While judges J. Neilson, David Baker, and Ben Abbott have extensive and impressive blade-making experience (Abbott was actually a two-time winner on the show before ascending to the judge's seat), host Wil Willis and Doug Marcaida came to the series with exactly zero bladesmithing knowledge. Did he leave the show? Did J. Neilson leave Forged in Fire? Any time weapons are involved, things can get a little complicated. That's why the History Channel's Forged in Fire — in which bladesmiths compete to make various knives, swords, and other bladed weapons — is such a success. Forged in Fire. It's also a very dangerous craft, as one huge fan of the show discovered in 2017. Of course, the heat is part of the challenge, and experienced bladesmiths are used to working under similar conditions, but that isn't magic protection against succumbing to the intense, baking heat of the set. This is a show, after all, where judge Doug Marcaida happily proclaims that a weapon "will kill" when he's pleased with the test results. Wil was a great host for this. He grew up with his four other siblings consisting of two boys and two girls.During his childhood days, Wil and hi… John Gomes of Cohoes, New York, a big fan of the show, decided to spend one extremely windy afternoon trying to make a hammer in his backyard, using a fire he started in a barrel as a forge. Forged in Fire 41 Episodes. Neilson talked more about his injury in an interview with Knife Talk, a podcast for knife makers. Kicking off in 2015, the bladesmith TV show is still going in 2020. As John Gomes, the man who basically burned down his entire town trying to forge metal in his backyard after watching Forged in Fire, discovered, watching the show isn't really a substitute for learning how to bladesmith the right way. Tim Healy, head of programming and development at the History Channel, explained (via Decider) that the inspiration for Forged in Fire came from his 14-year-old daughter's love of cooking competition shows like Chopped. The show has made a real effort to increase the number of female smiths, though, and producer Tim Healy explained (via Decider) that in season one, it was hard enough to find any bladesmiths willing to come on the show because it was an unknown quantity. Neilson slipped on the grass near his home, fell, and fractured a small bone in his hand. From hunters and military members, to competition shooters and general firearm enthusiasts, we welcome anyone who values and respects the way of the firearm. But you might not be aware of just how much the contestants have to work just to be considered. J Neilson’s fame started to gain mainstream attention when he became one of the judges of the television competition series entitled “Forged in Fire”. The Forged in Fire new host of the History Channel show is Grady Powell. As of 2020, Jason Knight’s net worth can be estimated to be anywhere around $1 million to $3 million . Let’s take a look at what happened to J Neilson on Forged in Fire. But we haven’t seen him in recent episodes, and many fans are wondering what happened to him. Forged in Fire’s newest judge is Ben Abbott, a two-time Forged in Fire winner. After a two-year hiatus, Wil returned to reality TV as a host of Forged in Fire. How Did Doug Marcaida Hurt His Arm. There has been no official confirmation from the History channel or from Neilson about him leaving the show. The man named John Gomes had to pay a fine of $600,000 and was sentenced to one year in jail. For example, many experienced bladesmiths like Darrell Markewitz have complained that while the show loves a fiery "quench" (when the hot metal is plunged into water or oil to rapidly cool it, hardening the metal), it never shows the metal being tempered, which is a slower, less showy process designed to increase the durability of the metal after hardening. According to The New York Times, the fire got out of control, and the winds did the rest, spreading the fire to Gomes' home and then nearby apartment buildings, eventually driving nearly 30 people from their homes. So, it appears that Neilson is on a break while he recovers from his hand surgery. When it comes to forging bladed weaponry, J. Neilson is one of the best craftsmen in the world. He also knew from experience that whenever a reality show featured a weapon, the ratings went up, and that was his inspiration — a show where they make weapons from scratch instead of fancy burritos. So let's not get too judgmental. Watching professionals and very accomplished hobbyists work to a high standard is one of the greatest pleasures. And while the place is vented, it's vented against asphyxiation, not heat. You're not just wandering the local mall asking people if they want to come make a 12th-century Crusader sword and maybe win some money, after all. We are in awe of such incredible craftsmanship! According to his Instagram handle, in March 2020 the Forged in Fire host welcomed his first child with his wife, artist Krystle Amina. If you're wondering how someone comes up with the idea for a TV show about sweaty people beating slabs of metal into useful and often beautiful weapons, wonder no more: You hang out with your teenage kids and pay attention. Forged in Fire returned for its new series with new host Grady Powell – is he on Instagram? The show’s host is Wil Willis. Forged in Fire is a series which airs on the History channel. A