Forged in Fire (2015) s01e05 Episode Script

Since the dawn
of human civilization,
mankind has made weapons.
Whoa!
Bladesmiths have honed
and perfected their craft
over thousands of years
and now for the first time ever,
these men will go head-to-head
and put their skills
to the ultimate test.
Welcome to the forge.
It starts with a lump
of raw steel
and a ticking clock.
And by the end of three rounds,
the bladesmiths must deliver
handmade weapons
that are works of art
as well as deadly instruments
of war.
These weapons must survive
explosive tests
as well as the scrutiny of
an expert panel of judges.
In the end, only one bladesmith
will take home $10,000
and be crowned
a Forged in Firechampion.
My name's Matt Venier.
If it's sharp or is on fire,
I'm interested in it.
My name is Gabriel Bell.
I'm 30 years old and I like
Japanese sword making
because I think it's the epitome
of refinement
and technique of sword making.
My name is Peter Burt.
The first sword that I made
I gave to my high school
girlfriend.
She was not very excited
about it.
I'm Dave Roeder.
When I was 16, I followed
the sound of an anvil
and I met a man
that was forging a knife.
Got to watch it being done
and I've been making knives
ever since.
Gentlemen, welcome.
Ahead of you
are three challenges
designed to test just how good
you are in the forge.
Each round pits you against
the clock and each other.
When the time runs out, the
judges will examine your work.
If it doesn't make the grade,
you will be eliminated.
Let's meet the judges.
First up,
solo weapons making expert
and internationally-known
master bladesmith J. Neilson.
Next,
world-renowned swordsmith
and rare weapons
re-creation specialist
David Baker.
And finally,
edged weapons specialist
and martial artist
Doug Marcaida.
It's time to make some blades.
In front of you
on your anvil is a cloth.
Go ahead and lift that up.
That is a block of W2.
High carbon forging steel.
From that lump of raw metal
you must design and forge
a blade of your choice.
You have ten minutes
to design the blade
and you will have three hours
to forge the blade.
The blade has to be
at least 12 inches in length,
but not more than 14 inches.
You must also set a hamon line.
For someone who's trained
as a Japanese swordsmith,
making a hamon is just
a everyday thing.
So it's not any big challenge
for me.
Remember,
after three hours,
one of you will be eliminated
and asked to surrender
your weapon.
Your ten-minute design window
begins
Now.
So I chose the bowie knife.
It's used for hunting
and, in some cases,
defense.
I've made hundreds of them.
I can make this thing
blindfolded.
The knife that I designed
is part kukri,
part bowie.
Both were fighting knives
that were famous in history.
If I'm known for anything,
it's for not making
straight blades.
I don't make
conventional swords.
I almost always make Persian
or African-inspired,
very curvy knives
and swords.
I'm making a Japanese
short sword
known as a wakizashi.
I've chose to make a wakizashi
because it's a time-tested
weapon
that has been used by samurai
for hundreds of years,
and I would say my work
certainly reflects
the Japanese aesthetic.
I'm second-generation
swordsmith,
so I'd say the stakes
are somewhat high for me.
I have a lot to prove.
I'm designing a hybrid
tanto/bowie-esque kind of blade.
My style of blade-making is,
I tend to prefer
the Japanese-style blade.
My strategy in the design phase
is to come up with something
that takes some of the
Japanese-inspired work that I do
but change it up a little bit
so it's not the same
as everyone else's.
Gentlemen, your design window
is now closed.
You may begin forging
your blades
Now.
Okay, we got one-- two so far,
with steel in the oven.
Matt just went to get
a bar of steel.
I think he's gonna go weld
a handle onto his block.
I rush over to the welder
'cause I don't like
to use tongs.
You're always fiddling
with them.
They never quite fit
exactly the way I want.
As I'm welding, everyone else
has their piece of metal
in their forge
and it's starting to heat up,
and I know I'm a little bit
behind at this point.
The time limit is definitely
my biggest concern.
I think it's
the biggest challenge.
I've never done a blade,
start to finish, in three hours.
So I'm very concerned
about that.
'Cause I'm starting with
this lump of steel.
I got to draw it out,
so it's really critical.
I can't move on
to the next stage
until I've got the length
that I need.
Right now, I'm really
appreciating the process
of creating the weapon.
