Forged in Fire (TV series)
Forged in Fire is an American competition series that airs on the History channel, and is produced by Outpost Entertainment, a Leftfield Entertainment company.
| Forged in Fire | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Genre | Reality Competition |
| Directed by | Alfonso Trinidad Michael Pearlman |
| Presented by | Wil Willis (seasons 1–7) Grady Powell (seasons 8–present) |
| Judges | J. Neilson David Baker Doug Marcaida Jason Knight (seasons 3–4) Ben Abbott (seasons 4–present) |
| Composers | Justin Crosby Kevin Bluhm |
| Country of origin | United States |
| Original language | English |
| No. of seasons | 8 |
| No. of episodes | 161 |
| Production | |
| Executive producers | Jodi Flynn Sean Moran Paul Hogan Daniel McKenna Brittany Winsick |
| Producers | Mark Montgomery Sam Rubin Eric Mathis |
| Production locations | Brooklyn, New York Connecticut |
| Cinematography | Jacob Goodwin |
| Editors | John Como Michael Brown |
| Running time | 42 minutes |
| Production company | Outpost Entertainment |
| Distributor | A&E Television Networks |
| Release | |
| Original network | History |
| Original release | June 22, 2015 – present |
| Chronology | |
| Related shows | Forged in Fire: Knife or Death (spin-off series) |
| External links | |
| Website | |
In each episode, four bladesmiths compete in a three-round elimination contest to forge bladed weapons, with the overall winner receiving $10,000 and the show's championship title "Forged in Fire Champion". The series has a host (formerly Wil Willis for the first seven seasons, currently hosted by Grady Powell) and a three-judge panel consisting of J. Neilson (Jason Knight during portions of season 3 and 4; Ben Abbott during portions of season 4th, 5th, 6th and remaining in the 7th season), David Baker, and Doug Marcaida, experts in weapon making, history and use.
The History channel ordered an initial eight episodes of the series [1] with the first program premiering on Monday, June 22, 2015, at 10pm ET.[2][3] Season two premiered on February 16, 2016 and increased to 10 episodes.[4] The third season premiered with a "Champion of Champions" match on August 23, 2016, and was announced as having 16 episodes.[5] The fourth season premiered on April 11, 2017, with a "Judges' Pick" episode in which the four judges (Neilson, Knight, Baker, Marcaida) each selected one smith from past seasons to compete again. The fifth season premiered on March 7, 2018. The sixth season premiered on February 6, 2019. The seventh season premiered on October 9, 2019 and expanded into May 6, 2020. The eighth season premiered on November 18, 2020.
Format
The set, referred to as "The Forge," is stocked with a wide range of metalworking equipment, including propane forges, coal forges, grinders, power hammers and hydraulic presses. Medical personnel are present to treat any injuries or other health problems and may, at their discretion, disqualify smiths who are unable to continue safely. At the end of each round, the smith whose weapon is judged to be the least satisfactory must surrender it and leave the competition.
In a typical episode, the four smiths are presented with a quantity of steel that they must use in the first round to forge a blade in a style of their choosing. In some episodes, they all begin with the same starting material; in others, they may choose from an assortment of metal objects or must salvage their material from a source such as a junked car or lawnmower. The host states one set of criteria concerning blade or blade/tang length, and often a second set for a feature that must be incorporated, such as serrations or a fuller groove. The smiths are given 10 minutes to sketch out their designs, followed by three hours to forge the blades; they are not required to adhere to their original designs. Once time expires, the judges evaluate the blades based on the host's criteria and inspect their workmanship, quality, and design, then deliberate privately before announcing their decision. Any smiths who fail to meet the criteria, or who fail to turn in a blade at all, are subject to immediate elimination.
For the second round, the three remaining smiths are given an additional three hours to turn their blades into fully operational weapons. They must attach a handle, choosing from a range of provided materials, and incorporate any additional special features stated by the host. They must also grind, sharpen, and polish the blades, and may address any flaws or issues pointed out by the judges in the first round, if they choose to do so. After the time expires, the judges put each weapon through a series of tests to gauge properties such as sharpness, durability, and ease of use. For these tests, the weapons are used to chop/slash/stab objects that include ropes, ice blocks, animal bones/carcasses, and metal plumbing pipes. If one weapon suffers catastrophic failure, defined as damage that renders it unsafe or ineffective for further testing, its maker is immediately disqualified. In the case of catastrophic failure by multiple weapons, the worst performer is eliminated. The judges may, at their discretion, choose not to subject a weapon to a particular test if it is sufficiently cracked or flawed.
In the third round, the two remaining smiths are shown a historically significant (and technically difficult) weapon and are given five days to create a version of it. They return to their home forges to do the work and must comply with any specifications set by the host. Afterwards, they return to the Forge and submit their weapons for testing against objects and environments similar to the historical scenarios in which they were typically used. Based on the test results, the judges select one smith to receive the $10,000 prize and the day's championship title.
Rule changes
Some episodes have incorporated modifications to the rules, as follows:
- Extension or omission of the 10-minute design period in the first round.
- Omission of a required special feature in the first round.
- Extension or shortening of the three-hour forging time in the first and/or second rounds, depending on the difficulty level of the blade design and any special features.
- Requiring the smiths to forge a blade of a specific style in the first round.
- Omission of the requirement to attach a handle in the second round.
- Shortening of the working time from five days to four in the third round.
Special episodes
The "Master & Apprentice" episode in Season 4 featured four master/apprentice pairs of smiths. Only one member of each pair was allowed to work at any time, trading off every 30 minutes in the first two rounds, and every day in the third. The non-working member was allowed to offer advice. For this episode, the forging time in the first round was extended to three and a half hours.
The "Ultimate Champions Edition" (Season 4) and "Rookies Edition" (Season 5) each featured five smiths instead of four. The smiths were required to forge a particular type of blade at their homes and bring those weapons to the studio for a preliminary test. One smith was eliminated based on the results of this test, after which the competition proceeded through the normal three rounds.
On October 3, 2018, a five-week Invitational Tournament premiered, consisting of four preliminary heats and a finale. Four smiths with a particular specialty (farrier, armorer, blacksmith, metalworker) competed in each preliminary heat, with the winners advancing to the finale for a $50,000 prize. Dave Parthemore of Connecticut won.
A similar "Battle of the Branches" tournament began on May 8, 2019, with four smiths from a different branch of the United States armed services (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines) competing in each preliminary heat.
During the 2019 season, Forged in Fire aired "enhanced" episodes called Forged in Fire: Cutting Deeper, which featured bonus scenes of older episodes with expert tips and techniques from the judges like Dave Baker explaining what happened to each blade during the weapon tests. Each episode was two hours long (made up of 2 older one-hour episodes) highlighting blade themes such as "Revolutionary War Swords" and "Curved Blades", etc.
On May 13, 2020, a special episode titled Forged in Fire: Meet the Judges aired at 8/9c on History. The judges J. Neilson, Dave Baker, and Doug Marcaida were in the "hot seat" as fans asked them questions about the show, their personal lives, and bladesmithing techniques.
Cast, judges, and producers
Wil Willis, the original host, is a former Army Ranger (Third Ranger Battalion) and decorated Air Force para-rescue specialist.[1][3][6] Willis' previous television experience includes Special Ops Mission and Triggers, two series that aired on the former Military Channel.[2]
Grady Powell, a former U.S. Army Green Beret, replaced Wil Willis as the show's host as of the Season Eight premiere on November 18, 2020. Powell's previous television experience includes two seasons starring on Dual Survival on The Discovery Channel.[7]
J. Neilson, a knife and sword expert,[1] holds the rank of Master Smith within the American Bladesmith Society. He has over 20 years' experience in making knives and edged weapons.[2][6] He examines the weapons' technical qualities and tests their durability.[3] In Season 3, Neilson took a leave of absence in order to have surgery on his hand and returned in later episodes of Season 4.
