Sir, thanks for putting these videos together- One of the best but often most overlooked function of the internet is passing along knowledge, instructing, teaching, experiments. I have worked here in Silicon Valley for almost 2 decades primarily in ecommerce development- I used to work with the founders of youtube before they created youtube and it is comforting to know that masters of a trade or art form are on youtube and other sites passing along knowledge. In my mind this activity is the most valuable trait of this global platform. Anyhow, I am in awe of your work and abilities. I have always wanted to make knives but with long work days and a lot of travel around the world (I investigate cybercrime) I don't have time but it sure is nice to watch you and others create amazing things.
Walter, thanks for being a humble down to earth bladesmith. There are so many out there that don't have time for a "lamen." Or their cult follower apprentices shoo you away and say that "Murray doesn't answer questions on Tuesdays"...Huh? I am an amateur knifemaker and I have progressed alot by learning from smiths that are humble, patient and willing to teach me something. RUclips has been the vehicle for so many to learn this great art and I appreciate the tone you set in your videos. Subscribed...thanks again.
I have to say I've come back to these videos not only caus it seems you know your stuff, but the effort you put into video quality, length and details and also your easy going/no bullshit/humor added style, it's just painless to watch and you learn a lot. keep it up!
Hi Walter, I just wanted to thank you for the video's and sharing your vast knowledge with us. I am starting out a rookie and basically trying to learn the process and terminology before I actually get started. I have already built my primitive shop and will be ready as soon as I get some coal the first of the month. Once again, thanks..
Great tutorial. You can tell when a man knows what he is talking about as he makes the tutorial seem simple as everything just roles out so matter a factually. Thank you for your posts.
I tend to work mild steel by hand then turn it to high carbon by baking it in clay for an hour in my forge with a bunch of charcoal dust packed in tight around the blade (about 1/2 inch of dust per 1/8 inch of blade, for 55-70 minutes) I cant imagine the effort it would take to even attempt decent Damascus without at least 2 other people whom know at least the basics of hitting hot iron.
thanks Walter. Your vids have been a huge help (these and the ones you sell) in getting me up to speed on Chinese daos and western knives. Great to give back so much of what you have been taught or figured out.
Did it only by hand, and came out right, but I totally agree with mr Sorrells in sense that it take long time and very big effort to make it work, so powerhammer is really something to add to the process
You said you make 9 marks for your 1095 steel, but there are only 8 marks on the 1095 steel in this video. Does it matter, of course not. :) Having said that, and more importantly, I love your style of narrating. Great video, and great philosophy!
the whole time i was watching you use the belt sander, i couldn't help but think of how easily my clumsy ass would put fingers in it i laughed pretty hard at the bloody thumb part
I wear Harbor Freight Welding gloves for everything in my shop. They are nice thick leather, and are particularly handy at a grinder. Not only do I not remove flesh, but I can grind longer as I am also protected from the heat. The gloves are cheap, but do have to sit out in an open area for about 6 months as they come almost directly from the tannery (smells like rotten potatoes), and then you want to curl the fingers on them and press them when you are not in the shop so they conform to your hand. I know it's work, but you have a really nice glove when you are done.
Where's part two, Walter? My uni's forge is closed for rennovations until December, but I hear they're gonna get a forging press and a gas forge, so I can finally benefit from your awesome video series and stop trying to bang out billets with my puny arms and a hand hammer.
Love your videos! our mig welder is not a mig it is flux core. a mig has gas and leaes no slag. I would think useing a real mig would make ait easier as it has no slag. But dude your videos have so much info and I have learned so much. thank you
hi, Walter, very informative video, i got a lot from it, you answered a lot of questions, and took the time to share all aspects of the work, thank you very much. i have subscribed, and I'm now off to watch all you have on U tube, cheers, and a merry Christmass from Scotland.
Hey Watler, could you make a video on tips for the beginning knifemaker? Covering materials such as what tools to buy first, first projects to try, good steels for beginners, etc.? Thanks!
that process seems like the same process jewelers use called Mokume Gane.... I haven't tried it yet, but thanks for sharing ...very interesting subject!
Lord have mercy. I've never blacksmithed anything. Just found this video by accident. It's fascinating but I didn't realize it required so much equipment.
+ElGatoLoco698 Well hundreds of years ago, blacksmiths only had a furnace,hammer,anvil, files and some dyes oh and a tone of elbow grease. So if they can manage with just that much so can we.