The blade is very much,
in many cultures,
something that's
very spiritual,
and to see
the forging process,
you know, putting
their power into it,
I mean, that to me
is fascinating.
All right,
we've got a piece of steel out.
I have no concerns.
When I'm working in the shop,
I have no concerns.
I zone out the world.
I have to get it done.
Oh!
This is so nice.
Dave needs to get a little bit
hotter, I think.
Would you say that he pulled
that out a little bit early?
Little early.
You want the steel hotter.
You could put fine
stress fractures into the steel
you'll never see,
but they'll show up when
your tip of your blade breaks
later on.
I think what sets me apart
from the other competitors is,
they are all actually
full-time knife makers.
and I split my time
between knife making
and ornamental ironwork.
I feel that the ornamental
ironwork actually brings
a different perspective
to working with knives.
If I win the competition,
I will have exceeded
my own expectations
and me and my wife will go
to Hawaii.
Gentlemen, two hours to go.
Oh, we got Matt going
to the hammer.
Gonna see here,
you'll see the difference
with a stick welded
on there.
Much more secure grip.
See, this is where
he might be able to
make up some time.
I'm very worried
about being behind
There's limited amount of time
and every step is crucial.
Oh, we've got some steel
on the floor.
Gentlemen, you have
90 minutes remaining.
Dave's over here straightening
his blade.
He's gonna go to the grinder
in a minute.
Oh, yeah.
Dave's doing a good job.
Skills that help me the most
is the ability to be able
to forge proficiently
and then also grinding.
So I can grind it real quick
and get the job done right
the first time.
When my daughter turned five,
I made her a rapier sword.
Not everybody that age
gets a sword.
And it was taller than her,
so it was kind of cute.
I love it.
Usually, in my own shop,
I would be setting
this blade aside
to cool slowly before grinding,
but I don't have
that luxury now.
I have to cool it off
very quickly
so I'm swinging it around
like a madman.
Beau-ti-ful.
You destroyed it.
That was great.
Got to get the job done,
right?
When does the hamon line go on?
Before or after
the quenching process?
During the quenching process.
Put the clay on before
it goes in the oil.
Okay.
And the hamon actually sets
during the hardening process.
Okay.
For someone who's trained
as a Japanese swordsmith,
making a hamon is really
just a piece of cake.
Once the blade's up to
the right temperature,
I quickly pull it out,
quench it in the oil.
That's where the excitement is.
The last 30 minutes are just
a race against the clock
to grind this thick edge down
to a sharp blade.
Yeah, he's in. Matt's in.
Well, all right. Happy days.
I feel really great about
the hamon I'm doing.
I've got plenty of time left
to finish out the blade.
I feel pretty confident.
How thick is that clay
supposed to be on there?
Does it matter?
Does it have an effect?
It depends on what
you're trying to do.
The thickness you put it on,
the way you put it on
will bring out different
patterns in your hamon.
- There he goes, he's--
- There we go.
Yeah, he needs to move it
around.
There it is.
He's stirring a little bit.
Based on how this looks,
I should have a good hamon.
We'll find out.
I have to add a temporal line
or a hamon in this thing.
I've never worked with this
specific steel before
so I don't know
if it's gonna work.
My heart's pounding
like that power hammer.
The pressure's on
and I need to get it done.
Now we got a big problem.
He went ahead and quenched it.
He didn't put clay on it.
- He's not gonna have a hamon.
- Nope.
I have to add a hamon
in this thing.
I've never worked with this
specific steel before,
so I don't know
if it's gonna work.
Oh, we've got some fire
over here.
Now we got a big problem.
Now we have a big problem.
- We've got a blade on fire.
- He didn't put clay on it.
- He's not gonna have a hamon.
- Nope.
Oh, man.
So what are we
looking at here?
The blade's hard now.
I can use clay,
but the way I've always done it
in the past
is the old way--
no clay, just do it.
Oh, he's quenched it again.
- He's done a second quench.
- There it is again.
He's doing a multi-quench.
As long as I heat my edge,
it gets hot,
the spine doesn't,
when it goes into the oil,
that edge is gonna get hard,
the spine won't.
That's gonna give me
my hamon line.
I got to give him credit.
That's a pretty bold move
for a competition like this.
So he decided
to try to do
the hamon line without clay?
