Forged in Fire contestants introduction thread

Atlas Knife Company

Atlas Knife Company

Joined
Feb 16, 2010
Messages
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If you've been a contestant on Forged in Fire, please give us a little introduction here and preferably a link to your work. Especially a link to your work!

If you, as a contestant, have comments to make about the show or it's reception among knifemakers, please do so here. If there is a second season, and hopefully there will be, it's likely that other members here will participate and will be more prepared for it having learned from your experiences shared here.

General discussions about the show not directly related to these contestants that have introduced themselves here should be kept in the other thread about the show
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1300940-Thoughts-on-Forged-in-fire
 
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Bladeforum would want them to pay for a membership to promote their work or post a link to it and to be honest many have gone to Facebook and instagram to post their work with no cost.
 
As long as they don't promote selling their knives overtly, I have no problem with anyone who was on the show telling us about themselves, their experience on the show, and about the quality of their work normally. Photos and links are OK as long as they are about the knives they make in general, and not directly related to sales.
 
Ill bite, Chad Harding, Indiana boy, live in a blink town called Hendricksville. Started making over ten years ago, forge with coal , only using gas for tweaking and heat treat. Was on the 3rd episode taped and second one aired. I shared the show with three great, compassionate smiths of which I quickly became friends with. The show front, was an extremely different environment for me with the bright lights and what not. Didnt give us a plan and draw period like the other shows, only said the challenge once and I didn't hear it correctly which cost me A LOT of time and in the end lost first round. chad harding on facebook or my website www.hardingknives.net
 
Rich Greenwood, I'm from Detroit Michigan currently living in Tucson Arizona. I've been making knives for about 1.5-2 years contrary to what the TV says.....lol I'm a part time maker and own a swimming pool business as my day job. I enjoy long walks..... Wait I got distracted, I was on episode 1 that was filmed as episode 2 as for particulars of the show, all I can say is that it was a great experience and by far for me the best part was beingg able to work with three other great smiths and the mutual respect for one another. if absolutely nothing else, I have gained three new friends and an education that could not be bought! one thing i can say about this experience is that we surprised the hell out of the production team by being so respectful of each other and instead of trying to sabotage each other we were helping each other which seams to be a bit of contrast to whats been going on in some forums and other social media but thats just my opinion on that particular subject. thanks for the opertunity to introduce myself and i hope everyone enjoys the show and work. be sure to click the "past works" to see my........ past works.
http://pokabuforge.com/
 
Chris Farrell, I live in Austin Texas. I've been making blades for about 10 -12 years, it's all a little fuzzy. I did episode 2 " The Chakram " . It was an honor to share the stage with 3, in my opinion way more talented smiths who encouraged me the whole way and became good friends. The show has been a great experience, it took me out of my comfort zone and forced me to do things I didn't think I could. It also put me in touch with all of the other makers from all the episodes . I am humbled to be in the company of so many talented artists and consider myself lucky to be counted among them. We had no idea what we were walking into, what the tests would be or materials available till it was in the moment. It was definately an adventure. You can check out some of my past work here :
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Fearghal-Blades/164698396947262

Thanks for creating a thread for this.
 
Matthew Parkinson from the first episode aired (second filmed) you can find me on Facebook as Matthew Parkinson or on Instagram as Swordmatt, I have been a full time blacksmith and bladesmith for 15 years and have been making knives for about 20. My shop is in wolcott CT and I share it with three other smiths, our main business is Ironwork but all of have an interest (my wife calls it an obsession) in knives swords or armor. Our bladsmithing/armor business is Dragons Breath Forge it can be found here-http://www.dragonsbreathforge.com/ two of my business partners Peter Swarz-Burt and Jamie Lundell were also on the show and will be in later episodes.
I specialize in historical work mostly from the viking era including the patternwelding of that period though I have a an interest in other eras as well. I teach bladesmithing/ blacksmithing all over the northeastern US. I joined the ABS three years ago and am going to be going after my JS soon.
As far as the my experience on the show I had a great time and would do it again in a heartbeat. I learned a ton met a bunch of great guys and had an experience I would have never thought possible. Over and over the production team would comment on how supportive we were of each other. Even the judges you could tell they weren't going "look at that idiot" rather it was more of "OH I hate when I do that!!" The thing to remember the show is that it is a game. To be good at this game you must be a good knife maker, yes, but you must also be cool under pressure , adaptable, comfortable in front of the camera, and a hundred other things that do not affect how good a blade you can make in your own shop.
MP
 
