With a name like Pierce, knife-making may have seemed a serendipitous career path.

For Mike Pierce, it was partly a matter of health.

The machinist, welder, and former merchant marine found his passion for forging about three years ago when a spinal fusion left him unable to do much bending over.

The apprentice bladesmith — just months away from testing as a journeyman blade smith — is growing in skill, talent and reputation. In his latest development, he competes as a contestant on The History Channel series “Forged in Fire.”

The episode airs tonight, pitting Pierce against three other smiths in the competition show filmed in Brooklyn.

Although he could say little about the outcome of the show before it airs, Pierce said the experience was a good one and continues to bring attention to the art of bladesmithing.

Walla Walla, he said, had already been well known for its knife-making talent. Master bladesmith Bruce Bump has long been reputed for his custom work, including his black power pistol and blade dual weapons.

In Bump’s space, the master and apprentice work together — Bump under his Bruce Bump Knives business and Pierce under Pierce Knives.

“There’s probably no one with a hand grip like his,” Bump said of Pierce.

“He’s a professional welder, a professional machinist — he can do anything.”

Pierce said he was first drawn to the business because he couldn’t afford an $80 blade he wanted. So he decided to try to make his own.

On the first day in the shop with Bump, Pierce showed what he could do with some TIG welding, and the relationship was forged.

“It’s more of a friendship now,” Bump said.

Pierce, 30, brings his fire for metallurgy to the operation. His understanding of metal is among his strong points.

He also brought an interest in kitchen knives. His study of what makes different blades work in different cultures and countries has led to an understanding of what works in a kitchen.

Numerous local chefs have bought his blades for their restaurant work. The knives generally start around $250 apiece. His sharpening work is in high demand.

A tote of knives to be sharpened for kitchen work for the College Place School District awaited him Tuesday. He sharpens for Whitman College’s Bon Appetit service at $2 per knife. Restaurants such as Public House 124 also use the service.

Unlike other manufacturers — even those highly regarded in household knives — the blades created by Pierce are not mass produced by stamping out steel. Each is individually handmade with materials selected by the customer.

That’s part of what made competition on a television show so fascinating, Pierce said.

“Here we don’t ever use recycled materials,” he said. “And nothing is done quickly.”

From the AEB-L steel that serves as an entry point on his equipment and up, the process includes heat treating in an oven. Thus, making one blade takes at least three days. For the time-consuming production of intricate Damascus knives, the work is longer.

Pierce’s selection ranges in style and purpose from blades used in fishing and hunting to Japanese-style kitchen knives and large blades for the great outdoors.

“The goal is making the nicest knives I can,” he said.

“There’s tons of creativity, and there’s no limit to what you can do.”