DOUG: Up first is our qualifying test.
Ben?
BEN: Bladesmiths, in this sudden elimination round,
I will be smashing your knives into these blocks
of ice 10 times.
Steve, you're up first. Are you ready?
Let's do it.
[music playing]
It's W2 that had to be a chopper,
so I tried to design for that.
Got some weight up front that'll hopefully
carry it through here.
I think my blade will destroy that ice.
[music playing]
[metallic dinging]
Oh.
[grunt]
[music playing]
BEN: Well, Steve, we have a problem.
On the 10th strike, the knife broke.
That's because, if you look closely at this blade,
you'll see that there's a brown section of the crack.
The brown section was an old crack that happened
probably in the quench.
It's been there a while.
It's actually rusted.
The rest of the edge is still pretty sharp.
But at the end of the day, it did break.
DOUG: Steve, that's what we call a catastrophic blade failure,
and you all know what that means.
But it's not over yet.
Each of your blades must survive all 10 ice block
chops in order to move forward.
You guys will be counting to 10 like you
never have before in your life.
BEN: Well, Brian, you're up next.
Are you ready? - Let's do it.
This is the longest blade I've ever made.
I put a maple handle on it.
I don't think I'm nervous at all.
I know that Steve's blade just broke,
but I know my blade's solid.
[music playing]
BEN: Well, Brian, your edge held up perfectly.
It's like it never even saw the ice.
It's still like the minute you brought it in.
Got a nice finish to it.
It's got a great shape. Very well done.
Thank you.
BEN: Matt, you're up.
You ready?
I'm ready.
[music playing]
I used a piece of W2.
I made it short, robust, strong.
And I think it feels good in the hand,
so I think it's going to do well.
I hope.
[music playing]
Nice.
BEN: Well, Matt, your knife held up very well.
It's got a very thick edge.
It's still sharp and it's still in one piece.
Well done.
Thank you.
BEN: Tyler, you're up. You ready?
Swing it like you mean it.
I made it out of W2.
It may be the best blade that I've ever made.
But I just hope mine holds up, and I make it to 10.
[music playing]
BEN: Well, Tyler, this extreme curve
that you have here made it so that, as I was chopping
the ice, I ended up hitting my knuckle on the ice instead
of the blade.
But it held up.
The edge is still sharp.
Well done.
Thank you.
BEN: Joey, you're up. You ready?
Let's get her done, brother.
I've never made a competition chopper before.
So I seen what one looked like, and went out
and did my best to recreate it.
I'm really very nervous.
I'm hoping it's going to do the job,
and survive through that chop.
[music playing]
BEN: Well, Joey, your edge held up perfectly.
I like the shape of it, the weight of it.
It's a great chopper.
Did some damage on the ice.
Well done.
Thank you, sir.
DOUG: Well, gentlemen, I don't think that any bladesmith is
really prepared for the ice block chop,
and how devastating it can be.
That being said, Steve, because your blade suffered
a catastrophic weapons failure, I have to ask
you to please leave the forge.
To get eliminated before getting to work in the forge
is really, really disappointing.
But hopefully, this is going to take me to the next level
of being a better smith.