Episode 12 - Being a “Maker” | with Special Guest Brandon Franklin

0:09

We're ready to go.

Welcome back to Faith and Frames.

We've got a guest but we're not going to introduce him yet because we've made mistakes there.

I would hate to have to holler at him.

Yeah, certainly don't want to tell him to shut up.

Oh, Dang, we can we censor that?

We've already got part of the cat out of the bag.

0:25

I agree.

All right, I'm going to hit you something.

OK, hit me.

This is.

You're gonna have to respond this is.

A Oh, it's a Yeah.

So it's not just rhetorical.

No.

OK, what?

What's the difference between Jesus and Pizza?

Dang, this one's deep.

0:42

Or I feel like it's deep.

What's the difference between Jesus and pizza?

Yeah, I honestly have no clue That's so, so far from each other on the spectrum.

Maybe not.

I mean, Jesus obviously inspired somebody to make pizza, which I'm very thankful for.

Hit me with the real answer though.

0:58

Jesus can't be topped.

I mean, I.

Don't want to get on the pizza discussion because there are crazy, psychotic people out there that think certain things belong on pizza.

Pineapple.

Being one of them.

Let I'm I'm honestly not even talking about that.

1:16

There's just some weird things that go on pizza.

I'm.

I'm fine with pineapple at times.

What?

At times I have to be in a super duper pineapple mood.

Pineapple is a cold fruit.

It does not belong on a hot.

Dish It's cold until you bake it at 450° with a wood fired kiln oven brother.

1:37

No, that's not what we're that's not what we're about here on Faith in Frames.

Oh, OK.

Another thing I want to talk about.

I guess I owe probably my whole family an apology, Speaking of transparency and apologies at something we like we.

Have a criminal record over the past four weeks on this?

1:52

This isn't.

A criminal record.

This is more so just like.

I I I.

Overstepped and so last night I was troubleshooting a toilet.

It was moving a little slow.

Ouch.

Don't know the exact cause, but you're automatically thinking obstructions.

2:09

Whatever.

Start with the plunger.

No love, no love.

So it's like, OK, we still got this slow trickle on the exodus of this porcelain bowl.

I then go downstairs in the basement just to make sure that it's not physically leaking out of the pipe.

2:26

I mean, I'm just trying to figure out the extent of this leak here.

You got to free up the flow.

Yeah, so I'm trying to figure this out.

I then go to another stage of the house where I know is past this.

So like I'm at the end of this line, I'm going down line just to make sure, like, OK, if this one flows well, then I know the obstruction is between here and there.

2:44

Just logical troubleshooting.

Very good thinking, Mr. Plummer.

What I'm doing here, Well, the frustration comes that I think maybe, maybe most husbands and dads probably can relate to.

It's like I'm just trying to troubleshoot this thing and I've got my wife asking, well, what are you doing now?

3:02

Well, what are you doing?

What are you going downstairs for?

I'm like OK First off, I'm just I get real frazzled when I'm troubleshooting things.

Well, you're in the zone at that point time, you're in the poo zone.

I immediately in the poo zone.

I immediately get shorter and like I just get quiet because I zone in.

3:22

And then secondarily it's like, OK, but what if I told you what I was even doing?

Would it make any sense to?

You understand the process.

Would you?

I mean, are you just trying to make conversation right now?

And I'm just not in a conversation mood like so it's like I I I was probably a little more hostile than I needed to be and so I would like to issue an apology.

3:39

But again, I'm.

I'm sitting here.

To your wife.

I'm just trying to figure out the direction of this.

Apology OK, OK if I.

Told you why I'm walking downstairs to look to make sure that the wax ring has not been breached and and it's just flowing out the bottom.

Would that make any sense to you?

Plot.

Twist any the wiser after me verbalizing what I'm doing.

3:57

Plot twist.

She's a master certified plumber, had the solution in her noggin already, and you were just delaying her process.

Sir, it's.

Possible.

Possible.

We'll never know.

It's just it's just a little nitpicky thing that I think probably most dads and husbands probably can relate to at some point.

4:12

Just.

Trying to increase the velocity of the wheeze and the poos?

Yeah, through your septics.

Again, I told Kara after the fact.

I was like, look, not saying this is related.

I'm just a guy who looks at the facts and the timeline here, not saying there's correlation.

4:28

Maybe it can be drawn, maybe it can't.

Facts are our daughter has now started to totally solo potty herself, and before we realized that she was not very good at judging the number of squares of toilet paper.

4:44

Well, she's just dialing it in, Just dialing it in.

Just dialing it in, sure that's a.

Way of saying it, you're going to make mistakes.

Also, she always used far too many squares.

Sometimes I do this.

Just like, look, all I'm saying is, on the timeline, we've got Reese, who's now learning to potty herself.

5:03

She's now doing probably way too many squares.

Actually, we've seen her do way too many squares, and now we have a plumbing issue in the toilet that she frequently uses.

Maybe there's correlation there, maybe there's not.

Maybe we should keep a better eye and maybe ration her squares a little bit.

5:18

I'm going to defend Reese a little bit because I don't think there's ever been a standardized system for the number of squares.

So I think it's very subjective and based per individual.

I'm just saying it could be, it could be until I see a standardized methodology across the board.

5:34

True.

And also standardized methodology with toilet paper.

Big toilet paper is is going on a rampage right now because you have some bags at the Sam's Club that say this has 463,000 sheets per roll.

You have another one says this one has 36 million sheets per roll.

5:50

I don't know what the actual system is.

I'm just guessing.

And aside from that, how many do I use?

Well.

There's no standardized system.

Big, big toilet paper, big TP is.

They've got us all.

There is a limit, in which case your plumbing can hold, though that that limit is finite.

6:06

That's pretty standard, so I think big TP needs to line up with those.

If you don't, if you don't keep a keep an eye on that, you will far exceed your your bandwidth there.

Again, no standardized system, though it's pretty subjective at this point in time.

One thing that is standardized.

Your daughter's just trying to dial it in.

Speaking of toilet paper, the way that it flows, the way that it comes off the roll.

6:26

Have you seen the patent?

There's a patent on this.

So I Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, it it.

Over top or under?

Yeah, it does not flow back towards the wall to where you beat far out of your knuckles every.

Time.

You know that makes no sense.

It's not how it works.

It makes no sense.

Drives me nuts.

It comes away.

6:41

It falls away from the wall toward you or or or however you want to look at it.

Certainly a way to go that there is a right or wrong there.

There is.

I mean that would be like turning your sink faucet towards the wall just so your your wall can get splattered with water and.

What makes sense there?

00 sense there, Sir.

At the end of the day, we're all animals and we're just trying to make it.

7:00

Just trying to keep our burns clean.

Speaking of animals that.

Was a good segue.

Hey, I thought about that, right?

I was sitting here thinking, you know, like Harry Mack style, you know, I'm sitting here thinking, OK, I've got this, got this going on.

