Narrator: AROUND THE WORLD, THE RACE TO WIN WARS
AND EXPLORE THE UNIVERSE
HAS CREATED SOME OF THE MOST
INCREDIBLE PRODUCTS EVER DESIGNED,
AND WE USE THEM EVERY DAY,
UNAWARE OF THEIR AMAZING ORIGINS.
ON "INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS," THE DRUM,
ITS USE IN KEEPING TIME
BOTH MUSICALLY AND ON THE BATTLEFIELD,
THE SLINKY,
HOW A SIMPLE METAL SPRING DEFIES
THE LAWS OF PHYSICS,
AND THE FENCING SWORD,
THE DEADLY PAST OF AN OLYMPIC SPORT.
WE REVEAL THE AMAZING HISTORY
AND ENGINEERING OF THESE
INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS.
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
♪♪
FROM THE NEOLITHIC ERA TO THE 21ST CENTURY,
THE DRUM HAS LIVED UP TO ITS NOISY REPUTATION.
IT'S BEEN USED BY THE ANCIENT CHINESE AND MONGOLIAN TRIBES,
THE AZTECS OF MEXICO,
AND NATIVE AMERICANS IN THE PLAINS
OF THE UNITED STATES.
Hicks: WHEN IT COMES TO DRUMS, YOU'VE GOT TO GO BACK IN TIME,
REALLY ANCIENT TIMES, AFRICA,
THE HOLLOWED-OUT LOG,
YOU KNOW, INTIMIDATING THE NEXT TRIBE,
THE ENEMY OR THE NEXT VILLAGE YOU'RE COMING.
THE NATIVE AMERICANS, WITH THEIR DRUMS,
IT'S TELLING YOU, WE'RE COMING.
Narrator: AS ONE OF THE OLDEST MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS,
A DRUM'S BASIC DESIGN HAS REMAINED
ALMOST THE SAME FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS.
CLASSIFIED AS A MEMBRANOPHONE
BECAUSE IT CONSISTS OF AT LEAST ONE ANIMAL HIDE
THAT HAS BEEN STRETCHED AND,
WHEN STRUCK BY THE HAND OR DRUMSTICK,
PRODUCES A DEEP AND LOUD SOUND.
WHILE THE DRUM IS COMMONLY REGARDED
AS THE ROOT OF ALL MUSIC,
IT CAN'T ESCAPE ITS BLOODY PAST ON THE BATTLEFIELDS OF HISTORY.
MANY KINGDOMS, TRIBES
AND NATIONS HAVE RISEN AND FALLEN
TO THE SOUND OF A BEATING DRUM.
WELL, THE MOST SIMPLE USE FOR THE DRUM
IS MARKING TIME FOR THE REGIMENT
AND BEATING THE TIME OF THEIR DIFFERENT MOVEMENTS
WHEN THEY'RE DOING THEIR DRILL.
BOTH IN THE ENGLISH AND THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR,
THE DRUM BEAT WAS PARAMOUNT.
IT WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
WITHOUT IT, YOU COULDN'T GET ALL OF YOUR MEN
TO PRESENT AT THE RIGHT TIME,
FIRE AT THE RIGHT TIME.
OTHERWISE, IT WOULD BE CHAOS ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
LIBERTY HAS BEEN MAKING DRUMS
IN COUNTY DURHAM, ENGLAND SINCE 2006,
AND ALL THEIR DRUMS ARE ENTIRELY HANDMADE,
MAKING THEM UNIQUE.
Street: WE BUILD THE DRUMS FROM THE RAW TIMBER,
SO WE SOURCE IN THE BIRCHES,
THE MAPLES, MAHOGANIES,
AND WE BUILD OUR KITS PLY BY PLY.
ESSENTIALLY, EVERY ELEMENT IS HANDMADE.
ALL THE TIMBERS ARE ALWAYS HANDLED BY HAND,
RIGHT TO THE FINISHING PROCESS.
IT'S A, YOU KNOW, A REALLY FINE INSTRUMENT.
Narrator: THE PROCESS BEGINS WITH THE SELECTION OF THE TIMBER
TO MAKE THE SHELL OF THE SNARE DRUM.
