Mark Of The Maker

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 and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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 Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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 Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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 on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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 @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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 Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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 and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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 our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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.  

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!  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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 for the ride.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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 Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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 Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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 Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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 more conversation.

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 this great chat.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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?!" - we had a blast with this episode.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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 Justin that we know you'll enjoy. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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 with us for more. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.  

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 our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.