All language subtitles for Forged.in.Fire.S09E21.720p.WEB.h264-BAE

- Tonight on "forged in fire,"

Two teams enter the forge
together to compete

In an epic,
never-before-seen showdown.

But after competing as allies,

The victorious pair
will be divided

And forced to face each other
for the title.

- It's a little nerve-racking.

- This intense competition
begins now.

- I'm josh hardman,

And I'm 18 years old

From colorado springs, colorado.

- I'm max harter,
I'm 18 years old,

And I'm from colorado springs,
colorado.

- Copycat.

'cause I'm from colorado.

- We know each other
from working together.

- Josh and I are both
full-time blacksmiths,

Bladesmiths, and welders.

- Max and I are
real close friends.

We see each other all day
pretty much every day.

- You ready?
- Ready.

- All right.

- I'm dan lewis.
- Name's tony lewis.

And we're brothers.

We are definitely competitive.

I mean, we're gonna
take this challenge,

We're gonna give it
everything we've got,

And we want to win.

- We say lewises never lose.
We win, or we learn.

We learn.

- Well, bladesmiths,
welcome to the forge.

Gentlemen,
the four of you are here

To compete in a very unique spin

In our bladesmithing competition

That's gonna test every
aspect of your skills.

Now, you need to impress
these judges

Because they're the ones
who will be deciding

Which one of you
is coming out on top

And getting that check
for 10 grand.

Now, bladesmiths, you probably
noticed that things

Are a little bit
different today.

We didn't have four strangers
walk into the forge

To compete against each other.

Today we've got two pairs.

Max and josh,
you guys are friends.

Tony, dan,
you guys are brothers.

Not only that; you guys aren't
standing behind our anvils,

And we didn't ask you
to bring any tools with you.

Well, in fact,
you're not gonna be

Swinging a hammer at all today,

And you won't be competing
in this forge.

When we get done here,

The four of you
are gonna turn around

And head directly back
to your home forges,

Where each pair of smiths
will be working together

At your home forge to build
an iconic weapon from history.

You guys will have four days,

And next time
you enter this forge,

Your blades will immediately
be put through

A series of tests.

And our judges will decide

Which pair
has impressed them the most

And who will move forward

In the final round
of competition.

Now, this is where things
get interesting.

Although you came here
with a teammate,

Only one of you will leave here
with a victory.

The two smiths who impress
the judges the most

In the first round
of competition

Will go into the final round,
but you will not be competing

Alongside your partner.

You'll be competing
against them.

It'll either be bud versus bud

Or blood versus blood.

- We win the first round,

That's gonna be a win
for both of us.

And then it'll be fun

To compete against
each other too.

We'll see who comes out on top.

- All right, guys.
Let's get into it.

Under this tarp here, there is
an iconic weapon from history

That you will be building
with your partner

At your home forges.

Gentlemen,
we want you to build this.

The scottish broadsword.

- The scottish broadsword
rose to prominence

During the late 17th century.

This intricate weapon features
a long double-edged blade

With a dual-purpose basket hilt

Designed to protect the hand
and to be used

To punch an opponent
in close-quarter combat.

This weapon's profile and hilt

Are similar
to the scottish backsword

Featured in season seven
on "forged in fire,"

Which proved
to be a difficult build,

And ultimately a basket hilt
that hurt the user...

- Ah!

- Cost one of the smiths
the competition.

- Now, the blades you bring back

Need to fall within
these parameters.

Your blade length,
measured from tip to guard,

Needs to be between
29 and 31 inches.

You need to have a fuller
on both sides of that blade.

It also needs to feature
an intricate hilt

That fully encompasses
its wielder's hand.

- We haven't built a sword
this big or this intricate,

So this will absolutely
be a big challenge for us.

- But we are very organized,
and we will come up

With a good plan
to use the time wisely.

- There's a lot going on,

And you only have four days
to do it.

Gentlemen,
without further ado, good luck.

We will see you in four days.

Good luck.

- Day one, our game plan is,

We're gonna split up
the work evenly between us.

He's gonna work
on mostly the blade,

And I'm gonna work mostly
on the hilt.

That way, we both have
enough time to do both.

- I'm going to be doing
a multibar twist damascus

With a solid 1085 wrap
on the edge.

It'll give a little bit of a pop

And be a real nice
solid steel in the core.

First thing
I'm gonna get started on

Is forging two billets of steel.

