Doug Marcaida knows how to wield a blade. The fan-favorite judge on History’s weapon-making competition series Forged in Fire, which celebrated 10 years on the air earlier this summer, is the show’s edged-weapons impact specialist and a skilled martial artist. “This is my passion,” says Marcaida, who inspires blade artists with his skills, honing and designing swords and knives. “It’s what I call my ‘cycle of knife,’ he adds, laughing.
“I learned the blade arts to get over my fear of the blade, and I became addicted to it,” Marcaida continues, noting that his zeal for the craft eventually led to him teaching military and law enforcement blade combative courses and designing blades alongside knife companies (even some for film and TV!). “If you really have a passion, pursue it to the best that you can — and then try to share it. I’m at the last quarter of my life, where now, my purpose is to share this passion so that others can pick up on it and shine. Bladesmithing is an all-around-the-world thing. It’s not just one culture, it’s everywhere throughout history. So let’s revive that and get literate with our hands again.”
Doug Mrcaida on Forged By Fire
History
While Marcaida doesn’t hit the forge on Fire, he does test each powerful blade created on the show. It’s a dangerous gig, swinging a handmade weapon at a dummy or prop. Even with decades of experience, Marcaida sustained a hand injury as recently as 2022 while testing a blade. “It’s always scary when the blades break,” he notes.
In the first of two episodes airing August 27, the four competing bladesmiths are tasked with creating Siberian-inspired weapons — in authentic freezing temps! “We actually had to wear our coats,” says Marcaida of the judging panel.
On the flip side, the second episode of the night poses a melting risk with what the judge says is an “extra layer of danger.” The competitors must create a five-layer blade with copper, a material never before used on the show. Copper has a melting point of roughly 1,900 degrees, so “if your welds around it are not clean, it’s going to pour out,” Marcaida says. “It’s really about your attention to detail and understanding the temperatures.” In other words: If you can’t read the temp, get out of the forge!
Still, Marcaida himself is quick to point out that while the series is fun to watch, actual bladesmithing doesn’t happen in the span of a TV episode. He explains: “Forged in Fire is a competition. It is based on blade-making, but at the same time, it’s all about your ability to problem solve and adjust to what’s provided for you, and that’s the beauty of the show.” Forge on!
Forged in Fire, Wednesdays, 9/8c, History Channel
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