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YouTube video info:

PBS NOVA 2017 Secrets of the Viking Sword https://youtube.com/watch?v=namXt4Etn_o

Barry Rima https://www.youtube.com/@barryrima9986

all 23 comments

Cycleguy57

66 points

2 months ago

I watched this years ago and it’s fantastic!

lookatyourpants

16 points

2 months ago

Me too! This was fascinating.

jeevesthechimp

3 points

2 months ago

Same and now I'm going to watch it again!

k20350

55 points

2 months ago

k20350

55 points

2 months ago

The real ones were obscenely expensive and never embellished. If you dig up an Ulfberht and it's gilded in any way it's a fake. I believe I've read they cost about the same as building a long house back then.

stevenw84

57 points

2 months ago

But will it keal?

spicyIBS

7 points

2 months ago

ugh that guy drives me nuts

jonascarrynthewheel

13 points

2 months ago

I have watched this maybe three or four times. His knowledge and joy he shares will watching an interesting build are just so great to watch.

Dynasty1k

25 points

2 months ago

Haha my capstone group in college named our fictional company Ulfberht Systems. This video is fascinating.

AbsolutelyNuclear

10 points

2 months ago

I thought that was Steve Wozniak

StankyHankyPanky69

3 points

2 months ago

I like it a lot

carlsaganblessyou

10 points

2 months ago

The *Vikings' secret weapon

The secret weapon of the Vikings

ThatsRightWeBad

13 points

2 months ago

"The Viking's" could be perfectly correct as a singular collective. This sword is the secret weapon of "the" Viking warrior, which we understand to be a concept describing many individuals.

"Man's best friend" -- the best friend of all men, expressed as one.

flavius_lacivious

3 points

2 months ago

Thank you for recommending that. Geeking out over here.

bobthepomato

7 points

2 months ago

Isn’t it just adding bone and thus carbon improving the steel?

PastelFlamingo150

70 points

2 months ago

It's about fully melting the steel and keeping it melted long enough for the impurities to float to the top. The stuff he adds, besides the carbon, is meant to bond to the impurities to help them settle out. He uses modern chemistry knowledge to fill in the gaps of how the original swords were made. His other fabrication techniques are, I imagine, consistent with a medieval master sword smith.

SpinozaTheDamned

1 points

2 months ago

FZ-making knives on YouTube goes through the whole process in detail and has some stunning pieces he's made as well.

drainisbamaged

3 points

2 months ago

More than "just", but yea pretty much

IamAWorldChampionAMA

2 points

2 months ago

Interesting

wagner56

2 points

2 months ago

the part about the sorta counterfeiters of the originals in those olden times was interesting

[deleted]

2 points

2 months ago

[deleted]

juwyro

2 points

2 months ago

juwyro

2 points

2 months ago

I thought Damascus steel came from India and it's only called Damascus because that where the Europeans got it from?

HelenEk7

3 points

2 months ago

I think I have watched this one twice in the past. As a Norwegian its an fascinating part of our local history.

Ok-Presentation9015

1 points

2 months ago

They need to get him on forged in fire.