Thanks for listening to Episode 28 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Will Manning. Will Manning is a maker I have followed for a long time. He truly excels in making San Mai as well as Mosaic Damascus Chef Knives. He's also done a lot of really commendable work to collaborate with craftspeople of varying disciplines to support the grea…

Thanks for listening to Episode 27 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Owen Wood.Originally hailing from South Africa, Owen Wood has an exquisite body of work by which other knives may be judged. He is a fountain of insight and wisdom having made knives since the 70s, and is a pioneer of precision-welded damascus. I'm really excited to h…

Thanks for listening to Episode 26 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Andy Billipp.Andy is one of the makers I've followed the longest. He created a style, long ago, that has proved tried and true, mixing brute de forge with refined grinds and handle sculpting. He's one of a handful of makers whose work I wish I owned, particularly from…

Thanks for listening to Episode 25 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Mareko Maumasi, himself!Due to unforeseen circumstances, this month's AoS scheduled guest was unable to make it, so Mareko decided to do a deep dive into his own past to tell some of his story that has not been shared before, and give you a deeper look into what makes…

Thanks for listening to Episode 24 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Ben Kamon.Ben Kamon is a maker from Austria, whose work I have been following for several years. He has a fantastic aesthetic that mixes primal brute de forge texture with refined machining work. I am excited to get to know him better, and dive more into his processes…

Thanks for listening to Episode 23 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Mert Tansu.I am very excited to have Mert on today, as he is one of the only custom knifemakers that comes from a professional background in cooking. He's one of the founding members of the Wootz Society, and is also making his own crucible steel. He is a wealth of in…

Thanks for listening to Episode 22 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Lin Rhea, MS.I'm excited to have ABS Master Smith Lin Rhea on the podcast this month. His innovative designs and masterful forging techniques have been an inspiring resource for me over the years. I'm looking forward to sharing our conversation with you as we discuss …

Thanks for listening to Episode 21 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Steve Culver, MS. I first met Steve when I took the Introduction to Bladesmithing Course over at the New England School of Metalwork. I took that class so that I could meet Steve, because I really admired his talent and skill, and I loved that he approached knifemakin…

Thanks for listening to Episode 20 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Don Andrade. Coming from a background in bronze casting and sculpture, Don is the quintessential artist and maker. His aesthetics, style and quality of execution in performance of his knives are why I selected him to be a part of the Artisans of Steel calendar featuri…

Thanks for listening to Episode 19 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Shane Taylor, MS. I first met Shane Taylor in 2014 at the Seattle International Knife Show. The quality of his work instantly blew me away. His creativity seems to be boundless and he's often an inspiration for my work. I am very excited to have this amazing Master Sm…

Thanks for listening to Episode 18 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Jordan LaMothe, MS. Jordan is a young, and insanely talented maker from upstate New York. He's a Master Smith in the ABS, and just finished a year-long trip to India where he studied the art and craft of koftgari, a technique for embellishing weapons. I am so excited …

Thanks for listening to Episode 17 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Jason Ellard!Jason is one of the toughest, most hard working young makers I know of. Based out of Tasmania, he makes some of the most intriguing steel I've seen, with some of the most rudimentary tools. I look forward to getting to know him, and finding out more about…

Thanks for listening to Episode 16 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Van Barnett! Van is one of the most wildly creative and talented makers I know. His style is all his own, and I am so excited to welcome him as my guest on his very first podcast. I look forward to learning about him, his approach, and his philosophy toward creativity…

Thanks for listening to Episode 15 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Paul DiStefano, JS!I first met Paul at Blade Show 2018, and the quality of his work, for such a young maker, drew me to his table. I could see that he had a lot of potential and was already on a great path, and only a few short years later, he is an ABS Journeyman Smi…

Thanks for listening to Episode 14 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Henning Wilkinson. When I first met Henning Wilkinson in 2019, I was stunned by the high level of quality in his work and craftsmanship. His background in gunsmithing translates nicely into the work he creates, and I am really looking forward to diving into the very s…

Thanks for listening to Episode 13 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Fingal Ferguson. I'm excited to welcome one of my favorite culinary knife makers, Fingal Ferguson, to the Artisans of Steel podcast. Fingal makes knives for a wide variety of people in the kitchen; from great talents like Chef Jamie Oliver and Chef Francis Mallmann, t…

Thanks for listening to Episode 12 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Oliver Goldschmidt. When I first met Oliver in 2019 at Blade Show, I was absolutely stunned by his high level of skill and execution of his work. I have been a fan ever since. I draw inspiration from him often, and I hope you enjoy this chat with him as I get to know …

Thanks for listening to Episode 11 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Jason Morrissey. I have admired Jason Morrissey’s work for a very long time as he uses a lot of unconventional processes for creating unique mosaic damascus patterns. Constantly learning and advancing his craft, his patterns are so unique that they are some of the mos…

Thanks for listening to Episode 10 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Tom Ward, JS. Currently living in Turkey, Tom is a Massachusetts born metal artist, who not only studied under JD Smith, but also has a very impressive resume of accomplishments that span the globe. Tom makes beautiful damascus swords and axes, with a lot of middle ea…

Thanks for listening to Episode 9 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Salem Straub. Salem is part of a new generation of knifemakers that are really pushing the bounds of pattern development, which is why I featured him in this year's Artisans of Steel Calendar. He's one of the most innovative and creative damascus makers I know. He also…

