Forged in Fire ( TV series ) - wikipedia Forged in Fire ( TV series ) Forged in Fire Genre Reality Country of origin United States Original language ( s ) English No. of seasons 5 No. of episodes 69 Production Running time 42 minutes Production company ( s ) Outpost Entertainment Release Original network History Original release June 22, 2015 ( 2015 - 06 - 22 ) -- present Forged in Fire is an American competition series that airs on the History channel, and is produced by Outpost Entertainment, a Leftfield Entertainment company. In each episode, four bladesmiths compete in a three - round elimination contest to forge bladed weapons, with the overall winner receiving $10,000 and the day 's championship title. The series is hosted by Wil Willis, with a three - judge panel consisting of J. Neilson ( Jason Knight during portions of season 3 and 4 ; Ben Abbott during portions of season 4 ), David Baker, and Doug Marcaida, experts in weapon history and use. History ordered an initial eight episodes of the series with the first program premiering on Monday, June 22, 2015, at 10pm ET. Season two premiered on February 16, 2016. The third season premiered with a `` champion of champions '' match on August 23, 2016, and was announced as having 16 episodes. The fourth season premiered on April 11, 2017, with a `` Judges ' Pick '' episode in which the four judges ( Neilson, Knight, Baker, Marcaida ) each selected one smith from past seasons to compete again. The fifth season premiered on March 7, 2018. On April 17, 2018, a spin - off series titled Forged in Fire : Knife or Death premiered on History. This series is hosted by Bill Goldberg and co-hosted by Tu Lam, a martial arts expert and retired member of the Green Berets. Contents 1 Format 1.1 Special episodes 2 Cast, judges, and producers 3 Episodes 3.1 Season 1 ( 2015 ) 3.2 Season 2 ( 2016 ) 3.3 Season 3 ( 2016 -- 17 ) 3.4 Season 4 ( 2017 -- 18 ) 3.5 Season 5 ( 2018 -- present ) 4 Trivia 5 Notes 6 References 7 External links Format The series is filmed in Brooklyn, New York. The set, referred to as `` The Forge, '' is stocked with a wide range of metalworking equipment, including propane forges, coal forges, grinders, power hammers and hydraulic presses. Medical personnel are present to treat any injuries or other health problems and may, at their discretion, disqualify smiths who are unable to continue safely. At the end of each round, the smith whose weapon is judged to be the least satisfactory must surrender it and leave the competition. In the first round, the four smiths are presented with a starting material that they must use to forge a blade. In some episodes, they all begin with the same material ; in others, they may choose from an assortment of metal objects or must salvage their material from a source such as a junked car or lawnmower. Willis states one set of criteria concerning blade or blade / tang length, and often a second set for a feature that must be incorporated, such as serrations or a fuller groove ; not all competitions require a special feature. The smiths are typically given 10 minutes to sketch out their designs, but this time is occasionally extended or omitted altogether. Following the design period, they are given a set length of time to forge their blades. Once time expires, the judges evaluate the blades based on Willis ' criteria and inspect their workmanship, quality, and design, then deliberate privately before announcing their decision. Any smiths who fail to meet the criteria, or who fail to turn in a blade at all, are subject to immediate elimination. For the second round, the three remaining smiths are given an additional length of time to turn their blades into fully operational weapons. They must attach a handle, choosing from a range of provided materials and incorporating any special feature stated by Willis, and grind, sharpen, and polish the blades. They may also address any flaws or issues pointed out by the judges in the first round, if they choose to do so. After the time expires, the