Full Blast

Description:  Jesse Savage of Savage Forge returns to talk about the past. Jesse is one of my good friends and is not only a great blacksmith, but is a wealth of knowledge on the history of blacksmithing, anvils and an instructor at The Center for Metal Arts. He’s also a founding member of the 7 blue ribbon championship forging team “The Modern Forge”.  We had a great time catching up about our ti...

Aaron Gough of Gough Customs returns to talk about the future. Aaron is a knifemaker who’s direction is very tied into technology and CNC, I wanted to compare and contrast our specific directions and it was fun. We talked about the future of making, “the singularity” and what the hell “Post Scarcity” is. Its always fun catching up with Aaron who’s a huge influence on many  knifemakers with some of...

It’s very rare when I get to record a podcast from anywhere but my shop; I’m usually speaking to a guest remotely from the comfort of my Jeep recording booth. I had the honor of teaching a weekend workshop at The Center for Metal Arts in Johnstown, PA and after having the pleasure of podcasting with CMA’s executive director Pat Quinn before, it seemed appropriate to bring a travel mic and get some...

Ben Paik has a fascinating story. Growing up a popular kid in a rural town in Korea, his parents immigrated to California where Ben had to figure out how to start over in an American High School speaking little to no English. It wasn’t easy. What lead him to being a maker is a tale of redemption and reclamation of human spirit. Finding used and broken skateboards as the material of choice, Ben glu...

Lin Rhea is a Master Bladesmith from Prattsville, Arkansas and one of the most innovative knife makers in the game today. After years as a Bladesmith and earning the ABS ‘Master’ designation he became very involved with the Historic Arkansas Museum as the Resident Blacksmith. The nature of the position gave him access to research about classic blacksmithing techniques, which lead him to the doorst...

THE DOWNWARD SPIRAL RIDES AGAIN!!! If you’re reading this and wondering: “What is this all about?” Stop everything and go back through the Archives of The Full Blast Podcast and listen to the previous eps labeled “Downward Spiral”.  Over 12 years ago Niko Tavernise (Hollywood set photographer to the stars) and I started a podcast called the ‘Downward Spiral’ where we would catch up in the first ha...

If you ask most people in the knife making community to create a list of influential contemporary bladesmiths, it’s hard for me to believe Salem Straub wouldn’t be high in the mix. His style and execution of complicated mosaic, Damascus knives are easily recognizable for the crisp contrasts, intricate patterns and thoughtful decisions. The multi pattern construction also gives purpose to the compo...

My friend Derek from Malden is one of the kindest people I’ve met. He’s a maker in Massachusetts who came into his own later in life after recuperating from an injury, when his son suggested he watch DIY videos on Youtube. The story of how he met Jimmy Diresta, struck up a friendship and activated something in him he wasn’t sure he had has now lead him to being on a new Netflix Show called “Making...

James Fleming is a US Army combat Veteran who is now a full time Bladesmith in Iowa. We had an interesting conversation starting off talking about how our upbringing and relationships with our parents influence our parenting now. We touched on James’s early days leading him into military service and the difficult transition into civilian life and ultimately becoming a Bladesmith. James has a front...

Description:  Joe Maynard is a retired Army Helicopter who has served his country proudly for 20 years. After finding the love of knife making at a tough time in his life Joe helps others and gives back by traveling around in his mobile forge to show people how knife making can be a rewarding pursuit. We talked about his time flying and made the connections between his former life in the army and...

Stephanie Hoffman is an accomplished welder, instructor, and the face of the American Welding Society. She has a fabrication shop on the Jersey Shore, where she grew up called Underground Metalworks; and it didn’t all come without a price. The beginning of her welding career wasn’t easy as she faced obstacles that she had to overcome; she was overlooked and not welcome in an industry that she love...

Keith Mitchell is a woodworker who studied boatbuilding and learned the traditional way of boat design to become a Shipwright. His experience at school, learning these classic techniques informed his methodology and changed the way he views being a craftsman. The preparation of timber as well as the calculation and prediction of steam bending wood perfectly has very parallel philosophies to blacks...

My buddy John Erianne, AKA @sunsetforgenj on instagram, came in for a catch up which is always fun. We talked a lot about hammer making and what’s the right hammer for you. We also decided which styles hammer are overrated, underrated and perfectly rated. It is crazy to me the general public has very little understanding of how people who forge see hammers as tools of creativity as opposed to dest...

