Bladesmiths, congratulations, you've
made it into the third round of this competition,
and now it's time to send you back to your home
forges to recreate this iconic weapon from history.
That weapon is
Charlemagne's Joyeuse.
Today we are pre-testing Charlemagne Joyeuse.
The Joyeuse was supposed to be a sword wielded by Charlemagne.
And it is your standard sword that, as you look at it,
it's quite decorative because it's a homage
to the great Charlemagne.
NARRATOR: Meaning joyful, the Joyeuse
is considered one of the most famous swords in history
and was the personal sidearm of King Charlemagne.
After the fall of the Roman Empire,
Charlemagne used the blade in battle
to reunite Western Europe.
Covered in gold jewels and floral patterns,
this weapon was light and deadly and earned
the reputation as the sword that conquered Europe.
Featuring a double edged blade with a deep central fuller,
the sword was also rumored to have magical powers,
like the ability to shine brighter than the sun.
Today, the legendary sword can be
seen on display at the Louvre.
So when we test a weapon that's
tied to a historical figure, I try
to embody the feeling of who that historical figure was.
When did he live?
How did he fight?
[music playing]
So that way, it ties into the kind of weapon
that I'm wielding.
At the same time, it gets me into character, I guess.
I try to embody the spirit of who they were
and how they fought.
So we had some weapons like Genghis Khan or the barbar--
fighting like a barbarian, or we had General Patton's sword.
And of course, now we have Charlemagne's Joyeuse sword.
[music playing]
So with this particular weapon, we
actually engage multiple targets,
which they do in combat.
It's not just a one and done.
Now when you create that kind of scenario,
it allows me to truly test the balance of the weapon.
When I say "balance," it's not only
just the weapon in my hand, it's how do I move with my legs
with it, when I'm moving around attacking different targets.
Every time you move, it really gives you
information about how the weight of that weapon
will affect the way you move.
This is a multi use weapon, so I wanted to see
how many different ways can I cut, can I thrust,
can I chop with it.
Pre-testing the Joyeuse against a boar
really gives us information of that edge,
how well it can cut thick hide.
[music playing]
Sure was a lot of fun.
[music playing]
It will kill.
Good luck, we'll see you in four days.
[music playing]
So I'm going to use a big piece of 5160 bar stock.
It can take a lot of damage and flex well.
I want to make sure I got the length of the blade
done down to a reasonable size.
So this steal is definitely the most awkward thing that I've
ever worked with in the shop.
It's like a big wet noodle.
I'm going to weld up a 15 layer Damascus fillet
and make a Swiss pattern Damascus.
I think it'll really set the sword up for a nice look.
So I got the forge weld set, and I'm
going to draw it out to length.
[music playing]
Now that I have my pieces all shaped,
I'm going to start heat treating the blade.
So I get my sword up to the perfect temperature,
and I'm ready for quench.
And I pull it out, and it's just beautiful.
[laughs]
It feels amazing to have a fully quenched blade.
So my biggest fear of putting in this fuller
is just grinding right through my blade.
And I can kind of tell how close it is just
by feeling it with my hand.
After about an hour, the fuller is done,
and everything is looking good.
Coming out pretty well.
Now I can work on profiling the pommel and guard
and getting them exactly to where I want it.
For my handle, I choose diamond wood
because it can take a lot of abuse,
and it's not going to break.
[music playing]
I'm in the homestretch now.
It's a good looking piece.
MITCH: We're going to start out with a bar
of 1075 high carbon steel.
We're going to do a lot of the quick forging
to shake with the power hammer.
Whenever you try to move a big piece of metal like this,
it's quite a challenge to keep it straight.
[rumbling]
Whoa.
It's getting long and heavy and hard to hold.
It's cooling down between a couple of 2 by 6s,
so that way it doesn't warp as it cools down.
Now we're going to get ready for heat treatment.
Getting pretty close to coming up the temperature,
so we're about five minutes away,
and we'll be quenching it.
This is it.
And then, my hand cramps, and I drop
the blade into the quench tank.
Well.
I'm worried about that hitting the bottom of the quench tank
did some damage.
Come on, man.
I tried to fish it out, but, unfortunately, I
didn't catch anything.
Ended up pouring it out in the five gallon bucket in my yard.
I got the blade out, so it's all good now.
I did pick up a slight warp close to the tip.
I should be able to straighten that out there
in the temper cycle.
So time will tell.
My biggest focus is going to be getting the blade straight,
and so I want to get that out of the way and then go from there.