And then I will twist one
one direction,

And the other billet
the opposite direction

And then forge
both those together.

It's a little time-consuming,
but it's fun.

- For the hilt,
I'm going with a mild steel.

That way, it's easy to move,

And I don't have to worry
about it splitting

Or potentially cracking.

- That's looking really good.
I like it.

- Cool.

- I got my weld set, drawn out,

And so should have it twisted
within an hour.

- Perfect.

- Twisting the damascus steel
that large

Is really difficult.

But it went fine,
and it's ready to go.

After I've twisted the two
billets and re-squared it,

It's looking great
and ready to be cut up

And forge welded
to the other pieces.

- That thing's huge.

- It's a little larger
than I was expecting,

But that'll be okay.

I'll have more than enough
material to work with,

And I feel like
we're both on schedule,

So we're all ready for tomorrow.

All right.

- It's the morning of day one.

We're back in our home forge,

And we're excited
to get started.

- Fire up the forge.

Today we're gonna try
to get the steel drawn out,

Get our shape,

And actually get the steel
into the quench.

- First challenge is getting
our blade just right.

We want to make sure
this is a blade

That's gonna stand up
to the test.

The blade is made out
of 5160 spring steel.

We're not doing any
damascus in the blade.

- Yeah, whenever you do
damascus, you can mess it up.

- Tip's getting hot.

- Yup.

Tony and I are always
working together.

We're always learning
from each other.

And so it's been a family thing.

We argue now and then,
but mostly we get along.

And we're pretty good
at working things out.

We don't fight each other a lot.

- We're gonna work on the tang
and shaping it.

- We've got a guillotine press
that we're gonna use

To pinch both sides.

- And then from there,
we use the press

To continue to draw
the tang out.

- Like butter.

We haven't really quenched
anything that long before.

- The blade is extremely heavy,

And there's a lot of potential
for it to bend,

And so we're just
constantly watching

To make sure
the blade's straight.

- You got a straight blade.

Looking good.

- End of day one,
and we did exactly

What we set out to do,

To get a hard, straight blade.

Ready to move on
to some of the next steps,

But it's a huge relief
to get that behind us.

Whoo!

- Here we go.

- First thing today is,
I'm gonna

Keep on working on that hilt,

See how much
progress I can make.

I'm working on getting this
side to match that first one.

I really have to pay
attention to the symmetry

Because if it's not symmetrical,

Your eye will be
immediately drawn to that,

And it might cost us
when it comes to judging.

- I've got a tiny bit left
to do on the blade,

So I'm gonna have josh
double strike with me

To get that set.

- Max and I have both
double striked for each other

Quite a bit before,

So we both have
that rhythm going.

Double striking makes it
super quick and super fun.

- I've gone through

My normalizing
and thermal cycles,

So the next thing
to do is quench.

If this goes well, we'll have
a blade that's very flexible

But also have
a really strong edge.

All right.

One of the really nice things
about working with a partner,

Especially on a sword,

Is, when I pull it
out of the oil,

I can have josh set it in
the straightening jig for me,

And that'll make it go
a lot smoother.

- Cool.

That felt good.

- That's it.
- That's it.

Awesome.

- Day two.

- We're feeling pretty good
this morning.

We feel like we're on schedule,

Maybe a little bit
ahead of schedule,

But we're anxious
to get going today

And make some more progress.

- I'm gonna focus
on taking as much weight off

Of that blade as possible.

A sword that's too heavy
will get us eliminated,

So we've got to get some
of those basics just right.

When it comes time
to the basket,

I've been taking
the lead on that

And planning a little bit.

We've never made a hilt
like this before.

Definitely a challenge.

I was able to mock up a form,
basically a model,

That we can use
to just form our pieces

And get the shape right
for that basket.

- I definitely think
a little bit bigger

Is better in this case.

We just don't want anyone to
get hurt swinging that sword

Or be too tight or
uncomfortable for the judge.

- We chose to do damascus
to build the basket

Just to give it a little
more character

To get
those nice color contrasts.

- Completed the fuller,
did all the bevels.

You get in a groove and...

Literally in a groove
with the fuller.

But once you get started, you
feel like, "I just can't stop.

I got to keep on going
till I get this right."

- We're tired,
been working all day,

But feeling pretty good
about where we're at.

- Certainly
to be able to have a blade

That looks like a sword,

Pretty excited about getting

Through a few
of those milestones.