David Baker, a Hollywood prop maker who has appeared on the Spike TV series Deadliest Warrior,[3] is an authority on weapons history[1] and an expert on replicating period-accurate weapons for both museums and films.[2][6] He judges the weapons' historical accuracy and aesthetic beauty.[3]
Doug Marcaida, an edged-weapons specialist, is a U.S. military contractor, martial arts instructor and knife designer for FOX Knives Italy. Specializing in the Southeast Asian fighting style of Kali, he has taught classes in weapon awareness and use for military, law enforcement, and security organizations. He also designs "the most dangerous knives in the world", owns, and sells his own line of knives.[8] Marcaida evaluates the smiths' weapons to determine their effectiveness in combat with his famous "KEAL" tests. His original catchphrase was to declare of a worthy weapon: "It will kill." However, to keep the show family-friendly, he replaced the word "kill" with his own self-created acronym "KEAL" -- "Keep Everyone ALive"—which he currently uses in the phrase every bladesmith finalist wants to hear: "It will KEAL".[3]
During a period when he was recovering from an injury and could not test weapons himself, Marcaida had his younger brother, R.J., or one of his Kali students perform the task in his place.
Jason Knight, another ABS Master Smith, filled Neilson's seat on the judges' panel during his medical absence in Season 3. Neilson appeared alongside Knight for the Season 4 premiere; Neilson resumed his seat in the eighth episode.
Ben Abbott, a two-time Forged in Fire champion, debuted as a judge starting with the 21st episode of the fourth season. Abbott would replace Neilson in some episodes during the fifth and sixth seasons.
Tim Healy and Steve Ascher are executive producers for History.[1][6] Jodi Flynn, Brent Montgomery, David George, Shawn Witt and Simon Thomas are executive producers for Outpost Entertainment.[1][6] Healy observed the demonstration, and later the filming, from the sidelines. Healy says that the inspiration for Forged in Fire came from his and other developers' love of food competition shows such as Chopped and Iron Chef.[3] However, in order to appeal to the History channel's audience, they decided to have the competition focus on historical weaponry.[3]
Influence and controversy
In the city of Cohoes, New York near Albany, a man, inspired by the series, tried to forge a piece of metal over a fire in a barrel near his home. He caused a fire that destroyed three residential buildings and damaged 28 others.[9]
In the Season 8 Episode Veteran's Knife Special: Salute to Veterans, contestant Brandon Rader wore a bandana around his neck for the duration of the episode, which hid two large neo-Nazi tattoos on each side of his neck. The show received backlash, resulting in the removal of the episode from the History Channel site.
Series overview
| Season | Episodes | Originally aired | Rank | Rating (Avg) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| First aired | Last aired | Network | ||||||
| 1 | 8 | June 22, 2015 | August 10, 2015 | History | TBA | 7.7[10] | ||
| 2 | 10 | February 16, 2016 | April 19, 2016 | TBA | 7.6[10] | |||
| 3 | 16 | August 23, 2016 | February 14, 2017 | TBA | 8.0[10] | |||
| 4 | 23 | April 11, 2017 | October 31, 2017 | TBA | 8.1[10] | |||
| 5 | 40 | March 7, 2018 | December 19, 2018 | TBA | 8.1[10] | |||
| 6 | 30 | February 6, 2019 | September 25, 2019 | TBA | 8.1[10] | |||
| 7 | 35 | October 9, 2019 | May 6, 2020 | TBA | 7.7[10] | |||
| 8 | TBD | November 18, 2020 | TBD | TBA | TBA | |||
Episodes
Season 1 (2015)
| Ep | Airdate | Title | First weapon | Final weapon | Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place | |||||
| 1 | Jun 22, 2015 | "Japanese Katana" | Signature blade | Katana | Matthew Parkinson | Rich Greenwood | Billy Helton | Joe Waites |
| 2 | Jun 29, 2015 | "Chakram" | Signature blade | Chakram | Chris Farrell | Trenton Tye | Grant Marcoux | Chad Harding |
| 3 | Jul 3, 2015 | "Viking Battle Axe" | Signature blade | Viking battle axe | Ryu Lim | Jonathan Porter | Phil Evans | James Huse |
| 4 | Jul 13, 2015 | "Katar" | Signature blade (using Hada technique) |
Katar | David Goldberg | Jaime L. Vining | Jimmy Seymour | Arnon Andrey Kartmazov |
| 5 | Jul 20, 2015 | "Crusader Sword" | Signature blade | Crusader sword | Peter Swarz-Burt | David Roeder | Matt Venier | Gabriel Bell |
| 6 | Jul 27, 2015 | "The Elizabethan Rapier" | Signature blade | Elizabethan Rapier | Guy Harris | Peter Martin | Peter 'Cowboy' Szymanski | JD Smith |
| 7 | Aug 3, 2015 | "The Roman Gladius" | Signature blade | Roman gladius | Jamie Lundell | Mareko Maumasi | Maxon McCarter | Adam Ison |
| 8 | Aug 10, 2015 | "The Moro Kris" | Signature blade (using steel) |
Moro kris | Mace Vitale | Murray Carter | Ray Kirk | Jason Morrissey |
Season 2 (2016)
| Ep | Airdate | Title | First weapon | Final weapon | Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place | |||||
| 1 (9) | Feb 16, 2016 | "The War Hammer" | Signature blade | War hammer | Craig Camerer | Jeff Bridgers | Kim Stahl | Harry Harkins |
| 2 (10) | Feb 20, 2016 | "Khopesh" | Signature blade (using cable steel) |
Khopesh | Salem Straub | Craig Trnka | Chris Marks | Zack Jonas |
| 3 (11) | Mar 1, 2016 | "The Scottish Claymore" | Signature blade (using a coal forge) |
Scottish claymore | Scott Thomas | Jonathan Wick | Erin Simmons | Earl Blackmore |
| 4 (12) | Mar 8, 2016 | "Spiked Shield" | Signature blade | Spiked shield | Ilya Alekseyev | Michael Coffey | Tim Hintsala | John Gruber |
| 5 (13) | Mar 15, 2016 | "Viking Sword" | Signature blade (using car metal) |
Viking sword | Travis Wuertz | Morgan Medlen | Tom Ward | Mardi Meshejian |
| 6 (14) | Mar 22, 2016 | "Nepalese Kukri" | Signature blade (using four types of metal) |
Nepalese kukri | Jason Redick | Josh Weston | Kelly Potter | Jason Ritchie |
| 7 (15) | Mar 29, 2016 | "The Shotel" | Signature blade (using high carbon steel and wrought iron) |
Shotel | Burt Foster | Chad Osborne | Kevin Klein | Erin Aylor |
| 8 (16) | Apr 5, 2016 | "The Cutlass" | Signature blade (using last season's failed blades) |