Yeah.
He had a plan,
and whether it worked out
or not,
we'll see.
Final minute, gentlemen.
Ten, nine,
eight, seven,
six, five,
four, three,
two, one.
Time is up, gentlemen.
Stop what you're doing.
Time's up.
I've taken a lump of steel
and made it into a wakizashi
in three hours.
I don't think my dad
could be prouder.
Gentlemen,
your challenge was to produce a
blade between 12 and 14 inches.
Additionally,
your blade must have included
a hamon line.
But now it's time for the judges
to take a look at your work.
Matt, please present your blade
to the judges.
It's got a nice
overall look to it.
I like the hamon,
came out nice and clear.
Thank you.
When you were designing this,
you had a lot wider blade.
I'm used to a much bigger anvil,
so it was much harder work
getting it to move
the way I wanted it to.
Gabriel, you're up next.
Doug?
I appreciate-- I can see
the Asian influence on this.
It was kind of cool to see
the way you brought the passion.
It's got a lot of meat
in it still.
We had a lot of metal
to work with there.
Yeah, there was a lot
of metal there.
Do you feel like you maybe
jumped to the anvil
a little soon?
I feel like a little more time
on the hydraulic press
might have saved myself
a little time on the forging.
I'm having trouble
with the hamon line.
What I can see of it
is really pretty low.
I wish you'd been able
to clean it up a little more
and get it in some acid
so I can really see
what was going on there.
Pete, you're up next.
I like the design.
A little more fantasy-inspired,
I'm assuming, than traditional,
but it's got some nice curves
to it.
The line came out nice.
It's one of the most
distinguished hamon lines
I've seen today.
The tang--
it's definitely
gonna be a problem.
With the blade
being so heavy,
such a small tang
can affect the balance.
Balance is very important.
The ability to be able
to recuperate
and not feel
it's just a chopper.
Dave, step up, please.
Everything looks nice
and straight.
I got to ask, though.
You didn't go near the clay.
Well, I've made knives
as long as I have
and not once
have I ever used clay.
I mean, the line is there.
It's a little
Blah, but overall,
it's a very nice blade.
Good.
Thank you.
You were calm and cool
all throughout,
so how much of that
was strategy?
Well, not to sound
egotistical, but
It's just what I do.
I
Get the job done.
Very cool.
Thank you.
Gentlemen,
this is gonna be a tough call.
The judges will take some time
to make their decision.
That was pretty intense.
I couldn't imagine
getting that much done
in that short amount
of time.
That was rough.
That was fun.
- I liked that.
So let's go ahead and start
with Dave's blade there.
Look at the criteria.
- Does he have a hamon line?
- Yeah.
The clay's gonna pretty much
guarantee you have a hamon.
Not going with the clay,
it's a shot in the dark.
You don't know where
it's gonna be.
- Yeah.
- Exactly.
- Yeah, they--
- Is that yours, Gabe?
They picked mine up first.
Looking at this blade,
we're looking at something
that's near-- you know,
finishing quality.
- So he's ahead of the curve.
- Right. Okay.
Let's take a look
at Gabe's blade.
I mean, I like the
overall concept.
- Hamon line?
- It's hard to see any.
I mean, there is some,
but it's so low.
And if you do not have
a hard edge all the way up,
then it's not
a functioning weapon.
What are they saying?
Let's move on to Matt's blade.
Matt, he's got a hamon,
even without etching it
in the acid,
you can still see it
very clearly.
Yeah, okay.
The other thing that
we kind of noticed--
where the plunge line starts.
The plunge line is
where the blade edge
drops down
and comes to the center
of your edge.
- Oh, no.
- Right here.
I see exactly what
you're talking about.
Wow.
His aren't symmetrical at all.
Sometimes the steel does
what it wants to do.
- You know?
- It does.
I'm not in full control.
There's a little bit of magic
in there somewhere.
What about Pete's blade?
It's very sexy.
People also pick up a blade
based on its looks.
So we have to look at the
aesthetics as much as function.
There's also what
appeals to you.
I have a big issue
with the tang, though.
Why does the tang
worry you?
Would it break
in the testing?
Well, a lot of your stress
on a hidden tang knife
is gonna be here,
right here, at that joint.
And you want a lot of meat.
