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DevinT

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I think the new season starts tonight. Not sure who's going to be in the new ones.

My family likes watching me yell at the TV, we'll see. Also don't know if they will have the same judges.

Hoss
 
I have never watched this show, mostly out of fear they will destroy something I love. BUT yelling at the T.V. sounds like the perfect solution.
 
Is it worth watching?

Is it like a cooking show with knives?

For me it was simultaneously very interesting and amazingly dumb. The "watch a bunch of guys hammer out knives before your very eyes" aspect was cool.

But every heat had a "shank a ballistic dummy with the knives" round followed by catchphrase "IT WILL KIIIIILLLLLLL". I might be turning into a cantankerous old fart, but for me it got old real fast. EVERY. SINGLE. ROUND. EVERY. SINGLE. KNIFE.
 
I think the concept of the show is COOL, but the format is pretty lame if you ask me, but I still watch it when it's on
 
And shanking the guts-filled dummy with SQUISH sound effect and blue ooze running from the wound channel - does that not play right into the knife-laws camps hands?


For me it was simultaneously very interesting and amazingly dumb. The "watch a bunch of guys hammer out knives before your very eyes" aspect was cool.

But every heat had a "shank a ballistic dummy with the knives" round followed by catchphrase "IT WILL KIIIIILLLLLLL". I might be turning into a cantankerous old fart, but for me it got old real fast. EVERY. SINGLE. ROUND. EVERY. SINGLE. KNIFE.
 
Yea that "it will kill" guy is beyond annoying. I dvr the whole show so I can fast forward it (a lot). The best parts are the aside comments the judgments make about things like the heat treats and the forging process.

But the whole premise of the tests for the first part of last nights show was just stupid, I'm not a smith but giving people scrap steel and no way to test it other then by eye seemed strange - I have a set of testing files that are made in Japan and very inexpensive. One of the judges seemed to have a testing file... I use them when I am refurbishing an ODC knife I bought on ebay to decide what angle to put on the blade, these guys wouldn't use them before forging a knife? (Yes I know iT won't be optimal because who knows what the heat treat was on the scrap and how it was tempered down but to just guess with no testing? Makes no sense...)
 
I have to say I like the "concept" of the show, but the execution as many have said is pretty poor =/

At the same time, I will still probably watch all the episodes =p
 
Same judges again this season. I know they put out a call for knifemakers to interview for being on the show last summer. Met the "it will kill" guy a month ago but never had a chance to ask him if they are possibly looking for any replacements on the judges. I would like to suggest myself over a certain knifemaker on the panel. :)
 
Did you notice they he didn't say "keeelll" last night. He clearly articulated "It will Kill."

Even if there's a lot of jibba, jabba, its still cool to hear them talk about grinding, tempering, hardening, weight, handle designs, rope cut testing...

Like I said before, its Chopped version of blade smithing.
 
I know a smith who was invited to be involved with this show last season. He declined. The whole concept belittles the art and craft inherent in what bladesmiths do, and most of the smiths I know who DID accept have been flooded with orders...only, the potential customers FREAK when they're given the price.

"But, I saw you make a knife in three hours!!"

Even the smith I mentioned above who declined (for that specific reason), fends off 10 or more potential 'customers' like that a week.

"But I saw Rich Greenwood of Pokabu-Forge make a knife in three hours!!"

Bleh!

No thanks.
 
I kind of liked the war hammers.....you could tenderize the crap out of a chicken breast with one of those!
 
Guys sorry to say but after my one viewing it looks like a pretty lame show. If it had less showbiz and more technical focus it would be interesting but, as is I can't stand the hype from the announcers.

I guess I need to stick to the Science Channel or something.
 
Guys sorry to say but after my one viewing it looks like a pretty lame show. If it had less showbiz and more technical focus it would be interesting but, as is I can't stand the hype from the announcers.

I guess I need to stick to the Science Channel or something.

Unfortunately the "average" or probably the 2nd sigma viewer doesn't really get or care about the v-grind extravaganza of the legendary Kato Gyuto.......bummer though, I wish it was more of a 'science' channel because the art of bladesmithing kitchen knives if fascinating.
 