STRIPS OF PLYWOOD ARE MEASURED OUT
AND PRECISELY CUT TO SIZE.
THESE WILL BE LAMINATED TOGETHER
TO FORM THE DRUM SHELL.
FOR THE OUTER LAYER OF THE DRUM,
TWO STRIPS OF THE PLYWOOD
ARE LAYERED UP ON EITHER SIDE
OF A DECORATIVE BEADING STRIP
AND HELD IN PLACE USING MASKING TAPE.
EACH PLYWOOD LAYER IS COATED WITH A SPECIAL GLUE
AND CAREFULLY MANIPULATED INTO PLACE
WITHIN A SOLID-WALLED MOLD.
EACH FRAME GETS A COAT OF GLUE BY HAND
AND THEN PLACED IN THE MOLD.
EACH PLY, WE USE A SPECIFIC COMPOUND OF GLUE,
AND THEN EACH LEAF OR VENEER,
WE'VE PLACED IN THE MOLD TO MAKE THAT SPECIFIC DRUM.
SO IT DEPENDS THE TYPE, THE DESIGN OF THE DRUM,
HOW THICK, HOW MANY VENEERS.
THE MOLD'S PURPOSE IS TO APPLY EXTERNAL PRESSURE
TO THE PLYWOOD LAYERS.
THE SHELL IS LEFT TO DRY NATURALLY IN THE MOLD
FOR 24 HOURS TO ENSURE A GOOD BOND.
ONCE DRY, THE DRUM IS EXTRACTED FROM THE MOLD AND CHECKED
FOR ANY IMPERFECTIONS ON THE LAMINATE.
THE EDGES OF THE DRUM
ARE THEN PRECISELY TRIMMED USING A CIRCULAR SAW.
THE DRUM'S SURFACE IS THEN CAREFULLY SANDED BY HAND
TO ENSURE A GOOD, SMOOTH FINISH.
NEXT, THE DECORATIVE BEAD IS MASKED WITH TAPE,
AND ONE HALF OF THE DRUM
IS STAINED WITH A COLORED LACQUER.
ONCE THE LACQUER IS DRY, THE WHOLE DRUM IS COATED
WITH A LAYER OF WAX FOR PROTECTION
AND TO GIVE A SMOOTH FINISH.
WHEN THE FINISH IS COMPLETE,
THE EDGES OF THE DRUM ARE BEVELED USING A ROUTING TOOL.
THIS WILL FORM A BEARING EDGE
FOR ATTACHING THE DRUM SKINS LATER ON.
NEXT, MASKING TAPE IS APPLIED AROUND
THE CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE DRUM
SO THAT IT CAN BE MARKED UP FOR DRILLING.
A TEMPLATE IS USED TO MARK THE POSITIONS
WHERE THE DRUM WILL BE DRILLED.
MORE MASKING TAPE IS APPLIED
AT EACH POSITION AROUND THE DRUM,
AND A TEMPLATE IS USED TO MARK THE CORRECT POSITIONS
FOR DRILLING THE HOLES.
HOLES ARE DRILLED THROUGH THE DRUM
SHELL AT ALL THE MARKED LOCATIONS,
AND THEN ALL THE EXTERNAL METALWORK IS SCREWED ON AROUND
THE EDGES OF THE DRUM.
THESE ARE USED FOR ATTACHING THE DRUM HEADS
AS WELL AS THE SNARE WIRES.
NEXT, THE BOTTOM DRUM HEAD IS ATTACHED TO THE DRUM
USING A METAL HOOP,
WHICH IS SCREWED ONTO THE DRUM THROUGH THE METAL LUGS.
THE DRUMHEAD IS THEN TIGHTENED
AND TUNED TO ENSURE EVEN TENSION AROUND
THE HEAD USING A DRUM KEY.
THE WIRE SNARES ATTACH DOWN TO THE BOTTOM HEAD OF THE DRUM.
THE SNARE WIRES STAY IN CONTACT WITH THE DRUMHEAD
AND VIBRATE WHEN THE DRUM IS HIT.
IT IS THIS THAT GIVES A SNARE DRUM
ITS UNIQUE, SNAPPY SOUND.
THE FINAL STEP IS TO ATTACH THE TOP DRUMHEAD AND TUNE IT.
