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[rock music]
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♪ ♪
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[adventurous music]
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[whip cracks]
[hooves pounding]
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♪ ♪
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[horse neighs]
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♪ ♪
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[cartoony gunshots fire]
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- My name is Gregory McClure.
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I am 50 years old.
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I'm from Dacoma, Oklahoma.
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Knife making has always been
a deep-seated passion.
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My grandfather pulled me in
when I was 10 years old.
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We found a piece of metal
alongside the road,
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and ever since then,
I started making custom knives.
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♪ ♪
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- My name's Eric Finch.
I'm 20 years old.
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I'm from Harmony, Pennsylvania,
and I've been bladesmithing
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for almost three years.
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When I first got into
bladesmithing,
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I didn't have a lot of money,
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and my uncle Chuck,
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he was super supportive.
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He got me my first anvil.
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He really had a lot of faith
in me getting into this,
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and so being here, it feels
like its finally rewarding him
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for what he's done for me.
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- How are we doing today?
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- Doin' good.
Ready to do this.
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- [chuckling]
All right.
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[rock music]
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- My name is LJ Jarrett,
49 years old,
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from the little town of
Campbell, Missouri.
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I was always a bigger guy.
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Buddies call me
"Knuckle-Dragger,"
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"Mongo," "Kong."
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It's kind of where the
Silverback Blades came from,
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my little business--
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'cause I've always heard
the gorilla jokes.
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[adventurous music]
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- My name is Nathan Payne.
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I've been bladesmithing
for about four years now,
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and I'm from Sparta,
Tennessee.
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So I'm a full-time employee
with the Department
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of Mental Health
and Substance Abuse.
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Well, I'm in recovery, myself,
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from active substance use
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for a little
over nine years now,
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and when I found
bladesmithing,
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it just did something for me.
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It was unlike any other
coping mechanism that I found.
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[whip cracks]
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- Bladesmiths,
welcome to The Forge.
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Now, gentlemen, the four of you
are here to test your resolve
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and your skills in a
bladesmithing competition
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that consists of three rounds,
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each of which will end in
a critique and an elimination
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by the judges sitting
behind me.
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They'll be making the critical
decisions here today
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as to who's leaving The Forge
carrying a check for $10,000
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and earning the title of
"Forged in Fire Champion."
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Now, gentlemen, as you can see,
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we got a bit of a Western theme
here in the competition today.
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It's all about
speed and accuracy.
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This is a competition we are
calling "The Fastest Blade
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in the West."
[cartoony gunshot fires]
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Now, in order
to complete this challenge,
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you're gonna need this.
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♪ ♪
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You might be
wondering to yourselves,
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"Well, what in tarnations
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could I be needing
an empty sheath for?"
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Hold your horses.
We're gonna get there.
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First,
I want to show you the blade
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that fits
inside of that sheath.
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♪ ♪
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[gunshot]
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The Mexican Bowie Knife.
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- The Mexican Bowie Knife
was the staple sidearm
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of the vaqueros--the original
cowboys of the Wild West.
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Getting its shape
from the Spanish navaja,
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it traces its origins
back to the 19th century.
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This uniquely coated
blade with a clip point
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that is small enough
to carry on the belt,
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but also sharp enough to cut
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through anything
on the frontier,
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from ropes to baling twine
to the head of a rattlesnake.
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Almost everything, from
the clothes they made
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that the cowboys wore
and the knives they carried,
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were influenced
by the vaqueros.
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- Now your test today
is to recreate this blade
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as closely as possible,
but as quickly as possible.
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Now, as far as steel goes,
the saloon's pantry is open,
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and you can use that steel
in any technique you want
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to make your blades.
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Our clock
will be moving forward,
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and it's a race to the finish.
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And today, gentlemen,
your finish line
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is to get your blade
to fit inside this sheath.
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The first smith who
is able to recreate this blade
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and sheath it: you will be
rewarded with an extra
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30 minutes in the
second round of competition.
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Now, the runner-up
will get an extra 15 minutes,
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and the last smith will
have 15 minutes deducted
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from their second round time.
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- The first guy
that gets his knife in the case
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gets an extra 30 minutes
for the handle.
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I wanna be that first guy.
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- Now, for those of you
who do join us
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in round two
of the competition,
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you will finish your blades
by adding handles to them,
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turning them into
fully functioning weapons,
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at which point, our judges
will take over and test them
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for strength and durability
in a gunpowder barrel chop
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and check your edge
retention in a mailbag slice.
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Gentlemen, you have
three hours on the clock.
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So good luck.
Stay sharp.
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Your time starts now.
[gunshot]
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And they're off to the races.
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The smiths have the choice
of any steel they want,
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but they have to recreate the
Bowie knife we have on display.
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- What's great about this
challenge is it's not just
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about making a knife.
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It's finding the material
to make the quickest
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and the best knife
you can turn in.
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So it's a lot about speed.
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- So Eric's picked up steel.
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He's got 1095, 15N20,
so he's gonna make
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some Damascus.
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- That Western-style Bowie
is a very wide knife,
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so I know
if I stack up enough steel,
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I'll have plenty of steel
to get the width of my blade.
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♪ ♪
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I feel good.
I took way more steel
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than what I needed.
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I don't know if I'm gonna be
the one to get to 30 minutes.
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As long as I complete it,
that's all I'm worried about.
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- Nathan looks like he just
grabbed a bar of W1.
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- Yeah, those bars are about
5 inches, by one by one.
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- Right.
- It's enough steel.
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- The parameters are probably
what's gonna hang me up.
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Let's not get flashy.
Just keep it simple.
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I'm not gonna go in worrying
about gettin' it
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sheathed first or anything.
I'm in it to win it.
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But I'm in it to,
like, just get it done.
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Yeehaw!
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- I go to the pantry
to pick out steel,
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and I'm scared to death.
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[laughs]
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I think
I'm gonna do a canister.
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- If he is going
for a canister,
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he's gonna be taking
some extra steps.
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- I think there
is no way in hell
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I'm gonna be able
to finish a canister Damascus
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front to back in three hours.
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- All right,
he put the powder back
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and got a piece of that W1.
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- Anytime you go with a
mono steel versus a Damascus,
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you're always gonna sacrifice
a little bit of beauty.
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But speed is still
a part of this challenge.
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- Yeehaw!
[cartoony gunshot fires]
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- I go for layered Damascus,
15N20 and 1095.
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I really feel
like the Damascus
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is gonna set me apart.
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- Give it to the smiths
for doing layered Damascus.
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Steppin' up the game,
that's great.
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- Come on, baby.
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The hardest part
about the challenge,
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I think, is the clock.
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This is quick.
This is intense.
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- All right, guys,
30 minutes have elapsed
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in this competition!
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♪ ♪
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- I like what
Eric's doing, though.
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He's taking small bites,
but fast bites.
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- Yep.
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- I take a few heats,
and my billet is solid.
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- He's goin' fast,
and he's flipping it
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and hitting it for both sides.
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♪ ♪
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- I don't wanna think I'm
gonna win the round
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right out the gates like this.
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Just 'cause you're
being the fastest,
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doesn't mean it's the best.
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- So I got
my steel up to heat,
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and I'm just gonna get started
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gettin' it drawn out
a little bit.
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- Looks like a good color.
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00:06:44,083 --> 00:06:45,917
But if Nathan doesn't
start fullering that
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in his next heat,
he might be in trouble.
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♪ ♪
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He--
[laughs]
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Was Nathan wearing a
cowboy hat before?
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- No, I think he just stole it
off the wall.
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- [laughs]
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- I'm in a daze.
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I'm just like,
"I just need to move steel,"
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and after my second pass,
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I just started to notice
that it's gettin' longer,
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00:07:07,500 --> 00:07:10,333
but it's not getting wider.
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00:07:10,458 --> 00:07:12,333
I'm trying to kind of
spread it a little bit.
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00:07:12,458 --> 00:07:14,792
It's getting more thin
than I'm comfortable with.
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00:07:14,917 --> 00:07:17,083
So I'm lookin' at the clock,
and I'm just like,
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"Oh crap, man."
It's now or never
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00:07:19,125 --> 00:07:21,250
if you're gonna start over.
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00:07:21,375 --> 00:07:22,458
- Nathan's come back
to the metal supply.
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00:07:22,542 --> 00:07:24,208
He's grabbed a new bar W1.
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Total restart.
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00:07:26,042 --> 00:07:28,375
- Hopefully he learned
from the first piece of steel,
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"Wait, I need
to do this instead."
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00:07:31,500 --> 00:07:32,667
- How you doin', LJ?
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00:07:32,792 --> 00:07:34,667
- Oh...gettin' a little...
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00:07:34,750 --> 00:07:36,375
- [laughs]
- A little anxious.
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00:07:36,542 --> 00:07:37,833
- Just make your knife.
- Yes, sir.
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00:07:37,958 --> 00:07:39,458
Just makin' a knife.
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00:07:39,542 --> 00:07:43,625
The round stock that I've got,
I need to press it flat,
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get it as wide
into the parameters as I can.
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00:07:47,167 --> 00:07:50,333
So you gotta just beat
the lights out of it.
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00:07:50,458 --> 00:07:53,000
[groans]
I'm close, but no cigar.
220
00:07:53,125 --> 00:07:55,833
It's a real test to get this
thing where I need it to be.
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00:07:55,958 --> 00:07:58,958
This is a workout.
222
00:07:59,042 --> 00:08:02,167
- I grabbed my Damascus,
and I'm ready to go.
223
00:08:02,292 --> 00:08:04,333
♪ ♪
224
00:08:04,458 --> 00:08:07,042
It starts moving like putty,
225
00:08:07,167 --> 00:08:09,250
and then...
226
00:08:09,375 --> 00:08:10,750
[bleep]
227
00:08:10,875 --> 00:08:13,375
The problem I'm seeing
on my forge welds--
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00:08:13,542 --> 00:08:16,458
they're not sticking
like I wanted them to.
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00:08:16,583 --> 00:08:18,167
- To me, it kind of
looked like the back opened up.
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00:08:18,250 --> 00:08:19,917
♪ ♪
231
00:08:21,708 --> 00:08:25,417
I've seen too many people
beat a dead horse,
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00:08:25,542 --> 00:08:28,458
and so I decide
it's time to start over,
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00:08:28,583 --> 00:08:30,667
and I go back to the pantry.