Since you mentioned ratios then may i suggest a beautiful one. Try working with the ratio 1:1.62, also known as the "ratio of beauty", the "Golden ratio" or simply Phi.
This is not Damascus steel! Just go look it up at Wikipedia, but the short version is that this is a technique called pattern welding as he stated, but the Damascus steel is made with woody biomass and leaves to create nanowires and carbon nanotubes, making the blade a lot tougher. Still this is a very educational and good video and I definitely will watch more of walker's work
if I were you I wouldn't use cheap flux core wire to weld your billets together. this is where your getting a bunch of crap metal in your forgings. now I understand you cut those ends off. but I would suggest getting a small bottle of c25 gas and running er70s-6 wire. much cleaner welds and stronger steel so you won't need to worry so much about cutting those off. keep up the great work man I love this channel!
banding straps - very thin, 1075. Bi-metalic band saw blades - 15n20. a 20 layer stack is about 1.5 in thick. damascus is very doable with a hand hammer
Glad you said 'modern' Damascus steel, because if I remember correctly, the original was used with metal from a cosmic object which fell to earth and forged with earth materials? IF I remember correctly.
Wow, very informative video, impressive professional editing work with a touch of the learning curve FYIs. On to number 2 video. Thank you for your postings Walter.
A well thought out video. I enjoyed it and appreciated your honesty at the beginning . I am actually looking to recreate the smelting process of Damascus. I'm hoping to have access to an electron microscope to determine whether or not the carbon nanotubes are present in the result.
This video is excellent. Thank you! The video is informative, thorough, easy to watch and understand and holds your attention. Not everyone and even most people out there can't teach much less make a decent video. 5 stars! LOL
If I may ask a question....does a higher layer count add to the strength and "toughness" of the steel, or does it only affect the pattern after etching? Also, could you possibly do a video about creating the "Crushed W's" damascus pattern? As a person who has NEVER struck hot metal, I find your tutorials incredibly easy to understand, and I thank you for your time, and effort in educating those interested in making cool stuff!
I really want to take up blacksmithing as a bit of a hobby. I'd love to make damascus steel cutlery and a hunting knife. perhaps I could try making damascus steel with layers numbering in the millions.
I am not trying to be one of those guys that critiques all the videos but I wanted to mention something for the more budget conscious makers watching this video. Sodium tetraborate (borax) is extremely hygroscopic. This means it very much wants to absorb water from the atmosphere which makes it not anhydrous anymore. So depending on storage anhydrous borax will become hydrated quickly causing the issues he noted with hydrated borax in the video. So unless you have a way to store it in a dry atmosphere like using argon to purge the room air from the container it is going to be the same to just buy the 20 mules borax from Walmart. You will quickly lose the benefit of buying the more expensive anhydrous borax anyway as it absorbs water from humidity in the air. Great videos though. I have learned a lot and always enjoy the high quality of your videos. Some knife making videos on youtube tend to be lower quality. I can tell you take the quality and professionalism of your videos very seriously.
Best way to remove the scale, is to sink metal into vinegar over night and then wash it with water and rub with scotch pad, steel brush or what ever you have in hand. You can remove zink coatings with this methods as well btw.
Thanks for making such great videos Walter. But sadly, where as before the videos I was enthusiastic about my future in knife making, I've now had my balloon well and truly burst. I personally would be scared to try to make a knife because I don't like to fail in anything I do. I think it's time I took a course in blacksmithing so as I can get the basics under my belt before I start wasting my time and money. I will keep watching your videos though, as they're something I aspire to. Thanks Walter.
that's a wise move. Though, to be fair, Walter has some videos where he shows you the first knife he made vs the latest katana he made. There's a lot of "trial by fire" in blade making because its very easy to screw up rather than make a great piece. Even master's have blades break often.
Wulfrune It is as much an art as it is a skill set. As he points out several times in the video: you're going to fail...a lot...in the beginning. But you learn something new each time that happens. I've heard traditional iron workers compare it to animal taming: you have to learn every aspect of the materials nature before you can really hew what you want out of it. Don't despair.
