Forged In Fire (History)

bnt

I stumbled on this by chance but watched it because I'm interested in the topic, and am really enjoying it. It's a competition between four bladesmiths, making knives and other metal weapons, and we get to see the whole process.

The format is: in the first half of the show in the "forge" studio, the bladesmiths make a knife to a given spec for a series of tasks, in two 3 hour sessions: the blade itself up to the point where it's hardened, and then they complete their knives by sharpening, adding handles and sharpening etc. After the first session one bladesmith is eliminated, and after the second session the three remaining knives are tested by e.g. chopping through logs or ice, after which another is eliminated.

The two remaining bladesmiths then have to produce a more serious specific weapon, such as a Claymore sword or a battle axe: they have a week at home in which to do it, after which their weapons are put through their paces - and things can get pretty gnarly e.g hacking away at bones and disembowelling dummies.

The show is in its second series with both series repeated occassionally. If you've ever wanted to know more about weapons and how they're made, I can recommend this show.

Thargor

Bizarre, I just stumbled across this this weekend aswell after someone on another forum mentioned it. Yeah its good alright, they might discuss the tools and techniques a bit more but I love the Bake-Off style challenges where they're given an old spring or whatever and told to turn it into something. I love the ManAtArms channel aswell:

https://www.youtube.com/user/AweMeChannel/videos

Thargor

This is becoming one of my shows of the year, cant stop watching. Its getting great ratings for History in the US aswell so hopefully it gets renewed.

Thargor

Series 3 starting in 2 weeks.

bnt

A note for anyone catching up on old episodes: they're being shown during the daytime, and they are censoring the show by not showing the weapons being tested. I presume that the History Channel imagines that young minds will be warped by seeing what sharp weapons do to sides of beef or blue-blooded ballistics gel dummies ... :rolleyes:

Thargor

What do they just cut back to the smith being declared the winner?

bnt

Thargor wrote: »

What do they just cut back to the smith being declared the winner?

No, just the violence towards the inanimate objects. :cool:

bnt

Series 3 has kicked off with a Champion of Champions challenge: 4 previous winners came back to try again. My DVR recorded a midnight broadcast, so no censorship:

they had to show what the winner's Claymore did to that pig, it decided the whole contest

.

Thargor

6 new episodes released since the start of the year without me noticing S03E11 - S03E16! Thats my weekends viewing sorted anyway, this is one of the best things on tv.

Thargor

New series started already, s04e01 and s04e02 already out...

Thargor

Anybody watching this? 2 new eps of season 5 out s05e00 is the first one, not sure what thats about it seems like a normal ep.

mloc123

I only noticed last week that they censor the tests against the ballistic dummies. One show they tested one sword against them (didn't show any impact) but would not test the second. This was the reason they showed the first dummy.

I had wondered why Doug had not tested a number of the weapons on previous shows... this explains it, it was cut. They still include tests on lumps of meat, carcasses etc.. just not human like dummies.

mloc123

It is a pretty good show... none of the usual stage drama etc.. that other reality shows end up going for. Lots of detail and technique included.

I started to watch it a few months ago with no idea of any details of forging metal. Now I find myself watching it saying things like "oh, damascus.. nice".."don't quench it in water" to myself.

Thargor

mloc123 wrote: »

I only noticed last week that they censor the tests against the ballistic dummies. One show they tested one sword against them (didn't show any impact) but would not test the second. This was the reason they showed the first dummy.

I had wondered why Doug had not tested a number of the weapons on previous shows... this explains it, it was cut. They still include tests on lumps of meat, carcasses etc.. just not human like dummies.

Where are you getting your episodes? The ones I download they're always decapitating and disembowelling the dummies. Currently Dougs brother or one of his students steps in and does it because Doug is injured.

mloc123

Thargor wrote: »

Where are you getting your episodes? The ones I download they're always decapitating and disembowelling the dummies. Currently Dougs brother or one of his students steps in and does it because Doug is injured.

I am recording them on History... they are just at the end of season 4 now. Records at 11am so I guess censored to save the kids. Might look for another source now instead.

Thargor

Ah yeah I vaguely remember that being discussed somewhere else before alright. Tbh you're not missing much, its a bit cheesy and pointless, any old lump of metal will mess up a ballistics dummy, I prefer the tests where theres a chance the blade will shatter or bend. Always pretty cool to see a little blade they just forged out of scrap cut a pig in half though.

Thargor

First ep of season 6 just appeared in my download queue...