Knife or Death

Last updated
Knife or Death
Also known asForged in Fire: Knife or Death
Genre Reality
Country of originUnited States
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons3
No. of episodes22
Production
Executive producerJim Pasquarella
ProducersJodi Flynn, David George, Simon Thomas and Vincent Cariati
Running time42 minutes
Production companyOutpost Entertainment
Release
Original network History
Original releaseApril 17, 2018 (2018-04-17) 
September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19)

Knife or Death (officially Forged in Fire: Knife or Death) is an American competition series that airs on the History channel. It is a spin-off from the successful Forged in Fire television series.

Contents

The show is hosted by former NFL player and WCW/WWE professional wrestler Bill Goldberg, [1] along with co-host Tu Lam, a former US Army Special Forces Soldier, martial artist and edged weapons expert. [2] Two-time Forged in Fire champion Travis Wuertz assists as the show's blade inspection specialist.

On each episode, eight contestants compete through two rounds, using edged weapons that they have either forged themselves or had fabricated to their specifications. They must submit their weapons to a preliminary examination by Wuertz and can be immediately disqualified in case of a safety issue or failure. The contestant who finishes the second-round course in the shorter time advances to the season finale, with a $20,000 cash prize at stake. [3]

Knife or Death premiered April 17, 2018 on History and is produced by Outpost Entertainment. [4]

Format

The contestants in each episode run two obstacle courses individually. A 25-second penalty is added to a contestant's time for each failure to complete an obstacle properly, and a catastrophic weapon failure (defined as damage that renders a weapon unsafe or ineffective for further use) results in disqualification.

Round One: Knife Fight

The first round, "Knife Fight," is a course that tests the quality of the contestants' weapons and their ability to strike stationary targets. The two who either finish the course or move the farthest along it in the shortest time advance to the second round. The course consists of five obstacles:

Round Two: Dead Run

The second round, "Dead Run," is a course intended to test the two remaining contestants' speed, timing, accuracy, and precision in wielding their blades against both stationary and moving targets. The contestant who finishes the course in the shorter time advances to the season finale. This course consists of six obstacles:

Season finale changes

In the season finale, the five episode winners and the runner-up with the fastest time in Dead Run compete for the $20,000 prize. All targets are thicker and/or made of tougher materials, with the following specific changes:

Series overview

SeasonEpisodesOriginally aired
First airedLast aired
1 6April 19, 2018 (2018-04-19)May 22, 2018 (2018-05-22)
2 8October 3, 2018 (2018-10-03)November 22, 2018 (2018-11-22)
3 8August 28, 2019 (2019-08-28)September 19, 2019 (2019-09-19)

Episodes

All times include penalties assessed for failing to complete an obstacle properly.

Season 1 (2018)

EpisodeOriginal air dateTitleWinnerTime
 
1April 17, 2018"The Last Samurai"Jo Smith3:11
2April 24, 2018"All the Barong Moves"Jason Johnson3:28
3May 1, 2018"A Fish Called Lifeline"Michael Allenson2:51
4May 8, 2018"Super Smash Bros."Dwayne Unger3:45
5May 15, 2018"The Kukri Monster"Jacob Gayton5:01
6May 22, 2018"Last Action Hero"Michael Allenson2:06

Season 2 (2018)

EpisodeOriginal air dateTitleWinnerTime
 
1Oct 3, 2018"Forged in Fire All Stars"Keith6:50
2Oct 10, 2018"Blade Runners"Zeke8:09
3Oct 17, 2018"Enter the Yatagan"Eric4:10
4Oct 24, 2018"American Choppers"Tom5:25
5Oct 31, 2018"Gladius Maximus"Earl Culver5:05
6Nov 7, 2018"Don't Fear the Recurve"Joel4:43
7Nov 14, 2018"Mutant Ninja Chickens"Jeffery Robinson5:02
8Nov 21, 2018"$20,000 Dead Run"Keith5:39

Season 3 (2019)

EpisodeOriginal air dateTitleWinnerTime
 
1Aug 28, 2019"David vs. Goliath"Don5:21
2Aug 29, 2019"Military All-Stars"Jonathon5:51
3Sep 5, 2019"Death Fish"DuyNT
4Sep 5, 2019"Seax & Violence"Sam8:35
5Sep 12, 2019"Fortune Kukri"Dan Weston6:03
6Sep 12, 2019"Messers of the Universe"RJ Kriegsmesser2:45
7Sep 19, 2019"Hard Knock Knife"Mike5:54
8Sep 19, 2019"Blade Fest of the Champion"Dan Weston6:03

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References

  1. "Cast: Host". History. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  2. "Cast: Co-Host". History. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  3. "Forged in Fire: Knife or Death Sneak Peak". IGN. Retrieved May 16, 2018.
  4. "History's New Competition FORGED IN FIRE: KNIFE OR DEATH Hosted by WWE Hall of Famer Bill Goldberg Premieres 4/17". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved May 16, 2018.