Here's the main question that I want answered: What is the difference between using a Hada technique and forging Damascus? I know that both focus on creating layers in the blade, but does one only use steel while the other uses a combination of steel and another metal (like iron), or is it some other fact that makes the two techniques completely different from each other?
just getting into blacksmithing as a hobby I'm a disabled veteran USMC trying to learn Damascus this video is great could you send me a link to get flux that needed any info will help
Thanks for sharing your expertise with your professional videos. I an considering getting into Damascus. My question is what is the minimum size needed for a forging press? Is 15 tons sufficient? Can you suggest a manufacturer of a press? THANKS!!
Really good and informative video, love it. What I'm wondering is that I've sometimes seen when people making swords that that they split the thin side of the billet so it forms a Y then add another smaller billet inside and forge weld them. I'm guessing its for making the blade sharper, but how does it work? What's the difference in steel etc. also the use some kind of paste when tempering. Have no idea how it all works and it would be nice if you could make a video about it :)
For small knifes you can easily forge weld the billets by hand. Just make the billet large enough for one knife. something like one inch by one inch and 2 to 4 inches long can be made by hand. Ofcourse if you want to do this regularly, sooner or later you will need a power hammer.
Yup! I think "regularly" is the name of the game here. For those of us who want to makes something in our back yard, and try it without the fancy setup, forge welding is the way to go though.
Hello thanks for video, how to unite the plates of ex-plane exhaust and a hundreds electrik guitar string waste made from nikle and leaf spring or bearing how to joined that layer by forge???
To obtain the typical nanotube matrix of Damascus steel. Do you recommend to use fullerene dust, or the traditional method of alloy the steel with microalloying catalysts?
Layman question. What are these scales exactly, or what is their consistency? Do they contain more carbon or does reaction occur due to contact with oxygen?
the cool design on Damascus Steel knives, how is that formed? from the layers? because I see knives that say 100 layers 60 layers but they have the same amount of lines on the design.
When you finish your Japanese style blade, can you test it against a blade that was cut from steel and not forged in house? I want to know if traditional methods of wrapping a hard steel around a soft steel are superior than 1 steel forging. Also if doing clay patterns on the surface really give a beneficial hardness to the steel that cant be matched by regular heat treatment.
So i'm not actually a smith but love watching these types of videos. I just wanted to say yours are excellent and very clear.
Sir, thanks for putting these videos together- One of the best but often most overlooked function of the internet is passing along knowledge, instructing, teaching, experiments. I have worked here in Silicon Valley for almost 2 decades primarily in ecommerce development- I used to work with the founders of youtube before they created youtube and it is comforting to know that masters of a trade or art form are on youtube and other sites passing along knowledge. In my mind this activity is the most valuable trait of this global platform. Anyhow, I am in awe of your work and abilities. I have always wanted to make knives but with long work days and a lot of travel around the world (I investigate cybercrime) I don't have time but it sure is nice to watch you and others create amazing things.
I appreciate a craftsman who goes the extra mile to make a clean, high quality product. good job Walter, You get an A+ in my book.
I love the No-Nonsense approach and informal manner. What an amazing amount of information to digest! Thanks!
Walter, thanks for being a humble down to earth bladesmith. There are so many out there that don't have time for a "lamen." Or their cult follower apprentices shoo you away and say that "Murray doesn't answer questions on Tuesdays"...Huh? I am an amateur knifemaker and I have progressed alot by learning from smiths that are humble, patient and willing to teach me something. RUclips has been the vehicle for so many to learn this great art and I appreciate the tone you set in your videos. Subscribed...thanks again.
He completely changed the order of "Wh" words and just reverses the w and h
thank you for differentiating between damascus and pattern welded steel. i'm surprised how many people don't know the difference.
Yeah, I never make mistakes either. These are actually birthmarks on my hands, and definitely not scars!
I'm never gonna do this myself but it's a joy watching a professional who really knows his stuff.
I have to say I've come back to these videos not only caus it seems you know your stuff, but the effort you put into video quality, length and details and also your easy going/no bullshit/humor added style, it's just painless to watch and you learn a lot. keep it up!
Great video! Finally someone did a Damascus video and actually told what steel to use! BTW, has part 2 been uploaded yet?
Hi Walter, I just wanted to thank you for the video's and sharing your vast knowledge with us. I am starting out a rookie and basically trying to learn the process and terminology before I actually get started. I have already built my primitive shop and will be ready as soon as I get some coal the first of the month. Once again, thanks..
