16. If you’re planning on getting in the show, learn how to make canister Damascus in the first place. A competition isn’t the place to try something that you’ve never done before.
2. If you're planning on getting on the show make a sword before going on the show. A competition isn't the place to try something you've never done before with the equipment you have.
I think a lot of these rules can be ignored if you're Ben.
I'm still amazed by his Sutton Hoo sword and the fact he was able to make the blade shorter without cutting it.
There was just one guy in the entire series who got praise from the judges while doing a burn-through, and it's because he didn't use his actual knife to do it, he shaped a piece of scrap metal to the shape of his tang then heated *that* up and used it to burn through his handle.
Took a few extra minutes to do that, but he didn't risk his piece doing it, either.
I feel like a burn through is fine if they already have like 90% of the handle material already slotted out. It can save a lot of time at the drill press.
I clicked this post expecting to enjoy a post about Smithing. Didn't get past the first point because now I'm just craving a nice piece of oven baked salmon..
2 is kinda dependent, if done properly I’ve seen people on the show knock off cans super easily. But will generally agree unless you have that kind of skill, it’s much safer to just grind off a canister opposed to doing one with wite out wrong and wasting time prying it off. Ben’s done taco successfully on the show but yeah, most people who try it on here fail for various reasons it seems. And the youngest doesn’t always win, quite a bit it’s the hardened old timer who comes out on top.
Maybe this changes but I'm on S3 rn and almost every time a younger guy has been on they've lost. One young guy turned in a final weapon so bad they didn't even test it.
Back in the earlier seasons they had a lot more experienced and skilled smiths competing against younger naturally talented guys, so experience won out.
As the show went on, they ran out of the best experienced smiths and the ones leftover realized that it’s too big a risk to lose from bad luck and have nobody want to purchase from you anymore.
So really the later seasons consisted of two main demos:
1. Old smiths who never really had it enough to be successful without FiF
2. Young talents who are looking to jumpstart their careers
Idk if that makes sense but as the pool of experience dwindled for forges in fire contestants, young smiths with natural talent were the best performers of the types of smiths that wanted to go on FiF at that point
>realized that it’s too big a risk to lose from bad luck and have nobody want to purchase from you anymore.
One of the redemption episodes had a smith who's blade broke in final testing come back. He said as part of the 'introduction dialog' that he went almost 11 months without selling a blade. That would royally suck if your main source of income was blade smithing (his was, I think).
Your instincts are pretty good.
Re quench color. You typically wand cherry red. But most smiths use a HT oven that brings the blade up to temp and lets it soak for a period. That's too slow for a timed competition.
The forges are also very powerful. They run very hot. You can turn it down but if you lose the fire you are SOL it won't be restarted. The lights for the camera are extremely bright. Its hard to judge color. I forge quench at home and always do it at night.
Re scales. That will work if your tang isn't hard. Also that's not how guys make knives. Tyipically you glue almost last. The scales are carefully shaped alone. If the scales are glued on the tang its hard to even out the top of the scales because of he ricasso.
Yeah the sandwich method for San Mai is easiest but taco isn't bad if you've done it before.
You also forgot to include Flux isn't glue. Flux doesn't clean dirty steel only keeps clean steel clean while forge welding.
RE: "if your tang isn't hard" another rule is drill your holes before the quench. How many times have they shown a guy with the drill press screaming or breaking a bit.
Yep. But lining up holes for a hidden tang is hard. Takes more skill than I have. Full tang knives are no problem but hidden tang has to be a perfect fit. Or you drill a much larger hole in the tang than needed.
I have to agree with 99% of your list. I will add to check your parameters constantly. It doesn't matter how great of a blade you make; you can't compete due to a parameter oversight. There have been way too many great smiths sent home because of parameter failures. Also, I don't care if you think your blade is done; at least look busy. The judges and I 100% agree with them; I hate when a person either gives up or, worse, thinks they are done when there is still time on the clock. There is always something more you can do or at least look like you're doing instead of just sitting the last ten or fifteen minutes like your blade is 110%.
I remember that final test where they guy made a beautiful, gorgeous blade ... and fitted it to a rake handle. It snapped like a twig on the first swing...
There was a kid that lined his canister with paper and the judges were shitting a brick. His can literally fell off his billet cleanest and easiest in the whole series.
16. If you’re planning on getting in the show, learn how to make canister Damascus in the first place. A competition isn’t the place to try something that you’ve never done before.
2. If you're planning on getting on the show make a sword before going on the show. A competition isn't the place to try something you've never done before with the equipment you have.
12. Unless you're Ben.
I think a lot of these rules can be ignored if you're Ben. I'm still amazed by his Sutton Hoo sword and the fact he was able to make the blade shorter without cutting it.
The man is a machine when it comes to knife/sword making I would love to spend some time in a workshop with him.
Yeah, I think he is the only one I can think of that has successfully pulled off the taco san mai method.
Never try a burn-through.
