Forged in fire question.

J

jtwodogs

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Feb 1, 2009
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Maybe it is done off camera but they never show the knives being tempered?
Some of there test if done right after quenching would shatter a knife, or is my novice status showing and am I missing something?
 
I wondered the same thing. I assumed tempering is off camera, due to time restrictions. Maybe Salem can let us know.
 
I haven't talked to anyone this season, but what I was told about last season was that the staff did the tempering overnight and the blades were given back to the makers the next day for finishing. A lot of folks have a big problem with this.
 
I woould fully expect many makers to have a problem with that. The temper is hugely important and the maker should be allowed to do their own, even if they are supervised during it. That seems pretty insane to me. I would liken that to sharpening. give us your knife, we will put an edge on it, maybe good, maybe bad, and then judge you on cutting, something you had no control over.
 
I agree, no way would I want anyone but me doing my own tempering. Especially with unknown or mystery steels. I like the show, and don't have any details about how the blades are tempered, but the maker should be able to do there own tempering off camera. Also would like them to at least mention to the uninformed that the blades are being tempered off camera.
 
If I were chopping something with those knives I would make sure they were tempered correctly.

Hoss
 
Honestly, I wonder how big of a problem tempering is considering that most of the shows I've seen are dealing with mystery metals and the hardening is done with less than optimal conditions like super-bright overhead lighting and no temperature gauges on the forges.

I've seen a lot of blades chip and roll on the edge, but I can't recall a single instance where it happened on a blade made from a known alloy. I never have liked they pointing out the chipped edges like it's a bad thing the smith did when the smith is having to work with so many obvious issues.
 
This^^^^^ is what I was thinking, granted judging by color takes skill but still involves guesswork. And there doesn't seem to be alot of time for normalizing either, it would seem that based on some of the tests they have they would want a little more assurance of grain size
 
Remember folks - this is a TV show for people who don't make knives to watch. Watching people pound on metal is cool. Watching them sit and stare at an oven for a couple hours isn't. The show is not made for or by metallurgists or really much at all about high quality knifemaking. It is all about entertainment.
 
Good to know that J. Nielson is involved in the tempering, I wouldnt be worried with him doing it but if it was some jack legs who wanted to see a blade shatter on TV because it would look cool...that would be another story.
 
I like the show. If nothing else it gives John Q Public some idea of what goes into to making a custom knife vs's a mass produced one. I just think as well as Will52100 that it would merit mentioning that tempering was done off camera due to time constraints. I know being kinda new to the craft that I could not do what they do in the time allotted, and would hope that those that might be considering getting into it, that at first at least, that things do not proceed at that pace or anywhere near that.

Again congrats to Salem for winning and making a beautiful example of a Khopesh!
 
It all comes down to time management. The structure of the competition isn't a secret anymore. The guys in the first season really had it rough.
 
Shane, no they didn't solicit any input on the tempering process. We were just herded off the set...
A smith could bring a magnet in their personal tools, I did but when I got to the hotel I realized I'd left it at home, when packing. Really bummed me out, but I found at least that the lighting in there wasn't as bad at it seemed. I did bring a digital caliper, which turned out to be a good choice.
 
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