Mark of the Maker

Sean and Mark dive into another Influences episode, this time about the Punisher Comics and specifically the short Punisher Armory series. These were a big influence on Sean and we spend some time talking about the knife-related content in these comics and the artist Eliot R. Brown. Fascinating stuff and what reads like a love letter from Eliot about the state of the art of knives and gear of the era. Hope you enjoy it! Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Mark continues his knife road trip adventure with a visit to Randall Made Knives in Orlando, Florida.  This was a special treat as he was able to walk through the Randall Museum with Jason Randall, who shared some fantastic detail and insight behind some of the knives in this truly vast collection.  Historical pieces, Randall oddities, ethnic knives, and of course the iconic knives that supported the early US Space program.  It was a pleasure, Jason and Caroline Randall were fantastic hosts.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Mark heads out on the road and makes a visit ot our friends and sponsors, Arizona Custom Knives.  In the first segment, he chats with Andrew McMichael, Director of Consignment Sales about a crazy selection of knives from their inventory.  Some fantastic pieces, from historic to art, to tactical and more.  In the second half Mark and Henry Hyman talk about the history of AZCK and how it became the juggernaut knife business that it is today.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

The four of us chat about some recent shows, Blade Texas and the New Orleans Custom Knife Invitational.  Tom shares his experiences in Texas and the great list of stuff he brought back home.  Michael gives us some insight into the NOCKI show and the new venue.  We talk knives, projects, and some insight on a couple upcoming episodes of Mark of the Maker.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Mark and Michael have a chat with purveyor, collector and Mastersmith knifemaker David Ellis of Exquisite Knives to talk about his knifemaking journey, collecting and some of the fantastic makers represented in his inventory and in his own collection.  Dave's story is unique in that he's an ABS Mastersmith who achieved that rank for his own reasons and has a journey with knives and making that is different from many others.  It was a great conversation and one we hope you'll enjoy.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

This is Part 2 of Mark's chat with Jim Wirth from Giant Mouse Knives.  We talk knives, watches, and one of Jim's hobbies - metal detecting.  His collection is fantastic and he's got some great stories about why he loves metal detecting and what he has done with some of the things he's found over the years.  Super fun conversation, hope you enjoy it.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Here's another in our growing series of live on-site interviews.  This one's with Jim Wirth, one of the founders of Giant Mouse Knives.  Jim came into the knife world as a collector of many things before he, Jesper Voxnaes and Jens Anso launched Giant Mouse.  His story is a good one as Jim has been smitten by the collecting bug across a pretty huge variety of things.  Hope you enjoy this chat, this is Part 1 of our conversation with Jim.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

We're back with Part II of our deep dive into Fighting Knives!  This time around we all make picks for Dagger, Art or Ceremonial and Anything Goes.  This one, like most picks episodes, is one where we'll each have companion posts in our Facebook group to help guide you along.  Some fantastic pieces in here, from ancient to recent and everything in between.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Sean had some special fighting knives he wanted to talk about in light of our recent deep dive into Part I of Fighting Knives, so he got together with Mark and Michael to have a look together.  Some great pieces in here and with some interesting history to boot.  Late in the episode, Burch takes us on another quick trip through the BudK reviews of some fighters.  As always, check our Facebook group for a visual companion to our picks for this fun episode.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Join us for a discussion about one of our favorite styles of knife:  The Fighter!  What makes a fighter?  What fighters really get us spun up?  Give this one a listen and you'll find out.  We had so much fun with this, it's going to be a multi-part adventure.  Be sure to check our Facebook group for a visual companion to our picks for this fun episode.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Our buddy Tyler Holden sat down with us to talk about his life and his collecting journey.  Tyler brings an interesting perspective that we think you'll find insightful.  Like many, his interests have evolved over the years and you eventually find your niche and your people.  Give it a listen when you have a moment, and we hope you find it as enjoyable as we did when we recorded together.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

It's the start of Season 9 for Mark of the Maker so we look back a bit at 2025, talk about some challenges we all faced and then look forward to 2026 and our goals for the new year.  2025 was kind of a rollercoaster!  We dig into shows, touch on trends, and chat about plans for where we all plan to be this year.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

We wind out the last of Season 8 with a Holiday Picks episode, as we often do.  Four categories, three picks each, and lots of laughs as well as some amazing knives to check out.  Some are stinkers, some are gems but all will likely make you say "oh yeahhhh" or "oh no..."  Hope you have as much fun listening to this one as we did recording it.  Thanks for riding with us for another season, stay tuned for more in Season 9!  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

If there's one thing that knifemakers consume faster than candy or gas station burritos, it's audio content. Many like music, others prefer to fill their earholes with audiobooks or podcasts. This time we nerd out over audiobook selections as well as a few podcasts to the guys are enjoying and use as a tool to help stay focused on their work in the shop. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Our buddy "Farmer" Rob Baptie of The HateDust Project found a few minutes to sit with us and chat about his knife collecting journey, the origins of the project and its evolution. Rob and his wife Andrea have generated over $2.5 million in charitable funding for a huge array of causes over the last 10+ years. If there's one thing we're even bigger fans of than knives, it's people being good to other people, so it was high time for Rob to join us and reminisce for a minute. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Mark and Sean sit with Tom to hear about his experience at Blade Show West 2025.  Pretty eventful weekend for Tom, winning Best MAC Knife and some cool stuff that he brought home with him. Join us to hear more about the show and whether you may want to add it to your schedule next year.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

