"Forged In Fire" on TV: Any thoughts?

badmatt said:
Maybe I said it the wrong way.

Its a reality show that doesn't educate people?

Better?
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After watching a few re-runs of the series, I realized that a few of the competitors and winners were from CT. I looked up the forge on Facebook (Dragon's Breath Forge) and saw that they were offering a 3 day Seax making course. The instructor was Jamie Lundell and he won the episode with the Gladius as the challenge. He provided the Damascus billet, but we did everything else in the process including shaping the blade, quenching, handle construction, sanding, etc. So I would say that like anything else, if people want education on the process, they can easily learn more about the process in a myriad of ways (internet, in-person, etc.). IMO, the most important thing about the show is that it sparks interest.

The knife I made is on the far right.
VapDhk6.jpg
 
The modern reality show started in 2000 with the show Survivor. We should be savvy enough by now to know that they are scripted to add "drama." As long as you find the show entertaining, no harm in watching. I love "it will KEEL." It will be in blade lexicon forever.
 
dogstar said:
The modern reality show started in 2000 with the show Survivor. We should be savvy enough by now to know that they are scripted to add "drama." As long as you find the show entertaining, no harm in watching. I love "it will KEEL." It will be in blade lexicon forever.
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I loved watching the Knife or Death spinoff and seeing BF members participate in the challenges. There were a lot of really interesting forum discussions that spawned from that about the perfect blade to go through the course.
 
I personally enjoy the show because well, I enjoy knives and watching people make them. It’s an easy thing to relax and zone out on. I’m not taking notes or pointing out every absurd detail because it’s a reality show. There are always going to be ridiculous things that happen to captivate a broader audience.

What I don’t like so much about the show is their insistence on making every blade a chopper or XL knife/dagger. If I were to guess I’d say the majority of the knife world’s primary interests in knives fall in the 10” and under category, but that range is almost never featured on the show.

Also not a huge fan of the unique blades they have them make in the final challenge. The “you can make a knife very well, but can you make this relatively unheard of phallic shaped bat with a two inch blade on it from the Byzantine empire?!” is just kind of ridiculous. Don’t get me wrong I’d probably enjoy a show where that’s all they did was make historical weapons, but I’d rather just watch a craftsman excel at the craft they’ve worked very hard to master. Not watch them struggle through something they’re trying for the first time that is relatively similar to their craft.
 
Quiet said:
To me, it's primarily background entertainment. I never could get into the new host after WhiskeyWhiskey left, and at some point, I'm just tired of watching J. Nielson or Ben Abbott smash perfectly good knives into things that NO knife would take and that no real knife person would ever do. So, I don't really follow the show like I used to.

All that said, I've met most of the hosts of the show, and many contestants at BLADE shows over the years. Good folks, I just think I'm jaded due to the fact that there's what, eight seasons of the show? I've watched all of it except for most of Season 8.
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Wait, Wil left?! I guess I haven't seen the newer stuff.

I liked when Jason Knight was on.
 
shane45-1911 said:
I think in general, the show only appeals to knife people. People that are not interested in knives would probably just flip past the show.
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I think the gamification elements that a lot of knife makers dislike add to the enjoyment for the general populace. My wife's family watchs and they aren't knife people, or at least until one of them decided to start Smithinf because the show interested him.

Some of the middle seasons are on Netflix and it tends to stay in the popular category.
 
The DEFY tv network runs Forged in Fire marathons all day long on Fridays. Sometimes I tune in.

But I'm often left wondering, what do they do with the pig carcasses and fish that they cut up for sharpness testing? Barbeque? Grilled fish for lunch?

I just hate to see food go to waste, especially when there are other things they could cut.

As far as the show in general, and whether it's good or bad for the knife community, and knife enthusiasts, perhaps tv showing knives as something other than weapons for serial killers, and "knife people" shown as something other than criminals and psychos is a good thing.
 
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killgar said:
The DEFY tv network runs Forged in Fire marathons all day long on Fridays. Sometimes I tune in.

But I'm often left wondering, what do they do with the pig carcasses and fish that they cut up for sharpness testing? Barbeque? Grilled fish for lunch?

I just hate to see food go to waste.

