[paran falcon]

The master/apprentice episode was an enjoyable watch. The eventual winners turned out the best looking weapons as well as the most effective. I really liked the look of both their products.

Watched Knife or Death finally. I liked it more than i thought I might. Quite the grueling test course! I thought it might be too easy and come down to just speed all the time but I was way wrong. I can't believe a fish stopped every contestant that made it that far. It was interesting to hear the commentary from the Green Beret with Goldberg about the types of technique that would be best for the different obstacles and how some contestants involved their whole core/body and didn't just rely on the blade they were using to get through. The samurai should have made it past that fish but didn't put anything behind the stroke and it cost him. That cowboy's chopper was just sick. It just destroyed everything. He seemed to be the only one with a blade that was "polished". What is that exactly? Something more involved than maybe a high speed buffing process?

[acesn8s]

Briar King, on 25 April 2018 - 04:30 PM, said:

Oh man...5 mins in KoD this guy brings a 100 year old Barong. I’m cringing so bad I had to stop and type. This could so wrong and destroy an old blade.

What did you think of the Butcher?

[Malankazooie]

The circumference of my shaft wouldn't have met the parameters of the final build and wouldn't have been able to fit into that testing apparatus either. Know what I'm sayin'

[Malankazooie]

History had another preview for the next episode. The new one tonight is another outdoor setting with coal forges and good ol' hammer swinging.

I love the sound of hammer ringing against red hot steel. Brings back found memories of playing The Witcher III and riding Roach into a village or city and hearing that sound get louder as I ride or walk closer to the Blacksmith serving the community. What a great game that is.

[acesn8s]

Knife Fight was good. People are learning how to deal with the Fish.

[Malankazooie]

I don't like when there is "a catastrophic failure", that "compromises the safety of the test". Appropriately you must "please surrender your weapon and leave the forge immediately". *cue heavy music soundtrack.

[acesn8s]

What's lame is they didn't even test the other person's blade. Maybe it would have failed after the 1st strike....

[Malankazooie]

Yeah, they usually have to determine if the competitor's blade can survive the same test. I thought with this one though, the first guy's knife survived the blade damage challenge of cutting through bamboo, and it was the second guy's knife that had the failure. So there was no need to continue on with the sharpness test. I may be getting things messed up though.

[Malankazooie]

I love it when the testing for the final challenge includes a full boar carcass. You really get a sense of what the weapon can do. Although the ballistic test dummies with the gel insides looks cool and all, sometimes the power of the weapon is lost in knowing it's a simulated test mannequin. By contrast, a two handed sword slicing through a healthy animal carcass leaves not doubt as to the efficacy of the weapon being wielded.

This post has been edited by Malankazooie: 23 May 2018 - 04:46 AM

[acesn8s]

I agree that KoD has to step it up. Less cringe-worthy contestants wearing costumes wouldn't hurt either.

[Malankazooie]

I stopped watching it. It was just too dumb and cheesy. Like that opening requirement to let that former FiF winner test your blade on a rolled up tatami mat. That seemed more or less to let that guy flex his muscles then it did any good in determining whether your weapon was sufficient to compete. And the majority of the competitors where just too dopey and made me cringe watching some of them breathe hard has they chopped away and their weapon either broke, warped or (the main weapon defeater) couldn't cut through a fish. Which, btw, was mostly always because the contestant didn't know what he/she was doing and not because of the weapon.

[Malankazooie]

Nice Memorial Day episode last night. All contestants were former military. The episode must have been produced earlier then the other episodes this season because we got a healthy Doug Marcaida, who kicked ass in the testing. And a first, the host, Wil Willis (why does he always wear Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars?), helped in the testing too. Shooting a bullet at the blades to test their strength/durability.

And my favorite, J. Neilson, was back to judge and do testing. You guys do realize he holds the tile of Mastersmith in the American Blacksmith Society? right? He is the most knowledgeable about the craft, and head and shoulders above any of the other judges on the show with that knowledge. You do get that , right?

[acesn8s]

Malankazooie, on 29 May 2018 - 03:14 PM, said:

Nice Memorial Day episode last night. All contestants were former military. The episode must have been produced earlier then the other episodes this season because we got a healthy Doug Marcaida, who kicked ass in the testing. And a first, the host, Wil Willis (why does he always wear Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars?), helped in the testing too. Shooting a bullet at the blades to test their strength/durability.