Jessie Uyeda is one of my favorite people to talk to and it’s a great omen to start the year strong with this champion on the podcast. We talked about what she’s working on out in Joshua Tree, her approach to her Youtube channel and what “Toil ASMR” is. I really appreciate Jessie’s perspective on things and just listening to her views on life, Alec Baldwin and the state of social media. Thanks for...

Josh Radnor is an Actor, Director, singer/songwriter and my Kenyon College classmate. You may know him from his films ‘Happythankyoumoreplease’ & ‘Liberal Arts’ or as Lonny Flash on the Amazon series ‘Hunters’ and of course as Ted Mosby on the smash CBS sitcom ‘How I Met Your Mother’. I know him from 3rd floor McBride, the freshman year dormitory we lived in at Kenyon College. This was an extr...

I wanted to originally call this episode “The Full Blast New Year’s Show with Noah Vachon”, but we really just had a good time talking and catching up it didn’t matter that it was the end of the year. When you talk to Noah Vachon, it’s a totally easy and engaging conversation that the “end of the year wrap up” plans were thrown out the window; so is that goofy title. Noah graciously returned to th...

Everyone’s favorite lunatic, Fingal Ferguson is back to hang out with me on a Christmas episode. We talked food and life on Gubeen, the family farm during this high octane food holiday. Fingal is fantastic and the time soared as we recounted our own Christmas stories and life in general. FF has an open door policy and we had some nice words for our beautiful and talented Maker community on this jo...

Alex Pole is a Blacksmith and published author of the beautiful cookbook: ‘The Forge Kitchen’ and his newest book: ‘Blacksmith: Apprentice to Master’. We had an awesome time catching up and talking about both books which really captures Alex’s voice. The Cookbook is beautifully shot with each recipe created by a chef that is inspired by cookware from Alex’s shop The Forge. Using forged steel to co...

Niko Tavernise your friendly neighborhood set photographer returns for another installment of “The Downward Spiral Podcast”. DSP is a podcast Niko and I started 10+ years ago and now when he’s free we bring back the days of talking about our lives sprinkled with stories of mankind’s depravity and finding the humor in it. (Definitely check out the previous episodes in the Full Blast archives) This...

Pat Quinn is the Executive Director of Center for Metal Arts in Johnstown PA and has returned to the podcast in time to talk about the release of the new 2022 classes available at CMA. Besides talking about the school we had an engaging conversation about forging, sculpture and what Pat is focusing on in his life’s work. The eloquence and passion Pat exudes is inspiring and makes you want to spark...

This is the second annual Black Friday Special with 2 of my favorite people. Jonathan Porter of Doghouse Forge and Ben Snure Return for Cowboy Talk, the current price of Rattle Snake Antidote and the shocking origin of everyone’s favorite insult and obscenity. My favorite part of radio growing up were shows that went on during a holiday so these are my favorite podcasts to do. Ben and Jonathan are...

Brian House is a maker who sold his computer business to put all his efforts into his new Grinder Business: Housemade Industrial. Home of the Revolution Project. He’s also a knifemaker, YouTuber and host of the Work For It Podcast on the Makers Network. We had a great time when he first came on and I’m glad he made it back. We talked about a lot of things and had a fun time as always. I’m fascinat...

At the age of 19, Josh Smith was the youngest person to get the Mastersmith designation from the American Bladesmith Society. Now he is the President of Montana Knife Company, one of the fastest growing production knife companies in the United States. The ground swell of support in the hunting world is a testament to the belief people have in Josh and the person that he is. Knife drops selling out...

Steve Pellegrino is a knifemaker and owner of Pellegrino Cutlery in Philadelphia. We had a great conversation meandering around in his early love for rocketry and what it’s like having Jimmy Diresta as a professor at the School of Visual Arts. From starting a stage fabrication shop in New Jersey to being an Apprentice at a straight Razor company in Portland, Steve has seen a lot and has had his sh...

Tomer Bother and his wife Noam created the iconic company Florentine Kitchen Knives and have solidified themselves as having one of the most recognizable designs in the custom knife world.  The lines, colors and design decisions didn’t come from no where. Tomer’s days in industrial design school gave him the foundation of considering the important direction in product design: ‘Form follows Functio...