Skall Comments: Catastrophic Failures on Forged in Fire

[@Judgement_Kazzy]

They don't wear protective gear because if one of the judges snaps a blade and it ricochets into his neck, that's hella ratings.

[@neruneri]

I mean, you can't actually air that, and ALMOST killing a judge with protective gear being the only thing saving him will give the same amount of ratings.

[@crozraven]

@@GuitarGuy057 they already have their "safety t-shirt" on! LOL

[@johndododoe1411]

@@neruneri They can get huge ratings of pre-death episodes from openly admitting the incident. Look how Top Gear got higher ratings after the youngest judge got seriously hurt in a rocket car.

[@torhacs]

@@GuitarGuy057 Using the safety T-shirt....

[@antyspi4466]

In later episodes the judges do wear protective gear under their clothing.

[@Left4Candy]

"Now we're going to test your Wooden mallet" *Throws it in fire* "As you understand, your wooden mallet was reduced to ashes. It will not keel"

[@TheRumbles13]

Pretty much this dumb ass show in a nutshell

[@filmandfirearms]

They need to make this exciting for the brainless idiots that watch these sorts of shows

[@koreancowboy42]

@joe evans nah eat my lute

[@PizzaTheHutt69]

@@koreancowboy42 🤣🤣🤣 excellent medieval insult sir! I salute you!

[@stinkyfungus]

Takes ashes, adds sulphur and saltpeter - puts into a tube with a rock... and lights it Shoots dummy. My mallet will still keel.

[@roberttauzer7042]

When Skal tells you you are abusing your swords too much, you are abusing your swords too much.

[@nicolasvillasecaali7662]

And he tells you by experience

[@bat32391]

I mean thats the entire point

[@alexhulea2735]

that's what i keep telling a friend: they exagerate a lot of tests for no reason

[@nicolasvillasecaali7662]

@@alexhulea2735 the reason is that it make them impressive to see, but the point is to damage the blades, you want to bring them to the failure point, that is why if the weapon break is not always means disqualification, just like construction you use the critical point to calculate resistances (and you use a safety factor to make it endure extreme events), you need to see the failure point of this weapons to weight their limits. Granted, is more show than science but you can get a logical conclusion from it, is that what they do? Nop, but ppl don't care for it.

[@Anegor]

@@alexhulea2735 the reason is to choose a winner. Not to just decide if your blade is good or not.

[@Zetact_]

A Forged In Fire Judge Goes to the Sword Shop. "I'm looking for something that can cut through a rock." "Sir, swords weren't meant to do that." "Sounds like you only know about bad swords."

[@maxlutz3674]

Isn´t it more like "I want sword I can bash 12 times in a rock. It´s all about what the rock does to the sword. After that the sword should cleanly cut a silk scarf dropped on the edge." ?

[@MarioSantos-zx4bj]

@@maxlutz3674 and after bashing the rock cut cleanly a d right trough a pig carcass and then destroy a firefighter hose

[@boooster101]

"What kind of sword is that?" "Sir, that is a sledgehammer." "can I cut rock?" "Well, it can ... break rock." "Then I'll take that sword."

[@Woodfiend]

My pocket knife can cleave tombstones in half.

[@hozzoh9936]

A katana can do it easily, I seen it happen in the final fantasy movie

[@felipeguidolin1055]

"as you can see, your blade suffered a catastrophic failure, which puts in question the quality of the heat treatment. It also bounced back and hit in the neck, but failed to kill me. That puts the blade sharpness in question too"

[@LUCIAN8016]

🤣👍❤️

[@derpderpenson7492]

lol'd

[@juandemarko8348]

☠

[@Arikayx13]

These tests feel like someone was told to make a perfect wrench only to watch people hammer nails with it.

[@griffinkelley8785]

More like if someone was told to build a screwdriver only to see it used to hammer bolts.

[@DoubleADwarf]

Check out the sodegarami episode. Then look up what a sodegarami was actually used for. It hurts.

[@MonEyRuLess]

I've never watched this show: Is there anything that stops the smiths from making blades insanely thick?

[@griffinkelley8785]

@@MonEyRuLess they give the smiths a whole bunch of requirements and limits and for the final round you have to be make a historical blade that is extremely accurate. For example one guy failed the final round just because he was lacking one piece on the end of the sword.

[@afrog2666]

A good wrench is also a hammer ;)

[@IanCaine4728]

Forged in Fire: "Make an aesthetically pleasing yet utilitarian piece that is sharp enough to slice tissue paper but robust enough to cut tungsten without losing an edge and also be light and user friendly. Also, make it in the form of an arbitrary historical weapon." [Proceeds to make 10 minutes of content into 30 with reaction cuts]

[@customersupportdeer6150]

Sounds reasonable

[@IanCaine4728]

@@customersupportdeer6150 I mean, I still enjoy the show for what it is, but when they gripe about a sword losing an edge after bashing it into steel armor it gets a bit much.

[@rashkavar]

"If you give me a shipyard and an unlimited budget, I'll have it to you in a year or two." *proceeds to create a replica of the Yamato* "That'll get you through anything that doesn't have air superiority or submarine superiority." (For purposes of definition I'm classifying cruise missiles such as those used by modern missile cruisers under the realm of air superiority. They are certainly airborne weapons, and are difficult to counter. I'm well aware that pretty much any combat ready ship in the US Navy could take down the Yamato thanks to cruise missiles being able to dramatically outrange any battleship's big guns.)

[@SoI_Badguy]

You hit the nail on the head.

