Handmade: Metal

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BBC Four HD

Handmade

BBC Four

Owen Bush

Richard Bright

Ian Denyer

Handmade: Episode 2: Metal

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Episode 2

Episode 2: Metal

Metal

BBC Four - Handmade, Metal

An absorbing portrait of the forging of a steel knife by bladesmith Owen Bush.

Filmed without voiceover or music, this film is an absorbing portrait of the complex processes behind the crafting of a steel knife by bladesmith Owen Bush.

As part of BBC Four Goes Slow, this programme follows the forging of a steel knife. From the slow stoking of the fire to the hammering, welding and etching of the metal, the film is an absorbing portrait of the complex processes behind the making of the knife.

Forged in a spectacular industrial space, bladesmith Owen Bush uses a combination of modern and traditional techniques, some of which date to ancient times.

The most time-consuming element of the process is the shaping and blending of a sandwich of steels into a blade which, after polishing, is placed in a bath of acids, revealing an intricate pattern - a technique used by the Vikings and Saxons.

The bold style of the film-making, making use of long, static shots and with no music or commentary, allows the viewer to simply enjoy watching the painstaking and highly skilled craftsmanship.

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Series filmed without voiceover or music so the focus is entirely on the craft process.

Three-part series filmed without voiceover or music so the focus is entirely on the craft process.

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Episode 2: Metal

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