NOW, IT IS READY FOR A THOROUGH TEST IN A DRUM ROOM.
[ DRUM ROLL TO BACKBEAT ]
SO THERE IT IS, THE SNARE DRUM.
FROM MARCHING BAND TO ROCKSTAR,
IT REALLY IS AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.
AFTER THE BREAK, WE EXPLORE,
HOW DID A HAPPY ACCIDENT DURING WORLD WAR II
CREATE ONE OF AMERICA'S MOST POPULAR TOYS?
Narrator: THE SLINKY, A METAL MARVEL
THAT STILL CONTINUES TO AMAZE YOUNG AND OLD ALIKE.
BUT HOW IS THIS INNOCENT TOY CONNECTED TO WORLD WAR II,
AND WHAT IS THE AMAZING SCIENCE BEHIND ITS STRANGE ABILITY
TO WALK DOWN STAIRS?
THE SIMPLE PRECOMPRESSED HELICAL SPRING,
THAT'S A COIL TO YOU AND ME,
IS FIRST INVENTED BY RICHARD JAMES WAY
BACK IN THE EARLY 1940S
WHILE HE'S WORKING WITH THE US NAVY.
AS PART OF THE WAR EFFORT,
JAMES AND HIS TEAM ARE BUSY BUILDING SPRING SHOCK ABSORBERS
TO KEEP DELICATE NAVIGATION INSTRUMENTS ON BOARD WARSHIPS
SAFE AND FREE FROM DAMAGE, EVEN IN THE HEAVIEST OF STORMS.
THE SLINKY WAS AN ACCIDENTAL INVENTION, IF YOU WILL.
IT WAS DISCOVERED BY RICHARD JAMES
WHEN HE KNOCKED OVER SOME SPRINGS.
HE REALIZED THE WAY THAT THEY WALKED ACROSS THE FLOOR
COULD BE POSSIBLY BECOMING A PRODUCT,
AND THIS PRODUCT BASICALLY WAS DESIGNED
SUCH THAT YOU COULD PLAY WITH IT.
HE SHOWED IT TO A LOT OF LITTLE KIDS.
THE CHILDREN THERE LOVED IT,
AND HE REALIZED HE WAS ONTO A WINNER.
Narrator: WITH THE EXCITEMENT OF HIS INVENTION
STILL FRESH IN HIS MIND,
JAMES AND HIS WIFE BORROW $500
AND SPEND THE NEXT YEAR RESEARCHING
AND DEVELOPING THE IDEA
SO IT'S READY FOR THE 1945 CHRISTMAS RUSH.
AT FIRST, THE BIG DEPARTMENT STORES ARE SKEPTICAL,
SO JAMES TAKES INITIATIVE BY DEMONSTRATING
HIS CREATION TO SHOPPERS,
AND BY THE END OF THE YEAR, THE SLINKY IS THE MUST-HAVE
TOY ALL ACROSS THE USA.
THE SLINKY'S FORM MAY BE SIMPLE, BUT DON'T UNDERESTIMATE
THE COMPLICATED SCIENTIFIC PRINCIPLES AT PLAY.
NUDGE THE COILED SPRING DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS
AND BE PREPARED FOR A MAJOR PHYSICS LESSON.
WITH A LIFE OF ITS OWN,
THE TOY BEGINS TO MOVE BY
INDEPENDENTLY FALLING OVER ITSELF
FROM ONE STEP TO THE NEXT IN A FLUID MOVEMENT.
THE SLINKY IS DEMONSTRATING A NUMBER OF FORCES
AS IT MOVES DOWN THE STEPS.
FRICTION, INERTIA,
MOMENTUM AND POTENTIAL AND KINETIC ENERGY
ARE ALL ACTING ON THAT COILED SPRING.
AT REST, THE SLINKY IS STILL AND DOES NOT MOVE.
THIS IS CALLED INERTIA,
AND IS THE RESISTANCE OF ANY PHYSICAL OBJECT
TO CHANGE ITS STAGE OF MOTION OR REST.
INERTIA IS AIDED BY THE EFFECTS OF FRICTION,
A FORCE THAT RESISTS THE MOVEMENT OF OBJECTS
AS THEY SLIDE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER.