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00:08:30,792 --> 00:08:32,125
- Greg looks like he's
completely startin' over
235
00:08:32,208 --> 00:08:33,417
as well.
- Right.
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00:08:33,542 --> 00:08:36,167
- They do realize they only
have three hours, right?
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00:08:36,250 --> 00:08:38,208
- I grabbed a bar of 1095,
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00:08:38,375 --> 00:08:41,000
and I know that I can make
the parameters with this steel.
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00:08:41,125 --> 00:08:46,667
♪ ♪
240
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- Eric is coming up
to the example to check it.
241
00:08:49,417 --> 00:08:51,583
I think he's
pretty damn close as it is.
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00:08:51,708 --> 00:08:53,500
- I got my blade
forged to a good profile--
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00:08:53,625 --> 00:08:54,750
gotta move over to the grinder.
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00:08:54,875 --> 00:08:55,833
I look around and realize that
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00:08:55,958 --> 00:08:57,750
I'm the only smith
profiling my knife.
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00:08:57,875 --> 00:08:59,208
I may be ahead right now,
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00:08:59,333 --> 00:09:00,792
but that's
no reason to slow down.
248
00:09:00,875 --> 00:09:03,125
- Bladesmiths, we are halfway
through the competition!
249
00:09:03,208 --> 00:09:04,500
[whip cracks]
250
00:09:04,625 --> 00:09:06,375
- So I'm lookin'
at the example blade,
251
00:09:06,542 --> 00:09:08,333
and I'm like,
"That's a San Mai."
252
00:09:08,417 --> 00:09:09,667
- I've never done San Mai.
253
00:09:09,833 --> 00:09:11,500
Like, why not do it
for the first time?
254
00:09:11,625 --> 00:09:12,667
What could go wrong?
255
00:09:12,792 --> 00:09:14,167
[laughs]
256
00:09:14,333 --> 00:09:15,458
- But even if he does San Mai,
257
00:09:15,583 --> 00:09:18,542
he's still learning to draw
it longer and not wider.
258
00:09:18,708 --> 00:09:19,667
It's the same thing.
259
00:09:19,750 --> 00:09:20,792
- Gotta add more steel.
260
00:09:20,917 --> 00:09:22,417
It gives him a better chance
261
00:09:22,542 --> 00:09:25,000
to stretch that out
and fuller it.
262
00:09:25,125 --> 00:09:26,500
- I get the W1.
263
00:09:26,583 --> 00:09:28,292
I'm sandwiching it
between the two pieces
264
00:09:28,375 --> 00:09:30,917
of angle that I've cut,
265
00:09:31,042 --> 00:09:33,917
and I take it
over to the press.
266
00:09:34,042 --> 00:09:36,958
I am just ecstatic
that it doesn't just, like,
267
00:09:37,083 --> 00:09:38,667
flop out on me.
268
00:09:38,833 --> 00:09:41,333
I was like,
"Holy [bleep]. It worked."
269
00:09:41,500 --> 00:09:43,083
Now I know my welds are set.
270
00:09:43,208 --> 00:09:44,708
Then I just start
working on making something
271
00:09:44,833 --> 00:09:47,750
that looks like a blade.
272
00:09:47,875 --> 00:09:50,708
- With four forges going,
I heard the saying
273
00:09:50,875 --> 00:09:54,542
that no matter how hot you
think it is, it's even hotter.
274
00:09:54,667 --> 00:09:58,250
It is ridiculously hot
in the shop.
275
00:09:58,375 --> 00:10:00,125
- LJ's not looking good.
276
00:10:00,250 --> 00:10:02,000
- He's looking very fatigued.
277
00:10:02,125 --> 00:10:03,958
- Sorry to be the guy.
278
00:10:04,083 --> 00:10:05,500
- What's going on?
- I'm cramping up.
279
00:10:05,583 --> 00:10:08,417
My body forces me to stop.
280
00:10:08,542 --> 00:10:11,667
- Okay, why don't we take a
step outside for a few minutes?
281
00:10:11,792 --> 00:10:13,667
- Guys, LJ's stepping off
The Forge floor with the medic.
282
00:10:13,833 --> 00:10:16,792
- Never had anything
like this before.
283
00:10:16,875 --> 00:10:19,125
I absolutely do not
wanna walk away from this.
284
00:10:19,250 --> 00:10:20,042
I don't wanna stop.
285
00:10:20,208 --> 00:10:23,042
But sometimes,
you don't have a choice.
286
00:10:26,708 --> 00:10:27,667
- What's going on?
- I'm cramping up.
287
00:10:27,750 --> 00:10:28,833
- Guys,
LJ's not looking so hot.
288
00:10:28,958 --> 00:10:29,792
He's got massive hand cramps.
289
00:10:29,917 --> 00:10:31,250
He's stepping off
The Forge floor
290
00:10:31,375 --> 00:10:32,500
with the medic.
291
00:10:32,625 --> 00:10:34,333
- It's the craziest thing.
292
00:10:34,458 --> 00:10:36,167
I'm not going home till the
judges send me home.
293
00:10:36,250 --> 00:10:38,667
I'm gonna finish this
one way or the other.
294
00:10:38,792 --> 00:10:40,792
- LJ's back.
- Always a good sign.
295
00:10:40,875 --> 00:10:42,708
- That's a smith
with zero quit.
296
00:10:42,833 --> 00:10:45,167
- I just feel that I'm behind.
297
00:10:45,250 --> 00:10:47,833
But I just refuse to quit.
298
00:10:47,958 --> 00:10:50,000
♪ ♪
299
00:10:50,125 --> 00:10:52,417
- Talk about Greg, he
actually did really fast work
300
00:10:52,542 --> 00:10:54,167
after that restart.
301
00:10:54,292 --> 00:10:57,667
- Now I'm just worried
about being first.
302
00:10:57,833 --> 00:11:00,833
Heavenly Father, Lord,
let this quench go good.
303
00:11:00,958 --> 00:11:03,500
♪ ♪
304
00:11:03,625 --> 00:11:04,708
- Greg just quenched.
- Holy smoke!
305
00:11:04,833 --> 00:11:06,333
Greg is
the first one to quench.
306
00:11:06,458 --> 00:11:08,833
- It's just a shy bit over.
307
00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:11,000
So we're gonna
take a little bit off.
308
00:11:11,167 --> 00:11:14,167
- Bladesmiths, there's
one hour left in this round!
309
00:11:14,292 --> 00:11:16,000
- So I look over,
and I see Greg quench.
310
00:11:16,125 --> 00:11:17,833
But I'm not concerned of
being the first one
311
00:11:17,958 --> 00:11:19,000
in the sheath--
I just wanna make sure
312
00:11:19,083 --> 00:11:20,792
I'm not the last.
313
00:11:20,917 --> 00:11:22,542
I'm confident going
into this quench.
314
00:11:22,667 --> 00:11:25,542
But you never know
what's gonna happen.
315
00:11:25,667 --> 00:11:27,000
- There goes Eric.
316
00:11:27,125 --> 00:11:28,333
- All right, here we go.
Eric's into the oil.
317
00:11:28,417 --> 00:11:31,583
He's got a blade that
is very close to the example.
318
00:11:31,708 --> 00:11:33,125
At this point,
I'm feeling pretty confident.
319
00:11:33,250 --> 00:11:34,708
All I have to do is
get it cleaned up and etched.
320
00:11:36,125 --> 00:11:37,417
♪ ♪
321
00:11:37,542 --> 00:11:39,458
- Never quenched
a San Mai billet.
322
00:11:39,542 --> 00:11:42,375
I hope it doesn't blow apart
on me.
323
00:11:42,500 --> 00:11:44,583
- Holy--Nathan just quenched.
324
00:11:44,708 --> 00:11:46,167
- I pull it out of the
straightening jig,
325
00:11:46,250 --> 00:11:48,583
and it's, like, straight.
326
00:11:48,708 --> 00:11:50,750
I wanna shed, like, a tear.
[laughs]
327
00:11:50,875 --> 00:11:53,333
Holy crap. I did it.
328
00:11:53,458 --> 00:11:54,875
- I feel that I'm behind.
329
00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:56,875
But I actually want to forge
330
00:11:57,042 --> 00:11:58,958
as much
of this blade as I can.
331
00:11:59,042 --> 00:12:00,667
Trying to make sure
all the parameters
332
00:12:00,792 --> 00:12:02,167
are as close as I can get it.
333
00:12:02,250 --> 00:12:05,208
- LJ has his
way longer than the example
334
00:12:05,333 --> 00:12:06,708
and not nearly wide enough.
335
00:12:06,875 --> 00:12:09,500
- I think
I'm right there on the money.
336
00:12:09,625 --> 00:12:11,458
- Boom! LJ quenched.
337
00:12:11,583 --> 00:12:13,125
We got four quenched blades.
338
00:12:13,208 --> 00:12:15,583
- No cracks.
I heard no tinks in the oil.
339
00:12:15,708 --> 00:12:19,333
So I'm just
as tickled as I can be.
340
00:12:19,500 --> 00:12:21,833
- It seems like we might
have a sheath race going on.
341
00:12:21,958 --> 00:12:23,833
Greg and Eric both have done
a lot of work on their blades.
342
00:12:24,000 --> 00:12:25,833
One of them is gonna
be the first in the sheath
343
00:12:25,917 --> 00:12:27,583
getting their 30 minutes
in the second round.
344
00:12:27,708 --> 00:12:29,250
[adventurous music]
345
00:12:29,375 --> 00:12:31,500
It's rough.
It's got some forge marks.
346
00:12:31,625 --> 00:12:32,958
It's got some forge scale.
347
00:12:33,042 --> 00:12:35,417
But I'm ready to give it
a try.
348
00:12:35,542 --> 00:12:38,292
- Here we go,
and kablam!
349
00:12:38,417 --> 00:12:39,250
First one.
[applause]
350
00:12:39,375 --> 00:12:40,375
- All right, Greg.
You're the first one
351
00:12:40,500 --> 00:12:41,500
in the sheath.
352
00:12:41,625 --> 00:12:44,583
- I am the fastest blade
in the west.