Cutlass | Tobin Nieto | Ron Mezile | Bob Brandel | Kyle Gahagan |
| 9 (17) | Apr 12, 2016 | "The Khanda" | Signature blade | Khanda | Ben Abbott | Tom McGinnis | Brent Stubblefield | Nathan Zimmerman |
| 10 (18) | Apr 19, 2016 | "The Tabar" | Signature blade (using lawnmower metal) |
Tabar | Ted Thompson | Rob "Deker" Dekelbaum | Robert Burns | Edward Kim |
Season 3 (2016–2017)
| Ep | Airdate | Title | First weapon | Final weapon | Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place | |||||
| 1 (19) | Aug 23, 2016 | "Champions Edition"[lower-alpha 1] | Signature blade | Scottish claymore | Ben Abbott | Matthew Parkinson | Salem Straub | Burt Foster |
| 2 (20) | Aug 20, 2016 | "Fan Favorites"[lower-alpha 2] | Signature blade | Hook sword | David Roeder | Rich Greenwood | Kelly Potter | Ryu Lim |
| 3 (21) | Sep 6, 2016 | "Butterfly Swords" | Signature blade (using metal from tools) |
Butterfly sword | Shayne Carter | Andy Alm | Harry Burdett | Michael Allenson (né Hoopes) |
| 4 (22) | Sep 13, 2016 | "The Falcata" | Signature blade (using high carbon steel and forge hammers to make their weapons) |
Falcata | Kelly Vermeer-Vella | Justin Jones | Will Bagley | Frank Christensen |
| 5 (23) | Sep 20, 2016 | "Kora Sword" | Signature blade (using steel from power tools) |
Kora sword | Liam Hoffman | Josh Smith | Paul Happy | Robby Bowman |
| 6 (24) | Sep 27, 2016 | "Hunga Munga" | Serrated blade | Hunga munga | Jared Williams | Eric Anthony Leong | Ryan Lewis | Harlan Whitman |
| 7 (25) | Oct 4, 2016 | "The Boar Spear" | Signature blade (using a suit of armor) |
Boar spear | Allen Newberry | Clayton Cowart | Mike Shindel | Chase Wilder |
| 8 (26) | Oct 11, 2016 | "Xiphos Sword" | Signature blade (using metal from construction equipment) |
Xiphos sword | Keith Hill | Jon Maynard | Sam Rutherford | Riley Butz |
| 9 (27) | Oct 18, 2016 | "The Pandat" | Signature blade (using junkyard salvaged steel and a coal forge) |
Pandat | Pete Winkler | Jo Smith | Brandon Brink | April Franklin |
| 10 (28) | Oct 25, 2016 | "Zulu Iklwa" | Bayonet (attached to a rifle) | Zulu iklwa | Matthew Moline | Lyle Wynn | Scott Mcreynolds | Clarence Jackson |
| 11 (29) | Jan 10, 2017 | "The Pata: Champions Edition"[lower-alpha 1] | Signature blade (using canoe Damascus steel) |
Pata | Travis Wuertz | Shayne Carter | Peter Swarz-Burt | Scott Thomas |
| 12 (30) | Jan 17, 2017 | "The Zweihänder" | Friction folders (using cube steel) |
Zweihänder | Jay Replogle | Stephan Fowler | Harry Black | Emiliano Carrillo |
| 13 (31) | Jan 24, 2017 | "Cavalry Saber" | Signature blade (using gun barrel metal) |
Cavalry saber | David Mooneyham | Todd Bitler | Jason Glenn Howell | Nic Hanlon |
| 14 (32) | Jan 31, 2017 | "The Naginata" | Signature blade | Naginata | Theo Nazz | Joe Collett | Walter Sorrells | Erich Ouellette |
| 15 (33) | Feb 7, 2017 | "The Haladie" | Hatchet (using high carbon steel) |
Haladie | Raymond Smith | Stephen Williamson | Jason Kraus | Adlai Stein |
| 16 (34) | Feb 14, 2017 | "Redemption"[lower-alpha 3] | Signature blade | Viking sword | Gabriel Bell | Clarence Jackson | JD Smith | Brandon Brink |
Season 4 (2017)
| Ep | Airdate | Title | First Weapon | Final weapon | Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place | |||||
| 1 (35) | Apr 11, 2017 | "Judges' Pick"[lower-alpha 4] | Signature blade (using steel from NYC streets) |
Ida | Mareko Maumasi (Doug's pick) |
Josh Smith (Jason's pick) |
David Goldberg (J's pick) |
Erin Simmons (Dave's pick) |
| 2 (36) | Apr 11, 2017 | "Deer Horn Knives" | Signature blade (using golf club steel) |
Deer horn knives | Nicholas Marcelja | Steve Godfrey | Dustin Rhodes | Thor Laizans |
| 3 (37) | Apr 18, 2017 | "The Katzbalger" | Two signature blades | Katzbalger | James Helm | Paul Walsh | Rashelle Hams | Jesse Hauer[lower-alpha 5] |
| 4 (38) | Apr 25, 2017 | "Makraka" | Karambit (curved blade) |
Azande Makraka | Craig Barr | Paul Brown | Brian Dimmock | Mark Nevling |
| 5 (39) | May 2, 2017 | "Fan's Choice"[lower-alpha 2] | Signature blade (using barbed wire) |
Panabas | Josh Weston | Ray Kirk | Robby Bowman | Chad Osborne |
| 6 (40) | May 9, 2017 | "Akrafena" | Kukri (Jason Knight's signature blade) |
Akrafena | Page Steinhardt | Brock Martin | Larry Clements | Terry Mitchell |
| 7 (41) | May 16, 2017 | "Talwar" | Signature blade | Talwar | Jordan LaMothe | David McConnell | Rick Fenlon | Carl Oliver |
| 8 (42) | May 23, 2017 | "The Cinquedea" | Signature blade (using mining tool steel) |
Cinquedea | Neil Kamimura | Dan Hurtado | Storm Richardson | Demetrios Papatriantafyllou |
| 9 (43) | Jun 6, 2017 | "The Charay" | Signature blade (using salvaged steel) |
Afridi Charay | Steve Grosvenor | Ryan Rowe | Mark Green | Tyler Mandgie |
| 10 (44) | Jun 13, 2017 | "Sword Breaker: Redemption"[lower-alpha 3] | Signature blade (using salvaged steel from a jackhammer) |
Swordbreaker | James Huse | Erich Ouellette | Earl Blackmore | Morgan Medlen |
| 11 (45) | Jul 11, 2017 | "Master & Apprentice"[lower-alpha 6] | Signature blade | Nzappa zap | Frank Allen Wren II and Nehemiah Brousseau |
Jesse Rhodes and Zack Lewis |
Robert Timberlake and Wesley Alberson |
Joseph Szilaski and John Lewis |
| 12 (46) | Jul 18, 2017 | "Ngombe Ngulu" | Signature blade (using steel from an elevator cable) |
Ngombe Ngulu | Steven Bryan | Paul Brach | Robert Putantsu | Ryan Weeks |
| 13 (47) | Jul 25, 2017 | "The Shamshir" | Bowie knife | Shamshir | Andrew Takach | Tim Shoal | Tom Kinder | Chad Hollar |
| 14 (48) | Aug 1, 2017 | "The Kachin Dao" | Signature blade (using steel from nautical equipment) |
Kachin dao | Shawn Ellis | Rachel Oliver | Buster Grubbs | Chad Bozeman[lower-alpha 5] |
| 15 (49) | Aug 8, 2017 | "The Gladiator Scissor" | Dagger (using a canister Damascus billet) |
Gladiator scissor | Don Halter | Jason Henderson | Alf Rudd | Francesco Muci |
| 16 (50) | Aug 22, 2017 | "The Kampilan" | Signature blade (using scrap yard steel and a coal forge) |
Kampilan | Michael Cross | Todd Martin | Jack Barber | Leland Edward Stone |
| 17 (51) | Aug 29, 2017 | "The Kpinga" | Signature blade (using a Damascus pattern) |