My solution is to extend the width of the jowls
with some angle iron, heat it up, and use
some wooden dowels to put the proper pressure
where it needs to be.
She's straight.
Oh, that's so freaking awesome.
Now I need to make the handle.
Time's running out, so it's a race to the finish.
[music playing]
She's getting there.
End of day 4.
Man, it's been quite a trip.
Everything turned out great, a lot of hard work.
But I believe it really paid off in the end.
[laughs] That's a sword in four days.
All right, bladesmiths, welcome to the kill test.
To find out how lethal your weapons are according
to its historic design, I will take your weapon
to deliver some killing slashes and thrusts
on this poor carcass.
Mitch, you're up first, you ready for this?
Yes, sir.
[music playing]
All right, Mitch.
Let's talk about your sword here.
Your edge coupled with a weight that you have here
allows for very deep cuts with every strike.
Overall, sir, it will kill.
Thank you.
All right, Peyton, it's your turn.
You ready? - Oh, yeah.
For this test, I'm not too nervous.
I'm just excited to see it happen, honestly.
I get to see this bore get cut in half, hopefully.
[music playing]
All right, Peyton.
That was Joyeuse.
What I like about this sword, it's
not just about the edge or the point,
it's the balance of this.
I can actually use some velocity, and it cuts deep.
Overall, sir, it will kill.
Thank you.
[music playing]
All right, gentlemen, it's time for the strength test.
Now, to test the strength and overall construction
of your blades, I will be attacking
our armored knights here.
Now this is not about what your blades are going
to do to that target, but what the target's
going to do to your blades.
Mitch, you're up first. You ready for this?
- Yes, sir. - OK.
Please don't break.
[music playing]
I think I just peed a little.
All right, Mitch.
Your edge did take some damage here.
You can see the chip right there and some rolls.
And your sword is heavy.
You know, this is a lot of weight for a single handed
sword, more in the range of a two handed sword
as far as the weight goes.
But she held up.
She's in one piece.
Good job, Mitch.
Thank you.
All right, Peyton, you're up.
You're ready?
Yeah. [laughs]
One of those I don't know which
way my head's going to go? Yeah.
[music playing]
All right, Peyton.
It's weighty, but the weight is all back in my hands,
so it doesn't feel as heavy in the blade.
This sword has a much better point of balance
than the other sword.
Your blade did take some chips and some edge rolling.
But I think your grinds are beautiful.
The sword is all solid.
You did a good job.
Thank you.
[music playing]
All right, bladesmiths, welcome to the sharpness
test, the sandbag gauntlet.
Now, to test the sharpness of your weapon,
I will slash across these bags.
Now, unlike the strength test, this is all about how sharp
your blades are and how well they cut these bags.
Mitch, you're up first. You ready?
Yes, sir.
[music playing]
All right, Mitch.
So despite some of the damage of rolls and chips,
it wasn't an issue at all in cutting these bags.
It will cut.
Thank you.
All right, Peyton, your turn, sir.
Are you ready? - Yes, sir.
[music playing]
All right, Peyton.
The handle construction is smooth but ovoid
enough to where I wrap my hand around it
and I get a very good grip.
It will cut.
Thank you.
Mitch, Peyton, the judge's deliberation is complete.
You guys have done fantastic work on these finale weapons,
but there can only be one "Forged in Fire" champion.
The new "Forged in Fire" champion is
Peyton, congratulations, you're the "Forged in Fire" champion.
Mitch, unfortunately, your blade didn't make the cut.
Mitch, you brought us a sword that performed well
in all three of our tests, so this came down to the finer
points of craftsmanship as in where
to place the balance point on that blade
and the general weight.
That balance point being so far forward made it harder to wield
and harder to control, and that's
why we're letting you go.
I understand.
Mitch, you've been a great competitor
of this entire competition, but at this time,
I have to ask you to please surrender your blade.
MITCH: Obviously, a little disappointed.
Overall, happy with what I turned in,
and I'm happy for Peyton.
If I had to lose to anyone, I'd just sooner lose to him.
[music playing]
Peyton, congratulations, you are the new "Forged in Fire"
champion, and that is a title that
comes with a check for $10,000.
Congratulations.
Please present your sword to the judges.
I'm the next "Forged in Fire" champion.
It's just crazy.
As soon as I heard my name, it's just like a weight just got
pulled off my chest, just like [sighs] it's over.
[laughs] Finally I can breathe.
[music playing]