[@davidj3841]

And thoose annoying sound cues they use on every reality show. You know what I'm talking about the "bammms" and the eerie violin.

[@leppeppel]

I remember the episode at 7:25. Both blades broke in the "strength" testing, so the winner was the one that lasted one swing longer. The thing which bugs me about the abusive testing is that in at least one case it has allowed an objectively *worse* sword to win. The competitors had to make a knightly arming sword, and one turned in a lean, clean, well-balanced sword. The other made a crowbar with an edge on it. After the keal test, Doug praised the weight of the first sword and complained about it in the other. For the strength test, they smashed the swords into blocks of ice, and the crowbar survived but the good sword's handle broke and was therefore disqualified. The objectively worse sword won because the tests were things you'd never expect a sword to do. It's like testing formula cars by seeing which one floats better. >:(

[@AdderTude]

There should be a fan movement to get Skallagrim on the show to handle the weapons with Doug, but honestly, he should leave the forging criticisms to the judges, who are master smiths (it's why they test the weapons so rigorously to begin with). The test for the title by the American Bladesmith Society is nothing to sneeze at because it's insanely difficult to make a knife that can withstand a 90-degree bend in both directions and come back to true. EDIT: The forged blade is allowed to crack, but chipping is automatic disqualification, according to the official ABS rules for the Master test.

[@asdfg2560]

I think top gear did a thing aboat which cars float better, turns out it’s a truck with an outboard on the tailgate

[@ordinaryadonis8711]

Haha I watched that episode last night. The pommel came off and the sword which could be barely swung one handed won.

[@JohnSmith-ch6pt]

Also they can’t measure how much force you’re using. Looks like a game of biggest swing and power-implying facial expression while using as little force possible

[@klafsen]

@@asdfg2560 The ToyBota! "aboat" lol

[@kormityourboyyy491]

Those tests look like they were meant for axes not swords.

[@antyspi4466]

They are meant to reveal the tiniest faults in the blades. The only purpose of these blades is to be tested, hence there is no use in preserving them.

[@Tennoeno]

@@antyspi4466 no a tool should be tested for it's use . no point in shooting kevlar with a tank to reveal any faults.

[@seihanda671]

I meant they are like car crash test.

[@DAKOTA56777]

@@Tennoeno Also little point in shooting kevlar with a .22LR. The tests are meant to fail contestants, as Skall said, otherwise if they don't you're stuck with everyone passing and you don't have a singular winner. The fact that usually at least one blade makes it through means they're not shooting kevlar with a tank, because it is possible to survive, just extraordinarily difficult. I agree with Skall though that these really harsh abuse tests should be saved as the tie breakers instead of the standard test.

[@ernesterz]

@@Tennoeno I think that in a battle sometimes you can't always keep a good edge alignment, sometimes you want to survive and you don't think about those "details". you will hit shields, armors, etc... And if your sword breaks, then you cannot say "...but this test is stupid! The armor was too hard it's not fair!"

[@Efreeti]

I can understand why Ilya doesn't like this show (I know, some people criticize him for hating it when he won $10k in Season 2), but yeah the constraints really don't allow for the bladesmiths to have their work represented well, and the tests are often arbitrary and poorly thought out.

[@noctisocculta4820]

Heh, I think as a winner he has a lot of credibility with his negative views. I bet his critics would judge him a sore loser if he didn't win and still expressed criticism of the show. It's a weird show. On one hand, it gives you a lot of insight into the craftsmanship, but then absolutely drops the ball when it comes to judging the blades.

[@john-paulsilke893]

They should bring him or someone like him as a consultant. Otherwise don’t make traditional swords for the show but instead make stupid fantasy weapons and do dumb fantasy tests.

[@slydoorkeeper4783]

Having my biases for him set aside, as I am a fan of his, its hard to argue against him. I get people can say, well if it can survive this, then it can survive battle, but there definitely are extremes that would make battle seem like a walk in the park. And also the awkward materials that may get used may not be the greatest to even build a blade out of, as of course different materials are made/used for different purposes. A solid foam sword would be shit in actual combat. But as a kids toy, quite suitable. And yes, I understand that my example is very extreme as they are never handed foam. But it does get the point across.

[@slickmullet3891]

That plus the cheesy commentary and fabricated man drama makes it completely unwatchable. Skall’s commentary on the action is awesome though.

[@williammullinax6130]

They should do more reasonable testing. And save the truly harsh testing for tie breaker situations.

[@andrewsalhany5665]

Skall: I do hard testing in my reviews Forged in Fire: Hold my shield.

[@Kr0noZ]

don't you mean copper pipe?

[@Shiratto]

@@Kr0noZ Don’t you mean giant sheep

[@jerrydne2912]

@@Shiratto chocolate shake?

[@chrisschoenthaler5184]

@@Shiratto How about when they tested knives against a musket barrel? Hardened steel against hardened steel...

[@robrockstar9648]

You are hard on blades. Jay Nelson: hold my beer

[@Manudyne]

*horse skull test* Me: Oh cool. Skall: Meh. I'd rather see a test with living bone Me: YOU HEARD THE MAN. BRING FORTH A HORSE. ALIVE.

[@Gh0stTech]

🤣 Gold comment!

[@ignatz14]

Oh neigh.

[@asmodiusjones9563]

Hanging a live sheep by its haunches to chop it with a sword, undoubtedly killing it: completely barbaric and inhumane. KILLING a sheep, hanging it by its haunches, and chopping it with a sword: somehow completely different and acceptable.

