- You ready?
- Oh yeah. [music playing]
[thud] [cracking] [popping] It will-- [clanging] [music playing] Attila the Hun's
Sword of Mars. [laughter] Whoa. Yes. [clang] NARRATOR: Known as
the scourge of God, Attila the Hun was
one of the most feared conquerors in history. [music playing] The leader of the Hunnic Empire,
his group of nomadic tribes wreaked havoc across Europe
during the fifth century. [battle cries] [swords clanging] Though he was once a
great ally to them, he plagued Roman territories,
sacking major cities like Constantinople. Legend states that Attila
was given the Sword of Mars by a herdsman,
fulfilling a prophecy, and a direct sign from
the Roman war god, Mars, of his divine rule. The lethal weapon featured
a curved handle with a spear point tip that gave it
exceptional control, allowing for accurate and brutal thrust. After Attila's death
in the year 453, the Hunnic Empire
quickly dissolved. However, the story of
Attila's many conquests still live on through the
television miniseries, "Attila." All right, bladesmiths. To find out what kind of lethal
damage your weapon will do, I will deliver killing blows
on this ballistics dummy. Randy, you're up first.
Are you ready? - I am.
- Let's do this. [music playing] [cutting] [music playing] [chopping] [music playing] Nice. [music playing] [laughter] All right, Randy. Let's talk about your
Sword of Mars here. First up, the Damascus pattern
you have here is gorgeous. Thank you. The weapon design is very
aggressive for thrusting and slashing. Now, your handle construction. If you reverse this,
it'll be easier to have something to lock on to. The fact that the
flare is right here, forcing my hand to open up if
I want to marry into the hilt. This is a very sharp weapon. The tip pierces all the way
through, cuts on the way out, it's pointy and
scary, and it will KEAL. Thank you. Good job. All right, Dan. It is your turn.
You ready? Hell yeah. Let's do this. I was hoping the kill
test would be a dummy. I know heads will roll. [music playing] [cutting] [music playing] [chopping] [music playing] All right, Dan, let's
talk about your weapon here. I love the balance
of your blade. When I go forward, it's
not hard to pull back to go in again for another KEAL. Now, your handle construction. It's curved enough
to where it doesn't want to fly out of my hand. It's got a good grip
and control for this. Your edge allows for very
deep cuts into the abdomen right there. The only issue we have is
that your tip picked up a bend when it chopped into the spine. But, your weapon,
sir, will KEAL. Thank you. [ominous music playing] All right, gentlemen, it's
time for the strength test. Now, Attila's armies were
basically one large cavalry. And through his
military campaigns, he revolutionized the use of
horse in military conflicts. So to test the strength and
durability of your blades, I'll be chopping into
these horse skulls. Randy, you're up
first, are you ready? I guess so. [music playing] [chopping] [music playing] [shattering] Wow. OK. So right off the bat,
the biggest thing is that this section from
right about here, to here, has lost its edge. There's a couple of small
rolls, plate's still straight, it's all in one
piece, still solid. Nicely done, it's a
very strong blade. Thank you. All right, Dan. Are you ready? No, but let's do it. [laughter] Everybody says that. [music playing] [chopping] [music playing] [clanging] Oh, wow. At the guard. OK. So before we get to
the obvious, I really like the design of your blade. It's got a great
weight to it, had a really good feel in my hand. The balance was really nice. See all that space
around your tang? With that room for that blade
to move inside the guard, it could just create so much
stress that it cut loose right there at the corner. If it were all tight, there
wouldn't be any stress. There's no discoloration
here, so it's not that there was a crack here before. The grain structure looks fine. It was a well designed
piece, but obvious flaw. [music playing] Dan, unfortunately, your blade
suffered a catastrophic failure in the middle of
our strength test, which means that we
