Forged in Fire

The judges pick past bladesmiths to represent them; first, the smiths must use steel from N.Y.C. streets to forge signature blades; in the final round, the competitors have five days to forge a sword that originated in West Africa, the Ida.

Four bladesmiths tee up for a never-before-seen challenge, harvesting steel from a vintage golf club to forge signature blades; in the final round, the remaining smiths must forge a pair of iconic double bladed weapons with two times the edge.

The competitors must forge two blades in the first round, pushing them to their limits and leading to a hospital trip; after the second round, the two remaining smiths have five days to create an iconic 15th-century combat sword, the Katzbalger.

Facing a new twist in the first round, four bladesmiths must forge a karambit, a curved knife that resembles a claw; the final two competitors have five days to forge one of the deadliest weapons in African history, the makraka.

Chosen by fans, four bladesmiths return for a second shot at victory; the smiths must use their best forging techniques to make a signature blade using barbed wire; the final two smiths craft a historical Filipino weapon of war, the Panabas.

Bladesmiths are tasked with forging a Kukri, the signature blade of master smith and judge, Jason Knight; after two rounds of mishaps and mischief, two smiths forge ahead in the final challenge to reproduce a distinctive African sword, the Akrafena.

Competitors are tasked with using mystery steel to forge a blade; the smiths fight to the finish amidst injuries and setbacks, but only two make it to the final round; two finalists have five days to recreate the sacred but lethal Talwar sword.

Four bladesmiths must utilize questionable steel from mining tools to forge blades in their signature styles; ultimately, two smiths survive to forge an intricately designed and deadly Italian sword, the Cinquedea.

The competitors must demonstrate edged-weapon mastery when they are tasked with turning salvaged junkyard steel into a weapon; two forge ahead to the final round to recreate the legendary Khora sword.

Four competitors return to the forge for a second chance; they must forge their signature blades using recycled steel from a jackhammer; then, the finalists must recreate a distinctive 16th-century blade called the Sword Breaker.

Masters compete alongside their apprentices as they take turns on the forge floor, fusing their skills to forge a cleaver using the arduous jelly roll technique; in the final round, the smiths must forge a deadly Congolese chopper, the Nzappa Zap.

Four bladesmiths must forge blades from a giant elevator cable; two finalists return home to recreate the African Ngombe Ngulu, known as the executioner's sword.

Four competing bladesmiths are tasked with forging a Bowie knife that will require a d-guard in the second round; only two manage to make it through to the final round where they must recreate a deadly saber called the Shamshir.

Smiths must use steel from old nautical equipment to forge-weld their signature blades, while being forced to do it using a metal inlay technique; then, the two finalists have just five days to forge the Kachin Dao, a deadly headhunting sword.

With a variety of steels to choose from, the smiths are forced to create a canister Damascus billet from which they must forge a dagger; only two enter the final round where they must recreate an ancient Roman weapon known as the Scissor.

Four bladesmiths head to a scrapyard to create their signature blades using harvested metal and a coal forge; in the final round, the smiths must re-create a fearsome battle weapon known as the kampilan.

The smiths are forced to layer a complex Damascus pattern into their signature-style blades; broken blades fall throughout two challenges and an unforgiving round; finalists must recreate a three-bladed African throwing knife called the Kpinga.

The competition shifts into high gear when the smiths are tasked with turning the rusted steel from a 1971 Mercury Cougar into their signature blades in just three hours; the finalists must create an elite military weapon known as the Yatagan.

Four of the top smiths from around the world compete in an international championship; two smiths return home empty-handed, while two go on to recreate the Spadroon, a weapon that transcends borders, in their efforts to bring home the title.

Smiths are asked to forge blades from pipe wrenches; two competitors advance to the final round during which they must recreate a rare axe-mace hybrid known as the Tabar-Shishpar.

Five returning champions must earn a spot at one of the four anvils; the four remaining smiths are given cubes to forge blades in the infamous canister Damascus challenge; then, the finalists return to their home forges to recreate the Tai Chi sword.

Smiths must forge together rusty chain mail and high quality steel to produce Knights Templar crusader daggers in round one; two finalists are sent back to their home forges on a five-day quest to recreate the iconic Knights Templar crusader sword.

Competitors march into a dry moat where they resurrect old swords and forge them into a Viking Seax, using the time-tested coal forge; the finalists return home to recreate a pair of deadly Viking War Axes.