Speaking of animals, we're gonna thank our sponsor.

7:15

After that, we'll introduce our guests and we're gonna talk about all things creative and some of that process, why we create little nuances there.

I think I might like that.

Before that, though, we'd like to thank the sponsor for today's episode.

7:31

Episode 12 of Faith and Frames is sponsored by Animals W At Animals W, your pets are our passion.

Our dedicated team offers personalized care, advanced treatments and a warm, loving environment because at Animals W every tale tells a story.

7:48

Visit Animals West today.

Tony, Amanda and the crew down on the Newport Highway, thank you for sponsoring this episode of Faith and Frames.

Thanks for being good pals.

Thanks for taking care of us here on Faith and Frames.

Thank you, Jared.

Meetin Taters.

8:03

I missed the Meetin Taters this morning.

We have a guest.

We have a creative guest.

Handsome.

Creative guest.

He is a dapper looking fella for sure.

Probably biggest biceps in the game?

Well, that's partly.

Because of the trade that he's found himself in.

Could be the nature of the game.

Could be the nature of the game, so we have a movie star first.

8:24

Off TV personality TV personality goes by many names.

Many names we've shot, some content with him.

He has graciously stood in as actor many a times on productions for us, none other than the Franklin Forge.

8:41

What?

What?

Brandon Kyle Franklin Mr. Forged in Desire.

Forged in desire.

The one, the only.

Yeah, I love it.

If I know you were gonna mention my biceps, I would have just.

I mean, I still could.

Just like.

I mean you could flex and you could go through that button up true.

I'm I'm really holding back right now.

By the way, our guess?

8:56

That's all you gotta do.

Our guests the past couple of weeks have just been killing us on the fashion game.

Like you come in in a beautiful olive button up jacket.

Look at the look at the wrist.

Can I get a chador to the camera real quick?

Just chador Sanders.

Show us the rolly there.

Is that a rolly?

9:11

No, this is a Omega Speedmaster.

Oh my gosh, even better.

It is better than.

A roller?

Even better.

Oh, shots fired.

Very classic.

Hey, the Speedmaster is a staple in the watch game.

Very classy, very good taste.

Is a very, very good watch.

It is.

Does it keep you in time?

9:28

Yes, it keeps time very old.

Yeah.

No, it's it's completely broken.

I just love the look of it.

It keeps it on 2:00.

It's the first watch on the moon.

So the one that we absolutely, we absolutely went to the moon.

It was the first watch in the Moon studio.

9:46

Nice.

There we go.

That's a little more accurate.

We can get behind that here on painted frames.

So no, Brandon, you you now find yourself as a Are you a master?

I don't want to misspeak.

OK, well you're a bladesmith, Yes?

And you spend your days pounding out iron and, or not iron steel.

10:08

You spend your days in the forge making beautiful.

Austinitic steel.

Austinitic steel.

I don't know what that is, if it exists that sounds.

Holy terminology, Batman.

So I would like, because I've known you since college, we went to, we went to ETSU together, spent fair amount of time in the computer science field, learning, getting some knowledge.

10:32

Actually, I think we both professionally worked in IT for a while.

Yeah, we did.

Yeah.

What?

Got you into The audience knows what got me into cameras, but what got you into knife making?

So I've been a maker pretty much my entire life, whether I I knew it or not.

10:50

But.

What do you consider a maker?

When you say maker, what's that mean to the audience?

So a a maker is somebody that makes anything whether it's writing code, whether it's it's it's drawing, whether it's camera gear it it does it working on cars.

11:05

I mean doing creating something with your mind or your hands is a maker.

So it's a very, very broad term.

But I I had always been fascinated with how things work and using my hands to manipulate things, whether it was toys or it was.

11:25

It was weird.

I was interested in like when I was really young, mechanical, like pens and pencils, like I used to take them apart and I really liked how the inside of them worked and stuff.

And so anytime someone gave me a pen, the first thing I did with it was take it apart.

Why not?

11:41

I mean why right with it?

Yeah, 'cause I wanted to know how it worked and I was fascinated with Total, the way it's almost like a like a watch, you know?

Yeah, they had little gears in them.

Yeah, little tiny gears in some of them how, and it was just fascinating to me how how that worked or whatever.

But it wasn't until I was always into music and that was like my maker stream when I was when I was younger.

12:02

And then my step dad, he's the one that really got me in the shop working with my hands.

He taught me how to to Weld and to we worked on cars and and just monkeying around in the shop and stuff and taught me how to paint cars and stuff like that.

12:18

So I grew up doing that, but I always was was big into computers, which is why I went down the computer path, right?

And that's how, like he said, me and Jared know each other is because we went to school together, spent many a nights in our in my house, on the the dining room table, watching Breaking Bad.

12:38

Usually.

Nice.

I know we're doing homework, but yeah, Breaking Bad was certainly to.

Say that either on or something like that.

Ones and Zeros to Breaking Bad.

It's either Breaking Bad or The Office.

One of the two.

Always one of those two.

Period.

Gotcha.

But yeah, so getting in the computer world and and it was it, it, it helped like bridge that that gap and scratch that itch as far as making things with your hands.

13:06

But it was in a digital format, you know, like writing code and writing a piece of software.

Oh, that's a good point is making, you know, you're creating something in a digital form.

But like, there was nothing materialistic about it.

And I don't mean that in the bad terms.

I just mean I couldn't physical, tangible, wouldn't touch it, you know?

13:22

And it wasn't, I didn't feel like you were working with your hands and it was something you could see in a 3D space.

And and so like I I just, I needed to do something.

And I've always been big part of my upbringing was myth Busters.

Myth.

Busters love myth Busters.

13:38

Yeah, so Adam Savage has always been like a big hero of mine and.

Which you've actually met.

You've had interaction with Adam, which is totally cool.

Yeah, yeah.

I hung out with him one evening.

That was that was a lot of fun and so he's big into to prop making and making and and stuff like that.

13:54

He's obviously a maker so that's the like that's what I want to do.

I want to I want to make props.

So started kind of doing that in different forms of media from cardboard some foam and and and stuff like that and then eventually got a 3D printer and that was that was like life changing.

14:13

I eventually ended up making a business out of that which I still have 3D printing stuff right, but that really opened up the gates as far as like being a maker and being able to create stuff in a digital form which is like my background to turn it into a physical product.

14:30

So it's like the best of both.

Worlds.

That's pretty cool.

So I was able to print my own props and stuff like that and that was, that was awesome.

And then, I don't know, I'm always dinked around with cars and motorcycles and stuff.

14:46

I've I've had motorcycles since I was like 18 years old.

I would buy a motorcycle and so it would drive my wife in like nuts and just always buying an old motorcycle or something and we didn't have the room for it.

I I restored AA67 Galera one O 6 in our living room.