- It's the morning of day three.

This morning, I'm gonna
finish up the hilt.

- And then I'm gonna
do finish grind

And hand-sanding on the blade.

- I feel like we're making
really good progress,

So we just have to continue that

Through the next couple days.

- I completed the finish grind,

And it's looking real great,

So now it's on to hand-sanding.

Hand-sanding is
one of my least favorite parts

Of making blades.

But I'm real happy
with how it's going.

- I'm about to go sandblast
the hilt real quick

Just to see if my grind lines
are still there

Or if I need to polish it
a little bit more.

It's looking really good,
so I'll just move on.

- It's the end of day three.

Plan for tomorrow is,

We'll get the handle
and pommel polished up,

Do the finish on the guard,
and etch the blade.

And then
it's on to final assembly.

- I feel like we're,
like, just right on schedule.

- We're right on schedule.

Cool.

- So it's day three.

The big thing today
is getting the basket finished.

- And we're starting to
assemble the pieces together.

- Well, the leather
is gonna come up too.

- Yeah.

- Eventually, we're gonna put on

Some leather
over that handle and some wire

And make it look like
a real authentic sword.

- We have the guard
and the loop.

And now we need
to attach side pieces to it

And connect it together
to just start building

The structure of our basket.

The brown leather that
we use to wrap the handle

Is from an elk
that I harvested in arizona.

- And then
I also braided the wiring.

Historically, the wire
was what actually held on

To the leather piece.

Also, it just creates
a great feel to the handle.

All right.

- Going into
the last day tomorrow,

The goal is to continue to put

The rest of the basket together,

And then it's gonna be
a lot of fit and finish.

And in my mind,
I wanted to be further ahead.

I wanted to have
that basket all put together.

We still need to put
a good edge on the blade,

So definitely
feeling the pressure.

- It's the morning of day four.

We've got the blade
finish ground,

And the guard
is almost finished,

So it's just a lot
of polish work today.

- One of the biggest things
I have to do today

Is blacken the hilt,
so I'm gonna do that

By heating it up
with the oxyacetylene torch

And then beeswaxing it.

- We are naming this the raven.

Ravens are a big part
of scottish culture,

So we're going with that since
it's a scottish broadsword.

- And it just really helps
seal it up and give it

A nice finished look to it.

Now it's time to etch.

- Whoa.

Look at that.

- The etch is done,
so it's time to move on

To final assembly.

We just have to make sure

We've got everything
laid out right

So we don't put anything
on backwards.

And we got to make sure
we keep epoxy off of the liner

Or any stuff like that
that we don't want glued.

- But it's probably one
of the smoothest glue-ups

We've ever done before.

Nice.

- Blade turned out
really, really good,

So now we got to test it.

Wow.

- We're feeling great.

- Yeah, I think we did
awesome on this sword.

Super easy to slice
through those water bottles.

I think it'll do well.

- All right,
it's the final day today,

So we're gonna use every bit
of time we have today

To get it as good as we can.

- Focus for the first
few hours is just getting

A final appleseed edge
to that blade.

So it's sharp,
but it also can take a hit.

So if it's hit against a
shield or something like that,

I know that that edge
is gonna hold up.

- So I start off this morning

With a lot of tedious bending
and molding the little pieces

That needed to be incorporated
into the basket.

All right. Getting there.

We want a sword that's gonna
have good balance to it.

It's gonna feel good in the hand

So that it tests well
and the judges like it.

So I think we've got
to start to incorporate

Some drill holes
into the basket.

It's gonna take away some
of the weight on the hilt.

- Did the final glue-up,

Put some final touches
on the blade, and we're done.

- Take the tape off
and do some testing.

- Didn't have a moment
to sit down and rest,

But feels amazing
to be done with it.

And we feel like we got
a pretty awesome sword.

- Well, bladesmiths,
welcome back to the forge.

So for the past four days,

You were back
at your home forges

Working on your
scottish broadswords.

I got to say, these things
look absolutely epic.

But at the end of this testing,

Only one pair will move forward

In the final round
of competition

To go head-to-head
with your partner.

But before we get into testing,
want to hear about them.

So, max, josh,
how'd it go for you?

- It went really smooth.

I did a multibar twist
damascus core

With a solid 1085 wrap.

- Forged-blackened hilt

With a fluted
african blackwood handle

And then
a highly polished pommel.