Awesome video...Words out of a mouth which knows A to Z of steel making...thanks a lot for uploading...
Great tutorial. You can tell when a man knows what he is talking about as he makes the tutorial seem simple as everything just roles out so matter a factually. Thank you for your posts.
I appreciate your honest videos. Informative and fun to watch.
I tend to work mild steel by hand then turn it to high carbon by baking it in clay for an hour in my forge with a bunch of charcoal dust packed in tight around the blade (about 1/2 inch of dust per 1/8 inch of blade, for 55-70 minutes) I cant imagine the effort it would take to even attempt decent Damascus without at least 2 other people whom know at least the basics of hitting hot iron.
thanks Walter. Your vids have been a huge help (these and the ones you sell) in getting me up to speed on Chinese daos and western knives. Great to give back so much of what you have been taught or figured out.
Did it only by hand, and came out right, but I totally agree with mr Sorrells in sense that it take long time and very big effort to make it work, so powerhammer is really something to add to the process
This guy is a really good teacher
Hey Walter, that's a very instructive video, good and clear. That's a lot of work. Thanks, and I'll be back to watch more.
You said you make 9 marks for your 1095 steel, but there are only 8 marks on the 1095 steel in this video. Does it matter, of course not. :) Having said that, and more importantly, I love your style of narrating. Great video, and great philosophy!
Shane Garrett Just checking to see who's paying attention. Seriously, though, thanks for the comments!
Can't wait for part 2. Awesome video. Well done!
Thanks Walter you did a great job, and it's easy to undestand and learn how to make damascus. Greetings!
Very well made video and thorough explanations. Makes me wish I was a blacksmith. This guy knows the theory and practice.
I don't know why but it's very appealing to watch the cooling steel on the side of the piece to fall off
Walter is the coolest dude around!
Cool whip
It's verbal terrorism.
Really dude u bringing pc into this🙄🙄🙄🙄😑😑
If I make a Damascus steel blade, I'm going to call it 'The Onion,' because onions have layers.
someone has beat you to it
Capt Ron WHAT?! Who?! I DEMAND TO KNOW WHO!
Ken Onion, knife maker for one !! google him, he makes some pretty cool stuff
I'm gonna call mine 'Reaper'
Onions?! Why not just call it an Ogre???
Very awesome I could watch this all day
where is the part 2 of this video?
the whole time i was watching you use the belt sander, i couldn't help but think of how easily my clumsy ass would put fingers in it
i laughed pretty hard at the bloody thumb part
Great Video mate! It has answered a lot of questions I had and was very entertaining as well.
"I never run my fingers into it... ever... at all."
I wear Harbor Freight Welding gloves for everything in my shop. They are nice thick leather, and are particularly handy at a grinder. Not only do I not remove flesh, but I can grind longer as I am also protected from the heat. The gloves are cheap, but do have to sit out in an open area for about 6 months as they come almost directly from the tannery (smells like rotten potatoes), and then you want to curl the fingers on them and press them when you are not in the shop so they conform to your hand. I know it's work, but you have a really nice glove when you are done.
Where's part two, Walter? My uni's forge is closed for rennovations until December, but I hear they're gonna get a forging press and a gas forge, so I can finally benefit from your awesome video series and stop trying to bang out billets with my puny arms and a hand hammer.
Thank you Walter, from the bottom of my little forging heart, thank you!
With your videos I made my very first hunting knife. Thank you!
My wife can't believe I watch these vids all the way through; I tell her, "Me like Fi-yuh."
Lol wut?
Cleveland Brown I know right!
"You'll need a little more mojo than your right arm can provide". He knows the struggle.
"then you go cry a little and kick dog"😂😂💀
Before I watched this video, I wondered why Damascus blades were so expensive. Now I wonder why they are so cheap. Amazing tutorial!
Walter, I really appreciate your videos.
and so where pray tell is part 2?
Awesome video, awesome instructions!
That was an awesome video! (All your videos are.) But is there a part 2?
Love your videos! our mig welder is not a mig it is flux core. a mig has gas and leaes no slag. I would think useing a real mig would make ait easier as it has no slag. But dude your videos have so much info and I have learned so much. thank you
"do whatever it takes" great, now the song is stuck in my head.