15:05

Nice.

That doesn't seem like that's where that fits.

No.

What?

You don't have the room.

That was our old house.

I didn't have a garage.

I didn't do anything.

So it was just sitting in our.

In in our dining room.

So did you take the, did you take the motorcycles and do the same things that you did with the pins like just instant tear down.

15:22

Oh yeah, absolutely nice.

Yeah.

I had an understanding of motors and.

And how things worked.

So that that really helped.

But I mean, it's still scary territory, but I didn't really film anything, which is very useful, only time you take something apart that you.

Don't.

Oh for sure.

15:37

You got to have those references, yes.

Yeah, massively important.

Even if you're not going to post it online just for yourself, you have to like, how where does this screw go?

I have three extra bolts here.

And a motorcyclist.

That's when you know you're in trouble, when you take something apart and you have extra parts leftover when you put it back together.

15:55

Every time I'm a better engineer than their.

Yeah, I didn't need those.

I don't need this.

They over engineer.

I don't need these Useless.

I don't need these bolts.

What are these valves for?

So you've just always been a tinkerer and someone who's, who's, who's enjoyed working with their hands.

16:11

I'm I'm still trying to figure out how that gets you into force though.

Oh yeah.

So it it just, it's kind of compounding and kind of building up and building up.

And then we were coming back from vacation, I don't remember from where.

And we have some friends that we travel with and we were waiting to leave that morning.

16:29

We were waiting on our Uber or something and we were in the in the room, the Airbnb and me and my buddy were watching TV and we were just waiting, just killing time, right, Flipping through the channels.

I don't even remember what year this was.

It might have been when we went to Canada, OK.

16:45

Don't remember?

He's looking over to Emily to get verification for that, Yeah.

Just so you guys know.

Yeah, exactly.

So we're flipping through the channels me and my buddy Nick and forging we we passed Forging fire and I said well go back go back.

So we flip back to that and me and him ended up watching a couple episodes and we had to leave and it was just, it stuck with me and it was on my mind.

17:06

I was like, man, I can't wait to get home and find out the show and and how long has it been on, how have I not known about this right?

Blah, blah, blah.

And because forging is is something that I think really any like guy is like going to be interested in, right?

17:24

Right, absolutely.

Primal it's it's just it's just cool.

And so of course it appealed to me in in that in that aspect, but also from a maker standpoint of making something with your hands and I remember growing up going to these like little Renaissance fairs in Middle Tennessee.

The blacksmiths.

17:39

Yeah, there was always a blacksmith set up and it just like I didn't want to leave.

I could stay there all day and watch.

I don't know what they're doing, but I loved sitting there.

Mesmerizing.

Yeah, exactly.

It's like when you go to Dollywood and all you can hear is Ding, Ding, Ding, Ding.

Like when the they had the cold forge out there.

Yeah, totally.

Now they have like a knife making school thing or whatever experience I guess you could call it.

17:58

So you watched Forged in Fire, couple 2-3 episodes.

You now got hooked.

You got curious.

You then got home and I guess dove into like what the show was about and at that point that inspired you to.

I mean, yeah, some time passed and and it was just fun to watch.

18:16

It was just a fun show to watch.

And I eventually just like anything.

Like, I I'm not a sports guy.

Like I don't.

I don't watch sports.

I'm not into sports, 'cause like, it's just my personality.

If I'd watch something, I'm eventually going to get to the point where I've got to do it, I've got to, and I go all the way in.

18:34

Like I'm going to buy all the equipment.

I'm going to do it or whatever.

So you like the process of figuring it out, Figuring the art, figuring the art out.

I guess we can.

Say exactly it's.

Yeah, in that aspect of figuring it, taking it apart, you know, doing it as part of taking it, I'm sure.

Which I would even ask too, like even like further detail why specifically forging?

18:52

I know obviously you said it's primal, but I mean there's there's other shows out there like I remember 1 back when I was growing up that I loved was junkyard wars, you remember?

So why aren't you out in the junkyard right now just hopping from car to car, just building bulldozers and and robots and things like that.

Why was it specifically forging?

19:08

Was it because it was more primal than like cars or or automotive?

What was it about forging?

Specific I'm gonna I'm gonna give you a pretty simple answer It's it's all about timing.

You know what I mean by that is financial freedom being in a in a aspect.

19:24

If if it had been that day and junkyard wars came on and I was at the place where I was at where I'd finally finished school up, you know, me and the wife are both finally working.

You know, from her being in school and me just working barely making ends meet for years and years to finally having a a decent paying job where you kind of had a I'm not saying we're wealthy, I just meant it was like finally a little bit of freedom, a little bit extra money to play with.

19:52

We finally had you know, a little bit of buffer there, which was really nice.

And so, yeah, if it was junk or awards that I had come across, then I'd probably be.

Coming down here to the Greenville scrap yard.

Yeah.

OK.

You know what I mean?

Like, that would be my thing.

So it was.

Just strictly that's what was on the screen.

That's.

What caught you that day?

20:07

Yeah, yeah, it was.

I think it's really boils down to to timing.

But yeah, I'm also drawn to it like like like you said, like, I mean, it's just really cool, But I didn't know really what I was getting myself into at the time.

It was more or less scratching an itch about seeing something that I was interested in to I have to try it to see if it's something that I even like.

20:27

Yeah, yeah.

Or to better understand what I'm seeing here, because I don't necessarily understand what I'm seeing.

Right.

I understand enough because by then I'd gotten into watching tons of YouTube content.

Alex Steele was a big inspiration for me, and he was like one of the first big YouTube stars in the OK world.

20:46

So tons of energy, but yeah, and then it just sort of like I ended up buying a cheap anvil at Harbor Freight and and then a little forge off of eBay and it was just like just dinking around every once in a while.

21:02

Like when I.

That's what got you there, I mean.

Get Old Harbor Freight Hashtag not sponsored.

Yeah, and I've told this story 1000 times.

I wouldn't be where I'm at right now if it wasn't for Emily putting my because it for me, it was just something fun to do.

And Emily's your wife.

Emily's your wife, Just so the audience goes.

21:18

Yeah, not my sister.

I mean, we are in Tennessee, so.

It's true.

Got to clarify.

Maybe she is my sister.

Who knows?

I don't.

Know.

Hard to say, but yeah, it for me it was just something fun to do, like a stress reliever.

I didn't really plan on making a business or doing anything with it.

21:35

It was just, yeah, something fun.

Friends would come over.

Hey, let's like the forge.

I don't know what I'm doing.

You don't know what you're doing.

Makes make.

Let's make something.

Come look at my big box of fire.

Yeah, exactly.

And so she she filled out the application, unknown to me, for foraging fire.

21:51

Oh, Oh my gosh.

This was fresh after you started.

It wasn't long after I.

Started Oh my.

I I never knew that.

I didn't know that.

Wow.

