Shooting to the Top: An Interview with Forged In Fire "Young Guns" Champion Colton Arias

Colton Arias is the owner, operator, and bladesmith behind Bridger Forge, LLC, located in Ceresco, Nebraska. Not only is he a two-time Forged in Fire champion, but he is also the youngest person ever to win the competition at just eighteen. Colton also has appeared in all three seasons of Last Blade Standing.

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Colton sat down with us to discuss his time on both shows, his preferences for swords vs. knives, and his future plans.

Getting an early start

BRUTE de FORGE: Tell us about how you got into forging.

Colton Arias: When I was about eight years old, my grandfather, who was a woodworker, started teaching me how to use power tools and work in the shop. I have always been fascinated with Ancient Greek weapons, swords especially, and movies like Lord of the Rings. So, I decided that I wanted to make a medieval weapon—something like a crossbow. Since then, I have made tons of crossbows, longbows, and weapons of that nature. But still, I always wanted to make a sword; I just really didn't have the tools or knowledge needed to do that. So, when I was nine or ten, I started taking crude chunks out of flattened pipes and making things that looked like swords. Finally, one day, my grandpa told me he had an old coal forge. It was one of those pot forges that had the crank on the side. He said he had never used it and asked if I wanted it, and I said yes. So, I took it and taught myself how to use it. I made a few sword-looking things and a few knives here and there—this was when I was around eleven—and started forging.

Then one day, somebody from my hometown wanted to buy a hunting knife from me, and I said I would give it a shot. I made it, and he liked it and bought it. Then he told his friends, and I got several orders for different types of knives. It took about five years, but I taught myself to make different things, like San-Mai or Damascus, with my little coal forge. After that, I made a big propane forge, which I still use today.

That's how I got into it, though. Over the years, I started making more and more knives every year, selling more every year. I got my LLC set up in 2016 and have just gone from there.

Living a dual life

BDF: Are you a full-time bladesmith, or do you go to school?

CA: I've been attending the University of Lincoln, Nebraska, for three years. This is my fourth year, and I will graduate in May. I'm majoring in Business Management and Marketing and am a full-time student there. I've been working part-time as a bladesmith, but I've still managed to create a sizable business to more than sustain me financially at this point.

I have built it up to the point where I'm in the midst of building a new shop, which has been a huge endeavor. I've wanted to do it for a long time, and I bought a bunch of new, really nice equipment over the past couple of years. After I graduate in May, I'm going to go into this full-time and take a run at it because it's going well right now. I figure if I can get the marketing side of it down and do it full-time, it'll be a good business.

Knives or Swords?

BDF: Do you have a preference when it comes to forging swords verse knives? During these interviews, I learned that bladesmiths seem to have personal preferences. That is not something I ever considered, but they are very different, so it makes sense. I’m learning!

CA: Yes, they do have preferences! There are actually a few different facets of bladesmithing that you can enter into. In my opinion, I would divide it into four categories.

The first and most common is the EDC world or the Everyday Carry knife. That's the knife makers that don't necessarily need a forge. All you need is a kiln and a grinder, essentially. That's really all you need as a knife maker. Obviously, like a drill press and small hand tools, but that's the most common knife-maker you'll see.

Then there's bladesmithing, but for smaller knives. Some people forge knives out of mono steel or Damascus, and they forge things like kitchen knives and hunting knives.

“I love making a good sword! That was what I got my sea legs doing.”

There is also the complex Damascus bowie knife world. Most of the ABS Mastersmiths do those. The bowie knives they make are just insane, intricate, bowie-style blades and daggers with crazy mosaic Damascus. It’s cool stuff!

The fourth and final one is sword smithing, which I really like. There are a bunch of guys who just make swords.

I fit into all of the last three of them. I have recently gotten into stainless steel and super steels. But, yes, I love making a good sword! That was what I got my sea legs doing. But over the last few years, I have moved into the crazy Damascus genre. I enjoy making big bowie knives, fighters, daggers, and blades like that. But my bread and butter, where I make most of my revenue, is from basic hunting knives, utility knives, and kitchen knives.

So, I do kind of all three. I try to do a batch of six hunting knives every month.

Getting on Forged in Fire

BDF: How old were you the first time you were on Forged in Fire?

CA: I think Forged in Fire started when I was 15 years old, and by that point, I had been forging for about four or five years. Honestly, when the show aired, I didn't even know other bladesmiths existed! I didn't know about the whole social media side of it or anything.

“The day I turned eighteen was the day that I signed the contract.”

But the first time I was on, I had just turned eighteen. So, the day I turned eighteen was the day that I signed the contract. They had reached out to me before, but I wasn’t quite old enough and had to wait a few months. So, I was eighteen the first time, and the second time was twenty, I believe.