IN THE SLINKY'S CASE, THE AIR THAT PASSES THROUGH IT
AND THE CARPET THAT COVERS THE STEPS.
THE FACT THAT THE SLINKY IS AT THE TOP OF THE STAIRS
MEANS THE EFFECTS OF GRAVITY
ARE STORED AS POTENTIAL ENERGY
AS SPRING TENSION.
IF THIS ENERGY IS RELEASED, THE POTENTIAL ENERGY
IS CONVERTED TO KINETIC ENERGY,
THE FORM OF ENERGY GOVERNED BY MOTION,
WHICH MEANS THE SLINKY IS NOW MOVING.
SO WHY DOES THE SLINKY KEEP GOING?
WELL, AS THE SLINKY TAKES ITS DIVE DOWN
THE FIRST STEP, IT STRETCHES, THEREBY STORING ENERGY.
THAT ENERGY REACHES A POINT
WHERE IT MUST PULL THE TAIL ALONG,
FLIPPING IT OVER TO THE NEXT STEP.
NOW, MOMENTUM COMES INTO PLAY.
THIS FLIPPING ACTION CONTINUES AS THE SLINKY'S MOMENTUM
CANNOT BE STOPPED BY THE FORCES ACTING AGAINST IT,
FOR EXAMPLE THE FRICTION.
OBJECTS WITH A LARGER MOMENTUM
REQUIRE MORE ENERGY TO MOVE AND TO STOP,
WHILE THOSE WITH LOW MASS
AND VELOCITY HAVE LESS MOMENTUM,
THUS THE GREATER THE WEIGHT OF THE SLINKY
AND THE DOWNWARD ANGLE IN WHICH IT IS TRAVELING,
THE GREATER THE MOMENTUM,
WHICH IS WHY A METAL SLINKY
IS BETTER AT TRAVELING DOWN STAIRS
THAN A PLASTIC ONE.
THIS COMPLICATED BUT PLAYFUL ACTION HAS CAPTIVATED CHILDREN
EVER SINCE IT WAS FIRST INTRODUCED OVER 70 YEARS AGO,
AND ITS POPULARITY SHOWS NO SIGNS OF DECLINING.
ENOUGH SLINKYS HAVE BEEN SOLD
TO GO AROUND THE EARTH A STAGGERING 121 TIMES.
THAT'S OVER 300 MILLION INDIVIDUAL ITEMS.
THEY'VE GONE TO SPACE ON THE SHUTTLE
AND BEEN USED BY US TROOPS IN VIETNAM
AS PORTABLE RADIO ANTENNAE.
IT SEEMS THERE'S NO STOPPING
THE EXCITEMENT OF THE OLD TOY.
THE SLINKY, TRULY AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.
COMING UP, A SPECIAL SLOW-MOTION
EXPERIMENT THAT REVEALS
JUST HOW THE SLINKY ACTUALLY WORKS.
♪♪
Narrator: THE SLINKY MIGHT HAVE BEEN FLYING --
SHOULD THAT BE FLOATING? --
OFF THE SHELVES SINCE THE 1940S,
BUT CAN IT ACTUALLY FLY -- OR MORE CORRECTLY, FLOAT?
LET'S TRY AND FIND OUT.
THE EXPERIMENT -- WE WILL DROP A LARGE SLINKY FROM A GREAT HEIGHT
AND FILM IT USING A SPECIAL SLOW-MOTION CAMERA
TO CAPTURE THE RESULTS.
TO START, A LARGE BUILDING
WITH EASY WINDOW ACCESS TO ALLOW FOR VERY SCIENTIFIC
DROPPING OF CLASSIC CHILDREN'S TOY, CHECK.
LARGE SLINKY, CHECK.
SPECIAL SLOW-MOTION CAMERA
FOCUSED AND EXPOSED
AT THE ABSOLUTE PERFECT SETTINGS TO CAPTURE
OUR SPECTACULAR SLINKY FALL, CHECK.
OUR FEARLESS TESTER ASCENDS THE STAIRS,
TAKES POSITION AND IS ALL SET FOR THE EXPERIMENT TO BEGIN.