I also didn't know that she did it unbeknownst to you.

That's crazy.

I need to send you the pictures that we originally sent to forging fire of my.

22:07

Oh my goodness.

Workshop and the tools that I owned at the time were laughable.

I'm kind of baffled right now.

Like talk about no pun intended, Trial by fire.

Oh shoot, that's what you did there.

Yeah, you.

So what was that time on though?

Like, hey, you had a forge maybe like a month, two months.

22:23

No, we're talking like 6 months, Oh.

Still there?

Dang.

Less than a year, she.

Put the application in.

Yeah, I think it was less than a year because I was big on the show.

I was watching all the time, right?

And so she knew that I enjoyed it.

Well, yeah, but I mean, I watched, I watched, you know, Junkyard wars for years and I cannot build a robot from a Dadburn, you know, Chevy 350.

22:43

Yeah, you can't.

Not yet.

I mean that takes, that takes years of practice, but in six months you're, you know, on a show.

Your wife's like you know what I think?

I think this guy's got it.

I'm going to, I'm going to put him in talk about a belief.

System little claps, yeah.

Little little claps for the belief system and the support.

23:01

I will little clap for that all day long.

She She threw you to it, man.

Or she wanted me out of the house.

Is that?

One of the two who knows It's.

A mixture of.

Both.

Wow.

So you end up getting onto forest and fire.

I'm just going to let the cat out of the bag.

The audience may not know that you you actually made it on the show.

23:16

A very specific episode.

It truly is ATV personality.

Yeah, that was.

I mean, I wasn't lying.

Yeah, you weren't lying.

It wasn't just a normal episode, though.

No, it wasn't.

Talk about that episode.

So kind of rewind a little bit in terms of like when when I I got accepted on the show after she put the application in, it was like, OK, this is no longer a simple hobby.

23:41

I have to take this serious because I'm going to be on television and I do not want to go on television and make an absolute fool of myself.

Bingo.

So now is the time to I've got to do something.

I.

Got to buckle down.

And so one of the people that helped start the show was Jason Knight, and he had moved into the area about a year prior to.

24:02

This is Northeast Tennessee, right?

Yeah.

Yeah, I got you.

Prior to me getting accepted on the show and so I knew he was in the area, I knew he helped start the show.

I had actually ran into him and talked to him a few times before, right?

And so I just reached out to him and then that that was kind of like the rest is history in terms of like our friendship.

24:22

And he's a really good friend of mine.

He's taught me everything I know I was.

Gonna say he was ultimately your your mentor, correct?

Yeah, he is my mentor.

Still is it still is my mentor.

He took me under his wing and he provided me with so much knowledge and really really like exponentially increased my skill set and.

24:41

Short ass on your fire.

Yeah, exactly so.

Which I think speaks highly to Jason as well because correct me if I'm wrong, he he is probably the most well known Bladesmith in the world.

Would you would you go that far to say that Jason Knight.

Yeah.

So for him to take, you know a a newbie under the wing like that speaks highly to Jason.

25:00

But also I think it speaks to your character and and probably what he saw in you as well.

I I think it's, I think it's a perfect connection at that point in time because again you've been doing this we'll go all the way back to childhood taking pins apart he he could probably see the maker in you.

25:17

So I think that speaks highly to both of you guys for his character and and for your ability and character as well that ultimately he became and still is a a a mentor to you.

Oh, absolutely.

Yeah.

He always will be a mentor for me for sure.

So on the timeline though, you connected with him before your actual filming of your episode, right?

25:35

Correct.

I'd been accepted on the show, but I hadn't.

I didn't have a filming date, which could happen at any point, right from the time you're accepted, I.

Didn't know that's how that worked.

Yeah, you didn't.

Know how long you had to study for the test.

No.

Wow.

And so timing wise, you know, unfortunately you had COVID and all that.

25:56

But it was the little bit of a blessing in disguise for me because it kind of halted production and it gave me a huge buffer.

And by that I mean a year and a half.

So you were able to get quite a bit of knobs under your belt in.

26:11

Yes.

On the steel, a little bit.

Nice.

That's helpful.

Upgrade my equipment, Sure.

And just learn from the master Jason and also Liam Hoffman.

A big shout out to him he he helped train me as well for the show who Liam Hoffman is.

26:27

Also in East Tennessee.

East Tennessee.

Also early seasons of Forge and Fire.

He was the youngest person to win Forge and Fire.

He won his episode.

Oh yeah, yeah, he was he six.

I think he was 16 and he beat a master bladesmith.

Yeah, that's nuts.

He's gone on to create a very, very successful business.

26:44

Still looks 16.

The dude just stays forever young.

Oh yeah, yeah.

Peter Pan we we make fun of him all the time.

But he's one of the most well known axe makers in the world, correct?

That's what his business is, right?

Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, he he is, yes, mostly axes.

He is the only person in the United States making handmade axes at the the.

27:03

Level The Capacity.

The capacity.

Yeah, we've.

Seen his system, his axe on a Peter McKinnon video.

Yes, on YouTube, yeah.

Did I send you that I?

Don't think you sent it so.

Peter McKinnon, he's.

One of our heroes.

Yeah, he's one of our heroes.

He's got 6,000,000 Subs.

He's a huge video camera.

27:20

YouTube he.

Was a blade show, by the way.

Yeah, he really likes tactile things.

That's cool.

How those pollinating now?

He had the coolest booth I've ever seen in.

He's he's big on his pirate life.

Yeah, he built an entire half of a pirate ship in Blade Show and it was like, legit.

27:40

It wasn't like some cardboard cut out.

Pete doesn't have to do anything.

Yeah, he was a really cool guy.

I met him briefly.

He doesn't skimp out on on set design.

But my point is is like the rope is back into the the axe and Leon axe was being used by someone he did a whole video on and this that country who was making like a house out of Timbers.

28:00

Yeah, solo camping, solo camping, and yeah.

The guy was literally using because his brand, his Maker's Mark.

Saw it on the.

Well I was like that's Liam's, so I don't know we're just really cool how that it's.

Cool how the world's collide.

Because again, pizza maker too.

28:16

You know, pizza maker and and he appreciates other makers that are in other lanes.

I guess you would say, you know, 'cause he's a photographer, he's a videographer, he's a cinematographer, whatever you want to call him.

But he he we'll go back to the saying real recognize real.

Oh OK, he recognized the the maker in this guy that he was following out in the woods, who apparently realized Liam's making abilities, which is why that axe was on there.

28:40

Anyways, we digress.

Yeah.

So Liam won.

Yeah, yeah, he won.

Yeah.

So he he helped.

He helped me.

He's a good friend of mine and he helped me kind of train for the show and stuff.

So yeah, I had to.

I had to take it serious because I was going to be on on TV and I wanted to to do the best I could.

28:57

And if I had gone on the show when I got accepted on the show, it would have been.

