Fordged In Fire

Forged in Fire Champion

At 18, I won Season 7 of the History Channel's Forged in Fire — competing against experienced bladesmiths from across the country, forging a Rooster-Headed French Pioneer Sword in 35 hours in my backyard shop in Louisiana heat. Every blade I make today is held to the same standard

How It Started

I used to watch Forged in Fire with my family and talk through every mistake the contestants made. One night my mom had heard enough and told me to stop critiquing and just apply. So I did. The producers called, and before my 18th birthday I was on a plane to New York City to compete against experienced bladesmiths from across the country on national television. I'd been blacksmithing since I was 12. My grandfather gave me my first forge and anvil and I haven't put it down since.

The Competition

Forged in Fire puts four bladesmiths through three elimination rounds judged by a panel of experts. The first two rounds took place in a professional studio forge in New York City. Round one, I had five hours to make a chef's knife from scratch. Round two, we salvaged steel from old farm equipment and kept forging. I made it through both. By the end of round two it was down to me and one other smith and they sent us home for the final round.

The Final Round

For the finale, each smith had 35 hours to forge a weapon at their own forge at home. The assignment was a Rooster-Headed French Pioneer Sword a blade I had never heard of, never seen, and had never made anything close to. It was August in Louisiana, 95 degrees with 80% humidity. By the end of each day I could barely hold my arms up. I finished with blisters on my feet and twelve cuts across my hands. To put that in perspective, a six-inch knife usually takes me a full week. I had 35 hours to forge an entire sword with no room for a single mistake.

Winning It

Both finalists' swords passed the judges' test. When the decision came down, my blade won for being lighter than my competitor's without sacrificing any strength or function. At 18 years old I became one of the youngest champions in Forged in Fire history. When I called home to tell my grandparents, I heard my grandfather hollering in the background and that man did not let his feelings show.