Forged in Fire

Five novice smiths must earn their way into the competition because one smith will be sent home before the forge lights up; the two left standing must re-create a 16th-century weapon known as the War Golok.

The bladesmiths begin on a farm where they must harvest steel from farming tools, then use coal forges to make their signature blades with a hidden lanyard hole; the two remaining smiths must recreate the Schiavona.

The smiths must forge a signature blade out of a 50-caliber flintlock pistol; despite giving it their best shot, it becomes a struggle to turn a gun into a blade and after two grueling rounds, two smiths get sent barreling towards elimination.

Smiths must forge functional friction folders and find the critical junction where skill meets resiliency; two finalists must re-create a Japanese trident called the Jumonji Yari, a weapon of unparalleled strength.

The bladesmiths are challenged to salvage a cannon to make signature blades; the finalists recreate the North African Kabyle Flyssa, a blade traditionally used to break mail armor.

Four master smiths compete alongside their apprentices to forge an iconic weapon of warfare: the trench knife; each team must work together, tagging in and out every half hour, with only one smith allowed to touch the knife at a time.

Four bladesmiths must kick their skills into gear when they're tasked with forging blades out of steel from a chain and a sprocket; only two hold it together long enough to secure a spot in the final round; the iconic Karabela saber.

Four bladesmiths must forge J. Nielson's favorite blade, a Damascus European dagger; two smiths produce knives that survive J.'s merciless tests; in the final round, the remaining smiths have five days to forge a pole weapon: the Zande Spear.

Four bladesmiths test their mettle in a rock quarry, where they're tasked with making blades using harvested steel and coal forges; the smiths construct a blade while fighting the elements; the remaining two smiths must re-create the Spanish Navaja.

The smiths come under pressure when tasked with forging Dave Baker's favorite blade, the Scottish Dirk; two smiths head home for the final round to re-create the German Halberd, a medieval-era triple threat.

The bladesmiths are forced to harvest steel from motorcycles to forge blades in their signature style; after an intense race to the finish, the final two competitors have only five days to re-create a giant Indian two-handed sword.

The bladesmiths, all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, dive into the fray when they are tasked with forging a combat knife from an anti-tank hedgehog; two grueling rounds of competition filled with frustration and a medical emergency.

A signature blade must be forged from small springs of steel; major setbacks occur that need to be corrected before time runs out; two smiths must recreate the deadly Horseman's Axe.

Four bladesmiths must craft a hatchet from pieces of odd-shaped steel; after several forging failures, parameter mishaps, and intense conditions, only two smiths head back to their home forges, where they must re-create the deadly Maasai Lion Spear.

The smiths make their signature blades out of drill bits and a chunk of mild steel; after two rounds, two smiths survive the chopping block and are sent back to their home forges to re-create a beautiful but deadly Indonesian sword, the Kelewang.

The bladesmiths are forced to make canister Damascus using nuts and bolts; two smiths move onto the final round where they must re-create a pair of deadly Indian Bagh Nakh weapons.

Four smiths are tasked with forging the iconic KA-BAR military blade using only tiny cubes of W-1 steel; the two remaining competitors have five days in their home forges to recreate the battle-tested Glaive Guisarme.

Four smiths must forge a multipurpose weapon from old rescue tools; after narrowly escaping elimination, two smiths head back to their home forges to recreate a unique utilitarian tool, the Russian Pioneer Sword.

Four bladesmiths are tasked with forging a signature blade from a bicycle; two smiths advance and are shocked to learn that they must re-create an ancient, mysterious weapon called wind and fire wheels.

Four bladesmiths are tasked with forging friction folders from a huge steel coil; in the final round, the two remaining smiths head back to their home forges to create a blade that requires both precision and detail: the French smallsword.

Four bladesmiths are tasked with forging a signature blade from W2 and a giant industrial-sized nut; only two smiths advance and head back to their home forges to re-create the Celtic anthropomorphic sword, an iconic ancient iron weapon.

Four bladesmiths must create their signature blade out of a massive ball bearing; a series first; two smiths persevere and return to their home forges, where they must re-create one of the Ottoman Empire's most lethal sabres: the Kilij.

Four bladesmiths are taken out of the forge and transported to the great outdoors, where they struggle to forge a blade in the noonday sun; they must forage for outdoor materials and crank a coal forge, which leaves some scrambling to the end.

Four bladesmiths must forge not just one, but three knives from railroad spikes in only three hours; the remaining two competitors return home to re-create the iconic Medieval Arming Sword.

Four bladesmiths must forge a fully functional serrated knife using steel from hand scissors; the remaining two competitors return to their home forges to create a unique and challenging weapon from history: the Sengese.

Four bladesmiths take a shot at forging a signature blade from the steel rings of a whiskey barrel; the final two smiths head home to forge an instrument of Chinese warfare: the Qinglong Ji.

Four bladesmiths pay homage to Hollywood; a survival knife; the final two smiths return home to re-create one of the most famous swords in cinematic history: Hattori Hanzo's 1,000-layer katana from Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill."

The bladesmiths are tasked with creating a signature Damascus blade out of three different steels of different thicknesses; the two final competitors re-create one of the most intricate weapons in show history: the steel crossbow.

Four bladesmiths must craft a signature blade from a massive piece of elevator cable; the final two competitors return home to re-create a sword wielded by some of history's fiercest soldiers: the Two-Handed Landsknecht Sword.

Four bladesmiths are tasked with creating a san mai blade from horseshoes and hoof rasps; the remaining two bladesmiths return to their home forges to create a famed weapon of the English Civil War: the mortuary sword.

Four bladesmiths must forge a Damascus blade out of something familiar: plate armor; the remaining two bladesmiths head back to their home forges to craft an exotic hybrid of pain and protection: the Hooded Katar.

Four bladesmiths must forge a signature Damascus blade using steel from tools; the smiths that survive two brutal rounds of testing return to their home forges to recreate a multipurpose Medieval weapon of war: the Knightly Poleaxe.

Four bladesmiths must harvest materials from a metal sculpture to forge a needle point Damascus blade; the remaining smiths return to their own home forges to re-create a sword from the elite classes of Renaissance Europe: the Flamberge Rapier.

In the final round of the Invitational Tournament, the winning farrier, armorer, blacksmith and modern metalworker face off to forge a wakizashi; the two finalists must then re-create the nodachi, one of the largest Japanese swords.

Four bladesmiths must create signature slasher blades, each using a different type of metal; the two finalists return to their home forges to re-create the Grim Reaper's scythe.

Four bladesmiths are tasked with forging a Crusader's dagger from a thick rod of W1 steel; the final two smiths must create Robin Hood's steel takedown bow.

Four bladesmiths must build coal forges using materials scavenged from a storage unit and forge signature blades without any power tools; the remaining two smiths return home to recreate a bardiche, a brutal European pole axe.

Four bladesmiths are challenged with forging a canister Damascus knife using only steel wool and 1095 powder; the final two head home to re-create an important weapon from North American history - the pipe tomahawk.

Four bladesmiths must each forge judge Ben Abbott's favorite blade, the Celtic ring knife, using the san mai technique; the final two competitors return to their home forges to re-create Irish ring hilted swords.