Kpinga | Nate Summers | Richard Epting | Jim Poor | John Rainey |
| 18 (52) | Sep 12, 2017 | "The Yatagan" | Signature blade (using steel from a 1971 Mercury Cougar) |
Yatagan | Gabe Mabry | Dave Catoe | Josh Fikentscher | Randall W Turner |
| 19 (53) | Oct 3, 2017 | "International Championship" | Signature blade | Spadroon | JW Randall  |
Julien Maniglier  |
Guillermo Mendoza  |
Michal Sielicki  |
| 20 (54) | Oct 10, 2017 | "The Tabar-Shishpar" | Signature blade (using pipe wrenches) |
Tabar-shishpar | Mark Steele Knapp | Chris Price | Holden Bystry | Dan Rotblatt |
| 21 (55) | Oct 17, 2017 | "Ultimate Champions Edition"[lower-alpha 7] | Signature blade (using canister Damascus) |
T'ai chi sword | Theo Nazz | Neil Kamimura | Kelly Vermeer-Vella | Nicholas Marcelja (Round 1) Raymond Smith (preliminary) |
| 22 (56) | Oct 24, 2017 | "Knights Templar" | Crusader dagger (using chainmail) |
Crusader sword | David Mirabile | Brian Rognholt | Josh Fenlon | Richard Moore |
| 23 (57) | Oct 31, 2017 | "Viking Edition" | Viking Seax | Viking war axes | Jeremiah Backhaus | Chris Rowley | Jeff Renner | Joel Davis |
Season 5 (2018)
| Ep | Airdate | Title | First weapon | Final weapon | Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place | |||||
| 1 (58)[lower-alpha 8] | Mar 7, 2018 | "The Rhomphaia" | Signature blade (using 1 of 6 Damascus patterns) |
Rhomphaia | Billy Bob Sowell | Dwight Phillips | Mark Collard | Steve Culver |
| 2[11](59) | Mar 13, 2018 | "Rookies Edition"[lower-alpha 9] | Signature blade | War Golok | Brian Schmidt | Matt Wagner | Tyler Grant |
|
| 3 (60) | Mar 20, 2018 | "The Schiavona" | Signature blade (using farm equipment steel, a coal forge and a laynard hole) |
Schiavona | Jeff Wagenaar | Brad McDougall | Brendan McHugh | Wes Whipple |
| 4 (61) | Mar 27, 2018 | "The Sica" | Signature blade (using caliber flintlock pistol) |
Sica | Tony Fetters | Frank Sausto | Corey Soper | Gage Mason |
| 5 (62) | Apr 3, 2018 | "The Jumonji Yari" | Friction folder | Jumonji yari | Jacob Gayton | Fuad Accawi | Greg Sandstrom | Kyle Kilroy |
| 6 (63) | Apr 10, 2018 | "The Kabyle Flyssa" | Signature blade (using a steel from a cannon) |
Kabyle flyssa | Collin Sage | Daniel Casey | Bob Hastings | Jesse Adcock |
| 7 (64) | Apr 17, 2018 | "Ultimate Team Challenge" | Trench knife | Chinese dao | Mark J. Hopper Jessica D. Collins |
Joe Calton Casey Perdue |
Raleigh Desiato Kelly Gregory |
Tyler Adkins Leon Vanguard |
| 8 (65) | Apr 24, 2018 | "The Karabela" | Signature blade (using a chain and sprocket) |
Karabela | Ethan Kempf | Liam Fuller | Ron Gramza | Evan Griffith |
| 9 (66) | May 1, 2018 | "The Zande Spear" | Damascus European dagger (J. Neilson's favorite blade) | Zande spear | Drew Goodson | Jason Nass | Daniel James Reichow | Larry Metcalf |
| 10 (67) | May 8, 2018 | "The Navaja" | Signature blade (using a coal forge in a rock quarry) |
Navaja | Matthew Christiano | Wade Seiders | Christoph Deringer | Brandon Austin |
| 11 (68) | May 15, 2018 | "The German Halberd" | Scottish Dirk (Dave Baker's favorite blade) | German Halberd | Phillip Baldwin | Johnathan Sibley | Doran Doran | Ben Swapp |
| 12 (69) | May 22, 2018 | "The Two-Handed Sword" | Signature blade (using steel from a motorcycle) |
Indian Two-handed sword | Jonathan Allen | Ed Wilson | Andy Walker | Jordan Kataris |
| 13 (70) | May 28, 2018 | "Military History Tribute" | Combat knife (using steel from an Anti-tank Hedgehog) |
M1917 Naval Cutlass | Jon Nagel (Army Reserve: Battalion S3 Operations Officer) | Mike Miller (Marines) | Jim McGuinn (Army: Armored Scout) | Perry Johnson (Army: Combat Medic)[lower-alpha 5] |
| 14 (71) | May 29, 2018 | "Horseman's Axe" | Signature blade (using spring steel) |
Horseman's axe | J. Alex Ruiz | Mike Bailey | Andrew Woznak | Bill van Heteran |
| 15 (72) | Jun 5, 2018 | "Lion Spear" | Hatchet | Maasai lion spear | John Grady Hippard | Matthew Berry | Aaron Morrison | J.C. Krusen |
| 16 (73) | Jun 12, 2018 | "The Kelewang" | Signature blade (using mild steel and drill bits) |
Kelewang | Tim Louk | Hunter Johnson | Alan Kirby | Edward Lacie |
| 17 (74) | Jun 19, 2018 | "Bagh Nakh" | Signature blade (using canister Damascus of nuts & bolts) |
Bagh nakh | Chad Hatfield | Josh Prince | Aaron Trosky | John Gulso |
| 18 (75) | Jun 26, 2018 | "The Glaive Guisarme" | KA-BAR knife | Glaive guisarme | Nick Santella | Alex Eisenberg | Brian Neville | Dwight Neely[lower-alpha 5] |
| 19 (76) | Jul 3, 2018 | "Pioneer Sword" | Multipurpose weapon (using old rescue tools) |
Russian pioneer sword | Mark Sperry | Nicholas Downing | Garrin Bucco | John Dickinson |
| 20 (77) | Jul 17, 2018 | "Wind and Fire Wheels" | Signature blade (using metal from a bicycle) |
Wind and fire wheels | Rebel Rodriguez | Chuck Cook | Tony Miller | Steve Lewis |
| 21 (78) | Jul 24, 2018 | "The Smallsword" | Friction folders (using steel coil) |
Smallsword | Derek Melton | Bob Andrews | John Clark | Atsatsa Antonio |
| 22 (79) | Jul 31, 2018 | "The Celtic Anthropomorphic Sword" | Signature blade (using W2 steel and a giant nut) |
Celtic anthropomorphic sword | Bill Behnke | Chuck Fowler | Cole Coffer | Brett Onnink |
| 23 (80) | Aug 7, 2018 | "The Kilij" | Signature blade (using a giant ball bearing) |
Kilij | Connor J. Myers-Norton | Brian Weaver | Curtis Haaland | Marc Setzer |
| 24 (81) | Aug 14, 2018 | "The Sawback Hunting Sword" | Signature blade (using a coal forge) |
Sawback hunting sword | Trevor Rideout | Devin Cornell | Mike Camp | Gordon 'Gordy' Knapp |
| 25 (82) | Aug 21, 2018 | "The Arming Sword" | Three Signature blades (using railroad spikes) |
Arming sword | John Stokes | Drew Hash | Duane Bennet | Quentin Horton |
| 26 (83) | Aug 28, 2018 | "The Sengese" | Serrated knife (using metal from scissors) |
Sengese throwing knife | Ashe Cravenock | Levi Kring | Geoff Keyes | Jon Turner |
| 27 (84) | Sep 4, 2018 | "The Qinglong Ji" | Signature blade (using steel rings from a whiskey barrel) |
Qinglong ji | Michael Kerley | Jason Fry | Rob Singleton | Ryan Breuer |
| 28 (85) | Sep 12, 2018 | "Hollywood Edition" | Survival knife | Hattori Hanzō katana | Mike Deibert | Trystan Nguyen | Brian Bivens | Douglas Loven |