I know a smith who was invited to be involved with this show last season. He declined. The whole concept belittles the art and craft inherent in what bladesmiths do, and most of the smiths I know who DID accept have been flooded with orders...only, the potential customers FREAK when they're given the price.

"But, I saw you make a knife in three hours!!"

Even the smith I mentioned above who declined (for that specific reason), fends off 10 or more potential 'customers' like that a week.

"But I saw Rich Greenwood of Pokabu-Forge make a knife in three hours!!"

Bleh!

No thanks.

A number of years ago I spent a week in a knife fighting class put on by Gunsite. The late Phil Hartsfield had a cutting demonstration with his knives that was really impressive. After the demonstration most of the people in the room rushed up to get his catalog only to take one look at this prices and throw the flier back down on the table! :) The general public still thinks anything over maybe $50 for a knife is astronomical.
 
A number of years ago I spent a week in a knife fighting class put on by Gunsite. The late Phil Hartsfield had a cutting demonstration with his knives that was really impressive. After the demonstration most of the people in the room rushed up to get his catalog only to take one look at this prices and throw the flier back down on the table! :) The general public still thinks anything over maybe $50 for a knife is astronomical.

Agreed! However, this is as a direct result of the show. I personally just think it made a joke out of what bladesmiths do. Not that it should be respected as some esteemed craft by everyone...but a professional who has earned that title in any format...particularly one so reliant on hard won skill...should be respected for that effort. Don't you think? I mean...from the ridiculous methods they use for judging (I mean come on, how hard would it be to hire an actual JSA sensei to test cut with your katana?), to the whole 'game show' aspect of the thing...the show's a farce in my opinion.

Count me in for more 'cool' science, less reality TV, thanks.

Btw...I know of a bladesmith whose rather thin behind the edge kitchen knives are scheduled to be put through their paces against tatami next to a full on katana in the not so distant future.

;)
 
I finally caught the show that Mareko was on and well I'm going to say it, "he got hosed". I have no idea how he didn't win. I think I'm finished watching this unless it's by accident.
 
I finally caught the show that Mareko was on and well I'm going to say it, "he got hosed". I have no idea how he didn't win. I think I'm finished watching this unless it's by accident.

The first episode was the same. My best friend is Rich Greenwood, who came in second on that show. When I watched it, I was literally disgusted by their testing methods, and their criteria for 'judging'. They pretty much lost all credibility at that point. Knowing Mareko I went ahead and watched that show anyhow...and yep, same BS.

I'll pass on further episodes lol.
 
The third show in the second season simply made the conditions the makers had to work under too hard. I doubt very few ABS mastersmiths could have done any better. A properly heat treated sword with a blade over 40-inches long is just something none but a handful of specialist would had any experience with. Same for that open hand cranked coal fired forge. The Romans told of fighting barbarians that had to stop and straighten their bent sword blades with their feet so last night was not without historical context.
 
The third show in the second season simply made the conditions the makers had to work under too hard. I doubt very few ABS mastersmiths could have done any better. A properly heat treated sword with a blade over 40-inches long is just something none but a handful of specialist would had any experience with. Same for that open hand cranked coal fired forge. The Romans told of fighting barbarians that had to stop and straighten their bent sword blades with their feet so last night was not without historical context.

I just watched the episode and I agree with you in that it was a bit much. Really liked the guys on this episode though (I usually like most of the guys on there), but all of these guys had a great attitude about the whole thing.
 
Whose dumb idea was it to forge a piece of round bar by hand into a 9-12 inch knife using a coal forge? Hated the march 1 episode. And then have them make a claymore sword? Stupid!

Hoss
 
I don't know how they decide on the conditions the makers have to work under each week but probably only Neilson really understands what they are requiring. He should have pointed out it wasn't going to work ahead of time. Or maybe we should see him do it first. :)
 
Maybe time for a write in campaign from our members?
 
I hate how the "it will keeellll" guy can't swing a sword straight. He angled both swords when he struck the object and big surprise, they bent!
 
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