353
00:12:44,708 --> 00:12:46,250
♪ ♪
354
00:12:46,375 --> 00:12:47,583
- I wanna make sure
I get my blade etched
355
00:12:47,708 --> 00:12:49,750
'cause I put all the work
to make it out of Damascus.
356
00:12:49,875 --> 00:12:51,875
♪ ♪
357
00:12:52,000 --> 00:12:53,708
I think my blade's ready
for the sheath.
358
00:12:53,875 --> 00:12:55,167
But I make sure
to check my measurements.
359
00:12:55,250 --> 00:12:57,542
- Eric's coming back
to do another final check.
360
00:12:57,667 --> 00:12:58,792
- Looking pretty good.
361
00:12:58,875 --> 00:13:01,583
- Whoa...bam!
362
00:13:01,708 --> 00:13:02,750
All right. There's two.
363
00:13:02,875 --> 00:13:04,833
[rock music]
364
00:13:04,958 --> 00:13:06,667
- Nathan's pulling up
from behind.
365
00:13:06,750 --> 00:13:07,875
You know I'm thinking, so,
366
00:13:08,000 --> 00:13:11,417
"I've got to get to that
sheath before he does."
367
00:13:11,542 --> 00:13:13,417
- Being in sheath doesn't mean
you're automatically going
368
00:13:13,542 --> 00:13:15,042
in the next round.
369
00:13:15,208 --> 00:13:18,292
LJ is on his way up
to the sheath right now, guys.
370
00:13:18,417 --> 00:13:20,375
Oh, this will be amazing.
371
00:13:20,500 --> 00:13:22,542
LJ, you powered through.
You got it done, man!
372
00:13:22,708 --> 00:13:24,708
Well done!
[applause]
373
00:13:24,875 --> 00:13:26,500
- I'm ecstatic.
374
00:13:26,667 --> 00:13:29,792
- Now Nathan can take his time
to get it dialed in perfectly.
375
00:13:29,917 --> 00:13:31,792
10 minutes left!
376
00:13:31,875 --> 00:13:34,000
- I know I'm not
the fastest blade in the West.
377
00:13:34,125 --> 00:13:35,667
I'm not even the fastest blade
378
00:13:35,750 --> 00:13:37,208
in the Hammered Billet Saloon.
[laughs]
379
00:13:37,375 --> 00:13:39,833
So I'm just gonna try
to make it as good as I can
380
00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:40,958
in the time I got left.
381
00:13:41,042 --> 00:13:44,042
[adventurous music]
382
00:13:44,167 --> 00:13:47,292
♪ ♪
383
00:13:47,375 --> 00:13:49,500
- We've got four blades
completed and sheathed!
384
00:13:49,625 --> 00:13:50,542
Well done!
385
00:13:52,542 --> 00:13:54,833
- I'm looking at the blade,
and I'm thinking, like,
386
00:13:54,917 --> 00:13:57,083
"Man, it doesn't matter
if I lose 15 minutes.
387
00:13:57,208 --> 00:13:59,333
Like, I could lose
the whole next round.
388
00:13:59,458 --> 00:14:02,250
♪ ♪
389
00:14:02,375 --> 00:14:03,333
- Bladesmiths, congratulations.
390
00:14:03,458 --> 00:14:05,292
You managed to take
steels of your choice
391
00:14:05,375 --> 00:14:07,000
and turn them
into Mexican Bowies.
392
00:14:07,125 --> 00:14:08,792
Greg, you were
the first in the sheath.
393
00:14:08,875 --> 00:14:10,208
Please present your work.
394
00:14:10,333 --> 00:14:13,000
♪ ♪
395
00:14:13,125 --> 00:14:14,750
- Good job on this, Greg.
396
00:14:14,875 --> 00:14:18,000
Congratulations getting your
blade in the sheath first.
397
00:14:18,125 --> 00:14:19,625
The steel looks fine.
398
00:14:19,750 --> 00:14:22,667
It's a very extreme taper
399
00:14:22,750 --> 00:14:24,125
coming up through here.
400
00:14:24,250 --> 00:14:26,375
But it's definitely
something fixable.
401
00:14:26,542 --> 00:14:28,667
Obviously, if you move
into the next round,
402
00:14:28,792 --> 00:14:32,000
you need to do something
about that mass on this tang.
403
00:14:32,167 --> 00:14:34,792
But your profile looks
pretty close to our example.
404
00:14:34,917 --> 00:14:36,292
It's a nice job.
- Thank you.
405
00:14:36,375 --> 00:14:37,750
- Eric,
please present your work.
406
00:14:37,875 --> 00:14:41,917
♪ ♪
407
00:14:42,042 --> 00:14:43,333
- This is beautiful work
right here.
408
00:14:43,458 --> 00:14:45,542
You brought your sample right
up to it,
409
00:14:45,708 --> 00:14:49,167
and you made all the changes
so it's almost exact.
410
00:14:49,292 --> 00:14:51,083
Right now, the way it stands,
411
00:14:51,208 --> 00:14:53,042
it's a good looking blade.
- Thank you.
412
00:14:53,208 --> 00:14:54,500
- LJ, please present
your work, sir.
413
00:14:54,625 --> 00:14:58,167
♪ ♪
414
00:14:58,292 --> 00:15:00,833
- All right, LJ, good,
solid job on the blade.
415
00:15:00,917 --> 00:15:02,167
Your profile, though--
416
00:15:02,292 --> 00:15:03,458
your tip's a bit
on the high end.
417
00:15:03,542 --> 00:15:05,792
I know you were having trouble
moving that steel around
418
00:15:05,917 --> 00:15:07,167
and getting that width.
419
00:15:07,250 --> 00:15:10,708
If you move to the next round,
I'd drop that tip down.
420
00:15:10,833 --> 00:15:13,333
But you pulled through it,
so good job.
421
00:15:13,458 --> 00:15:14,875
- Yes, sir.
422
00:15:15,042 --> 00:15:17,042
- Last but not least: Nathan.
You ready?
423
00:15:17,167 --> 00:15:19,667
- I'm your Huckleberry.
- [laughs]
424
00:15:19,833 --> 00:15:20,625
Please present your work.
425
00:15:22,542 --> 00:15:24,833
♪ ♪
426
00:15:24,917 --> 00:15:26,083
- All right, Nathan,
first off,
427
00:15:26,208 --> 00:15:28,833
really good choice
to start over.
428
00:15:28,958 --> 00:15:32,000
Your San Mai looks solid
and welded up.
429
00:15:32,083 --> 00:15:34,000
There's a lot
of material here to work with.
430
00:15:34,167 --> 00:15:36,250
Your blade's
already dead straight.
431
00:15:36,375 --> 00:15:39,125
If you move forward,
compare it to the actual blade.
432
00:15:39,208 --> 00:15:40,292
There's a lot
of adjustments to do here.
433
00:15:40,375 --> 00:15:43,625
But all in all, really
nice job getting this done.
434
00:15:43,708 --> 00:15:46,500
- Thank you, sir.
435
00:15:46,625 --> 00:15:48,792
- Bladesmiths, as you know,
only three of you can join us
436
00:15:48,875 --> 00:15:50,875
in the second round
of this competition.
437
00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:52,042
The bladesmith
leaving The Forge is...
438
00:15:52,208 --> 00:15:54,833
[adventurous music]
439
00:15:54,958 --> 00:15:56,375
♪ ♪
440
00:15:56,542 --> 00:15:58,042
LJ.
441
00:15:58,167 --> 00:15:59,042
Unfortunately,
your blade didn't make the cut,
442
00:15:59,208 --> 00:16:01,292
and Dave's gonna tell you why.
443
00:16:01,375 --> 00:16:03,250
- LJ, first off,
you got no quit in you.
444
00:16:03,375 --> 00:16:05,083
It was great watching you work.
445
00:16:05,208 --> 00:16:07,500
This comes down to that your
blade is furthest away
446
00:16:07,625 --> 00:16:09,542
from our finished shape
than the other blades,
447
00:16:09,667 --> 00:16:11,667
and that's the reason
we're letting you go.
448
00:16:11,792 --> 00:16:14,458
- LJ, you're a talented smith.
You've got zero quit in you.
449
00:16:14,583 --> 00:16:15,667
But unfortunately,
at this point in time,
450
00:16:15,792 --> 00:16:18,167
I'm gonna have to ask you
to please surrender your blade
451
00:16:18,250 --> 00:16:20,542
and step off The Forge floor.
452
00:16:20,667 --> 00:16:22,375
- Thank you for not giving up.
Good job.
453
00:16:22,542 --> 00:16:25,208
- It always feels bad
when you lose.
454
00:16:25,375 --> 00:16:27,917
But I've had one
of the best times of my life.
455
00:16:28,042 --> 00:16:30,750
It's a learning
and growing experience.
456
00:16:30,875 --> 00:16:32,750
But I'll go home,
I'll lick my wounds,
457
00:16:32,875 --> 00:16:34,667
and I'll be stronger tomorrow.
458
00:16:34,750 --> 00:16:36,167
[whip cracks]
459
00:16:36,292 --> 00:16:37,375
- Bladesmiths, congratulations.
460
00:16:37,542 --> 00:16:39,125
The three of you are
joining us in the second round
461
00:16:39,208 --> 00:16:41,375
of this competition, where
you're gonna fix any issues
462
00:16:41,500 --> 00:16:43,542
that you have from the first
round, as well as add handles
463
00:16:43,667 --> 00:16:45,875
to your blades, turning them
into fully functioning
464
00:16:46,000 --> 00:16:47,458
Mexican Bowie knives.
465
00:16:47,542 --> 00:16:49,458
Now, we want a recreation
of this blade.
466
00:16:49,542 --> 00:16:51,750
So you'll be adding staghorn
handles to your blades,
467
00:16:51,875 --> 00:16:53,958
as well as a S-guard.
468
00:16:54,083 --> 00:16:55,833
Now, Greg,
you sheathed your blade first,
469
00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:57,792
so you got yourself an extra
30 minutes for the second round
470
00:16:57,875 --> 00:16:59,042
of competition.
471
00:16:59,167 --> 00:17:01,208
Now, Eric, you have two hours
and fifteen minutes.
472
00:17:01,375 --> 00:17:03,917
Nathan, you only have an hour
and 45 minutes to complete
473
00:17:04,042 --> 00:17:05,500
your Mexican Bowie knife.
