User Reviews

This is NOT one of those craft competition shows that wastes time on manufactured drama and tiresome sob stories. They make the craft itself the focus, and the competitors' skills and choices keep it interesting.

There is a different challenge each episode, with, four contestants and three elimination rounds. The first round: forge raw metal into a blade meeting specific size requirements. The second round: add a handle and finish the blade. The results are tested head-to-head. In the final leg, the two remaining contestants are presented with a specific type of blade and asked to make their best version of it over three days at their home forges.

Seeing the different forges and processes is interesting, but they don't waste time on back stories, family tragedies, false alliances, or snarky comments. The judges show respect for the good decisions, acknowledge costly choices, and don't get too personal. They focus entirely on the blademaking. Making the craft the focus is a refreshing change, and other shows should follow their format. Anyone who enjoys skilled crafting might enjoy this show.

Seriously good production. Exciting and engaging for anyone that enjoys building something with your hands and seeing it perform. Unlike most other shows on TV these days, this competition has NO manufactured drama and actually shows the smiths bonding even during competition, this displays American values in almost every episode. Those that are eliminated show that not everyone can win, not everyone gets a trophy, even if they work hard, and most of them are very humble and accepting that they were out performed. Not only do you get a well produced and well written show, the set "design" rocks - it's a real, no BS forge! I think the most important thing though is that you ACTUALLY LEARN STUFF like SCIENCE and SKILLS. Highly, highly recommended and I anxiously await every new episode!!

This show is just amazing, from something I knew nothing about too something I love to watch this show has just taught me so much. The 3 judges are great at explaining what is wrong and right with the blades and having some humour in there as well. I have found a passion for blacksmithing that I didn't know I had. I really like the different types of challenges that they set to show the true skill of the contestants. The only downfall I have with the show is it should be judged a bit more on the creativity and style of the weapon then just how it performs pushing the contestants to make cool looking weapons. I can't wait for more of this show. I have told all my friends to watch it, unfortunately that isn't many people anyway hopefully they will enjoy it.

As a knife aficionado, seeing these guys create knives, axes, swords, etc. is an awesome treat. I have always wanted to be a bladesmith, but so far never got the time. Watching this show really puts the fire back in my belly!

I like the design of the show, and I love seeing the different techniques used to achieve some of the same results. I also love learning about the different metals. It's great seeing the different equipment and knowing you can do a lot of the techniques with new machines like power hammers and grinders, yet you can achieve the same results, albeit with a lot more muscle and sweat, but it can be done the "old fashioned way".

Please keep this show going!

Forged in Fire is an excellent show. I finally have a Masculine Game show/ Reality TV show I can watch and enjoy. I love the different Techniques used in the show and the rules. It really takes some special craftsman and craftsmanship to do this type of work. I really enjoyed it and hope they continue to do episodes and perhaps have an series that brings back the previous FiF champions for a Champion vs Champion episode or episodes to show who is the Forged in Fire Champion of Champions!!!

If you want to watch a good show this is a good one and very interesting!

I knew NOTHING of the process of smithing, or steel grades before I started watching this show. I have learned more than I could have ever thought just from watching. And thats beyond the entertainment value.

Anyone who gives this show less than a 7 does not know what entertainment is. They're more than likely jersey shore fans and we cpuld do without them in society.

This show is unique. It's not the subject matter that makes it unique. It's the contestants. I actually would like to know most of them and call them friends. They seem like nice, real people. I'm actually sorry when most of them get eliminated, even when somebody botches their work so you KNOW they're going home. They are humble, nice people who want to perfect their craft. They often help each other and work cooperatively even though they are competing for a prize.

Yes, I am interested in metal work. But unlike the egomaniacs in Ink Master, I found this pleasant to watch. I hope it goes on for many years.

So I'm not artistic and love seeing art created. This is like seeing equivalent of blown glass created, but for knives, swords, and weapons u don't know existed. I find myself drifting during a lot of the creation process after first dozen episodes (repeat of water vs oil quenching makes my ears cringe, as well as forced "as shown in *promoter*") but watching tests is truly enthralling. Outside my fear of damaging myself this show makes me wanna take up forging.

Love this show since i stumbled across it in the USA whilst there on business and have been hooked ever since

Great craftsmanship and skill

The tension and entertainment is fabulous and it brings out the fire and steel in everyone

BUT.....

But it seems in the UK at least that the nanny state liberals may have interfered with the show ... as i binge watched most of season 5 on Blaze recently it was obvious they had CUT out all the ballistic Dummy kill tests and a lot of the other flesh based testing

This is absolutley ridiculous as its an integral part of the show and the judging is based on that in part .... making a mockery of the decision & reviews at the end

Leave it alone ... folks know what they are getting into right up front

Just Saying !!!!!

