LTS grad wins blacksmithing contest

DORSET — On May 16, Jordan LaMothe, 21, a professional blacksmith and college senior, beat out three other blacksmiths to become the episode’s Forged in Fire Champion, and win $10,000. Forged in Fire, the top ranked show on the History Channel, is a reality television show in which four blacksmiths compete for a $10,000 prize. LaMothe appeared in Episode 7 of Season 4, called “The Talwar.”

 LaMothe graduated from Dorset’s Long Trail School in 2013.

In the first round of competition, all four blacksmiths had three hours to forge their signature blade out of a “Mystery Metal” that they picked blindly out of a barrel. A panel of three judges eliminated one blacksmith. In the second round, the remaining three blacksmiths had three hours to put handles on their blades. After a series of tests, the judges eliminated one more blacksmith. In the final round, LaMothe and his remaining competitor returned to their home forges to craft a Talwar, a curved sword honed to perfection in the Indian Subcontinent during the 14th century. LaMothe’s blade excelled in the final round of tests, earning him the title of Forged in Fire Champion and the cash prize.

 LaMothe has been forging metal and making tools since 2009 in his home forge in Hebron, N.Y., where he lives on a small farm with his parents and four siblings. LaMothe took his first class in blacksmithing at Salem Art Works, in Salem, NY and continued to study on his own. After his first year at Williams College, LaMothe started Jordan’s Blades, designing, making, and selling his own hand-forged knives. Now a senior majoring in music, LaMothe intends to make knives full time after he graduates in June.