When we pull on a pair of denim jeans, hop in our cars, or fill up a bucket, our first thought probably isn’t, “Where did this come from?” We pluck clothing items from racks or supplies off of hardware store shelves, but how in the world were they made? Japan-based project Process X (previously) goes behind the scenes of major manufacturing companies and specialty production studios to discover how simple materials are transformed into ubiquitous objects we rely on all of the time, from pencils to billiard cues to galvanized pails to manhole covers. The team also introduces practices with deep roots in Japanese culture, like the meticulous process of carving Noh masks.

See a few of our favorite videos here, and learn how numerous other things are made—or scrapped—on Process X’s YouTube channel.