Canister Damascus with J. Neilson

James (J.) Neilson is an American Bladesmith Society Mastersmith who works from his “shop in the woods” in the endless mountains of north eastern Pennsylvania. There, he has been able to develop his long-time interests in knife making and forging into more than just a hobby. The quiet setting and scarcity of neighbours has been the perfect background to allow J. to develop his skills. He puts a great deal of effort into his wares, and he takes considerable pride in the finished products he produces.

In this video, J. demonstrates how to forge weld two different types of canister Damascus. In the first demonstration, J. builds an upright can using small ball bearings and powdered steel. In the second demonstration, J. lays out a canoe canister using larger ball bearings and roller bearings.

Some of the topics covered are:

• Preparing the upright can
• Filling the upright can
• Welding the upright can
• Preparing the canoe can
• Filling the canoe can
• Welding the canoe can
• Removing the cans
• Plus, many other tips and suggestions