[music playing]
WIL WILLIS: Josh, Ray, congratulations.
You're both one step closer to the title of "Forged in Fire"
champion and that check for 10 grand.
When you came here, you used our tools and equipment
to make your blades.
Now we're sending you back to your home forges
where you will have five days to make
an iconic weapon from history.
Are you ready to see what that weapon is?
- Yes. - Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
WIL WILLIS: All right.
The panabas.
OK.
WIL WILLIS: Known as a chopping tool for both agriculture
and combat, the panabas earned its place
as a weapon of war in the southern Philippines
during the 19th century.
Its sharp, forward curved blade acted like an oversized meat
cleaver and delivered deep, clean cuts, which
made it ideal for executions.
On the battlefield, warriors carrying a panabas
would follow behind the front line
to behead anyone unlucky enough to have survived
the first wave of attacks.
Good luck, bladesmiths.
See you in five days.
[music playing]
JOSH WESTON: Let's get it lit.
I'm home, I'm prepped, and I'm ready to build a panabas,
a weird looking blade.
I'm not even sure how to describe it,
and I've certainly never built one.
It's always so much fun to watch it squish in the press.
My plan is to put some of the fancier elements to it.
[machine whirring]
Ah [bleep].
My press has seized up.
This is one of those things that could
be a devastating three-hour fix, and I
have to have this machine.
It's one of those things that I haven't had
to deal with in about a year.
Of course, as soon as I come home
to do the final round something like this has to happen.
I have to fix this, or I may just lose the entire day.
RAY KIRK: The most challenging thing today is to get
my blade ready for heat treat.
Ooh!
Watch that torch.
Not bad.
Building the panabas has been extremely fast.
Got it all tempered, the handle attached, bark shaped.
This is wet rawhide to keep everything pretty solid.
And if everything holds together good we'll put the--
rats.
The rawhide, it broke.
Then I didn't really have enough to finish it.
So I pulled the threads out of some paracord
and I made sure that I had enough to go from one end
to the other.
Ah, who's back in action?
I need to make up for some lost time from yesterday,
so I'm going to spend the day forging and just
smoothing out all the bumps.
She's starting to slim out.
Rough grind done.
I plan to test the edge of my knife
cutting some saplings down.
And I stole my dog's bone and I'm going to chop
that to see how it works.
[dog whining]
[dramatic music]
Now for the bone chop.
That's my baby.
It performed excellent.
This particular challenge went exceptionally fast for me.
Now it's time to relax for a little bit.
I have wood prepped for my handle,
and I have it epoxied together, but I
still don't have anything close to looking
like a finished handle.
But what I'm going to do is test it to see if it's strong
or not before I do anything else.
This test is a make or break moment for me.
If it doesn't pass I've essentially lost two days.
[dramatic music]
Damn, I like this sword.
DOUG MARCAIDA: This is the KEAL test
to see what kind of lethal damage your panabas will do.
I will take your weapon and deliver slashes
across this pig carcass.
Josh, you're up first. You ready?
Absolutely.
[dramatic music]
[hacking]
Yes.
DOUG MARCAIDA: OK, Josh.
This is a scary weapon.
It's got a sweet spot in there that allows for a nice chop,
and of course second chop cut through the spine,
the ribs, everything.
Your panabas will KEAL.
Good job.
RAY KIRK: Good job. DOUG MARCAIDA: All right, Ray.
It's your turn. You ready?
You betcha.
DOUG MARCAIDA: Let's do this.
RAY KIRK: I'm thinking, I just got to do as good as Josh did.
But I loved it when Doug said "It will KEAL."
That's with two E's.
[dramatic music]
DOUG MARCAIDA: I need me a cup of coffee, Ray.
You betcha.
In the feel of this, I can feel the blade
already wanting to chop.
The arc is right where the sweet spot is.
That allows the blade to cut cleanly all the way through.
And overall your panabas will KEAL.
My favorite.
DOUG MARCAIDA: Next up is strength test.
Dave?
DAVID BAKER: Gentlemen, in 1521 the explorer Magellan landed
on the island of Cebu, sparking several decades
of conflict between the Philippines and Spain.
So to test your panabas I'm going
to strike a Spanish morion twice with the edge of your weapon.
Now, this is not about what your weapon does to the helmet,
but what the helmet does to your weapon.
Josh, you're up.
You ready?
Sure.
DAVID BAKER: OK.
[music playing]
[thunks]
I don't see any wrinkling, any deformation,
any rolling upon your edge, which is pretty amazing.
I put some dents in that helmet.
Ray, you ready for this?
Can't hardly wait.
DAVID BAKER: Let's make it happen.
[music playing]
[thunks]
OK, Ray.
I can see a little shiny spot here.
It's just that wire edge feels like it's
kind of tipped just a hair.
It's definitely still sharp.
It's very nice.
It felt good in the hand.
Thank you.
DAVID BAKER: Next up is the sharpness test.
For that I'll give you back to Doug.
DOUG MARCAIDA: Bladesmiths, we know your blades can KEAL.
We know your blades are strong.
But are they still sharp?
To test the edge retention of your blade,
I will take your panabas and I will cut the rope.
That will release the sandbag, which
simulates an oncoming attack.
I will then run the blade across this and cut it.
Josh, you're up first. You ready?
Yes, sir.
[music playing]
[sand spilling]
Yes.
Oh, he died.
DOUG MARCAIDA: Me like the feel.
Feels good in the hand.
Enough to move and maneuver in close quarter combat.
And overall, your weapon will cut.
That's all I ever wanted to hear!
[laughter]
Ray, it's your turn.
You ready?
RAY KIRK: You betcha?
DOUG MARCAIDA: Let's do this.
Let's do it.
[music playing]
[sand spilling]
DOUG MARCAIDA: This is going to be tough, Ray.
I know it.
I like your blade too.
Your panabas definitely is a cutter, and it's easy to wield.
Your panabas will cut.
Thank you, sir.
Good job.
WIL WILLIS: Josh and Ray, I honestly hate
that it's come to me to be the guy
that has to say these words.
But there can only be one "Forged in Fire"
champion in this arena.
And that champion is Josh.
Ray, unfortunately your panabas did not make the cut.
Jason Knight will explain.
JASON KNIGHT: When it comes down to this type of competition,
sometimes just the little details
are the game changer, Ray.
Josh had a little bit more subtleties in his design.
His handle was octagonally facet,
and he had file work in the spine.
And those subtle details are the reason why Josh's blade won.
WIL WILLIS: Ray, please surrender your weapon.
Buddy.
You got it.
Give me a hug.
[inaudible]
RAY KIRK: Well, I feel great.
I came here not to prove anything.
I just enjoy the competition.
My knife performed and his knife performed, so he got the money
and I got the fun.
Josh, congratulations.
You are the "Forged in Fire" champion
and will be receiving a check for $10,000.
You're super excited right now, aren't you?
This is, like--
it just feels so good.
All of you fans, wherever the hell you came from, I [bleep]
love you guys.
Josephine with her designs that helped me get through round two
with the handle, thank you.
You made Daddy win.
I am the "Forged in Fire" champion!
That's what the [bleep] happened!
Woo!
[bleep] Sorry, Aunt Edie.
[music playing]