For this year's Halloween episode, we put together a picks episode about what you'd use to battle a monster (or monsters!) from the movie of your choice.  As usual, we each went in a little different direction with our picks but we have a great time doing so.  We'll share photos or links to our picks in the Mark of the Maker Facebook Group.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

We sit down with Isaac Roesler to learn more about his adventure in starting a knife and EDC shop in Springfield, Missouri.  Springfield EDC has been around for a few years now and Isaac shares some insight into what it took to get this business rolling and what it's like trying to launch a brick & mortar knife shop today.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

We managed to get the whole crew back together for a picks episode, each finding three knives with "wildcard" as the only rule.  Some of us made predictable picks, but some took the wildcard assignment seriously and colored far outside their usual lines.  Super fun one and some gems we found, so watch our FB group or have your search engine warmed up!  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Mark and Sean recap their participation in the Giant Mouse Grand Opening and 10 Year Jubilee.  We talk about the event and share some clips from discussions with some friends at the event.  It was a great time, the folks at GMK know how to host a fine party.  Big thanks to the GMK team for providing us a space at the Jubilee and for the hospitality!  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Mark, Tom and Sean recap the 2025 Pacific Northwest Custom Invitational show.  Mark and Tom recorded a bunch of clips from the show floor so this one's got lots of great interviews and fun stuff inside.  It's a great show, be sure to check it out next year!  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Traditional pocketknife maker Mike Moran joins us to talk about his work, about moving a shop across the country, and about his podcast and knife show he's hosting.  We had a fun chat, and covered lots of territory.  Give it a listen to learn more about this great maker.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Here's Part 2 of Sean's interview with his friend and mentor, Mike Franklin of HAWG Knives. Such a great conversation, this one digs deep into the world of knifemaking and Mike's position at the center of a seemingly innumerable number of critical points along the path of tactical knives and their emergence on the scene. Sit back and enjoy more of Mike's story and his incredibly interesting journey. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

This time around we bring you Part 1 of Sean's interview with his friend and mentor, Mike Franklin of HAWG Knives.  Mike shares some great stories from the earlier part of his life and his own personal journey.  Super interesting insights and Mike is a great storyteller.  Give it a listen, this is a special one for Sean.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

As we talked in the Blade 2025 Wrap-Up show, we took a second swing at it and this time we get into the Blade Show 2025 Custom Knife Awards! There are some amazing pieces and details to check out. Definitely join our Facebook group and we'll try to put up a companion post with links to all of the very talented makers we discuss. Really outstanding pieces all around. We also talk about Tom's pile of goodies he brought home from the show, needless to say we're all a little jealous. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

We're chatting with Tom Krein and special guest Jarrod Franklin to give you the inside scoop on Blade Show Atlanta 2025. Tom and Jarrod share their thoughts on this year's show prep, the coolest things they saw, what they picked up, the Blade Show Knife of the Year awards, and a whole bunch more. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

The crew chats on a topic that is near and dear to Sean's heart - Knives in Music.  This one is a picks episode that goes in a few directions, which is very on-brand for us.  Some of these are specific knives, some are a style and some are actual physical knives related to music.  Eclectic?  That's us!  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

We managed to get the band back together to revisit an old favorite topic of ours - knives of the movies.  Some of you will remember Episode 10, wayyy back in 2018?  We take another run at this topic and make some picks of more cool knives from the world of the movies.  Super fun, and a few laughs along the way as usual.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Matthew Patton joins us for a wrap-up of the 2025 New Orleans Custom Invitational show.  We discuss the origins of the show and how the somewhat unique format works.  Michael gives us some insight into the knives he got together for this invitational and what he and his family's experience was like in New Orleans.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Mark and Sean chat with Tom about his experiences at Blade Show Texas 2025.  Tom's always got some great stories about his trip, the things he comes across at shows and what manages to find its way home with him.  Always a fun conversation.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Mark and Michael sit down with Sean to discuss his transition from a student to an adjunct instructor. Sean shares his experiences, the lessons he's learned, and insights into the growing demand for skilled trades professionals. A great chat we hope you'll enjoy as we continue our series on Sean's journey.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Season 8 seems crazy, but here we are!  We talk about what's happened since we wrapped Season 7, what we're looking forward to, and shows planned for the year.  There's even a stealth picks episode buried in here, talking about some great spots to find deals on some classic pieces.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

It's time to wrap up 2024 and Season 7!  We reflect a bit on the year, with its ups and downs and many changes.  Then we dive into a holiday picks segment with both price point gift picks, but also one focused on makers.  Fun discussion as always, and you'll want to have your Google Fingers ready to go enjoy some of these pieces - or just join us in our Facebook group at the link below, as we'll be sharing photos there.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

