As Montana Knife Company’s Founder and Owner, Josh Smith is the Master Bladesmith behind creating and designing working knives for working people that are built to last for generations. Josh grew up in Lincoln, Montana on the edge of the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

At the age of 11 Josh’s baseball coach, Rick Dunkerley, began teaching him how to make knives. In the very beginning, Josh would go to Rick’s shop where he learned to remove stock blades under the guidance of Rick.

About a year later, Josh began putting a shop together at his home. Josh’s Dad gave him room to work in his equipment shop, and at the age of 12 Josh joined the American Bladesmith Society. Over the next few years Josh began forging and honing his craft. Josh turned 14 at the Eugene Oregon knife show where he met other incredible knife makers, all too willing to share their talents and knowledge with Josh.

At 15 years old, Josh passed the Journeyman Bladesmith test in Atlanta, Georgia at the Blade Show. Josh became the youngest bladesmith to ever pass this test. The Journeyman test is a two-part process. A test blade must be forged and heat treated with the capabilities to chop a 1” rope in half, 2- 2x4’s in half and then still shave hair. Once the cutting tests are done the blade must be able to bend 90 degrees in a vise without breaking. After passing the performance test the maker must present 5 knives to a panel of Mastersmith Judges. Each knife is examined closely to ensure the knife is made to the highest standard of craftsmanship. At the Journeyman level a maker is not expected to show perfection but is expected to show a sufficient level of craftsmanship expected from a professional bladesmith.

Montana Knife Company: https://www.montanaknifecompany.com

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Jimmy Hatch grew up in the mountains of Utah and joined the service on his seventeenth birthday. After serving four years in the US fleet, Hatch completed SEAL training with Class 164 in 1990, launching him into a twenty-two-year career with the SEAL teams that would take him across the world.

Deployed many times, Hatch was involved in over 150 direct action missions in all the places you’ve heard about and a few you haven’t. His military career ended in 2009, when he was severely injured on his final mission. His life was saved by his teammates and the working dog on his team, marking the beginning of a long and challenging recovery.

Following eighteen surgeries, Hatch left the hospital facing a new battle with mental health struggles. Determined to find purpose beyond his own struggles, he founded Spike’s K9 Fund, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to the welfare of the nation’s working K9s, honoring the loyalty and courage of his own canine comrades. Hatch also co-authored Touching the Dragon: And Other Techniques for Surviving Life’s Wars, sharing insights on resilience and recovery. Jimmy has traveled far and wide, giving speeches on his experiences to help others prepare for when life gets tough.

In 2019, Hatch embarked on a new journey, studying the humanities at Yale University. He graduated in 2024. Now, he is working on a second book as he works part-time for Yale Admissions and serves as a lecturer at the Jackson School of Global Affairs.

Spikes K9: https://spikesk9fund.org/

Today's Sponsors:

Montana Knife Company: https://www.montanaknifecompany.com

Brunt:

For a limited time, listeners get $10 off at BRUNT when you use code "clearedhot" at checkout. Just head to https://Bruntworkwear.com, use the code "clearedhot," and you’re good to go. After your order, they’ll ask where you heard about BRUNT—do me a favor and tell them it was from this show.

-The new series continues!

Michael and I sat down today and discussed a few topics through the lens of experience in different decades of life. For those of you familiar with the show, you know that often on Friday I answer Q and A. Today is no different, except that Michael is joining me to give his perspective from a younger generation:

-Men Proposing to Ai

-National Guard Usage in LA Riots

-Gas problems and Aqua Dueces in BUD/s

-Epstein Prosecutors being fired

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Greg Cooper has worked as an FBI Profiler, Law Enforcement Administrator, Police Training/Instructor, University/College Professor, and an International and Domestic Threat Assessment Advisor. He is an expert in Criminal Profiling, Prescriptive Interviewing and Interrogation, Investigations, and Multi-Agency Investigative Task Force consultation. Cooper has given Expert Witness testimony based on his work in serial crimes and cases involving homicide, sexual assault, kidnapping, terrorism, political corruption, white collar crime, product tampering, abduction, arson, and bombing.

The Cold Case Foundation: https://www.coldcasefoundation.org/

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Black Rifle Coffee:

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BetterHelp:

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2 Listener listener-submitted questions, and two current events topics for today:

-Tim Kennedy and Stolen Valor

-Dealing with bitterness and hopelessness

-The missing Epstein Client list

-What is scarier, marriage or divorce?