WITH HIS ARM STRETCHED OUT AT A PERFECT 90 DEGREES
TO HIS BODY, HE LETS THE SLINKY UNRAVEL
TO ITS FULLEST EXTENT
WHILE EXPERTLY HOLDING ONTO ONE END.
HE SIGNALS THAT HE IS READY,
AND A DISEMBODIED HAND PRESSES RECORD ON THE CAMERA.
THE TEST CAN BEGIN.
OUR MAN LETS GO OF THE SLINKY AND,
LESS THAN 2 SECONDS LATER, IT HITS THE GROUND.
DID YOU SEE THE SLINKY FLOAT?
NO?
NEITHER DID WE. LET'S REVIEW THE TAPE.
NOW, SEEN AT 150 FRAMES PER SECOND,
WE CAN SEE SOMETHING AMAZING HAPPEN.
AS THE SLINKY IS RELEASED,
THE TOP OF THE TOY FALLS VERTICALLY,
AS YOU WOULD EXPECT, BUT LOOK AT THE BOTTOM.
IT'S NOT MOVING.
ASTONISHED? WELL, WE ARE.
BUT HOW IS THIS STEEL SPRING CHEATING GRAVITY?
AGAIN, SCIENCE COMES TO OUR AID.
BEFORE IT IS DROPPED,
THE BOTTOM OF THE SLINKY IS SUSPENDED,
WITH GRAVITY PULLING IT DOWN IN ONE DIRECTION
AND THE SPRING'S TENSION PULLING IT UP ON THE OTHER,
SO EQUAL AND OPPOSITE FORCES
ACT ON THE BOTTOM, LEAVING IT MOTIONLESS.
WHEN THE TOP IS RELEASED, THE INFORMATION THAT THE TENSION
HAS CHANGED TAKES A MOMENT
TO REACH THE BOTTOM OF THE SPRING.
ONCE THE WEIGHT HITS THE BOTTOM OF THE SLINKY,
IT KNOWS TO FALL TO THE BOTTOM, SO TO SPEAK.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT. POINT PROVED.
THE SLINKY CAN FLOAT, WELL, SORT OF.
AS WE SAID BEFORE,
THE SLINKY REALLY IS AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.
FENCING IS A SPORT OF PRECISION, STYLE AND GRACE.
WATCHING TWO WORLD-CLASS FENCERS ON THE OLYMPIC STAGE
IS SOMETHING TO BEHOLD.
HOWEVER, IT IS A WORLD AWAY FROM THE DARK HISTORY
OF DUELING THAT WAS THE PREDECESSOR OF THE SPORT.
BEGINNING WITH PREHISTORIC CLUBS AND SPEARS,
ARMED COMBAT HAS BEEN AROUND ALMOST AS LONG AS MANKIND.
THROUGHOUT HISTORY, THERE ARE PLENTY OF REFERENCES TO DUELS.
WE'VE ALL HEARD ABOUT ROMAN GLADIATORS,
BUT IT IS PERHAPS A LESSER-KNOWN FACT
THAT ROMANS FREQUENTING BATHS
OFTEN DUELED WITH STICKS,
AN EARLY SIGN OF WHAT WAS TO EVOLVE
IN TO MODERN FENCING.
DUELING IS THE ENGAGEMENT IN COMBAT
BETWEEN TWO INDIVIDUALS,
BOTH WITH MATCHING WEAPONS
AND OFTEN WITH A SET OF PRE-AGREED RULES.
DUELS ARE FOUGHT AS A WAY OF REGAINING
OR RETAINING A SENSE OF HONOR,
AS OPPOSED TO NECESSARILY KILLING THE OPPONENT.
ROMAN SOLDIERS ARE TRAINED TO THRUST INSTEAD OF CUT,
AS A RAISED-ARM CUTTING MOTION
WOULD EXPOSE VITAL ORGANS TO THE ENEMY.
THIS THRUST IS THE BASIS OF MODERN FENCING TECHNIQUE.
BY THE 14TH CENTURY,
SWORD-FIGHTING SCHOOLS ARE COMMON
IN MANY EUROPEAN COUNTRIES.
THESE ESTABLISHED A CORRECT WAY TO FIGHT WITH A SWORD,
AND THE INABILITY TO DO SO IS SEEN AS UNGENTLEMANLY.
