Zechariah Nelson has been forging custom knives since he was 14. On Wednesday night, those talents will be showcased on the TV show “Forged in Fire” in front of a national audience.

The 20-year-old Allen County resident learned the trade of blacksmithing on his own.

After spending the past few years trying to get on the History Channel’s competitive show, he finally got his chance to display his craftsmanship.

“I went on there very excited,” Nelson said. “I love challenges. I really do. And ‘Forged in Fire’ was a great challenge. I work really well under pressure. The environment on the show helped me out a lot. I believed I performed really well, and I had a really fun time doing it.”

The show is described by the History Channel’s website as a chance for “world-class bladesmiths to re-create historical edged weapons in a cutthroat competition.”

“Forged in Fire” features numerous tests for craftsmen to display their abilities.

Nelson said he has been home-schooled for most of his life and picked up the bladesmithing hobby because of how much he likes knives. He started forging them at a shop in his parents’ house.

Nelson studied welding and is now a custom fabricator working largely with metal.

He said he hopes the show will be a way to get his name in the public sphere.

“People told me about ‘Forged in Fire’ and that I should go on it, and I went from there,” he said. “It’s a little exciting. I think reliving the experience will be the best part of it. I had a blast.”

His mother, Elizabeth Nelson, has watched her son work at his craft since his early teenage years, and she said she is looking forward to him receiving recognition.

“I think one of the most rewarding parts of Zechariah is that he is always pushing forward and trying harder,” she said. “He loves to challenge himself. How many kids go on their own whim and try to get on national television and actually accomplish it? It’s been great watching him grow up.

“He is extremely creative,” she said. “He learned this trade on his own, and that’s fascinating to me. He has developed his own metal fabrication business from it. We will be watching the show expecting him to be narrating what happened behind the scenes.”

In fact, Zachariah Nelson said a new building is currently being built for his business and will also act as his new shop for knife-making.

Regardless of where Zachariah Nelson is crafting his works or how much national spotlight he receives Wednesday, he said his hobby will continue to bring him joy.

The episode featuring Nelson was previously filmed and will air Wednesday at 9 p.m. on the History Channel.

– Follow reporter John Reecer on Twitter @JReecerBGDN or visit bgdailynews.com.