New forged in fire how to#
New forged in fire series#

I looked around and whispered, вЂI mustвЂ™ve just won.вЂ™вЂќ The mission remains his callingДЄlthough he continues to make knives and even swords for family and friends, Ritter remains dedicated to his stockpile stewardship mission at the Laboratory. I didnвЂ™t believe it until I saw Jamie leaving the forge. вЂњWhat was most surreal was when the host, Wil Willis, announced that I was the champion. вЂњThe judges did a great job of putting us at ease before the filming got started,вЂќ he notes. The hardest part about the competition is succumbing to tunnel vision-next thing you know, timeвЂ™s up!вЂќДЄlthough the judges are intense onscreen, Ritter notes that offscreen they are really helpful. ThereвЂ™s a cameraman assigned to you, and he follows you wherever you go.

вЂњI mean, it feels like 1,000 degrees in there. вЂњThe competition is very real,вЂќ Ritter says with a laugh. To his surprise, Ritter found himself competing on the showвЂ™s December 18, 2019, episode, titled, вЂњA Very Forged Christmas.вЂќ He beat out finalist Jamie Chandler by crafting a British light-cavalry sword to become a Forged in Fire champion. He quickly gained prowess and decided to try out for a Forged in Fire competition. Using his engineering background, he began to sculpt blades for friends and family. Encouraged by his wife, Ritter began to acquire the basic tools and to experiment. The overall winner of each episode receives $10,000.ДЄfter binge watching as many episodes as he could, Ritter wanted to give blade forging a try. The History Channel show, now in its seventh season, features bladesmiths competing in a three-round elimination contest to recreate some of historyвЂ™s most iconic bladed weapons.

вЂњHe described to me this television program called Forged in Fire,вЂќ Ritter remembers. It was a chance meeting with one of his wifeвЂ™s uncles that led Ritter to begin to forge blades in his garage. You could say weвЂ™re the вЂanswer siteвЂ™ to all questions related to hazard analysis.вЂќ Becoming a Forged in Fire champion

New forged in fire how to#

Weapons are our primary focus-although Pantex carries out the hands-on work, we provide guidance on how to carry out that work as safely as possible. вЂњWe deal with the safety characteristics of working with nuclear weapons. Ritter says that W-10 is one of the key interface groups with Pantex. вЂњItвЂ™s interesting-while at Pantex, I worked on the other end of what we do at the Laboratory, so I had many opportunities to collaborate with the technical staff here.вЂќ вЂњIвЂ™ve been part of the weapons complex for pretty much my entire career,вЂќ Ritter explains. After a short stint as a facility nuclear safety manager at Bechtel Corporation, he came to Los Alamos, where for the past four years he has worked as an R&D engineer for W-10. I just love how the art intertwines with the science of it.вЂќ A career dedicated to the Weapons complexДЄfter graduating from New Mexico State University with a degree in mechanical engineering, Ritter joined B&W Pantex, where he worked for the next 15 years. вЂњIt really appeals to me at an engineering level. вЂњThereвЂ™s a ton of detail when it comes to forging knives,вЂќ Ritter says, eyebrows raised. With his other hand, he uses a hammer to strike at the steel to sculpt what will become a custom blade for culinary use. He takes it out of a blazing hot forge and places it onto an anvil thatвЂ™s secured to a tree stump by a rusted chain.

But his reason for leaving may very well involve a new addition to his growing family.Standing in his garage-turned-blacksmithhovel, Boyd Ritter of the LaboratoryвЂ™s Weapon Systems Safety Analysis (W-10) group clasps a bright-red steel bar called a billet. Unfortunately, Willis hasn't spoken out about what led to his departure from the series. Then, in 2015, he landed his 'Forged in Fire' hosting gig, where he quickly became the most consistent part of the show - at least until Season 8 premiered with 'Ultimate Survival Alaska' alum Grady Powell as the new host. After he retired from the military, Willis began using his expert weaponry knowledge as a commentator on shows like 'Special Ops Mission' and 'Triggers: Weapons That Changed the World.' There's certainly no doubt Willis' credentials made him the perfect person to host 'Forged in Fire.' Prior to entering the realm of reality television, he spent 10 years as an Air Force Pararescueman, and four years as an Army Ranger.

It's safe to say, the former military man was a fan favorite, and his sudden departure from the show was baffling, to say the least.

New forged in fire series#

Willis had been with the series since it began, and as the host, he helped guide each season's bladesmiths through the grueling competition. When Season 8 of 'Forged in Fire' began airing on the History Channel, some fans were dismayed to see the show's longtime host Wil Willis had been replaced.