Forged in Fire is a good show. fun to watch and enjoyable, The judges are characters and their weapons expert Doug's signature "It willl keeelll." catchphrase is meme able. The challenge to forge against the clock is BS but adds drama and some reasonably talented craftsmen have appeared on the show. But don't be fooled, hard skill and science is glossed over on this show, Making a blade in the fashion shown on this show will not be a good idea, unless you like broken blades. That or massive sections of time are missing, essential techniques like annealing steel, tempering and thermocycleing are missing, and the common point down quench is frowned on by real smiths as it bends the blade, Key tools are missing and for a show with Forged in the title most of the blades are rough shaped and then stock removal to complete. The trash challenges are a bad idea. most real smiths wont make a knife out of steel they cant verify, real "junk" used by knifemakers; leaf springs, coil springs, disker disks, files, chisels, wrenches, cable, ball bearings. That is the kind of stuff most smiths forge into a knife that will last, not garden shed crap. The show puts a lot of glory on Damascus steel and folding, a process not needed with modern metals, its just looks cool, but it has the potential to fail in a heart beat with one open weld. The heat of the forged on set is at issue as the steel should never be heated yellow or white unless welding as it burns out the blade.

A great way to pass an hour on a Tuesday and see some skilled and semi skilled people work their craft, don't look at it if you are an actual smith unless you like yelling at the TV (I do so I watch..)

Nice to have history make a show that does not have Hitler or a pawnshop in it for once.

I can only give my opinion here, so this is what I think of this show. It is Fantastic! Finally a reality show that doesn't have the competitors back-stabbing, sh@t-talking, bullying, manipulating, or sabotaging each other. It seems to be a real competition with real people doing their best to win, instead of relying on someone else's failure to advance them through to the finale. Still... that does happen. A competitor may not be familiar with the materials or the time limits, even so, it's a fun show to watch. Very entertaining for me and my family. Thank you for reading my humble review.

Forged in Fire gives us an overall interesting insight into the ancient craft of blacksmithing. I would rate this 10 out of 10 on the educational scale and 5 out of 10 in the quality department. The reason quality's lacking is due to the judging process. I noticed too many variables when testing blades that lead to pore judgment calls. It would be great to see blades coming out of this show that demonstrate an equality between design and function. This could be achieved in the judging process by scoring 50% function and 50% design. They need to allow more then 3-4 hours and more breaks so the guy's aren't on the edge of passing out! I really enjoy watching this show and hope they keep coming out with programs in this genre.

I like watching the contestants use their skills to craft knives but I very much dislike when they must first compete to find usable metal in a beat up car or a locked chest. I want to see them make knives, not struggle to find something to make a knife out of. It is turning into the old Junk yard wars show.

Never miss an episode.

It is a great show that demonstrates that sweat and hard work is still the best way to accomplish anything.

Besides, the winners are chosen based on the merit of their work and craftsmanship, as it should be, right?

As a bonus, we always learn something new.

Millenials could learn a thing or two from "Forged in Fire"...

I really enjoy this programme and never miss an episode. My only criticism is the prize money seems too low. These guys and women practically kill themselves for ten grand while on other competitive programmes the winner gets much more for being stupid and doing nothing ie Ellen's Game of Games.

This has been a favorite show of mine since its inception! The ideas that it has given me for blades that I want to make someday when I have the place to setup my own forge. But the only thing I am unsure of right now is the new host, his energy just doesn't feel right. He seems like a good guy, but his energy is just not there with the judges. And yes I am partial to Wil, but if you're gonna replace a main from the beginning of the series, his energy needs to match that of the person whose shoes they are gonna fill.

Came home one night to my son watching this, and found it really interesting, I don't normally like reality shows featuring Joe public, but quickly became a fan and have learnt a lot just from watching.

One thing that bugs me though, the way every judge constantly asks "You ready?" before every single test!!

Great show, and I have been watching for years, but I have a question about show SERIES 5 EPISODE 8, THE ZANDE SPEAR. When sending the two finalist off to their home forge you said the shaft of the spear must be AT LEAST one and one half inches at cross section. When the one contestant's spear started in the tube for being fired and it did not go the entire way in, he was disqualified. Were there more detailed instructions given about the spear overall dimensions? If not, I feel this craftsman should not have been disqualified. Can you elaborate on the way you give specs of projects to contestants.

Just wondering. Blackie

Love this show and I'm a woman! Love the judges! You learn a lot about different metals and how you can combine them to create something great! Everyone can learn from this show! Interesting, educational, and captive show! A keeper!