- Absolutely stunning, guys.

All right, dan, tony,
how about you guys?

How'd it go?
- No lie, it was a challenge.

It was definitely a challenge.

We have
a 5160 spring steel blade

Incorporated with some
damascus that we drew out

To build the basket
and the hilt.

- The scottish broadsword
traditionally used

A white piece of deer pelt...
That's in there as well...

And then a leather piece
that tony harvested as well.

- Both these blades
look absolutely phenomenal,

But the best way
we know how to find out

Which of our pairs of smiths

Is gonna move forward
into the final round

Is by putting them
through a few tests.

Starting off, we got dynamic
strength test with dave.

- I feel like
I should be wearing a kilt.

All right, gentlemen, this is
our dynamic strength test,

The shield chop
and foam tube slice.

All right, max, josh,
you're up first.

Are you ready for this?

- We're ready.
- Oh, yeah.

- Okay.

- I'm just super excited.

I'm really proud
of what we made.

- I know.
I'm really proud of it.

Josh did an incredible job
on the hilt.

I love the way the blade turned
out, so we're ready for it.

Obviously,
they're trying to break it,

So anything can happen,

But we've done our best to
make it hold up to their test.

- So all right,
max, josh, first off,

What I really love
is that pattern on the blade.

That's just beautiful work.

That's nicely, nicely done.

You really didn't lose any edge.

I mean, this test wasn't about

What the sword
did to the shield,

But I certainly wouldn't want
to be behind that thing.

Your guard, I like this.

It's kind of like
that mary rose hilt,

An early basket hilt.

And I do like this hilt style

'cause it's really nice
and smooth inside there.

And your handle is a good shape.

It's got a really nice
fluted grip.

And controlling this,

I mean, I can cut all day
with this thing.

So nicely done.

Thank you.

- All right, tony, dan,
you guys ready?

- Ready.
- Absolutely.

- Okay.

- The home forge
was a lot of hard work,

But we feel good about
the blade that we produced.

- We came together,
worked together well,

Put a lot of heart
and soul into it.

We're a little nervous,
of course,

But we feel like
we've built a good blade

And it's gonna hold up well
and do well.

- All right, so right off,

Scale-wise,
it's a little on the wide side.

You don't quite
need that much room.

You could have been probably

A half inch tighter
on either side,

And it would have brought the
scale down just a little bit.

I like the design
you put in there. It's great.

Your edge right here
in the sweet spot,

I can literally push my
fingertip against that edge.

It's just not very sharp
right there.

And I don't think it dulled
because of the wooden shield.

I don't think it took
any damage there.

So I'm just not sure
that that one section

Was as sharp
as it could have been,

And I felt it in the cuts.

But all in all,
fine-looking blade.

It's got a good feel to it,
so nicely done.

- Thank you.

- Bladesmiths, welcome
to the dynamic sharpness test.

I'll be taking
your scottish broadswords,

Bashing them into this sword,

Then cut this pig carcass.

Max, josh, you're up first.
Ready?

- We're ready.
- Oh, yeah.

- Let's do this.

- The swords are kind of scary

'cause that's a really tough
test on any blade.

- There's always a chance
that something could happen.

- The swords are kind of scary

'cause that's a really tough
test on any blade.

- There's always a chance
that something could happen.

- All right, josh, max,
your basket hilt

Fits my hand snugly,
almost perfectly.

Now, your edge, you got
some chips on your blade here,

But it didn't
affect the cutting.

Overall,
the wieldability feels good,

And your weapon, it will cut.

- Thank you.

- Tony, dan, your turn.
You ready?

- Ready.
- Let's do this.

Tony, dan, let's talk about
your scottish broadsword here.

When I picked it up, it's got
a very nice balance to it.

It's wieldable.

It's slightly lighter
than the other blade.

Your handle construction
is comfortable.

Now, your edge.

You have a stouter edge here.

And when I was hitting
on those swords,

You have one roll on your blade.

But your edge is sharp enough
to cut the pig carcass,

Even on the stabbing.

Overall, your weapon...

It will cut.

- Wow.

- All right, gentlemen,
right from the beginning

Of this competition,
we've kind of been

In uncharted waters.

For the first time ever,
we've sent four smiths back

To their home forges
to build a blade

In tandem with a partner.

Now, all four of you should be
extremely proud of your work.

