Mark of the Maker
Arts & Culture Podcasts
Mark of the Maker is a panel discussion with renowned custom knife makers Tom Krein, Sean Kendrick and Michael Burch, and hosted by Mark Stheiner. The format is much like a group of friends sitting around in The Pit at Blade Show, talking knives - a...
Location:
United States
Description:
Mark of the Maker is a panel discussion with renowned custom knife makers Tom Krein, Sean Kendrick and Michael Burch, and hosted by Mark Stheiner. The format is much like a group of friends sitting around in The Pit at Blade Show, talking knives - a look at life from the perspective of the maker as well as the collector. Covering broader topics such as tactical knife history, trends, industry commentary and influences of social media, as well as conversations with other knifemakers, collectors and notable figures in and around the custom knife world. Music: "noir guitar" by Stevie's Amp Shack, from the Free Music Archive, CC BY 4.0
Twitter:
@markofmaker
Language:
English
Website:
http://www.markofthemaker.com/
Email:
info@markofthemaker.com
Episodes
Episode 153: David Ellis of Exquisite Knives
4/12/2026
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.
Duration:01:23:47
Episode 152: Jim Wirth Pt.2
3/29/2026
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.
Duration:01:16:38
Episode 151: Jim Wirth Pt.1
3/15/2026
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.
Duration:01:16:19
Episode 150: Fighters II
3/1/2026
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.
Duration:02:06:44
Episode 149: Sean's Afterschool Fighter Special
2/15/2026
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.
Duration:01:11:30
Episode 148: Fighters I
2/1/2026
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.
Duration:01:48:55
Episode 147: Tyler Holden
1/18/2026
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.
Duration:01:47:00
Episode 146: Season 9 Kickoff
1/4/2026
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.
Duration:01:02:20
Episode 145: 2025 Holiday Picks
12/21/2025
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.
Duration:02:08:12
Episode 144: What are you listening to?
12/7/2025
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.
Duration:01:28:16
Episode 143: Rob Baptie
11/23/2025
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.
Duration:02:17:27
Episode 142: Blade West 2025 Recap
11/9/2025
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.
Duration:01:13:46
Episode 141: Halloween Monster Picks
10/26/2025
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.
Duration:02:00:58
Episode 140: Isaac at Springfield EDC
10/12/2025
We sit down with Isaac Roessler 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.
Duration:01:31:52
Episode 139: Three Card Monte
9/28/2025
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.
Duration:01:44:57
Episode 138: Giant Mouse Jubilee Wrap-Up
9/14/2025
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.
Duration:01:21:03
Episode 137: PNWCI 2025 Recap
8/31/2025
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.
Duration:01:59:10
Episode 136: Mike Moran
8/17/2025
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.
Duration:01:58:58
Episode 135: Mike Franklin Pt.2
8/3/2025
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.
Duration:02:04:36
Episode 134: Mike Franklin Pt.1
7/20/2025
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.
Duration:01:26:57