I'm sure there's been way worse people, skill wise, if you want.

To name those people like, should we call them?

Yeah, yeah, I've got a lip.

Right here, all the people I'm better than.

Just kidding.

Just kidding.

You suck.

I got to keep your goals in front of you.

29:14

Yeah, exactly.

But yeah, I it would have been embarrassing.

But yeah, I'm I'm sure there's people that have gone on that show that are in the same because I I think a lot of people who they get into knife making and they they me and me and Jerry were talking about this before we we were.

29:29

Yeah, we're talking about off camera.

Off camera off camera here of in terms of like some people and I think we all fall guilty of it.

We make something and then we like we've done it where this 1% of 1% that figured this out on the first try.

This is the best.

29:45

And especially in the knife making world, I think that's that's an issue a lot, a lot of people do that.

There's a lot of bad knives out there that are selling for a lot of money.

And you know, these people never get better.

They sell the same knife over and over for days and they never, never make a better knife and they're selling for for a ton of money.

30:06

But.

That happens in our world too.

Yeah, that happens in any industry.

Sure.

Yeah.

Yeah, Yeah, exactly so.

So, so basically, so the viewers can know you made knives a couple, 2-3 years ago now.

Client was using them, which is what you want them to do.

30:24

Their tool.

Well, they took some abuse, right?

They needed a little bit of TLC, so they got brought back to you, which is normal.

Yeah, to be rehabbed.

And you were talking to me off camera about the pieces and you were pointing out all these issues.

30:41

It's like I can't believe I did this, I can't.

So that to me marks growth.

Growth.

Shows growth because like Garrett and I joke about all the time, I took pictures a year ago, well, yesterday.

Hopefully the ones I like yesterday are still are still likable at the moment but.

But I can still pick things out.

30:57

Yeah, it's like you you can constantly look back at work.

If you're improving, you're going to look back at Password can be like, yeah, that wasn't.

I remember thinking that was good, or maybe being really proud of this video or this set of photos or whatever.

And I still appreciate that moment.

Yeah, I appreciate that moment.

31:14

Because at the time, that was your best.

I mean, that was.

The best of my abilities.

And no different than your blades that you've, you know, made over the years.

You can look back at them and now with your current skill set, knowledge and and and all of those things and be like, yeah, this is, this is not up to my current standard, right.

31:33

I think that's important.

Well, you said like a picture you took yesterday.

I mean that that's a real thing.

Like, I don't, I don't think that's that's something that you should be ashamed of or anything like that.

Like, I think you were saying as a joke, but it's it's absolutely a real thing because it depends on the time of the day, depends on how much you've invested into the thing that you're making that day.

31:51

Other aspects in life, you've got kids, you're running around, Your brain can't process what you're working on fully in in like a creative capacity.

And sometimes you have to sleep on it and you'll get up.

And I do this all the time on something like a knife or whatever.

32:09

I come down to the shop the next day and I've like profiled it or whatever.

And I was really happy with that profile and it may be later in the day and I come down there and I'm like.

I hate this.

What was I thinking?

That and and it's either your mind process, that data, it's fresh.

It's new.

32:24

Or it could be that you saw inspiration from another maker.

Sure, you know someone who's more experienced from you than you.

And like you know what I I should make this little change.

Here, yeah, let me pivot this direction a little bit.

Yeah, this angle is 1° off, but that that can make all the difference in the world when it comes to comfort performance on on an eye for sure.

32:44

So yeah, a day can make a huge difference.

We were watching Christine McConnell video yesterday and she mentioned something she was working with print and so she was de aging this old picture because she had redone this old house and it had the original owner's pictures in.

33:00

It.

I love that.

Yeah.

She was de aging it in Photoshop and she she mentioned something that I had been completely forgotten that I actually learned in Photoshop because before I was a a software developer and computer science major was it TTU as a web designer.

33:16

So he was taking art classes, Photoshop, things like that.

And so I had Photoshop classes and and she had mentioned something where you change the perspective on something and it was just mirroring something so that you're like left brain, right brain can see it in a different aspect and it can kind of like make things oh.

33:33

That's deep, you see, literally from a different angle.

Exactly.

So you can see things differently.

So that kind of like rekindled something so like.

So you're saying that this, I don't want to gloss over that you're you're saying just for like that process for a temporary moment.

33:50

Flip it essentially and you'll see it differently.

Yeah, yeah, like.

So for instance a knife, like you could flip it completely like you're looking at it horizontal, you know, to the horizon with the point left of you flip it the other way or just to see, put the point facing down.

34:07

And I guarantee you that knife is going to look different.

That's a good point that.

Happens to us in the editing suite all the time.

We always mention whether we're editing photos, video, whatever.

If you've been on a project for hours at a time, you're gonna start, you're gonna start slipping a little bit.

Fatigue.

Yeah, you're gonna have fatigue.

34:23

Fatigue is big in our world, but it is great even if it's just a 30 minute breather.

Like step away for 30 minutes and come back.

I promise you, I find things all the time.

It's like cleansing your palate.

Yeah, you're cleansing your palate.

I find things all the time.

34:38

And literally a day later, I'm like, I hate this.

But see on on the on the other side of that though you got.

To.

Draw the line, because otherwise what'll happen?

That's an endless cycle.

If you'll never finish, you'll never finish, because truly, you'll literally see it different the next day.

34:55

You'll see something.

It's like I can.

Tweet this What is it?

We What is it?

We hear from Peter McKinnon Again.

Done is better than perfect.

Yeah, done's better than perfect at some point.

There's a break even.

It's got to be done.

There's diminishing return at some point in time.

So so.

Now, now you you have a successful business where you sell, you build and make or you make, you make and sell knives.

35:19

Are you, are you primarily like making custom pieces?

Are you making pieces that you like and then trying to find a buyer for them?

How's that?

What's that look like for you guys right now?

It's it's pretty much 5050.

So I basically when I'm not taking custom orders I'm making something that I want to make OK and then then the any other time than that is is teaching classes.

35:41

Oh yeah, that's right.

So how often are you teaching classes right now?

So I'm teaching it with a with a friend of mine who's also a bladesmith.

Also been on Fortune Fire local to the area.

Jason Lau.

Shout out to him, Yeah, Tavern Hill Blades.

Yeah, Tavern Hill.

Great guy.

35:57

He.

Link in description below.

Yeah, yeah, right.

No, we will for sure.

I'll link both of you guys.

So he, he, me and him are teaching classes together and and that allows us to teach more people versus like when it was just me, I can really only handle like two people.

36:14

Well, you got to keep an eye on them and and you know somebody's going to have that red proper attention.

So there's a break even there for sure.

Yeah, five people's too many to handle in a in a teaching aspect, especially with knives and like I said, safety and and stuff like that.

So I brought him on and so he helps teach a class, OK And those are we.

36:36

We we try to do one of those a month.

