topics akin to my tastes, it is also good therapy when I can't get into the workshop. I happily subscribe and like his videos if it helps him make a living and pay for the content so I can enjoy it.
I also subscribe to much smaller channels where I turn for in depth information. Clearly these guys are not making a living at it so in several cases I support them through Patreon. 
My view is I get far better value selecting to watch these videos even if there are links to others or blatant plugging of merchandise. It is no worse than watching a commercial TV channel.

My only problem with Alec Steel is - envy. He has the opportunity, energy and skills to make a living at something he clearly enjoys. I on the other hand work at something I am good at so I can afford to do the things I enjoy.

James


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## MikeG. (27 Nov 2017)

D_W":av0whlik said:


> ........I don't suspect guys like Peter Ross have much to worry about in terms of mastery of the trade, though..........



How good was he at 19?


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## D_W (27 Nov 2017)

MikeG.":3gv8f3vb said:


> D_W":3gv8f3vb said:
> 
> 
> > ........I don't suspect guys like Peter Ross have much to worry about in terms of mastery of the trade, though..........
> ...



I have no idea, but most of the guys at Williamsburg were pretty good pretty early on. Not a lot of them just turned 21 or something and decided they wanted to be Craftsmen. I'd imagine Peter Ross was probably swinging a hammer already at that age, or doing something similar. 

I know George (who was the instrument shop master and later toolmaker) was making entire guitars long before he went to college, in isolation more or less, too. Strange thing for someone of that age (12 or 13 or something) to decide that they'd try to track down supplies to make guitars and start making them in earnest with a block plane and a single synthetic sharpening stone. 

Maybe someone else here knows Peter's back story. I don't. 

This topic sticks in my head as I was looking for a knife with kamaji yesterday, the craze for pattern welded stuff where it really makes little sense, and in this case, the blacksmith's detachment from making the best tools possible. One of the two things I watched Alex present (along with the hammers) was a large japanese chisel that was blocky and pattern welded on the back. The ura was misshapen and while the chisel was very pretty in an artistic sense, it should've been made with wrought iron and the ura should've been made correctly. The consequence, if the chisel is to be used, is that it can't be tapped out, and it will be much harder to sharpen. I suppose if the recipient actually uses it, they'll end up having to power grind off most of the hagane (hard layer). 

Such things as I'm talking about aren't interesting for an entertainment, but a young peter ross was laminating irons to wrought that were intended for use. I would be more interested in seeing someone who really worked through the details and got them right, but there is no money in that. Perhaps at 19, you don't have the sense for why those details matter, and you haven't been around long enough to know that you'd better copy something good until you understand why it is the way it is. Things like that are pretty minor until you make something intended for use, but it's certainly defensible to say that Alex's stuff really isn't intended for use, and in order to keep within the attention span of a lot of people who have none to begin with, he's not going to be able to make 10 chisels and really refine each one. The average viewer would prefer the first if it's pattern welded, and get themselves tied up if they tried to understand the difference between acid etched wrought iron and pattern welded steel.


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## n0legs (27 Nov 2017)

MikeG.":3odnzlrg said:


> How good was he at 19?



He's American Mike.
Nuff said :wink: :lol:


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## D_W (27 Nov 2017)

n0legs":3fs1m5yf said:


> MikeG.":3fs1m5yf said:
> 
> 
> > How good was he at 19?
> ...



Doubt it has anything to do with nationality (especially given that the states hasn't been the protector of traditional craft as far as I can tell). The kind of spark we're talking about is an individual thing. When someone wants to spend their time smashing metal instead of chasing girls.

I thought this was interesting enough to look up somewhere and saw that Peter's first class was in 1970 (the first that he attended) and that he later went to get training in design (something that might benefit Alex, and lots of other youtube gurus). If you believe Peter is 66, then perhaps his first class was at age 19. I don't think he's that old, of course. 

Pretty hard to determine anything other than opinion if Alex keeps going, though. If he never gets into the nuances of historical work and keeps making pattern welded stuff, perhaps he'll be regarded in the same light as Bob Kramer (who can sell knives for stupid prices, and I'd think that most people wouldn't have a clue why that is - me included).


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## rafezetter (30 Nov 2017)

NazNomad":2cz86m0e said:


> I lasted 3 seconds... and that was with the sound off. :-(



3 seconds with sound on.. WOW just wow.


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## JWD (17 Dec 2017)

Makes me a little sad to see so much negativity surrounding such a brilliant and creative guy! I have been following Alec Steele for a year now and I doubt any 'maker' regardless of trade has shot up in popularity so rapidly. He is the same age as me and i can only wish i had the knowledge, enthusiasm and thorough love for my hobby that he does his craft - I think anyone who "only lasted x seconds" just isn't used to seeing such high enthusiasm and drive from someone in a trade, especially someone who is so young and fresh faced and consequently should get behind his method of working as quickly as possible, or at least encourage others to do so.


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## dzj (17 Dec 2017)

I've seen a few of his videos. 
His style of presentation is perhaps better suited for the younger viewer.
A Swedish fellow, Torbjörn Åhman, makes interesting blacksmithing videos.


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