Mark of the Maker

You know you've seen them before - knives that have "that look" and give pause to even the casual observer.  We dig into the topic of scary knives, whether from horror movies or designed with specific scary intent.  This one's a bit of a ramble that we recorded on Halloween.  Do you have a favorite scary knife?  If so, sound off on our Instagram @markofthemaker or join the Mark of the Maker group on Facebook for some conversation.  

The crew faces a challenge: What knife would you buy if you had $25 to spend?  How about $100 or $300?  We won't pretend our choices are the "best" for the money, but each has a reason why they were chosen.  A fun episode for us and some choices you might not expect.  Join us in our Facebook group "Mark of the Maker" and let us know what your picks are!

In our second Minisode, Tom talks about the Crossada and how James Keating and his iconic fighting knife design have influenced his own work.

We are joined by collector and maker Andy Frankart for a discussion about knives, collecting, and his perspective as the maker of probably the hottest and most collectable non-knife EDC items out there.  Andy shares insights with us about how he came into the knife community, some specifics of some great pieces in his own knife collection, and what it was like to see his brand explode.  Fun stories, some personal history and a great conversation.

In our first minisode, we explore influences.  Sean dives into a savage scene from one of his favorite books and we talk about how the knife in this scene influenced his work at the time.  We'll use these short minisodes to help fill in some gaps about influences and their role in forming a knifemaker and their aesthetic.

We dive into the diverse and fascinating world of ethnic knives - knives and designs that come from specific regions or cultures around the world.  We discuss the origins of these designs and how many of them influenced knives used to this day in both functional and fighting roles.  Also discussed is the upcoming Gathering X show in Las Vegas.  We offer advice for Gathering newcomers and some reminders about show etiquette.

Our friend and knifemaker Lucas Burnley joins us for a conversation about life, influences, knives and other projects like his immensely popular Cypop.  We go pretty deep on this one and Lucas shares both insights on his creative process and how he works to keep his perspective fresh and skills sharp.  You can find Lucas on Facebook at Burnley Knives, on Instagram @burnleyknives or at his website burnleyknives.com

The crew takes on a lengthy list of Q&A, submitted by both collector and knifemaker listeners.  We discuss a wide variety of topics from design to motivation to professional courtesy, and a few stories about mishaps in the shop.  If you'd like to add a question for consideration in a future episode, join us in our Mark of the Maker Facebook group or follow us on IG @markofthemaker.

In our first Collector Spotlight episode, we sit down for a chat with Kevin Devitt.  Those familiar with Kevin know that he has a collection of custom knives that is as diverse as it is deep.  We talk about his collecting motivation and changes in the scene over time.  Kevin shares some insights on a few special pieces in his collection that you won't want to miss.  Join us in the Mark of the Maker group on Facebook to see some photos of these special pieces or find Kevin on Instagram @krevman12

In our second history episode, we dig into the early days of Randall Made Knives and how they grew to be known as one of the premier knife companies in the world.  We talk about the vision and legacy of W.D. "Bo" Randall, how his brand helped define and shape the knife industry, and about how Randall Made Knives have been favored by our armed forces for decades.  The crew each talks about their favorite model and some background on why they find them significant.

The MotM team recaps Blade Show 2018 and some of the the changes to the show for this year - some that were good, and others not so good.  We share some sounds from the floor of the biggest knife show of the year and some feedback we received about the podcast during the weekend.  The crew discusses a few newer makers to watch, cool stuff we brought home and some advice for makers about how they might reflect on their own Blade 2018 experience.

With Blade Show just around the corner, we decided to offer up an episode regarding knife show etiquette.  Some of the tips are specific to Blade, but most are applicable to any knife show experience.  We discuss prep, do's and don'ts, and some advice for both collectors and makers, whether veterans of the show scene or new folks to the fold.

Have you ever watched a movie and noticed details like what knife the character was using or carrying?  We sure do and this episode is focused on exactly that, a fun look at knives of the movies.  The panel goes round-robin like we did with "Five Knives" and if you're a child of the action film genre, we probably end up talking about some of your favorites.  We wrap it up with some fun new stuff, Blade Show updates and a little tip about some upcoming merch you may want to get in on.

Our panel of makers discusses pricing of custom knives and how those price structures have evolved over their careers so far.  We touch on materials, design, complexity, technology, and how they all impact pricing.  As always, there are differences and similarities - some of which aren't obvious until we dig into the topic in detail.

Our friend Nick Rossi joins the show to share insights with us about bladesmithing, blacksmithing and his life.  Nick is an ABS Journeyman and is working toward becoming a Mastersmith.  We discuss his craft and his perspective, and learn how his inspiration sometimes comes from places you might not expect.  Together we field a little more Q&A and talk about what's happening in the maker's shops.