Forged in Fire - Season 5

For the first time, five novice smiths get their chance to be a part of the global phenomenon that is Forged in Fire. But they have to earn their way into the competition because one smith will be sent home before the first forge is ever lit. The four remaining competitors are tasked with forging a blade with steel from a mystery box of their choosing. After two intense rounds full of tough welding, bloody wounds, and clever workarounds, only two are left standing. They return to their home forges with just five days to recreate a 16th century weapon of war known as the War Golok. Which budding bladesmith will turn their admiration into domination and forge their name in history as a Forged In Fire Champion?

For the first time ever, the bladesmiths begin on a farm where they harvest steel from farming tools, then must use coal forges to make their signature blades with a hidden lanyard hole. Can they keep the fires burning to match the pace of the ticking clock? Ultimately only two smiths return to their home forges to recreate a decorated and deadly Schiavona sword for a chance to claim the title of Forged in Fire champion.

The smiths get locked and loaded to forge a signature blade out of a 50-caliber flintlock pistol. Despite giving it their best shot, it's a struggle turning a gun into a blade and after two grueling rounds two smiths are sent barreling towards elimination. In the final round, the remaining competitors must recreate a lethal gladiator sword, the Sica, and its unique construction poses the final challenge in their attempt to crush the competition.

Edged-weapon mastery is put to the test right away as four bladesmiths must forge a functional friction folder. Without knowing how their blades will be tested, each smith must find the critical junction where skill meets resiliency to produce a folding knife versatile enough to handle any test imaginable. Ultimately, only two smiths push through to the final round where they must recreate a Japanese trident, called the Jumonji Yari.

When a cannon is wheeled into the Forge, the bladesmiths are challenged to salvage its parts in order to make signature blades. Will the smiths blast their way through the competition or will the battering of tests break them? In the end, two smiths shoot through to the final round where they must recreate the North African Kabyle Flyssa.

The heat is doubled as four master smiths compete alongside their apprentices to forge an iconic weapon of warfare–the trench knife. Each team must work together, tagging in and out every half hour, with only one smith allowed to touch the knife at a time. Blood is spilled and tears are shed. Refusing to retreat, two teams square off in one final battle to recreate a blade that's stood the test of time–the Chinese Dao Sword.

Four bladesmiths must kick their skills into gear when they're tasked with forging blades out of steel from a chain and a sprocket. Wayward welds and pivotal decisions separate the hard steel from the soft and the victors from the rest. Only two will hold it together long enough to secure a spot in the final round, where they have five days to forge the iconic Karabela saber.

Four bladesmiths find the devil is in the details when they must combine two or more steels to forge J. Nielson's favorite blade, a Damascus European dagger. In a challenge where symmetry and precision can make or break a blade, two smiths produce knives that survive J.'s merciless tests. In the final round, they have five days to forge a fearsome pole weapon–the Zande Spear.

Four bladesmiths test their mettle in a rock quarry, where they're tasked with making blades using only harvested steel and coal forges. Over the course of two intense rounds, the smiths show their true grit constructing a blade while fighting the elements. After brutal tests designed to chip away at the competitors' resolve, only two smiths advance to the final round. Back at their home forges, they must recreate one of the most dangerous folding weapons in history — the Spanish Navaja.

The pressure is on as the smiths are tasked with forging Dave Baker's favorite blade, the Scottish Dirk. Can they master the difficult design of this weapon, and live up to the high expectations of their expert judge? With a sharp edge over the competition, two smiths head home for the final round to recreate the German Halberd, a medieval era triple threat.

The smiths are forced to harvest steel from motorcycles to forge blades in their signature style, but things don't go according to plan; and after an intense race to the finish, the final two competitors have only five days to recreate a giant Indian two-handed sword.

In a special military themed episode, four bladesmiths, all veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces, dive into the fray when they are tasked with forging a combat knife from an anti-tank hedgehog. After two grueling rounds of competition filled with frustration and a medical emergency, the final two smiths advance and head back to their home forges to recreate another military favorite, the M1917 Naval Cutlass.

Four bladesmiths are pushed to their limits when they each must forge a signature blade from small springs of steel. Wonky welds and broken billets cause major setbacks that must be corrected before the time runs out. Ultimately, two smiths manage to turn their setbacks into comebacks to secure a spot in the final round where they must recreate the deadly Horseman's Axe.

Four bladesmiths must figure out how to hack it when they are tasked with crafting a hatchet from pieces of odd shaped steel. After several forging failures, parameter mishaps, and intense conditions -- only two smiths head back to their home forges where they must recreate the deadly Maasai Lion Spear.

