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Q: Have the "Forged in Fire" bladesmiths ever been less than gracious about surrendering their blades to the judges?

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Author: 
Adam Thomlison / TV Media

There's a surprising amount of controversy online about what exactly happens to the weapons at the end of an episode of "Forged in Fire" and who gets to keep them. Some rumors say none of the contestants can keep their blades because of state laws around dangerous weapons, while others say the runners-up keep theirs, while the winners must surrender them for display on the show's Winners Wall.

Indeed, Joshua Frost, who won a sixth-season episode of "Forged in Fire," took to social media platform Reddit to set the record straight, but he just made it more complicated. He noted that the contracts were renegotiated in later seasons so that some (but not all) of the runners-up could keep what they make.

But between all that and the Winners Wall — which we know exists because we can see it on the show — viewers know that some do have to relinquish their blades — and it's not hard to imagine they might not be happy about it.

Frost raises another key point, however: Being on a reality show involves signing a pretty comprehensive contract that dictates your behavior before, during and after airing. So none of what happens to the contestants or their products will be a surprise to them.

The contracts are necessary for all the usual legal reasons, but in this case, they would also be helpful in preparing the proud blade parents for the moment a show producer says "hand it over."

 

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