Media "Forged in Fire" premiers tonight

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daveb said:
Yes. Genesis.and Icefilms both have the first episode available.

But I can't get into the whole reality competitive crap thing. May cherry pick some episodes.

"Knife Fight" is of course an exception.
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Thanks for mentioning Knife Fight, I'd not seen it before and caught a couple of episodes last night, pretty good for a reality cooking competition, very stripped back to basics without a lot of deliberate drama.
 
Northernmonkey said:
Thanks for mentioning Knife Fight, I'd not seen it before and caught a couple of episodes last night, pretty good for a reality cooking competition, very stripped back to basics without a lot of deliberate drama.
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Exactly so. I keep wondering when it's going to get ruined by notes. :)
 
I thought the first episode was pretty good for what it was. Reality TV is usually chock-full of drama and arguing, etc. I like that this hasn't been like that so far. The show does feel a lot like chopped, but better because it isn't on the Satanic I mean food network.
I'm looking forward to the episodes with Murray Carter and Mareko Maumasi!
Kitchen knife makers REPRESENT!!!!!
 
did you guys notice everyone seemed very cordial?

Im like 100% sure that people at home arent against contestants acting like human beings.
 
Watched the first two. Shows the diversity of crazy people making knives.

I didn't know any of these guys, I did see Murray Carter and J.D. Smith on the previews for upcoming episodes.

Most of these guys so far don't seem to have a lot of experience making knives. I think that Murray and J.D. should do well.

Hoss
 
DevinT said:
Watched the first two. Shows the diversity of crazy people making knives.

I didn't know any of these guys, I did see Murray Carter and J.D. Smith on the previews for upcoming episodes.

Most of these guys so far don't seem to have a lot of experience making knives. I think that Murray and J.D. should do well.

Hoss
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I haven't seen any of them yet...but that's an interesting perspective Hoss, going to make this show a little more interesting, I think!
 
I have the impression J.D. Smith and Mace Vitale will be on the same episode. J.D is an incredible art knife smith (he is a college art prof. among other things) but I've never seen much in the way of working knives from him. I think Mace is a more all round smith. Neither has ever spent much time on kitchen knives but that isn't what this show is about.
 
DevinT said:
Watched the first two. Shows the diversity of crazy people making knives.

I didn't know any of these guys, I did see Murray Carter and J.D. Smith on the previews for upcoming episodes.

Most of these guys so far don't seem to have a lot of experience making knives. I think that Murray and J.D. should do well.

Hoss
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They'll probably get a challenge to specifically make an axe, or a 'ninja star' or somesuch.

Second episode felt a bit samey to the first, especially in the last third with x/y/z going wrong but being saved through hard work and perseverence at the expense of looks and style. I'll keep watching though, if only because there's just enough 'heat metal/bend metal/hammer metal' to compensate for the reality tv drama.
 
I know nothing about smithing but I was surprised at how often they overheated things or didn't quench properly. Does this happen that often to people like Devin Thomas or Will Catchside or Murray Carter?
 
I know very little about smithing, but I'm sure the time constraints have a lot to do with the screw-ups. I would imagine some of the issues could be impurities in the steel as well. I know some of the mistakes are from overheating and forging the steel too thin......but 3 hours?
I spend a lot more time than that on a rehandle!
 
The forges looked a little hot for the projects. They had 4 forges and one small power hammer and 1 grinder, if I remember right. They would do better to have a bigger hammer, cut down to 2 forges to reduce the heat in the shop, dim the lights for temp control, and add a couple of grinders.

This show is not for peer review but for entertainment. It will no dought bring out more crazy people and a few good makers, users, and collectors.

The guys with over heated stuff didn't seem to have a lot of forging experience. They showed very little of the heat treating process. Three hours is plenty of time for any seasoned smith.

Hoss
 
The episodes are available for torrent download for those who can't catch it on TV.

Currently Downloading e1 & e2... I'll post em to YT for you guys if they are worth the watch.
 
Is the new one today? Has anyone seen it yet? Is everyone still working and will watch it when they get home?

Hoss
 
DevinT said:
Is the new one today? Has anyone seen it yet? Is everyone still working and will watch it when they get home?

