Forged in Fire 

Four custom knife makers compete to make the best usable knife through a series of challenges.

Stars:

Wil Willis, J. Neilson, David Lain Baker

Cast

Series cast summary:
Wil Willis	...	Himself - Host 13 episodes, 2015-2016
J. Neilson	...	Himself - Judge 13 episodes, 2015-2016
David Lain Baker	...	Himself - Judge 13 episodes, 2015-2016
Doug Marcaida	...	Himself - Judge 13 episodes, 2015-2016

Storyline

With a small variety of metal objects to choose their metal from, four new competitors attempt to forge a knife in their own style. In five days, the final pair must create in their own forge a Moro Kris sword, a blade with roots dating back to 300BC, in the season finale of this suspenseful and fiery History Channel series.

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Genres:

Game-Show | Reality-TV

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 June 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Forged in Fire

Company Credits

Production Co:

Outpost Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

42 min

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

Canister damascus challenges are popular for the difficulty of the technique. When the clock is ticking and cameras are rolling contestants often do not or forget to let the white out dry all the way. (honestly cant blame them given the unique circumstances!) This often results in a poor quality surface layer on the new billet and difficulty removing the can. The time it takes to let the white out dry is much less than that of resurfacing a billet and or fighting a canister that is partially welded to your billet.

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Connections

Featured in Too Much TV: Episode #1.19 (2016)

User Reviews

Not just for blade enthusiasts.

This is NOT one of those craft competition shows that wastes time on manufactured drama and tiresome sob stories. They make the craft itself the focus, and the competitors' skills and choices keep it interesting.

There is a different challenge each episode, with, four contestants and three elimination rounds. The first round: forge raw metal into a blade meeting specific size requirements. The second round: add a handle and finish the blade. The results are tested head-to-head. In the final leg, the two remaining contestants are presented with a specific type of blade and asked to make their best version of it over three days at their home forges.

Seeing the different forges and processes is interesting, but they don't waste time on back stories, family tragedies, false alliances, or snarky comments. The judges show respect for the good decisions, acknowledge costly choices, and don't get too personal. They focus entirely on the blademaking. Making the craft the focus is a refreshing change, and other shows should follow their format. Anyone who enjoys skilled crafting might enjoy this show.