Blacksmiths take a look at their abilities in the History Channel's 'Forged in Fire,' however just how real is the show? Is it fake? A take a look at the reality behind the scenes.
Fantasy geeks, history buffs, and master craftsmen alike have cherished the History Channel's reality show Forged in Fire, putting blacksmiths of various ability levels against each different for a $10,000 money prize. These master forgers spend 3 rounds crafting intricate blades in a short period of time, looking to end up that they actually have what it takes.
But how real is the show? Is Forged in Fire fake?
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Is 'Forged in Fire' actual or fake?
The resolution to this query isn't so simple as viewers would love it to be. It's no secret that reality tv isn't always "real' — multiple shows are known for scripting certain scenes or reshooting shots, making the experience less genuine than viewers would hope for from a program that's intended to be realistic.
But according to some former contestants, there are a lot of components of the show that are very much real.
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Reddit user /rdeker posted about his experience on the show and confirmed that while he couldn't spill all of the details, the show definitely keeps it a little bit realistic.
For example, the time constraints on the projects are very real. We know the editing process condenses hours of work into just a few minutes of film, but contestants actually only get three hours to complete the first round.
"[It] can in reality screw with some folks," /rdeker wrote. "Oh, and there is no preventing the clock for the epoxy to completely set, but there is a number of epoxy in the shop ... You must make good decisions at each alternative."
Considering the circumstances the contestants are working under, the Reddit user also admitted that the blacksmiths don't usually create their best work while on the show.
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"There are a large number of factors at play when you are doing the festival. You're in an unfamiliar store and can not in finding anything else, the apparatus is not what you're used to, the materials and specifications may throw you a curveball, there are digital camera operators all over, and there is a three-hour clock ticking down," he wrote. "Then, after the fact, they have to edit it to make just right TV (although they in reality do a tight activity of not making the whole lot appear overly dramatic), and most significantly they have to suit each three-hour round into several minutes. So much will get left on the slicing room floor."
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That being said, the final products shown at the time of judging seem to be the competitors' actual work. There's some debate as to whether or not it's actually the created blades that are shown when they're being tested for sharpness and effectiveness, though /rdeker has not revealed how much of the competition might be faked.
Do the competitors keep the blades?
You would think that the contestants would get to keep the blades they make on the show, but the reality is that all items crafted on Forged in Fire have to be turned over at the finish of the competitor's run, that means all in their blades are left behind. This is likely for legal and safety causes, as the blades are dangerous (whether or not or now not they're sharpened), and it would not be ethical to have the creators commute home with guns in their ownership.
Forged in Fire airs Wednesdays at Nine p.m. ET on History.
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