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Pique:

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Stopbox USA:

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Taylor Cavanaugh is a former Navy SEAL turned French Foreign Legionnaire.

Taylor is the only person to hold this unique distinction. His journey has taken him from jail cells to homelessness and even suicidal thoughts, only to find salvation through discipline and a clear sense of purpose. To say that Taylor had a turbulent path would be an understatement.  After earning his Trident and becoming a Navy SEAL to being kicked out of the U.S. military; How a spiral of pleasure-chasing and lack of purpose led to hitting rock bottom; The life-changing moment of clarity that led him to France and the French Foreign Legion; The rigorous discipline and mental fortification that helped him rebuild his life, and practical insights on how to unlearn self-sabotaging behaviors, cultivate inner peace, and align daily habits with your long-term vision. Taylor's Website: https://www.taylorcavanaugh.com/

Taylor's Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@tcavofficial

Today's Sponsors: 

Montana Knife Company: 

https://www.montanaknifecompany.com

LMNT: 

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You asked for it, we made it happen.

Three generations tackling the most pressing issues of our times.

Michael picked the questions, and there was certainly some diversity. I can't remember everything we covered, but here are a few of the wave tops:

-The Best advice ever received about marriage and life in general

-The Big Beautiful Bill -Paralyzing family members with weed brownies at New Year's Eve Parties

-Living through the 60's and 70's

-Is there hope left for our society

-Can men actually become women

And much more, enjoy.

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Ryan Zinke is a fifth generation Montanan who serves as Representative for Montana’s First Congressional District covering 16 counties in western Montana including the cities of Bozeman, Butte, Missoula, Kalispell. First elected to Congress in 2014, and serving as U.S. Secretary of the Interior between noncontiguous terms, Zinke has built a track record of accomplishments in energy, conservation, tribal and military issues. Now in his third term, Zinke is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations, focusing his legislative agenda on restoring accountability to federal spending, restoring American energy dominance, and bolstering national security at our borders and beyond.

Ryan began public service in 1985 when he joined the U.S. Navy and graduated from Officer Candidate School. He was recruited to join the U.S. Navy SEALs where he went on dozens of deployments targeting terrorist cells in Asia, war criminals in Bosnia, and combatting the rise of radical Islamic terrorists in the middle east. During his military career he held a number of leadership positions including as Ground Forces and Task Force commander at SEAL Teams SIX oversaw the U.S. Navy SEAL BUD/S training after 9/11, and was Deputy/Acting Commander of Joint Special Forces during the Iraq war. In 2006 he was awarded the Bronze Star for his service. Commander Zinke retired from active duty in 2008 after serving for 23 years.

Following his military service, Ryan was elected to the Montana State Senate and was twice elected as Montana’s sole member of the U.S. House of Representatives. During his first two terms as Congressman, Zinke served on the House Armed Services Committee and Natural Resources Committee. As a leading member of the Natural Resources Committee, Ryan challenged the Obama Administration on their policies that locked Montanans out of public lands and introduced legislation to strengthen public access and conservation.

In December 2016, Congressman Zinke was nominated to be the United States Secretary of the Interior by President Donald J. Trump and later confirmed by a bipartisan vote in the Senate.

Robert Stark is the author of Warflower and Just Like a Soldier. He is a lifelong Alaskan who has triumphed over adversity and risen above life's challenges.

Robert is an Army Veteran who served as an airborne infantryman in the United States Army, deploying in Iraq with the 173rd Airborne Brigade and the 101st Airborne Division.

His story is one of resilience and of a man who has faced the harsh realities of war and persevered to build a beautiful, off-grid life for his family on their farm, Secret Garden Alaska.

Secret Garden Alaska: https://secretgardenalaska.org/

Today's Sponsors: 

Black Rifle Coffee:

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Incogni:

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Traditional Q and A to round out the week, answering only the most demanding questions facing our society. I'm not sure they were actually that serious, but it sounds good. I did actually cover:

-CrossFit Workout strategies for home gyms

-What I have learned from 400 Episodes of the Podcast

-How to become a protector for your family

-How do I help my girlfriend find her purpose in life

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Pique:

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