Hoss
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It comes on at 10pm EST Hoss! I'll be watching!
 
All the smith's that I have spoken to reinforce what Hoss said: three hours (albeit not optimum) is plenty of time to complete a knife.
 
I've handled Nielsen's "tactical" type knives over the years but I had never taken a look at his kitchen line. From this website, they are better than I expected. I kind of like some of those big butcher knives.
 
This last episode was a bit like Jurassic World for me, entertaining but very unbelievable.

The guy that won has never run a gas forge, a powwer hammer, a press, a belt grinder, or a drill press. He doesn't have a shop, a proper forge, or any normal equipment used in knife making. In fact, his power equipment consists of an angle grinder and a hair dryer. He started with about ten pounds of steel to make something that weighs ~1 1/2 pounds, all pounded out with a 3 pound hammer by hand. I also don't know of any serious smith who works in a tank top.

Some how he beat a guy that made a damascus battle axe that was a lot cleaner and better built. This guy is more of a movie prop maker than blade smith.

The last two episodes ended with the guy who had the least equipment winning.

These contestants are NOT a good representation of knife makers. I find myself yelling at the TV while watching. With all of that said, it is fun to watch. I look forward to seeing Murray, J.D., and Maumasi compete.

Hoss
 
I'm glad Devin posted this, I find the show entertaining but when I compare what these people are doing to the videos of what say Will Catchside does or what I know Devin does, the equipment they have and how carefully they use it, it seems these guys aren't really outfitted at their own shops very well or, for that matter, preforming at a very high level inside that poorly equipped stage.

Also, why don't they have better heat control and ventilation? It may make for good TV but these guys are clearly suffering needlessly.

Someone like Murray, JD or Maumasi seem to be lightyears ahead of what the first few episodes have shown us. Are any of the guys who have been on the show so far even ABS apprentices?
 
I don't know about you, but if anyone was to take, ANY knife of mine, edge side down, to a coconut. Well I think that we would have a problem (especially three times). I get the whole TV thing, just seems like overkill to me.

I have also noticed, in Murray's videos, that when he is doing heat treat-tempering, he turns off the lights to make sure the temperature is right (by sight). Just my two cents.
 
Bah.

What's going to be super fun after these shows is the horde of people emailing knifemaker's wanting to "apprentice" or have questions answered, yet already having strong opinions based on misinformation. If this show is dumbing down the equipment needs, particularly for heat control and heat treatment then I wish it didn't exist. There's enough rediculousness floating around the interwebs already.

I mean- "I'm so happy the craft is getting so much national attention!" . . . ;-)
 
DevinT said:
This last episode was a bit like Jurassic World for me, entertaining but very unbelievable. ...

Hoss
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Hah! Love it!

You mean that they're showing something unrealistic? Here I have a train spring in the garage that the old man has been schlepping from house to house for the past 35 years or so...I was all ready to force down a cold beer (in the spirit of blademaking, of course), fill the empty can with charcoal, blow on the coals with some canned air, and build a prize-winning battle axe using a 2x4, nail clippers, and duct tape.

I'd say their testing process is unrealistic to put it mildly. Any legitimate test lab would boot them to the curb.

It is fun to watch. Even though I thought they really made a bad choice for the winner of the last episode. Have to wonder how many people will set their houses on fire trying to build a forge out of a satellite dish.
 
Watched the new one last night. Congrats to David on the win. He's the first guy that I know from the show. We've worked together on a few projects in the past.

I felt bad for "Jimmy", he seemed to be overwhelmed by the whole thing, and he broke one of the rules of black smithing, never rub your nose with welding gloves on.

I think they put crazy numbers for the years of experience, they inflate some numbers and deflate others.

The first guy to get sent home was a very good smith, too bad he made his blade too long. I think the best maker won.

Hoss
 
I find it hard to imagine Murray on this show. He would seem light years ahead of most of the contestents so far and isn't he's at least as good a smith as J Nielsen who is one of the judges? They are both ABS master smiths, no?

In five days,at his own forge, I suspect Murray could even make a great knife from raw iron ore!
 
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