[@reaperthegrim5654]

@@ORiOh4582 I know at leas with cattle we paralize the nerve's with an electrical current before opening their throat.

[@mastatheif9909]

For this next test we're gonna put your knife into a metal grinder

[@kajmace]

But first so it shows up on TV better, we're going to heat it up until the blade is glowing

[@MonEyRuLess]

That would actually be a much better test, because it would at least be consistent between contestants.

[@SagittarA]

*grinder breaks* this grinder did not keel

[@davidpeirce5945]

"...Bone is an appropriate test medium, except that these are huge animal bones..." -Skall suggesting to use human bones.

[@ntfoperative9432]

I mean, people have made replications that are almost the same as the real deal

[@rianmacdonald9454]

I can think of a good few humans to try the swords on.

[@xxSKAGhosTxx]

Or Chimps. Same thing.

[@shane7615]

“It’s a nice blade, I’ll give you that. But the pattern welding gives you no tactical advantage whatsoever.”

[@Kanjiimufu]

but, they could still auction it off as an collectors item.

[@ASlopedRoof]

@@Kanjiimufu funny part is those SAAs that are engraved and ultra expensive are just because they were one of a kind custom colt-produced engraving, usually a rich persons gift or something, meaning they were someones rich grandmas pistols typically, and ocelot just bought them cus they looked nice, and snake roasted him for it.

[@StickyBM]

BOSS?

[@eureka2163]

Ocelot??

[@Cannibalizer13]

You're... Pretty.... Good!..

[@BadDrummerCarl]

Skallagrim: "Shame it's dried bone and not living" Forged In Fire Executives: "Bring on the live horses"

[@LUCIAN8016]

"Bring on that failed blacksmith" 🤣

[@IllustriousCrocoduck]

"Bring on the politicians!"

[@imnotherenow200]

vaush sad :(

[@tristan8041]

The only true way to test the blades is to have their creators fight to the death.

[@Arachnoid_of_the_underverse]

Have you seen that new show where they fight in armour , its so cringing.

[@rohit_parashar]

@@Arachnoid_of_the_underverse what?

[@archibaldbarisol6926]

@@rohit_parashar "Knight Fight" ??

[@Arachnoid_of_the_underverse]

@@archibaldbarisol6926 Yep looks like the one.

[@rohit_parashar]

@@archibaldbarisol6926 oh I didn't know of that, thanks.

[@TheJonyfication]

Contestant: *Makes cool knife* Judge: *Tries cutting metal with it by beating knife into said metal* Knife: *breaks* Judge: "Lol sorry, you didn't pass" Me, watching: "... That's not a test, that's an execution"

[@sebastianb.3978]

That's not an execution. It's just idiotic...

[@terrelldurocher3330]

But the others survived so how can it be a execution

[@Brother_O4TS]

And yet the other contestant's knives survived. Just because it's cool doesn't make it better

[@Brother_O4TS]

​@@sebastianb.3978 If it was idiotic, then why didn't the other contestant's knives break? It just shows that the other guy's knife was weaker than the other's

[@afinoxi]

Forged in Fire : screws up Skal : *Allow me to introduce myself.*

[@tyrstark8673]

More like "Alloy me to introduce myself".

[@n-s-a7113]

@@tyrstark8673 lol nice

[@MrRJPE]

"I'm a man of wealth and taste."

[@lucassmith992]

A lot of the tests are less “you’ll see this in combat” and more “if it survives this it’ll survive battle”

[@freedustin]

yeah well, that's like using nukes in basic training. obvious, but stupid.

[@bluemobster0023]

@@freedustin ever hear of the davy crocket?

[@SoI_Badguy]

IF YOU CAN DODGE A WRENCH YOU CAN DODGE A BALL

[@blarghinatelazer9394]

@@SoI_Badguy Take my like, lmao

[@Foxxie0kun]

Even a broken weapon can sometimes save your life in a real fight. You can still stab a man with a broken blade, you can still cut them with the edge. The only time you're guaranteed to die in a battle is when you stop fighting to survive.

[@Noobshire]

With the number of frames available on the shield strike, that could even be after the strike itself.

[@anarchyandempires5452]

Yeah that's actually my guess, if you notice the top blade seems to be vibrating in place, so I'm guessing that frame actually happened after the impact.

[@alphawolf1919]

It seems like to me that the tip hit and the blade turned in his hand

[@taylor_green_9]

It looks like the blade got stuck under the shield's horizontal bar of wood or cane

[@j23araluce]

Had the same thought

[@conaldeugenepeterson2147]

It seems like they only bring out the fancy slow-mo camera for pretty ice explosions.

[@a-blivvy-yus]

Skall: They test the weapons too harshly. Also Skall: They should test them even harsher. Also Also Skall: Yes I know what I just said.

[@philipnazzaro1483]

There was one episode (I do not remember which one it was) where the two final swords performed equally as well, with no breakages or defects, so the winner was decided because his handle was slightly more historically accurate.

[@iwonakaplon3399]

Same thing happened to the finalists who had to make butterfly swords. They both passed the tests equally, but one of the guys made his so that theyd fit into one scabbard, and had the blades near the hilt dulled, which won him the contest as both those things were historically accurate.

[@FryedCalamari]

Just in case if an iceberg attacks you on the battlefield or the rogue hardwood jumps you

[@delicioustoast123]

everyone knows to watch out for mahogany tables in dark alleyways

[@ignatz14]

I always thought it was the bards who had hardwood, not the rogues.

