Hall said he responded in early 2020 to the casting call, which involved an interview, a screen test and an evaluation of his forging work. He’d get his chance, but not before some uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of his favorite forging techniques, Hall said his goal going onto “Forged in Fire” was to get to the final round and make something in the Damascus style. That is super cool to me.” Feeling the heatĭamascus steel blades are known for their wavy and distinctive patterns. “Making something like a Damascus chef’s knife that my mom uses every time she’s in the kitchen. “Being able to create something that’s both beautiful and functional, that’s the artist’s or the creator’s ultimate goal, right?” Hall said. The scope includes customs for trade, family and friends and knives for himself, including those he uses for hunting. Hall has been making his own knives from scratch for the past five years, now working out of his garage forge at his Coeur D’Alene home.Īnd while his Flatline Knives website and Facebook page showcase his work, Hall said it’s more like a brand for his creative outlet than a business. He honed his knowledge on the design process along the way, self-taught in forging through YouTube videos, online courses and “trial and error,” he said.
Hall then crafted the handles, sharpened the blades and made the sheathes before selling them, he said. While he didn’t have any tools to forge knives while in college, Hall said he was able to draw and design blades he commissioned through Schenk Knives, an Idaho Falls company.
As a result, Hall tailored his psychology degree toward what he would use in the field. Hall volunteered with the area fire department and ambulance service while attending the University of Idaho in Moscow, which he said put him on his path to a full-time career. “But, I really like the idea of making something that’s going to last longer than me.” “What I appreciate about that is he uses his ability to create legacy items, like a building. Hall also worked on hands-on projects with his father, Rustin, the president of the Spokane-based ALSC Architects.
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Hall said he attended metal shop classes in high school, learning how to weld, use forging tools and other rudimentary blacksmithing techniques. His appreciation for survival tools emerged from his time growing up in the Scouts. He said he was hired by the fire department after around five years with American Medical Response.
“My job is to stay ahead of the eight ball and anticipate and plan ahead and be ready for what comes next,” Hall said, “so trying to translate that into this work – doing X so I can get to Y – I’d be ready and I’m not chasing my tail.” ‘Beautiful and functional’īladesmithing is a passion for Hall, who lives in Coeur D’Alene.Ī native of Spokane Valley, Hall has worked for the Spokane Fire Department for approximately four-and-a-half years. Up to that point, Hall was in the dark about what he would have to make and how he would have to make it – one of his biggest challenges coming onto the show, he said. The final round, which requires contestants to craft a historical weapon from scratch, tasked the 33-year-old with making a 32-inch Walloon sword, a 16th century European blade with a distinctive hilt. Hall took home the cash and the title of “Forged in Fire” champion on his episode, which aired July 14. The History Channel program pits four metalworkers against each other in an elimination-style competition for a $10,000 prize.
#FORGED IN FIRE WINNERS TV#
Rather, it was his appearance on the TV show “Forged in Fire.” Luckily, it wasn’t an emergency situation that had Hall on his toes this time. He can recall how he had contingencies on contingencies leading up to the moment, his mind racing “a million miles a minute.” Stepping into the heat, Spokane firefighter Andrew Hall had to be ready for anything.
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