Mark of the Maker is a panel discussion with renowned custom knife makers Tom Krein, Sean Kendrick and Michael Burch, and hosted by Mark Stheiner. The format is much like a group of friends sitting around in The Pit at Blade Show, talking knives - a look at life from the perspective of the maker as well as the collector. Covering broader topics such as tactical knife history, trends, industry commentary and influences of social media, as well as conversations with other knifemakers, collecto ...
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As they say: Better late than never! Mark, Tom and Michael talk about Blade Show 2024 and share some observations and overall perspective on how the show seemed to go this year. We talk turnout, "feel" in the room and how things have changed in recent years. Share your thoughts with us in our Facebook group at the link below, interested to hear wha…
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Sean and Mark get together with Jarrod Franklin of Gunfighter Customs. Jarrod served in the USMC and started out building knives for those who serve and today builds customs in a variety of styles. We talk about how he got started, his path through life and into knifemaking and some of the impacts his father Mike Franklin (of Hawg Knives) had on hi…
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Designer, creator and Friend of The Show Andrew Bawidamann joins us for a chat about his work, how he got into knives, and how he found his way to what he's doing now. Andrew's path is a unique one, from fashion to marketing, to his passion in art, and into knives, holsters, and The Doughboy. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @marko…
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Did you enjoy our previous episode about the weapons of Warhamer 40,000? If so, here's another for you to check out - and if not, go back and listen to the first one! Sean takes Mark and Tom on another journey into the grim darkness of the future, diving into the lore and some crazy weapons from that game and its massive ecosystem of accompanying l…
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Dive into a fresh picks episode with us! For this one, we pull in some unusual or obscure pieces in a few different categories. Obscure doesn't mean junk, just things we dug up from various dusty corners of the internet and our old knife books. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Faceboo…
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Tom and Mark chat about Tom's experience at Blade Texas 2024 and how that show went. All accounts suggest Alicia and team did a great job so we talk details and walk through the awards presented at the show and some of the great makers who submitted pieces for consideration. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join …
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Episode 113: The Story of Knife Steel
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Dr. Larrin Thomas joins us for a well-overdue visit to talk about his book The Story of Knife Steel: Innovators Behind Modern Damascus and Super Steels. It's a fantastic book and one you should add to your collection, with an incredibly deep and well-researched pile of information. Larrin walks us through some great stories about various steels and…
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We kick off our 7th (!!) season with a look back at shows, trends, and some things we came across that we really enjoyed. There's also some talk about 2024 and what some of our hopes and aspirations look like for the coming year. Be sure to share your own goals with us, we'd love to hear them. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @mark…
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Do you sometimes get cash from folks for the holidays? We do, so we wrap up Season 6 with a picks episode with some things we might pick if we had some "gift yourself" money to spare. Four price points and some gear we like. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversat…
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By Mark of the Maker
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Do you like Military knives? We sure do, so we put together this picks episode across a few different categories. Fighting knives, bayonets and more. We were left with a few questions, so if you know the answers, please reach out or join our FB group to discuss. **Apologies in advance on this one for an audio issue that we were only able to partial…
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Those of you familiar with the Scagel story (and our podcast on the topic) will also be familiar with the book Scagel Handmade, written by Dr. James Lucie. Dr. Lucie was not only the worlds foremost collector and expert on Scagel knives, but a truly interesting person and knifemaker in his own right. His daughter Stephanie Lucie joins us to help te…
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It's that time of year - Halloween is nearly here! This year we put together a picks episode, with some "treats" aka affordable knives that you'd be happy to give out to a friend and a few "tricks" as well. Our browser histories will never be the same, and after this one, neither will yours. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markof…
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Have you ever asked yourself "if you could give some advice to the younger you, what would you tell them?" For Episode 106, we did exactly that, focused on knifemaking and collecting. A little bit of self reflection, a little bit of "Get Off My Lawn" and a little bit of fun along the way. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthe…
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We enjoy a great discussion on knifemaking and a passion for learning with Mathew Boisvert. You may recognize Mat's name, as we have mentioned him a few times previously on the show. He's a newer maker but has taken his craft to new levels through innovation and a love of learning and problem solving. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagr…
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We sit down with our friends Billy Cho and Nick Rolfe to talk about the recent Pacific Northwest Custom Invitational show that they put on in Seaside, Oregon. By all accounts it was a great show, so we dig into what went right, what could have been better, and what the challenges look like when putting together a knife show. Find us at our Patreon …