new season of Forged in Fire premieres on November 18, after the exciting spinoff, Forged in Fire: Beat the Judges, wrapped up its first season this year. Fans are curious about the 2020 season 8 host so let’s get the situation explained and consider Wil Willis’ absence. A subreddit dedicated to discussion surrounding the 'Forged in Fire' TV show … To be fair, the ‘Forged in Fire‘s cast are distinguishable men in the world of sword and knife-making. Contestant Gabriel Mabry of Doberman Forge detailed some of the steps he had to go through, including answering a questions about metallurgy and doing both an interview and a background check. Season eight is up with some great stories as well as a bunch of new cast members. When the weapons must be put to the task, the… Being a fan favorite, the former veteran’s […] But Neilson was nowhere to be seen and fans are missing him in action. In 2008, Neilson was recognized for his incredible skills in the craft and given the rank of Master Smith in the American Bladesmith Society, an organization that promotes forging techniques. After applying to be on the show and sitting for multiple interviews via phone and video, he had to actually forge a blade to the producers' specifications and submit photos of the finished product. Every week on Forged in Fire, four bladesmiths accept the challenge of making whatever weapon the show chooses, and the winner receives $10,000. Neilson came back for the premiere of the fourth season. The fifth season of Forged in Fire premiered in early March. Here's the untold truth of Forged in Fire, some of which is really going to surprise you. So the gun aspect was put aside in favor of the bladed weapons approach the show has found so successful. Forged in Fire is an American competition series that airs on the History channel, and is produced by Outpost Entertainment, a Leftfield Entertainment company.. Marcaida has been the face of Forged in Fire for his commendable way of handling sharp-edged weapons.He has made his way to the hearts of many because of his skills. As a kid, he started believing in the existence of it which encouraged him to make wooden knives and swords. The show airs on the History channel, and is produced by Outpost Entertainment. Full shot of my newest Damascus bowie #jneilson #mastersmith #jneilsonknives #mountainhollowforge #bowie #damascus #handmade #customknives @history #forgedinfire, A post shared by J. Neilson (@jneilsonknives) on Mar 14, 2018 at 7:42pm PDT. The media is not yet settled on his exact date of birth. While the contestants are provided plenty of water and encouraged to drink it (and to take breaks), the show has had several cases of heat exhaustion, and there's been at least one episode (season four's "The Katzbalger") where a contestant collapsed, suffering chest pains and heading to the hospital instead of completing the challenge. And while the series might seem like an open book, there's actually a lot going on under the surface. Competence is sexy, especially when it involves something exotic like hand-crafting bladed weapons. In each episode, four bladesmiths compete to win $10,000 (and the championship title of the day) by forging weapons. While some sources say 13th, others say 14th February. But it's important to remember that this is a TV show, after all, and the contestants are working under artificial time and material constraints and striving to create a weapon they're probably unfamiliar with, all on an incredibly hot set that's crowded with equipment and other smiths plus a TV crew. In the show, they either host or judge a competition for amateur bladesmith with a $10,000 reward. We’ve got the answers for you, right here. Neilson was one of the judges on Forged in Fire, along with David Baker and Doug Marcaida. However, the three "losing" smiths get nothing, aside from a trip to New York City and being on television, of course. First, here’s a short introduction to J. Neilson for those of you who are new to Forged in Fire. The show just isn’t the same without him, so here’s hoping for a speedy recovery and a quick return! The news about Wil Willis not being the host of the show’s eighth season surfaced when the season’s promo was released. If you've ever wanted to know more about these skilled experts, read on to learn about the current judges, J. Neilson, competitor-turned-judge Ben Abbott, Doug Marcaida, and David Baker. Wil Willis, the former Army Ranger, has been the host of Forged in Fire since it began. What Happened to Doug Marcaida? The specific idea to have the contestants create bladed weapons came later. And after all that, he reports he still had to do "a couple more" interviews before being invited to compete. There are presently 4 judges, and Wil is the host. The best reality television focuses on talent. Standing 5 feet 11 inches (1.80 meters) tall; Wil was born into a military family. It's the heat. As Erin Healy, the managing editor of Blade magazine, notes, with four forges lined up next to each other, plus the heat of the television studio lights, the set gets super hot. It’s been a year for the books. But equally impressive are the credentials and works produced by the Forged in Fire judges. Wil Willis was born in 1975. Wil Willis, Self: Forged in Fire. Some are ugly, some are easily broken, and some simply don't do the one thing a blade is supposed to do — cut. So