Was Josh Smith Forged in Fire?
Josh Smith: The best Smith on Forged in Fire who didn't Win. Josh Smith is incredibly talented. He was the youngest ABS Master Smith at age 19. He came into Season 3 Episode 5: The Kora Sword, with 25 years of experience.
Neilson. J. Neilson has been making knives for 20 years and is one of the best all-round bladesmiths in the world.
Forged in Fire returns with a new series and a new presenter in Grady Powell who replaces Will Willis. While the host has changed, edged weapon combat specialist Doug Marcaida and Mastersmith J. Neilson return to put the bladesmiths through their paces.
It turns out, after getting eliminated on the show, contestants are required to leave behind any blades and weapons that they were working on. This is because the show is filmed in New York, and New York knife laws state that it is illegal for a weapon to be manufactured on television unless that weapon is a prop.
Bob Kramer (born 1958) is an American bladesmith, "widely considered the greatest American knifesmith working today". Some consider his kitchen knives to be "the best in the world". His first knife shop in Seattle, Bladesmiths, opened in 1993.
Why do the judges on Forged in Fire put their offhand against their chest/stomach when doing weapons tests? It's a traditional place for the off hand in many martial arts, particularly many Filipino ones (which is the background the Forged in Fire folks tend to have).
So, what about the remuneration? Do the contestants appearing on Forged in Fire get a standard fee? As a fast-spreading rumor has it, only the winners get paid. The rest of the crowd, some fans hypothesize, only get exposure.
It turns out, he needed to take a leave of absence to have surgery on his hand, and fellow ABS Master Smith Jason Knight stood in for him while he recovered. The contestants are given specific instructions to forge historical edged weapons, and the one that succeeds in impressing the judges wins $10,000.
Are blacksmiths in “Forged in Fire” real? They are. Some very fine smiths have been on the program. BUT: The program is staged, and not reality at all!
J. Neilson suffers a catastrophic failure, which sends him to the ER.
Why isn't Wil Willis the host of Forged in Fire anymore?
It seems that at least for now, Willis is focusing on his young family and planning the next stage of his career. And even though "Forged in Fire" won't be the same without him, Powell appears to be giving it his all as the long-running show's new host.
Yep, 'Forged in Fire's David Baker's Eye Injury Happened on the Job. The judges on HISTORY's Forged in Fire are each quite respected for their abilities when it comes to smithing and weapons-making, but all that skill and experience doesn't mean their work isn't dangerous.

The meat used on 'Forged in Fire' is not going to waste.
While many worried the meat was going unused, Bill Goldberg, the host of the Forged in Fire spinoff series, Knife or Death, confirmed that the meat does not go to waste.
But according to some former contestants, there are a lot of components of the show that are very much real. Reddit user /rdeker posted about his experience on the show and confirmed that while he couldn't spill all of the details, the show definitely keeps it a little bit realistic.
What happens to all the knives and swords made on Forged in Fire? According to a History Channel spokesperson, the losers get their weapons back. The winning weapon “is vaulted and used for displays on The Winners Wall and various other places.”
1. Victorinox Classic SD Swiss Army Knife. We're starting off the list with one of the most iconic knives around the world. With its vibrant red scales and recognizable symbol, Victorinox Swiss Army knives established a new genre of knives with a versatile design that's been acknowledged as one of the best ever.
Yes, this “everyman's knife” still costs $300 (ha, ha, ha). So, let's take a look at what you get: …you get the very same material as the Bob Kramer knives that come out of his shop—52100 steel.
Rank | Brand Name | % Able to Recall |
---|---|---|
4 | CRKT | 62.9% |
3 | Kershaw | 94.9% |
2 | Benchmade | 94.3% |
1 | Spyderco | 98.3% |
The weapons featured on the show are put to a series of rigorous tests. In this context, 'It will KEAL!' is used to describe a design that has passed the test. Its opposite — 'It will not KEAL!' — denotes a contestant's failure to create a robust enough blade that could slice through any and all materials fathomable.
Felicia Howard is a professional bladesmith from Catoosa who recently took home the grand prize on the cable show Forged in Fire. Howard isn't the the first Oklahoman to win it, but she is the youngest woman to ever win! Howard joined the News On 6 team on Thursday to talk about her big win.
How much time do Forged in Fire contestants get at home forge?
It's not uncommon for a contestant's blade to shatter or lose its edge. The final two contestants are sent to their home forges to recreate an historic weapon in five days, which is also put through a series of difficult tests.
Contestants are given 3 hours to forge a bar into a blade profile, which then is supposed to be 'tempered' (as I will elaborate on, this is in fact quench hardening only). Sometimes they start with a fixed material not shown until they start, sometimes they can select from several types.
He has an estimated net worth of $1 million as of 2021. Where does J Neilson live?? He currently lives in Towanda, Pennsylvania, together with his wife and two children.
Filming an episode of Forged in Fire is no easy process. Participants often have to film for up to more than a week for a single episode. This can involve wearing the same clothes every day and having to work for up to 13 hours at a time in order to get the required footage and complete their challenges.
Ben Abbott, a nine-time Forged in Fire champion as of February 2022, debuted as a judge starting with the 21st episode of the fourth season.
Ben Abbott, a two-time Forged in Fire champion, debuted as a judge starting with the 21st episode of the fourth season. Abbott would replace Neilson in some episodes during the fifth and sixth seasons.
How long does it take to film one episode of Forged in Fire? DM: It takes about eight days for each episode to be completed.
When Season 8 of Forged in Fire began airing on the History Channel earlier this year, fans were upset to see the show's original host Wil Willis had been replaced.
He left or parted ways before season 8 started filming for a multiple number of reasons. One, he wanted more control and FIF wasn't willing to give it to him. Two, he wasn't on the best terms with the judges. Three, he was tired of saying the same stuff.
Unfortunately for fans, History has yet to issue a press release addressing the fast-proliferating rumors. At present, it's uncertain if Wil had any intention of returning to the show. Additionally, Forged in Fire has not yet been renewed for Season 10.
Was Doug marcaida in the military?
At age 25 he discovered his love for Filipino Martial Arts, and the rest is history. A US military veteran, who served in the US Air Force for 8 years, and then pursued a career as a Respiratory Therapist for 20 years, all the while teaching and honing his skills as a Filipino martial artist.
During Season 3, fans worried that J. had decided to leave the show when he was missing from the judges' panel. Thankfully, J. returned after taking a leave of absence to have surgery on his hand, with fellow ABS Master Smith Jason Knight standing in for him while he recovered.
"KEAL" is an acronym for "Keep Everyone Alive." In other words, the sentence emphasizes the importance of celebrating the art of forgery without causing harm. The weapons featured on the show are put to a series of rigorous tests.
"I was injured during one of our tests. I was testing a heavy blade that was not very sharp against a dry, rubbery ballistics dummy where the shock of the cut and impact injured my rotator cuff," Doug explained in an interview with OffGrid Magazine.
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Knife or Death | |
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Original release | April 17, 2018 – September 19, 2019 |
Felicia Howard is a professional bladesmith from Catoosa who recently took home the grand prize on the cable show Forged in Fire. Howard isn't the the first Oklahoman to win it, but she is the youngest woman to ever win! Howard joined the News On 6 team on Thursday to talk about her big win.
Four bladesmiths are given a special assignment when they are tasked with forging Doug Marcaida's favorite blade: the Karambit.
Doug Marcaida nationality is American, and he is of Filipino ethnicity and origin.
On Forged in Fire, there can only be one winner; the others must relinquish their blade and leave the set, with nothing. It is actually against the law for the contestants to leave with the weapons that they fashion.