You've brought back
two beautiful swords

That did perform well,

And it made
for a very difficult decision

For our judges.

But they did make
a final decision.

The bladesmiths leaving
the forge are...

Tony and dan.

Unfortunately, your blade
did not make the cut,

And dave's gonna tell you why.

- Tony, dan, both blades
are fantastic-looking,

And both blades
took some damage.

But basically,
this came down to performance,

And in the end,
your blade was just outcut,

And that's why
you're going home.

- Understand.

- Well, gentlemen,
unfortunately,

Your time in this competition
has ended.

I'm gonna have
to ask you to please

Step off the forge floor.
- Thank you.

- Thank you.
- Good job, guys.

- Good job, guys.
- Good job.

- We're a little disappointed
we didn't make it,

But we're proud of what we did.

This has been an incredible
time, absolute blast.

And to be able
to do this together,

To experience this
together as brothers

Has been pretty amazing.

Obviously,
knowing what we know now,

We certainly would have changed

That edge geometry a little bit.

Max and josh
are excellent bladesmiths.

I mean, one of them is gonna be

The "forged in fire" champion,
and we're excited for them.

- Max, josh, gentlemen,
congratulations.

Your hard teamwork has paid off

And vaulted you into this final
round of competition.

Now, we know
you're both talented smiths

When you work together.

But in this round,
the gloves are off.

We're gonna find out
which one of you

Has what it takes to become
the "forged in fire" champion

And receive a check for $10,000

Going head-to-head
against your friend.

- I'm just gonna try
to make the best blade I can,

And josh is gonna do the same.

And this is gonna be
a really close competition.

It's real exciting.

- Now, gentlemen,
this final round

Consists of five straight hours

Where you'll be building
a blade from start to finish.

You have free range
of all of our tools

And all the materials
in our pantry.

Most importantly, we've got
a ton of great steel.

We got 1095, 15n20, 80crv2,

As well as fillings
for canisters.

You guys can choose to use
any of those materials

In a pick-your-own-damascus
challenge.

Now, guys, with those
materials, we have chosen

What blade we want you to build.

Congratulations.

Your hard teamwork has paid off

And vaulted you into this final
round of competition.

But in this round,
the gloves are off.

Now, we're gonna find out
which one of you

Has what it takes to become
the "forged in fire" champion,

Going five straight hours

In a choose-your-own-damascus
competition,

Head-to-head
against your friend.

Now, gentlemen, we have chosen

What blade we want you to build.

You're gonna be building this...

The kindjal sword.

- Tracing its roots back
to the third century b.C.,

The kindjal sword
remains popular in georgia

To this day.

Featuring a double-edged blade
and distinctive hilt,

This weapon was ideal for
stabbing and slashing enemies

In close-quarter combat.

The kindjal was such
a lethal weapon,

The russian army
continued to carry

This fierce blade in battle
well into the 20th century.

- Now, guys,
the blades you turn in

Need to fall
within these parameters.

You need to have a slightly
curved double-edged blade

That measures between 17
and 19 inches of cutting edge,

Needs to have a fuller running
up both sides of the blade,

And it needs to have a full
tang handle construction

That includes the profile
of a guard and a pommel.

- In the first build,

I had four days
to work on the blade,

And I got to work
with josh on a lot.

And now I've got five hours
to make a short sword myself,

So this is gonna be tougher.

- Now, by the end
of the five hours,

Those blades need
to be quenched, hardened,

And acid etched
and ready for testing,

'cause that's exactly
what our judges are gonna do

And decide which one of you

Has impressed them the most
and earns the title

Of "forged in fire" champion
and gets a check for $10,000.

So without further ado,

Gentlemen, we have five hours
on the clock.

So good luck. Stay sharp.

Your time starts now.

This is a cool competition

Because these are friends
out here on the forge floor

Competing against each other.

But at the end of the day,
this is for $10,000

And the title
of "forged in fire" champion.

- Well, at the end of the day,
you really are

Competing against yourself,
but it's nice

To be able to have
a buddy over there who says,

"hey, let's both make
our best blades

And see which wins."

- Which color was which?

- Blue's the 80crv2.

I'm gonna do stack.

Max is a super talented smith,

So it's gonna be
pretty tough to beat him.

I'm getting my steel
all ready to weld up.

I'm making damascus stack
out of 80crv2, 15n20, and 1095.

I really hope it makes
an interesting pattern.