BDF: The show reached out to you, then? Some people say they applied, and others say they were found on social media, so I am always curious how people got on.

CA: They have scouts that message and email people that they want to be on the show. They contacted me when I was seventeen, and I went through the whole interviewing process. After that, they gave me the green light to apply and said if I applied, they would most likely put me on the show as long as I didn't have any red flags in my background check.

BDF: I know you told us you had been forging for several years before being on the show, but you really did well your first time on the floor! You seemed calm in there and made it to the final round. When the judges pulled the sheet away, and it was a rock thrower, what was going through your mind? Were you disappointed that you didn't get to forge a blade?

CA: Honestly, as I said, I had made dozens of crossbows before. That was one of the first things that I learned to do well, so I knew how to make crossbows like the back of my hand. Plus, they ask all sorts of stuff to ensure you know what you're doing before you get on the show. They don’t want you to get in there and completely fail. But on the application, they asked if I had ever made a crossbow, and I didn't really think much of it until they put it in front of us. It was like a crossbow mixed with a slingshot. But I was pretty hyped because I knew how to make crossbows, and they're fun to make. At the same time, I didn’t know exactly what the weapon was, to be honest. But, I mean, it worked out!

They gave us the parameters and told us what the draw weight should be. On a crossbow, there are different draw weights, and anything over 100 pounds is getting into that area where it takes the right person to be able to pull it back. They suggested between seventy and one hundred pounds of pull, so I picked eighty because I didn't want to get it too heavy. The rock-throwing crossbow was meant for women and children to hunt small game like birds, rabbits, and squirrels, and it was meant to hit the animal and stun it so they could preserve the pelts. So, it's not a very powerful weapon. It just hits the animal and stuns them so it can be harvested properly.

Then I got there, and one of the tests was shooting into this ballistics gel block to test the penetration into flesh. I intentionally made it a little weaker because I was under the impression they were supposed to stun, which would have been more historically accurate. The other guy told me he had a 120-pound draw, and I was like, that’s either going to be bad for him or me.

They ended up commenting on how mine could have been stronger but said that it was really well constructed. David Baker called it a work of art, which made me feel very good!

RELATED: EXCLUSIVE CONVERSATION WITH FORGED IN FIRE JUDGE DAVID BAKER

But yeah, I wish I had known what the tests would be so that I could have made it a little stronger. It was a super fun experience, though, and everybody was awesome. The team that was filming was great, and the other competitors were great. It was a really good experience.

Colton’s “reality show” experience

BDF: Were there any behind-the-scenes things that surprised you about the show?

CA: I was really surprised by how straight up the show is. I mean, it's a reality or game show-type series; that’s what it is. I figured there would probably be a lot of sneaky cuts here and there, and I thought most of what I said would be prompted. I mean, it's a TV show, and I expected something like that, but it was completely straight up. They keep you in a room for the entire time, then bring you out on the floor and start the clock, and that is the show! What you see is actually what you get.

BDF: Then they called you back for the Young Guns episode, which was a special episode because it was the first time the judges advanced everyone to the second round! So that had to feel awesome for you guys.

CA: That was crazy! We were all previous champions and had all won the show. I believe two other guys were ABS journeyman smiths, so they were all really good. I think the edge I had over them was that I do batches of knives. I don't just work on just one blade at a time. A lot of the higher-ranking smiths do one big extravagant project, and they take a lot of time to complete it, so speed is not their forte.

“I was really surprised by how straight up the show is.”

I learned to work quickly because I work in a metal barn in Nebraska. It's freezing in the winter, really hot in the summer, and there is only five weeks total in the year where it's bearable, so I want to get stuff done as fast as possible when I’m out there! I always work super-fast, and I'll make ten knives in three days and then sell them. So, I have a process.

Anyway, they were all great bladesmiths that made awesome blades. Plus, the challenge was a canister Damascus, and every single one of us nailed it. They all did a great job. The judges told us afterward that they had been waiting a long time to send all the bladesmiths on to round two. All four of us were so evenly matched. They said there was no significant flaw with any of the blades, which was absolutely nuts.

BDF: Yes, I talked to David Baker back in December, and he said the Young Guns episode was one of his most memorable. Would you return to the show if they asked you a third time?

CA: Absolutely I would! One hundred percent, yes. I wanted to get back on for the Beat the Judges series and go against Ben Abbott. I think he has won eight times. He's never been beaten. I want to face him because he has the same qualities as me, in that he has speed and adaptability. But if I could get invited back on, I would go in a heartbeat.