can no longer test it. I'd like to invite you
to shake our hands, shake your competitor's
hand, and then please leave the Forge. It hurts, but my
sword breaking, it's going to be a
reminder that I have to push harder and be better. Randy, the strength and
efficiency of your weapon in the KEAL test have
earned you the title of Forged in Fire Champion,
and a check for how much? $10,000. That's right, $10,000. Good job, brother. I won "Forged in Fire." It's reality. How do you feel? Good. To be a champion and be
recognized as a good bladesmith is real good. This is my happy
and excited face. Well done, sir. Thank you. If you didn't recognize it. [music playing] [clang] Jason, Don, congratulations. You've made it into the third
round of this competition. We're sending you back
to your home forges to recreate an iconic
weapon from history. That weapon is, The Scissor. [laughter] Oh, God. Oh, God. NARRATOR: Wielded by
gladiators in ancient Rome, the Scissor was an ideal weapon
for the bloody battles that ensued in the Colosseum arena. The contour of the sharp
crescent shaped blade was optimal for
slashing and stabbing, while the armor encasing the
forearm offered protection. Gladiators who use the scissor
were also known as Scissores. It could swiftly brandish the
weapon in the heat of battle due to its surprisingly
lightweight. The dual blocking cut
capabilities of the scissor freed the users other arm
for another weapon or shield, giving the user the advantage
of multiple ways to attack. All right, gentlemen. This is the sharpness test. To test the sharpness
of your edge, I'm going to attack our
Sandman here several times. We'll see how they do. Jason, you're up first. Are you ready for this? Yes, sir. All right, let's do it. [music playing] [slashing] [music playing] [laughter] All right. The handle feels
really good in my hand, but the shape of your blade,
not being as deep a crescent, made it a little bit
more difficult to slash. All in all, solid, and
it's got a good look. Nicely done. Thank you. All right, Don. You ready? I'm ready. [music playing] [slashing] [music playing] Don, I like the way this is
set up tighter around the arm. Right here at my
hand, my knuckle is just pounding into the side. You can see it slashed
pretty easily on the arm. And then on the forward
punch, didn't quite get the slash I was looking for. All in all, though, did the job. Thank you. Next up, I'll
give you to Doug. Bladesmiths, this
is a KEAL test. To see what kind of lethal
damage your weapon will do, I will take your Scissor
and I will deliver killing blows on this ballistics dummy. Jason, you're up first.
You ready? Let's do it. Let's do this. [music playing] [chopping] [laughter] First off, the minute I
put my hand in your handle, it's not directly in line with
my fist, so it's slightly off. But as you can see, I can
still wield the weapon. The laceration was deep
into this cavity right here, so you've got a
very sharp blade. The hook you have penetrated
right into the heart on the back hand draw. It lacerates and guts
everything out, and disembowel this ballistics dummy. Your weapon, sir, will KEAL. Good job, sir. Thank you. Don. Your turn. Let's have some fun. Let's do this. [music playing] [chopping] [music playing] [laughter] Good. Don, let's talk
about your weapon. What I like about your
weapon is that it's in line with the handle. On the initial cut here, it
lacerated right through there. And in this back
hand hook, your edge is deep to go in here and
right into that cavity. Your weapon will KEAL. Thank you. I think we're
running neck and neck, and it feels pretty amazing. But of course, I wish I
was further ahead of Don. I wish his would just
spontaneously explode. All right, gentlemen. This is the strength test. Now the Scissor was used
in gladiatorial combat for both attack and defense. Now to test the strength and
durability of your weapon, we'll clamp them into our
mechanical device here. The blade's going to come down
and strike the armored cuff of your weapon twice. And then your weapon
is going to be launched into this breastplate. Jason, I've already
got you're strapped in. You ready to go?
