Black smithing and sword making were once a noble professions where time and effort was a paramount, and patience was very crucial. These idiots have made it a stupid game with an unheard of time limit. Craftmanship has been totally dismissed for the sake of TV ratings. What an ABOMINATION!!
shareThe time limit is there to add tension. The ultimate goal, after all, isn't to make knives; it's to make entertaining television. Viewers understand that they're not seeing the best each bladesmith can do, but what each bladesmith can do under intense time constraints and with sub-optimal conditions and materials.
I'd bet that even the losing contestants get an increase in business after the publicity of the show because people learn that they exist and how they approach their craft. As some folks leave The Forge, I wish I lived near them and had the money to
The time limit is there to add tension. The ultimate goal, after all, isn't to make knives; it's to make entertaining television. Viewers understand that they're not seeing the best each bladesmith can do, but what each bladesmith can do under intense time constraints and with sub-optimal conditions and materials.
But of the few episodes I have watched, you will hear a judge or two say something like, this is some kind of low quality work or I could never sell this.
You need to go back and check your episodes. I did hear them say things like that. I just don't have the time or desire to go back and find those particular quotes, since they lost me as a regular viewer.
As for the time limit and such, I mentioned earlier that I understood that. It's just that you can't have drama and quality at the same time. These timed challenge shows (bladesmith, fashion, cooking, or whatever), IMO may be a detriment to the real skill of the artist.
I've watched all three seasons now, I can't recall even one instance of what you imply. The judges are very respectfully indeed. If a blade didn't make the cut, they always gave the smith kudos for trying, praising his or her skills, determination and attitude.
Only once did Jay Nealson kind of mock a smith for going for stock removal in a forging competition, which is just plainly wrong. Heck, they went even lenient on that cocky guy from season one who turnt in some sort of alien vs. predator axe instead of a knife.
On a related note though, nobody forced the candidates to try and take part in the competition. If their reputation gets damaged due to their appearance on Forged in Fire it's most likely because their reputation was prone to damaging anyway if you catch my drift.
The time limit exists for a very particular reason and less so for drama. It's all about equal opportunities and prevention of "accidental" progress without skills to back it up. Only time pressure reveals a testee's prowess and abilities. It reveals whether or not the testee has the essential skills of the trade at their fingertips. It provides the reviewer with comparability: Let's say an exam usually takes two hours to completion. If A solves the problem in two hours with ease, but B manages so only after four hours of desperate trying, then they're formally going to have the same result in the end but the fact that A is more capable than B is by and large glossed over.
I guess you and I have different definitions of "respectfully". Check out what "jseymour-3" mentioned. I was happy for him and the others who picked up extra business, but the judges were over dramatic at times.
All I can recall right now is that one judge remarked or something like it, "I could never sell this".
I have never heard the judges say anything like that and I've watched every episode. If you just want to watch people make blades, check out YouTube, lots of talented craftsmen post work.
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