Forging His Own Path: An Interview with Forged in Fire Champion Ryu Lim

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Some names in the bladesmithing community are instantly recognizable. Names that are synonymous with the art itself. For this week’s interview, we talked with one of those smiths. Since his championship appearance in season one, episode three of Forged in Fire, he has become one of the most prominent bladesmiths in the industry. He is also credited with catapulting the show’s popularity.

Ryu Lim calls Michigan home these days, but there was a time when he had to ask friends if he could use their place as a home forge. Ryu was gracious enough to talk with BRUTE de FORGE about his appearance on the show and what he did with his earnings. He also gave us a glimpse into his creative process and recent projects.

Ryu’s Bladesmithing Origin Story

BRUTE de FORGE: How did you get into forging and bladesmithing?

Ryu Lim: I've been making blades for as long as I can remember. I was always that weird kid who didn’t like to play with others. I was always making stuff; most of the time, it was blades. Those are my earliest memories. It started with picking up tin cans and using them. I would make throwing stars out of nail darts and things like that. It's what I've done for as long as I can remember.

BDF: Did you have any formal training?

RL: I never had a formal teacher. When I was around eight or nine years old, I was staying with my cousin in the mountains, and there were a lot of blacksmiths who would work in the markets. He took me to one of the blacksmith shops, and I was just fascinated watching that guy work. I went back to my cousin’s house and took out my uncle's toolbox and two of his hammers. I used one hammer as an anvil and the other as a hammer, and I started pounding away at nails. I was trying to teach myself. I was cold-forging in the beginning.

I would go back to the blacksmith's shops and watch and try to learn what I could. Eventually, they let me help out a little bit. They allowed me to move the tools or work the bellows, but they would never actually teach me anything. There were so many blacksmiths in that area that every person they taught outside their families was viewed as competition. Typically, they would only teach their sons the art.

“They held on to their secrets so tightly that the newer generations never learned the proper ways. ”

So, I didn't get any formal instructions or tips because you couldn’t get anything out of them! Everything was so well guarded, which I believe is one of the reasons why the art of smithing died in that area. They lost to China because, over the years, they held on to their secrets so tightly that the newer generations never learned the proper ways.

I noticed that the metallurgical aspects of the heat treatment were just not there anymore. After Forged in Fire, I went back to the Philippines to teach. I took my ten thousand dollars and traveled around the Philippines, teaching blacksmithing to fishing villages and coconut villages that still depend on knives—like machetes—for their day-to-day lives. I went to these villages where there were no blacksmiths, and I brought tools and did seminars to teach the trade. I bought people tools and left them there after every seminar I did for anyone interested.

“That’s what’s nice about here in the United States. You speak to bladesmiths and blacksmiths, and most of them will tell you everything they know. As long as you’re willing to listen, they’re willing to share everything they know.”

Anyway, my point is, through traveling, I noticed that many of the blades they made had no proper heat treatment. They were doing the act of quenching and tempering, but they didn’t really know what they were doing, and the edge geometry was way off. So, a lot of that important knowledge got lost primarily because the secrets were being held onto so tightly. Many were taken to the grave, and then the new generations didn't want to carry on blacksmithing because Chinese blades are so cheap.

That's what's nice about here in the United States. You speak to bladesmiths and blacksmiths, and most of them will tell you everything they know. As long as you're willing to listen, they're willing to share everything they know. I think that's a great thing, and keeping the art alive is important.

BDF: What was it like for you to go back and be able to teach like that?

RL: It was a lot of fun. I left the Philippines when I was a little kid, and I never really got to travel. But you know, because of my winning Forged in Fire, I had the opportunity to do that. So, it was a lot of fun.

Ryu’s Signature Style

BDF: Do you have a signature style?

RL: I don't know if I have a signature style. If I did, it might be my finish. During the early years of Forged in Fire, I didn't see many people who finished blades the way I did. A lot of people do surface grinding or grinding under a taper, which is very beautiful, but I like to finish my blades with a hammer. I like to forge the blade as close to finished as possible and minimize grinding. The main reason is I want to keep improving my forging skills. The other reason is that I didn't have a grinder for most of my blade-making career, so I did everything with files and stones. I could minimize my grinding time by forging my blades as close to finished as possible. But also, I like to show that they are actually forged to finish. So, I don't grind my surfaces.

In the beginning, I loved how rough they looked. But now, I like to finish them with a hammer and try to get them as smooth as possible while leaving minimal texture. Another thing that has changed is my bevels. In the beginning, I left a lot of hammer marks on the bevel. I don't do that anymore because it looks unintentional.

So, to go back to the original question, if I had a signature style, it might be that my blades are forged to finish.

BDF: When you were on Forged in Fire, you mentioned that you didn’t have much experience with grinders, power tools, or Big Blue. You said you forged using traditional methods. Have you found a place for modern tools since then?

RL: I think a lot of people took that the wrong way. They took it as me having something against power tools, but the truth is, I have nothing against power tools. It's just that I didn't have them. I didn't have those tools, so I worked with what I had.

