The Good Ol' Blades Podcast

Arguably R.W. Loveless is one of, if not the most influential knife maker and designer in the last century. Bob's designs are some of the most copied and reproduced in the market today, and you can see his impact on knife making in a majority of knives made as well.

Bob was an enigmatic man, as notable for his generosity as his tantrums, and those who knew him personally either loved, loathed, or did business out of love and trepidation.

It's hard to decouple the man, the myth, the legend of Bob Loveless from the personality, but I think that's why I needed to talk to John Denton about his long relationship with Bob, his dad J.W. Denton's legacy in business, and John's personal history of collecting. With Bob passing away in 2010, John is the closest we get to the horses mouth, as he and his father not only were close to Bob, but were the foremost collectors and dealers for his work. Today, John still deals in Loveless knives, and has handled probably more pieces of his shops work than anyone on earth.

You can find available knives and John's book on Bob Loveless on his Website. 

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Aaron Lawvere: Website, Instagram
Podcast: Instagram

I find that every time I talk to the old guard of knifemaker, how fortunate I am to be in a time where knowledge is so accessible.

For the pioneers in custom and handmade knives, every ounce of knowledge could be attributes to an egregious amount of "want to", in order to get anything done.

For the OG knifemaker that's stood the test of time like Jim Sornberger, that want to has been married with an undying passion for knives and art, that's managed to weather a lot of storms since the 70s.

Probably best known for his California gold rush period style, San Francisco dress knives, canes and native gold and quartz work, Jim has carried a legacy of an aesthetic that could have easily died out had it not been for him, and a few like him.

Additionally, Jim has been a bastion of supporting the craft through his historical research, documentation and education for the better part of 50 years. Magazines, books, video, social media, podcasts, he's adopted whatever medium he can to breath renewed life into the craft, and that's why I wanted to talk to him so much.

We all as knifemakers take for granted the information we can get on learning how to make things, but we often forget that context of information matters a lot, and someone line Jim, even for growing older, has a mind like a steel trap for details.

You can find Jim's extraordinary work on his Website, and some of his writing archive for Knife Magazine on their Website, as well as the writeup to his induction into The Cutlery Hall of Fame on Blade Magazine's Website.

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Aaron Lawvere: Website, Instagram
Podcast: Instagram

The world of knives has taken me down a lot of rabbit holes, which I just consider paths to a destination I'm not aware of yet.

On the road to understanding the universe, I stumbled into Matt Martin, knife maker at Vehement Knives.

I've had Matt on the podcast before, but in a much earlier stage, where I think he was just doing me favor to help give the show street cred, but it turned into great conversation, a deeper understanding of him, and I'm eternally thankful.

He's been a constant companion to me as I figure out how I want to heighten the experience of the podcast, and his critiques have helped make the show what it is.

Like layers of an onion, on the exterior, you may see a pierced and tatted dude who is unapproachable, but if you spend a little bit of time to deconstruct him, you'll realize he's animated, full of life, and has a big heart. If you're willing to go the extra mile, you'll see the true gem he is, and the deep thinking that drives his push of the craft.

I can't even say that Matt and I are peers, his skill and attention to detail is immaculate, and I admire everything he does. We're friends, which is more important to me, and I get to sit down and talk to him about a lot of esoteric topics within knives, staying motivated, thinking creatively, and discussing some of the many plagues that afflict the knife making industry, on this episode.

You can find Matt's work through Vehement Knives on his Website, Facebook, and Instagram.

Text me your feedback, suggestions or recommendations!

Aaron Lawvere: Website, Instagram
Podcast: Instagram

I think sometimes it's easy to look at successful people and think that it was a gift, miracle or privilege that got them where they are.

But for every success we see as outsiders looking in, there were thousands of mistakes, roadblocks and discouragements that got between that person and their success.

The ones who make it into the stream of our consciousness forced their way into it, like salmon running against a great current.

Princeton Wong, his wife Mimi and his beautiful children are what I see when I follow Prince Customs. Maybe I'm a sucker for a backstory, but Princeton and his support system spur him on to take failure on the chin, and innovate, and that's exactly what he does every day to create works of functional art inside of knives, and the CNC industry.

We sit down and talk about his journey to get to where he is today on this episode.

You can find Princeton and his work on his website, Instagram and Facebook.

Text me your feedback, suggestions or recommendations!

Aaron Lawvere: Website, Instagram
Podcast: Instagram

Lewis Carroll once wrote “One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth the doing is what we do for others.” I can't imagine a more fitting way to identify what Bruce Voyles surely discovered at an early age. Sure, a life in knives and his passion for it has garnered him his own freedoms and success, but much like Carroll, Bruce has used his words and life energy to paint for us the most glorious picture of how the knife world could be, and through an immense work ethic, he's turned his imagination into reality. If you take the time to listen and really tie things together, you'll find that Bruce has been at the helm of a lot of the greatest contributions inside of knifemaking in the last 50 years. If you enjoy the world of knives we live in today, you get to hear it from one of the architects. As eloquent and prolific as Bruce is in written word, I pale, and pay homage. But I hope you all get to know him as I know him now, and hear an incredible story of his life journey within knives, along with the titans that helped to build it.