And then I I recently opened up private classes.

So it's one-on-one.

It's only one, you know, student, so.

You're now the mentor.

Yeah and and I'm I'm it's it's all kinds of people from different skill levels and stuff.

36:51

Yeah a lot.

A lot of it's just like, hey, I saw Forge and fire and I just I want to try this can.

You get me started.

Yeah, exactly.

Or I'll never do this again.

I'm just fascinated with it and that's perfectly fine too.

And you know, we typically make a kitchen knife.

I I kind of leave it open.

37:07

I was like if they want to make something else, we will.

OK That's kind of your specialty right now.

It is kitchen knives.

Yeah.

That's that's the path that I, I really there.

There's just something about a kitchen knife that is they're so utilitarian.

Yeah.

They can be used for a lot of things really.

But it's it's a, you know?

37:23

Probably the most regularly used knife.

Yeah, from a selfish aspect, it's like it it from, you know, money wise, like it's going to appeal to more people because everyone uses it, right.

It's more widely used than like a big, big hunting knife or something like that.

We'll touch on that in a second.

Where can, because I mean, we're right around the holidays now.

37:42

Where can people, I believe buying a course from you or a class from you would be a great gift.

Where can people get those?

Is that on your website?

They book it on your website.

Yeah.

So typically when we we push them out there it's it's the the the end of the year is kind of like booked up and there we we put some things on hold until January with Jason Lau moving and stuff like that.

38:04

So we're kicking classes back up in in January, January 2024.

Can they go ahead and reserve those spots though or?

Have you closed?

Not yet, but but soon.

We're going to have the next next class posted on my website, franklinforge.com.

Link in description below, yeah.

38:20

The Apparently I pronounced the the very poorly because I have a lot of people.

When I tell them that, they say.

What do they think?

You say D Franklin Forge D.

Franklin Forge.

So maybe I should just change it to D?

Franklin change to I don't know what D Franklin.

Is at least by that domain, just in case somebody's searching it that.

38:35

Way you.

May be missing out on income.

I could be, yeah.

But well, I can't find it.

So lied to me.

Yeah.

So of courses are if courses are off right now.

What if somebody just physically wants to purchase a piece from you?

Like, what if I want to get a kitchen set for my wife for Christmas?

The Franklin Forge again.

Yeah, you can reach out to me on the Franklin Forge on, you know through my contact form and stuff like that.

38:54

And a lot of my stuff, my inventory that I make that isn't for a custom order is going to be on Instagram post on there.

That's where I.

Do link in description below.

I do have a YouTube that I I post have been trying to be pretty good about.

That is just for short right now.

39:11

You guys have shot some YouTube videos for me in the past and I'd like to eventually get back into that, but right now I'm just sort of cross posting like Instagram reel and then porting that over to YouTube as a short SO.

So which I think is a pretty good model for you right now because you are so busy and trying to build those things with Jason, especially with Lau.

39:32

I think it's, I think it's a pretty good system you've got going on and we've seen it from you and also your wife Emily with her with her page, which I can't wait to talk about.

I think you've got a pretty good system going on and actually we mentioned it in a previous episode, you fall into that category as I would say Max from from Living not you've.

39:50

You've got your little flow with with mobile content and I've I've noticed that you're being pretty consistent with it.

Yeah, trying to be, yeah.

So that YouTube thing, I think that I think YouTube is is such a good place to find answers to like the how to questions that is such a good resource.

40:10

People are constantly going how to replace my car battery.

You know what I'm saying?

It's like how to fill in the blank.

It's there no different than than I would imagine in the knife making space.

So one thing that that may make it a little easier for you to to kind of get back into that long form content you mentioned it, cell phone content is totally sufficient and in most cases, most cases they're more than capable machines from a from a cinematic standpoint.

40:39

I think that an easy way because we've talked about it off camera many, many times.

You know your stuff.

So I I would, I think a great simple way for you to get back on that horse so to speak is literally to shoot like time lapses.

40:55

Because a lot of your stuff is is going to take shape and the visual transformation is going to take a full day to get there whatever, right.

So like a time lapse might be a really good thing.

And then.

You just.

Yeah, you just voice over it.

You just narrate it.

And everything I do is like loud, so it's not like I have any good audio to capture.

41:12

It's a difficult environment, absolutely So, but like that would be I think a great way for you to get back into that.

Yeah, just set up a big wide shot in your shop.

Yeah, so we can.

Watch.

I mean, if you're mindful of it, change camera angle, whatever to to, to get in on this detail, whatever.

41:27

But like you, you know, don't worry, cause a lot of people get inundated with like talking to camera with your TV personality, it's not a problem for you.

Very famous.

Very well spoken.

None of those things matter to you.

Huge biceps, very few bloopers when we film with you.

So like, you're really good at it.

41:44

But my point is, is like, that would be an easy way for you to get right back on that saddle and start building that, building that long form content back up.

Or even if you did or even if you did want to talk on camera another another play alongside of the the how to voice over time lapses is just a series.

42:04

Chunk it up a little bit.

Say hey you know I'm I'm making this camping knife and you know maybe have a five part series where you're you're just giving it to your audience in little doses.

That encourages them to come back as well.

Because if I've started on, this happens to me all the time on, let's just say TikTok or any series I started like Part 3, for whatever reason.

42:24

Part three, you can say first, yeah.

And I'm like, oh, I like this.

So then I have to go to the page, I have to go into part one.

And and I think that's AI think that's a great way actually to get people to come back to your platform because they're curious like, well, what was part one and what was Part 2 exactly?

It's the fear of missing out, yeah.

42:41

FOMO.

FOMO.

No, you're absolutely right to do these things.

I need to start an Indiegogo to get lights in my shop.

There you go there.

You go so, so you mentioned something.

Yeah, you mentioned a couple things that I want to, I want to wrap up with or I want to come back to.

43:01

You said that you kind of specialize in kitchen knives, and I know, because of discussions and working with you off camera, that Jason Lau kind of specializes in, like bushcraft.

43:16

Correct.

Yeah.

So it's like I want you to kind of touch on the importance of basically niching down and specializing and how how that is important for, you know, someone who wants to to make a living from it, yeah.

43:32

Yeah, I'm definitely not an expert on it.

It's something that I've just sort of seen the the the successful makers, knife makers specifically the ones that have really gone on, you know, Liam being a great example of.

This the axis.

Finding a niche and and that's Axis and that's.

43:52

Because Leon can make anything.

He can make any blade.

He's an incredible.

Maker but what?

He chooses to build his business on.

Yeah, his axes.

And that's just.

Well, same thing with with Jason Knight.

I mean, he specializes what in the kukri?

Yeah, that that was like his thing.

And once again, he can make anything and he teaches classes on everything, but his bread and butter is the kukri.

44:11

Yeah, that's that's that was the thing that really, really put him on the the map, Liam.