- Let's do it. OK. [music playing] [clanging] [music playing] Just the slightest roll. It's not deformed
beyond being sharp. And then you can see where the
sword came down and hit it. Caused a bit of deformation. And then, I think we were pushed
just a little further offline. Right in here, it looks like
it kind of waffled just a bit. But everything is still
tight, still sharp. Nicely done. Thank you. So, Don. You ready? I'm ready. All right, let's
get you strapped in. [laughter] [music playing] [clanging] [music playing] So looking at this,
I'm having a hard time finding where the sword hit it. And there's one
teeny little mark. You know, blade
still tight, on that edge is still a razor blade,
there's no rolling at all. Very well done. It's nice. Thank you. [music playing] Bladesmiths,
you've worked very hard to recreate
weapons that we've never seen here in the Forge before. However, in this
competition, there can only be one Forged in Fire Champion. And that champion is Don. Congratulations, you are
the Forged in Fire Champion. Yeah. Thank you. Jason, unfortunately, your
blade did not make the cut. Please surrender your Scissor. I spent five days
making something I've never made before. I went up against a guy who
builds armor quite often. I held my own against him. I'm pretty proud of that fact. I loved every minute
of this experience. Don, congratulations. You are the Forged
in Fire Champion and will be receiving
that check for $10,000. How do you feel right now? I feel fantastic. It feels great to be a
Forged in Fire Champion. $10,000. I'd like to get something
nice for my wife. We kind of had a little fun
making jokes at each other about Texas versus Oklahoma. Yeah, I'm glad to see
Texas came out on top. [laughter] Woo! [laughter] [music playing] [clang] [cymbals rolling] Ooh. The Egyptian Khopesh. Cool. NARRATOR: Dating
back to 2,500 BC, the Khopesh was a curved sickle
sword adopted by Egyptians from the Canaanite. It was used to execute their
enemies as an infantry weapon, and also as a symbol of the
authority of their nobles. The unique shape of
their curved blades meant they could be used to
hook a shield, snag opponent's leg in an attempt to
trip them, or even tangle an opposing weapon. The weapon's
distinctive design makes the Khopesh easily
recognizable in television series such as
"Game of Thrones." Bladesmiths, it is said
that the historic design of the Khopesh evolved
from a battle ax. Its edge was so sharp that
it is said it could cut through just about anything. To test the sharpness
of your weapon, we'll see how well it
cuts through a sandbag, sugar cane, and a rope. Salem, you're up. You ready? Yes sir. [music playing] [hacking] [music playing] Well, Salem, it
definitely is easy enough to cut through a sandbag,
cut through sugar cane. But the forward weight
being a little bit tip heavy was a little bit harder to slice
through on the upward stroke. But definitely, it's
a very sharp weapon. This, sir, will cut. Good job. Thanks. Craig you're up. You ready? Yes, sir. [music playing] [hacking] [music playing] I'm just disappointed that
it wouldn't cut the rope. Well, Craig, it cut
through a sandbag, cut all the way through three
sugar canes, but the same idea. On an upward swing for the
test, it did lacerate the rope, but it didn't cut through. But overall, it will cut. Now it's time to move
on to the KEAL test. To test the functionality
and lethality of your blade, I will attempt to rip off the
shields, then deliver killing blows on this ballistic dummy. Let's see how much damage
your weapon can do. Salem you're up. You ready? All right. [music playing] [thud] [slicing] [music playing] [chopping] The hook on your tip does
allow to rip off the shield. The edge you have right here
caused some serious damage. Enough to cut all the way
through the belly here. At the same time, I've cut
through all these bones, from the clavicle,
through the ribs. This sir, KEAL. Craig, it's your turn. Are you ready? Yes sir. Let's do this. [music playing] [slicing] [chopping] Well, Craig, what I like
about your particular hook design over here is that as you
puncture, twist, and rip out, everything that
you have in there will hook and come out with it. The edge cut all the
way into the bone and broke these ribs to sternum. This sir, will KEAL. Thank you. Next up is a strength test. Dave. Gentlemen, what
I'm going to do to test the strength
of your weapons is take seven blows against
these animal femurs. Salem, you're up. Are you ready? Great. Now Salem, in
examining your weapon, we noticed a small delamination
on the back of the blade. I was not expecting that. I'm just hoping that
the edge stays hard. So we're going to keep an eye
on that through the testing, and we'll see if it opens up. [chopping] [music playing] [chopping] [music playing] [sighs] Well, Salem, that did
a job on those bones. Now, there's a little bit