I'm pretty used
to working with damascus.

I can normally forge weld it
pretty quickly.

- Now, we've seen what kind
of damascus that max can do.

He put together the steel for
the first round of competition.

We haven't yet seen
any of josh's damascus,

But he does come
from quite the pedigree.

- I got into bladesmithing

Because my dad started
doing it too, ron hardman,

And then he was also
"forged in fire" champion.

He went on
with my sister, jessie.

- I'm getting married
this summer.

Josh is actually one of my
groomsmen in my wedding,

So it's really exciting
to be here with him.

I know josh
is a really good bladesmith

And really good blacksmith
as well.

So I think this competition

Is gonna come down really close.

First thing I'm gonna do

Is get my billet of damascus
stacked up.

I definitely don't have time
to do mosaic

Or really high layer
in this build,

So going
for about 20 layers or so.

- It looks like
both of the smiths

Are gonna go for some kind
of layered damascus,

Both using all the
different steels we've got.

- These are gonna be two blades

With a low layer count
random pattern on either side,

Which I really like to see.

- I'm definitely gonna use
all five hours.

So I've got to really
get moving on it

And go as fast as I can.

- Max is rolling
the paper so carefully.

- You want paper for design?

- Oh, what a guy.

- Look at that.
- Look at those boys.

You boys.

- There's not a lot of time.

So while my steel's heating up,

I'm gonna make
a design for my blade.

It helps get a more
finished product in the end.

- Nice and toasty.

- I really want to make sure

That it's at a good temperature.

If I'm impatient
and try to press it before,

I'm not gonna get
a good weld on it.

- Having that steel
at an even temperature

Throughout the entire billet
before that first weld

Is pretty crucial.

- Once my steel is good and hot,

I take it over to the press
and try to set the weld.

- Looks like he's running
out a little bit of heat.

- Yeah.

- Oh, josh is opening up.

- I really don't want
to chase delaminations

Through my blade.

I really need to make sure that
I'm able to fix that quickly.

- Oh!

Riend versus friend
in the final challenge

Of our home forge battle.

And josh is fighting hard
to get back on track

After part of his
damascus billet failed to weld

On his first pass
through the press.

What does he need
to do right now

To make sure
he gets this redone?

- He needs to clean it, flux it,

And then set that weld
at the end.

- When you're setting welds
on a damascus billet,

You've just really got
to make sure

That you get all those cracks
sealed up.

- Here we go.
- Here we go.

- I'm gonna let my steel
heat up and then flux it

And then put it back in
and get it up

To forge welding temperatures.

I did it.

Everything is looking
solid right now,

So I just try to work it down
as fast as possible.

- Max's billet, you can see
how hot that billet is.

You can see the smoke
coming off of it,

Which I really like to see.

- Everything's looking
real solid.

It all feels like it's moving
in one solid piece,

So I'm gonna move on
to drawing it out.

I forget.

- Ah, okay.

- Making a sword of this length

Isn't gonna be a problem at all.

Just did a 30-inch broadsword,

So this is only 18 inches long.

And my blade's
looking really good.

I like how the tip's
coming out, so keep moving on.

- Bladesmiths,
one hour has elapsed.

- Now that I have a good
damascus billet drawn out,

Time to start shaping it.

It's a pretty
simple blade shape.

Got just a pointy end
and then a slight curve to it.

- Hey.

- Parameters,
if you need them. 18.

- 18?
- That's 2 inches.

- Thank you.

- Feel free to check.

- It's got two cutting edges.

Which one's
the forward-facing edge

When you're holding it
most of the time?

- It curves up

Away from the hand, so...
- Yeah, like a saber.

- Yeah, but you can use
the back edge

And do a wrapping kind of tuck.

These are not weapons
for puncturing armor.

They're for slashing skin.

- For the curve of the blade,

I'm just gonna kind of
tap it over the horn

And then also whack it
on the horn.

So it's pretty quick,

And it makes it
pretty gradual too.

- The curvature
looks nice to me.

It's subtle.

- Best way for me to do

One of these integral
guard and pommels

Is just to put the material
where I need it

And then grind it
the rest of the way.

I'm looking for a tool
that I can kind of fit

Into the shoulders
and push down material.

- The example we have,
the kindjal here, may look like

A straightforward blade,

But that integral guard
together with that pommel

And damascus in five hours,

That's a big task.

