The host does not take part in the judging, but sometimes offers insights based on their military service in order to give the judges a different perspective on the blades. The loser turns in their weapon, and the winner is named as the day's Forged In Fire Champion and receives the $10,000 prize. They then bring their weapons back to the Forge for in order to be tested for edge retention, strength and durability, and for lethality in the infamous KEAL test against an animal carcass or a ballistics dummy. For the final round, the two remaining smiths are shown a historically significant weapon and have five days (four in later seasons) to create their own versions of it at their home forges.As before, the smith whose weapon is judged the least satisfactory has to turn it in and leave. The judges then put the weapons through tests to gauge properties such as sharpness, durability, and ease of use, by chopping/slashing/stabbing objects which include logs, ropes, animal carcasses, and steel car doors. In the second round, also taking place in The Forge, the three remaining smiths are given another three hours (two in later seasons) to turn their blades into fully functional weapons, by attaching handles, grinding/sharpening/polishing, and cleaning up any problems noted by the judges in the first round.note The producers have since revealed that all contestants get their weapons back after all episodes of that season have aired. The person who handed in the worst blade (or a blade which didn't meet the specifications) is eliminated from the competition, and must turn in their weapon and leave The Forge. When the time is up, they present their blades to a panel of three judges who evaluate the craftsmanship/quality and point out any flaws or defects. The bladesmiths are given usually three hours to forge their blades and deal with anything goes wrong. The host issues a set of specifications for the blade length, and sometimes gives an extra challenge (adding features like serrations or a fuller, or using a specific technique such as San Mai/Go Mai/a certain type of Damascus pattern, and so on). The type of steel can vary from a standard block, to a choice of scrap metal objects, to material salvaged from a junked car or lawnmower, to rejected blades from previous episodes. In this round, the bladesmiths are given some type of steel and must use it to make a blade in a style of their choosing.

The first round normally takes place in The Forge, a studio stocked with a wide range of metalworking tools and equipment, sometimes the show will mix it up by having one or both of them take place in an alternative location such as a scrapyard or a farm.In each episode, four smiths compete to win $10,000 by forging bladed weapons in a three-round contest with a panel of expert judges judging their work. Forged In Fire is a reality Game Show about the art of bladesmithing, originally hosted by Wil Willis (Seasons 1-7) and currently hosted by Grady Powell (Season 8 to present).

Forged in fire season 6 episode list