Okay folks, I am now allowed to say "yes, that's me that you see" and I will be on the premiere episode of "Forged in Fire" airing Monday at 10/9 central on the history channel!! So watch it please and continue watching cause as I understand it, some amazing stuff happens in the other episodes also 😎 #FIF #foodie #forgedinfire #forgedweaponsforthegods #buhi #blade #badass #batpig #bushido #blacksmith #bladesmith #blacksmithing #blacksmithing #bladesmithing #brotherhoodoftheblade #knifeporn #knifemaker #knivesofig #knifeaddict #kitchenknives #usnfollow #usnstigram #useyourshit

A photo posted by Rich Greenwood (@pokabu_forge) on Jun 18, 2015 at 1:54pm PDT

Tucsonan Rich Greenwood, pool guy by day and bladesmith by night, appeared on the first episode of the History Channel's new show 'Forged in Fire' last night.

The History Channel's description of the series:

Forged in Fire: Japanese Katana (44 min) TV-PG L, V
In this explosive new series, four bladesmiths will compete for $10,000 and the title of Forged in Fire champion. Their work will be put to the test, and those that fail will be sent home. In the final round, the two remaining bladesmiths must forge one of the most iconic weapons from history; the Japanese Katana.

At the beginning of the show, the bladesmiths are presented with a bar of high carbon steel. They're given 10 minutes to design a knife and three hours to produce a blade. When that is announced, Greenwood looks over his shoulder at the clock.

"Normally it takes me three days to make a knife," Greenwood says to the camera. "I don't know how I'm gonna pull it off."  

But he did. Each round, the bladesmiths work to complete a blade which is judged on how well it fit expectations, appearance and overall blade quality (you know, chopping, slicing, stabbing...)  

Greenwood made it through the first two rounds of the competition fairly easily before heading into the finals. For the last round, the final two were sent back to their home forges to make a Japanese Katana in five days—a disadvantage, Greenwood said in the episode, since his at-home operation is much smaller than that of the other  competitor. He does everything by hand.

A few days into the process, Greenwood's blade cracked and the forging process had to begin again. A set back, certainly, but to quote one of the judges, "with a beard like that, all things are possible."

In the end, the Tucsonan did not take home the prize. You should watch the whole episode anyway, though, because the tests they do on the katanas are pretty cool.

Catch the whole episode online (if you log in with your cable provider) or on the history channel when they rerun it.

Keep up with Greenwood and Pokabu Forge on Facebook, Instagram or on his website.