Conan Learns The Requirements To Become A Journeyman Bladesmith | Conan O'Brien Needs A Fan

Well, Josh, so nice to chat with you. Uh, you're coming to us from Liverpool, New York. I didn't know there was a. Liverpool, New York, but So, that's. upstate. Yeah, upstate Syracuse. Okay, very good. And, um, you forge. blades. Is that correct? >> That's true. Yeah, I'm a professional. bladesmith. You're a bladesmith? I. didn't know it was called bladesmith. I. love that. >> Yeah, >> I love a knife. I'm going to tell you. upfront right now, Josh. I do. I really. do love a knife. I. >> Yeah, he does. I I I love a knife. I.

love it when I need to do something and. there happens to be a knife in my. pocket. >> You know what I mean? No, I don't know. why everyone's laughing. I have seen it. I agree with you. I'm I'm really happy. >> Seems like the knife that really would. suit you actually. Well, you know, a. little tiny, you know, a little pocket. knife [laughter] like in a uh in maybe. like in the nail clippers. You know, you. flick out that thing in the nail. clippers and. >> he's [laughter] not nervous anymore. Just have a good. >> He literally drove a knife through your. heart.

>> Yeah. Yeah. His Hey, his finest blade is. the one he just slipped between my fifth. and sixth rib. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I. had to. >> uh Well, uh nicely done, Josh. I guess. [laughter]. Um and, uh. >> I don't want to create an adversarial. environment. I love. >> You don't like what? No, I don't. >> You don't? That was a weird choice then. I'll get on Conan's good side. Um. >> Yeah. >> Okay. Let's [clears throat] talk about. because I don't know anything about. knives really, how they're made, and I.

wonder how you got into this. Tell us. the origin story of Josh Frost up in. Liverpool, New York. What happened? How. did you start making blades? So, I was. working in middle management uh in sales. and. >> and you wanted to kill someone, [laughter]. >> but I mean it was not that extreme, I. think, but uh I just wanted a a nice. knife. And I found out that that I did. some research and I found out that. really nice knives were between $3 and. $10,000. So, yeah. Why is that? For a.

number of different reasons. Uh it can. be for the materials, it can be for the. craftsmanship, the provenence of the. knife, who made it. Um but also the. difficulty in uh constructing the knife, right? Uh there are a number of. different materials that you can use and. processes that exist, but uh some not. all knives are are created equal. So. different different types of steel makes. it make make one type or another. >> Blend sometimes materials, you know, you've got a little uh you've got a. certain kind of steel in there, but then.

a different kind of steel and then you. put a little tungsten in there and then. you put a little Right. You like melt it. and stuff. >> Is that true? Am I describing this. correctly? >> Why am I I don't. >> Hey Josh, I asked you how a knife is. made and then I go I know you guys are. trying to figure out talking about my. theory of how knives are made [laughter]. when I'm talking to a man who makes. knives. >> You said tungsten, >> right? So I No. Uh not any say various. polymers. [laughter].

Uh, you can sure actually. Um, or well, alloys. You can say alloys. >> So, [laughter]. >> David, I'm an ally and I love alloys. My. problem is [laughter]. >> ally. >> Go ahead. >> It can get really nerdy. So, I'm just. going to like go over the bas. Okay. So, you need I I I think uh it says in my. notes that you claim there's only three. things you need to make a knife. Tell us. what those three things are. >> to forge a knife. So, you can you uh I.

think any can just put a knife, you know, put a piece of steel on a on a. file and just file the metal away and. kind of make the general knife shaped. object. >> This is one who could not do. that, [laughter]. >> right? But you could I could teach you. how to do that. >> I I represent a giant swath of. and I would not be able to do that, [laughter]. >> right? >> You would be putting polymers and. tungsten in it. >> But yeah, polymers. Let's just let's put. some epoxy in there. I put poly dent in. there, >> an adhesive for dentures. We'll put some.

we'll squirt some glue on it. >> Oh, yeah. Yeah, that'll help. >> Okay. So, you need you need uh. >> you need a heat source to forge a knife. So, you need you need steel, which is. something like this. This is this is. what my knives are made of. And what I'm. showing is about an inch and a half by/4. in. >> uh bar of steel. This particular steel. is called Shiraami white paper number. two. And it's probably my favorite blade. steel to to forge and make knives out. of. >> Is it come from Japan?