As far as the show in general, and whether it's good or bad for the knife community, and knife enthusiasts, perhaps tv showing knives as something other than weapons for serial killers, and "knife people" shown as something other than criminals is a good thing.
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The meat is generally donated to farms if I remember.
-Mark
 
killgar said:
The DEFY tv network runs Forged in Fire marathons all day long on Fridays. Sometimes I tune in.

But I'm often left wondering, what do they do with the pig carcasses and fish that they cut up for sharpness testing? Barbeque? Grilled fish for lunch?

I just hate to see food go to waste, especially when there are other things they could cut.

Sounds like an excuse for a "Pig Parts" roast...Future Bacon.jpg
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Danke42 said:
For the next challenge you'll need to put on a zorb ball and use a coal forge to create 100 layer damascus.
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They have had some fairly complex challenges that even Burt Foster a Master Smith was eliminated. What it is not showing are the NEW apprentice beginners that are putting out less than quality knives simply because they have watched the show and think "How Hard Can It Be"...This is what Hurts the Craft!!!
 
Busto said:
They have had some fairly complex challenges that even Burt Foster a Master Smith was eliminated. What it is not showing are the NEW apprentice beginners that are putting out less than quality knives simply because they have watched the show and think "How Hard Can It Be"...This is what Hurts the Craft!!!
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I am pretty sure there were a lot of people like that selling sub standard stuff at gun shows way before reality TV came along.
 
Danke42 said:
I am pretty sure there were a lot of people like that selling sub standard stuff at gun shows way before reality TV came along.
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Without question....I personally know of 8 people that took up this hobby of forging and asked me for advice, but I don't Forge so I pointed them to a friend that has a Terrific Shop and he Forges like a Wild Man. He and I talked about their work and said after doing some RC Hardness testing he sent each one packing because their work was Very Substandard for Today's Knowledgeable Buyers. Since then only 2 are still trying to move forward, but now they understand it takes years of practice and untold volume of failures to get it right.
 
Living in a "disposable" society, where almost everything is massed-produced, and most people have no concept of true craftsmanship and what it takes to make something, I like that there's a program on tv that actually shows things being made, and in many instances, the old way (hammers, forges, sweat, blood, muscle, and brains).

I can only wonder how many children, both boys and girls, are being influenced by the show, and will grow up to be the next generation of custom knife makers.

In an age when so many kids are obsessed with, and living in their phones, with little interest in anything other than the latest Tic-Tok craze or game app ,Forged in Fire might just help keep custom knifemaking alive for future knife enthusiasts.
 
killgar said:
I can only wonder how many children, both boys and girls, are being influenced by the show, and will grow up to be the next generation of custom knife makers.
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I've thought the same thing, but today "Nobody" wants to get their hands dirty. Where is "Shop" class where many carpenters, welders of days gone by first learned the trades. Kids today want to sit at a Keyboard and think they can Rebuild Diesel Engines. Look at how fixated the younger generation is with their hand held devices. I recall Sci Fi movies with Aliens with delicate bodies with extremely LONG FINGERS not the hands of a Mechanic!!!
 
Blackfish775 said:
Wait, Wil left?! I guess I haven't seen the newer stuff.
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Yes, Grady Powell replaced Wil Willis this past season. Wil apparently quit to get on with his life and to do other things. I think Wil was much better at hosting the show than Grady is but it is what it is.

See: The Real Reason Wil Willis Isn't On This Season of Forged in Fire

I've watched the show every season since I became aware of it. Not sure which season that was but it was about 3-4 years ago when I 1st became interested in collecting knives. My DVR is scheduled to record all new episodes.

I find the process interesting and know that it's much more difficult that it looks on the show, especially given the edits made to move the show along.

Some of the "tests" they subject the knives to are pretty ridiculous but their purpose expose obvious flaws in the forging/finishing of the blades which is pretty dramatic when the blades and/or handles shatter.

I don't know why they insist that the finalists make swords and still am wondering why they reduced the time for the finalists to produce them from 5 to 4 days. However, I love it when they use the swords to cut a pig/boar or goat carcass in half.

It will KEEEEEL!!! LOL! ;)
 
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You're right: there's something satisfying about watching a pig become unglued...
 
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