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Here's a fresh "picks" episode where we each pick three knives we think you should know about. Some are historically significant, others are just cool and may be outside what you've seen before. Or, maybe you're familiar with all of them and it's a trip down memory lane. Come geek out on knives with us! Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Insta…
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Todd Begg joins us for another round of discussion. This time we hit on design aesthetic and process, knifemaking influences, tools, the business of knifemaking, and his round trip from customs to semi-production and back again. We also talk shows and the role and complications of production partnerships in the business overall. Find us at our Patr…
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Award winning knifemaker, designer and President of The Knifemaker's Guild Todd Begg joins us to chat about his knife making journey. Todd tells us about his own timeline and shares some great insights as well as some stories about legendary makers he's had the honor of knowing and working with over the years. Find us at our Patreon and follow us o…
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Can you believe it's been 100+ epsiodes of Mark of the Maker? Hard for us to wrap our head around. We look back at how the show got started, some things we hope we've accomplished and where we hope to go from here. We wrap up with our own little "awards show" in celebration of Ep.100. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemake…
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Personal schedules have been crazy for the crew but we found time right after Blade Show 2023 to get together for a chat and to catch up. We talk vacation, New Orleans Show, and Blade Show and hear about some great finds and new things that caught our eye. It's been a minute, thanks all for sticking with us! Find us at our Patreon and follow us on …
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The old Knives Annual Books had a category sometimes called "Oddities." We take a deep dive into that genre of stuff, across a very, very wide spectrum of creativity in the form of a picks episode. We each picked out some interesting stuff and did some research that we'll share with you, with a big time focus on the funky! Find us at our Patreon an…
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Episode 98: The Warhammer 40k Edged Weapons Episode - Sean Nerds Out
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Sean takes Mark on a trip into the world of Warhammer 40k to talk edged weapons. What's Warhammer 40k? Why are you talking about this on a knife podcast?! What in the name of Kharn is a chain axe!?? Also, NERDS!!!!?! Yes, yes - we answer those questions and more and talk about some crazy weaponry found in this grim, dark, future world. Find us at o…
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Tom gives us the scoop regarding his visit to Blade Show Texas 2023. Sounds like it was a great time and he gives us some insight on some cool things he saw at the show and what it was like being in Fort Worth again. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.…
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We take a shot at our next History "Combosode" - a collection of shorter knife history spots, one from each of us on the team. Four legendary makers and a little bit about their stories: John Nelson Cooper, Bob Engnath, Bud Nealy and D. E. "Ed" Henry. Hope you find something interesting and maybe learn a cool piece of knife history along the way! F…
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What's the most used knife in your house? Chances are it's a kitchen knife, and sometimes not a very good one! We can help, and with some of our picks, we can dream. In Episode 96, we each make some kitchen knife picks in a series of price ranges. From affordable to "OH DAMN" we cover a lot of territory as usual. Dust off the googlebox and join us …
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After a short break, we're back with the Kickoff of Season 6! We recap 2022 and talk about our experiences over the year, makers we made note of, and then got into what our plans and hopes are for 2023. Lots of new shows, some great makers now on our radar and a little reflection on where we all go from here. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on…
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The leaves are falling, the weather is turning cool and that means Fall is here! This time we take a swing at some picks for gear you might want to take on a fall hiking or camping trip, but with a twist. Fun one as always and you'll want to have your search engine ready or join us in our FB group for pics. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on I…
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For episode 93, we get together with renowned ABS Mastersmith Mike Quesenberry for a chat. Mike has been the recipient of numerous awards, including this year's Best Damascus award at Blade Show and is featured in the Greatest Living Knifemakers book. We talk about his path and his love for forging, integrals and making damascus. Find us at our Pat…
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Next up in our string of interviews is Nick Swan. Nick came into knives as a user and collector and eventually found his path to becoming a maker. We talk about his personal knifemaking journey, his influences, his mentors and his process. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for…
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Here's a great interview with one of the nicest custom knifemakers in the game - our friend Kirby Lambert. For those not familiar, Kirby is a Canadian maker and makes some of the cleanest knives around. From growing up skateboarding and his interests in martial arts and guitars, to the guidance of some great mentors, we cover lots of territory in t…
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Episode 90: Attack of the Mall Ninja
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If you ever remember flipping through knife catalogs and seeing crazy stuff that made you shake your head for a sec (or secretly fell in love with), this fun picks episode is for you. We each pick a scenario and the gear to go along with it from the gas station / mall ninja world / "affordable fantasy" world. Part guilty pleasure, part "WTF is THAT…
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Episode 89: Justin Black of Spycraft101
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We've talked about the IG account @Spycraft101 many times on the show, and this time we are joined by its creator, Justin Black. Super interesting discussion, talking about crazy spy stuff from a new book Justin has out called Covert Arms: Weapons from the World of Spycraft and Espionage. Really fun chat and some great insights and stories from Jus…