| 29 (86) | Sep 19, 2018 | "The Steel Crossbow" | Signature blade (using Damascus steel of different thicknesses) |
Steel crossbow | JD Hungerford | John-Francis Ellis | Jeffrey Hedgecock | Michael Trinkman |
| 30 (87) | Sep 26, 2018 | "The Landsknecht Sword" | Signature blade (using elevator cable) |
Landsknecht sword | Todd Andrews | DJ Morgan | Derek Roemer | Sam Troxell |
| 31 (88) | Oct 3, 2018 | "Tournament Round 1 (Farriers)" | Signature blade (using san mai technique from horseshoes and hood rasps) |
Mortuary sword | Kirk Adkins | Riley Kirkpatrick | Chris Shook | Rae Lynn Vander Weide |
| 32 (89) | Oct 10, 2018 | "Tournament Round 2 (Armorers)" | Damascus blade | Hooded katar | Nicholas Cochiolo | Ryan Weaver | Howard Noble | Jacob Danker |
| 33 (90) | Oct 17, 2018 | "Tournament Round 3 (Blacksmiths)" | Damascus blade (using steel from tools) |
Knightly pole axe | Derick Kemper | Karl Dunn | Tony Roed | Charlie Carpenter |
| 34 (91) | Oct 24, 2018 | "Tournament Round 4 (Modern Metalworkers)" | Needle point Damascus blade (from a metal sculpture) |
Flamberge rapier | Dave Parthemore | Rick Rabjohn | Rodger "Grizz" LaBrash | Henry Massey |
| 35 (92) | Oct 31, 2018 | "Tournament Championship" | Wakizashi | Nodachi | Dave Parthemore | Nicholas Cochiolo | Kirk Adkins | Derick Kemper |
| 36 (93) | Nov 7, 2018 | "Slasher Edition" | Signature slasher blades | Grim reaper's scythe | Brandon Williams | Chase Register | Tim Miller | David Sowards-Emmerd |
| 37 (94) | Nov 14, 2018 | "The Steel Takedown Bow" | Crusader's dagger | Steel takedown bow | Tommy Matthews | Michael Gould | Dana Dupuis | Herbert "Sindri" Robertson |
| 38 (95) | Nov 21, 2018 | "The Bardiche" | Signature blade (by making their own forges using storage unit materials) |
Bardiche | John Wigger | Michael Peterson | Tim Troyer | Ken Hall |
| 39 (96) | Dec 12, 2018 | "The Pipe Tomahawks" | Damascus knife (using steel wool and 1095 powder) |
Pipe tomahawks | Mike Rowley | Cody Craig | Rob Sine | Buddy Thomas |
| 40 (97) | Dec 19, 2018 | "The Ring Hilted Sword" | Celtic ring knife (Ben Abbott's favorite blade) |
Ring hilted sword | Shawn Shropshire | Jason Brown | Jody Lyddane | Aaron Mclean |
Season 6 (2019)
| Ep | Airdate | Title | First weapon | Final weapon | Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place | |||||
| 1 (98) | Feb 6, 2019 | "Long Road to Redemption Part 1"[lower-alpha 10] | Signature blade (using a coal forge) |
 |
Rae Lynn Vander Weide (S5, Ep 31) 5th place |
Marc Setzer (S5, Ep 23) 6th place |
Zack Lewis (S4, Ep 11) 7th place |
|
| 2 (99) | Feb 13, 2019 | "Long Road to Redemption Part 2"[lower-alpha 10] | Yemeni dagger | Jambiya | Matt Berry (S5, Ep 14) (Arming sword) |
Aaron Morrison (S5, Ep 14) (Greek Kopis) |
Chris Price (S4, Ep 20) |
David Sowards-Emmerd (S5, Ep 36) |
| 3 (100) | Feb 20, 2019 | "Washington's Colichemarde" | Theodore Roosevelt's Rough Rider Bowie knife | George Washington's Colichemarde | Josh Nicolaides | Dan Bourlotos | John Sims | Andrew Smith |
| 4 (101) | Feb 27, 2019 | "The O-Katana" | chopper knife (using metals from the previous 99 episodes) |
Ōkatana | Mickey Thompson | Cullen Erbacher | Robert Guest | Sam Hallett |
| 5 (102) | Mar 6, 2019 | "The Hussar Saber" | Signature blade (using canister method) |
Hussar Saber | Deke Parker | Brian Evelich | Bubba Cantrell | Eric Radliff |
| 6 (103) | Mar 13, 2019 | "The Barbarian Sword" | Signature blade (using a pin ball machine) |
Barbarian sword | Ethan Lee | Michael Seronde | Steve Humphrey | Amy Weiks |
| 7 (104) | Apr 17, 2019 | "The Javanese Kris" | Friction folders (using metal from a pickup truck) |
Javanese Kris | Steve Koster | John Medelin | Joe Nipper | Brad Richardson |
| 8 (105) | Apr 24, 2019 | "General Yamashita's Guntō" | Fairbairn Sykes fighting knife (using W1 round stock) |
General Yamashita's Guntō | Elijah Williams | Richey Crew | Austin Hensley | Dan Linton |
| 9 (106) | Apr 30, 2019 | "The Greek Kopis" | Signature blade (using steel spring) |
Kopis | John Summerhill | Mike Vannoy | Daniel Luevano | Curtis Shaw |
| 10 (107) | May 8, 2019 | "Branch Battle: Army" | V-42 Stiletto | U.S. Army Officer's Sword | Tyler Hackbarth (Sergeant E-5) | Fermin Lopez (Sergeant, Black Hawk Combat Medic) | Jack Stottlemire (Sniper) | Dave Frotton (Sergeant Major) |
| 11 (108) | May 8, 2019 | "Branch Battle: Air Force" | Bolo knife | Air Force NCO Sword | Mike Andriacco (Master Sergeant) | Matt Prentice (Technical Sergeant) | Joe Stickel (Chief Master Sergeant) | Daren Tolley (Technical Sergeant, 173rd Fighter Wing) |
| 12 (109) | May 15, 2019 | "Branch Battle: Marines" | KA-BAR | Marine Corps Officer's Sword | Gene "Giddyup" Hodges (Master Sergeant) | Tripp Gwin (Sergeant) | Garrett Elting (Corporal) | Rick Johnson (Lance Corporal) |
| 13 (110) | May 15, 2019 | "Branch Battle: Navy" | Mark 3 dive knife | U.S. Naval Officer's Sword | Lee Crawford (Operations Specialist, 2nd Class) | Jerad Clymer (Boatswain, 1st Class) | Elijah Waddle (Lieutenant) | Tyler Northcutt (Fire Controlman Chief Petty Officer) |
| 14 (111) | May 22, 2019 | "Branch Battle: Finals"[lower-alpha 11] | M3 Trench knife | George Washington's Lion-headed Cuttoe | Tyler Hackbarth (Army) | Gene Hodges (Marines) | Mike Andriacco (Air Force) | Lee Crawford (Navy) |
| 15 (112) | May 29, 2019 | "The Nagamaki" | Signature blade (using gym equipment) |
Nagamaki | Braxton Cox | Jake Sewell | Kyle Reese | Steve Wayne |
| 16 (113) | Jun 5, 2019 | "Atilla's Sword of Mars" | Fantasy blade (using a meteorite) |
Sword of Attila | Randy Caston | Dan Strang | Chris VanGoethem | Grover Clifton |
| 17 (114) | Jun 12, 2019 | "The Partizan" | Signature blade (using an old forge's steel) |
Partizan | Philip Schrei | John Norwood | Matt Waters | Ian Rutkosky |
| 18 (115) | Jun 19, 2019 | "The Messer Sword" | Signature blade (using canister Damascus) |
Messer Sword | Jeff Peters | John Thunert | Tanner Hetke | Jason Palmer |
| 19 (116) | Jun 26, 2019 | "The Ram-dao" | Kukri (using steel from a snowmobile) |
Ram-dao | Josh Navarrete | Ben Spangler | Kasey Kinkade | Adam Jankowski |
| 20 (117) | Jul 3, 2019 | "The Foot Artillery Sword" | Signature blade (using old metal toys) |