474
00:17:05,625 --> 00:17:06,583
Now, after this round
is complete, gentlemen,
475
00:17:06,708 --> 00:17:08,042
you'll turn your blades over
to the judges,
476
00:17:08,167 --> 00:17:10,000
and they'll check
for strength and durability
477
00:17:10,125 --> 00:17:12,042
in a gun powder barrel chop,
478
00:17:12,208 --> 00:17:15,958
and then check your edge
retention in a mailbag slice.
479
00:17:16,042 --> 00:17:17,583
Now, we're gonna do this
in a staggered start.
480
00:17:17,708 --> 00:17:20,875
So good luck.
Greg, your time starts now.
481
00:17:21,042 --> 00:17:22,167
[bull roars]
482
00:17:22,333 --> 00:17:24,875
- It is wonderful
to have first choice
483
00:17:25,042 --> 00:17:26,292
at the pantry.
484
00:17:27,417 --> 00:17:30,042
I mean, this is weird watching
one competitor go at it
485
00:17:30,167 --> 00:17:32,375
and two of them
sitting down like we are.
486
00:17:32,500 --> 00:17:34,167
Don't just sit around.
That's our job.
487
00:17:34,250 --> 00:17:36,417
Look pretty.
[laughter]
488
00:17:36,542 --> 00:17:40,083
- I knew that I was going
to need that extra time.
489
00:17:40,208 --> 00:17:44,958
I have got to put the tang
on a weight loss program.
490
00:17:45,042 --> 00:17:47,000
- All right, Eric--
coming up on two hours
491
00:17:47,167 --> 00:17:48,167
and fifteen minutes.
492
00:17:48,333 --> 00:17:50,833
Your time starts now.
493
00:17:50,917 --> 00:17:52,625
- Still got it, bro.
494
00:17:52,708 --> 00:17:55,417
I made sure the piece I choose
is as close to the original
495
00:17:55,542 --> 00:17:57,000
so I don't have
to do as much shaping
496
00:17:57,083 --> 00:17:58,667
and moving of material.
497
00:17:58,792 --> 00:18:00,708
- All right, Eric
just grabbed the guard stock.
498
00:18:00,875 --> 00:18:03,333
He grabbed penstock, and
he's already to the grinder.
499
00:18:03,458 --> 00:18:04,583
- The first thing
I do is take my knife
500
00:18:04,708 --> 00:18:05,833
and start cleaning it up.
501
00:18:06,000 --> 00:18:07,250
I know I still
have a lot to do,
502
00:18:07,375 --> 00:18:08,417
and I'm not gonna
waste any time.
503
00:18:08,542 --> 00:18:09,958
♪ ♪
504
00:18:10,042 --> 00:18:13,583
[adventurous music]
505
00:18:13,708 --> 00:18:14,458
[whip cracks]
506
00:18:14,542 --> 00:18:16,292
- All right, Nathan.
Time to wake up.
507
00:18:16,375 --> 00:18:18,333
You got an hour and 45 minutes!
508
00:18:18,500 --> 00:18:21,667
Good luck, man.
Your time starts now!
509
00:18:21,792 --> 00:18:23,333
- So as soon as
the clock starts, I'm like,
510
00:18:23,500 --> 00:18:25,167
"Dude, I gotta
go see what's left."
511
00:18:25,292 --> 00:18:27,250
- He's already way
behind both the other smiths.
512
00:18:27,375 --> 00:18:28,958
If you guys were Nathan,
what would you be doing
513
00:18:29,042 --> 00:18:30,167
right off the bat?
- Get your stuff,
514
00:18:30,292 --> 00:18:32,208
and start griding that blade.
515
00:18:32,333 --> 00:18:33,292
- Going into this round, man,
516
00:18:33,375 --> 00:18:35,750
I've got to get my tang
kind of centered.
517
00:18:35,875 --> 00:18:39,125
Then I'm gonna try and take
some of the meat off of it.
518
00:18:39,250 --> 00:18:40,667
I'm feeling
pretty confident coming in.
519
00:18:40,750 --> 00:18:43,458
But every
second's gonna count.
520
00:18:43,542 --> 00:18:46,458
- After the tang,
it's the guard.
521
00:18:46,542 --> 00:18:48,833
I heat the guard
in a post vise,
522
00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:52,292
twist it a half turn
on both ends so that the bars
523
00:18:52,417 --> 00:18:56,083
will be at a 90-degree angle
from the blade.
524
00:18:56,208 --> 00:18:57,625
That's more what I want.
525
00:18:57,708 --> 00:19:00,000
I am pleased with my S shape.
526
00:19:00,083 --> 00:19:02,167
With more time, I can make it
527
00:19:02,250 --> 00:19:04,000
a lot more
aesthetically pleasing,
528
00:19:04,083 --> 00:19:06,125
but it fits the parameters.
529
00:19:06,208 --> 00:19:08,208
- Bladesmiths,
you have an hour and a half
530
00:19:08,333 --> 00:19:10,625
left before testing.
531
00:19:10,750 --> 00:19:12,500
- The guard is the most
ornate part of this knife.
532
00:19:12,625 --> 00:19:14,500
So making sure
it matches as best that it can
533
00:19:14,625 --> 00:19:16,500
is kind of my main concern.
534
00:19:16,625 --> 00:19:19,250
First thing I need to do
is rough cut out my shape.
535
00:19:19,375 --> 00:19:21,375
- So Eric
is doing the exact same thing
536
00:19:21,542 --> 00:19:22,542
he did in the first round--
he came up to the example
537
00:19:22,667 --> 00:19:25,375
and measured every single
dimension of the guard.
538
00:19:25,500 --> 00:19:26,833
So his is gonna be intricate.
539
00:19:26,958 --> 00:19:29,167
- Oh, that'd be great.
540
00:19:29,250 --> 00:19:31,500
- Next thing I need to do,
twist my steel.
541
00:19:31,625 --> 00:19:33,667
Two torches may be overkill,
542
00:19:33,792 --> 00:19:35,708
but it's gonna
make the process a lot faster.
543
00:19:35,875 --> 00:19:37,500
[rock music]
544
00:19:37,625 --> 00:19:39,542
It's looking rough,
but the profile's there.
545
00:19:39,667 --> 00:19:43,458
Now all I gotta do
is refine it.
546
00:19:43,542 --> 00:19:46,458
- So Nathan--although
he came into the second round
547
00:19:46,542 --> 00:19:49,250
seemingly way behind,
he's catching up pretty quick.
548
00:19:49,375 --> 00:19:50,375
- I've just got
this flat piece
549
00:19:50,500 --> 00:19:52,292
that's fitted and slotted.
550
00:19:52,417 --> 00:19:55,625
I know I can bend this mild
steel to make an S-shape.
551
00:19:55,750 --> 00:19:58,292
I know it's not gonna be
as pretty as my competitors,
552
00:19:58,417 --> 00:19:59,750
but time is of the essence,
553
00:19:59,875 --> 00:20:01,542
and I'm just hoping
for the best.
554
00:20:01,667 --> 00:20:03,000
- All right, bladesmiths,
you guys are down
555
00:20:03,167 --> 00:20:05,375
to the final hour!
556
00:20:05,500 --> 00:20:08,000
- At this point,
the clock is against me.
557
00:20:08,083 --> 00:20:10,583
I have to get this together.
558
00:20:10,708 --> 00:20:13,125
I've to drill the pinhole
in the tang
559
00:20:13,208 --> 00:20:14,833
to have a mechanical
connection.
560
00:20:18,292 --> 00:20:20,000
[bleep]
561
00:20:20,125 --> 00:20:21,167
And it doesn't take.
562
00:20:21,250 --> 00:20:22,833
[groans]
563
00:20:22,958 --> 00:20:25,042
This is not a good time
for this to be happening.
564
00:20:25,208 --> 00:20:27,792
I can ruin 20 drill bits,
565
00:20:27,875 --> 00:20:30,417
and it's not gonna go
through that 1/2 inch tang
566
00:20:30,542 --> 00:20:31,542
of hardened steel.
567
00:20:31,667 --> 00:20:38,000
This is not ideal at all.
568
00:20:38,125 --> 00:20:39,958
- Greg's got his blade
clamped in the vise over here,
569
00:20:40,042 --> 00:20:41,542
and he was trying to drill
through the tang.
570
00:20:41,667 --> 00:20:43,292
It wasn't going through, so
now he's got the hot wrench--
571
00:20:43,375 --> 00:20:45,250
gonna soften that tang up.
572
00:20:45,375 --> 00:20:46,958
- There's no time
for new bumps or anything.
573
00:20:47,042 --> 00:20:48,833
It's time to act.
574
00:20:48,958 --> 00:20:52,667
I slap another bit
into the drill press.
575
00:20:52,792 --> 00:20:54,208
Whoo-hoo!
576
00:20:54,333 --> 00:20:56,167
It just beached through
like butter,
577
00:20:56,250 --> 00:20:58,542
and it's off to the races.
578
00:20:58,667 --> 00:21:01,333
Everything's sliding down.
579
00:21:01,417 --> 00:21:02,625
Works like a charm.
580
00:21:02,708 --> 00:21:05,792
Time to get the thing sanded.
581
00:21:05,917 --> 00:21:08,000
[rock music]
582
00:21:08,083 --> 00:21:09,500
- Looking good.
583
00:21:09,583 --> 00:21:11,833
Finally, I get the guard
to fit the tang,
584
00:21:11,917 --> 00:21:14,167
and now it's time to move on
to the antler handle.
585
00:21:14,250 --> 00:21:16,667
- So Eric's drilling in the
tang hole in his staghorn.
586
00:21:16,750 --> 00:21:20,958
♪ ♪
587
00:21:21,083 --> 00:21:22,250
- Whoo!
588
00:21:22,375 --> 00:21:23,375
I get everything
glued together.
589
00:21:23,500 --> 00:21:25,250
It all seems to be fitting
nice and tight.
590
00:21:25,375 --> 00:21:27,000
I need to get an edge
on this knife.
591
00:21:27,167 --> 00:21:29,833
- Nathan using a lot of epoxy.
592
00:21:29,917 --> 00:21:32,167
- Epoxy's
just going everywhere.
593
00:21:32,292 --> 00:21:33,250
You wanna know where
Nathan went,
594
00:21:33,375 --> 00:21:35,125
just follow the epoxy.
