Georgia Southern University engineering students featured in new Cast in Steel 2025 competition YouTube Series
Three teams of engineering students in Georgia Southern University’s Allen E. Paulson College of Engineering and Computing competed in the Cast in Steel 2025 national competition hosted by the Steel Founders’ Society of America (SFSA). University teams across the country were challenged to design, cast and test a fully functional replica of one of George Washington’s swords to honor the nation’s 250th birthday.
The Georgia Southern teams’ efforts, ranging from award-winning casting to overcoming complex engineering bottlenecks, are showcased in a multi-part docu-video series on the official Cast in Steel YouTube channel, which debuted its first episode on July 9.
Using 100% in-house manufacturing capabilities and lab facilities, each Georgia Southern team successfully recreated a distinct blade from Washington’s historic collection that was then tested in a series of physical and performance challenges judged by industry experts.
Team 1: Partners in Crime
This small but highly efficient two-man unit, consisting of students Noah Brack and Xander Bowen, took inspiration from Washington’s famous pre-Revolutionary War Hunting Cuttoe, which features a lion’s head pommel. Changing out the lion’s head for an eagle’s head, the team produced a cast steel blade using an in-house no-bake sand mold, an investment-cast brass crossguard and pommel, and a forged tang for optimal mechanical strength.
Competition judge Dave Baker praised their work, noting, “I was so excited to go in and test this sword. This is one of the lightest, quickest, most accurate blades we had on the table… Castings are really beautifully done, and it has a beautiful edge.”
The duo captured 1st place for Best Casting and 3rd place for Best Authentic George Washington Sword nationally. Their featured episode is available to watch now.
Team 2: Southern Steel Company
This five-member group combined the efforts of four sophomores: Drew Kuiters, Alexander Juarez, Nathaniel Giddens and Nathan Holmes under the mentorship of graduate student, Michael Jones.
For the sophomores’ first-ever casting project, they tackled the legendary Bailey Silver & Ivory Hilted Cuttoe. This iconic sword is one of the most famous and recognizable swords of the American Revolution, often referred to as George Washington’s “battle sword.” The ambitious project featured a flawlessly poured no-bake cast steel blade, and investment-cast stainless steel guards and pommels built using lost-wax mastery.
“Forged in Fire” star and competition judge Ben Abbott highly commended the ergonomics, stating, “There’s a lot to love about this sword. The feel of the handle, it’s big, but it’s comfortable. The casting of the guard is really good. It performed really well.”
Watch the Southern Steel Company compete in Episode 3 available now!
Team 3: The Three Musketeers
Composed of Adnan Adib, Ahamed Shamsul Alam and James Votava, this team overcame severe engineering bottlenecks while replicating George Washington’s 1767 épée, a slender fencing sword with aggressive curved surfaces, to achieve a flawless blade.
The blade’s ultra-thin geometry caused repeated “hot tear” defects during manufacturing. Through continuous trial and error, the team adjusted their gating designs to achieve a flawless blade cast via a no-bake sand mold. They used precision CNC machining to fabricate the intricate details of the crossguard and pommel, which featured eagle wings.
Praising both the aesthetics and the technical execution, competition judge Phillip Harrison remarked, “Beautiful, beautiful work. I loved it. The eagle and wings design was great, and they did such a great hardening job on it.” Watch The Three Musketeers compete in Episode 5 .
Mingzhi Xu, Ph.D., Foundry Educational Foundation (FEF) key professor and Association of Iron and Steel Technology (AIST) professor, was thrilled with each of the teams and their work.
“This project wasn’t just about metal; it was about blending tradition with innovation,” Xu said. “Each team brought creativity, skill and determination to this challenge. Every setback taught us something new, and the final products stand as a testament to these students’ skill and perseverance.”
The Manufacturing Engineering program at Georgia Southern University stands out for its state-of-the-art laboratories and fully operational metalcasting foundry, where expert faculty guide students to gain vital, real-world experience. A legacy of success in the national Cast in Steel competition highlights the program’s exceptional quality, which is further strengthened by active partnerships with industry alumni and organizations like METAL for America.
As one of only 30 institutions across North America supported by the FEF, Georgia Southern continues to provide hands-on, industry-aligned pathways that prepare the next generation of metallurgical professionals to secure the future of the metalcasting industry.