Forged in Fire Testing

opaul

opaul

KNIFE MAKER
Just watched the latest episode of FIF. IMHO the ‘brutal’ testing that is done on the knives is ridiculous. One of the blades, this case a sword, snapped and came back and hit the judge in the neck. This came after he was pounding it against a wooden post.
He could have been seriously injured while abusing a blade for ‘testing’. Kind of like a fellow using a lawn mower th trim hedges.
In all fairness the first sword took the abuse. But still.......!
I enjoy the show bit glamorizing the abuse rather than the skill is worrisome.
 
Anything for ratings. J. Neilson is a great knife maker and has contributed a lot to educating other makers but I have to agree that the "tests" are getting out of hand; but in the end they are intended for entertainment I guess. I do not know who makes the decision on what testing will occur but I hope they learned from the close call. I also wonder about backyard makers beating sharp steel into a piece of railroad track for "testing" and losing an eye. In thinking about my childhood though, if I had a dollar for every time my brother and I put the DDT, body slam, suplex or other wrestling move on each other I could buy my forge press I want. We survived...
 
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We’ve all done stupid stuff as kids. And I am sure i’m at the top of the list. But here we are talking about grown men with considerable knowledge and skills.
Clearly abusing a blade beyond any normal use expectancy, I think it’s gone well beyond common sense.
Off my soap box ;). I’m done. ;)
 
I've only watched a few episodes and while it does have entertainment value I suppose, I think it really skews peoples perceptions of what a knifemaker can do.
Abuse of a knife like you mention only sets up our own knives for failure by some clown who watches the show and think that's 'normal' testing
 
I've thought the same for a while now... the tests are getting ridiculous. At least the initial "abuse" testing. The follow on ones afterwards seem to have some thought put into them based on the type of blade that is being tested.

Does anyone actually use their bowie knife to chop antlers? Or drive railroad spikes?

andy
 
FIF is like most other Reality TV shows. It takes a topic that a small percentage of the population is very interested in and adds drama, danger or humor to try to draw in a larger percentage as viewers. One of the craziest examples of this is the Duck Dynasty show. I am from the area and have met the Robertsons a few times. Even duck hunted some of the same holes before they hit stardom. Viewers not familiar with the area or the sport might think this is real life but anyone with any knowledge knows better.
So while i get frustrated with FIF episodes, hunting shows and mainstream entertainment in general, I often ask myself if anyone would pay to watch me in my every day life? And if they did watch, would any of my actions excite them enough to get off the couch? Absolutely not!! But.... If there is a 14 year old kid in Detroit who decides to try his/her hand at making a knife because they watched FIF or asks their uncle to take him hunting because of Duck Dynasty, I think it is OK to add a little pizzazz.
 
While I find that show somewhat entertaining anyone that makes knives has to find some moment's hard to swallow or even disturbing.
He's very lucky that sword blade didn't cut his face open or worse, meanwhile the contestants have to wear safety glasses during an apple slice test.
 
Redbaird said:
FIF is like most other Reality TV shows. It takes a topic that a small percentage of the population is very interested in and adds drama, danger or humor to try to draw in a larger percentage as viewers. One of the craziest examples of this is the Duck Dynasty show. I am from the area and have met the Robertsons a few times. Even duck hunted some of the same holes before they hit stardom. Viewers not familiar with the area or the sport might think this is real life but anyone with any knowledge knows better.
So while i get frustrated with FIF episodes, hunting shows and mainstream entertainment in general, I often ask myself if anyone would pay to watch me in my every day life? And if they did watch, would any of my actions excite them enough to get off the couch? Absolutely not!! But.... If there is a 14 year old kid in Detroit who decides to try his/her hand at making a knife because they watched FIF or asks their uncle to take him hunting because of Duck Dynasty, I think it is OK to add a little pizzazz.
Click to expand...
That is a fair point.
 
While we are on the topic I would like to ask our members in Alaska which of the Alaskan reality shows are completely fake. I know my list of suspects but I want to hear from residents of Alaska...
 
I enjoyed fif when Inhad a tv lol.
My main complaint was the tests... Not the silliness of them sommuch as the "inaccuracy" of them.
Theres too many extra variables.

Like for example... Having blades judged by how well they cut when swung by a judge.
Well... Theres bound to be some fatigue and variation in technique between tests...
Should be a measured mechanical chopper of some sort.

Many of the tests are like that, inconsistent.

Interesting show otherwise.
 
Never did like the show I feel it don't represent how knifes are really made.And I hate when that guy says this knife will kill.
 
I have caught a couple of the new shows and the format is a little better to me...at least as a maker any how. I really like seeing the blades those makers bring in for round one. Tobin's knife last night was great but that Damascus-mono steel San-Mai Bowie the Marine dude had was just awesome. I fell asleep after that part...long day.
 
I don't watch it...reality shows irritate me due to their lack of reality in general. My wife worked in TV for years and I developed an allergy to much of what Hollywood has to offer....One man's entertainment is soap in another man's eyes...lol.

The real reality show is you-tube...but ya gotta be choosy...lol.
 
I have to admit I like it. All this time I had no idea Baker was a knife maker or at least not someone that could turn out the quality he has for the last two times he has been one of the makers. I thought he was there as a historian only.
Rick I have read that Doug says KEAL which translates to Keep Everyone Alive. BUT, not sure how that translates into cutting up ballistic dummies.
 
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