judges put each weapon through a series of tests to gauge properties such as sharpness, durability, and ease of use. For these tests, the weapons are used to chop / slash / stab objects that include ropes, ice blocks, animal carcasses, and steel car doors. If a weapon suffers catastrophic failure, defined as damage that renders it unsafe or ineffective for further testing, its maker is immediately disqualified. The judges may, at their discretion, choose not to subject a weapon to a particular test if it is sufficiently cracked or flawed. The working time in each of the first two rounds is typically three hours, but may be extended to four hours if an added feature poses a sufficient challenge, such as being required to forge a billet with modern damascus steel methods and use it for the blade. In the third round, the two remaining smiths are shown a historically significant ( and technically difficult ) weapon and are given five days to create a version of it. They return to their home forges to do the work and comply with any specifications set by Willis. Afterwards, they return to the Forge and submit their weapons for testing against objects and environments similar to the historical scenarios in which they were typically used. Based on the test results, the judges select one smith to receive the $10,000 prize. Special episodes The `` Master & Apprentice '' episode in Season 4 featured four master / apprentice pairs of smiths. Only one member of each pair was allowed to work at any time, trading off every 30 minutes in the first two rounds, and every day in the third. The non-working member was allowed to offer advice. For this episode, the forging time in the first round was extended to three and a half hours. The `` Ultimate Champions Edition '' ( season 4 ) and `` Rookies Edition '' ( season 5 ) each featured five smiths instead of four. The smiths were required to forge a particular type of blade at their homes and bring those weapons to the studio for a preliminary test. One smith was eliminated based on the results of this test, after which the competition proceeded through the normal three rounds. Cast, judges, and producers Willis is a former Army Ranger and decorated Air Force para-rescue specialist. Willis ' previous television experience includes Special Ops Mission and Triggers, two series that aired on the former Military Channel. J. Neilson, a knife and sword expert, holds the rank of Master Smith within the American Bladesmith Society. He has over 20 years ' experience in making knives and edged weapons. He examines the weapons ' technical qualities and tests their durability. In Season 3, Neilson took a leave of absence in order to have surgery on his hand ; Jason Knight, another ABS Master Smith, filled his seat on the judges ' panel during that time. Neilson appeared alongside Knight for the Season 4 premiere, then resumed his seat in the eighth episode. Starting with the 21st episode of the fourth season, he was replaced by two - time Forged in Fire champion Ben Abbott. David Baker, a Hollywood prop maker who has appeared on the Spike series Deadliest Warrior, is an authority on weapons history and an expert on replicating period - accurate weapons for both museums and films. He judges the weapons ' historical accuracy and aesthetic beauty. Doug Marcaida, an edged - weapons specialist, is a U.S. military contractor, martial arts instructor and knife designer for FOX Knives Italy. Specializing in the Southeast Asian fighting style of Kali, he has taught classes in weapon awareness and use for military, law enforcement, and security organizations. Marcaida evaluates the smiths ' weapons to determine their effectiveness in combat. When he can not test the smiths ' weapons himself due to injury, he has a co-worker or family member perform this task in his place. Tim Healy and Steve Ascher are executive producers for History. Jodi Flynn, Brent Montgomery, David George, Shawn Witt and Simon Thomas are executive producers for Outpost Entertainment. Healy observed