- I've done a lot
of blacksmithing,

So I think that skill is gonna
help a lot for this blade.

So I just take
some mild round bar

And weld it together
in the configuration I need.

- I love seeing
what max is doing,

Creating tools and moving steel.

- That'll work.
- Yeah.

- It's looking really good.

I've got all the material
where I want on the guard.

I'm gonna do a bit
more work on the pommel,

And then that'll be it
for forging.

- One of the requirements
is that there's

A fuller on both sides running
at least 2/3 of the length.

- That's a big fuller.

What sometimes happens
when people make a wider fuller

Is, their edge geometry changes
and the bevels become steeper,

Which makes for a thicker
center of the blade.

Doesn't cut as well.

- And it's a little
nerve-racking.

It's pretty easy to see
all the uneven grind marks

And wavering in the blade.

But I know that time
is gonna disappear quickly.

- Bladesmiths, you are down

To the final two hours
in this contest.

- Dude, that looks really good.

- Looks like max
is doing his final heat-up.

We're gonna see a quench here.

- I'm making sure
that this blade

Is as even of a heat
as I can get

So I don't have
any cold or hot spots.

If I have a cold spot,
that'll probably end up being

A soft spot in the blade.

If I have a hot spot,

That can cause
the grain to grow,

Which could then end up
being a weak spot.

- All right. Max is in the oil.

- It's perfectly straight.

Gotten a good hard blade.

I'm really happy with how
my blade's turning out.

I haven't had any issues
come up yet,

But we'll see how things go
down the road.

- These guys are
literally neck and neck.

This is gonna be a tight race

All the way to the finish,
guaranteed.

- A lot can happen in a quench,

Especially
for a blade this long.

Could have tendency to warp.

- Boom. In the oil.

- Everything looks pretty good.

There isn't a ton
of time in this round,

So I got to use my time wisely.

So while I let my blade
cool down from quench,

I'm gonna quickly take
a little bit of material

Off of my handle scales.

That way, makes grinding it
easier later.

- All right, bladesmiths,
you have one hour remaining

On the clock.

- I've already got
my scales and pins cut out,

So I just need to drill
the pin holes in the wood,

And then I will move on
to shaping the handle scales.

- I did a really complicated
damascus pattern

In josh and I's broadsword.

So I've shown what I can do
with damascus.

Right now, I'm just
gonna try to show

What I can do with finish work.

- I want to make sure
that I've got a good

Oval-shaped handle
that'll be able to index well.

Not too large, not too small.

Should fit
the judges' hands well.

I've got my handle
kind of rough shaped.

I'm just gonna leave it
at that for now,

And I'm gonna do a bit more
finish grinding on the blade.

- So next thing I'm doing
is start working on my handle.

I decided to make a mosaic pin.

It'll be pretty quick and just
take a couple extra minutes.

Little details, especially
when going up against max,

Is gonna be really important.

- It's a little bit
of extra flair.

I mean, in a competition
this close,

It could be the difference

Between taking home the title
and the cash

And going home empty-handed.

- My glue-up
goes super smoothly.

Get it all clamped together,

So that way,
I can work on the blade still.

- Max, josh,
you guys have 15 minutes.

Max is in the acid, guys.

He's shaped his handle up.

Now he's gonna get
an etch going on.

This should be a good-looking
blade when it comes out.

- It's really important
that I acid etch this blade.

If I don't, the judges

Aren't gonna be able
to see the pattern,

And that's the whole point
of doing this process.

After the acid etch,

I'm just gonna do some final
shaping on the handle

And then put an edge
on my blade.

- Now, they don't even know

What kind of tests
we're gonna be doing.

They've got to be
preparing for everything.

- I'm using the slack belt

So I get a nice strong
appleseed edge on the blade

Where it has a convex edge

So it'll have a real fine edge

But, at the same time,
be real strong.

- 60 seconds.

- Everything's looking good.

Turned out real nice, and we
were done ahead of schedule.

I don't have anything to do.
- Fruit snacks.

- Okay.
- What is this?

- We've got nothing left to do,

So we're gonna eat
some fruit snacks.

We give the smiths
the option to bring tools in,

And these guys bring candy.

- We snuck them in in max's bag.

I don't know if anybody's
ever eaten fruit snacks

On "forged in fire" before,

But if not, we're the first.

- Five, four, three, two, one.

Bladesmiths,
put down your candy.

