Edged-weapon mastery is put to the test right away as four bladesmiths must forge a functional friction folder. Without knowing how their blades will be tested, each smith must find the critical junction where skill meets resiliency to produce a folding knife versatile enough to handle any test imaginable. Ultimately, only two smiths push through to the final round where they must recreate a Japanese trident, called the Jumonji Yari.

The heat is doubled as four master smiths compete alongside their apprentices to forge an iconic weapon of warfare–the trench knife. Each team must work together, tagging in and out every half hour, with only one smith allowed to touch the knife at a time. Blood is spilled and tears are shed. Refusing to retreat, two teams square off in one final battle to recreate a blade that's stood the test of time–the Chinese Dao Sword.