You want a strong section there.
And having the tang this thin
just worries me.
Okay, so we have four blades.
Do we know which contestant
we're gonna eliminate?
- Yes.
- Yeah.
- Yes, we do.
- All right.
Let's go ahead
and let them know.
It's important for me to make it
to the next round
of this competition
because I have my father and his
teacher's lineage to represent.
So I'm hoping that the judges
will be able to recognize
that with this particular piece,
the beauty in my work
is in its simplicity.
Otherwise, this is gonna be
my ticket home.
Gentlemen,
the judges have made
their decision.
Gabriel,
you didn't make the cut.
Gabriel,
we really appreciate the work
you put into your knife.
It was the hamon line.
We could only see it
in one or two small sections
of the blade
and it was extremely close
to the edge.
And if we can't see
that hamon,
we can't tell if
that whole edge is hard,
and if that whole edge
isn't hard, it's not a weapon.
Thank you for the opportunity
to partake in this competition.
Gabriel,
please surrender your weapon.
I think my hamon
may have been
a little too subtle
for the judges' taste.
Maybe the Japanese aesthetic
kind of got the better of me
on this one.
I really would like to move on
to the next round,
but after those judges'
comments,
my confidence has taken
a little bit of a blow, I'd say.
Gentlemen, congratulations.
You've all forged your blades
but your work here
is far from over.
Your second challenge will be
to complete your work
by turning it into
a fully functioning weapon.
You must design and craft
a handle
out of the materials
provided for you.
Also, you can use that time
to address any mistakes you made
in round one.
When the time runs out,
each blade will be tested
on its strength
and durability in a wood chop.
We will also see how well
it holds an edge
in a specially-designed
sharpness test.
Your blades will be judged
on design,
form, and how well it performs
in these tests.
At the end of this challenge,
one of you will be eliminated.
There are three hours
on the clock.
Your time starts
Now.
It's important to have
a good solid handle.
It's the interface between
the user and the knife.
The shape's important.
What it's made out of
is important.
I know the judges are gonna
look at the plunges
and make sure they're as even
as possible.
So I need to fix this before
I start with anything else.
I have a lot more material out
towards the tip of this blade.
So I need more weight
in the handle to balance that,
or else, this will feel
really front-heavy.
Pete looks like
he's using brass.
Exactly, 'cause he said
because the blade's heavy,
I'm gonna counterbalance it
with brass.
Fitting up curvy fittings is
much more of a pain in the ass.
Now I need to fit everything
to this curve.
I've fixed the plunges
as best as I can.
Now I need to move on to fitting
the wood to the tang.
So I burned the handle on.
This is something I never do.
Now what's the danger of
affecting the metal with that?
You could overheat it.
This could blow up in my face
and I could wreck
this piece of wood
and then I'm starting
from scratch.
the wood to the tang.
So I burned the handle on.
I'm very nervous.
This could end things
right here.
I don't know if I can recover
if this goes wrong.
I slowly build up some heat
on the tip of the tang
and I slide the wood on
And it fits perfectly.
Now we're cooking with gas.
It's really important to select
the right handle material
for the piece.
If I don't have the right look
between the handle
and the blade,
it's not gonna look
proportionally right.
Dave's handle,
it's a real simple design.
Yeah, so you know,
Dave's got the best shot
at moving forward quickly.
Is that a good way
to break the bit?
Oh, yeah.
- I think the chip's loose.
- Well, it's gonna be.
I do have my own unusual way
of doing things.
It's just the way I do it.
I'll do my fittings first.
Once I get that done and shaped,
I'll move on to my handle.
I like it.
Pete is burning
the wood on also,
like Matt did, except he's doing
it a little faster with a torch.
If burning the tang in
doesn't go quickly,
this could be bad news for me.
You have one hour remaining.
Dave looks happy with his fit.
Now what's he doing?
He's pulling a perichord.
Oh, he's doing a wrap
over the whole thing.
He's gonna do a wrap.
He's using the Micarta
as an endcap for his wrap.
To hold in place.
So he is gonna do
a wrapped handle.
I came to bladesmithing
through an art background.
I transitioned from painting
motorcycles to bladesmithing
because bladesmithing is
a much deeper form of art to me.
That might look really nice.
And I want to use
my Japanese influence
to make this Japanese handle
because it's so different from
everybody else's knife.