Thanks for listening to Episode 8 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Master Smith and Living Legend, Steve Schwarzer! Steve is one of the godfathers of pattern welded steel. He pioneered using powdered steel and canister damascus, and continues to take his techniques to new heights. He is internationally regarded as one of the top maker…

Thanks for listening to Episode 7 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Jamie Lundell. Jamie is one of the most talented sword makers of our modern times. He is creating the most intricate mosaic damascus patterns on swords not found anywhere else throughout the entirety of history. He's also a very talented lost wax caster, engraver and c…

Thanks for listening to Episode 6 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Joshua Prince. Joshua Prince is one of the most creative and talented Damascus makers of our modern times. He truly paints with steel. Tune in to hear about some of his amazing Damascus making techniques! You can see more of Joshua's work on his website here: https://w…

Thanks for listening to Episode 5 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Josh Smith, MS. Josh Smith's name is well known in the knifemaking craft. He still holds the record as the youngest person ever given the title of ABS Master Bladesmith. He is an immense wealth of knowledge in damascus making, folding knives, ABS-style Bowies, hunters …

Thanks for listening to Episode 4 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with Don Nguyen. Don is an awesomely talented, science-minded blade maker with degree in engineering, and is one of the best chef's knife makers of our time. Not only is he a dear friend whose work I own, but he’s also a great guy with a lot of hard-earned wisdom to share. …

Thanks for listening to Episode 3 of the Artisans of Steel interview series with the living legend, JD Smith, MS. JD came to knifemaking as his third career; he was previously a precious metal smith and a professional jazz musician. As a knifemaker, his work is the gold standard for high quality damascus and damascus finishes. He is the pioneer of …

Thanks for listening to the Artisans of Steel interview series with the wootz master, performance sword smith, blacksmith, Jack of all trades, and friend to all animals, Peter Swartz-Burt. Watch the interview on YouTube: Peter Swarz-Burt Interview You can follow Peter on Instagram: @peterburtknives Check out Peter's website: https://peterburtknives…

The first Artisans of Steel Interview with the stainless mosaic Damascus master, Will Brigham. Please bear with the beginning audio - it's a little scratchy but then gets better! Watch the interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/kKE0vu63PP8 You can follow Will on Instagram @the_artificery Join the conversation with other amazing makers, and get your…

Steve Gephard is the Supervising Fisheries Biologist for Connecticut DEEP, and he joined Aric and I to talk about American shad. Shad are an ocean fish that, in late April and early May, swim up into the rivers of the east coast to spawn in fresh water. With robust numbers of shad and good, clean habitat, the Connecticut River offers abundant oppor…

I’ve always looked at the whitetail hunting world a bit sideways. Between all the trail cams, food plots, expensive leases, and nicknamed deer, it all seemed more like a high tech circus than the immersive nature experience that I’ve always sought through hunting. But then last year, out of nowhere, a large, impressively antlered whitetail showed u…

This episode is with my buddy Aric Kirsch. Aric has agreed to co-host the show with me, so you’ll be hearing more from him in the future. Today we’re talking about our western hunts from this past season which, though unsuccessful, were highly adventurous, educational, and enjoyable. We talk about the hunts we went on, what we learned from them, an…

Killing your first deer is a powerful, complicated experience. Hunting literature abounds with father-son first deer stories, as the hunting heritage has traditionally been passed from one generation of men to the next. But in this story the roles are reversed, as my dad only began deer hunting last year. With my encouragement, he took the classes,…

Todd Solek is the owner of Farm To Hearth, a unique bakery in Haddam, CT. Todd makes bread the old fashioned way, with locally raised grains and all natural wild yeast fermentation, baking in small batches in a wood fired oven. Todd’s taken an unusual path in life, with a background that includes military service and professional cage fighting, and…

The 2017 spring turkey season wrapped up a little while ago, and now begins the long wait for September. In this episode, my buddy Aric and I go over what we learned about hunting public land turkeys, the pros and cons of getting permission on small pieces of private land, my total lack of success, and his hits and misses. We also talk about our Co…

Archery is a deep practice, requiring layers of physical and mental discipline, developed through years of concentrated repetition. We owe it to the animals we pursue to perform at our best when the moment of truth arrives, and that means mastering our equipment, and more importantly, ourselves. Butch Johnson, an Olympic gold medal winning target a…

Nakai Northup is a member of the Mashantucket Pequot people of southern New England. He works at the Mashantucket Pequot Museum and Research center as an educator and tribal liaison. Through subsistence hunting and fishing practices and traditional craft work, Nakai and his family are able to live with and from the land, and are helping to preserve…

Mike Gregonis is a Connecticut state wildlife biologist, and has been working on wild turkey conservation and management for over 20 years. Besides being a veteran of one of the most successful wildlife reintroduction programs in American history, Mike is a passionate and accomplished turkey hunter. We met recently to talk about wild turkey conserv…

This episode was actually recorded last October, when I went spearfishing for blackfish with Caleb Rose in Stonington, CT,. Caleb is a skilled fisherman, sailor, and educator, and is more at home both on and in the water than almost anyone I know. His passion for fishing and marine ecology is clear and contagious, and I had a great time talking to …