Ben Abbott is an English bladesmith, jeweler, and metal artist. Ben Abbott rose to prominence as a two-time Forged in Fire champion and later joined the series’ judge panel. His tremendous skills as a bladesmith and a passionate interest as a perfectionist, without a doubt, created the foundation of his tenacious career.
Blade enthusiasts are surely familiar with the reality TV show Forged In Fire, in which bladesmiths compete to recreate historical edged weapons.
Table of Contents
Early life and Childhood
Ben Abbott was born in 1973. The actual date of his birth, however, is unknown.
Abbott is an English national because he was born in the United Kingdom to English parents.
He allegedly eventually relocated to the United States, where he now resides.
However, no other information about his family or early life has been released. He speaks with a faint British lilt.
Education Details
Ben’s educational background is unknown.
Professional Career
Abbott rose to prominence in the media in 2016 as a contestant on the History channel reality show Forged In Fire’s Season 2 (ninth episode).
Bladesmiths engage in a three-round elimination competition to replicate historical weapons, which is judged by a team of judges, and the winner is chosen.
Ben won the challenge by forging “the Khanda Sword” and became the Forged in Fire champion.
Later, during the Forged in Fire: Champions Edition in the first episode of Season 3 (2016 fall), he competed with past winners Matthew Parkinson, Salem Straub, and Burt Foster and won again, giving him a total of two championship titles.
Abbott, who was raised in England, considers bladesmithing to be his dream job and has been manufacturing blades since he was a teenager.
Ben became interested in weaponry and armor at the age of 13 after viewing them in museums and castles. Because he couldn’t afford them, he sought to forge swords himself, which led to his profession as a bladesmith.
Abbott’s work in knives, as well as ornamental ironwork, jewelry, and furniture, had extended by the time he was 17 years old.
Following the departure of Jason Knight from Season 4 of Forged In Fire, Abbott made his debut as a judge on the panel.
Ben continued to serve as a judge in the reality series for another four seasons, bringing the total number of seasons to eight. Season 8 aired on November 18, 2020.
He would periodically take the role of J. Neilson, a knife and sword expert who is also a Master Smith in the American Bladesmith Society, in the series (ABS).
David Baker (a Hollywood prop builder) and Doug Marcaida are among the other judges (an edged-weapons specialist & U.S. military contractor).
Net Worth and Salary
Ben Abbott has a net worth of $300,000. He is a jeweler and metal artist, in addition to working on blades.
According to reports, the winner of Forged In Fire following a three-round elimination tournament would get a total prize of $10,000.
Ben took home $40,000 in prize money as the two-time champion. He also owns the Ashgrove Forge, an online store that sells re-created custom-made blades with historical significance.
A custom-made knife can cost anywhere from $500 to $1,000, but it can cost much more depending on the details, materials utilized, and craftsmanship.
Relationship Status
Although Ben Abbott is in a relationship, he is not married or has never had a wife.
Ben is currently seeing Heather Rabun, a former girlfriend who is now his fiancée. Heather, Abbott’s fiancee, is a choreographer and dancer.
According to Heather’s Instagram post on July 23, 2020, they have been dating since July 21, 2018, when she wrote, “two best years of my life loving and being loved” by Ben, referring to July 21 as their anniversary.
They welcomed their baby son, Alden James Abbott, on October 12, 2020, which they announced via Instagram a few days later.
After three years of dating, they were engaged in February 2021, bringing the family’s joy to a new level. Abbott proposed to Heather on one knee with a rose-cut diamond ring and documented the special events on Instagram.
The three-person family currently resides in Richmond, Virginia. Willow, their companion dog, is also a member of the family.
Body Measurement
Ben Abbott stands 5 feet 7 inches tall.
Social Media
They are both heavy users of social media, particularly Instagram. Abbott’s Instagram account, @abbott ben, has over 95.5K followers, while his fiancee, @dancinheather, has 2.8K followers.
Also Read: Hera Hilmar, Hera Hilmar, Mandy Shanahan,
Trivia
- Abbott became media attention as the 2-time Forged in Fire champion and later landed into the series on its judge panel.
- In 2017, he debuted as a judge in the panel of Season 4 of Forged In Fire, following the departure of Jason Knight.
- Abbott has a net worth of 300,000.
- Currently, he is dating Heather Rabun, a girlfriend-turned-fiance.
- Abbott’s fiance Heather is a dancer and choreographer.