Oh, my hands are cramping.
Why do I do this to myself?
So I decided
not to pin my blade,
but the epoxy that I'm using
for this
Down she goes.
Is pretty damn strong.
What worries me is,
he's gonna count on epoxy
to hold it together.
I can't imagine that he would,
but it's not unheard of.
I'm not gonna have an issue
with this.
Whoa.
You have ten seconds remaining.
Five, four,
three, two,
one.
Blades down.
Looking around,
I immediately see some things
about both the knives
that I'm not sure about,
but I see things about my knife
that I'm not sure about.
How that's gonna stack up
with the judges,
I really can't tell.
Okay, gentlemen,
it's time to see what your
blades are really capable of.
First up
is a chop test.
J.
Fellow bladesmiths,
this is gonna test
the geometry of your blade
and the strength of your blade,
as well as the durability
of the cutting edge.
Going to do 12 chops each.
See how well
your knife performs.
Matt, you're gonna be up first.
I'm very nervous
because I think my blade is
a little lighter.
It's more of a slicing
and stabbing blade.
It's not going as deeply
as I would like to see it go.
Looks like the edge
held up well.
I don't see any folds,
shiny spots.
Good job.
Thank you.
Now going to measure
the depth
of the deepest cut
to see how far we got.
You're just under
half an inch.
Okay, that's great.
Peter, you're up next.
This is a chopping blade.
This is what I made it to do.
So I think it's going to perform
very well on this test.
It's held up well.
No bends or warps.
Handle feels pretty comfortable.
Everything's firm.
Thank you.
Now we'll measure.
Pete, looks like your blade
chopped a solid two inches.
Nice.
You ready, Dave?
Sure.
So yeah, my handle's held
together with five-minute epoxy.
I've got no problem with this
thing holding up pretty good.
op test now.
Are you ready, Dave?
My handle's held together
with five-minute epoxy.
I've got no problem
with this thing holding up
pretty good.
Edge held up well.
I was worried about the handle.
It's a little bit rough.
Nice job.
Thank you.
Now we'll measure it.
Dave, you're at
an inch and three quarters.
Good.
Next up, Doug Marcaida
will test
how well your weapons
held an edge
in a sharpness test.
Matt, you're up first.
For the test over here,
I just want to see
if it held its cutting edge.
If your blade held it's edge,
it will slice the tomatoes.
If not, it won't break the skin.
Okay.
Matt, it cuts like a knife.
That's good to hear.
I'm relieved.
I think I made up a little bit
on the sharpness test.
Okay, Pete,
you're next.
Very good.
Thank you.
You have a chopper here.
Dave, you're next.
It sliced through,
but the feeling kind of
dragged me to the side.
But just like
your fellow competitors,
you all sliced through
all five tomatoes
and passed this test
with flying colors.
I can't control the outcome,
but just that
not knowing factor
is making me
a little bit nervous.
If I had to pick one person
who I think is going home,
I can't do it
at this point,
because everybody's blade
did well in one test
and not quite as well
in the other test.
So it's really anybody's game
right now.
It was a tough call,
but the judges have made
their final decision.
Matt,
you didn't make the cut.
Overall, I love your design.
Your handle
I think is fantastic,
but your blade's plunge lines
were still pretty off-center,
but what really hurt you was
your blade just failed to chop
as deeply as the others
in the wood chop test.
Yep.
That's why we got to let you go.
I understand.
Matt,
please surrender
your weapon.
I'm a little disappointed.
I wanted to get into
the final round.
Thank you, gentlemen.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Obviously, I could have done
things better,
but that's the way
an artist life goes.
You always know
you can do better.
Pete, Dave,
congratulations.
You made it through
to the final round.
To be crowned the Forged in Fire
champion,
you must forge an iconic blade
from history.
It's time to reveal
what that weapon will be.
Holy crap.
The crusader sword.
Dating back to the Middle Ages,
the crusader sword was
the European knights'
weapon of choice
as they conquered the Holy Land.
This single-handed,
medium length long sword
also contained a double-edge
that tapered at the end,
making it the ideal weapon
for piercing
the emerging plate armor that
was found on most battlefields.
The most famous crusader sword
was the legendary Excalibur
wielded by King Arthur.