certainly, they have the experience and knowledge to judge a finished weapon. According to Vice, Willis had finally begun learning the basics of forging by season four of the show, and the History Channel even posted proof of Neilson teaching both Willis and Marcaida how to bladesmith, putting to rest any complaints that the smiths competing on the show might not be getting the best judging experience. There's a difference between being a weapons expert and being a bladesmith. As a result of his expertise in martial arts, Doug … According to The Guardian, crimes involving bladed weapons rose seven percent in 2019 — nearly 45,000 cases in just 12 months. It still will help boost Jason Knight’s humongous net worth. Meet the cast of Forged in Fire on HISTORY. Get season by season character and cast bios and more only on HISTORY. But according to reality TV writer Andy Dehnart of Reality Blurred, it's also 100 percent false. That's pretty good money even when you take the extreme effort involved into account, both in making the weapon and even getting on the show in the first place (which requires several interviews, taking a metallurgy test, and creating a sample blade, all of which is uncompensated). 26 votes, 18 comments. Keep reading to find out more. As anyone who's ever interacted with a 14-year-old kid knows, connecting with them can be challenging. This new guy is hard to watch and listen to, honestly. In today's Ask Andy, when The Last Alaskans will return, what Forged in Fire does with its weapons, and why Worst Cooks in America's make sense on The Great Food Truck Race. Instead, they use a wholly different technique known as "stock removal," making the search for female contestants even more challenging. But a lot of the weapons on this show aren't so great. The show’s host is Wil Willis.On the show, Neilson He appeared in seasons one and two, but in season three he took a leave of absence due to an injury on his hand. What happened to the longtime host, Wil Willis? For example, Gabe Mabry told The Stanly News & Press that before being a contestant, his bladesmithing was a side hustle he did along with several other jobs, but after being on the show, he was able to begin bladesmithing full time. However, on Knife Or … Willis is a former Army Ranger with a ton of experience using weapons of all sorts, and Marcaida is an edged weapon expert, knife designer, and martial artist. Wil’s life experiences made him the right host for ‘Cast in Fireplace.’ For these unfamiliar with the present, Cast in Fireplace is a singular glimpse into the previous. He works on forging blades in his workshop in Towanda, Pennsylvania. And that's also true for Forged in Fire. He may be on a break right now, but we can’t wait to see him make a big comeback on Forged in Fire. April 23, 2018 at 6:16 am. Steve Calvert, the bladesmith behind Green Beetle Gear, analyzed the show's episodes and determined that most of the failed weapons were due to some pretty fundamental forging errors you would think experienced bladesmiths would know to avoid. It's easy to imagine that making weapons comes with some legal complications, and there are a lot of rumors swirling around Forged in Fire concerning what happens to all those swords, knives, and other bladed weapons once filming is finished. 7.3k members in the forgedinfireshow community. In fact, as Decider reports, he consulted with Jodi Flynn, a fellow producer who was pitching a similar concept at the time, Gunsmiths — a riff on Project Runway in that would have had a fixed cast and a season-long arc of challenges as they created guns, with different challenges every week and a focus on the interactions and relationships between the smiths. AR15.COM is the world’s largest firearm community and is a gathering place for firearm enthusiasts of all types. Yet, much of it has been spent trying to stave off boredom in lockdown at home. The History Channel series kicked off its eight season on Wednesday, November 18th. He is known for his work on Forged in Fire (2015), Special Ops Mission (2009) and Triggers: Weapons That Changed the World (2011). However, he did not treat the injury until much later, which has now caused problems for him. The Judge of Forged in Fire, Doug Marcaida got injured! Since then, the show has managed to have several female smiths on, and a few have even won the episode and walked away with the $10,000 prize. The Cast of Forged in Fire Season 8. Check out Neilson’s custom-made knives on his Instagram. But you might imagine that a show where bladesmiths have their work judged would get folks who know all about the craft to do that. November 20, 2020 After the premiere of the new season of Forged in Fire on November 18, the fans of the show are curious if Wil Willis has been replaced in the show as the trailer hinted at a new host. Wil Willis Is Not Part of New Forged in Fire Season. This show encourages previous Forged in Fire champions to face off against one of … Marcaida Has Worked As A Military Contractor. And also the fire. The idea eventually evolved towards bladed weapons specifically, but Healy stuck with his initial inspiration, structuring the format like a cooking show with new competitors every episode. Wil Willis, the host of 'Forged in Fire' (History) Willis was a US Army Ranger for 4 years and an Air Force Pararescueman for around 10 years. We're not gonna lie, the