“I didn’t have the luxury of time, so I did it the way I knew how.”

I think people romanticized the idea of me doing everything the traditional way and doing everything by hand. I did it that way because I didn't have those expensive tools! During my first episode of Forge in Fire, I made the blade the way I did because those were the methods I knew. With three hours on the clock, I didn't want to experiment and learn how to use the power hammer for the first time. To make a blade for three hours is short enough, as it is, but then to mess around and try to learn new equipment wasn’t worth it. I didn't have the luxury of time, so I did it the way I knew how.

Ryu’s Forged in Fire Experience

BDF: What was it like to be one of the first groups of people on the show? You were all essentially going into the competition blind?

RL: That's definitely how it felt; I felt like we were blindfolded. We had no idea what the show was all about. Even the production was new, so they didn't know what they were doing, either. Everyone was trying to figure things out at the same time. It was pretty crazy. But I met some great gentlemen during my time there. The guys on my episode are some of my closest friends now. Phil Evans and James [Huse] especially. I have a lot of respect for those guys. They made the whole experience very easy for me.

BDF: How did you get on the show?
RL: During that time, you had to be invited. Nobody knew about the show yet. They found my Instagram account. It was funny because I had just started my Instagram account when that happened, so I barely had any blades posted there. But they found me and sent me an email.

BDF: Did you enjoy the experience?

RL: Definitely, yeah. Forged in Fire was a lot of fun. Especially when you aren’t filming. Behind the scenes, there's a lot of fun. When you are filming, there's a lot of pressure and rules.

BDF: You were among the first people to come to the show and say, “I make blades for a living.” Flash forward, the show is ten seasons in, the community has grown immensely, and you're credited with catapulting Forged in Fire to what it is. What is that like?

RL: I was told that, yes. I mean, I'm honored. Every time I'm on set, the producers remind me of that, and I don't know how to react. I appreciate it. I'm honored. But, at the same time, I’m a little embarrassed.

BDF: Why embarrassed?

RL: I don't know. It's such a great honor. At the time, I was doing what I could to survive, and the other three competitors were a lot better than me at making blades. They were—and still are—phenomenal makers and were well-established. I was a beginner compared to them because even though I was doing it for a long time, probably longer than most people, I didn't have the proper training or tools, so my progress was very slow. When I did Forge and Fire, I was probably the worst smith there. I managed to win and got the championship title, and then the producers said that my episode was the one that catapulted Forged in Fire into what it is today. That's huge. Now, I'm embarrassed when I hear that.

“It’s such a great honor. At the time, I was doing what I could to survive, and the other three competitors were a lot better than me at making blades.”

BDF: A lot of that may have had to do with relatability. Viewers had seen two episodes, and it was cool, but it didn’t seem like something people could just start doing. Then they saw you with a cast iron skillet and blow dryer and, for the first time, thought, “Hey, I could maybe do that!”

RL: I got a lot of messages from people who told me they got started after seeing my episode. It’s funny because some of those people, years later, ended up competing on Forged in Fire.

You're probably right, though. You don't need much to get started. That forge wasn't even mine. I had to borrow my friend’s backyard. I was living in the woods then, and I had all my tools in the back of my truck. I would forge basically anywhere I could get away with it. That was my setup; everything was in the back of my vehicle. When I was approached to film the episode, they said they didn't want to ask permission to film in the woods because there were too many risks, so I needed a place to call my forge. So, I was calling around, looking for a place, and a friend of mine agreed to let me use his backyard as my shop.

“I got a lot of messages from people who told me they got started after seeing my episode. It’s funny because some of those people, years later, ended up competing on Forged in Fire.”

That's the reason why the fire department showed up. They were not used to seeing that in the neighborhood.

BDF: No way! That makes so much sense now. When I watched it, I wondered how often they had been called before.

RL: That’s the reason why they showed up; the neighbors got scared. They were like, “What the hell is this guy doing? Burning stuff in the backyard and beating on things.” So that's why they called the fire department.

Ryu’s Made-to-Order Blades

BDF: Do you make a lot of custom orders?

RL: Yeah, most of the stuff I do is custom orders. Although, I'm trying to move away from them as much as possible. I get so many orders that I don't get to make the stuff I want. I have so many ideas I can't bring to reality because I have a two-year backlog to catch up on. Usually, whatever I'm making today is a two-year-old idea. I'm not complaining; I appreciate it! But I also like to look at myself as an artist, and as an artist, you need room to grow, so I'm trying to cut back on custom orders now and make the time to create whatever I want. Hopefully, it works out. I’m taking a gamble.

BDF: Will you be selling those products?

RL: Oh, definitely. I mean, this is my full-time gig, so I have to. I wish I could keep all of them. When I decided to become a professional, I stopped collecting blades. In the beginning, it was very difficult. You work on these blades for so long that you start to develop a bond with them. You have to let it go when it's finished, but it’s hard.

“ When I decided to become a professional, I stopped collecting blades.”