of deflection on your blade, but that back mark didn't
open or split at all. Now you can see, I went
through two of those bones, and was well into the third. Well done. Thank you. So Craig, it's your turn. You ready? Let's do it. All right. [music playing] [chopping] [music playing] [hacking] [music playing] [exhaling] Well, Craig, you
can see a lot of chips right there in the impact zone. The first few
blows against those femurs, it started
cutting really nicely. Broke through the one, but as
we started to lose edge here, what those chips
and deflections, it just stopped
cutting, and it was more of a bludgeoning impact blow. But I felt it really cut
well when I was swinging it. All in all, nice design. I like your handle construction. And it's definitely a chopper. So gentlemen, good job. [music playing] Salem, Craig. There can only be one
Forged in Fire Champion. Salem, you are the Forged in
Fire Champion, congratulations. [music playing] Good job. Thank you. Good job to you, too. Craig, unfortunately, your
blade did not make the cut. Please surrender your weapon. All right, thank you. This experience was harder than
I thought it was going to be. I need about three
gin and tonics. And I'm just going to make the
bad man in the back of my head go away. [music playing] Salem, it's safe to
smile now because you're the Forged in Fire Champion,
the recipient of $10,000. Congratulations. [applause] The fullers on that blade just
really bring that pattern out. I think that's
really nice touch. That's just crazy. It's going to take
a while to sink in. Kind of stunned right now. [music playing] [clang] NARRATOR: The Roman Gladius. The word gladius
means sword in Latin. It was also adopted as the
name for those who would fight each other to the death
for the entertainment of the imperial crowns, as
depicted in the Hollywood blockbuster, "Gladiator." The gladius was the primary
weapon of the Roman legionary, with a fearsome V-shaped tip
for thrusting and stabbing, and a double razor sharp edge
for slashing and slicing. Originally a Spanish weapon,
the Romans were so impressed by its simple design and
lethal effectiveness, they adopted it as
their own and used it to help them establish
one of the greatest empires the world has ever known. With a slice test, I
will take your weapon and slash through branches,
vines, and sugar cane. So different layers,
different consistencies. Jamie, you're up first. Are you ready? I am. [chopping] [music playing] [slashing] [music playing] Definitely a
good impact weapon. Only thing was, at the end,
as you're doing more shots, it starts to rotate with
a very rounded handle. But it is sharp, and for
this test, it can cut. Mareko, you're up next.
You ready? I'm ready. [music playing] [slashing] [music playing] [clang] Very light on the hand. Very sharp. A lot of the sugar canes have
very clean cuts despite being surrounded by these branches. The handle construction
felt secure in my hand. It will cut. Good job. Thank you very much. Now it's time
for the KEAL test. To test the lethality
of your weapon, I will slash, cut, and
stab this ballistics dummy that is dressed like a
Gladiator in the Roman era. Jamie, you're up.
Are you ready? Absolutely. [music playing] [slashing] [music playing] [stabbing] [music playing] Well, that lacerated all
the way through to the bone. Destroyed the
clavicle completely. Disemboweled here. Thrust went through. And that's definitely
a kill shot all the way into the spine. This will KEAL. Good job. Thank you. Mareko, you're next. You ready? I'm ready. [music playing] [slicing] [music playing] [stabbing] [music playing] [stabbing] [music playing] That's all the way through. Disemboweled on that pass. Throat, all the
way to the spine. It will KEAL. Good job. Thank you. Now to test the
strength of your weapon, your gladius will be placed
on this dynamic testing rig. This rig is
calibrated to deliver a strong blow similar to a
Roman legionnaire from his era. Your gladius will
strike our gladius that is made of 1055 high
carbon steel, three times, or until one of
the blades break. Jamie, your gladius is
already loaded into this rig. Are you ready? I am. In 3, 2, 1, engage! [clattering] [music playing] Engage! [clattering] Engage! [clattering] [music playing] Well, your edge held
all the way through. Little indentations
there, nothing major. This crushed right
through the sword, so this would have
broken the soldier's arm. That's a strong sword. Good job. Thank you. OK, Mareko. You're up. I'm ready. My biggest fear is that
it's going to make contact and it's just going to break. In 3, 2, 1, engage! [clattering] Engage! [clattering] 3, 2, 1, engage! [clattering] It held up. More scratches to the blade. That is a strong blade, sir. Congratulations. Thank you very much. Jamie. Mareko. There can only be one champion. Jamie, you are the Forged in
Fire Champion, congratulations. Thank you. Mareko, your blade