595
00:21:35,208 --> 00:21:37,000
I don't wanna glue up my beard.
596
00:21:37,125 --> 00:21:39,833
- Bladesmiths,
you have five minutes left!
597
00:21:39,958 --> 00:21:42,833
- I'm, like, super frustrated,
and I'm starting to flip.
598
00:21:42,917 --> 00:21:45,458
[bleep]
599
00:21:45,542 --> 00:21:48,375
All right, just...stay calm.
600
00:21:48,542 --> 00:21:51,708
Obviously, there's a ton
of finish and finer details
601
00:21:51,833 --> 00:21:53,500
that could've
been done on my blade.
602
00:21:53,625 --> 00:21:57,083
But, you know, I'm just stoked
that I didn't give up.
603
00:21:57,208 --> 00:21:58,958
- Five, four,
604
00:21:59,042 --> 00:22:01,833
three, two, one.
605
00:22:01,958 --> 00:22:03,167
Bladesmiths,
turn off your machines!
606
00:22:03,292 --> 00:22:04,625
Put down your tools!
607
00:22:04,750 --> 00:22:07,333
The second round of this
competition is over!
608
00:22:07,458 --> 00:22:09,833
[adventurous music]
609
00:22:09,958 --> 00:22:11,167
- Don't stare
at it too long, guys.
610
00:22:11,292 --> 00:22:12,625
It'll blind you.
- [laughs]
611
00:22:12,750 --> 00:22:14,583
- I feel pretty solid
about my edge.
612
00:22:14,708 --> 00:22:17,500
But I'm just worried about
J. Neilson having my blade.
613
00:22:17,583 --> 00:22:19,375
He has very
intimidating grunts
614
00:22:19,500 --> 00:22:22,000
every time he chops something.
615
00:22:22,167 --> 00:22:23,417
I'm scared.
616
00:22:23,542 --> 00:22:25,500
[whip cracks]
[wind blows]
617
00:22:25,625 --> 00:22:27,500
- Bladesmiths,
welcome to our strength test:
618
00:22:27,625 --> 00:22:30,417
our gunpowder barrel
stab and chop.
619
00:22:30,542 --> 00:22:31,875
[gunshot]
620
00:22:32,042 --> 00:22:32,917
Greg, you're up first.
You ready to go?
621
00:22:33,042 --> 00:22:34,958
- Oh, absolutely.
- All right. Let's do it.
622
00:22:36,792 --> 00:22:39,375
- The test is incredibly
difficult.
623
00:22:39,542 --> 00:22:42,750
Hitting a knife
into metal and wood--
624
00:22:42,875 --> 00:22:44,958
anything could happen
to that blade.
625
00:22:45,042 --> 00:22:48,583
If that heat treat wasn't
perfect, it's gonna fail.
626
00:22:50,417 --> 00:22:51,500
[rock music]
627
00:22:51,625 --> 00:22:54,792
- [grunting]
628
00:22:54,875 --> 00:23:01,750
♪ ♪
629
00:23:06,708 --> 00:23:08,125
All right, Greg. Good job here.
630
00:23:08,208 --> 00:23:09,458
Your edge is still fine.
631
00:23:09,583 --> 00:23:11,292
Nothing bent.
632
00:23:11,375 --> 00:23:13,542
But you lost some epoxy
right in here
633
00:23:13,708 --> 00:23:14,917
where you're trying
to fill that out.
634
00:23:15,042 --> 00:23:17,958
But everything's still tight.
Good job.
635
00:23:18,083 --> 00:23:20,375
- Thank you.
- How you feeling, Eric?
636
00:23:20,500 --> 00:23:21,917
It's always fun
for the second guy.
637
00:23:22,042 --> 00:23:23,875
- I'm ready.
- All right, let's do it.
638
00:23:26,292 --> 00:23:28,667
- I'm nervous to see J. beat
my knife against a barrel.
639
00:23:28,792 --> 00:23:30,333
I don't expect my knife
to break.
640
00:23:30,417 --> 00:23:32,167
But you never know what's gonna
happen during testing.
641
00:23:32,292 --> 00:23:36,250
♪ ♪
642
00:23:36,375 --> 00:23:39,042
- [grunts]
643
00:23:39,167 --> 00:23:46,042
♪ ♪
644
00:23:55,375 --> 00:23:57,000
Nice job, Eric.
645
00:23:57,125 --> 00:23:58,333
The edge is still sharp.
646
00:23:58,417 --> 00:24:00,375
Nothing happened
to that or the tip.
647
00:24:00,542 --> 00:24:01,667
You got everything comfortable.
648
00:24:01,750 --> 00:24:04,125
Your dimensions
are just right for my hand.
649
00:24:04,208 --> 00:24:07,833
This is probably the closest
to a completed replica
650
00:24:07,917 --> 00:24:11,375
of something
we presented to date.
651
00:24:11,500 --> 00:24:14,042
Nice job.
- Thank you.
652
00:24:14,167 --> 00:24:16,833
- What do you think, Nathan?
- I--I'm your Huckleberry?
653
00:24:17,000 --> 00:24:19,625
[laughter]
654
00:24:19,708 --> 00:24:22,667
- You are for now.
[laughter]
655
00:24:24,625 --> 00:24:26,167
- If anything was to give
on my blade,
656
00:24:26,292 --> 00:24:27,667
it's gonna be the handle.
657
00:24:27,750 --> 00:24:29,958
I know it's not winning
a beauty contest.
658
00:24:30,042 --> 00:24:32,625
But I hope that my handle
sticks together.
659
00:24:32,708 --> 00:24:34,333
We'll see how it goes.
660
00:24:34,417 --> 00:24:39,833
♪ ♪
661
00:24:39,958 --> 00:24:40,750
- If anything was to give
on my blade,
662
00:24:40,875 --> 00:24:42,000
it's gonna be the handle.
663
00:24:42,125 --> 00:24:44,167
But I hope that my handle
sticks together.
664
00:24:44,292 --> 00:24:45,875
[suspenseful music]
665
00:24:46,000 --> 00:24:48,625
- [grunting]
666
00:24:48,708 --> 00:24:51,833
[rock music]
667
00:24:51,917 --> 00:24:58,708
♪ ♪
668
00:25:01,000 --> 00:25:02,667
Take a breath, Nathan.
You survived.
669
00:25:02,750 --> 00:25:05,208
- [laughs]
- You got...
670
00:25:05,375 --> 00:25:08,042
one small rolling
in my nail on.
671
00:25:08,167 --> 00:25:10,500
Now your handle...
- [clears throat]
672
00:25:10,625 --> 00:25:12,375
- Your blade's here,
and your handle's
673
00:25:12,500 --> 00:25:14,167
kind of drifting this way.
- Mm-hmm.
674
00:25:14,250 --> 00:25:18,833
- But the big problem I see is,
now your guard is loose.
675
00:25:18,917 --> 00:25:20,500
But it survived the test.
676
00:25:20,625 --> 00:25:22,750
Great job.
- Thanks, man.
677
00:25:25,208 --> 00:25:26,333
- Howdy, bladesmiths.
678
00:25:26,458 --> 00:25:29,000
Now it's time to find out just
how sharp your weapons are.
679
00:25:29,167 --> 00:25:32,500
This is the sharpness test:
the mailbag stab and slice.
680
00:25:32,625 --> 00:25:34,667
[whip cracks]
681
00:25:34,750 --> 00:25:36,083
Now it's time to go postal.
682
00:25:36,208 --> 00:25:37,500
Greg, you're up first.
You ready for this?
683
00:25:37,667 --> 00:25:38,833
- Yes, sir. Absolutely.
684
00:25:38,958 --> 00:25:40,542
- [chuckling]
All right, let's do it.
685
00:25:40,667 --> 00:25:43,500
[suspenseful music]
686
00:25:43,583 --> 00:25:50,417
♪ ♪
687
00:25:55,583 --> 00:25:57,000
All right, Greg.
688
00:25:57,125 --> 00:25:59,917
You have a very obtuse grind
on your blade here,
689
00:26:00,042 --> 00:26:02,833
and stabbing,
you can feel the resistance.
690
00:26:02,958 --> 00:26:05,708
But on the slashes,
it cuts cleanly.
691
00:26:05,833 --> 00:26:09,708
Overall, it'll cut.
- Mm, thank you.
692
00:26:09,833 --> 00:26:10,542
- All right, Eric.
Your turn, sir.
693
00:26:10,667 --> 00:26:11,958
You ready?
- Absolutely.
694
00:26:12,042 --> 00:26:13,583
- Giddy-up.
695
00:26:13,708 --> 00:26:16,500
[adventurous music]
696
00:26:16,583 --> 00:26:23,667
♪ ♪
697
00:26:32,667 --> 00:26:35,750
All right, Eric.
Your edge and even the bevels
698
00:26:35,875 --> 00:26:38,583
that you have here for
thrusting met no resistance.
699
00:26:38,708 --> 00:26:39,583
It cuts nicely.
700
00:26:39,708 --> 00:26:41,500
It's got
a great bounce to this,
701
00:26:41,583 --> 00:26:44,292
and overall, sir...
it will cut.
702
00:26:44,375 --> 00:26:45,500
- Thank you.
- [chuckles]
703
00:26:45,583 --> 00:26:46,375
All right, Nathan.
Your turn, sir.
704
00:26:46,542 --> 00:26:48,375
You ready?
- Yeehaw.
705
00:26:48,542 --> 00:26:50,000
- Let's do that.
706
00:26:50,167 --> 00:26:53,000
[rock music]
707
00:26:53,083 --> 00:26:59,958
♪ ♪
708
00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:07,833
- Oh, [bleep].
[chuckles]
709
00:27:07,958 --> 00:27:10,333
[suspenseful music]
710
00:27:10,500 --> 00:27:13,167
- All right, Nathan, let's talk
about your blade here.
711
00:27:13,292 --> 00:27:17,000
It stabbed and cut easily
on this mailbag.
712
00:27:17,125 --> 00:27:19,792
But your handle is still loose.
713
00:27:19,875 --> 00:27:22,667
Overall, sir...it will cut.
714
00:27:22,792 --> 00:27:25,208
- Yeehaw.