This round is over!

- Josh and I both made
really good blades.

Either one of us can win.

We both feel real confident,

So we'll just see what happens.

- Bladesmiths, welcome
to the dynamic keal test.

To find out
how lethal your weapons are,

How sharp they are,

And how wieldable
they are in my hands,

I will take your kindjal swords

And deliver some lethal blows
to the ballistics dummy

And try to cut
through these watermelons.

Max, you're up first.
You ready for this?

- Yup.

In this test, I got to have
just a real sharp edge,

Or it won't cut all the way
through the watermelon.

It won't really
cut through the dummy,

So just hoping that
I got everything sharp enough.

- In this test, I got to have
just a real sharp edge,

Or it won't cut all the way
through the watermelon.

It won't really
cut through the dummy,

So just hoping that
I got everything sharp enough.

- All right, max, about
your kindjal sword here.

First up, nice job
of bringing out the pattern.

Now, your handle construction
is smooth.

Your edge is sharp

And took no damage.

It's got a nice balance to it.

It's pointy. It's sharp.

And it will keal.

- Thank you.

- Josh, your turn. You ready?

- Yes, sir.

Max's test went really good.

It's gonna be pretty hard
to top this performance,

So I just got to see
how mine goes now.

And I got to hear him say,
"it will keal."

- All right, josh,

Let's talk about
your kindjal sword here.

It's nice to see that profile

That has a slight curve
that the kindjal swords have.

But when you look up close,
you can see

That there are uneven grinds
on your blade.

But your edge is sharp,

And it took no damage
on this test.

It's got a nice balance,
and, more importantly,

Your kindjal sword will keal.

- Thank you.

- All right, bladesmiths,

Welcome
to the dynamic strength test.

Max, you're up first.
You ready for this?

- Ready.

- All right, max.
It is comfortable.

It fits my hand really well.

It's nice and rounded.

There's no hot spots
or any problems there.

Cutting into the banner,
you have a keen edge,

But it's not
a wicked sharp edge.

I can run my finger
along here without any worry

Of getting cut.

And you can see it
a little bit in the banner.

There's some more tearing
than clean slicing.

But in general,
this is a strong blade.

Held up great on the ice,

And it cut the banner,
so nice job.

- Thank you.

- All right, josh, you're up.
You ready?

- Yes, sir.

- All right, josh.

The grinds you have on here
are a little bit rough.

The rough grinds
make it a little difficult

To see your pattern so starkly.

And the shape of it
kind of meanders a little bit

As you move along.

But it is sharp.

There are some spots on here
that took some dulling,

And you can see
on that horizontal strike,

It really just stopped.

But all in all,
I think you did a good job.

- Thank you.

- All right, gentlemen, well,

In the beginning
of this competition,

You guys showed us you're both
very talented smiths,

Especially when working
together as a pair.

But at the end of the day,
only one of you

Can leave here
as a "forged in fire" champion

And get that check for $10,000.

Today's
"forged in fire" champion is...

Max. Congratulations.

Now, josh, you fought hard.

You're a talented smith,
but unfortunately,

Your blade did not make the cut,

And doug's gonna tell you why.

- Josh, both your blades passed
our tests with flying colors.

But at the end of the day,
max's had cleaner grinds,

And it was overall
a refined blade.

For that reason,
you're going home.

- Yes, sir.

- Well, josh, it's been
a pleasure watching you work.

We want to say thank you
for coming out

And fighting so hard,
but unfortunately,

Your time in this competition
has ended.

I'm gonna have to ask you
to please step off

The forge floor.

- I'm really happy for max.

The competition hasn't
come between us as friends.

He'll always be my best bud.

I completely agree
with the judge's choice.

If I were to do it again,
I would probably try

To even out
my grind a little bit more.

Good job, max. You did good.

So see you at home.

- Max, congratulations.

That makes you
a "forged in fire" champ,

And you'll be receiving
a check for $10,000.

Congratulations.
- Thank you.

This is really exciting.

I had an awesome week
competing with josh.

I'm walking away with the title

Of "forged in fire" champion,

But it took my work
with josh to get me here.

- So what's your plan
with the money?

- I'm getting married in June,

So I'll probably
save the money for that.

Wise, wise man.

- If it had been a competition
against strangers,

I would have been here to win.

But competing with josh
definitely turned it

Into just
a good time to hang out

With one of my best friends.