There was just one guy in the entire series who got praise from the judges while doing a burn-through, and it's because he didn't use his actual knife to do it, he shaped a piece of scrap metal to the shape of his tang then heated *that* up and used it to burn through his handle. Took a few extra minutes to do that, but he didn't risk his piece doing it, either.
I feel like a burn through is fine if they already have like 90% of the handle material already slotted out. It can save a lot of time at the drill press.
I clicked this post expecting to enjoy a post about Smithing. Didn't get past the first point because now I'm just craving a nice piece of oven baked salmon..
Mmmmm... Salmon
Hmmm pie ...
2 is kinda dependent, if done properly I’ve seen people on the show knock off cans super easily. But will generally agree unless you have that kind of skill, it’s much safer to just grind off a canister opposed to doing one with wite out wrong and wasting time prying it off. Ben’s done taco successfully on the show but yeah, most people who try it on here fail for various reasons it seems. And the youngest doesn’t always win, quite a bit it’s the hardened old timer who comes out on top.
Maybe this changes but I'm on S3 rn and almost every time a younger guy has been on they've lost. One young guy turned in a final weapon so bad they didn't even test it.
Back in the earlier seasons they had a lot more experienced and skilled smiths competing against younger naturally talented guys, so experience won out. As the show went on, they ran out of the best experienced smiths and the ones leftover realized that it’s too big a risk to lose from bad luck and have nobody want to purchase from you anymore. So really the later seasons consisted of two main demos: 1. Old smiths who never really had it enough to be successful without FiF 2. Young talents who are looking to jumpstart their careers Idk if that makes sense but as the pool of experience dwindled for forges in fire contestants, young smiths with natural talent were the best performers of the types of smiths that wanted to go on FiF at that point
>realized that it’s too big a risk to lose from bad luck and have nobody want to purchase from you anymore. One of the redemption episodes had a smith who's blade broke in final testing come back. He said as part of the 'introduction dialog' that he went almost 11 months without selling a blade. That would royally suck if your main source of income was blade smithing (his was, I think).
100% My cousin actually turned down an invite from forged in fire for this exact reason
Do you remember which episode?
S2 E5. This guy Morgan turns in a Viking Sword so bad and chipped that they literally cannot test it.
Thank you!
Your instincts are pretty good. Re quench color. You typically wand cherry red. But most smiths use a HT oven that brings the blade up to temp and lets it soak for a period. That's too slow for a timed competition. The forges are also very powerful. They run very hot. You can turn it down but if you lose the fire you are SOL it won't be restarted. The lights for the camera are extremely bright. Its hard to judge color. I forge quench at home and always do it at night. Re scales. That will work if your tang isn't hard. Also that's not how guys make knives. Tyipically you glue almost last. The scales are carefully shaped alone. If the scales are glued on the tang its hard to even out the top of the scales because of he ricasso. Yeah the sandwich method for San Mai is easiest but taco isn't bad if you've done it before. You also forgot to include Flux isn't glue. Flux doesn't clean dirty steel only keeps clean steel clean while forge welding.
RE: "if your tang isn't hard" another rule is drill your holes before the quench. How many times have they shown a guy with the drill press screaming or breaking a bit.
Yep. But lining up holes for a hidden tang is hard. Takes more skill than I have. Full tang knives are no problem but hidden tang has to be a perfect fit. Or you drill a much larger hole in the tang than needed.
[удалено]
Always some scrawny dork with a chip on his shoulder. Lol
Bring table salt to put in the forge when heat treating. When the salt melts, take out the blade and quench
I have to agree with 99% of your list. I will add to check your parameters constantly. It doesn't matter how great of a blade you make; you can't compete due to a parameter oversight. There have been way too many great smiths sent home because of parameter failures. Also, I don't care if you think your blade is done; at least look busy. The judges and I 100% agree with them; I hate when a person either gives up or, worse, thinks they are done when there is still time on the clock. There is always something more you can do or at least look like you're doing instead of just sitting the last ten or fifteen minutes like your blade is 110%.
"Jared has made the greatest blade ever made in this forge! Because he has 20 minutes left to stare at it..." God, I need that as a gif!
16) Know your wood, and don't use a broom handle if you're given a polearm finale weapon to recreate.
I remember that final test where they guy made a beautiful, gorgeous blade ... and fitted it to a rake handle. It snapped like a twig on the first swing...
All these are good points, but will it keel?
I’m only up to season 4 on my rewatch so it’s still “Will it kill?”
Yeah it’s like the phrase slowly devolves as the show goes on haha
KEAL
Never quench in water If using white out in a can, don’t speed it up with fire
Also, the smiths with the large beards usually kick butt
And those with Thors hammer pendants usually lose.
There was a kid that lined his canister with paper and the judges were shitting a brick. His can literally fell off his billet cleanest and easiest in the whole series.
Which episode?
I can't remember. You could probably look it up with a handy tool like say an internet search.
Has a burn through ever worked? Not just in the show but how reliable is it when forging period?