Have you ever watched a blacksmith work an old railroad tie into an elaborate metal trinket and wonder "How do they do that?" or "Why are doing it that way" or "What is the purpose of that step?" In this episode, we dive into the science behind those exact questions. We talk about metal deformation, heat treatments, fracture, different steel types, and wrap up the episode interviewing Alexander Wickstrom an undergraduate in the Materials Science & Engineering Department at the University of Utah who led his "Materials Advantage Student Chapter" in their recent TMS Bladesmithing Competition with a truly one of a kind Damascus steel rapier.

Check out more of Alexander's work on Facebook

This episode is sponsored by Matmatch. Check out how they can help you find the perfect material for your next engineering project!

Thanks to Kolobyte and Alphabot for letting us use their music in the show!

If you have questions or feedback please send us emails at [email protected] or connect with us on social media: Instagram, Twitter.

Materialism Team: Taylor Sparks (co-host, co-creator), Andrew Falkowski (co-host, co-creator), Jared Duffy production, marketing, and editing), Ramsey Issa (editing assistance).

Keywords: deformation metal iron steel blacksmithing processing

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