Ep 7. The Boar Spear

In season 3 episode 7 of Forged in Fire, titled "The Boar Spear," four bladesmiths are tasked with creating a deadly boar spear using techniques from different historical periods. The boar spear is a long pole weapon used for hunting wild boars and other large game. The bladesmiths must forge and shape their own spearheads, then attach them to a wooden pole.

In the first round, the bladesmiths are given a section of railroad spike to use as their starting material. They must forge the spike into a spearhead using traditional techniques, such as folding and hammering. Once they have finished forging their spearheads, they move on to the grinding and sanding phase, where they must shape and refine the edges and points of their blades.

Next, the bladesmiths are given a choice of historical period from which to draw inspiration for the design of their boar spears. The periods they can choose from include Viking, Medieval, and Renaissance. Each historical period comes with its own unique set of design elements and techniques, such as the use of scrollwork and decorative embellishments.

After choosing their historical period, the bladesmiths begin work on their wooden poles. They must shape and sand the poles to fit their spearheads, then affix the spearheads to the poles using traditional techniques such as riveting or epoxy.

The final round of the competition involves rigorous testing of the blades. The bladesmiths must demonstrate the effectiveness of their boar spears by thrusting them into a ballistic gel dummy. The judges evaluate the spears based on their penetration, impact, and overall performance.

At the end of the episode, one bladesmith is crowned the champion and receives a cash prize of $10,000. The other competitors are sent home, their boar spears left to gather dust in the forge.