'S bread and butter is the axe.

So you're yeah.

Are you trying to make or have you already made the kitchen?

If you were bread and butter, pretty much.

No pun intended.

Working that way, I I want to be seen as a professional thing and I think not having a niche, it also creates a bit of confusion on what your what your loyalties are and when you go to it, it's like walking into you know a a Walmart or a Dollar General you know everything is sold there, you know versus like you don't trust anything, right?

44:49

Because there's no, you know there's.

Everything's there, We're going to have a.

Median Median level of quality.

Exactly but.

No authority present.

You can't.

Yeah, you're not an expert or anything.

Like that?

No, not you.

Yeah, you're just, you know a master of none.

So specializing in something and creating a consistency in from your customer standpoint and and focusing on one thing you know and that means cutting out custom orders which is is kind of tough because that's a lot of what my orders are, right is custom orders.

45:19

It's especially around here it's a lot of hunting knives and stuff like that.

So, you know, just say, hey, you know what, I'm no, I'm only going to do kitchen knives and I'm going to do larger volumes of them, which may mean that I don't forge them and that is fine because at the end of the day, it's the same material.

45:40

That's scary, though.

We've talked about it on multiple episodes.

It's a scary concept for someone who's trying to build something, especially to make ends meet with it, right?

To make money with it.

It's like, no, if if I'm like cutting down on my audience, like I'm, I'm eliminating all of these other buyers who want this type of knife with this, whatever.

45:57

But the issue is again you become the Walmart basically to where you know you can't be seen as a a specialist of any sort and you can't become like the go to.

For anything, when I think too, I think too the the going back to the Walmart.

When I think of somebody that goes into Walmart, I hate Walmart.

46:15

But I know people that love going into Walmart, IE my mother.

When my mother goes into Walmart, she just goes in there to browse and and shop and waste time.

And as a maker, as a business owner, you don't want shoppers.

You don't want tire kickers, as we say here in the South, Would you?

46:32

Just look at.

It Yeah.

Would you just look at it?

Let me go down every Dern aisle in this store.

My wife does it at the grocery store.

We go in with a list, but she still goes up and down every aisle.

Just browsing and meandering.

I check.

Her like got this moved to the.

Exit Oh, that drives me nuts.

46:49

But you don't want those people coming onto your site, essentially, when it comes to the kitchen stuff, because you need people that know what they're there for, right?

Like when somebody calls you and says, Brandon, I know you're the kitchen knife guy.

I'm not a shopper.

47:04

I'm a buyer.

I need the kitchen knife.

Now that to me, makes your process so much easier.

And I think it increases customer relations too, because again, they know you as the expert.

They're not pounding you with questions like, well, can you do this?

Can, you know, can you make me a knife?

Can you make me a knife?

47:20

No, I know when I come to you what you're good at and you're the guy that I'm seeking out.

Yeah, that's a good.

Point I think there's power in that I.

Think there is.

There's a lot of power.

It's very professional, high end feeling.

You know another thing?

Naming your products, you know and and putting your Maker's Mark on it.

47:38

You know to any new makers out there, like I don't care how crappy it looks, put your name on it.

You just do it.

Figure that out, whether it's with a Dremel or whatever your medium is.

Well, that's a way for somebody to get back to you.

Yeah, it is.

Yeah, it's, it's, it's calling.

47:54

It's, you know, it's a business card.

Yes.

Absolutely.

Can I ask you this too, though?

So it I know you.

I know you're special.

OK, Forget about it.

Moving on.

I know you're specializing in kitchen knives and and I know you know, deep down going back to young Brandon the tinkerer, the guy that loves figuring things out and taking things apart, do you still, like, afford yourself the opportunity?

48:13

Because, you know, a kitchen knife is pretty like pretty specific on use case and design.

But do you ever find yourself wanting to try to like innovate the kitchen knife, Like how much of that goes on in the knife making world?

Because there's pretty set designs when it comes to blade specifically, like you have the cookery it's known for having its its front curve or whatever.

48:32

You've got your camping knives that are known for a certain design, but with kitchen knives specifically, do you ever try to bring some of that that creativity into that design, or is it a pretty set thing?

No, there's there's room for creativity in certain aspects of it.

What's with kitchen knives?

48:48

You know, depending on what you're making and whether you're like making a Japanese style, you know, like a Nikiri or Giotto or something like.

That so you can't get stylistic with it.

Yeah, absolutely.

There's a lot of freedom in the handle.

OK, that makes sense.

But in terms of material, in terms of shape, there's so many facets you can go down and I've melded the two worlds together in the past and I plan on bringing it back in terms of how can I make a kitchen knife that anyone can afford that's out of high quality materials, properly heat treated, but you can't afford it.

49:19

And you know, I have ways of doing that with my 3D printing and so I can bring 3D printing and my knife making world together to.

You're merging again.

Yeah, yeah.

But what's hard about that is selling something that has the word 3D printed in it.

49:35

So you have to be marketing.

Yeah, industrial polymers.

You know, still true.

Yeah people here at 3D printed they think cheap and and that's because of how 3D printing got started.

It was prototyping it was PLA which is is is a like it's it's really brittle.

49:53

It's not.

Yeah.

And it was used for just a lot of modeling.

Yeah.

Yeah, totally.

And so, yeah, now there is strong materials out there that can be that are better than wood.

They're not going to be affected.

You can throw them in the dishwasher.

They're not going to be affected by temperature, Temperature, yeah.

50:09

So and you can do any color you want.

So if you outside the kitchen knife thing, if you want to make a hunting knife and you can 3D print orange handles and that's going to be better to see in the woods if you drop your knife so.

50:25

That's cool.

But yeah, kind of bringing that that creativity of of something different, 'cause I'm not seeing anyone do 3D printed handles.

You want a kitchen knife before I have done them.

I did a run of them years ago going back to, you know, looking at your old stuff and be like now look at that knife that I designed.

I had those water jet cut and I was treat heat treating them.

50:42

And it's like that thing's rough.

You know it's like it's cool because of the the materials you know that I brought into carbon 3D printed carbon fiber and resin printing into this you know ADCR V2 blade and but you know it needs work and that's where like I've I've gotten better.

51:01

I understand design better.

I understand specifically kitchen knives design because kitchen knives are what I think I like about them the most is that they're you have to be precise on them and they're like a watch you know there's certain things you would you have to adhere by.

That's the reason the Cannibal watches have not really changed in 100 years.

51:21

They're pretty much the same.

Maybe at materials have changed.

But they have to work this.

Way, yeah, yeah.

So edge geometry, spine thickness and and knowing all these across the different styles of kitchen knives, whether it's a paring knife and and knowing those those spine thicknesses and how what angle you grind the cutting edge and stuff like.

51:39

There's.

That precision to it that I really appreciate and I I find attractive.

Where other knives you can, there's a little bit more leeway, you know, depending on what you're doing.

