Green Country Man To Be Contestant On 'Forged In Fire'

A Hulbert man’s love for blacksmithing takes him on the adventure of a lifetime: making blades on the television series Forged in Fire.

Henry Walker says his experience on the show was unforgettable, but the real journey is everything that happened along the way.

A tradesman is only as good as the tools he uses, and sometimes finding the best tools means you have to make them yourself.

Walker says it was his relentless pursuit of a quality knife that led him to create his own forge. 

“I come back, started skinning a deer, stopped, sharpen the knife. Started skinning the deer. Stopped. Sharpen the knife. I was like this junk. I can make better knives than this,” Walker said.

What started as a goal of personal satisfaction got him a spot on the TV series Forged in Fire, putting his quality and skills to the ultimate test.

“I thought I had a pretty good chance getting on Forged in Fire. Once you’re there, anything can happen,” Walker said.

With nearly 10 years of experience and making knives every day, Walker says his next goal is to teach.

“I’ve got a degree in YouTube. I didn’t ever take classes until after I got to where I am now,” Walker said.

Because in blacksmithing, part of becoming great is having someone to lean on.

“Now I’ve got buddies I can call and say, ‘hey, this hamon line isn’t coming out. What the deal?’ And they’ll say, ‘Well, did you,’ and then it clicks,” Walker said.

Walker says he will soon begin teaching classes to pass on his knowledge and help others start their own businesses making blades.

"You can work for somebody else, have a good life, and make them rich, or you can find your niche and work for yourself. Well, I ain’t getting rich, but I can make a living,” Walker said.

You can watch Henry Walker on Wednesday’s episode of the History Channel’s Forged in Fire.