Mark of the Maker
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
Episodes
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 ...
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 co...
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 conversati...
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...
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 ...
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 @markofthe...
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 ...
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, inter...
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 Faceb...
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 ...
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 In...
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 jo...
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 @markofthe...
Popular Podcasts
Joyce Sapp, 76; Bryan Herrera, 16; and Laurance Webb, 32—three Miami residents whose lives were stolen in brutal, unsolved homicides. Cold Case Files: Miami follows award‑winning radio host and City of Miami Police reserve officer Enrique Santos as he partners with the department’s Cold Case Homicide Unit, determined family members, and the advocates who spend their lives fighting for justice for the victims who can no longer fight for themselves.
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.