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Mark talks with Michael and Sean about their recent experience at the new Pacific Northwest Custom Invitational show. This was a first attempt at a small regional show from our friends and recovering MotM guests Billy Cho and Nick Rolfe. A solid show by most accounts and one that pulled in some fantastic makers from around the country. Listen in wi…
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Here's the second half of our discussion with artist and metalsmith Pat Pruitt. In this second installment, we dig into collaborations, more on technology, and how COVID drove changes for many of us. Pat is a great interview and we hope you enjoy this one as much as we did. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join o…
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Artist and metalsmith Pat Pruitt joins us for a great chat about his work and how he found his path. Another example of a unique background and a journey that is unlike any of the others we've explored. We talk art, technology, and design - and dig into what it means to be a maker and creator of things. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Insta…
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We always enjoy the "picks" episodes and this one was no exception. As usual, we set up some scenarios and use them as an excuse to go find some cool blades and gear to talk about. We go new school, old school, funky school - you name it. Fun episode and one we hope you'll share your OWN picks for in our Facebook group. Find us at our Patreon and f…
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Jade Marsh of RMJ USA joins us for a chat about his background and some of the kickass things going on in the RMJ world. Jade grew up in southern California during an important time in knifemaking and shares some great stories with us. We talk history, shows, business, and a bit about how recent times have changed our landscape. Find us at our Patr…
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Mark, Tom and Michael talk about Blade Show 2022 in Atlanta. This year's show had a little different feel to it so we talk about what it was like, how it went, and what all came home with Michael and Tom. What was YOUR Blade 2022 experience like? Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebo…
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Here's the first of what will likely become a series over time - something we're calling a History "Combosode." Some important pieces of knife history, showcasing makers that we might not have a full episode worth of content to talk about - but who we still want to highlight. We hit four makers, some passed, some living legends and tell you what we…
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Mark, Sean and Michael talk about the recent TKI SoCal 2022 show and what that experience was like. We talk details of the show, a few maker that were there, and Sean gives us some insights on the California Custom Knife Show that took place in the days following. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussi…
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We're joined again by our very first guest, the original Friend of The Show, Mr. Nick Rossi! A lot has happened over the last four years with Nick and in our world. He gives us an update on what's been happening with him since that time, on his venture into the world of a full-time knifemaker, and on his path to becoming an ABS Master Bladesmith. F…
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Episode 82: Dagger! Dagger! Dagger!
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Do you like daggers? Well, we sure do and in this episode we dig into some dagger picks from a few fun categories. Historical, Sneaky and Fantasy daggers all get their fair share of discussion. Hit our Facebook group for photos of each of our choices and join in the discussion. What are your favorites from these categories? Find us at our Patreon a…
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Tom gives us the scoop on his recent visit to Blade Texas 2022 and his experiences there. We hear details about the show, some cool stuff he saw there and get his thoughts on why this is a show worth checking out. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.…
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Knifemaker and Designer Les George joins us for a great chat about knives and knifemaking. Please pardon the audio quality on Les' track early in the episode, it cleans up as you listen on. We talk folders, daggers, midtechs and spend some time talking about mentors and their influence. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthema…
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We always have a lot of fun with our "picks" episodes and this one's no exception. The task was to pick a camping destination, an item or two for your pocket, a fixed blade on your belt, a pack knife or axe and something that launches projectiles. Lots of creativity in this one and some camping destinations that are a little outside the box. Find u…
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Here's the second half of our interview with knifemaker JB Stout of Stout Knife and Tool. We continue on the timeline and talk about more recent aspects of his business and also run through some fun questions. Jason is a friend of ours and truly a pleasure to have him join us for a chat - hope you enjoy it! Find us at our Patreon and follow us on I…
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Knifemaker Jason aka JB Stout of Stout Knife and Tool joins us for a chat this time around. He tells us about his machining background and how that experience has influenced the way he designs and makes knives. Great chat with JB, hope you enjoy it! Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Fa…
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Michael talks with Mark about his latest project - building a forging press. As part of an overall goal to do more sole authorship work, he describes some of the challenges he ran into along with the tools and skills he needed to make it happen. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Faceboo…
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Our 5th season? Yeah, seems crazy to us too. We discuss trends, makers and experiences from 2021 and look forward to new things, changes to our plans, makers to watch and where we think trends and the show topology may go. Lots of great stuff coming to you in Season 5, thanks to you all for sticking with us and coming along for the ride! Find us at…
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