But I got used to it, and I stopped collecting blades. I still get to keep the rejects. You should see my kitchen knives! They're so ugly. They're just not pretty at all (laughing).

Ryu’s Source of Inspiration

BDF: What is your creative process? What inspires you?

RL: In terms of designing knives, my designs are based on studying the knives that have worked throughout history. Certain designs have been with us for hundreds of years, and they're still being made today—for example, the parang and the kukuri. I like to study these kinds of blades. They have been and will always be with us. I try to make my own versions but not stray too far; otherwise, you change it completely. Functionality is always number one for me.

“Theory can only take you so far, and you can only learn so much from books.”

Aside from studying history and what has always worked, I like to design knives based on my personal experiences. I lived in the woods for years on and off. I spent a lot of time surviving out there, and you learn a lot. For example, I had designed this knife, which I thought was the ultimate survival knife. I thought, “It can't get any better than this.” Then, I set out to try it out. Now, when I say I lived in the woods, I don’t mean I went camping. I lived there. When you live in the woods, you don't have a choice; you have to rely on your tools and surroundings. That ultimate knife was not the ultimate knife. I found a lot of flaws in the design, the shape, and the geometry. I was not happy with it, but I learned a lot. I ended up changing the profile and shape of the blade. Don’t be afraid to try new things out. If it works, great; if not, keep developing.

So that's one of the creative processes I use: immersing myself in the situation and trying to find out what works and what doesn't. Theory can only take you so far, and you can only learn so much from books. Being out there and having no choice but to rely on these tools and having first-hand experience is a great teacher.

Ryu’s Favorite Blades

BDF: Do you have a particular blade that you prefer?

RL: Yes, I like to make the kukuri. I don't make many changes to the blade profiles. I always try to follow the traditional types; I just finished them my way. I try to incorporate my style and artistry into these blades, but I don't change them too much. I still call them kukuri.

BDF: What is your favorite project that you have worked on?

RL: (Laughing) All my projects are my favorite projects at first.

There are some projects where I get very excited, and they become all I think about. I don't even go home; I sleep in the forge. I obsess over it. I bring my coffeemaker into the forge, and my packs of ramen, and I obsess over the blade. But after a while, if I'm working on one too long, it gets old, and I don't have the same enthusiasm. So, I like those blades that I can complete within two or three weeks. That's when I'm most passionate about the project.

BDF: I imagine it’s hard not to get burnt out on a project. It must be difficult to reach the point where you want it to be done, but at the same time, you can’t rush it.

RL: Yeah, but you still have to do your best. Otherwise, why even do this anymore? If you don't enjoy it and you're not trying to grow, there are other jobs out there. So, some of these projects get old, but you have to keep on pushing yourself to do the right thing and use it as a learning experience. Try to get as much out of it as you can. Rushing to finish and get it over with is never the right attitude. You always have to do your best.

“If you don’t enjoy it and you’re not trying to grow, there are other jobs out there. ”

I just finished a katana that took me a long time. I don't know how long—maybe six months or a year. It was my life. It was basically the only thing I was working on the whole time. I'm not set up for that kind of project, so I made the tools as I went along. A katana has so many pieces that most people don't even think about, and each piece requires research. It is a lot of trial and error. That project taught me a lot, and it was with me longer than I wanted, but I didn't take any shortcuts. I didn't want to cheat myself.

BDF: Have you done many swords?

RL: I’ve done a lot of short swords, but nothing like the katana. This is the first time that I did more on the traditional side. It's not completely traditional, but it's the closest thing I have done to a traditional katana. Before that, I mostly did short swords.

BDF: Can you talk about your upcoming project? What's up next for you?

RL: My next project is going to be a spear. It is more like a glaive but will function like a spear. I'm still trying to figure it out. I'm in the design phase right now. My client wants to take this spear out boar hunting, so I have to design it very well so that he doesn't die. Anyway, that's the next big project on my list.

BDF: It sounds like a lot of pressure: making sure the client doesn't die.

RL: Yeah, I don't like it when they do that (laughing). Ruins the whole day.

BDF: Do you have any advice for aspiring bladesmiths?

RL: Just do it. You can come up with many reasons why you can't or shouldn’t. A lot of people are going to tell you that you can't do it. The most important person in your life will tell you you can't do it—that person being yourself. But do it. Don’t think about what you're going to need. Don't think about the cost. If it's something that you want to do, try it and enjoy it. Keep pushing forward.

When you start complaining about how hard it is, you should stop and do something else. Remember, you don't have to do this. You should do this because you enjoy it and because you love it. It should make you happy and feel fulfilled. That's the feeling you should always have whenever you're doing what you want to do.

To see more of Ryu Lim’s work, follow his Instagram @ryu.lim. If you’d like to see him in action on Forged in Fire, check him out in episode 4 of season 1, as well as the “fan favorite” episode 2 of season 3.

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About The Author

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Amanda is a historian, writer, blogger, and author who enjoys sharing her love of history with the masses. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, drawing, being outdoors, and dragging her family to National Parks and other historic sites.”

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