715
00:27:25,375 --> 00:27:27,958
- [in Southern drawl]
Well... [chuckles]
716
00:27:28,042 --> 00:27:30,208
Bladesmiths, you all
came through with blades
717
00:27:30,333 --> 00:27:31,917
that performed
very well on our tests.
718
00:27:32,042 --> 00:27:34,042
But as you know, only two
of you can move forward,
719
00:27:34,167 --> 00:27:36,000
staying in contention
for a check for $10,000
720
00:27:36,083 --> 00:27:37,583
and the title
of "Forged in Fire Champion,"
721
00:27:37,708 --> 00:27:39,167
moving on into the final round.
722
00:27:39,333 --> 00:27:41,042
The bladesmith
leaving The Forge is...
723
00:27:41,167 --> 00:27:43,708
♪ ♪
724
00:27:43,833 --> 00:27:45,000
Nathan.
725
00:27:45,083 --> 00:27:46,667
Unfortunately, your blade
didn't make the cut,
726
00:27:46,750 --> 00:27:48,667
and J.'s gonna tell you why.
727
00:27:48,792 --> 00:27:50,208
- All right, Nathan.
728
00:27:50,375 --> 00:27:51,708
You did a great job,
729
00:27:51,833 --> 00:27:53,167
especially with
the amount of time you had,
730
00:27:53,292 --> 00:27:55,417
and you obviously made
something that could cut.
731
00:27:55,542 --> 00:27:58,083
But during the strength test,
you picked up a bit of a chip
732
00:27:58,208 --> 00:27:59,792
on the edge,
and your guard came loose.
733
00:27:59,917 --> 00:28:01,333
That's why
we're letting you go.
734
00:28:01,458 --> 00:28:03,292
- I understand.
735
00:28:03,375 --> 00:28:05,667
- Well, Nathan, you brought
a lot of life into The Forge.
736
00:28:05,792 --> 00:28:06,375
We want to say
thank you for coming out here
737
00:28:06,542 --> 00:28:07,542
and letting us watch you work.
738
00:28:07,708 --> 00:28:08,833
But unfortunately,
at this time,
739
00:28:08,958 --> 00:28:10,167
I'm gonna have to ask
you to please step off
740
00:28:10,250 --> 00:28:11,750
The Forge floor.
741
00:28:11,875 --> 00:28:13,542
- I really appreciate it, guys.
This is super rad.
742
00:28:13,667 --> 00:28:14,542
- Thank you.
- Good work.
743
00:28:14,708 --> 00:28:16,333
- I think I won
in a competition
744
00:28:16,458 --> 00:28:18,333
against that voice
that tells you not to try,
745
00:28:18,458 --> 00:28:20,958
and it tells you to give up.
746
00:28:21,042 --> 00:28:22,500
I wish that my blade
could've been more refined--
747
00:28:22,667 --> 00:28:24,875
obviously, more pretty.
748
00:28:25,042 --> 00:28:27,833
But I made my first
San Mai blade weld stuck,
749
00:28:27,958 --> 00:28:29,917
and it cut
like a freaking razor,
750
00:28:30,042 --> 00:28:33,792
and I would do it all again,
for sure.
751
00:28:33,875 --> 00:28:36,292
- But Greg, Eric, gentlemen,
congratulations.
752
00:28:36,417 --> 00:28:38,208
You're moving forward
to the third and final round
753
00:28:38,333 --> 00:28:39,542
of this competition.
754
00:28:39,667 --> 00:28:41,417
You get four days
at your home forges
755
00:28:41,542 --> 00:28:44,583
to build another iconic weapon
from the Wild West.
756
00:28:44,708 --> 00:28:46,042
Gentlemen,
we want you to build this.
757
00:28:46,167 --> 00:28:48,000
♪ ♪
758
00:28:48,083 --> 00:28:50,333
This is the vaquero machete.
759
00:28:50,417 --> 00:28:52,917
♪ ♪
760
00:28:53,042 --> 00:28:55,458
- The vaquero machete
became wildly popular
761
00:28:55,542 --> 00:28:57,542
with the original cowboys
of the Southwest
762
00:28:57,708 --> 00:28:59,000
during the 20th century.
763
00:28:59,083 --> 00:29:00,833
Featuring a thin,
slightly curved blade,
764
00:29:00,958 --> 00:29:03,292
the weapon was much lighter
and easier to carry
765
00:29:03,417 --> 00:29:05,167
than the larger machetes
previously used
766
00:29:05,250 --> 00:29:07,333
by the cowboys,
making it ideal to deliver
767
00:29:07,417 --> 00:29:09,875
damaging slashes and chops
on everything
768
00:29:10,000 --> 00:29:12,958
from brush to enemies
on the great frontier.
769
00:29:13,083 --> 00:29:14,125
The rich history and culture
of the cowboys
770
00:29:14,208 --> 00:29:16,333
who carried this weapon
can be found on display
771
00:29:16,458 --> 00:29:18,833
at the Bullock Museum
in Austin, Texas.
772
00:29:18,958 --> 00:29:20,958
- Now, your blades
need to be curved
773
00:29:21,042 --> 00:29:23,875
and have a length
between 24 and 26 inches.
774
00:29:24,042 --> 00:29:25,625
They need to have
a single edge.
775
00:29:25,750 --> 00:29:28,042
Need to have an S guard,
a stacked leather handle,
776
00:29:28,208 --> 00:29:31,708
and an eagle head
or a horse head pommel.
777
00:29:31,833 --> 00:29:35,167
- I'm glad that it's not some
sort of war hammer or axe.
778
00:29:35,250 --> 00:29:38,333
But still, this thing's gonna
be complicated to make.
779
00:29:38,458 --> 00:29:40,208
- Gentlemen, we want to see
your very best,
780
00:29:40,333 --> 00:29:42,833
most beautiful blades
come back, so good luck.
781
00:29:42,958 --> 00:29:44,333
We will see you in four days.
782
00:29:44,417 --> 00:29:48,917
♪ ♪
783
00:29:49,042 --> 00:29:51,042
- I'm back here
at my home forge
784
00:29:51,167 --> 00:29:53,458
to make the vaquero machete.
785
00:29:53,583 --> 00:29:55,125
[turkey gobbles]
786
00:29:55,208 --> 00:29:58,042
I decided to go with
a mono steel blade of 1080.
787
00:29:58,167 --> 00:30:01,458
It's a tough, springy steel
that's very forgiving.
788
00:30:01,542 --> 00:30:03,500
♪ ♪
789
00:30:03,625 --> 00:30:05,500
All right, she is cooking.
790
00:30:05,625 --> 00:30:08,292
Whoo! Like a June bride.
791
00:30:08,417 --> 00:30:09,667
Okay.
792
00:30:09,750 --> 00:30:13,500
♪ ♪
793
00:30:13,625 --> 00:30:15,000
Straight blade.
794
00:30:15,083 --> 00:30:16,958
Everything's
coming out nicely.
795
00:30:17,083 --> 00:30:18,958
I'm going to start
on the pommel
796
00:30:19,083 --> 00:30:21,500
and the guard in the morning.
797
00:30:21,625 --> 00:30:22,708
Just like it's supposed to.
798
00:30:22,833 --> 00:30:25,583
♪ ♪
799
00:30:25,708 --> 00:30:26,917
- Today is day one.
800
00:30:27,042 --> 00:30:27,875
We're here in my home forge
801
00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:29,125
in Harmony, Pennsylvania.
802
00:30:29,208 --> 00:30:30,958
Gonna get the forge heating up.
803
00:30:31,083 --> 00:30:33,000
My game plan is
to start with Damascus.
804
00:30:33,125 --> 00:30:35,958
We're using a combination
of 1084 and 15N20.
805
00:30:36,042 --> 00:30:38,375
My goal is get the blade
forged out on day one.
806
00:30:38,500 --> 00:30:41,292
We're gonna start out
with 20 pieces.
807
00:30:41,375 --> 00:30:45,000
Shooting for a 60- to 70-layer
in the end.
808
00:30:45,167 --> 00:30:48,583
So I got my billets loaded up
and in the forge.
809
00:30:48,708 --> 00:30:52,833
So today, I'll be able to forge
a 60-layer Damascus blade.
810
00:30:52,958 --> 00:30:54,208
Feel good
about the progress I made.
811
00:30:54,333 --> 00:30:55,667
Got to where I wanted to be.
812
00:30:55,792 --> 00:30:57,583
So far, it's looking good.
813
00:30:57,708 --> 00:31:00,833
- It's the morning of day two.
814
00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:02,583
We're gonna start
on the S guard
815
00:31:02,708 --> 00:31:04,500
and the horse head pommel.
816
00:31:04,625 --> 00:31:07,292
The gas foundry
is what I'm gonna be making
817
00:31:07,417 --> 00:31:09,792
the guard
and the pommel out of.
818
00:31:09,875 --> 00:31:11,208
♪ ♪
819
00:31:11,333 --> 00:31:14,625
You carve the exact thing
you want to cast out of foam.
820
00:31:14,750 --> 00:31:18,333
This is what it will look like
when we get done.
821
00:31:18,458 --> 00:31:19,917
Then you pack it
in green sand...
822
00:31:20,042 --> 00:31:22,042
Here we go. You ready?
823
00:31:22,208 --> 00:31:23,958
And as you pour
the molten metal on it,
824
00:31:24,083 --> 00:31:25,417
it evaporates the foam
825
00:31:25,542 --> 00:31:27,792
and leaves you with the shape
that you desired.
826
00:31:27,875 --> 00:31:29,542
Nope. Nope.
827
00:31:29,708 --> 00:31:31,917
100% failure.
828
00:31:32,042 --> 00:31:34,333
Definitely not
a successful pour.
829
00:31:34,458 --> 00:31:36,625
There was too much moisture
in the mold.
830
00:31:36,708 --> 00:31:38,167
And it didn't cast all the way.
831
00:31:38,292 --> 00:31:40,125
Back to the drawing board.
832
00:31:40,250 --> 00:31:41,500
Oh.
833
00:31:45,500 --> 00:31:47,167
- My biggest thing today
is to get
834
00:31:47,333 --> 00:31:48,833
my horse head pommel
done.
835
00:31:48,917 --> 00:31:50,833
Nope.
836
00:31:50,917 --> 00:31:54,083
Definitely not
a successful pour.
