The Good Ol' Blades Podcast

Alex Harrison from Night Watch Knives is a constant companion of mine, in that we commiserate about knives, a lot. There's always some new challenge, problem, or idea that forces us to put on our thinking caps, and he's a go-to for me to get feedback, especially the brutally honest kind. That's what I like about him. Alex is constantly evolving, and whether its days, weeks or months in between chit chats, I always fi...

In probably my most ambitious attempt at a show, I sat down with not one, but SIX knifemakers, who are also Texans, at the Lost Pines Knife Show, to talk about knives. Though most would expect the punchline of "What do you get when you put six Texans in a room together?" to be "a lot of blah blah how great Texas is", what I got was a very humble, proud and thoughtful group of makers that yes, love our great stat...

It's said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and especially in knives, ones ability to garner the eye of the community, is sometimes intrinsic to the knife design itself. Whether you appreciate art for the sake of itself, or consider functional art such as Keanison Knives' creations that way, it's really up to you. For me, I have spent quite a bit of time ogling Bryan and Will's work, and marveling at ho...

I've thought a lot about how to speak of my experience with Grace in a way that is not just fanboy'ish, but I find myself coming up short while writing, every time. The reality is, Grace Horne represents a rare breed of artisan that just...inspires. It's not just her knife and scissor work that fascinates me, but her entire outlook on life and her innate ability to make you feel at home speaking to her. Maybe it&apos...

In 1982, Bruce Voyles and Jim Parker did something spectacular - they started Blade Show. Bruce and Jim co-owned Blade Magazine at the time, and decided to start a show that was originally advertised as 'The Blade Magazine 1982 Knife Show', per Steve Shackleford in a May 25, 2021 online article for Blade Magazine. Within a few short years, Bladeshow became the largest knife show ever, and as they say, the rest is history....

I'm reminded constantly of the duality of the human condition within knives. As diverse as the knifemaking community is, at it's core, we all share a common bond, not of knives, but of our experiences that lead us to create, knifes being the creative medium we choose. This is no truer than for Tony Severio, a real Louisiana renaissance man. Whether it's his humble beginnings in the bayous, his vast experience in the ...

In the landscape of knifemakers, Texas boasts some of the most mystical craftsman within knives today. But, for early makers like Johnny Stout, Texas wasn't always the place to be if you wanted to easily learn how to make them. Given Johnny's rise to the top of the ladder in art and fine folding knives, you might be surprised to know the humble beginnings he came from. As a maker of over 40 years, Johnny has achieved the ...

It's a pleasure to sit down and talk to people you admire, and who encourage you through things that you are passionate about. I wouldn't be exactly where I'm at if it wasn't for that attention, from a charismatic, patient and thoughtful person like Gary Langley. Gary lives and makes knives in Dumas, Texas, a stones throw away from Oklahoma and New Mexico, and along with making knives, he's also an avid pho...

In the craft of blades, you encounter some enigmatic creatures that knock your socks off, and this maker is one of them! Spencer Aplin of STA Custom Knives and The Stag Depot talks to me about his style of blades, artistry, pedagogy, and his journey through knives. 

• Spencer and I talk about how we got to know each other better through my child at a knife show
• He then talks about makers who've influenced him
• We talk ...

It's days that I get to shoot the bull with people like this that my mind is really provoked. I got to talk to knife maker, motorcycle enthusiast, musician, artist, husband, dad, and grandpa, Nick Huff. Nick is a knifemaker out of Fort Worth, Texas, and I've known him going on five years now. We sit down to talk knives, lives, motorcycles, music, and more!

• We talk some about social media presence, and the com...

I had the opportunity to talk to Bill Roden, a long time knife collector, recent knifemaker out of Northlake, Texas. 

• Bill shares his early life, career and getting into knife collecting
• He also shares collecting GEC knives, Tom Krein, and Chris Taylor
• Bill talks about his first experiences in making knives
• We talk about Bill's essential tremors and knifemaking with a disability
• Bill shares his use of the Moen Tooling...

I had the pleasure to talk to renowned ABS Mastersmith, inventor and re-inventor of numerous forging and knifemaking techniques, and all around charismatic guy, Steve Schwarzer. 

• We talk about knife history, tribal knowledge, and steel technology over time
• Steve and I talk about the ABS test process, cross-disciplinary knowledge, and functional testing and heat treating
• Steve talks about his early experiences in mosaic d...

I got to talk to a cool knowledgable dude named Trip Miller, a collector and aficionado of pocket knives, especially slipjoints, and we talk about his start in knife collecting, and some of his thoughts around the knife market, and collecting industry as a whole.

• We talk pricing handmade knives, collection price & value points
• We also talk about market share, and maker growth path investment
• We discuss after-market p...

I got to talk to a cool knowledgable dude named Trip Miller, a collector and aficionado of pocket knives, especially slipjoints, and we talk about his start in knife collecting, and some of his thoughts around the knife market, and collecting industry as a whole.

• Trip talks a little about what got him into collecting early on
• We talk about how awesome Dave Nemerson is
• Trip and I discuss the importance of investing in the...

I got to talk to rising star Bobby House about a lot of things, including his slipjoint making, being part of the South Texas Slipjoint Cartel, and of course, got to learn a lot about him as a person.

• Bobby talks about his ranching experience, moving to Pleasanton, and his work in the oil field
• We talk hunting, fishing and country living
• Bobby shares what got him into knifemaking
• We talk about his affiliation with the Slipjoint Car...

I had the pleasure of sitting down recently with Journeyman Smith and tradesman Brad Jansen, to learn about his endeavors within the American Bladesmith Society, his work in slipjoints, and tooling creation. 

• Brad tells us a little of his career, start in the trades, and interest in hunting, fishing and knives
• He also talks about getting into the ABS, and the journey to JS
• We talk about some of the specifics of how to ge...