The bladesmiths must make their signature blades out of only drill bits and a chunk of mild steel, but untwisting the bits and combining the two steels proves almost impossible. After two rounds, only two smiths survive the chopping block and are sent back to their home forges to recreate a beautiful, but deadly Indonesian sword — the Kelewang. A final round of testing proves that victory lies at the junction between form and function.

The bladesmiths are forced to make canister Damascus using nuts and bolts, and the twists and turns of the challenge may be more than they can handle. Ultimately, two smiths avoid getting canned and move on to the final round where they must recreate a pair of deadly Indian Bagh Nakh weapons.

The bar is raised for four smiths when they must forge the iconic KA-BAR military blade using only tiny cubes of W-1 steel. Getting them combat ready is only half the battle as the judges will subject them to two brutal tests. In the final round, the two remaining competitors have five days in their home forges to recreate the battle-tested Glaive Guisarme.

Four bladesmiths are thrown into the fire when they must forge a multipurpose weapon from old rescue tools. Blades that can cut, pry, and hammer are then put through a brutal round of testing. After narrowly escaping elimination, two smiths head back to their home forges to recreate a unique utilitarian tool – the Russian Pioneer sword.

Four bladesmiths are tasked with forging a signature blade from a bicycle. After major setbacks and time-consuming failures, each smith is pushed to their limit as they race to the finish before the clock hits zero. Ultimately, two smiths advance and are shocked to learn that they must recreate an ancient weapon, the Wind and Fire Wheels.

Four bladesmiths spring into action when they are tasked with forging friction folders from a huge steel coil. Without knowing how their blades will be tested, they must produce weapons that can withstand any test. In the final round, the two remaining smiths head back to their home forges to create a blade that requires both precision and detail: the French Smallsword.

Four bladesmiths go nuts when they are tasked with forging a signature blade from W2 and a giant industrial-sized nut. Their blades must survive a brutal Forged in Fire first when they face not one, but two unforgiving strength tests. Only two smiths advance and head back to their home forges to recreate an iconic ancient iron weapon: the Celtic Anthropomorphic Sword.

Four bladesmiths must get rolling immediately when they are tasked with creating their signature blade out of a massive ball bearing. After an intense first round, the remaining smiths face an unexpected Forged in Fire first – and time is not on their side. Ultimately two smiths persevere and return to their home forges where they must recreate one of the Ottoman Empire's most lethal sabres: the Kilij.

Four bladesmiths are taken out of the forge and transported to the great outdoors, where they struggle to forge a blade in the noonday sun. They must forage for outdoor materials and crank a coal forge, which leaves some scrambling to the end. After a second smith falters during testing, the two remaining smiths return to their home forges to create the ultimate wilderness weapon: the German sawback hunting sword.

In a grueling Forged In Fire first, four bladesmiths must forge not just one, but three knives from railroad spikes in only three hours. Time management is essential for hammering out three functional knives that can withstand a brutal round of testing. After two smith's knives go off the rails, the remaining two competitors return home to recreate the iconic Medieval Arming Sword.

Four bladesmiths must forge a fully functional serrated knife using steel from hand scissors, or risk getting cut from the competition. Serrations prove to be more than just a bump in the road for the two smiths who don't make the cut. The remaining two competitors return to their home forges to create a unique and challenging weapon from history: the Sengese.

Four bladesmiths take a shot at forging a signature blade from the steel rings of a whiskey barrel. They must quickly adapt when they realize there may not be enough hardenable steel to go around. After an intense round of testing, the final two smiths head home to forge an instrument of Chinese warfare: the Qinglong Ji.

Four bladesmiths pay homage to the blade craft of Hollywood, and their first mission – forge a survival knife that would make John Rambo proud. Two smiths fail the first round parameters and, in a Forged first, must face off in a sudden death elimination to determine who will continue to compete. After an intense round of testing the final two smiths return home to recreate one of the most famous swords in cinematic history: Hattori Hanzo's 1000-Layer Katana from Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill.

Four bladesmiths go back to basics when they're tasked with creating a signature Damascus blade out of three different steels of different thicknesses. In the first round, welding problems arise, and a parameter failure sends one smith packing. After a grueling round of tests, the two final competitors return home to recreate one of the most intricate weapons in Forged in Fire history: the Steel Crossbow.

Four bladesmiths are floored when they must craft a signature blade from a massive piece of elevator cable. It's dirty work forging the oily cable into a blade as the smiths battle delaminations and inclusions. After surviving two tough rounds of testing, the final two competitors return home to recreate a sword wielded by some of history's fiercest soldiers: the Two-Handed Landsknecht Sword.