Foot Artillery Sword | John Phillips | Tommy Rodriguez | Chuck Stone | Levi Arbogast |
| 21 (118) | Jul 17, 2019 | "The Astronaut Knife" | M1 NASA Survival knife | Spiked Mace | Jason Anderson | Sam Farnworth | Mark Campana | Tom Garden |
| 22 (119) | Jul 24, 2019 | "The Lochaber Axe" | Signature blade with a knuckle buster (using a steel cage & barbed wire) |
Lochaber Axe | Joshua Frost | Jesse Delveaux | Jared Hobson | Daniel Williams |
| 23 (120) | Jul 31, 2019 | "The Cane sword" | Karambit (Doug Marcaida's favorite blade) |
Cane Sword | Doug Butts | Ashley Shaw | Cody Myers | Chad Bowlin |
| 24 (121) | Aug 7, 2019 | "The Boar Sword" | Signature blade (using construction materials) |
Boar Sword | Jonathan Caruso | Isaac Grunstra | Justin Kirck | Angel Medina Jimenez |
| 25 (122) | Aug 14, 2019 | "The Falchion" | Chopper (using a Damascus pattern) |
Falchion | Wayne Meligan | Mark Hemley | Aaron Meliza | Jesse Hemphill |
| 26 (123) | Aug 21, 2019 | "Napoleon's Saber" | Signature blade (using ladder pattern Damascus from a metal ladder) |
Napolean Bonaparte's Saber | Seth Borries | Steven Hunter | Shaun Carr | Jonathon Morphis[lower-alpha 5] |
| 27 (124) | Aug 28, 2019 | "The Bhuj" | Signature blade (using canister Damascus with metal from a barber's chair) |
Bhuj | Joe Vachon | Benton Frisse | Josh Howard | Adam Vordermark |
| 28 (125) | Sep 4, 2019 | "Blackbeard's Cutlass" | Pirate's boarding axe | Blackbeard's Cutlass | Jason Crum | Seth Marshall | Stephen Montgomery | Joseph Nimmons |
| 29 (126) | Sep 18, 2019 | "Kung Fu Edition" | Kunai throwing knives | 9-Ring Broadsword | Mike Whetten | Burton Harruff | Collin Miller | Monty Styron |
| 30 (127) | Sep 25, 2019 | "Genghis Khan's Sword" | Signature blade (using metal from a go-kart) |
Genghis Khan's Sword | Everett Stone | Peter Hill | James Mays | Kodee Artis |
Season 7 (2019–2020)
| Ep | Airdate | Title | First weapon | Final weapon | Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place | |||||
| 1 (128) | Oct 9, 2019 | "Sword Of Perseus" | Signature blade (using metal from Greek armor and the Go-mai technique) |
Sword of Perseus | Jarred Ball | Rob Wayman | Dave McKay | Luke Anderson |
| 2 (129) | Oct 16, 2019 | "General Patton's Sabre" | Signature blade (in only 2 hours) |
General Patton's sabre | John McNerney | Chris Erbach | Ted Thornton | Josh Adams |
| 3 (130) | Oct 23, 2019 | "The Jian Sword" | Signature blade (using a blade from one knife & combining it with a different weapon's handle) |
Jian sword | Casey Cleveland | Vince Molina | Shawn Moulenbelt | Ryan Brodbeck |
| 4 (131) | Oct 23, 2019 | "The Rock-Throwing Crossbow" | Competition Choppers (using metal from the "Big Blu" machine) |
Rock-throwing crossbow | Colton Arias | Craig Miller | Bryce Perez | Grant Saxman |
| 5 (132) | Oct 30, 2019 | "Halloween Edition" | Zombie killer knife (using salvage steel from broken blades) |
War scythe | Trevor Jenkinson | Alex Hillemeir | Jeff Glasco | Willis Forninash |
| 6 (133) | Oct 30, 2019 | "The Boa-Zande Sword" | Signature blade (using canister Damascus with drill bits) |
Boa-zande sword | Justin Chenault | Ben Jennen | Sawyer Hibbard | Mike Pierce |
| 7 (134) | Nov 6, 2019 | "The Musketeer Rapier" | Fossil Damascus signature blade | Musketeer rapier | Jesse Ewing | Teddy Royer | Wilson Filaw | Dale Thorson |
| 8 (135) | Nov 6, 2019 | "The Tizona of El Cid" | San-mai blades (using metal from musical instruments) |
Tizona of El Cid | Brent Smith | Thomas Hacker | Jerry Cripe[lower-alpha 5] | Rick Hall |
| 9 (136) | Nov 13, 2019 | "Military Tribute" | Signature blade (using steel from a Panzer tank) |
Mad Jack Churchill's Scottish backsword | Billy Salyers | Robert Soria | Shawn Chakravarty | Mike Johnston |
| 10 (137) | Nov 13, 2019 | "Revolutionary War Spontoon" | Signature blade (using steel springs) |
Revolutionary War sergeant's spontoon | Chris Hedberg | Zane Burch | Rocky Lemon | Tyler Hall |
| 11 (138) | Nov 20, 2019 | "The Barbarian Spatha" | Pugio (using the hada technique) |
Barbarian spatha | Alex Horn | Kevin Burkman | Mike Benton | Pat Biggin |
| 12 (139) | Nov 27, 2019 | "Family Edition" | Signature blade | Inigo Montoya's rapier | Ron Hardman | Jesse Harrison | Jessica Hardman | Robert Harrison |
| 13 (140) | Dec 11, 2019 | "Frankish Throwing Axes" | Camp knife (using steel from a barbecue grill) |
Franciscas | Nic Overton | Justin Kowspiachi | Cameron Alarcio | Matt Presti |
| 14 (141) | Dec 18, 2019 | "A Very Forged Christmas" | Signature blade (using san mai technique) |
British light cavalry sword | Boyd Ritter | Jamie Chandler | Bill Young | Ben Arlotta |
| 15 (142) | Jan 1, 2020 | "The Chinese War Sword" | Signature blade (using a steel grate) |
Chinese war sword | Bobby Walker | Will Pearman | Justin Burton | Dallas Bradshaw |
| 16 (143) | Jan 8, 2020 | "The Sword in the Stone" | Signature blade (using various Damascus patterns) |
Medieval Broadsword | Scott Sweeter | Colton Kiso | Jarrett Cieslak | Sam Smith |
| 17 (144) | Jan 15, 2020 | "Charlemagne's Sword" | Signature blade (using surprise metals) |
King Charlemagne's "Joyeuse" | Peyton Ramm | Mitch Cargile | Jason Tiensvold | Parker Mayers |
| 18 (145) | Jan 22, 2020 | "The Spanish Conquistador Sword" | WWI Special Forces smatchet knife | Spanish Conquistador sword | Cody Hofsommer | Brendan Steele | Ed Clarke | Zach Vince |
| 19 (146) | Jan 29, 2020 | "The Pira" | Hada technique blade | Pira | Kevin Burgess | Weslie Null | Kenny Smith | Mike Poor |
| 20 (147) | Jan 29, 2020 | "The French Pioneer Sword" | Chef knife (using farm equipment) |
Rooster-head French pioneer sword | Cade David Jenkins | Steven Brady | Ben Snure | Nick Johnson |
| 21 (148) | Feb 5, 2020 | "Darb Sri Gun Chai battle sword" | Twist & stack Damascus blade | Darb Sri Gun Chai | Paul Pinto | James Davis | Eric Davis | Robert Martin |
| 22 (149) | Feb 5, 2020 | "Zulu War Axe" | Japanese Nata | Zulu war axe | Weston Paas | Dustin Parrella | Josh Powell | Jieh Meinhold |
| 23 (150) | Mar 11, 2020 | "The Chinese Zhanmadao" | Signature blade (with additional parameters added during forging) |