the demonstration, and later the filming, from the sidelines. Healy says that the inspiration for Forged in Fire came from his and other developers ' love of food competition shows such as Chopped and Iron Chef. However, in order to appeal to the History channel 's audience, they decided to have the competition focus on historical weaponry. Episodes Season 1 ( 2015 ) Episode Title Results 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 4th Place `` Japanese Katana '' Matthew Parkinson Rich Greenwood Billy Helton Joe Waites `` Chakram '' Chris Farrell Trenton Tye Grant Marcoux Chad Harding `` Viking Battle Axe '' Ryu Lim Jonathan Porter Phil Evans James Huse `` Katar '' David Goldberg Jaime L. Vining Jimmy Seymour Arnon Andrey Kartmazov 5 `` Crusader Sword '' Peter Swarz - Burt David Roeder Matt Venier Gabriel Bell 6 `` The Elizabethan Rapier '' Guy Harris Peter Martin Peter Szymanski JD Smith 7 `` The Roman Gladius '' Jamie Lundell Mareko Maumasi Maxon McCarter Adam Ison 8 `` The Moro Kris '' Mace Vitale Murray Carter Ray Kirk Jason Morrissey Season 2 ( 2016 ) Episode Title Results 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 4th Place `` The War Hammer '' Craig Camerer Jeff Bridgers Kim Stahl Harry Harkins `` Khopesh '' Salem Straub Craig Trnka Chris Marks Zack Jonas `` The Scottish Claymore '' Scott Thomas Jonathan Wick Erin Simmons Earl Blackmore `` Spiked Shield '' Ilya Alekseyev Michael Coffey Tim Hintsala John Gruber 5 `` Viking Sword '' Travis Wuertz Morgan Medlen Tom Ward Mardi Meshejian 6 `` Nepalese Kukri '' Jason Reddick Josh Weston Kelly Potter Jason Ritchie 7 `` The Shotel '' Burt Foster Chad Osborne Kevin Klein Erin Aylor 8 `` The Cutlass '' Tobin Nieto Ron Mezile Bob Brandel Kyle Gahagan 9 `` The Khanda '' Ben Abbott Tom McGinnis Brent Stubblefield Nathan Zimmerman 10 `` The Tabar '' Ted Thompson Rob `` Deker '' Dekelbaum Robert Burns Edward Kim Season 3 ( 2016 -- 17 ) Episode Title Results 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 4th Place Champions Edition -- `` Scottish Claymore '' Ben Abbott Matthew Parkinson Salem Straub Burt Foster Fan Favorites -- `` Hook Sword '' David Roeder Rich Greenwood Kelly Potter Ryu Lim `` Butterfly Swords '' Shayne Carter Andy Alm Harry Burdett Michael Allenson ( né Hoopes ) `` The Falcata '' Kelly Vermeer - Vella Justin Jones Will Bagley Frank Christensen 5 `` Kora Sword '' Liam Hoffman Josh Smith Paul Happy Robby Bowman 6 `` Hunga Munga '' Jared Williams Eric Anthony Leong Ryan Lewis Harlan Whitman 7 `` The Boar Spear '' Allen Newberry Clayton Cowart Mike Shindel Chase Wilder 8 `` Xiphos Sword '' Keith Hill Jon Maynard Sam Rutherford Riley Butz 9 `` The Pandat '' Pete Winkler Jo Smith Brandon Brink April Franklin 10 `` Zulu Iklwa '' Matthew Moline Lyle Wynn Scott Mcreynolds Clarence Jackson 11 Champions Edition -- `` The Pata '' Travis Wuertz Shayne Carter Peter Swarz - Burt Scott Thomas 12 `` The Zweihänder '' Jay Replogle Stephan Fowler Harry Black Emiliano Carrillo 13 `` Cavalry Saber '' David Mooneyham Todd Bitler Jason Glenn Howell Nic Hanlon 14 `` The Naginata '' Theo Nazz Joe Collett Walter Sorrells Erich Ouellette 15 `` The Haladie '' Raymond Smith Stephen Williamson Jason Kraus Adlai Stein 16 Redemption -- `` Viking sword '' Gabriel Bell Clarence Jackson JD Smith Brandon Brink Season 4 ( 2017 -- 18 ) Episode Title Results 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 4th Place Judges ' Pick -- `` The Ida '' Mareko Maumasi Josh Smith David Goldberg Erin Simmons `` Deer Horn Knives '' Nicholas Marcelja Steve Godfrey Dustin Rhodes Thor Laizans `` The Katzbalger '' James Helm Paul Walsh Rashelle Hams Jesse Hauer ( medically disqualified ) `` Makraka '' Craig Barr Paul Brown Brian Dimmock Mark Nevling 5 Fan 's Choice -- `` The Panabas '' Josh Weston Ray Kirk Robby Bowman Chad Osborne 6 `` Akrafena '' Page Steinhardt Brock Martin Larry Clements Terry Mitchell 7 `` Talwar '' Jordan LaMothe David McConnell Rick Fenlon Carl Oliver 8 `` The Cinquedea '' Neil Kamimura Dan Hurtado Storm