fire has a lot to do with how great this show is. But still, the producers must've been a little concerned about this lack of knowledge. In each episode, four bladesmiths compete in a three-round elimination contest to forge bladed weapons, with the overall winner receiving $10,000 and the show's championship title "Forged in Fire Champion". So, what happened to J. Neilson on Forged in Fire? Neilson was one of the judges on Forged in Fire, along with David Baker and Doug Marcaida. So most of these smiths could probably use that cash. Each episode is exciting because of the challenges posed to the competitors, not because of their personality conflicts. And contestant Dustin Parrella told the Richland Source that it goes even further than that. But the trailer for the upcoming season hints at a new host. As John Gomes, the man who basically burned down his entire town trying to forge metal in his backyard after watching Forged in Fire, discovered, watching the show isn't really a substitute for learning how to bladesmith the right way. Wil has not yet addressed his absence from the show yet. There hasn’t been an official statement from The History Channel or Willis, but Forged in Fire speculates a reason for his break from the show. But, more recently, he met an accident, in … Soon, he made one of the real knives while studying at high school. Which, fair, but we're not sure how you can watch Forged in Fire and think you can make a sword using a barrel in your backyard. Magic. The Curse of Oak Island 6 Episodes. In other words, according to the rumors, contestants don't get to keep the weapons they worked so hard for. Swamp People: Serpent Invasion 7 Episodes. The most artificial part of the show is probably in the prop department. His father used to read him a story of giants and dragons. The winner of Forged in Fire receives a cash prize of $10,000 after competing in the exciting TV series. As former contestant Kim Stahl told the New York Daily News, "Not every episode outlines all the procedures that were followed." And all this before the knives come out. Beyond Oak Island 3 Episodes. While reality shows work hard to hide a lot of the boring details from the viewer (and thank goodness) it obviously takes a lot of skill to get cast on any show focused on a craft like bladesmithing. As a knifemaker for over 20 years, Neilson is one of the best in the trade. Forged in Fire is produced by Outpost Entertainment. Not only is the subject fascinating, it's also educational both in terms of how these things are actually made and the history of some of the weapons they create. Plus, his research told him that on other reality shows like American Pickers or Pawn Stars, it was bladed weapons that resulted in ratings spikes. For their part, the judges don't seem worried about inspiring the youths to violence. Just keep in mind you're not going to be ready to start your own bladesmithing business after a few episodes. Dehnart actually spoke with a spokesperson for the show, who clarified that while the winning weapon is kept on display on their Winners Wall, everyone else gets their weapon back "as a symbol of [the show's] gratitude and out of respect for the amount of work put into the weapon.". The series aired on the Military Channel and Wil served as the host from 2009 to 2013. Since its premiere in 2015, Forged in Fire has seen a number of masterpiece creations, as … I wish they would've somehow got the guy from Top Shot to host in his absence. Okay, saying a show about making bladed weapons is dangerous is like saying running with scissors is dangerous, but it's not actually the blades that you should worry about if you wander onto the set of Forged in Fire. Well, folks, it appears that J. Neilson is not going anywhere after all! For example, The Sun has reported that some police organizations feel the show "glorifies violence" and might be an especially bad influence on kids. He first made his television debut as one of the Forged in Fire judges in 2015. But he took a break towards the end of that season and hasn’t been seen on the show since. He never did return to Forged in Fire after season 3 as Ben Abbott filled Neilson’s role temporarily in season 4. They also complain that the judges often misuse bladesmithing jargon (which might be for the audience's benefit, as the show can't expect its fans to become expert blacksmiths just to enjoy the competition) and speculate that many of the failed weapons are the result of skipped steps. History channel’s Forged in Fire is one of the most exciting reality TV shows. That's all fine for something presented for entertainment purposes, of course. That sounds reasonable, especially when you've got a bunch of people making something terrifying like a Moro kris. When Tim Healy, head of programming and development at the History Channel and the creator of Forged in Fire, was first spinning up the idea for reality series, he just imagined a show where people created "weapons" from scratch. Grady Powell replaced Wil Willis when he stepped in as the host of Forged in Fire season 8. And as contestant Rachel Oliver notes, most female bladesmiths don't use the forge technique that the show features. So in order to spend some time with her, Healy would sit and watch those culinary shows, and he began to wonder how he could do a "cooking competition show without cooking" (now that's some