Zhanmadao | Josh | Nic | Scotty | Daniel |
| 24 (151) | Mar 18, 2020 | "The German Dussage" | Canister Damascus blade | German Dussage sword | Scott Bauers | Marc Dean | Matt Duncan | Steven Katz |
| 25 (152) | Mar 25, 2020 | "First Responders Edition" | Tactical knife (using metal from rescue tools) |
Halligan Bar | Britt Barnes (Retired U.S Border Patrol agent) | Forest Hansen (Retired firefighter captain) | Chris Campbell (EMS chief firefighter) | Mark Casina (Army Military Police officer) |
| 26 (153) | Apr 1, 2020 | "Game of Forge" | Dagger (using a coal forge) |
Épée de Combat (Game of Thrones tribute to Arya Stark's "Needle") | Trevor Krobe | Victor Gonzalez | Mitchell Ray Greene | Garrett Secchi |
| 27 (154) | Apr 8, 2020 | "The Ikakalaka" | Signature blade (using one forging technique) |
Ikakalaka | Ricardo Vilar (Judge in Desafío sobre Fuego Latinoamérica, the latinamerican version of Forged in Fire) | Nick Hix | Travis Henderson | Leon Husock |
| 28 (155) | Apr 15, 2020 | "Samurai Showdown" | Tanto dagger | Sodegarami | Rita Thurman | Justin Harrington | Chuy Talavera | Cory Miller |
| 29 (156) | Apr 22, 2020 | "Baby Boomers vs. Gen Z" | Signature blade | Sword of Goujian | Forrest Ketner (Baby Boomers) | Caleb Ledford (Gen Z) | Zach Batanyan (Gen Z) | Jimmy Pool (Baby Boomers) |
| 30 (157) | Apr 29, 2020 | "The Nimcha" | Signature blade (using scrap metal shavings) |
Nimcha | Ryan Dumont | Steve Wells | Wesley Barron | Bud Smith |
| 31 (158) | May 6, 2020 | "Titanium Smackdown" | Titanium blade | Horsemen's Tabar and Hidden Dagger | Jarrod Fiscus | Jimmy Martin | Dorian Mosak | Collin Steenbergen |
| 32 (159) | Jul 15, 2020 | "Tomahawk and Bowie" | Signature blade (using a forged key to open lock boxes of metal) |
Tomahawk and Bowie knife | Brian | Doc | Jennifer | Stephen |
| 33 (160) | Jul 22, 2020 | "Japanese Ono" | "Puzzle" (making a blade using only a blank outline) |
Ono (axe) | Keaton | Logan | Dale | Nic |
| 34 (161) | Jul 29, 2020 | "Super Champion Edition"[lower-alpha 12] | Signature blade | Russian Cossack World War II Shashka Saber | Collin Sage (in final round, competed and won against judge David Baker) | Jon Nagel | Mike Rowley | "Spicy" Mike Kerley |
| 35 (162) | Aug 5, 2020 | "The Boateng Saber" | Signature blade ("pay-to-play" competition using money to buy metal & materials) |
Boateng Saber | Glayden Carney | Matt Montgomery | Colette Dumont | Jimbo Henson |
| 36 (163) | Aug 12, 2020 | "Summer Forging Games (Part 1)" | Event 1: Signature blades (W1 steel/RR spike) | Event 2: Throwing knives Damascus-layered Throwing knives | Chad Kennedy (1st place-20 points) |
Matt Bingaman (9 points) |
Gary Bird (7 points) |
Gene Click (4 points/Eliminated) |
| 37 (164) | Aug 19, 2020 | "Summer Forging Games (Part 2)" | |
Event 3: Greek Xiphos Event 4: Choice of Kachin Dao (5 points), Katzbalger (10 points), Kora sword (15 points), Ngombe Ngulu (20 points) |
Chad Kennedy (84 points, $15,000) |
Gary Bird (52 points, $4,000) |
Matt Bingaman (38 points, $1,000) |
|
Season 8 (2020–2021)
| Ep | Airdate | Title | First weapon | Final weapon | Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place | |||||
| 1 (165) | Nov 18, 2020 | "Veteran's Knife Special: Salute to Veterans" | Case American Heroes Knife Series ("Lamb Hunter" – SGM Kyle Lamb, Army; "The Hambone" – SGT Clint Romesha, Army; "The Skinner" – Kevin Holland, Navy & Army; "Recurve Utility #6" – Harry Bologna, Navy) |
American Eagle Head Sabre | Mike Rizzo (Army veteran) | Brandon Rader (Army veteran) | Chris Coe (father is Vietnam War veteran) | Trish Arno (Army veteran) |
| 2 (166) | Nov 25, 2020 | "The Deadly Vajra-Mushti" | Signature blade (using canister Damascus from round tubes) |
Vajra Mushti | Kyle Farace | Ben Allanson | Zach Tarbell | A.J. Saracinello |
| 3 (167) | Dec 2, 2020 | "The Legendary Sword of Saladin" | Signature blade (using suspension cable or piano wire) |
Sword of Saladin | Walter Baranowski | Bryan Dana Custance | Paul DeStefano | Evan Seahawk |
| 4 (168) | Dec 9, 2020 | "M1905 Springfield Bayonet" | Signature blade (Brute de forge challenge – blade is forged to shape, not ground) |
M1905 Springfield bayonet | Josh Wentz | Brad Ditty | Menno | Will Morris |
| 5 (169) | Dec 16, 2020 | "The Giant Sword of William Wallace" | Scale down 9-foot long dagger to a version 1/5 its size | William Wallace broadsword | James Welker | Lyle Nordquist | Ben Burcher | Paul Crosby |
| 6 (170) | Dec 23, 2020 | "Forged in Fire Christmas: Forging Wonderland" | Signature blade (using steel from Santa's sleigh) |
George Washington's battle sword | Stryker Gooch | Pablo Martinez | Jaron Martindale | Kodie Brewster |
| 7 (171) | Dec 30, 2020 | "Judges' Home Forge Battle" | In a 2020 home quarantine special filler episode, two months are taken up with the three bladesmiths judges while they are at home. Each judge forges a blade over a fortnight at his home forge and tests the finished product himself, all the while being his own camera crew (which J. Neilson's wife, Beckie, complains about). Ben Abbott forges a replica Sutton Hoo pattern-welded sword, supposedly belonging to King Raedwald. J. Neilson forges a competition chopper with both cannister damascus and san mai techniques. David Baker makes a basket-hilted sword with a Damascus steel blade and a historical recreation of a 12-piece decorated basket. | |||||
| 8 (172) | Jan 6, 2021 | "The Massive Maguro Bocho" | Cleaver (using W1 steel from meat hooks) |
Maguro bōchō | Doug Zegel | Justin Workman | D.J. Brelje | Rob Kemensky |
| 9 (173) | Jan 13, 2021 | "Teeth of the Tegha" | Signature blade (using steel from burned car) |
Serrated Tegha sword | Aric Fontaine | Kevin Adams | Beau Geeson | Starlin Moran |
| 10 (174) | Feb 17, 2021 | "Headhunter's Revenge" | Signature blade | Headhunter axe | ||||
Series spin-offs
Several competition shows have been created as Forged in Fire spin-offs.
Knife or Death
On April 17, 2018, a spin-off series titled Forged in Fire: Knife or Death premiered on History. This series is hosted by Bill Goldberg and co-hosted by Tu Lam, a martial arts expert and retired member of the Green Berets.
