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Forged in Fire
Forged in Fire is an American competition series that airs on the History channel and is produced by Outpost Entertainment, a Leftfield Entertainment company.
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 with the first program premiering on Monday, June 22, 2015, at 10pm ET. Season two premiered on February 16, 2016, and increased to 10 episodes. The third season premiered with a "Champion of Champions" match on August 23, 2016, and was announced as having 16 episodes. 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.
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 need not adhere to their original designs. Once the time expires, the judges evaluate the blades based on the host's criteria and inspect their craft, 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 two (originally 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 a 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, mostly prepared by David Baker, and are given four (originally 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. Afterward, 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.
Some episodes have incorporated modifications to the rules, as follows:
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Forged in Fire
Forged in Fire is an American competition series that airs on the History channel and is produced by Outpost Entertainment, a Leftfield Entertainment company.
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 with the first program premiering on Monday, June 22, 2015, at 10pm ET. Season two premiered on February 16, 2016, and increased to 10 episodes. The third season premiered with a "Champion of Champions" match on August 23, 2016, and was announced as having 16 episodes. 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.
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 need not adhere to their original designs. Once the time expires, the judges evaluate the blades based on the host's criteria and inspect their craft, 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 two (originally 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 a 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, mostly prepared by David Baker, and are given four (originally 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. Afterward, 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.
Some episodes have incorporated modifications to the rules, as follows: