Any fans of forged in fire?

My son used to watch every episode he could. Loves to mess with forging and welding.

Haven't watched much lately. Tonight though, a buddy is on FiF as a contestent. He gave my son an intro lesson when my son first got his own small forge.

Tonight at 7 mountain.

I'll go in spurts. It's interesting to a degree and I know so much is cut out etc.

What I'd like to see them do - make more utilitiarian knives. What we need you to do is go home and make a nice drop point hunter, 3.5 inch blade length and an overall length of 7.9 inches.

I get why they do the big historical stuff - better for TV and interesting to a degree but just not my cup of tea in a steady diet.

Good luck to your friend.

My closest neighbor who lives about 1/4 mile from me was on that show. He's a very well known knife maker and Damascus steel maker. He's got many patents to his name, the guy is brilliant. I'm helping him get his new facility built. Crazy azz money he's putting into it...and me.

Yes I have watched a fair amount of the fire. They need to hustle to finish a project. Most interesting is what they use for the home projects.

I saw a show with a Montana smith on it.

I would like to get a look at the personal knives the judges have on their belt occasionally.

They are getting a little outside the lines most of the time any more. I would like to see competition
between 4 guys that are a little more similar in experience also.

And making a more practical knife once in a while would be good too.

But heck, it is all about entertainment so......

I watched all of the early seasons, but burned out and haven't watched for years now.

Tried to, but just doesn't interest me.

I watched for quite a while, but it seemed like every show was the same formula and it just got old using the same hysterics to try to make it interesting. It seems some of the characters the last couple years have been less than interesting. However, some of the work being done on that show is sometimes pretty incredible...

Tried watching it several times.
I get real tired of the format.

I know just enough about forging metal to know that a "time clock" IS NOT involved in the process.
I'm sure as you develop your skill, speed will naturally increase.
A timer is NO measure of a man's skills and abilities.

The only good part is watching Doug Marcaida disembowel things and then saying, "It will kill." Otherwise, it's a pat formula and has little if anything to do with real knife-making. The above comments about the clock are valid. They never show the time it takes for blades to cool or thermal-cycle.

I pity the poor SoB who tries to mug Doug in an alley.

It’s television. Go for ratings. I think most of the people on the show are very talented and that they can make some fine knives. The time constraints and materials on the show, IMHO, showcase the contestants ability to utilize materials and work under time constraints.
I would like to see the knives they make at home.

I like it.
They got a new episode of the Gladiator wpn contest on tonight.

It ain't a stupid program like most on TV nowadays.

At least it is real and interesting to watch IMO...

And not fantasy schit for Liberal Socialist Democrats.

Watched about 3 minutes of it once.

Too much pseudo macho bs by the “testers”. The build techniques are interesting to a machinist/metallurgist like me but the hosts take themselves way too seriously.

Have never seen it but my son’s hitting coach won an episode at some point. He is a very talented knife maker and apparently has a waiting list years long. Very good dude too.

It's the only show I look forward to catching in my hotel room when working out of town since I have no TV at home.

Christmas before last, my wife gifted me a drop point hunter made by FiF champion Seth Borries, who won the Napoleon's Sword episode.

He owns Southern Longbeard custom knives in Gautier, Miss.

Some of it is okay and some is absolute silliness. All that said, I don't watch it much anymore.

A number of years back they had Liam Hoffman on the show. He is a true bladesmith/blacksmith and he far outdistanced the competition.

On right now.👍👍👍


Watching it now.
Got done messing with tomatoe man and Geno on the other thread.

Forged in Fire time.
Schit getting real!!
👍👍👍🤩🤩🤣🤣🤣

Making a Roman Gladius now
Ball bearing can Damascus.

👍👍👍

I quit watching Frogged in Far when they got rid of the guy with two first names that had elf ears.

Not the worst show on TV, and better than many.

I used to watch it some but it’s pretty lame. I like to see good work but some of the stuff they want made like swords and obscure weapons made wit ar parts, ball bearings and weird materials is pretty over the hill for me. Their tests are nuts too.

It will KEAL! Love it.

Always wondered why they make damn good and sure to show the hardening of each blade but never the most important part, the tempering?

Basically Project Runway with knives & fire. I like it. And Heidi Klum

These shows are dumb as Fck. The totality of the artisan is determined by the second.

Skill, efficiency and an element of luck wins the contest.

They show blue backing once in awhile, that's it.

We have a common complaint, get the Shïts of being entertained.
Learning is entertainment for me. I'd enjoy a bit of metallurgy, maybe
a bit about steels.

There is no drama in keeping it at 400 degrees for an hour, a couple times.


I have read that Jay Baker does the heat treat himself over night for the
studio built knives. Wonder if that was something added to the show
after production began. The earliest shows had a lot of knives break,
That ended pretty quick. I'm guessing that there were no provisions
for tempering in the original template.

Seriously, the dude looks exactly like a rat. Seriously. Like a rat.

He knows how to shoot.

IIRC he was a Ranger and then AF Para-rescueman

Oh I'm not doubting his bonafides, but he really resembles a rodent. It's uncanny.

I always wondered about the tempering process myself.
I'll watch a hour or so each week, its on all day/evening every Friday here.

Do enjoy it, but would like to see more examples of what many of those guys are capable of without such short time restraints.

The guy who started that show, the Airforce Para Rescue guy, I met him through his old wing commander who was (started out as) one of my troops in the 82nd.

One of my best friends is Mad Scientist Knife Scales ... who has been featured on the show and is considered the top knife scale maker in the world. His scales go on the finest knives being made including many of the champions on the show.

Custom made knives used to be an obsession of mine. These days they are everywhere. This show has done a lot for the craft.

Wil Willis didnt' start the show, he was the host.

Jason Knight who was a guest judge a couple times came up with the idea and then it got complicated.

You are a knife hand aren't you?

Ha, no. I'm a dabbler. But I get a kick out of folks dumping on a show that has no nudity, politics, or religion and is literally safe to watch with anyone.

I can understand where real knife makers mock some of the aspects, but overall it's a damn good show.

But I guess some would rather take the time to bitch about it and tell us how much they don't watch it.

I'm a real knife maker. I've been making knives full time for 20 years. I used to forge knives too. I watch the show on a fairly regular basis and know several makers that have competed. The show is about entertainment/drama for the viewers and selling advertising. If you went to a real knife makers shop and made a show of him/her making the knives they usually make, you would be bored out of your mind in less than an hour. That is not what this TV program is about.

I have served on the Technical Committee for the Knifemaker's Guild for about 10 years and have judged knives by a few of the makers that have participated. These guys are really good makers, like many that have participated.

The show is designed to create difficulties for the makers that result in problems and good TV. The lighting is bad for judging the steel heat, the forges are run wide open, the set is hot as blazes, the steel is mostly a mystery and those guys have no time! All this creates pressure and mistakes are made. Mistakes that most of the experienced makers would never make if they were in their own shop.

The deck is stacked against these Smiths and yet, for the most part, they do very good work with very little time!

I have a lot of respect for all the knife makers that are willing to subject themselves to working at a craft they love under these circumstances....

Ricardo Vilar lives down the road from me and I’ve known his mentor, Jerry Fisk, my whole life. In truth, I don’t know Jerry that well at all, but I used to know his brothers very well and our families have probably known each other for a 100 years.

I enjoy watching it. A good friend of mine won the whole thing about 5 years ago....JW Randall from N Louisiana.

TV sure sounds neat.

Who dumped on the show? I sure didn't. Just the opposite.

If he wasn't instrumental in starting the show then I misunderstood when he was introduced to me. He did another show too ... like a survival show or something. I can't remember, it's been a few years since Joe introduced him to me. Maybe eight or nine I dunno.

Easy Rod.....

Some of the guys do a fantasic job in the time they get.

From Shreveport or Keithtown or something like that? I bought a drop point from him for my Son a couple of years ago. He uses stag but he knew MSKS who introduced me to a friend of his in Lake Charles and I ended-up with a fine blade for my Son for his 21st birthday.

Small world.

The challenge of Damascus steel is fun to watch

Blade Show Atlanta ... it's everybit worth attending at least once. First of June. Cheap flights into Atlanta.