We sit and chat for a bit with "maker of things" Brian Fellhoelter.  From knives to pens, yo-yos to flashlights, Brian has just about made it all over the years.  We walk through his past, his meteoric rise to recognition in knifemaking, and on into other products in the EDC world.  An insightful conversation with Brian about his process and his mindset.  Join us in our Facebook group at the link below, interested to hear what YOU thought!  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Mark, Sean and Michael get together to talk about inspiration and how Sean takes some of his from both movies and books.  Good discussion about how some of these things impact Sean's work and how they're also applicable to life in general.  Mindset and more!  Share your thoughts on this with us in our Facebook group at the link below, interested to hear what YOU thought!  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Tom, Sean, and Michael share their top equipment picks for someone starting out in knifemaking. They cover a couple of price points and offer some helpful advice along the way. This episode is all about getting started as a maker and the tools you might want to consider.  Do you have other recommendations?  Be sure to share your thoughts with us in our Facebook group at the link below, interested to hear what YOU thought!  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Mark and Sean walk you through a group of sound clips and interviews from the floor of the PNWCI show in Seaside, Oregon.  Some great conversations with folks like Grace Horne, Lucas Burnley, Will Stelter and many others.  Makers share their thoughts on the show but we get off on some other tangents as well, talking business, passion, and upcoming projects.  Share your thoughts with us in our Facebook group at the link below, interested to hear what YOU thought!  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

We get together with Friends of The Show Nick Rolfe and Billy Cho to talk about their recent Pacific Northwest Custom Invitational show and how it went.  They share some great insight around what it takes to put on a show and how the PNWCI show has evolved over the last three years - what's gone well, what hasn't and their constant desire to improve the experience for makers and collectors.  Share your thoughts with us in our Facebook group at the link below, interested to hear what YOU thought!  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

As they say: Better late than never!  Mark, Tom and Michael talk about Blade Show 2024 and share some observations and overall perspective on how the show seemed to go this year.  We talk turnout, "feel" in the room and how things have changed in recent years.  Share your thoughts with us in our Facebook group at the link below, interested to hear what YOU thought!  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Sean and Mark get together with Jarrod Franklin of Gunfighter Customs.  Jarrod served in the USMC and started out building knives for those who serve and today builds customs in a variety of styles.  We talk about how he got started, his path through life and into knifemaking and some of the impacts his father Mike Franklin (of Hawg Knives) had on his love of knives from a very early age.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Designer, creator and Friend of The Show Andrew Bawidamann joins us for a chat about his work, how he got into knives, and how he found his way to what he's doing now.  Andrew's path is a unique one, from fashion to marketing, to his passion in art, and into knives, holsters, and The Doughboy. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Did you enjoy our previous episode about the weapons of Warhamer 40,000?  If so, here's another for you to check out - and if not, go back and listen to the first one!  Sean takes Mark and Tom on another journey into the grim darkness of the future, diving into the lore and some crazy weapons from that game and its massive ecosystem of accompanying literature.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Dive into a fresh picks episode with us!  For this one, we pull in some unusual or obscure pieces in a few different categories.  Obscure doesn't mean junk, just things we dug up from various dusty corners of the internet and our old knife books.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Tom and Mark chat about Tom's experience at Blade Texas 2024 and how that show went.  All accounts suggest Alicia and team did a great job so we talk details and walk through the awards presented at the show and some of the great makers who submitted pieces for consideration.  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 for a well-overdue visit to talk about his book The Story of Knife Steel: Innovators Behind Modern Damascus and Super Steels. It's a fantastic book and one you should add to your collection, with an incredibly deep and well-researched pile of information. Larrin walks us through some great stories about various steels and the people behind them. Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

We kick off our 7th (!!) season with a look back at shows, trends, and some things we came across that we really enjoyed.  There's also some talk about 2024 and what some of our hopes and aspirations look like for the coming year.  Be sure to share your own goals with us, we'd love to hear them.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Do you sometimes get cash from folks for the holidays?  We do, so we wrap up Season 6 with a picks episode with some things we might pick if we had some "gift yourself" money to spare.  Four price points and some gear we like.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

We sit down with top tier knifemaker Shane Sibert and talk knives and knifemaking.  Shane's journey and his knifemaking process is a little different than some others, but without question he's one of the modern greats and the knives that come out of his relatively basic shop are truly outstanding.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Do you like Military knives?  We sure do, so we put together this picks episode across a few different categories.  Fighting knives, bayonets and more.  We were left with a few questions, so if you know the answers, please reach out or join our FB group to discuss.  **Apologies in advance on this one for an audio issue that we were only able to partially resolve.  Find us at our Patreon and follow us on Instagram @markofthemaker or join our discussion group on Facebook for more conversation.

Those of you familiar with the Scagel story (and our podcast on the topic) will also be familiar with the book Scagel Handmade, written by Dr. James Lucie.  Dr. Lucie was not only the worlds foremost collector and expert on Scagel knives, but a truly interesting person and knifemaker in his own right.   His daughter Stephanie Lucie joins us to help tell her father's story and we walk together through her book "Dr. Jim Lucie: A Bladesmith's Life & Legacy."  We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did!