[@jameswolf5513]

when they're chasing you out the mine and you have to cut the supports

[@Dloin]

I just gonna acknowledge that as a fan service in case someone is writing about ice mages 😂

[@ahriman935]

Nonsense, it is highly unlikely that a random piece of hardwood will gain the ability to jump at you, ever. On the other hand, if you ever find yourself reincarnated as orc in Isengard...

[@timt7330]

Part of the reason why I watch Forged in Fire is to watch Jay Neilson go ham on a blade, but also with the slight possibility he's gonna end up like that Shop at Home Network guy who banged on a cheap katana on the table, broke the blade, and had that shard fly back into his stomach.

[@caelestigladii]

Jörg Sprave's ork sword would be perfekt in this show. He'll show the judges the sword's features.

[@srgfkct3544]

Man, the men testing the weapons really should wear some neck protection. One bad strike, the blade bounces in your throat and thats pretty much it. Along with ptsd for all around.

[@willhyde5026]

The silver haired judge nearly got stabbed in the neck by the ricocheting blade that snapped near the hilt, I agree

[@Smileythesilent]

Yeah, and that would be a little inconvenient to the production company but THE RATINGS *cackling maniacally*

[@StryderK]

Just a neato facto: When Skall was talking about a round corner vs a square corner, read up on the Comet, the world's first jet powered airline and the massive structural failures that led to several crashes. One of the main culprit were square shaped windows that concentrated all the pressure and force on one area, instead of distributing the pressure away. Hence why afterwards, even today, all airline passenger planes have rounded corner windows instead of square.

[@ANDREI114]

The tiebreaker is always the weight of the weapon and how good is the handle like if the judges say anything negative about weight or the handle no matter how minor you better hope that your competitor's weapon breaks.

[@chrishubbard64]

Yep, ive seen the heavier blade clearly outperform the lighter one in all three tests, and still lose because its heavier. Its like, "It cuts EVRYTHING IN HALF IN A SINGLE SWING, I dont think fatigue will factor into this as you swing it half as often as the other blade for the same result". lol

[@mndlessdrwer]

It can be a very critical thing in weapon designs. If your weapon relies on alignment to deal damage, then you need to be able to properly grip it and tell how it is facing with minimal effort. A poorly shaped handle can make it very difficult to determine your edge alignment. As for weight, as long as the blade isn't swinging you, if the heavier blade far outperforms the other, then the additional fatigue is acceptable recompense for the performance. If both perform similarly, then the lighter weapon will offer an advantage in stamina management. Of course, they don't always go into the justification behind this, but it does have merit.

[@ChargeQM]

Honestly, any time I've used a sword, I prefer heavier ones that bite harder and cause more trauma. Not that I've hurt anyone, but in both testing and dummy practice, I feel better with a chunkier hit that can overpower and beat back the opponent. I'm a very tall and lanky man though, so I have leverage and reach advantages already, so a heavier weapon accentuates my strengths further.

[@Foxxie0kun]

@@ChargeQM It can also factor into the physique of the user. You're probably a beefier guy who can handle a heavier weapon more easily than other people who don't have the muscular strength and stable footing you have. A lighter weapon can be a requirement for a combatant who is smaller in stature or slimmer in build. Yeah, a bigger/heavier blade will bite deeper and chop harder, but if a smaller person uses it then it's half as effective as a weapon more reasonably weighted to their capabilities.

[@lred1383]

@@ChargeQM At that point, why settle for a puny little "sword"? Surely, the best sword of them all is a woodchopping axe. So much weight and power, can't get much chunkier than that. Unbeatable weapon right there

[@Tadicuslegion78]

Forged in fire: *Tests a Rapier against a brick wall, it breaks in two* Blade sucks.

[@Talishar]

The funny thing is, if it survives they'll then complain that the blade is dull. We literally have knife sharpening tutorials on KZbin where the first step they do for the knife is to draw it across a brick or ceramic cup to completely dull the edge in only a few passes.

[@Talishar]

@Qalidurut Those don't really have a sharp, cutting edge on them though. Much like a kukri, they tend to have a utility edge that's much more resistant to edge damage. The combative, military kukris have a thinner edge profile, but you aren't going to see the Gurkhas use them for masonry.

[@Talishar]

@Qalidurut Not if they're attacking brick and stones with them. They're going to be dull as shit or they use specialized tool versions of the knives, similar to they have tool/utility kukris and warfighting kukris. Again, this is steel, not godly mana-metals from the heavens.

[@MarioSantos-zx4bj]

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you want to demolish a wall? A rapier of courae

[@jimbothegymbro7086]

Might as well see how well a tank flies

[@oleksii8182]

Petition to add Skal as an observer to Forged in Fire. In his technophobic viking persona as well.

[@royseleech3524]

I noticed that the judges bring up that the handles are round and smooth, which makes it hard to keep straight. I think the contestants focus on the blades so the slap on a broom stick handle. One reason I love listening is becouse I learn something interesting, IE the shoulder being rounded not squared. I wouldn't have even thought that

[@flarion00]

Yeah they need to wear armor if they insist on being this brutal.

[@ernesterz]

Naaa

[@peterclarke7240]

But then people wouldn't go "Woooah!" in surprise when the sword inevitably breaks and nearly takes someone's fingers off. And then nobody would watch it. It's basically like every reality show in existence, but with swords instead of dickheads.

[@XdivineExp]

At the very least some neck protection. I'd say the chances of a stray blade puncturing a major artery in your leg are ridiculously low, in your arm it almost certainly wouldn't be lethal, but we already saw one guy get hit in the neck with a stray blade, and they would bleed out *real* fucking fast if it cut something important. Having a medical team on standby doesn't mean they're safe from all kinds of potential injuries.

