Forged in Fire

[steveno]

does this TV program have any credibility?

I started watching this show Sunday and it was a segment on these four guy having to make a sword of some kind. one of the tests was that the blade had to split a bullet.

they go to the range where they have a 1911 pistol set up in a ransom rest with no distance given. they are testing three different blades with three bullets split with three shots fired. I think you could go through several boxes of ammo to accomplish this but to do it in three shots is really hard to believe and I don't care how accurate the pistol is.

they really don't go into the qualifications of the judges either unless I missed them.

what did I miss?

I forgot to mention that if you didn't make the final test you had to "surrender your weapon".

 

[hso]

We had a thread on it when the show first started.

Yes, the bladesmiths are real. The crazy conditions they work under are real and nothing like they'd do on their own. The editing trims out the time showing the more thoughtful and measured approach taken to create a false sense of excitement for the public who have never been in a forge or at a hammer-in to know what goes into forging a working blade. The judging is intended to be melodramatic to hold the interest of the public. At the end of the day, though, it does show real bladesmiths making real knives in a forge and then the knives being torture tested.

 

[steveno]

I think they could use a better host for the show. he seems to be way over the top but I guess that goes with a TV show also

 

[hso]

that goes with a TV show

Bingo

 

[lemaymiami]

What I'd make a point of watching would be a show that in a matter of fact way highlighted a specific bladesmith each week as they created one blade in the style that they're really skilled at.... On this very forum I can think of a few candidates for just that kind of show.

Of course the big viewing audience that any TV show needs wouldn't watch so my idea is a non-starter. I'm a full time fishing guide now for almost twenty years. I've been on both sides of the camera and would run the other way if anyone said that making a fishing show would be a good idea (too much work and time for very little reward in my opinion). I wouldn't be surprised if most really skilled blade makers would avoid that kind of stuff as well....

 

[redneck]

What I'd make a point of watching would be a show that in a matter of fact way highlighted a specific bladesmith each week as they created one blade in the style that they're really skilled at.... On this very forum I can think of a few candidates for just that kind of show.

Of course the big viewing audience that any TV show needs wouldn't watch so my idea is a non-starter. I'm a full time fishing guide now for almost twenty years. I've been on both sides of the camera and would run the other way if anyone said that making a fishing show would be a good idea (too much work and time for very little reward in my opinion). I wouldn't be surprised if most really skilled blade makers would avoid that kind of stuff as well....

I'm not putting myself into the class of really skilled blade makers, but I was talking to my brother in law the other day about a knife I was working on and he was asking a bunch of questions about how long it takes and how stuff is done. Long story short I had him come over last weekend and we each forged a simple neck knife style blade from a chunk of jeep leaf spring saturday afternoon, then sunday we ground and heat treated them.
I had a great time showing him how to do stuff, and I like seeing somebody take an interest in it, but at the same time its really hard to be productive with somebody else in the shop. There were times I'd pull my blade out of the forge, go to the anvil and explain what I'm about to do, and then only have enough heat left for 3 swings of the hammer before I had to put it back in the forge. I can only imagine what a pain it would be trying to organize things so that a camera man can get a shot of what you're working on, and dealing with all the background noise has to be a problem too. There would have to be a heck of a payout for me to want to deal with a camera crew on a regular basis.

I know the time limits of the forged in fire show are to create drama, but I find it kind of annoying. Its kind of like the home improvement shows that edit out all the time for things like concrete curing, waiting on code inspectors to show up etc. and basically make it look like you can build a 3 room addition in 12 hours. Nothing on TV looks like work, and it never shows what its like in real life.

 

[50 Shooter]

I could never get into the show because of the host, what a huge TOOL! I couldn't stand him when he had the show on different weapons and never watched it either for the same reason.

 

[clearcut]

As for the OP splitting lead bullets is fun and challenging it's done at some black powder shoots mostly with ax blades.We have one set up at the home range,one shot two holes
CC

 

[JohnKSa]

I find the show entertaining but irritating.

It seems to me that if they're going to have a show where they are going to ask people to make a particular type of weapon on their home forges, they should make an effort to make sure that the competitors on that particular show have the resources to pull it off.

I hate watching a guy trying to make a sword on his small home forge made for turning out medium to small knives. If it's tough for me to watch it knowing what the outcome will be, it's got to be even worse for the competitor who's actually putting in all the effort.

 

[hso]

John,

They sign up for the opportunity to win the prize money and to get their names out to a larger audience. Don't feel too sorry for them.

 

[JohnKSa]

It's less that I feel sorry for them and more that I hate to see them wasting effort trying to make something that can't turn out right given the limitation of their tools.

I'd rather see a competition where skill is the deciding factor.

It would be like having two highly skilled competitors compete at shooting extreme long range precision rifle but making one of them shoot a CCW pistol while the other one gets a top-of-the-line precision rifle. What's the point of a competition like that? I already know how it's going to turn out and not because I know which shooter is more skilled.

 

[bldsmith]

It is a TV show. There are going to be many hmmm moments.

The judges have different qualifications. One is an American Bladesmith Society Master Smith. Next is a collector of edged weapons and finally a martial artist specializing in edged weapons.

I have watched most of the shows. I have seen friends compete and fail. One was master smith who has had over 30 years of experience. The reason I like the show is it shows some of what we go through in order to make a knife. It is far more than just walking up to a grinder and whipping one out. Yes I can make a knife in a few hours but..... The knives I want to make take much much more effort than that. Watching some of these guys using a satellite dish to make a forge in order to complete the project was great. Challenging makers to go outside their comfort zones is even better.

 

[hso]

The reason I like the show is it shows some of what we go through in order to make a knife. It is far more than just walking up to a grinder and whipping one out.

Exactly! That's the point. Even a "how it's made" program shows all the steps in exact detail.