Beat the Judges
On June 3, 2020, another spin-off series titled Forged in Fire: Beat the Judges premiered on History, hosted by Willis. On each episode, three previous Forged in Fire champions return to compete for an opportunity to face one judge (Neilson, Baker, or Abbott) and win another $10,000. For the first round (level 1), the three smiths each bring one weapon to the Forge, in a style of their choosing and created at their home forges, and submit them for testing by Doug Marcaida. The second round (level 2) follows the same format as the third round in a typical Forged in Fire episode, but the two remaining smiths are given only three days to forge an example of the featured weapon at their home forges. In the third round (level 3), the last remaining smith and the competing judge are given eight hours to create a fully functional example of a particular weapon type in the Forge, including handle fitting and grinding/sharpening/polishing. The other judges then test the weapons and choose the $10,000 winner. The competing judge is announced at the start of the third round; if he wins, the prize is donated to the charity of his choice. J. Neilson (Melanoma Foundation), Dave Baker (Breast Cancer Research), and Ben Abbott (Black Horse Forge: free blacksmithing classes to First Responders and Veterans).
Opening Introduction: Dave Baker: "We've seen the best bladesmiths battle it out to earn the title of Forged in Fire champion. This time, you're entering a different arena. Our arena. Champions, we're going to find out if you have the drive, the skill, and determination to Beat the Judges."
Episodes
| Ep | Airdate | Title | First level | Second level | Third level | Results | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st place | 2nd place | 3rd place | 4th place | ||||||
| 1 | Jun 3, 2020 | "Short Sword Damascus" | Signature blades (from home forge) | Khanda sword (featured in season 2) (using scrap metal) |
Double-edged Short sword (using large & small pieces of high carbon steel) |
Ben Abbott (Judge) |
John Summerhill (Season 6: Greek Kopis champion season 6) Bowie knife |
Kelly Vermer Vella (Season 3: Falcata champion) Recurve Fighter knife |
Ethan Kempf (Season 5: Polish Karabela champion) Bush knife |
| 2 | Jun 10, 2020 | "Medieval Times" | Signature blades (from home forge) |
Medieval knight's dagger (using steel from a suit of armor) |
Medieval arming sword (featured in season 5) (using a variety of high-carbon steel) |
Dave Baker (Judge) |
Steven Bryan (Season 4: Ngombe Ngulu champion) Recurve chopper |
Josh Navarrete (Season 6: Ram Dao champion) Bowie knife |
Mark Knapp (Season 4: Taber-Shishpar champion) Enep Machete |
| 3 | Jun 17, 2020 | "Dual Swords" | Signature blades (from home forge) |
Butterfly swords (using only 2 steel ball bearings) |
Matched set of Fighting Knives (using 5160 coil springs in the San Mai technique) |
Burt Foster (Season 2: Shotel champion) Recurve Camp knife |
J. Neilson (Judge) |
John McNerney (Season 7: General Patton's Sabre champion) Recurve Bowie |
Jeff Wagenaar (Season 5: Schavona champion) Musso Bowie knife |
| 4 | Jun 24, 2020 | "Smith's Choice" | Signature blades (from home forge) |
Short Sword with a D-guard (either using a foundry to cast handle or canister Damascus to make entire blade) |
Choice or Spadroon, Ida, or Kora Sword (using layered Damascus steel) (Tobin chooses for himself and Dave: the Ida) |
Dave Baker (Judge) |
Tobin Nieto (Season 2: Pirate Cutlass champion) Persian Recurve Fighter knife |
David Goldberg (Season 1: Katar champion) Fantasy knife |
Gene Hodges (Season 6: Battle of the Branches: Marines – Mameluke Sword champion) Modified Bowie knife |
| 5 | Jul 1, 2020 | "The No Can Can" | Signature blade (from home forge) |
Falcata (using high-carbon steel from old tools) |
Short Sword (using saw blades in a make-your-own "no-can" canister Damascus) |
J. Neilson (Judge) |
Tony Fetters (Season 5: Sica Sword champion) Recurve Drop Point Bowie knife |
David Roeder (Season 3: Hook Sword champion) Recurve Bowie knife |
Chris Farrell (Season 1: Chakram champion) Recurve Persian Chopper |
| 6 | Jul 8, 2020 | "Rock Star Smiths" | Signature blades (from home forge) |
9-Ringed Broadsword | Cinquedea (using high-carbon steel bars in a twist and stack method with a handle from a guitar) |
Ben Abbott (Judge) | Tyler Hackbarth (Season 6: Battle of the Branches: Army & overall champion – Army Officer's Saber & General Washington's lion-headed cuttoe) Fighter knife |
Ryu Lim (Season 1: Viking Battle Axe champion) Barong |
Jacob Grayton (Season 5: Jumanji Aire champion) Kukri |
Accolades
| Year | Nominee / Work | Award Associations | Result | Ref(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Award Ceremony / Media | Category | ||||
| 2016 | Forged in Fire | BLADE magazine | Publisher's Award | Won | [12] |
Notes
- These four contestants, all champions from previous seasons, were invited to compete again. The winner received an additional $10,000 and the title "Champion of Champions"
- These four contestants from previous seasons were invited to compete again based on fans' reaction to their initial performance.
- This episode featured contestants eliminated from previous episodes returning for a chance at redemption
- These four contestants from previous seasons, each chosen by one of the four judges, were invited to compete again.
- Medically disqualified
- Four master/apprentice pairs competed in this episode. When Jesse withdrew at the end of the first round because of a family emergency, Zack was allowed to continue on his own.
- Five champions from previous episodes were invited to compete again. Raymond Smith was eliminated based on the results of a preliminary test performed on blades that they forged ahead of time.
- Season 5 numbered from 0, see https://www.history.com/shows/forged-in-fire/season-5
- This episode followed the same structure as the "Ultimate Champions Edition" in Season 4, with five smiths who were inspired to take up the craft after watching the show.
- Seven non-winners from seasons 4 and 5 competed over two episodes for $20,000. In "Long Road to Redemption Part 2", four remaining blacksmiths compete and at last, the two finalists choose which swords they will make at their home forges.
- The winner received $50,000.
- Four champions from previous episodes were invited in this episode and after competing against each other in the studio forge, the winner challenged one of the judges, a veteran weapon recreation bladesmith, David Baker, by creating the signature blades in David's forge.
References
- Zumberge, Marianne (April 27, 2015). "History's Weapon Competition Series 'Forged in Fire' to Debut This Summer". Variety. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
- Pfeiffer, Jeff (April 27, 2015). "Former "Special Ops Mission" star Wil Willis returns in new History competition series". Channel Guide Magazine. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
- Kryah, Kevin (June 22, 2015). "Talking Swords on the Brooklyn Set of History's New Reality-Competition Series". Esquire. Retrieved August 2, 2015.
- "Forged in Fire Full Episodes, Video & More". History.
- "History Channel scheduled Forged in Fire Season 3 premiere date: The release date for Forged in Fire Season 3 — August 23, 2016". premieredate.tv. Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
- Petski, Denise (April 27, 2015). "Bladesmiths Cut To The Chase In New Competition Series On History". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
- https://go.discovery.com/tv-shows/dual-survival/bios/grady-powell#:~:text=GRADY%20POWELL%2C%20former%20U.S.%20Army,%2C%20mobility%2C%20and%20survival%20expert.
- "15 Dark Secrets From Forged In Fire You Had No Idea About". ScreenRant. December 25, 2017.
- Fortin, Jacey (December 2, 2017). "Man Inspired by TV Show 'Forged in Fire' Sets Off Huge Blaze, Officials Say". The New York Times.
- "Forged in Fire – TV show Ratings". ratingraph.com. Archived from the original on January 24, 2021. Retrieved January 24, 2021.
- "Watch Rookies Edition Full Episode – Forged in Fire". History.
- "ANOTHER FIRST FOR FORGED IN FIRE". blademag.com. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved January 24, 2021.