[@mmmorgi]

BabyGravy

[@flarion00]

@NerfBeard ' 🤣

[@sammoeller2702]

It’s always great to watch a video where someone gets to talk about something that they have a deep knowledge and appreciation for. It’s one of my favorite things to do on KZbin.

[@andreyvatson]

Skall: tell me that I abuse swords too much Also Skall: shot a blade with a gun

[@laynegrey2003]

I'm pretty sure Forged in Fire did that too. Like twice lmfao.

[@koreancowboy42]

Yet the blade didn't break, it was quality made. 👌

[@TheAchilles26]

It seems to me like they're more focused on FORCING the blades to break than on testing anything actually relevant

[@MansMan42069]

They're testing the smith's ability, genius.

[@TheAchilles26]

@@MansMan42069, none of the testing here demonstrated relevantly tests the effectiveness of the product for its intended use, and therefore it's not a relevant or effective test of the smith's ability. I can be perfectly aware of what they CLAIM to be testing while still criticizing their methods as worthless, wiseass

[@MansMan42069]

@@TheAchilles26 Wrong. Torture tests bring out the most minute flaws in the metalwork and that all comes down to the smith's ability. The tests are made known beforehand and smiths know what properties their blade must have to survive. Try again.

[@BeALight-i3z]

Yet somehow these breaks are fairly rare. Maybe a 25% break rate in the final round? I’ve never ran the numbers, but it seems that the weapons survive more often than not.

[@SoI_Badguy]

@@MansMan42069 Are we testing swords or hammers? What's next, a watchmaker show where they see who makes the best watch by throwing hand grenades at them? A gunsmith show where they rate the gun by how easily you can use it as a sledgehammer?

[@FollowingGhost]

I think the most painful got me to watch was the tai chi sword which was "tested" in ways the blade was never designed for. I am a martial artist with 45 years of experience and I fought in armor for years. These tests are simply for ratings. How do I know? I also worked in the TV industry for years and the guys who are on camera have zero to say about what they do it is all the producers. The swings and objects being hit are all dictated by the producers and the stupidity knows no bounds. The bigger more dramatic it is no matter how wrong the better they like it.

[@jazz8000]

You'd think in 2021 people would catch on that TV is mostly fake but here we are.

[@croutendo2050]

@@jazz8000 If you pander to the lowest common denominator, you can't lose.

[@volters9561]

That`s why we watch Skall and not them ;)

[@giodavid991]

@@volters9561 and there is someone who also watch this just for some entertaining. What's wrong with this?

[@MansMan42069]

The competition isn't to test bladework. It's to test the smiths. Get it right. Cry more.

[@godofflames5427]

13:57 hey skall I'm the bladesmith in this episode while yes my tang transition was by far not perfect it was definitely not square please watch it again look where the blade impacts cause its not the skull its the 3 inch steel pipe behind it

[@pearshaped9116]

Lmfao that sucks

[@tylersmall3169]

For whatever it's worth, I saw that impact the pipe and knew it wasn't your fault. Sucks to go out like that, mate. We mostly all see the real failure there: not you.

[@AntiCookieMonster]

Watching these `tests` really activates a spiteful streak in me. I'm not sure if I would stop myself from submitting a mace into the contest.

[@TrivialTax]

My first thoughts when I saw that was - "at this point, the skull pretty much ended.''

[@drakeweddner]

@skallgram

[@many_lives4925]

I feel like skallagrim needs to host his own show on swords so he can show those amateurs on Forged in Fire what they been doing wrong.

[@nagyzoli]

Conclusion: The only blade that will keeeeeel properly and resists the endurance test is the lightsaber :D

[@robolinkplays5248]

Unless they decide to test the handles ability to cut

[@Danko18101993]

SKALL FOR FORGE IN FIRE JUDGE !

[@croutendo2050]

I think he has too much self respect

[@sabretoothstudios9142]

Imagine an episode where Skall, Metatron, and Shad are the judges and the normal judges are the contestants

[@giodavid991]

I don't think he has enough knowledge and experience with forging and metallurgy to be one

[@MansMan42069]

@@sabretoothstudios9142 Skall, Metatron, and Skall would make for poor judges because they can't judge smithing. The show is about making blades, not using them.

[@blackdeath4eternity]

@@MansMan42069 not sure the judges on the show live up to your expectations either then, guess they could just cancel the show for you. :P

[@markmiller589]

The term for that 90 degree point of failure is a "stress riser" - needs to be relieved by a radius / rounded finish

[@bl4cksp1d3r]

Yes, every point where stress can accumulate is a weak point

[@Juel92]

I feel sorry for the dude with the super curved blade that looked really solid until the edge alignment looked way off. The long curve of the blade makes any faulty edge aligment worse because there is more leaverage in the faulty angle.

[@antyspi4466]

Afaik this guy actually won.

[@Talishar]

@@antyspi4466 He did. His blade lasted longer as his opponent, as was seen here, had their blade fail on the second hit.

[@Juel92]

@@antyspi4466 Awesome. It did seem way more durable than the other blades. I've never seen the show so I don't know the specifics on how it works and if the eliminations usually seem fair or not.

[@129das]

@@antyspi4466 I was thinking the same.

[@RazireKVD]

"Next up on Forged in Fire, we test our 18th century cavalry sabers by firing them out of a cannon into a solid stone fortress wall!"