I got into this show around season 3, then watched all previous episodes. I love how the contestants help each other. It's one of the last shows on tv that is completely non political

It is an interesting show to watch. As a blacksmith myself, I often look out for any footage of blacksmithing, new techniques to learn or, in the case something goes wrong in the video, to help out. I was very pleased with seeing the renewed love for such a craft as blacksmithing, but I believe that this show still doesn't answer some of the crucial problems with modern blacksmithing. First off, a proper piece is a work of art and can take much longer than 6 hours to complete. I understand that it would be difficult to make a show about it were it to be longer than 6 hours, but that is the reality of the trade. It makes viewers think that there is no more than 6 hours in a knife, that's it's easy to make, and that they should expect a pattern-welded hand forged chef knife to cost under 200$-300$. Nonsense.

The second problem I have with the show is that a lot of the crucial steps are skipped over to make place to drama. Tempering your knife after quenching is a must in any knife that you may sell. A lot of techniques are skipped over and it results in either poorly made knives if they skipped tempering, or (if they simply removed the footage) poor informational material.

Third- The tests are HIGHLY inaccurate. They don't really measure anything. They are simply to -Wow- the audience. HRC scale tests could easily distinguish a good knife from a poor one without all this fluff. I understand that would be quite boring, but it actually diverts to the skill of the craftsmen who do create HRC64+ blades, from a blade that simply cuts coconuts.

Lastly, The show mainly presents smiths with a simple test: make a chopping knife, which is nowhere representative of most of the smith's abilities. If a smith specializes in kitchen cutlery, such a knife would never pass half of the tests out there, but could still be considered one of the most marvelous pieces of craftsmanship. I've seen historically accurate-ish of high skill (such as the rapier used as a slashing weapon, or the gladius' round handle) lose to more ergonomic designs. This isn't a representation of the best smithing skills, but of the production of a weapon in order to complete a test most efficiently.

The judges seem not to even know their crap. They should of hired a few true martial arms historians (as most of them specialize in a single field obviously) to distinguish western and eastern weapons. Promoting the Malaysian Kris as a slashing weapon is complete nonsense, as it's blade geometry would actually make it less efficient at slashing, but more efficient at thrusting (something that has been proved many times, however late productions of this weapon have indeed been wider and less curvy to allow for slashing use as well as thrusting). Another very obvious flaw is how The only blacksmith out of the 3 judges suggested etching over a hammon to make it more apparent, where traditionally it would never be done that way ( a etched hammon is simply not a hammon at all)

All-in all, a good show to watch for entertainment, but beware as this isn't reliable information to base off from for your blacksmithing techniques.

First it must be said that this show is going to appeal to smiths, forging buffs, and metalsmiths everywhere. People are going to watch it and enjoy it, as demonstrated by the rather high rating this show is given.

But I've worked as a bladesmith myself. Judging this from a professional, entertainment and documentary standpoint, it has all the "tested recipe" elements of similar "challenge" type reality shows. The contestants are given too little time to perform projects that are too difficult, resulting in rather poor results overall (kind of like a cooking show where the contestants are given far too little time to prepare a gourmet meal).

This results in weapons that barely squeak under the time limit, an excessive number not passing the quality test, while others pass the test but look like amateur hour because the contestants simply weren't allowed enough time to do a halfway decent job.

In an episode I watched the smiths were given random metal parts that are unmarked as to quality and hardness, and without professional testing tools that would ordinarily be used to ascertain such. What is that nonsense all about? No professional smith would try to forge a blade under such conditions. Did I miss a subtitle on this show, "Guess Your Materials"?

Then there's the aspect of "testing" the blades, during which unwarranted gore is added to the show by filling the gel test torso with fake blood and bone. While I'm sure this appeals to gore freaks, others will not be so impressed at such a "cheap thrills" tactic that further draws attention away from the professionalism of the craft. Not a show for the younger set.

As a result, instead of seeing smiths produce fine blades that are a credit to the industry, the audience is presented rushed, unfinished projects that (in one episode) wound up with only one blade actually standing up to testing. These men are professional smiths. In real life, given enough time a failed blade would be rare. That the majority of the blades fail indicates the fail level of this series. The contestants are just too rushed to be able to demonstrate their craft properly. Given such parameters in real life, any sane smith would reject the job and send the customer packing. Show excitement doesn't warrant forcing professional smiths to produce garbage work.

There have been better blade-making shows than this. And wile I understand why people gave this high ratings, I judge this solely on the professionalism of the series. The show fails to bring true blade smithing to the public eye. Only amateurs would rush a job and make blades this cheap (well, not really. Even amateurs wouldn't blunder on this level). The series doesn't represent blade smithing properly... and that's why I give it a mediocre 5 stars (almost gave it 3 for making the majority of the smiths look so bad).

Great show! Not just in what they create, but shows the forgers' characters and dedication.