Ok. I'll be in the next episode. I've been everything from a collector to a maker. Been at it since the late 80's. Started a new shop nearly 3 years ago in Vegas. Pictures of the shop and knives, are somewhere on this forum. Met some great guys on the show and crew. Got to see a little of the big city, had some amazing food and drinks. I post most of my work now a days on Instagram and Facebook here:

https://www.facebook.com/seymourmade?ref=bookmarks
https://instagram.com/seymourmadeknives/

Website coming soon.
 
Well said Matt! I felt right at home with you guys and I was a rookie for sure and every question I had was answered with respect and enthusiasm. I think chris hit it on the head when he says the show pushed him because I never would have thought to myself at this point to head out to the shop and knock out a katana but after doing it on the show it has built the confidence to keep at it and know that I will only get better :)
 
David Roeder here. Filmed Ep 1. First officially to discover the inadiquate electric for the grinders, and official smart ass.
I don't have a website, I just use Facebook.

Look me up as David Roeder J.S. That's me..
 
hardingknives said:
I was scared to ride the subway, but realized folks were more afraid of the redneck on board
Click to expand...

Haha:)! I feel you, the city stuff gives my big time anxiety...I've never been on a subway though, I'd probably die of a heart attack right then and there!
 
I'm happy to know the knifemakers distinguished themselves for being supportive and friendly each others, even in a contest!
That's the community i like!
 
THANK YA'LL for posting a bit of info from your contestant viewpoint I noticed the couple of episodes I watched the way yall got along as a group. GREAT comments.

Ken H><
 
Ryu Lim. Episode 3 Viking Battle Axe.
Currently in Union, NJ. Nomadic Bladesmith(but usually stay around NJ for personal reasons) Originally from a small humble village at the mountain's foot(actually a sleeping volcano) located in one of the northern islands of the Philippines. I've been helping around at the local smithies since I was 8 years old, moving charcoal(coal wasn't readily available but there were plenty of trees on the mountains for charcoal making) and working the bellows. I was first permitted to pickup a hammer at around the age of 9. I forged my first sword at the age of 10(mild steel. Not worth bragging about but I thought worth a mention). I moved to a different village for easier access to education, but it was a farming village and blacksmithing wasn't as common. I kept swinging my hammer anyway, using improvised tools and very crude forges. I found home in the United States soon after the nearby volcano buried my second village. I landed on the city so it became harder to forge but I always found ways to never stop swinging. Never sold my blades, instead always traded them for items and tools I couldn't afford with money. And then, around mid last year when I started my Instagram account and started selling there.

Fast forward, I found myself in a studio forge in front of a mystery metal shrouded in red cloth, unsure of what the show wants me to do with that metal. I never would've gotten through this harsh competition if it wasn't for the gentlemen who stood by me as friends instead of competitors. Being in the show sucked, but meeting these 3 gentlemen made this experience worth cherishing for the rest of my lifetime. The most valuable thing I won from that show are my now treasured friends who I call my brothers. Jonathan Porter of Doghouse Forge, James Huse of Huse Knives, and of course, Phil Evans of Glenview Forge.

Here is my Instagram page if you are interested on seeing my work.
www.Instagram.com/Ryu.Lim
Email: xmanofironx@gmail.com

Thank you for giving me this chance and I deeply appreciate your time.
 
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