[@ADeeeeeJ]

Whenever I see clips of this show, and the person isnt wearing protective gear, it annoys me. You're swing something that had a higher than average chance of failure. Why take the chance?

[@ernesterz]

It looks cooler, and it's their live

[@phillipanselmo8540]

its because they're on tv

[@ONI_LONI]

Balls of steel my friend, balls of steel.

[@airplanenut89]

Money money mo~ney. MO~O~ONEY!!

[@haku8135]

They are wearing protective gear. See the goggles? They're all wearing them.

[@lexsamreeth8724]

Watched these clips extensively for the backstory of a weapon in my D&D campaign known as the Forsaken Shiv. It was made from a broken piece of a magic longsword, so when somebody cast legend lore on the Shiv, the first sound they heard was the TINK of metal being stressed to its limit, followed by the clatter of the pieces falling to the ground. And since the character casting it was a blacksmith himself, I described the sound as "heart-breaking"

[@xenonnboy]

The episode with that giant delamination on the ice test was, if I recall, they had to do a San mai construction? I remember that particular knife blow up.

[@eliasmunoz537]

I honestly think these analysis videos of yours are super cool. I enjoy them quite a bit hehe.

[@noneofyourbusiness3288]

I would not swing a blade at a hard target like a madman, without a face-shield and at least thick clothing...

[@stephenbarrett8861]

Most of the tester are bladesmiths. They are used to bits of hot metal flying around while they work.

[@noneofyourbusiness3288]

@@stephenbarrett8861 I am a chemist, I am used to acid splashing around, I still wear safety goggles (even more so than regular people: when I see normal people making soap without protective gear, I cringe hard. dont go blind for a bit of soap not worth it...). When you are an expert in the field, normally you would err on the side of caution when it comes to PPE.

[@stephenbarrett8861]

@@noneofyourbusiness3288 I don’t blame you. You can find footage of the Forged in Fire judges on You Tube and see how they work at their own forges.

[@rickylafleur5823]

@@stephenbarrett8861 forging and bashing a sharp piece of metal hoping to break it are two different things. although rare because of the way kinetic energy works there is still a chance they will receive the pointy end.

[@griffinoppenheimer9799]

Honestly I feel some of these torture tests are straight up disrespectful. There is no reason to judge a weapon by its ability to withstand being used for the wrong purpose to such a degreen

[@Belphegorite]

One reason why I love Benchmade so much is I have abused the absolute hell out of my knives, used them for things well out of reason or safety, and they've survived. If they hold up to the ridiculous crap I've done, they will handle any actual knife task with ease. I think they're going for a similar philosophy here.

[@prismaticc_abyss]

I mean its a mainstream TV Program they have to be flashy with their Tests to attract viewers.

[@TomTom-ol7mz]

But it's spreading misinformation. :(

[@prismaticc_abyss]

@@TomTom-ol7mz I dont think they care about anything that isnt money

[@TomTom-ol7mz]

@@prismaticc_abyss The higher ups most likely don't.

[@peterclarke7240]

If the last decade has taught us anything, the old adage that a lie can be halfway around the world before the truth has even got it's boots on is alive and well and rotting our brains. Personally, I'm waiting for some idiot in their backyard to accidentally disfigure their friend while mimicking these tests for jollies and views.

[@freedustin]

no they do not. How can you say that when they haven't even tried it the non-annoying way?

[@david_aug_1017]

5:50 - Is fascinating to me. Leather/Hide Shields have been in use for centuries, but it's extremely rare to actually see any kind of display of their effectiveness. I'd really love to see someone do a comparison of how well different kinds of rawhide shields perform against different kinds of weapons.

[@brockbond7714]

I think when they do initial checks on the blades they probably look for weaknesses that could break them and put tests like those to get some drama

[@TheRonster9319]

They've refused to test many blades that they felt would be likey to break or damage the user.

[@trollgemomo3823]

The tests are revealed before the blades are made in the first and second parts. I don’t remember if they do that in the finals or not though.

[@jarredallen]

they also watch how they forge the blade in the sideline. ie: heat treatment, quenching, grinding. when the blade fails they explain to the blacksmith why they fail and how they fail.

[@deepblue1846]

Hard to believe it's been years since I've seen your videos and almost forgot about you. I'm glad you showed back up in my algorithm, quality content for sure!

[@Helleuphoria]

Enjoying this mini series. Very informative. The hard tests they do on the show is a little jarring 😬 tough to watch

[@DOSHIELD]

I can’t get enough of your commentary and insights. It’s so interesting, especially when you delve into the details.

[@chrishubbard64]

When it comes to judging, its honestly fairly rare for the blades to perform equally well. They may both pass but like, one may cut deeper, or cleaner. But when they cant judge on that, I think its fine to take into account weight, the smaller details like handle construction and how it feels to wield it, and yes, which one just flat out looks nicer. Though too be honest, 9 times out of 10, it comes down to weight. Ive seen a heavier sword outperform its opponent in all three tests and lose simply because it has an extra pound to it.

[@grumpyoldwizard]

My son and I actually saw the bargain blade show, live, where the seller broke a blade and it bounced back and hit him in the chest. He ended up going to the hospital. They still have the clip on KZbin but we saw it live. We both just looked at each other open mouthed, not believing what we just saw. I think they should wear protection too.

