The SO is getting into blacksmithing (As part of our re-enactment group) and has recently gotten his hands on the first two seasons of Forged in Fire. It is actually quite interesting.
The show is basically "Chopped/Cutthroat Kitchen/other Food Network cooking comp show," for bladesmiths. Like the other examples I mentioned, they have three rounds, with someone getting canned after each round - in the first round, they have to make a functional blade to certain specifications by forging it, second round they have to make a handle for said blade (after which it's tested for strength/durability etc.) and then the third round they go back to their home forges and have a week to make a particular weapon before getting it tested for strength/durability/sharpness.
I love it because there's absolutely zero fighting between the contestants - the drama comes more from what happens during the forging process (with more than one contestant setting something on fire) and the outcomes of the tests. The contestants also take any losses gracefully and it's a refreshing change from the other shows I've seen.
Although I swear to all that is sacred, there is at least one contestant in every episode who does not listen to the instructions given and will make a blade that is too long or too short. Those guys get cut quickly (no pun intended )
Favourite bit so far though - the last two contestants had to make a fully functional claymore (in a week). Then come the tests. The first test was slicing a whole pig with the sword. First guy's sword gets subjected to the test...and the blade bends around the pig (as in it did not cut through at all). The first guy turns to the other guy and says "Congratulations," figuring that the other guy has won. Other guy's sword gets subjected to the test...it hits the spine and explodes, sending pieces of metal everywhere. The first guy just has this epic "WTF" look on his face, but ends up getting his bent sword straightened out in time for him to do the second test and unsurprisingly, he wins.
(The reason behind the blades failing the way they did - the bent one wasn't hard enough while the explodey one was too brittle)
Anyone else watched this?
The show is basically "Chopped/Cutthroat Kitchen/other Food Network cooking comp show," for bladesmiths. Like the other examples I mentioned, they have three rounds, with someone getting canned after each round - in the first round, they have to make a functional blade to certain specifications by forging it, second round they have to make a handle for said blade (after which it's tested for strength/durability etc.) and then the third round they go back to their home forges and have a week to make a particular weapon before getting it tested for strength/durability/sharpness.
I love it because there's absolutely zero fighting between the contestants - the drama comes more from what happens during the forging process (with more than one contestant setting something on fire) and the outcomes of the tests. The contestants also take any losses gracefully and it's a refreshing change from the other shows I've seen.
Although I swear to all that is sacred, there is at least one contestant in every episode who does not listen to the instructions given and will make a blade that is too long or too short. Those guys get cut quickly (no pun intended )
Favourite bit so far though - the last two contestants had to make a fully functional claymore (in a week). Then come the tests. The first test was slicing a whole pig with the sword. First guy's sword gets subjected to the test...and the blade bends around the pig (as in it did not cut through at all). The first guy turns to the other guy and says "Congratulations," figuring that the other guy has won. Other guy's sword gets subjected to the test...it hits the spine and explodes, sending pieces of metal everywhere. The first guy just has this epic "WTF" look on his face, but ends up getting his bent sword straightened out in time for him to do the second test and unsurprisingly, he wins.
(The reason behind the blades failing the way they did - the bent one wasn't hard enough while the explodey one was too brittle)
Anyone else watched this?
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