A crusader sword was also
carried by the Knights Templar
who were highlighted in films
like Kingdom of Heaven
and Indiana Jones
and the Last Crusade.
It must be an authentic,
fully-functioning version
of that famous weapon.
You will have just five days
to complete this challenge.
I have never made
a crusader sword before.
Having to make one
in only five days
is gonna definitely push me
to the max.
Just to give you
the best possible chance,
we are sending you back
to your home forge
for this final round.
In five days, you will return
to present your swords
to the judges.
They will be put through
a series of tests
to judge its sharpness,
strength, and durability.
Once these tests are completed,
the judges will decide
who will be crowned
the Forged in Firechampion
and walk away with a check
for $10,000.
Good luck.
We will see you in five days.
My forge at home is not at home.
It's actually a shop that
I share with three other smiths.
I'm feeling really excited
about this last challenge.
The crusader sword is kind of
a broad category.
I'm going much more
for flamboyance and style.
My strategy here is to make
a Damascus billet,
which is a laminated bar made up
of multiple layers of steel.
And a jelly roll is a specific
pattern in Damascus
where you actually roll
the steel up on itself,
kind of like a cinnamon bun.
Pretty tight.
The jelly roll has reached
the point
that I need to get it
into my hammer
to squeeze it down on itself.
My experience in crusader swords
is nonexistent.
I'm gonna stick with what
history has shown
and that's with simplicity.
I want to make sure that this is
going to perform without fail.
Everything's good there.
Looks pretty clean
along the edges now.
So we're gonna proceed
to forging this out.
Okay.
I got plenty of width and
I am struggling for length.
And if I can't get this last
little bit of length,
then I'm either going to have to
risk it with the judges
or start from scratch.
Forges are generally designed
for certain particular
applications.
This one is not meant
for swords.
Having a blade so long
makes it very difficult
to get it to evenly heat.
I'm gonna put the blade
in the oil.
I'm gonna pull it out
just enough for it to flash.
.
Any time that thing got hot
in the forge,
it would warp.
I could literally watch it bend.
This is called a three-pin
straightening method.
I'm gonna either straighten
this blade
or I'm gonna snap it.
I really don't like
doing this.
I'm really happy with how
the Damascus pattern came out.
And now I've decided
that I want a small spacer
between the leather-wrapped
handle
and the guard.
So I've carved
a small piece of antler
just to make a nice,
decorative transition piece.
That's nice and tight.
I feel great
about what I've made,
and if Dave beats it,
that means he's brought
something incredible.
So luckily,
the blade didn't break
in the vice.
I was able to fix the warp.
Now I got to get this sword
finished.
The handle is walnut
and my overlay
is a leather band.
I decided to put inside
the handle a riser
underneath the leather.
It's pleasing to the eye
and it helps with the grip.
Confidence level's pretty high.
I'm really pleased
with the outcome of this.
I've got a great chance at this
in the end with the judges.
Bladesmiths, welcome back.
For the types of tests that we
wanted to do with your weapons,
we had to change locations
from the forge
to a location that provides a
little bit more maneuverability.
Yeah.
Pete, can you tell us
a little bit about your sword?
It's a laminated blade,
which adds a level of detail
that you don't see much
in swords these days.
I think it's gonna
kick butt.
Dave, how was your five days?
It was great.
I kept it simple.
I decided to stick with
a steel that I know, 5160.
The handle itself is walnut
and my overlay is a leather band
and then on top of that
is a very thin deerskin hide.
Great.
Now it's time to find out
whether or not
they're works of art
or deadly weapons of war.
While the crusader sword was
quite powerful and effective
on foot
in sword-to-sword combat,
there was a method of delivery
that made it
even more destructive:
from horseback.
That rider is gonna use
your weapons
to attack that
ballistics gel torso
that's wearing a great helm,
gorget, and tunic.
Before we put your swords
through the kill test,
we first want to see
if they can not break
when subjected to a blow
delivered from on top of a horse
at full gallop.
Okay.
I suggest we get out of the way.
I'm very nervous.
Full gallop on horseback,
that's a lot of power
to put into a sword.
Dave, you're up first.
Are you ready?
I ain't gonna get
any readier.
Three, two, one.
Engage.
Nice hit.