outside-the-box thinking). The present options world-class bladesmiths recreate historic weapons in a contest. Shawn Morse, the mayor, called it (via the New York Daily News) "the worst disaster this city has ever seen." Unsurprisingly, the History Channel dismisses such worries, noting that there's no evidence of any link between the show and crime rates involving knives or otherwise. However, Healy really wanted a fresh group of smiths every week instead of Runway's fixed cast in order to take a deeper dive into the culture surrounding the craft. Still, appearing on the show has other benefits. He said that it was a non-knife-related injury that happened about eight or nine years ago. He also has two children from his previous marriage. History's Greatest Mysteries 1 Episodes. His obligations on the present embody […] Wil has been the host for the show for a long time, the show will not be the same for many people if he gets replaced. History Channel's Knife Or Death is a spinoff of its wildly successful series Forged In Fire, where competitors forge weapons for judges to test. In 2017 a New Yorker fan of the show tried using a barrel to forge a blade, his actions however, occasioned a fire that got out of control and burned down three buildings. In 2009, Wil was asked to serve as the host Special Ops Mission and Triggers; Weapons That Changed the World. But, Wil Willis, the host has been replaced by Grady Powell. Bladesmithing has long been a male-dominated field, and that's caused the show some difficulties. This might be especially true in the United Kingdom, where so-called "knife crime" has hit historic highs in recent years. Although, J. Neilson, David Baker, Doug Marcaida, and Ben Abbott are expected to be returning in season 8. As Vice points out, J. Neilson is proudly teaching his own young children to be bladesmiths. The bladesmiths’ are judged by some of America’s finest Master Smiths, and J. Neilson is one of them. But the show's focus on blades and their ability to cut through ballistic dummies and cuts of beef (often filmed in cinematic slow motion) has had some police and parents' groups in an uproar since its debut. Forged in Fire starts off with four contestants, with the Katzbalger the final challenge. What happened to Wil Willis? Jason Knight got passionate about crafting Knives since his young age In 90s, Bladesmithing was not considered as the respectabl… Considering how carefully the contestants are screened for the show, it underscores just how challenging and difficult the blades created for the show actually are. Wil Willis was born in Portugal in February 1975. And that's too bad, because according to Career Trend, the median salary for a bladesmith is estimated to be about $31,000, with a low of $20,000 (and most of them make their money creating cutlery instead of super awesome swords and the like). By: ETN Editorial Desk - Published: March 21, 2018 at 9:28 am | Last Updated: Unlike reality cooking or design shows, where part of the fun is attempting to replicate what you just watched, Forged in Fire isn't the sort of show where you can jump off your couch, excited about fire and blades and wielding a two-pound hammer like Thor. So another master knifemaker, Jason Knight, filled in for Neilson. In fact, Audra Draper become the first female Master Bladesmith just 20 years ago. (To be fair, Marcaida spells and pronounces it KEAL, which stands for "'keep everyone alive"). The show Forged in Fire was Wil's big break, which only continues to bring him new opportunities, as he is also the host of the spin-off show, Forged in Fire: Beat the Judges. Bladesmithing is a time-consuming craft requiring a lot of specialized stuff. The best part is that they manage to wring drama out of the competition instead of interpersonal drama. It's not entirely the show's fault, of course. In other words, the magic of editing means you might not be shown some absolutely essential but visually dull (or time-consuming) part of the process. Sure, we all love drama, and watching a bunch of people scheme and plot and riff on some version of "I'm not here to make friends" like they invented the phrase is fun and all, but shows that pit smart, talented people against each other in a test of skill? Jason Knight was passionate on the forge since his young age. You want actual bladesmiths who have a shot at successfully making the weapons they're tasked with. Gomes was charged with arson and reckless endangerment, and one of the show's contestants, Kim Stahl, warned other fans, "Not every episode outlines all the procedures that were followed." Envato Elements Pressmaster Well, our favorite show,’ Forged in Fire‘s cast, certainly made us believe it. On the show, Neilson tested the blades for their durability and technical aspects. Less than 115 people all over the world hold this title. Alone 26 Episodes. He was last seen hosting the show’s spinoff. Still… It's been criticized for the lack of female representation on the show (the first season, in fact, had exactly zero women on it), especially since the host and judges are exclusively male. The movie star is American by nationality and belongs to white ethnic background. What happened to Wil on Forged in Fire? There are only four female Master Bladesmiths in the country, after all. Wil Willis along with co-stars J. 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