837
00:31:54,208 --> 00:31:56,417
There was too much moisture
in the mold.
838
00:31:56,542 --> 00:31:58,000
And it didn't cast all the way.
839
00:31:58,083 --> 00:31:59,667
Let's do this.
840
00:31:59,792 --> 00:32:02,125
I'm gonna add more water
to my sand
841
00:32:02,208 --> 00:32:03,958
and give it a second shot.
842
00:32:04,083 --> 00:32:05,833
That was good, guys.
843
00:32:06,000 --> 00:32:07,583
That's exciting.
844
00:32:07,708 --> 00:32:11,750
After a little bit of sanding,
it'll look great.
845
00:32:11,875 --> 00:32:14,083
- Today is day three.
846
00:32:14,208 --> 00:32:16,875
So last night, got it quenched
and in temper.
847
00:32:17,042 --> 00:32:18,042
For today,
thinking about starting work
848
00:32:18,208 --> 00:32:19,792
on the pommel.
849
00:32:19,875 --> 00:32:21,000
And I knew my dad and
my brother were out hunting
850
00:32:21,083 --> 00:32:23,000
with the hawks;
I had them stop over so that
851
00:32:23,083 --> 00:32:24,667
I could get a nice look
at a 3-D bird.
852
00:32:24,792 --> 00:32:27,333
My dad's been a falconer
since before I was born,
853
00:32:27,458 --> 00:32:29,500
so I've always had hawks
my entire life.
854
00:32:29,583 --> 00:32:32,083
It's very lucky that
I'm able to incorporate this
855
00:32:32,208 --> 00:32:35,167
'cause that way I can do
a direct comparison.
856
00:32:35,250 --> 00:32:37,500
I've made good progress today
on my blade.
857
00:32:37,667 --> 00:32:39,417
But still, you never know
what's gonna happen.
858
00:32:39,542 --> 00:32:40,750
[indistinct]
859
00:32:40,875 --> 00:32:41,833
[metal clangs]
860
00:32:42,000 --> 00:32:43,667
♪ ♪
861
00:32:43,833 --> 00:32:46,458
That was purposeful.
It was a test. Strength test.
862
00:32:46,542 --> 00:32:48,292
♪ ♪
863
00:32:48,417 --> 00:32:51,167
- It's the last day
of the home forge.
864
00:32:51,292 --> 00:32:52,292
Today we're gonna start off
865
00:32:52,375 --> 00:32:54,583
by sculpting
a horse head pommel,
866
00:32:54,708 --> 00:32:57,250
and then we're gonna get to the
fit and finish of the blade.
867
00:32:57,375 --> 00:32:59,167
Clear out, birds. Come on.
Everybody out.
868
00:32:59,333 --> 00:33:00,792
[turkeys gobbling]
869
00:33:00,875 --> 00:33:03,167
My turkeys came in
to offer their two cents.
870
00:33:03,250 --> 00:33:05,500
But turkey logic just
isn't what it used to be.
871
00:33:05,625 --> 00:33:06,833
♪ ♪
872
00:33:06,917 --> 00:33:08,083
Okay.
873
00:33:08,208 --> 00:33:10,000
We have at least one good cast.
874
00:33:10,083 --> 00:33:13,167
I bet we can clean that one up
to make it work.
875
00:33:13,250 --> 00:33:15,083
The one thing you need
to worry about
876
00:33:15,208 --> 00:33:16,708
with this kind of handle
877
00:33:16,833 --> 00:33:19,542
is not getting your pieces
glued well enough.
878
00:33:19,708 --> 00:33:21,583
If you don't have your handles
glued well enough,
879
00:33:21,708 --> 00:33:23,917
it's not gonna make
a concentric handle.
880
00:33:24,042 --> 00:33:26,375
Oh, this leather's
really thick.
881
00:33:26,500 --> 00:33:29,333
I am nervous
going back into the forge.
882
00:33:29,417 --> 00:33:31,458
My competition's
gonna be good.
883
00:33:31,583 --> 00:33:34,292
But at the end of the day,
he's gonna bring his best.
884
00:33:34,417 --> 00:33:36,000
I brought my best.
We'll see what happens.
885
00:33:36,125 --> 00:33:41,208
♪ ♪
886
00:33:41,333 --> 00:33:42,500
Think that'll work.
887
00:33:42,667 --> 00:33:44,417
♪ ♪
888
00:33:44,542 --> 00:33:46,708
- Today's the beginning
of day four.
889
00:33:46,833 --> 00:33:49,625
I'm getting ready to go
into gluing the handle.
890
00:33:49,750 --> 00:33:52,000
We wanna make sure we get
everything glued up
891
00:33:52,083 --> 00:33:53,333
in one swift motion.
892
00:33:53,417 --> 00:33:55,375
That way,
we can get a clamp on this.
893
00:33:55,500 --> 00:33:56,500
We can get everything
compressed.
894
00:33:56,583 --> 00:34:00,792
♪ ♪
895
00:34:00,875 --> 00:34:02,875
Now the epoxy's all cured,
896
00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:03,875
I'm gonna start shaping
the handle.
897
00:34:04,000 --> 00:34:06,083
♪ ♪
898
00:34:06,208 --> 00:34:07,708
And then once I get
all the cleanup finished,
899
00:34:07,833 --> 00:34:09,000
pretty much all I have to do
is add an edge,
900
00:34:09,167 --> 00:34:10,000
and then we'll be done.
901
00:34:10,125 --> 00:34:12,417
♪ ♪
902
00:34:12,542 --> 00:34:14,750
And I'm really proud
of how this looks.
903
00:34:14,875 --> 00:34:17,792
[adventurous music]
904
00:34:17,875 --> 00:34:20,458
♪ ♪
905
00:34:20,542 --> 00:34:21,958
- Well, gentlemen,
welcome back to The Forge.
906
00:34:22,042 --> 00:34:23,042
It's good to see you.
907
00:34:23,167 --> 00:34:24,792
We gave you four days
to put together
908
00:34:24,875 --> 00:34:27,000
your very best versions
of the vaquero machete.
909
00:34:27,125 --> 00:34:29,000
I gotta say, we are impressed.
910
00:34:29,125 --> 00:34:30,208
But before we put them
to the test
911
00:34:30,333 --> 00:34:31,458
to find out which one of you
is coming out on top
912
00:34:31,542 --> 00:34:33,542
of this competition,
we wanna hear about them.
913
00:34:33,667 --> 00:34:34,875
Now, Greg, how'd it go for you?
914
00:34:35,000 --> 00:34:35,958
- Oh, it went wonderful.
915
00:34:36,042 --> 00:34:37,750
♪ ♪
916
00:34:37,875 --> 00:34:41,042
The machete's built out
of 1080 high-carbon steel.
917
00:34:41,167 --> 00:34:43,833
The pommel and the guard are
foam casted
918
00:34:43,958 --> 00:34:46,458
with a leather stacked grip
and turquoise accents.
919
00:34:46,542 --> 00:34:48,583
- Outstanding.
Eric, how about you?
920
00:34:48,708 --> 00:34:49,833
- Everything went really well
for me.
921
00:34:49,917 --> 00:34:52,292
♪ ♪
922
00:34:52,417 --> 00:34:55,000
I went with 70 layers
of 1084 and 15N20
923
00:34:55,125 --> 00:34:56,375
for the Damascus.
924
00:34:56,542 --> 00:34:57,667
Did brass
for the eagle head pommel
925
00:34:57,750 --> 00:34:59,125
and the S guard.
926
00:34:59,250 --> 00:35:00,125
And did some stacked leather
for the handle.
927
00:35:00,250 --> 00:35:01,708
- Sweet.
928
00:35:01,875 --> 00:35:03,083
All right, gentlemen,
in order to find out
929
00:35:03,208 --> 00:35:05,167
which one of you is coming out
on top of this competition,
930
00:35:05,333 --> 00:35:06,708
getting that check
931
00:35:06,875 --> 00:35:07,917
and the title
of "Forge in Fire" champion,
932
00:35:08,042 --> 00:35:09,625
we need to put your blades
through a series of tests.
933
00:35:09,708 --> 00:35:11,167
And for that,
I'm gonna give you to Doug.
934
00:35:11,292 --> 00:35:16,125
♪ ♪
935
00:35:16,208 --> 00:35:17,833
[whip cracks]
936
00:35:17,958 --> 00:35:24,333
♪ ♪
937
00:35:25,958 --> 00:35:27,708
- Howdy, partners.
938
00:35:27,833 --> 00:35:30,667
Welcome to the KEAL test.
939
00:35:30,792 --> 00:35:34,333
Your vaquero machetes
look beautiful.
940
00:35:34,500 --> 00:35:36,125
But how lethal are they?
941
00:35:36,250 --> 00:35:37,708
To find that out,
I'm gonna take their machetes
942
00:35:37,875 --> 00:35:39,958
and deliver some lethal blows
on this pig carcass.
943
00:35:40,042 --> 00:35:41,833
Greg, you feel lucky?
944
00:35:41,917 --> 00:35:44,667
- Oh, very lucky.
- All right, let's do this.
945
00:35:44,750 --> 00:35:47,292
- I'm almost giddy
with excitement
946
00:35:47,417 --> 00:35:49,500
because there is a big pig.
947
00:35:49,625 --> 00:35:53,167
My machete ought to be
a wonderful pork slicer.
948
00:35:53,250 --> 00:36:00,333
♪ ♪
949
00:36:17,542 --> 00:36:18,833
- All right, Greg,
950
00:36:18,917 --> 00:36:21,333
the leather wrapping that you
have here is nice and smooth.
951
00:36:21,458 --> 00:36:23,625
The handle is ovoid.
952
00:36:23,750 --> 00:36:27,875
The one thing, though,
that's just a lot of handle.
953
00:36:28,042 --> 00:36:31,167
And because you have
a smooth handle right here,
954
00:36:31,292 --> 00:36:33,125
couple of times,
my hand just slid down.
955
00:36:33,250 --> 00:36:36,750
♪ ♪
956
00:36:36,875 --> 00:36:39,917
But your edges are sharp.
957
00:36:40,042 --> 00:36:43,000
Those are razor-sharp cuts.
958
00:36:43,167 --> 00:36:45,917
Overall, sir, it will KEAL.
