Whatcom business owner a ‘backyard blacksmith,’ but he could end up ‘Master of Arms’
“Seinfled” did a memorable episode on being master of one’s domain, while National Geographic has a reality series named “Master of Disaster,” and lest we forget the Netflix series “Master of None.”
But “Master of Arms” — it’s likely not many have heard of Discovery Channels’ first-year reality weapons-making competition TV series.
So, it wasn’t surprising that when Blaine blacksmith Daniel Hamilton received an email from a casting company asking him if he wanted to be considered for a show that would test his knowledge and ingenuity in making ancient weapons against other talented craftsmen, he was convinced it was just spam.
“It was my wife who convinced me to give them a call,” Hamilton told The Bellingham Herald last week in an interview. “She told me to take a chance, so I jumped through all the hoops, and the next thing I know, I’m in Pennsylvania for filming.”
The episode featuring Hamilton and two other craftsmen competitors tasked with building an arbalest crossbow — a variation of the crossbow that was used in Europe in the 12th century — will debut on Discovery Channel at 10 p.m. Friday and is scheduled to re-air four hours later at 2 a.m. Saturday. Episodes also are available for purchase on Amazon Prime, and it likely will be replayed more on Discovery.
Each competitor’s weapon, built only from raw wood, steel and their own imagination, will be tested by a Special Operations sniper and judged by a panel of experts to determine which will claim the $10,000 award and wear the weekly crown of Master of Arms.
“I think it’s a great show, and I hope it does really well,” Hamilton told The Herald. “I’m going to enjoy my 15 minutes of fame and hope it fades away. Hopefully it will let people know that I’m here.”
Back here in Whatcom County, Hamilton is anything but a weapons builder by trade.
Instead, Hamilton usually crafts interior and home-decorating pieces out of his backyard shop as the owner of Dakota Creek Forge, which he opened in January.
According to his company website, Hamilton’s love of blacksmithing began when he was 15 and built a clay forge in his backyard and taught himself many of the techniques that helped land him a spot on “Master of Arms.”
“To be perfectly honest, I consider myself more of a backyard blacksmith,” Hamilton told The Herald. “When I was interviewing for the show, I was very honest about what I could do and what I couldn’t, and I left it up to them to decide if I was right. I was surprised when they greenlit the whole thing and sent me a plane ticket.”
That was back in April, Hamilton said, and upon arriving in Allentown, Pennsylvania — yes, the same one Billy Joel sang about — Hamilton soon learned he would be matching wits and talents with an accomplished blacksmith and a gunsmith, who Hamilton said had experience building everything “from firearms to axes.”
“It was both intimidating and inspiring to be surrounded by such talented craftsmen,” Hamilton said.
He said he enjoyed the opportunity to learn from and compete with the other contestant craftsmen, and he’s stayed in contact with them in the months since filming. He even enjoyed the competition aspect, though he admitted the time constraint was real, even though he was in Pennsylvania for 10 days.
“It was equally parts terrifying and exhilarating,” Hamilton told The Herald. “It was surreal to be myself and have cameras following me around. I’ve never really been one to be very outgoing or extroverted. It was a real challenge to keep myself together, focus on what I was doing and ignore the six people filming me.”
But overall, Hamilton said the experience was rewarding, and he’s eager to watch the show Friday once it debuts.
“I was so relieved when it was over,” he admitted, “it didn’t matter who won or lost. I was just happy get back home to Blaine and be with my family. ... At the time, I said I would have to think about it if I was asked about doing it again. But the longer it’s gotten since the filming, the more I think I would lean toward yes.”
