Neal Theo congratulations you've made it
into the finale for this competition
there's only one thing you have left to
do and that is to go back home and
recreate an iconic weapon from history
the Taichi sword emerging from China
over 2,500 years ago the Taichi sword is
known as the gentlemen of weapons beauty
which refinement and sophistication
symbolizing power and authority the
weapon is one of the most common ancient
weapons still in practice with millions
of students studying it worldwide
fast and light it's straight
double-edged blade was used for quick
stabs and lethal cuts while the swords
fairly blunt lower section was built to
block in the Flex patch it's reputation
is also preserved in popular culture
through its role as the coveted Green
Destiny sword in the film Crouching
Tiger Hidden Dragon the blade must be
double-edged have a winged guard and
pommel last time I was on the show I
made a naginata
in comparison the Taichi sword has a lot
more blade it's gonna be a lot of work
you will have five days at your home
Forge to accomplish this at the end of
five days you'll return and present your
work to our panel of expert judges and
only after they've brutally tested them
they declare one of you the forged in
fire champion of champions and give you
that cash I'm concerned because if the
Taichi sword that's really light I
probably have regular knives that are
heavier than that whole sword so that's
a challenge for me
good luck bladesmiths we'll see you in
five days man
it's a definite honor to be in the
position that I'm at I gotta build a Tai
Chi sword
I think they're confused I'm not Chinese
haha it's gonna be a hard job this is
the first time I've ever made something
this long but I'm never gonna quit heavy
I guarantee you mine's gonna be heavier
than deals
I don't like skinny little things I like
things with some stout this thing's
monster
here we are my Forge very first thing
I'm gonna do is start Forge welding
things together please go right the
biggest obstacle is the raw amount of
forging I have to do then getting the
guard to forge weld to the blade itself
and then being able to forge the pummel
on as well
if the welds don't hold everything will
be coming apart
how important are guards on swords they
can be integral buttons I really need to
make a guard for this sword
it needs a guard that's winged up so
what better than a bowl there's a lot of
pressure to build something champion of
champion worthy but I don't want to lose
Who I am which is taking anything that
anybody can get and create something
that can compete this is like Chinese so
they can eat soup out of it at the same
time
today's a quench big moment of truth
you should have practice this motion
with this new setup if things go wrong
right now I got to start again so no
pressure
perfectly straight things went amazingly
well but now I got a work on the handle
material definitely be the most
challenging part of this weapon come on
fee oh Christ I don't get this to sit
well inside of the little Valley that
I've created here it's gonna look
horrible today is important the blade
has to be heated evenly trying to get
the sword lighter
let's been kind of difficult and being
that this is the longest thing I've ever
heat-treated I'm not really set up for
it
I can kind of feel it want to bend
because of the weight of the tip so I'm
a little bit scared
my blade is straight I don't have to
reek when I'm stoked today's all
about polishing and finishing I'm happy
with the blade if I win the money would
most likely go to starting a new life
with my wife I had to put that in there
I'd get in trouble for him oh god you're
still recording I'm sorry to do Theo
Neil welcome back to the forge do tell
us about your blade I've been very well
I did an integral garden pummel by Forge
welding on both of them
the blades handle is relatively simple
construction so that it can be beaten
enough
you sound mana totally excited about
that Neil how'd it go for you man same
recipe as the last time I was here go to
a junkyard get some stuff because I
didn't expect to make it this far all
right
well gentlemen up first is the strength
test been champions I'm going to be
hitting this bamboo five times
remember it's not what your sword does
to the bamboo but what the bamboo does
to your sword do Europe first I feeling
a little nervous let's go for it
well Pio this is a root of a sword the
edge held up perfectly I don't see any
problems still straight as an arrow the
handle is a little bit difficult to
really control I would have liked a
little bit more meat on it but very well
done thank you
Neal you're up next wait that's a tough
test that bamboo setup it's literally
just blunt force trauma I don't think a
lot of blades can survive that kind of
jarring and punishment
[Music]
O'Neil sword is heavy I wouldn't want to
be running around with it there's a
little bit of damage that the bamboo
gave back to your sword but it's still
straight already well done nice job
thank you next up is the sharpness test
for that tape
all right gentlemen I'm gonna be
chopping through these tatami mats using
both edges of your sword let's see if
your blades still have an edge yeah
you're up first
ready further yeah yeah sure I'm very
nervous at this point
this is the maker to break a moment I
have to perform well on this test
all right Theo definitely a sharp blade
you can see the nice clean slice and
then burying into the second I like this
design it's definitely a solid piece
that's one of the nice things about it I
don't feel like it's gonna go anywhere
well done thank you all right Neil you
ready yep
[Music]
so the biggest thing is all that weight
about twice what it needs to be as far
as weight goes it's difficult to swing
and then the edge of this blade it's got
a very stout profile almost like an
accident just kept it from cutting all
the way through Theo
Neil we took five champions we whittled
it down to two but there can only be one
forged in fire champion of champions
that champion is Theo congratulations
Neil unfortunately your weapon did not
make the cut Neil you came up and shows
that you had the heart to make it to the
finals and against four other champions
but your sword took some damage due to
strength tests but more than that it's
heavy a Taichi sword is known to be
strong sharp and light for those reasons
you have to let you go Neil please
surrender your weapon I 100% agree with
the judges Theo earned it but I don't
look at this as a failure in any means
because I gave it my all I can walk away
look everybody in the eye and have
everyone's respect and that's worth more
to me than any title or any amount of
money Theo
congratulations you are the new forged
in fire champion of champions and we'll
be receiving a check for $10,000 I feel
right now
Oh play the nerd they're butterflies and
the nerves are still going but thank you
guys please present your weapon to the
judges my ego was pretty big beforehand
and I think this is only going to
inflate it not a good thing not a bad
thing
I think
you