So seeing the rider go up
against this dummy with my sword
and it did not break on impact,
that is absolutely awesome.
Pete, your sword's up next.
Let's see some blood.
I feel great
that my sword held up well,
but it didn't cut through
the cloth armor.
To assess the damage
and perform the kill test,
I'm gonna hand you over
to Doug.
Okay, Dave.
It's got some weight to it.
A crusader sword should feel
a bit heavy in the hand.
Slashing feels good.
Let's see if it will cut.
Okay.
Oh.
You can see it points
like a spear.
Beautiful thrusting capability.
It's a killer.
I had a lot of anxiety,
but I did really good.
At this point, I'm ecstatic.
Pete.
So now testing for the thrusting
with length.
It's got a lot
of weight to it.
Let's see what it's gonna do
on a kill test.
Let's see.
It will kill.
All right, gentlemen,
that concludes the kill test.
Now we're gonna head back
to the forge
where we are going to perform
the strength test.
Welcome back.
Looks like your blades are
standing up to our tests,
but we have one left.
We have the strength test.
Okay.
Now I'm gonna
turn you over to Dave,
who's an expert in European
sword design and usage.
So we're done with the kill test
at the arena.
We're neck and neck
on performance.
Gentlemen,
a sword in combat went through
extreme stresses.
So to test this,
I'm gonna take five blows
against these femurs
to see how far through
we can get
with each of your weapons.
Okay.
- Pete, you ready?
- I'm ready.
All right.
As soon as I see
that they're going to be
chopping cow bones,
that makes me really nervous.
against these femurs
to see how far through
we can get
with each of your weapons.
Pete, you ready?
- I'm ready.
- All right.
This is a very hard substance.
They're going to be
hitting it hard.
That makes me really nervous.
Wow.
.
While I was chopping,
this ring up here,
pretty rough on the hand.
Okay.
I'm just happy that my sword
is still in one piece
at the end of this.
Got about halfway through
that bone.
Just blowing pieces
off of it.
And still has an edge.
Nice job.
Thank you.
Dave, you're up next.
You ready?
Sure.
I'm seeing these femur bones,
I'm getting ready
to almost throw up.
I don't want to see this
destroyed.
Bent.
Lot of stress in that blade.
No kidding.
You see the edge
folded over.
Yeah.
Sort of bent right around
that point of impact
right there.
You can see we chopped
right through this bone.
About three blows
to crack that open.
Watching Dave work on those
bones with my sword
is the absolute most
nerve-racking,
stomach-twisting experience
that I've ever had
as a knife maker.
Well done.
Until the judges say
one way or the other,
I'm still--
I'm still nervous.
You've both been
outstanding competitors
through three rounds
of competition,
but there can only be one
Forged in Firechampion.
J.
Well, Pete,
that Damascus blade
was beautiful.
I mean, getting all those welds
folded together,
grinding that all evenly,
heat-treating it
the way you did,
it stood up to all the tests.
You did a wonderful job
on that piece of steel.
I had a couple of issues
with the way your handle
was put together
with that spacer.
The spacer really started
chewing into my hand.
I just couldn't get a good grip
up around the top of the sword.
That's an issue.
Comments for Dave?
Oh, Dave,
even though the overall look
of your sword
and the design of your handle
was very appealing,
obviously, it was
a heat treatment issue.
During the tests,
your blade folded over
and that really bit you
in the testing.
Dave, I love the design
of your blade.
Very clean lines.
Your handle felt very good
in the hand.
It's sharp.
It thrust well.
But in the end, it failed when
we started slicing the bones.
Pete,
you are the Forged in Fire
champion.
Congratulations.
Dave,
your sword felt great
in the hand,
but when I used it
on those bones,
boy, it just bent
right over the top
and the heat treat issue
like that,
we just can't let that through.
Dave,
you did an outstanding job.
Please surrender your weapon.
The judges' decision was
what it was.
If I can't change it,
then why worry about it?
I had a tremendous time
doing this.
It was an education,
a wonderful experience,
and definitely one
that I'm never gonna forget.
Pete, congratulations.
You're receiving a check
for $10,000.
That's pretty nice.
How do you feel?
I feel great.
I feel really good.
I think my wife,
when we get to Hawaii,
we're gonna lie back and relax.
She's had to put up
with me being gone for this.
She deserves it.