And my favorite, J. Neilson, was back to judge and do testing. You guys do realize he holds the tile of Mastersmith in the American Blacksmith Society? right? He is the most knowledgeable about the craft, and head and shoulders above any of the other judges on the show with that knowledge. You do get that , right?

You need to add define "knowledge". I'm pretty sure when it comes to historical weapons, David Baker has them most knowledge. You know that he forges each of the showcase historical weapons. They use his weapons to set up the tests that the contestants weapons have to endure. David is no slouch, and he dresses a lot better than J. does....

[champ]

acesn8s, on 30 May 2018 - 12:15 PM, said:

Malankazooie, on 29 May 2018 - 03:14 PM, said:

Nice Memorial Day episode last night. All contestants were former military. The episode must have been produced earlier then the other episodes this season because we got a healthy Doug Marcaida, who kicked ass in the testing. And a first, the host, Wil Willis (why does he always wear Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars?), helped in the testing too. Shooting a bullet at the blades to test their strength/durability.

And my favorite, J. Neilson, was back to judge and do testing. You guys do realize he holds the tile of Mastersmith in the American Blacksmith Society? right? He is the most knowledgeable about the craft, and head and shoulders above any of the other judges on the show with that knowledge. You do get that , right?

You need to add define "knowledge". I'm pretty sure when it comes to historical weapons, David Baker has them most knowledge. You know that he forges each of the showcase historical weapons. They use his weapons to set up the tests that the contestants weapons have to endure. David is no slouch, and he dresses a lot better than J. does....

That's cool, I never knew this.

Got two eps of this to watch tonight.

[Malankazooie]

Knowledge about forging, and the forging process and components. None of the judges can touch J. Neilson.

Now historic weapons and wielding the weapons and such, David Baker and Doug Marcaida are better. Agree about Baker too. I like his style.

J. Neilson is pretty damn good at bringing the velocity and just sheer aggression to the tests the require checking the strength of the blade, there's no denying that. I wonder if his injury and Doug's were caused by being too over zealous when testing for FiF.

http://www.mountainhollow.net/

# # # # # # # # # #
Back on topic regarding episodes.. . .

Last night's was pretty crappy for the 1st round. I just think sometimes they require a lot (turning little springs into a blade). But then again, these contestants should know by now that the show will throw these sorts of challenges at them. They guy who didn't know how to spot-weld probably shouldn't even have been on the show.

The final challenge - The Horseman's Axe - was pretty cool. Some nice ballistic gel dummy destruction and outright brutal aggression by J. Neilson on the ice block with those weapons.

[Malankazooie]

Another blah episode. I mean having the first challenge switch things up so the contestants had to forge a hand ax is cool and all, but only if all the contestants are aware enough to make sure their build satisfies all parameters. When Wil told that young dude that he was the first contestant in the show's history to miss the parameter requirements in both rounds you could see the balloon of failure, defeat, and disappointment deflate right behind his eyes.

And the final challenge was cool and all. And we got to see Doug go at pig carcasses, but damn, I hate it when there is a "catastrophic weapon failure" and we don't get to see any more of the tests.

I personally think they may need to retool the show, as currently it seems they have a philosophy of quantity over quality. I'd prefer a shorter season, which would mean vetting the contestants more deliberately to make sure we had some quality smiths who could have a better go at the the challenges.

[acesn8s]

I actually feel asleep watching and woke up during the final weapon testing. I just didn't feel the need to rewind.

[Malankazooie]

Holy shit! That might have been the baddest ass final weapon challenge yet.

Awww. That fun teasing Doug and his brother displayed between the two of them shows that they truly love one another.

Damn, that strength test was brutal. I thought the black guy's blades were better (looked better and looked like they indexed to the hand better). But both tips broke off in that strength test (which I thought was inexact and sort of unfair, tbh).

[Malankazooie]

Sometimes I think J. Neilson uses the durability tests to work out some personal shit he has going on at home or in his personal life. Dude went beyond agro on those paint cans.

Final weapon was pretty cool. Doug's brother wielded them expertly against those hanging deer carcasses. Any time a FiF episode features the kill test against dead animal flesh it's a win for the viewers. David Baker was more then capable too. Cool slo-mo review of clean cuts through those bags to emphasize sharpness.

[acesn8s]

What they need to do is demonstrate the tests with David's example weapons too. I want more testing!