did not make the cut. Mareko, I honestly
love your sword, but functionality is the key. I just cannot overlook
that handle coming apart. Mareko, please
surrender your weapon. It definitely sucks. But it feels really good to
have had a chance to challenge myself, and to step
outside my comfort zone, and do a good job at it. Jamie, congratulations. You'll be receiving
a check for $10,000. Thank you. Do you feel like fortune
favored the [inaudible] I do. I feel like I took some
chances, and those decisions help me win this competition. For me, it's all
about the detail. The choice of materials,
the way you laid it out. This is really,
really nice work. Thank you. I feel good. It's $10,000,
definitely help me out. Maybe might find some
time for a little vacation somewhere here or there. We'll see, we'll see. [laughter] [music playing] [clang] NARRATOR: The Moro Kris. The Kris came into existence
around 1361 AD in the kingdom of Majapahit, East Java. Believed to be the
primary weapons wielded by Asian warriors, its
distinctive, wavy blade creates a wider wound during
combat, causing the victim to quickly bleed to death. The hilt is viewed
as a work of art, and is often carved
in meticulous detail from precious wood,
gold, or ivory. In popular culture, the Kris
can be seen in the video game "Mortal Kombat." The unique design
of a Moro Kris is made more distinct by
its fluid, wave like edges. It can thrust, but
its primary purpose is slashing and chopping. To test your Kris's ability
to perform according to its ancient design,
I will use it to chop and slice against
these moving targets. Mace, you're up first. Are you ready? Sure. [music playing] [chopping] Nice. Nice balance, nice recovery. Allows you to move
with the blade. Good job. Thank you. Murray, you're next. Are you ready? Certainly am. [music playing] [slashing] [music playing] Well, Murray, the
balance of this blade allows me to chase an attack,
and will come with me. On the recovery to go to another
attack, it will stay with me. It doesn't go away from me. It will slice. Good job. Thank you. To test the lethality of your
Kris, I will take your weapon, and I'm going to strike
into this animal carcass. Mace, you're up first.
You ready? Yes, sir. [music playing] [slicing] [exhaling] [music playing] Well, it cut cleanly
through the spine, all the way through the meat,
in one big, sweeping slash. It will KEAL. Good job. Thank you, very much. Murray, you are up next. You ready? Yeah. [music playing] [slicing] [music playing] When cutting through,
there was a slight drag in the feel of the cut. But it did cut very
cleanly through. It's a very, very sharp blade. It will KEAL. Bamboo is a very
durable material. Ounce for ounce, it is stronger
than concrete, brick, or wood. To test the strength
of your Kris, I will deliver more strikes
into the bamboo to see how well your weapon stands up. Mace, you're up. [music playing] [chopping] [music playing] [clanging] [music playing] Well, no damage
to the blade, sir. It chopped nicely. But a couple of times
over there, it did want to fall out of my
hand, just because it's so heavy on the blade. But nonetheless, it looks
like your edge did hold up. Excellent. Murray, you're up next. You ready? Yes, I am. [music playing] [clanging] [music playing] [clanging] [music playing] OK, Murray, looks
like your blade edge held up with the chops. It almost clearly sliced
all the way through. But there is now
an issue that we're looking at with your blade. I think there might be a
little bend here caused from chopping into the bamboo. But other than that, still
has a very sharp edge. The strength of
the blade held up. Good job. Thank you. [music playing] Gentlemen, you have
both done immaculate work. However, in this Forge there can
only be one winner of $10,000. Mace, you are the
Forged in Fire Champion. Yes! Congratulations. [laughter] - Thank you, Murray.
- Nice job, man. - Thanks, very much.
- Happy for you. Murray, unfortunately your
Kris did not make the cut. Murray, I find that
weapon absolutely beautiful and comfortable. But the fact that there's a
soft core in there somewhere, and that it picked up a bend
where your opponent's blade did not, that was the
deciding factor, and that's why we
had to let you go. Murray, please
surrender your weapon. While there's
always disappointment when one puts their best
effort forward and doesn't win. Thank you, gentlemen. No, thank you, Murray. I do feel an overwhelming
sense of gratitude for having been
able to participate. Mace made the better blade,
and I'm proud of him. Mace, congratulations. Woo! It's fantastic. I mean, the steel is beautiful. I like how you did the
file-work on the blade. The blade held up beautifully,
the edge is razor sharp, you should be exceptionally
proud of that piece. You did a great job. I'm the Forged
in Fire Champion. I feel good. And I'm glad it came out on top. I'm the Tiger. [music playing] [clang]