RELATED: CHECK OUT OUR CONVERSATION WITH BEN ABBOTT

More than just Forged in Fire

BDF: Currently, you are a competitor on Last Blade Standing Season Three. How did you get to be on that?

CA: I've known the OG TikTok bladesmith group for a long time—guys like Matthew Martin, Jeremy Fulton, Austin Hensley, Micah Dunn, and Trevor Barrett. Honestly, when I started TikTok, I thought it was the stupidest thing, but then I got on there and saw other bladesmiths, and I started following them and watching them and realized it was pretty cool.

But in the first season, they only invited thirty-two bladesmiths, and it was originally just a TikTok thing. I competed in seasons one and two and am now on three this year. This year, though, there are sixty-four bladesmiths, so the competition is tough.

BDF: Do you feel more pressure this year?

CA: I feel less pressure this year, actually. For the last two seasons, I just made a quick knife and submitted it, and little things came back to bite me. I wouldn't say it was something I did wrong, specifically. But this year, the challenge was a short sword, and I happen to have made many swords, and I love making swords.

There are two different ways you can go about this competition, though. You can think, “Well, it’s a fun competition. I'll make something quick and submit it.” Or you can really apply yourself, and that's what I did this year. I made a serpentine double lug ring guarded falchion from san-mai Damascus, with a fluted wire-wrapped handle with engraving on the pommel and guard. The whole nine yards! I put quite a bit of effort into it, and I'm looking forward to seeing how it does. I beat the hell out of it, too. I chopped through this big elk antler, and it was totally fine, so I was excited.

Colton’s advice to would-be bladesmiths

BDF: Do you have any advice for aspiring bladesmiths?

CA: Absolutely. The thing I tell everybody is that you have to make lots of knives. You can go about it two ways. You can be meticulous and measure ten times to cut once and make it perfect, or just make a lot of knives—which is the better way, in my opinion. Every single knife that I make is better than the last. So, make as many as you possibly can.

Also, get the right tools the first time. For the longest time, I tried to find something that wasn't as expensive as a 2 x 72-inch belt grinder. I skirted around it, and I probably sank $3,000 into replacing the grinders. So, I wish I had just purchased a good grinder the first time. It's so nice once you get the right tools. I got a mill a couple of years ago. You don't need a mill. I have made plenty of knives without one, but it makes it so much easier. If you get a hydraulic press, a good anvil, a solid propane forge, good hand files, and measurement tools, those are a huge help. If you want to elevate your knife game from okay to amazing or from amazing to exceptional, get the proper tools.

“You can be meticulous and measure ten times to cut once and make it perfect, or just make a lot of knives—which is the better way, in my opinion.”

Also, don't be afraid to drive somewhere to see a bladesmith and get hands-on experience because that's invaluable.

BDF: What is it about this trade that you love?

CA: I would say being able to take raw materials like high carbon steel, which is an excellent medium because it is basic metal, and forging it, heating it, and shaping it into completely different shapes. I mean, you start with just a chunk of steel, and you make a $4,000 knife. That is just awesome. It is so cool. To spend time and put every bit of your effort, skill, and ability—really your soul—into such a cool, functional, aggressive, and beautiful art form. Being able to take those raw materials and form them with your bare hands and some tools and make them into stunning artwork. I love that. I find that feeling very rare to come by.

I think it's interesting because it's such a weird thing to get into. Of all the jobs that someone can think about having, 99.9% of people have no idea that knife making is even a thing, let alone an actual business. For most people who do it, it isn't their primary job.

BDF: And you said that you plan on pursuing it full-time after college.

CA: Yes. For the longest time, I thought this would be a side job. But then, I started making some real money with it as I got better and more efficient. As time passed, I thought, “Wow, I could actually take a shot at making a living with it.” Which would be amazing.

“Being able to take those raw materials and form them with your bare hands and some tools and make them into stunning artwork. I love that. I find that feeling very rare to come by.”

No one wants to go through life doing something that they don't want to do. I think if you have a chance to do something that really resonates with you, you should try to do it. Every single time you should do it. I could have so many opportunities as a business major, you know, to go and do whatever is offered to me, and I do have experience, but do I want to do that? Or do I want to do something that I enjoy doing? I just feel like I'm doing something that I will not regret in the future. If it works out, it will be awesome. If it doesn't, at least I know that I tried, and I will have no doubts about whether or not it would have worked. So, that's my motivation.

To see more from Colton Arias and Bridger Forge, LLC, follow him on TikTok and Instagram. You can also view his website at www.bridgerforgeblades.com. Tune in to watch his sword compete in the finale of Last Blade Standing, airing February 25th at 10 am est.