NARRATOR: It's a landmark day at Jason Hawk's mountain forge.
JASON HAWK: I'm working on something
that I've dreamed about for a long time,
the first knife that is from start to finish
from ore that I gathered.
It's a 100% Ozark-steel blade.
NARRATOR: The first step is to fuse together the three
pieces into a single block using a process called forge welding.
So we're going to go ahead and get
that in, add a little bit more charcoal,
and bring it up to heat.
NARRATOR: Homemade steel is more unpredictable
than factory made.
Finding the right temperature for the weld
is a guessing game.
JASON HAWK: Working with this ore,
it's like being a newbie again.
You gotta rethink everything.
NARRATOR: Not hot enough and the metal won't bond.
Too hot and it could burn up the entire batch.
JASON HAWK: All right, things are looking good.
The design of this knife is just my version
of an early Saxon knife.
It's really an all-purpose steel.
I mean, when you go back to knives of this age,
it was your hunting knife.
It was your chef knife.
It was your dagger for battle.
Since I'm working with ore, it just
seems like it's right that I start
with an older-style pattern.
So we're going to start by forming the tip,
working the heel area, drawing this thing out.
Yeah, it's starting to look kind of like a knife.
I'm going to go ahead and set up the grinder here.
I'm going to cut through and see, just making sure
that everything's welded together before I
really start thinning it down.
Looks like we got it.
Nice.
It's nice we forge welded all the way through.
Now it's just a matter of drawing everything
out, getting everything shaped, and letting
the blade come to form.
This early Saxon knife, looking at the angle,
it's basically similar to what we would
refer to as a drop point now.
It's a lot of hammer.
NARRATOR: A drop point is a design commonly
used by hunters, preferred for its strong spine that slopes
from the handle to the tip.
All right, she's looking pretty good.
So now it's just time to move the oil on over.
NARRATOR: The final step is to quench the blade in an oil bath
to permanently harden the steel.
But since Jason's never quenched home-forged steel before,
he can't be sure what temperature is best.
A lot of things can go wrong in the quench.
Warpage can be significant, or flaws that are in the blade
can blow out.
With this, quenching this new blade, it's much work.
Yeah, there's a little bit more apprehension than usual.
Well, it's in one piece.
We did pretty good.
I'm pleased, real pleased.
NARRATOR: Jason's season-long gamble is finally paying off
with the first proof that he can mine,
smelt, and forge his own steel straight from the land.
JASON HAWK: Throw a quick sharpen on her
and give her a test.
This knife itself is a field knife.
So what I'm looking for is something that
can handle some mishandling.
So we've got some pork bone here.
We're going to do some hacking.
We'll see.
That's a pretty thick piece of bone right there.
Looks like the edge is holding up pretty good.
It's not chipping.
It's not rolling.
It's holding.
So next thing, I got a quarter.
Let's see how that tip's going to hold up.
Yep.
Tip is stout.
It's one of the weakest places.
It cut through the pork shank, damn near a quarter.
It's not what I'd recommend doing with a knife,
but she'll hold up.
Yeah, everything's looking good.
Now it's just time to finish this thing out.
Oh, I am pleased.
It's turned out really nice.
That steel is very different-- just real subtle,
the different layers.
For me, this knife symbolizes sheer will.
It has been very dangerous.
I've had broken kilns--
[BLEEP]
Not what I wanted to do.
--a lot of trial and error--
This one's a bit overcooked.
--but this is success.
That's the beginning of a new world of blades.
Finishing this knife, using the ore from the mountains,
and being able to provide for my family, and I'll tell you what.
That's worth more than anything.
Oh, that's cool.
This is a relief.
This is how we keep in the game, and that's how we keep moving
forward in the mountains.