Richardson Demetrios Papatriantafyllou 9 `` The Charay '' Steve Grosvenor Ryan Rowe Mark Green Tyler Mandgie 10 Redemption -- `` Sword Breaker '' James Huse Erich Ouellette Earl Blackmore Morgan Medlen 11 Master & Apprentice -- `` Nzappa zap '' Frank Allen Wren II Nehemiah Brousseau Jesse Rhodes Zack Lewis Robert Timberlake Wesley Alberson Joseph Szilaski John Lewis 12 `` Ngombe ( de ) Ngulu ( de ) '' Steven Bryan Paul Brach Robert Putantsu Ryan Weeks 13 `` The Shamshir '' Andrew Taycach Tim Shoal Tom Kinder Chad Hollar 14 `` The Kachin Dao '' Shawn Ellis Rachel Oliver Buster Grubbs Chad Bozeman ( medically disqualified ) 15 `` The Gladiator Scissor '' Don Halter Jason Henderson Alf Rudd Francesco Muci 16 `` The Kampilan '' Michael Cross Todd Martin Jack Barber Leland Edward Stone 17 `` The Kpinga '' Nate Summers Richard Epting Jim Poor John Rainey 18 `` The Yatagan '' Gabe Mabry Dave Catoe Josh Fikentscher Randall W Turner 19 International Championship -- `` The Spadroon '' JW Randall Julien Maniglier Guillermo Mendoza Michal Sielicki 20 `` The Tabar - Shishpar '' Mark Steele Knapp Christopher Price Holden Bystry Dan Rotblatt 21 Ultimate Champions Edition -- `` The T'ai Chi Sword '' Theo Nazz Neil Kamimura Kelly Vermeer - Vella Nicholas Marcelja ( Round 1 ) Raymond Smith ( preliminary ) 22 Knights Templar -- `` Crusader Sword '' David Mirabile Brian Rognholt Josh Fenlon Richard Moore 23 Viking Edition -- `` Viking War Axes '' Jeremiah Backhaus Chris Rowley Jeff Renner Joel Davis Season 5 ( 2018 -- present ) Episode Title Results 1st Place 2nd Place 3rd Place 4th Place `` The Rhomphaia '' Bill Sowell Dwight Phillips Mark Collard Steve Culver Rookies Edition -- `` The War Golok '' Brian Schmidt Matt Wagner Tyler Grant Joey Lynn ( Round 1 ) Steve Johnson ( preliminary ) `` The Schiavona '' Jeff Wagenaar Brad McDougall Brendan McHugh Wes Whipple `` The Sica '' Tony Fetters Frank Sausto Corey Soper Gage Mason 5 `` The Jūmonji yari '' Jacob Gayton Fuad Accawi Gary Sandstrom Kyle Kilroy 6 `` The Kabyle Flyssa '' Collin Sage Daniel Casey Bob Hastings Jesse Adcock 7 Ultimate Team Challenge `` The Chinese Dao '' Mark J. Hopper Jessica D. Collins Joe Carlton Casey Perdue Raleigh Desiato Kelly Gregory Tyler Adkins Leon Vanguard 8 `` The Karabela '' Ethan Kempf Liam Fuller Ron Gramza Evan Griffith 9 `` The Zande Spear '' Drew Goodson Jason Nass Daniel James Reichow Larry Metcalf 10 `` The Navaja '' Matthew Christiano Wade Seiders Christoph Deringer Brandon Austin 11 `` The German Halberd '' Phillip Baldwin Johnathan Sibley Doran Doran Ben Swapp 12 `` The Indian Two - Handed Sword '' Jonathan Allen Ed Wilson Andy Walker Jordan Kataris Trivia In the city of Cohoes, New York near Albany, a man, inspired by the series, tried to forge a piece of metal over a fire in a barrel near his home. He caused a fire that destroyed three residential buildings and damaged 28 others. Notes ^ Jump up to : These four contestants, all champions from previous seasons, were invited to compete again. The winner received an additional $10,000 and the title `` Champion of Champions '' ^ Jump up to : These four contestants from previous seasons were invited to compete again based on fans ' reaction to their initial performance. ^ Jump up to : This episode featured contestants eliminated from previous episodes returning for a chance at redemption Jump up ^ These four contestants from previous seasons, each chosen by one of the four judges, were invited to compete again. Jump up ^ Four master / apprentice pairs competed in this episode. When Jesse withdrew at the end of the first round, Zack was allowed to continue on his own. Jump up ^ Five champions from previous episodes were invited to compete again. Raymond Smith was eliminated based on the results of a preliminary test performed on blades that they forged ahead of time. Jump up ^ This episode followed the same structure as the Ultimate Champions Edition in Season 4, with five smiths who were inspired to take up the craft after watching the show. References ^ Jump