Mark of the Maker

Author, collector and all-around enthusiast Neal Punchard joins us to talk about two truly fun topics. It seems most knife nerds have many life interests and experiences in common and who doesn't remember their first time using a switchblade or their first BB gun. Part history, part throwback fun, we think there's plenty here for most anyone to enjoy. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

The weather is starting to turn cooler and we check in with our crew to talk about the art knife show Arts in Metal, adventures, upcoming shows and projects, and plans for this winter. Lots going on for the entire team this time of year. COVID, changes to show schedules and "life" have thrown us all some curveballs. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Sean talks wraps up the Back to School series in this final installment post-graduation from his machining program. He gives some insights about the kinds of things he learned, how he's been able to use them and offers some advice to people in similar situations. As usual, we also talk about some cool things we've seen recently and where to find them. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Tim Reeve of Chris Reeve Knives joins us to talk about knives, life and business. Tim shares some insight about what it was like to grow up as part of this family business, including some history and personal perspective on what it all means. It's a great insight to the current state of CRK, their workflow and some fun projects on the "wish list." Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Dr. Larrin Thomas joins us again to talk metallurgy and this time we dive into busting some myths around steel and heat treat. This one's definitely a more technical episode, so buckle up for some detailed talk and if you haven't already, check out Larrin's book Knife Engineering and his website Knife Steel Nerds. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

It's been a while since we did Q&A, so we reached out to our Patreon supporters and listeners and they came up with a fine list of questions to walk through. We also had a few questions for one another, talking life, shop and other stuff. Fun chat, you may find something interesting here whether a maker or collector. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Ricky Ray and Neal Punchard join us to talk Boker history and walk us through the timeline laid out in their book - Boker: Two Centuries and Two Countries Representing One Name in Cutlery Excellence. 150 years of cutlery is quite a haul, so there's plenty for us to talk about to better understand the Boker family and the complex history of this brand. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Just in time for America's Independence Day, we bring you a new picks episode, dedicated to what is probably the knife most synonymous with America. Regardless how you pronounce it, this one's a googler (yeah, we made that word up), you'll want your search engine handy or hit the Facebook group for pics of some of these great knives from great makers. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Mark, Sean and Tom chat about Blade Show 2021 and some of Tom's experiences and goodies from the show. Always great to see friends and makers we enjoy winning awards so we spend a few minutes talking about some of the great custom pieces that makers brought to Blade this year. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

We've talked in previous episodes about Dave Brown's work under his mark Vasana Bladeworks, and this time Dave took the time to chat with us about his life and his work. Great insights into his background, this knifemaking process and why his work covers lots of territory and multiple genres. Dave was a pleasure to chat with, we think you'll enjoy the conversation. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.