In the first ever Forged in Fire Tournament, four different classes of metalsmithing professionals will compete over five weeks for the chance to win the biggest Forged in Fire prize ever – $50,000. In this first week, four farriers are tasked with creating a San Mai blade from familiar tools: horseshoes and hoof rasps. After a strenuous round of testing, the remaining two farriers return to their home forges to create a famed weapon of the English Civil War: the Mortuary Sword. The winner will return in the final Tournament of Champions for a chance to prevail over the other metalsmithing classes and win the $50,000 grand prize.

In Round Two of the first ever Forged in Fire Invitational Tournament, four armorers must forge a Damascus blade out of something familiar: plate armor. Two exhausting rounds of failed forge welds find the chink in two bladesmiths' armor, and send them packing. The remaining two armorers head back to their home forges to craft an exotic hybrid of pain and protection: the Hooded Katar. Which smith will earn the spot at the armorer's anvil, and the chance at the biggest Forged in Fire purse ever — $50,000?

In Round Three of the first ever Forged in Fire Invitational Tournament, four blacksmiths must forge a signature Damascus blade using steel they must harvest from a stockpile of varied tools. In an ultimate test of their blade-making skills, these smiths persevere through missteps that chisel away at their resolve. The smiths that survive two brutal rounds of testing return to their home forges to recreate a multipurpose Medieval weapon of war – the Knightly Poleaxe. Which smith will advance to the coveted spot at the blacksmith's anvil, and earn the chance to be crowned Tournament Champion and win the biggest Forged in Fire prize ever: $50,000?

In the fourth round of the Forged in Fire Invitational Tournament, four modern metal workers must harvest materials from a metal sculpture to forge a needle point Damascus blade. Will they find allies in these alloys, or will someone experience a metal meltdown? When time's up, an especially harsh round of testing leaves only two metal workers standing. These smiths return to their own home forges to recreate an extravagant sword from the elite classes of Renaissance Europe: the duel-ready Flamberge Rapier. Which smith will earn the spot at the metal worker's anvil, and the chance to win $50,000 and be crowned Tournament Champion?

In the final round of the Invitational Tournament, our winning Farrier, Armorer, Blacksmith and Modern Metal Worker face off to forge the longest round one weapon in Forged in Fire history: the Wakizashi. The smiths race to produce a damascus blade in three hours and must rely on their expertise to bring them one step closer to victory. The tough competition leaves no room for error. After a meticulous round of tests, only two smiths remain and return to their home forges to recreate one of the largest Japanese swords, the Nodachi. Which bladesmith will make their class proud, and take home the title of Forged in Fire Tournament Champion along with the biggest purse ever, $50,000?

Four bladesmiths must create a signature slasher blade that would give Freddy Krueger nightmares. Each smith has a different type of metal to contend with, and after a grueling first round one blade falls victim to the forge. The others are forced to face the music for a frightening round of testing. Only two smiths survive and return to their home forges to recreate the menacing Grim Reaper's Scythe.

Four bladesmiths return to the Middle Ages when they are tasked with forging a Crusader's Dagger from a thick rod of W1 steel. Issues abound as the competitors battle problems with their heat treat and blade warping. The final two smiths that survive a daunting round of tests return to their home forges to create a weapon that helped steal from the rich and give to the poor: Robin Hood's Steel Takedown Bow.

In one of the toughest competitions to date, four bladesmiths must start from the ground up, building their own coal forges using materials scavenged from a storage unit. The elements test every ounce of the smiths' resolve as they forge signature blades outside in the scorching sun without any power tools at their disposal. After an intense round of testing the remaining two smiths return home to recreate a brutal European pole axe: the Bardiche.

Four bladesmiths are challenged with forging a canister damascus knife using only steel wool and 1095 powder. If that wasn't difficult enough, they must also forge a gut hook into their blades. Getting this wool welded is wicked work, and the smiths struggle to forge this porous steel. After two grueling rounds of competition, two smiths are dealt a kick to the gut and eliminated, while the final two head home to recreate an important weapon from North American history: the Pipe Tomahawk.

Four bladesmiths must forge judge Ben Abbott's favorite blade, the Celtic Ring Knife, using the San Mai technique. This proves to be no easy feat as the smiths battle derailing delaminations and cracks. After a grueling round of testing, the final two competitors return to their home forges to recreate a lethal weapon from history: the Irish Ring Hilted Sword.