>> It does. Yes. >> Okay. That's that's a guest. >> Hitachi. >> If it was Okalahan [laughter] grade. seven steel, that's. >> I've got some of that in my shop. >> That's a Dublin. That's [laughter] a. Dublin knife. >> Oalahan steel. Um, so, [laughter] so you need a heat. source and you need uh. >> you need a heat source because it's got. to be heated up to forging temperature, which is about it, it varies, but it's. right around 1,800 degrees F. >> What's the surface of the sun? What's. the temperature of the surface of the.

sun? >> I don't think you might. something. >> Is it 4500 degrees? Eduardo's looking it. up, but I I just I think it's really. cool. >> What's that? >> It's warm. >> Oh, that's the Southern Illinois. scientist over there. Yes. What you got? >> 5,500. >> 5,500°. Okay. >> 55. >> So that would be. >> So now we all know. >> that would be a um a good heat source. I. guess the sun of course it powers the. planet. So yes. >> Yeah. So you just need a spaceship. >> So So you need a heat source and you. need uh and you need something like a a.

hammer. This is what I made. Um I like. my own uh blacksmithing bladesmithing. hammers. >> That's a cool looking hammer. It's like. Lil Thor carries that hammer. >> Yeah. [laughter] There you go. Little. you know. And I know you couldn't swing. this. I I know you couldn't swing this, Conan, but I I've got a smaller one like. this where it would probably be easier. for you to swing. >> Um [screaming]. >> Josh, what's going on here? What's going. on? I came to you I came to you in. friendship. You say you're a big fan and.

yet this is your [laughter]. >> You always tell people you're looking. out for your girish figure. So I want to. make sure that I that I. >> that I that I uh that I uh you know. cater to that desire. >> Understand? Well, I Yeah, >> what I'm saying is I'm looking out for a. girlish figure, if [laughter] you know. what I mean. >> Okay, I've heard you wrong all these. years. Oh my god. >> Um, and so yeah, no, you need an anvil. You need something to smash the steel. with. >> Yes, you need a hard surface. Uh, couple. of hammers. Uh, uh, heat source. Now,

you have risen in the ranks. You are a. proud You're a master bladesmith. How do. you become a master bladesmith? >> I am not master bladesmith, unfortunately. No, I'm a I'm a. journeyman. >> You're a journeyman, bladesmith. Oh, I. see. This is my fault. This is not the. researcher's fault. >> Uh you you present. >> you have to in order to become a. journeyman, you have to you're raided by. master bladesmiths. Is that correct? >> Right. That's correct. So after you uh.

you join the American Bladesmith Society. as an apprentice and you have to go. through schooling and learning and all. that other good stuff and then you have. to test to see whether or not you've. acquired enough knowledge and skill to. proceed to the journeyman bladesmith. level. So the the tests are are really. rigorous. What you have to do is you. have to build a knife. It's got a 10-in. long blade. Actually I have mine. Um. >> let's check it out. >> This is the this is the test knife that. I made. It's like a scimitar.

>> It cuts around corners now. [laughter]. But the Yeah, if your foe is just if. your foe or the or the watermelon you're. slicing is just around a corner, [laughter] this is the blade for you. >> But I did I didn't make this uh curve. myself deliberately. So. >> Oh, that was a mistake. Was that a. mistake? >> That No, that was from the testing. Oh, so what you what you have to do is you. have to make a blade uh that can one. first cut through a 1 in rope in one. swipe. Then it has to chop through two. 2x4s entirely.

>> Then it has to then it has to shave hair. after because you know the chopping of. the 2x4s would dull a knife with a bad. heat treatment. And so you have to shave. uh you have to shave hair with it. And. then what hair do you choose to shave? [laughter]. >> I I chose my arm hair. Okay. >> Can you choose any hair to shave? >> I think so you could. Yeah. >> Could you in front of the master. bladesmith's. >> Manscape with [laughter]. >> with your blade? >> It's a question. It's a valid question.

Drop trout. Time to test the knife. Drop. trout. >> It's a show of confidence. >> Yes, it's a show of confidence. >> I think that would be a great. >> I would drop Trow and I'd say it's time. to go to work on the old Don Johnson. >> All right. Watch this. All right. [laughter]. I'm not scared at all. Uh yeah. No, it's. a it it might not be that kind of crowd. Bladesmithing folks are uh. >> boo bunch of squares. [laughter]. >> Yeah, >> you just want to see a bunch of dicks at. this thing and just like. if I go to a if I go to a journeyman.

bladesmith contest and I'm not seeing. dicks, something's wrong. [laughter]. >> Something's wrong. >> But I say that about everything. [laughter]. >> I watch I watch the Great British. >> dicks there. There's something wrong. I. no I watch the great British bake off. and I say WHAT ARE THE. >> WHAT? NO DICKS? [laughter]. >> Not true. >> They're making stones and I'm not seeing. >> What the [laughter]. >> Okay. So, all right. Let's let's rain it.

in. And Josh. Josh, you took us down a. really dirty road there. That was all Josh. Who brought up? He. started. He started it. He started it. with his little knife comment. So, now. we know where he is.