Handmade: Britain's Best Woodworker

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Oh this has touched a nerve with some grumpy old woodworkers 🤣

An alternative view may be that it will inspire a few more people to get off their @rses and have a go at making something.

Agreed. I’d much rather a flawed woodworking show than no woodworking show at all.
Flawed or not, Forged in Fire encouraged my daughter and I to find other resources (more serious, to keep the grumpier among you happy) and ultimately to try blacksmithing.

Surely that’s a good thing?
 
I'll watch it - I have an interest in these type of programmes. 'Money for Nothing', 'Find it, Fix it, Flog it', 'The Salvager' (that's a blast from the past) as well as the similar ones from the USA.

It's because of these programmes that I've learned self control, how to breathe properly, how to take charge of my blood pressure and become more tolerant and 'zen like'.

Apart from the health benefits I also have a laugh or two, recognise I actually know a couple of things about health and safety and maybe my standard of woodworking is not so bad after all!
 
I'd love to think this will be a programme featuring apprentice trained craftspeople, but more than likely it'll be a bunch of amateurs who've taken it up after being disillusioned with their chosen architecture/solicitors/advertising etc profession.
 
I get the impression (from who the judges are) that this could be more about the design and the fluffy spiel that can be spouted, than it will be about the actual work, the wood or the skills. As soon as anyone mentions 'design culture' or the like I think of that pile of breeze blocks at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park that is considered 'art'.

Willing to give it a go though like others say - it beats watching people bake, sew, date, get married to strangers etc.....
 
I'd love to think this will be a programme featuring apprentice trained craftspeople, but more than likely it'll be a bunch of amateurs who've taken it up after being disillusioned with their chosen architecture/solicitors/advertising etc profession.
Isn't that us on here!!🤣🤣🤣

Cheers James
 
The 'false jeopardy' that these programmes have to abide by. always annoys me.

well, the viewers don't like competent displays that seem inaccessible. Nobody feels good if they see someone doing things they discern that they couldn't do unless it's gee golly stuff ("wow..I could never sing like ella fitzgerald!!")

My kids love the format - it's like pro wrestling - first the intro, very friendly. Then the build up of the task "uh oh, I don't know how we'll do it with such limited options and equipment!!", then the initial start ("look they're really making great time!!"), then the disaster (oh, we're behind schedule or something broke or isn't available), and then the closer in the last several minutes where everything miraculously comes together.

In the first season of forged in fire, murray carter finished one of the early stages in 2/3rds the time or something - I was impressed, but I get what he was thinking - he's experienced, he performed the things that he would do to make a good knife blank before finishing in the next steps, and there was no reason to overdo anything. Plus, murray's a little smug (he's well known on knife and razor forums), and he looked like he really enjoyed the time crossing his arms and looking at the camera showing how good he was.

What he and the other professional maker did in short time then with their projects was nothing short of spectacular - they did superb technical and aesthetic work. There was no real drama and in the end, they used some torture machine that did manage to bend murray's sword, but his sword was clad, designed to bed and not break while allowing the core to be really hard. The reality is it was technically fine and the torture test went beyond what whacking anyone with a sword would cause, and an armorer would hammer the sword back to straight without anything more technical than that. It was a superb display.

The kids were completely bored and couldn't manage to watch the whole episode.

The later season opened up with a bunch of inexperienced guys trying to use coal forges (which few do) in bright sun with snow surrounding. Several of them heated steel so hot that when they picked up their billets, they broke in half (if the grains get large enough in steel due to overheating, it can break under its own weight before it cools). the end of the episode had some efforts that nobody would ever show publicly, but the kids loved it.
 
I think I'll give it a miss. I'd rather be making things than watching others make it. Bit like watching someone else play a computer game, not as fun.
 
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"Over 2 working days the woodworkers will create hugely impressive big builds, and have to navigate the skills challenge…"

A hugely impressive big build in 2 working days!
No doubt a sight to behold. :)

I guess it's fair to assume they won't be using some old pallets and a bag of 4-inch nails!
 
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Think the two threads need merging.

@Lonsdale73 This is the thread you need for discussion on the actual broadcast.

@MikeK or any other Mods online at the moment?
 
Merging the two threads will not append either thread at the end of the other, but will insert each post into the date/time position it was made. This could make the discussion difficult to follow The best thing to do is close this older thread and put a link to the newer and larger thread.

https://www.ukworkshop.co.uk/threads/britains-best-woodworker.133562
 
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