IT WAS A FENCING INSTRUCTOR CALLED GEORGE DE SILVA
WHO ACTUALLY SAID THAT, IF A MAN CARRIES A SWORD
BUT CANNOT USE IT,
IT'S AS FULL RIDICULOUS AS A MAN
WHO CARRIES BOOKS BUT CANNOT READ.
Narrator: BY THE 19TH CENTURY,
AS DUELS BECOME LESS COMMON AND ACTIVELY DISCOURAGED,
FENCING IS INCREASINGLY RECOGNIZED AS A SPORT.
SLOWLY, THE COMBATIVE ASPECT OF FENCING FADES
UNTIL WE ARE LEFT WITH THE PURE SPORT OF TODAY.
IT BECOMES AN OLYMPIC SPORT IN 1896.
AFTER THE BREAK, WE GET STRAIGHT TO THE POINT
AND SEE HOW A MODERN FENCING SWORD IS CRAFTED.
Narrator: MODERN OLYMPIC-STANDARD FENCING
IS BROKEN INTO THREE CATEGORIES,
EACH REFERRING TO THE WEAPON USED,
AND EACH WITH THEIR OWN DIFFERING SET OF RULES.
FOIL FENCING USES A LIGHT AND FLEXIBLE SWORD.
ARMS AND LEGS AREN'T ALLOWED TO BE TARGETED,
SO ALL OF THE ACTION TAKES PLACE
WITH ACCURATE THRUSTS TO THE TORSO, NECK AND GROIN.
EPEE IS SIMILAR, BUT THE SWORD IS HEAVIER
AND THE WHOLE BODY CAN BE TARGETED.
SABRE FENCING ONLY ALLOWS ATHLETES
TO TARGET ABOVE THE WAIST
AND USES A LIGHT, CUTTING SABER SWORD.
TODAY, BECAUSE OF THE HIGH-SPEED NATURE OF THE SPORT,
AND TO ENSURE ACCURACY,
ALL JUDGING IS DONE ELECTRONICALLY.
ONE OF THE LEADING PRODUCERS
OF MODERN OLYMPIC FENCING EQUIPMENT
IS LONDON-BASED LEON PAUL.
SO WE'VE BEEN PRODUCING FENCING EQUIPMENT FOR 96 YEARS,
BUT WE'VE BEEN CREATING SWORDS
AND FORGING THE BLADES FOR ABOUT 60 YEARS NOW.
Narrator: SO HOW ARE THESE INCREDIBLE INVENTIONS ACTUALLY MADE?
THERE ARE MANY INDIVIDUAL PROCESSES INVOLVED IN PRODUCING
AN OLYMPIC-STANDARD FENCING SWORD.
IT BEGINS WITH MARAGING STEEL,
A METAL OF SUPERIOR STRENGTH AND TOUGHNESS,
YET THAT HAS A HIGH LEVEL OF MALLEABILITY.
WE USE MARAGING STEEL FOR THE OLYMPIC BLADES,
AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT HAS VERY LITTLE CARBON IN,
AND THAT MEANS LESS FLAWS ARE LIKELY TO PROPAGATE,
AND THAT MEANS THAT IT'S GOING TO LAST
A VERY LONG PERIOD OF TIME.
Narrator: THE STEEL IS FIRST CUT
TO THE CORRECT LENGTH USING A SAW.
THIS PARTICULAR AUTOMATED SAW CAN CUT MANY BLADES AT A TIME
TO PRECISELY THE RIGHT MEASUREMENTS NEEDED.
ONCE CUT, THE AREA OF THE BLADE THAT WILL FORM THE HANDLE
IS THEN HEATED TO FORM WHAT IS KNOWN AS THE TANG.
THESE TANGS ARE ROUNDED AND ALLOW FOR COMFORTABLE GRIP
OR THE ADDITION OF A MOLDED OR WOODEN HANDLE.
THE BLADE IS THEN TAKEN TO THE MAIN FORGE,
WHERE IT IS HEATED TO APPROXIMATELY
1,500 DEGREES FAHRENHEIT,
USING RADIOFREQUENCY COILS,
MUCH LIKE THE HEATING PROCESS IN A MICROWAVE.