up to : Zumberge, Marianne ( April 27, 2015 ). `` History 's Weapon Competition Series ' Forged in Fire ' to Debut This Summer ''. variety.com. Variety. Retrieved 1 August 2015. ^ Jump up to : Pfeiffer, Jeff ( April 27, 2015 ). `` Former `` Special Ops Mission '' star Wil Willis returns in new History competition series ``. www.channelguidemagblog.com. Channel Guide Magazine. Retrieved 1 August 2015. ^ Jump up to : Kryah, Kevin ( Jun 22, 2015 ). `` Talking Swords on the Brooklyn Set of History 's New Reality - Competition Series ''. www.esquire.com. Esquire. Retrieved 2 August 2015. Jump up ^ http://www.history.com/shows/forged-in-fire Jump up ^ `` Forged in Fire Season 3 will be released on -- August 23, 2016 - PremiereDate.TV ''. premieredate.tv. Archived from the original on June 1, 2016. Retrieved 2016 - 05 - 24. ^ Jump up to : Petski, Denise ( April 27, 2015 ). `` Bladesmiths Cut To The Chase In New Competition Series On History ''. deadline.com. Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 1 August 2015. Jump up ^ Man Inspired by TV Show ' Forged in Fire ' Sets Off Huge Blaze, Officials Say External links Official website Forged in Fire on IMDb History original programming Current Alone American Pickers American Restoration Ancient Aliens Counting Cars The Curse of Oak Island Forged in Fire Hunting Hitler Ice Road Truckers Knife or Death Knightfall Mountain Men Ozzy & Jack 's World Detour Pawn Stars Six Swamp People Vikings Former 20th Century with Mike Wallace Appalachian Outlaws Alaska Off - Road Warriors America Unearthed American Eats Ancient Discoveries Ancients Behaving Badly Around the World in 80 Ways Ax Men Barbarians Battle 360 ° Battlefield Detectives Battles BC Big Easy Motors Big Rig Bounty Hunters Big Shrimpin ' Billion Dollar Wreck Boneyard Brad Meltzer 's Decoded Breaking Vegas Cajun Pawn Stars Cities of the Underworld Civil War Combat Clash of the Gods The Conquerors Conquest The Crusades : Crescent and the Cross Decisive Battles Declassified Decoding the Past Deep Sea Detectives Digging for the Truth Dogfights Down East Dickering Engineering an Empire Evolve Expedition Africa Extreme Trains Food Tech Full Metal Jousting Gangland Gangland Undercover Great Minds with Dan Harmon Greatest Tank Battles God, Guns & Automobiles Great Lake Warriors Hairy Bikers Haunted History The History of Sex History 's Business History 's Lost & Found History 's Mysteries How the Earth Was Made How the States Got Their Shapes Human Weapon Ice Pilots NWT Join or Die with Craig Ferguson Jurassic Fight Club Last Stand of the 300 Life After People The Lost Evidence Lost in Transmission Lost Worlds MadHouse Mail Call Man, Moment, Machine Mega Disasters Mega Movers Military Blunders Modern Marvels ( episodes ) MonsterQuest Monumental Challenge The Most Mounted in Alaska MysteryQuest Nostradamus Effect Only in America with Larry the Cable Guy Patton 360 ° Pawnography Prehistoric Megastorms The Presidents Reel to Real Rome : Rise and Fall of an Empire Save Our History Shark Wranglers Shootout Shockwave Sliced The States Stan Lee 's Superhumans Surviving History Tactical to Practical Tales of the Gun That 's Impossible Top Gear Top Guns Top Shot Tougher In Alaska UFO Files UFO Hunters United Stats of America The Universe Warriors Weird U.S. Wild West Tech The XY Factor Upcoming Blue Book The Commanders Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Forged_in_Fire_(TV_series)&oldid=842715429 '' Categories : American reality television series 2010s American television series 2015 American television series debuts English - language television programs History ( U.S. TV channel ) original programs Television shows set in New York City Television shows about weaponry Hidden categories : Interlanguage link template link number Talk Contents About Wikipedia Español Italiano 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 24 May 2018, at 06 : 01. 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Question: when does season 5 forged in fire start
Answer: March 7, 2018