Mark Of The Maker

Our first guest of Season 4 is jeweler, craftsman, artist, knifemaker and all-around badass, Derrick Obatake of Steel Flame.  Derrick explains the core of Steel Flame and the community around it.  We chat about how he got into the industry and some of his perspective on growing a small business.  This one was long enough that we split it into two episodes, so stay tuned for Ep.57 where we finish our discussion.  Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Whew, what a year!  We kick off Season 4 of MotM with a bit of reflection on 2020, talk about some makers and projects that got our attention, and give some thought to what we are looking forward to for 2021.  There was no shortage of things to talk about with a bit of an introspective from the crew.  Hope you enjoy it!  Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

We check in with Sean on what may be the last of the Back to School Minisodes...or is it?!?  Sean tells us about his most recent classes and things coming up, as well as how he's been able to use some of what he's learned.  We spend a fair bit chatting about some cool things we've seen around the 'net and folks we wanted to point out.  Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

We always have fun with "picks" episodes, so with the holiday season upon us, we put one together around road trip essentials as well as some gift picks for one another across a few price ranges. We share some very cool things we spotted since our last episode and pay some respects as well.  Fun conversation as always and ended up turning into our longest episode to date.  Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Richard Rogers joins us for a chat about his knifemaking journey and some of the challenges he has had to work through both in life and in knife making.  Richard and his wife Sally are friends of the show, so it was a pleasure to have him take the time to chat with us.  You can find Richard in his Facebook group Richard Rogers Knives or on Instagram @richardrogersknives Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Our latest knife history installment is on W. F. "Bill" Moran.  We were honored to have Jay Hendrickson join us for this episode, an ABS Master and legendary maker in his own right.  We walk through the Moran timeline together with Jay and after this one, you'll have a clear understanding why many consider Moran to be one of the greatest makers of our time. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Traditional knife maker Luke Swenson joins us for a conversation about life and knifemaking.  We talk a bit about the South Texas slipjoint scene, his move to Idaho and how Luke came to be a traditional slipjoint maker.  You can find Luke in his Facebook group Swenson Handmade Knives or on Instagram @swensonknives Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

To celebrate our 50th (wow!) episode, we take you on a journey into the wild and wide-ranging world of Fantasy Knives.  We did this "picks" style, and each selected some examples from a few different categories.  Get your inner knife geek on and join along with us!  Be sure to share your own picks in our FB group or via IG and tag us.  Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Grace Horne joins us for a chat about her work and how she came to be part of the Sheffield cutlery world.  We've talked a few times in previous episodes about Grace's work and her fantastic scissors.  She tells us about her personal history and her path from other forms of metalwork to knives to scissors and why she finds them fascinating.  Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

It's been a weird year, so we check in with Sean for an update on his journey back to school.  Sean gives us an update, we pay our respects to damascus and knife maker Chris Marks, and we chat about some very cool and interesting stuff that we've come across lately. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

It's that time of year when some of you are sending off a loved one to college or off into the real world.  We talk about our picks for proper send-off in a few different categories, all with a sub-$100 price point in mind.  It's certain that we missed some good ones, be sure to share your own picks with us, we'd love to hear them! Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

This one's been a long time coming, our friend and knifemaker Gerry McGinnis joins us for a great interview about his life and how he got into knifemaking.  Gerry has a unique story, having gotten into knife making at such an early age.  He tells us about his various projects, his love of hunting and fishing, and a new venture he's working on that many of you will find interesting. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Here's another "picks" episode where we talk about how we'd set one another up in the event of a doomsday scenario.  We're not experts, we just thought it would be fun and let's face it, we're nerds and we just like to talk gear.  Hope you enjoy it!  Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Chad Nichols of Nichols Damascus Steel joins us for this episode.  We talk about Chad's background, how he got into knives, and ultimately what led him to become of the key suppliers of damascus steel and other materials to the knife industry.  Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Yes, we're back!  We chat quarantine, knives and take some listener questions in our first episode after a bit of a hiatus.  It's been a crazy time and we hope you are all staying safe and healthy.  Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Knifemaker and all around good guy Sal Manaro joins us for some good conversation about his path into knifemaking.  We talk history, shop and techniques and still manage to have a few laughs along the way.  Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Feeling a little weirded out about what's going on?  We are too!  One thing is certain:  We're all in this together.  Mark and Michael chat about some of the challenges we are all facing and check in with you all.  Wishing you all the best and much love from the MotM crew! Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.http://www.markofthemaker.com

We recap our experience at this year's Tactical Knife Invitational in Nashville and fill out the episode with some Q&A.  This one's all over the map, with lots of laughs and maybe a little helpful information as well.  Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

This one started out with the working title "Knife Mythbusters" and just sort of rolled off into a series of rants mixed in with some myth busting.  The topic evolved as we went along but hopefully you find it somewhat entertaining and maybe a little bit educational as well.  Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

This time we walk through some knives and makers that we think you should know about.  Some of you will be familiar with some of these knives or makers, but hopefully there's something in here for everyone.  Get your Google lookup ready, this one had the working title "The Rabbit Hole Episode."  Hope you enjoy it!  Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.