ONCE THE METAL IS RED-HOT,
ROWS AND ROWS OF VERY STRONG HAMMERS THIN THE BLADE OUT
TO THE CORRECT PROPORTIONS
TO PRODUCE THE PERFECT FOIL SHAPE.
NOW FORMED, THE BLADE IS BEGINNING
TO RESEMBLE A RECOGNIZABLE FOIL.
THE METAL IS THEN HEAT TREATED.
THIS IS VITAL TO PRODUCING A GREAT-QUALITY BLADE.
BECAUSE THE STEEL CAN BECOME BRITTLE IN THE FORGING PROCESS,
HEAT TREATING RESTRENGTHENS THE METAL AND ALSO INCREASES
ITS FLEXIBILITY AND LONGEVITY.
THE WORLD RECORD FOR THE LONGEST LIFESPAN
OF A BLADE IS ABOUT 37,000 CYCLES,
SO THAT'S 37,000 HITS,
AND THAT RECORD IS ACTUALLY HELD BY A LEON PAUL BLADE.
Narrator: THE SURFACE OF THE BLADE IS THEN FINISHED,
FIRST IN A GRINDING MACHINE
WHICH GIVES IT A SMOOTH FINISH.
NOW THE BLADE CONTINUES
THROUGH THE SHOT PEENING PROCESS.
THIS FIRES SMALL BEADS OF GLASS AT THE STEEL
THAT CREATE A COMPOSITE RESIDUAL STRESS LAYER IN ADDITION
TO INCREASING ITS SHEEN.
THE BLADE IS TAKEN TO BE LASER ENGRAVED
WITH THE LEON PAUL STAMP,
SHOWING WHEN AND WHERE IT WAS MADE
AS WELL AS THE GRADE OF STEEL.
A WIRE THAT CONNECTS THE ELECTRONIC
TIP OF THE BLADE TO THE SENSOR IS FITTED WITH GLUE,
COMPLETING THE BLADE-MAKING PROCESS.
IT IS NOW TIME TO CREATE THE GUARD OF THE SWORD.
THIS IS MADE FROM AN ALUMINUM SHEET,
WHICH IS BENT TO SHAPE USING A HYDRAULIC PRESS,
WHICH FORMS THE PERFECT ROUNDED SHAPE
FOR PROTECTING THE HAND OF THE USER.
IT IS THEN RIVETED IN ORDER TO REINFORCE THE BASE
BEFORE BEING STAMPED WITH THE LEON PAUL LOGO.
THE BASE IS THEN POLISHED
BY RUNNING WATER OVER THE METAL,
SCRUBBING IT WITH CHINA
AND FINISHING IT OFF UNDER THE POLISHING WHEEL.
NOW THAT WE HAVE A FINISHED BLADE AND GUARD TO MATCH,
IT ALL NEEDS TO BE ASSEMBLED INTO A FULL SWORD.
THE ELECTRONIC WIRES ATTACH TO THE ELECTRONIC SOCKET,
MEANING THE SWORD IS NOW EQUIPPED
TO SCORE ELECTRONICALLY.
THIS IS FITTED ALONG WITH A CUSHION PAD AND HANDLE.
THE HANDLE CAN BE CUSTOM-MADE USING A 3-D PRINTER OR BE FITTED
WITH A MORE TRADITIONAL WOODEN HANDLE
THAT HAS BEEN HAND-WRAPPED IN LEATHER.
THE SWORD IS THEN TESTED TO ENSURE IT CONFORMS
WITH ALL THE OFFICIAL REGULATIONS.
THE FENCING SWORD,
CERTAINLY AN INCREDIBLE INVENTION.
SO THERE YOU HAVE IT,
A GLANCE THROUGH THE HIDDEN HISTORY
AND SUPER SCIENCE OF SOME AMAZING PRODUCTS
WE USE EVERY DAY,
THE DRUM, THE SLINKY, AND THE FENCING SWORD.
THEY MAY SEEM COMMON AND ORDINARY,
HOWEVER, THESE PRODUCES HELPED CHANGE THE WORLD
ONE INCREDIBLE INVENTION AT A TIME.