Bladesmithing

Raising three boys, I have had my share of what could be considered masculine television viewing.  Between action-packed movies, sporting events, and various competition reality shows, I have become quite fond of these myself.  One show in particular has not lost its edge (pun intended):  Forged in Fire on the History Channel.  We all still like to gather around to watch the newest episode of this televised competition between bladesmiths around the US.  Some of our other favorite shows have been:  Survivor, Impractical Jokers, Naked and Afraid, Alone, Ninja Warrior, Fear Factor, The Selection, UFC fights, and countless Hurricane Hockey games.
The Forged in Fire television program inspired this poem:   

 Forged in Fire

A competition between experienced bladesmiths: Begins at Round 1,

To Forge a blade within parameters assigned- can it be done?

The clock starts to count down; the allotted time is pressing,

With a nearly impossible directive, there is no time for guessing,

A heavy mallet pounds against molten steel,

Steel, red hot that moves ever so slightly, and yet the bladesmith has zeal,

The steel is plunged back into the forge fire again and again,

The craftsman wipes his brow, as the metal begins to thin,

This process requires patience and persistence; it is not for the weak,

It’s hot and exhausting- a task not for the meek,

I am intrigued with the bladesmith as he forms a shape to his liking,

He repurposes the metal into a blade, with sparks flying from his striking,

Quenched at just the right time, the steel is hardened as it should be,

When a file skates gently down the edge, it is as good as it could be,

The style and shape of the knife gives it its purpose,

Possibly to chop, slice, pierce and skin a dead carcass,

The edge is sharpened pristinely with the grinding tool,

A crafted piece of art- not for looks but performance, as a general rule,

Elimination occurs when the time has expired,

And the judges determine which contestant must be retired,

The handle is crafted next to make a fully functional weapon:  This is Round 2,

Bone, wood, stag or stacked leather are natural choices, to name only a few,

Comfortably shaped for gripping, not too round or too square,

Each crafter produces a knife and the judges compare,

In rigorous testing, to determine strength and durability,

A judge may chop viciously into a solid block of ice to measure fragility,

In turn, a slice test through apples or sand bags tests the blade for edge retention,

But by far the kill test is the most awesome to mention,

A ballistics dummy is usually disemboweled in this particular test,

It seems to be the test everyone likes the best!

Artificial blood spews from the gut and splatters the judge as he attacks,

It is gruesome and sometimes decapitation occurs with just a few whacks,

At this point, the competition eliminates another fine artisan,

And the remaining two are given a challenge that is truly non-partisan,

Round 3:  Back to their home forges these competitors go,

To attempt to craft the historical weapon assigned to them on the show,

In four days, each one returns with a replica of the blade,

Once again, the judges brutally test to see how well it was made,

Ultimately, a winner is declared and prize money is awarded,

You should set your DVR so this show will be recorded!

Tammy Harvey

Written:  6/18/2019