959
00:36:46,042 --> 00:36:47,500
- Ooh, thank you, Doug.
960
00:36:47,625 --> 00:36:49,042
- Eric, your turn.
Are you ready?
961
00:36:49,167 --> 00:36:51,250
- Let's do it.
- Let's do this.
962
00:36:51,375 --> 00:36:53,125
- I'm stressing out
over what my blade's gonna do.
963
00:36:53,208 --> 00:36:55,042
And after seeing
what Greg's just did,
964
00:36:55,167 --> 00:36:56,167
I'm even more nervous.
965
00:36:56,292 --> 00:37:03,417
♪ ♪
966
00:37:20,167 --> 00:37:22,833
- All right, Eric, let's talk
about your vaquero machete here.
967
00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:26,542
What I like about it is that
it just my hand perfectly.
968
00:37:26,667 --> 00:37:27,750
So it's locked in there.
969
00:37:27,875 --> 00:37:30,333
Now your edge,
that's a chevron right there
970
00:37:30,458 --> 00:37:31,667
all the way up.
971
00:37:31,792 --> 00:37:33,375
Those are very sharp,
deep cuts,
972
00:37:33,500 --> 00:37:35,000
even on thrusting.
973
00:37:35,125 --> 00:37:37,333
Overall, sir, it will KEAL.
974
00:37:37,458 --> 00:37:39,667
- Good to hear.
975
00:37:39,792 --> 00:37:42,250
♪ ♪
976
00:37:42,375 --> 00:37:44,250
- Hola, vaqueros.
Welcome to our strength test.
977
00:37:44,375 --> 00:37:46,083
The fence board and skull chop.
978
00:37:46,208 --> 00:37:47,667
[bull bellows]
979
00:37:47,792 --> 00:37:48,917
- All right, Greg,
you're up first, you ready?
980
00:37:49,042 --> 00:37:50,792
- Yes, sir.
981
00:37:50,875 --> 00:37:53,500
I see that buffalo head,
and I nearly pee.
982
00:37:53,625 --> 00:37:56,667
Buffalo heads are thick.
They are solid.
983
00:37:56,792 --> 00:37:59,583
They use those things to hit
each other all the time with.
984
00:37:59,708 --> 00:38:02,833
I don't know about my little
blade hitting it that hard.
985
00:38:02,958 --> 00:38:06,375
♪ ♪
986
00:38:09,917 --> 00:38:10,833
[dramatic music]
987
00:38:10,958 --> 00:38:12,167
- I see that buffalo head,
and I nearly pee.
988
00:38:12,333 --> 00:38:15,167
Buffalo heads are thick.
They are solid.
989
00:38:15,250 --> 00:38:18,167
I don't know about my little
blade hitting it that hard.
990
00:38:18,333 --> 00:38:25,125
♪ ♪
991
00:38:40,625 --> 00:38:43,500
- So Greg, right off,
blade held up beautifully.
992
00:38:43,583 --> 00:38:45,750
This thing is just as sharp
as when I started.
993
00:38:45,875 --> 00:38:47,833
Feels like a great fighter
to me.
994
00:38:47,917 --> 00:38:50,083
Only complaint I have
is that long handle.
995
00:38:50,208 --> 00:38:53,625
But other than that, the
artistry is really well done.
996
00:38:53,708 --> 00:38:55,083
That's a joy to use.
Nicely done.
997
00:38:55,208 --> 00:38:56,500
- Thank you.
998
00:38:56,625 --> 00:38:58,125
- Eric, you ready?
- Let's do it.
999
00:38:58,208 --> 00:38:59,167
- All right.
1000
00:38:59,292 --> 00:39:06,208
♪ ♪
1001
00:39:22,875 --> 00:39:25,167
- Bleep.
1002
00:39:25,250 --> 00:39:26,375
- All right,
so first off, Eric,
1003
00:39:26,542 --> 00:39:28,208
very different grind
on this edge
1004
00:39:28,375 --> 00:39:29,958
with that secondary bevel.
1005
00:39:30,083 --> 00:39:32,958
But it's wicked sharp,
and it's still sharp.
1006
00:39:33,083 --> 00:39:34,792
Held up fine.
Didn't lose any blade at all.
1007
00:39:34,917 --> 00:39:36,833
No rolls, no chips, nothing.
1008
00:39:36,917 --> 00:39:39,667
It's still as straight
as when I started.
1009
00:39:39,750 --> 00:39:41,833
Good job.
- Awesome, thank you.
1010
00:39:41,958 --> 00:39:43,875
♪ ♪
1011
00:39:44,000 --> 00:39:47,042
- Bladesmiths,
welcome to the sharpness test.
1012
00:39:47,167 --> 00:39:49,167
The gunslinger slice.
1013
00:39:49,292 --> 00:39:51,000
- Yeehaw.
1014
00:39:51,125 --> 00:39:52,500
- Greg, you're up first.
You ready for this?
1015
00:39:52,583 --> 00:39:53,583
- Absolutely.
1016
00:39:53,708 --> 00:39:55,792
- All right, giddy up!
1017
00:39:55,917 --> 00:40:02,750
♪ ♪
1018
00:40:20,500 --> 00:40:21,917
All right, Greg.
1019
00:40:22,042 --> 00:40:23,708
Nicely done.
1020
00:40:23,875 --> 00:40:26,708
Those are very sharp,
clean cuts
1021
00:40:26,833 --> 00:40:30,125
on, I'd say, at least
three layers of clothing.
1022
00:40:30,250 --> 00:40:33,167
Your weapon, it will cut.
1023
00:40:33,333 --> 00:40:35,125
- Thank you.
1024
00:40:35,250 --> 00:40:36,833
- Eric, your turn, sir. Ready?
1025
00:40:36,958 --> 00:40:38,792
- Let's do it.
- Let's do this.
1026
00:40:38,875 --> 00:40:45,667
♪ ♪
1027
00:41:05,000 --> 00:41:06,042
All right, Eric.
1028
00:41:06,208 --> 00:41:08,833
The edges are sharp enough
to cut through all layers
1029
00:41:08,917 --> 00:41:10,500
and expose some of the blood.
1030
00:41:10,625 --> 00:41:13,500
Overall, sir, your weapon
will cut.
1031
00:41:13,625 --> 00:41:14,583
- Thank you.
1032
00:41:14,708 --> 00:41:15,750
[whip cracks]
1033
00:41:15,875 --> 00:41:16,917
- All right, gentlemen.
1034
00:41:17,042 --> 00:41:18,167
Well, I gotta say,
both of you impressed us
1035
00:41:18,250 --> 00:41:19,542
from the very beginning
of this competition.
1036
00:41:19,708 --> 00:41:22,333
The first two rounds,
you guys crushed it.
1037
00:41:22,417 --> 00:41:23,583
But this competition,
as you know,
1038
00:41:23,708 --> 00:41:26,500
only one of you can leave here
as a "Forged in Fire" champion
1039
00:41:26,625 --> 00:41:28,667
and receive that check
for $10,000.
1040
00:41:28,792 --> 00:41:30,250
The "Forged in Fire"
champion is...
1041
00:41:30,375 --> 00:41:33,958
♪ ♪
1042
00:41:34,042 --> 00:41:36,625
Eric.
Congratulations, you did it.
1043
00:41:36,750 --> 00:41:38,583
Now, Greg,
you have a ton to be proud of.
1044
00:41:38,708 --> 00:41:41,000
That is an unbelievably
beautiful piece.
1045
00:41:41,125 --> 00:41:44,125
But you lost by just this much,
and Dave's gonna tell you why.
1046
00:41:44,208 --> 00:41:46,708
- Greg, the artistry
you brought to that blade
1047
00:41:46,875 --> 00:41:48,833
is fantastic.
That pommel is beautiful.
1048
00:41:48,917 --> 00:41:51,875
This really came down
to the scale of that handle.
1049
00:41:52,000 --> 00:41:53,208
And that's why
we're sending you home.
1050
00:41:53,333 --> 00:41:54,333
- Thank you.
1051
00:41:54,500 --> 00:41:56,625
- Well, Greg, I hope you had
as much fun working here
1052
00:41:56,708 --> 00:41:58,083
as we had watching you.
1053
00:41:58,208 --> 00:42:00,458
That is an unbelievably
stunning piece.
1054
00:42:00,542 --> 00:42:02,583
But unfortunately, your time
in the competition has ended.
1055
00:42:02,708 --> 00:42:03,792
I want to say
thank you for coming.
1056
00:42:03,875 --> 00:42:05,083
But at this point in time,
I'm gonna have to ask you
1057
00:42:05,208 --> 00:42:06,417
to please step off
The Forge floor.
1058
00:42:06,542 --> 00:42:08,333
- Thank you.
1059
00:42:08,417 --> 00:42:09,958
Take care, man.
1060
00:42:10,083 --> 00:42:13,708
I have no shame coming
in second to this young man.
1061
00:42:13,875 --> 00:42:15,458
The check
would have been nice.
1062
00:42:15,583 --> 00:42:16,625
The title
would have been nicer.
1063
00:42:16,750 --> 00:42:21,292
But remember, I'm still
the fastest blade in the West.
1064
00:42:21,417 --> 00:42:23,458
[whip cracks]
1065
00:42:23,583 --> 00:42:25,792
- Well, Eric, you are the
"Forged in Fire" champion,
1066
00:42:25,875 --> 00:42:27,542
and you're receiving a check
for $10,000.
1067
00:42:27,667 --> 00:42:29,042
Congratulations.
- Thank you.
1068
00:42:29,167 --> 00:42:30,458
♪ ♪
1069
00:42:30,542 --> 00:42:32,250
- How are you feeling?
- Crazy.
1070
00:42:32,375 --> 00:42:34,208
Never thought I'd be here
at this young.
1071
00:42:34,333 --> 00:42:36,583
I don't even know how to react.
It feels surreal.
1072
00:42:36,708 --> 00:42:38,167
From start to finish,
1073
00:42:38,333 --> 00:42:40,167
it's been a crazy,
crazy competition.
1074
00:42:40,333 --> 00:42:42,625
And my uncle, he was probably
my biggest drive
1075
00:42:42,750 --> 00:42:44,708
to win it.
Uncle Chuck, this is for you.
1076
00:42:44,833 --> 00:42:50,125
♪ ♪