As always thanks for another great video- it's obvious u put a lot of thought and effort into them
Very cool, thanks for uploading!
hi, Walter, very informative video, i got a lot from it, you answered a lot of questions, and took the time to share all aspects of the work, thank you very much. i have subscribed, and I'm now off to watch all you have on U tube, cheers, and a merry Christmass from Scotland.
Hey Watler, could you make a video on tips for the beginning knifemaker? Covering materials such as what tools to buy first, first projects to try, good steels for beginners, etc.? Thanks!
+XxDetriment xX Poke around on my channel and you'll find videos already made on pretty much all these subjects!
you'll need much more than just knives gaara
XxDetriment xX there is also a book called $50 dollar knife shop to check out.
thanks for all the knowledge. and sharing it.
Adamın dibi yine bilgi veriyor helal. Thank you.
your video is very well made! Thanks!
im jsut gonna test doing damascus steel this summer but only got normal hammer. so im gonan give it a shot, wish me luck
that process seems like the same process jewelers use called Mokume Gane.... I haven't tried it yet, but thanks for sharing ...very interesting subject!
Lord have mercy. I've never blacksmithed anything. Just found this video by accident. It's fascinating but I didn't realize it required so much equipment.
It doesn't take that much
+ElGatoLoco698 Well hundreds of years ago, blacksmiths only had a furnace,hammer,anvil, files and some dyes oh and a tone of elbow grease. So if they can manage with just that much so can we.
Since you mentioned ratios then may i suggest a beautiful one.
Try working with the ratio 1:1.62, also known as the "ratio of beauty", the "Golden ratio" or simply Phi.
Like the video Walter good info. Really injoyed it
This is not Damascus steel! Just go look it up at Wikipedia, but the short version is that this is a technique called pattern welding as he stated, but the Damascus steel is made with woody biomass and leaves to create nanowires and carbon nanotubes, making the blade a lot tougher.
Still this is a very educational and good video and I definitely will watch more of walker's work
if I were you I wouldn't use cheap flux core wire to weld your billets together. this is where your getting a bunch of crap metal in your forgings. now I understand you cut those ends off. but I would suggest getting a small bottle of c25 gas and running er70s-6 wire. much cleaner welds and stronger steel so you won't need to worry so much about cutting those off. keep up the great work man I love this channel!
Thanks for these great videos!
i never knew an old man could be so funny! lol love it.
banding straps - very thin, 1075. Bi-metalic band saw blades - 15n20. a 20 layer stack is about 1.5 in thick. damascus is very doable with a hand hammer
you sir, are one pro smith! Love your skills
Awesome! Great commentary!
Excellent!!!!!!
Glad you said 'modern' Damascus steel, because if I remember correctly, the original was used with metal from a cosmic object which fell to earth and forged with earth materials? IF I remember correctly.
Wow, very informative video, impressive professional editing work with a touch of the learning curve FYIs. On to number 2 video. Thank you for your postings Walter.
Great video thanks!
A well thought out video. I enjoyed it and appreciated your honesty at the beginning . I am actually looking to recreate the smelting process of Damascus. I'm hoping to have access to an electron microscope to determine whether or not the carbon nanotubes are present in the result.
This video is excellent. Thank you! The video is informative, thorough, easy to watch and understand and holds your attention. Not everyone and even most people out there can't teach much less make a decent video. 5 stars! LOL
thanks very good guide!
If I may ask a question....does a higher layer count add to the strength and "toughness" of the steel, or does it only affect the pattern after etching? Also, could you possibly do a video about creating the "Crushed W's" damascus pattern?
As a person who has NEVER struck hot metal, I find your tutorials incredibly easy to understand, and I thank you for your time, and effort in educating those interested in making cool stuff!
Interesting and impressive.
Have a great Christmas.
Sandy
That was funny. I never run my hands into the sander. Thanks for the info Walter.
When does part 2 come out.
I really want to take up blacksmithing as a bit of a hobby. I'd love to make damascus steel cutlery and a hunting knife. perhaps I could try making damascus steel with layers numbering in the millions.
I am not trying to be one of those guys that critiques all the videos but I wanted to mention something for the more budget conscious makers watching this video. Sodium tetraborate (borax) is extremely hygroscopic. This means it very much wants to absorb water from the atmosphere which makes it not anhydrous anymore. So depending on storage anhydrous borax will become hydrated quickly causing the issues he noted with hydrated borax in the video. So unless you have a way to store it in a dry atmosphere like using argon to purge the room air from the container it is going to be the same to just buy the 20 mules borax from Walmart. You will quickly lose the benefit of buying the more expensive anhydrous borax anyway as it absorbs water from humidity in the air.