[@domosrage5434]

New series!! "Skall Over Analyzes" I like it

[@JoshuaM8]

I really enjoy your breakdown of these weapon failures, makes me think you would be an excellent judge on this show and would add much more interesting information on how the weapons fail. Great video Skallagrim! :)

[@strangerakari2836]

Some of those "failures" look like they came from Demolition Ranch: "Can this MEDIEVAL sword SURVIVE .50 BMG?!?!?!?" No, they can't.

[@cptn_n_cola]

I love the very very specific use of examples and points made with clips. Good editing, and very poignant knowledge about blade smithing and explanation of tension points in metal. These are things people generally don’t learn unless they’ve tried to work with metal or glass. Good work man. Keep it up.

[@GameTimeWhy]

You know someone is hard on a sword if skall is cringing.

[@romeospells2487]

love these Skal. Whenever you have the itch, keep em coming!

[@Tepid24]

"Crazy person gives innocent viewers heart attacks by threatening the camera with decapitation"

[@Tryin5845]

"this is above and beyond what you would expect on the battlefield" If sword can't make boat, it's not sword.

[@afinoxi]

Skal : the tests are way too harsh Also Skal : *test it even harsher*

[@samarkand1585]

...no?

[@scottmacgregor3444]

@@samarkand1585 *Gun cocking noises* Yes.

[@arthurchadwell9267]

"We're gonna drive your knife into this tank hull with a jack-hammer.... remember, it's not what your knife does to the tank, it's what the tank does to your knife". Also, if I swing your blade in a totally different fashion than I just did the other guy's, tough. And if I'm Jay and whine that your grip makes my finger go ouchie, you're screwed. This show is fun, not particularly fair or realistic.

[@SollomonTheWise]

10:05 AND THIS, IS TO GO EVEN FURTHER BBBBEEYYYOOOOOOOOOONND

[@HugeFrigginGuy]

Forged in Fire has been one of my big quarantine watches, so glad to see this content from Skal!

[@Arachnoid_of_the_underverse]

That first and second display was shockingly unsafe given the abuse they gave the swords.

[@shashankganesha5620]

something so very relaxing about your channel.... grateful for the content m'man ... i needed this

[@thisisjames4474]

I'm not a fan of the show. These men are expected to create fully functional and flawless masterpieces under a very strict time limit. Of course it's going to break when you beat it against a hard piece of wood.

[@renanboti]

And the guy tests the blade by swinging it like a bat

[@charlottewalnut3118]

I mean not all of em do. But yeah they’re not the best at swinging them

[@assarhadon]

*hardwood fixed in an absolutely rigid post - no leeway*

[@VermilionGates]

I mean most competitors do end up making a functional piece which doesn't break. You're just watching the failures so it's biased

[@zsDUGGZ]

@@VermilionGates it also puts more value on winning the competition, given how brutal the tests are.

[@edbangor9163]

I never watched Forged in Fire. When History started presenting the ancient alien theory as anything other than cause for an involuntary psychiatric hold, I lost all respect for them. And now, I'm glad I never watched the show. Looking at there requirements, the producers have no understanding of materials science, engineering mechanics, or metallurgy. And they clearly have no respect for the art form. But it is from the "H" channel. If "F" is a failure, "H" is a triple failure, right?

[@gnack420]

I never knew how much I needed these videos in my life, this was super entertaining. Nice work man.

[@sabretoothstudios9142]

Man who shoots medieval weapons and armor with guns deems Forged in Fire tests too extreme... and I love it!

[@russiancheems2275]

The Forged in Fire judges used to be the kids who would ask to borrow your toy and come back 2 minutes later with it just reduced to atoms.

[@AntonioZL]

6:42 god, this one is SO bad. with that design for the weapon, this type of bad edge allignment puts a ton of stress over the point where it starts to curve. pretty much that's his fault.

[@____________838]

You’re the sort of expert they need as a judge in this show.

[@Fatalmindgames]

Im a simple man- I see Skalagrim and Forged in Fire, I click on the video

[@kooroshrostami27]

*blade breaks off, hits judge and severs his neck* Doug: "IT WILL KEEEEEEEL"

[@andrewe2057]

These tests are intended to stimulate years of testing in a short amount of time. But also like you said, if all the blades succeed perfectly, it's really hard to pick one over the other.

[@giggityguy]

I have never watched Forged in Fire, but watching these tests has made me think that the objective of the show isn't "who can make the best blade in the shortest amount of time," it's "who can make the fewest mistakes and produce the most consistent results despite the impossible time limit we've placed on you." And in that case it makes more sense to do violently abusive testing, even beyond what you would expect a normal blade to be able to handle, so that you can find the failure point of each piece of work. And if that's the case, then I think Skall is right, they should keep escalating their tests until only one weapon remains.

[@majesticgothitelle1802]

Yes, create a high quality blade that can survive and inmate it sharpness from being beaten with a metal pipe. Made in less in a day I would praise that Smith for his skills.

[@RobanyBigjobz]

The double sickles failed because they're a really stupid design with the stress riser right in the middle of the blade :/ I feel really bad for the finalists whenever one of these crazy shape comes up for them to build.

[@Talishar]

A lot of the crazy shaped designs are from Central and Southern Africa where they're literally designed to be throw away blades because it was common in tribal warfare in those days to not only capture surviving enemy tribes member for slavery but to also collect their weapons for use later or to melt down and make more of your blades. Most of those designs, they literally threw them at their enemy much like the more disposable throwing axes/knives in European tradition.

[@joshuaschreiber1914]

Love this! It's like a puzzle piece that just goes with Forged in Fire! This gives us a more in depth to the blade work, whereas Forged in Fire gives us a more in depth to the forging itself. Love it!