You can find Bruce's auctions on his Website, find his writing in Knife Magazine, and also read his recently published novels on Amazon under Vengeance Creek, The Carolyn Factor: A Max Kugar Thriller, and Storyville Sirens: A Novel of New Orleans

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Aaron Lawvere: Website, Instagram
Podcast: Instagram

Knives run deep in America as the quintessential companion of the avid outdoorsman, working man and woman, boy and girl, every day carrier, and collector alike. In the early 70's, the emergence of The Knifemakers' Guild and American Bladesmith Society captured a boom of handmade knifemakers in America, and with it, came the American Blade magazine, edited by Blackie Collins.

In 1982, after being purchased by Jim Parker and Bruce Voyles, the name was changed to Blade, and within it's first few years under the helm of Bruce Voyles, saw the early stages of what we now know as Bladeshow.

Additionally, Blade established a Cutlery Hall of Fame to honor living knifemakers for their extraordinary contributions to the craft.

Prior to its sale in 1994, Steve Shackleford was the editor of Blade Magazine and has maintained that position for over 30 years.

He's contributed not only to the shaping of knives in America, but around the world through his influence in print, shows and coordination.

Steve is the first to call out all of the extraordinary contributors that make Blade Magazine, Blade Show, and the industry as a whole work, and I got to sit down with him and talk about his humble beginnings in publication, hot tips and advice for the knifemaker, his prognosis for where the industry is going, and to talk about Bladeshow Atlanta 2024.

You can find Steve Shackleford's books on Blade Magazine's website.

Text me your feedback, suggestions or recommendations!

Aaron Lawvere: Website, Instagram
Podcast: Instagram

Knife makers, as much as they can be celebrities within our industry, are often not well known outside of it. With tens of millions of people seeing him judge on Forged in Fire over the last 9 years of the show, J. Neilson has reached meteoric attention in the public eye, is a household name, and you may think that all of that attention would go to a guy's head. For J, It hasn't. He's one of the most humble guys, with a great sense of humor, and is a superb mastersmith to boot. Shelley and J make a great team, and Shelley's work in knives and being a companion and champion of J's, has also foisted her into the public eye. Making some great knives herself, it's no wonder why they work well together. She is a smart cookie, accomplished nurse, and a very kind soul. I always wonder how individuals can remain so humble and attentive in the sight of so many changing events, but like a blade that's forged out of adversity and necessity, so too are people forged by life and circumstance, and sometimes they come out beautiful. J and Shelley are those kind of folks.

You can find J.Neilson on his Instagram posting up regularly, and find his work on his Website. Obviously you can watch Forged in Fire with him on it. :) You can also find Shelley on her Instagram. 

Text me your feedback, suggestions or recommendations!

Aaron Lawvere: Website, Instagram
Podcast: Instagram

There are few luxuries in life like sharing heartfelt time with friends and family. Even more seldom is when your children connect with you on something, and share your passion and intrigue. I've been blessed that to some extent, all of our children have been interested in knives and knife culture, and championed the work I'm doing myself. We all play a role in how this business operates, and I love that about us. I got to sit down with illustrious Paul Lusk in this two part series, and talk about his journey in knives and his work in knife education, with our youngest daughter - probably the biggest fan of the podcast. Paul was a great sport, and Sissy did great through her nervousness, which will forever be a cherished experience for me.

You can check out Paul's work on Facebook, Website, and enjoy his knifemaking instructional classes on his Website and Facebook.

Text me your feedback, suggestions or recommendations!

Aaron Lawvere: Website, Instagram
Podcast: Instagram

There's a culture inside of knives, and especially knife shows, where we all seem to be fans of our fellow knifemakers. We can meet a knifemaker for the first time, and feel like we're old friends. We can sit and geek out on sometimes the smallest aspects of knives, and fill hours with each other. Companionship, camaraderie, and mutual respect feed great conversations, and build lifelong friendships. Evan Nicolaides is one of those people that is really easy to like.  He's a wealth of knowledge, tries new things all the time, and is willing to push his fellow makers to do the same. He's also just a phenomenal knifemaker, and pushes the envelope on Sheffield era cutlery recreation, and well....everything else he touches. It was great to get to talk to him on this immersive episode of the podcast, where we just talk and admire other maker's work too.

Check out Evan on social media with his Facebook, Instagram and Website. 

Text me your feedback, suggestions or recommendations!

Aaron Lawvere: Website, Instagram
Podcast: Instagram

I've had the honor to speak with some of the greatest living knifemakers on this podcast, and pick their brains about their craftsmanship and creativity in the industry. But with all things, I try to expand the collective consciousness of my listeners, and my guest Michael Janich very much does the same with everyone he comes in contact with. As the brain behind Martial Blade Concepts and as Special Projects Coordinator at Spyderco, Michael combines his deep level of knowledge on edged-weapons and their use within martial arts and self protection with real world and intimate utilization of blades, designs, and how to effectively utilize them for protection. I feel that feeds into how we as makers contend with purpose build blades, and as we deconstruct conflict and the thought process around how one should think of blades as tools of defense, I hope you can grasp the benefit Michael has given us in taking so much time to discuss his philosophy and thoughts. 

Text me your feedback, suggestions or recommendations!

Aaron Lawvere: Website, Instagram
Podcast: Instagram