Mark of the Maker

This is part two of our interview with Derrick Obatake of Steel Flame. We talk about the challenges that creative people face in business, the real root and meaning behind "HGR," the origins of the Killbox, and Derrick's own journey into knifemaking. A great wrap-up to a fantastic interview that will hit hard with people who create things for a living. Check out our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

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.