[@snipe1973xxl]

Skallagrim, by the way, have you seen a Polish movie titled "Zrodzeni do szabli/Born for the Saber"? It's available on KZbin. Could you comment on some of the techniques used in that movie?

[@Fabio-hc9bv]

Hope he does watch it

[@citizencrimson201]

Is bald bearded guy opponent supposed to be a russian?

[@snipe1973xxl]

@@citizencrimson201 The guy at 48:11? Yes, a tsarist officer.

[@citizencrimson201]

@@snipe1973xxl I mean bald bearded guy with scars and tattoo on the back of his head :)

[@snipe1973xxl]

@@citizencrimson201 Yeah, that's the guy I'm talking about.

[@lucianocb1486]

Right now i don't have time, in a moment i see the video, i am so happy to see you upload another video like the previous

[@Khorzho]

I've watched your videos for years, and only recently started watching Forged in Fire. I had no idea you were doing reaction videos to these. This is great! Many times I've questioned the swing techniques on these strength tests when a break occurs. It's good to see my suspicions are somewhat justified.

[@Fasnic]

I never understand why they Always go for Damascus for their Home forge build

[@TheVioletBunny]

Because it’s pretty. The go more for looks than how strong or functional it is. Plus I suppose they think it’s more of a challenge to create. I have a Damascus dagger and it’s so pretty to look at, I think sometimes people get caught up on the actual design of the weapon than it’s usefulness.

[@Fasnic]

@@TheVioletBunny I understand that, but knives and swords are made for durability.... I've never had a wall hanger of either, I never hesitate to use either of the ones I own.

[@MarioSantos-zx4bj]

@@Fasnic I think it’s because the program benefits the ones that look good, I’ve seen times that blades win just cause they are pretty

[@Fasnic]

@@MarioSantos-zx4bj but this only if they have performed/completedall the tests equally and they bring it down to fit and finish, I've never seen it come down to being pretty...

[@thehutch4823]

@@Fasnic sometimes if neither have major failures, and neither are overly heavy or uncomfortable than they go for which one is nicest.

[@SrChr778]

When saying that J. Nielson puts some gusto into his swings, well obviously yeah. J's notorious for being brutal with tests.

[@hawkticus_history_corner]

Forged in Fire is a neat show, but there are some clear issues. Some of the tests are rather absurd, especially with the time constraints. Then add in the only protective equipment being fucking safety glasses and I feel like someone needs to go over this again

[@antyspi4466]

Well, it is a competition and the time constraint is meant as an additional stress factor. It also creates more drama, which is the basic selling point of the show. Just watching people making beautiful pieces over weeks wouldn´t appeal to half as many viewers.

[@hawkticus_history_corner]

@@antyspi4466 I understand that, and I would never cut the time constraint or the competition aspects. It's just some of the tests are a bit mad. Now, if we're getting late into the tests and we wanna go nuts, go for it

[@MarioSantos-zx4bj]

@@antyspi4466 yes but when they made the one that is make a forge out of a garage’s waste and make a blade out of scrap in 3 hours it’s ridiculous

[@MaoriGamerDood]

I Love this Show. Happy to see you talking about it. Your input is very interesting. Now I wanna see you on this show. I also loved the episode the Judges gave themselves a challenge. I love how they breakdown the... well breaks. Yeah the test are brutal, but it works. And the Judges and Contestants are just so humble.

[@BunkerAnon]

Yea the tie decision is usually fit finsh and weight. That weight balance is their major one.

[@davidfletcher6703]

Jay is the hardest on weapons, he has that Hulk Smash mentality

[@ImDudePlayinADude]

In a lot of the 'tie' cases the judges will be staying one has a bad grip throughout the tests. Completely subjective in many cases and gets one person eliminated

[@Foxxie0kun]

Regardless of the blade's quality, if it handles poorly due to a bad grip, poor balance, or other handling-related critique, that bladesmith deserves to lose the competition. I've seen a lot of smiths fail on making their weapon's grip properly, whether it's too round, too smooth, too loose, or not enough weight on the grip and pommel to counterbalance the blade's heft. A round grip will spin in your hand. A smooth grip can have similar issues even if shaped properly. Grip is too loose? That grip might stay in your hand while the blade goes flying across the room.

[@_Midir_]

7:01 POV: Skall finishing you off

[@wisard734]

When roll a 1 on your attack roll consistently.

[@FahmiiYusof]

Living for these FIF reaction/analysis

[@andrewvo2155]

To be fair, the judges have said it themselves that these tests are sometimes overkill because the competition is super close. On a typical test, they wouldnt be able to tell which one is better as both would probably pass with flying colors so they crank it up to intentional try to get one to be more obvious than the other. For a competition where they are trying to decide the best blade and with $10,000 on the line, i think that is fair.

[@Talishar]

They only started making that statement in later seasons and I bet it was after the ABS Master smiths on the show took a lot of shit in the blade smithing community for the ridiculousness of some of the tests as even their work would have a high chance of failure in those tests. There have been episodes where both blades performed similarly and they chose a winner by balance and even a couple by aesthetic. The balance thing kind of bothers me sometimes because sometimes the historical version WAS balanced that way (which may be one of the reasons why that weapon is 'extinct' after a certain period of time.) One episode that came to mind was the Japanese cross-spear and Doug's like, "I love the balance of this spear" and showed the balance point at the completely wrong spot for that spear historically and the spear head's proportions were all wrong.

[@marcohollanda7196]

You and Forge In Fire are perfect match, we just love seeing you react