Ask the Pros: Forged in Fire - Brandon Franklin
Meet Brandon Franklin, the talented bladesmithing craftsman from Jonesborough, Tennessee, and owner of The Franklin Forge. Brandon recently competed on the popular History Channel reality show Forged in Fire, showcasing his exceptional skills in edged weapon craftsmanship.
About Brandon Franklin
Brandon Franklin's passion for bladesmithing began during his childhood. His fascination with forging started when he was young, watching local blacksmiths at festivals in Tennessee. His inspiration to actually make a knife came later in life when he discovered the TV show Forged in Fire in 2018. Immediately captivated, he signed up for an intro to blacksmithing class and never looked back.
Brandon's impressive performance on Forged in Fire Season 8, Episode 42 earned him a well-deserved second place finish. After being accepted on the show, he reached out to ABS Mastersmith Jason Knight for guidance, who became a close mentor and friend. His training partner, Forged in Fire winner Liam Hoffman, also provided challenging forging tasks to sharpen his skills.
Q&A with Brandon Franklin
What sparked your interest in making knives?
Brandon's interest in forging started by watching local blacksmiths at festivals in Tennessee during his childhood. When he discovered Forged in Fire in 2018, he was immediately addicted and began consuming as much content about knife making as possible.
What was your first knife?
The first knife Brandon ever made was a small hunter-style knife crafted from a railroad spike. At the time, he had no knowledge of metallurgy or cutting geometry. He still keeps this knife in his office as a reminder of where he started.
What separates your brand from the competition?
Brandon's entire reason for doing this is to create functional art - knives that not only look beautiful but also outperform other blades. This requires understanding the flow of lines and how they complement each other, a principle taught to him by his mentor Jason Knight. He also goes above and beyond most makers in his heat-treating process, using modern industrial equipment to ensure perfectly hardened knives.
What steels and materials do you favor?
Brandon works with a variety of high-carbon steels and focuses heavily on the heat-treating process, which he views as the critical element that separates truly performance-oriented blades from merely decorative ones.
The Franklin Forge
Brandon's shop, The Franklin Forge, represents the culmination of his craft. He creates exquisite historical weaponry with precision and expertise, combining artistic design with exceptional performance standards. Whether you are a gun owner looking for a quality blade to complement your firearms collection, or simply a fan of functional art, The Franklin Forge knives are worth exploring.
Forged in Fire continues to showcase talented bladesmiths from across America, highlighting the craft of edged weapon making for millions of viewers on the History Channel.