Great videos though. I have learned a lot and always enjoy the high quality of your videos. Some knife making videos on youtube tend to be lower quality. I can tell you take the quality and professionalism of your videos very seriously.
You made my day with the " be Nazi here and make this sucker clean, clean clean," haha great video man
Best way to remove the scale, is to sink metal into vinegar over night and then wash it with water and rub with scotch pad, steel brush or what ever you have in hand. You can remove zink coatings with this methods as well btw.
great videos sir.well detailed explanation.keep it up sir!
Thanks for making such great videos Walter. But sadly, where as before the videos I was enthusiastic about my future in knife making, I've now had my balloon well and truly burst. I personally would be scared to try to make a knife because I don't like to fail in anything I do. I think it's time I took a course in blacksmithing so as I can get the basics under my belt before I start wasting my time and money.
I will keep watching your videos though, as they're something I aspire to.
Thanks Walter.
that's a wise move. Though, to be fair, Walter has some videos where he shows you the first knife he made vs the latest katana he made. There's a lot of "trial by fire" in blade making because its very easy to screw up rather than make a great piece. Even master's have blades break often.
Wulfrune It is as much an art as it is a skill set. As he points out several times in the video: you're going to fail...a lot...in the beginning. But you learn something new each time that happens. I've heard traditional iron workers compare it to animal taming: you have to learn every aspect of the materials nature before you can really hew what you want out of it. Don't despair.
Here's the main question that I want answered: What is the difference between using a Hada technique and forging Damascus? I know that both focus on creating layers in the blade, but does one only use steel while the other uses a combination of steel and another metal (like iron), or is it some other fact that makes the two techniques completely different from each other?
Great, Best Vid How to To-date.
Thanks
just getting into blacksmithing as a hobby I'm a disabled veteran USMC trying to learn Damascus this video is great could you send me a link to get flux that needed any info will help
I love knives but don't give 2 shits on how they are made, but I watched this entire video because this guy is entertaining....
If you had a tig welder, you could fuse the pieces together and have no issues with mig wire metal contaminating your billet.
Thanks for sharing your expertise with your professional videos. I an considering getting into Damascus. My question is what is the minimum size needed for a forging press? Is 15 tons sufficient? Can you suggest a manufacturer of a press? THANKS!!
Really good and informative video, love it. What I'm wondering is that I've sometimes seen when people making swords that that they split the thin side of the billet so it forms a Y then add another smaller billet inside and forge weld them. I'm guessing its for making the blade sharper, but how does it work? What's the difference in steel etc. also the use some kind of paste when tempering. Have no idea how it all works and it would be nice if you could make a video about it :)
great vid
For small knifes you can easily forge weld the billets by hand. Just make the billet large enough for one knife. something like one inch by one inch and 2 to 4 inches long can be made by hand.
Ofcourse if you want to do this regularly, sooner or later you will need a power hammer.
Yup! I think "regularly" is the name of the game here. For those of us who want to makes something in our back yard, and try it without the fancy setup, forge welding is the way to go though.
you used a wire feed to weld the steels together so does it make a difference of what kind of wire you use ?
Hello thanks for video, how to unite the plates of ex-plane exhaust and a hundreds electrik guitar string waste made from nikle and leaf spring or bearing how to joined that layer by forge???
To obtain the typical nanotube matrix of Damascus steel.
Do you recommend to use fullerene dust, or the traditional method of alloy the steel with microalloying catalysts?
this is the first video i watched when i wanted to learn how to make Damascus. what tipe of forge press do you have?
good job walter.
very interesting video!
Layman question. What are these scales exactly, or what is their consistency? Do they contain more carbon or does reaction occur due to contact with oxygen?
the cool design on Damascus Steel knives, how is that formed? from the layers? because I see knives that say 100 layers 60 layers but they have the same amount of lines on the design.
I love your videos!
When you finish your Japanese style blade, can you test it against a blade that was cut from steel and not forged in house?
I want to know if traditional methods of wrapping a hard steel around a soft steel are superior than 1 steel forging. Also if doing clay patterns on the surface really give a beneficial hardness to the steel that cant be matched by regular heat treatment.