You know, some of them are specific, but there there can be a lot more leeway on spine thickness and as geometry.

Where a kitchen knife, if you want it to properly perform, it has to be a certain.

51:57

Way pretty set in stone.

And I guess, I guess the reason that I asked that last question is because I know as a creator we want to dabble with so many different things.

And again, like Jared mentioned it, it's tough at first to say, Nope, going to specialize in this because the creative side of you says, well, gosh, what if I can make a sweet cookery?

52:14

What if I can make this sweet like anime blade, you know, or or this custom word comes in and you're like, oh gosh, that would be super fun to do.

I I guess my point was like, does that creativity ever have to seep back in?

Just so that you don't go nuts doing the same thing?

But it sounds like you've got a pretty good amount of flexibility, even in the kitchen knobs, that you can bring some creativity in to keep it fresh, keep it fun for you as a creator.

52:37

Yeah, there, there's so many options out there.

And the the the famous Steve Schwarzer, you know, said we're all living on the shoulders of giants.

So in the knife making world it's really true.

It's like it's really hard pressed to do something that hasn't been done before.

Yeah, something that's totally fresh.

52:53

That's a good point and that literally is a great segue to my next question.

You mentioned blessing in disguise based upon the year and a half buffer that ended up being the case with with all of the scheduling issues with forest and fire.

It allowed you to a get better, but you got better as a result of your network.

53:11

And so something that I think a lot of creative people have issue with is for whatever reason, there's a lot of gatekeeping that goes on and there's fear of like, oh, I can't reach out to this person and teach them this because then I'm not the only person who knows this or whatever.

53:30

Giving them the secrets.

But you just, you meant you literally said it were were were standing on the shoulders of giants.

Is that how you worded it?

It's like so there's nothing in the knife making world really that hasn't been done and our brains really don't have the ability to.

I mean everything is drawn from some inspiration somewhere that someone else put before you and so but you mentioned it and I want, I want you to speak to it is the importance of collaborating, reaching out, working with other people in your space, because I feel like that you mentioned it accelerated your growth.

54:06

Oh yeah, It's the only way to grow if you just stay, if you want to get better, if you're OK with just doing what you're doing, it's because it relieves stress.

Long, long days of work?

Fine.

But if you want to truly master something and get better, you have to expand outside of your little box.

54:25

You have to reach out to other makers and you have to you have to push yourself because it's going to open your eyes to we brushed on earlier people who like they make something they like that that's it.

I'm getting better.

I've done it.

And and those people aren't seeking advice from other people.

54:44

And you have to, you have to be open to criticism.

Yeah, that's a big one.

That's a big one you got to have.

That's a tough one from.

Humility.

Yeah, I think everyone.

I don't think there's a single person on this earth unless they're diagnosed with some severe mental disorder, you know, has it.

It hurts at first, but it's something you can learn.

55:00

It's.

A Yeah.

We all have egos, yeah.

Well it's a it's a cool skill to to learn to be able and and it's like a a pen a badge that you can receive once you you get past yourself and you're and those those demons in your head and like and say hey I can finally take criticism it doesn't hurt me.

55:19

It doesn't affect me.

That's when you can start growing, right?

And that's that's important.

Oh.

That's big.

Somebody write that down.

If that's resonating, write that down.

Oh yeah, Dang.

The the IT it is a super important to to growth and and becoming.

You know better and and and Mr. forged in psychology here forged into psychology.

55:37

Dang.

Yeah.

And it's also important to understand that everyone is different.

Yes, Everyone or learns at different rates.

Oh yeah, and there's certain things that you may not ever be able to achieve because that's just not you, right?

But you can find something out about yourself that you're actually good at, good at, that you didn't realize you were good at.

55:58

If you expand outside of your box and you take classes and you reach out to other people.

Because in the knife making world and and only say the knife making world, the maker world, the people that that that are holed up inside and they don't share the things that they know they're they're not going anywhere.

56:16

You know every maker I've ever come across from yo, big names like Jimmy Jurista, Adam Adam Savage, all those people are so open with their skills and knowledge and they share it for free and that's that's the maker community and that's that's the way it should be.

56:36

So you know you know I teach classes right.

You know, like that's that's not free.

I don't do it for free.

Rob, you're teaching a technical skill at that point in time.

I I think the thing that goes with those, those giants, we'll just call them giants, 'cause you.

You use that phrasing.

Take Adam for example.

56:52

One of the greatest creators, probably to live, obviously made a career at somebody just videoing him being a creator.

But I think people like that understand the process of like no different than you approaching you know Adam for whatever for whatever advice or help.

57:07

Like he had to get it from somewhere too.

A a true creator and a true maker understands like, Nope, I wasn't born with it.

I had to receive it through my environment that I placed myself in, the people that I placed around me.

Like it didn't just come to me.

57:22

And I think that true makers 2.

True creators and and just human beings with some humility understand like, no, I've I've got to help this next generation.

I've got to lift up the next generation because somebody lifted me.

Up well so that's important because perspective is very important and and the people who lose sight of I I think I think the great creators the great makers never feel as though they've.

57:49

No.

Answered all of the questions.

There's nothing more that I can learn about this period.

I know, absolutely.

A lot of them lack confidence, actually.

They they feel like they've just not arrived at any point.

But it's important.

So like in your case specifically, you reached out to Jason who you saw further ahead in the career than you.

58:10

Here's the other thing that you that you've not lost sight of, and I think that's really key is there are people looking up to you and someone today is at I just watched my first episode of Forest and Fire.

I want to now dabble in this.

58:26

So my wife might have not put in that application yet, but it's broadcoming.

But my point is that is a never ending cycle of of levels of skill, knowledge, all those things.

And so, yeah, community not being a gatekeeper of your secrets, Yeah, that's that's that's so important to growth.

58:50

And then just in general, just grow in the craft, yeah.

I was going to say the craft.

If you appreciate the craft and and care about its longevity at the end of the day you have to raise other people up.

Because when we're dead and gone and we see it happen all the time we're we're what one to two generations from a a lack of information killing whatever facet you want to talk about.

59:12

So if if our generation doesn't pass on the knowledge of videography and photography, it's going to die.

If if you and your generation of of knife making don't pass on that information to somebody, it dies.

And as a a lover of any craft I think that hurts us to to think about the fact that something that we love and put so much time and effort, blood, sweat, tears into literally for you.

59:37

Just the thought of it dying I think is is enough to keep me going and and want to lift people up into it as well.

Oh, for sure.

And another thing from the aspect of the people just sitting at home, everyone's passionate about certain things and they're probably passionate about something that's weird it and I think it's extremely important.

59:55

You don't.

It's it's not you're not purposely holding this back from other people, but yeah, whatever you're passionate about, share it with other people.

Yeah, let's get weird.

Let it be weird.

Yeah, and I don't.

And it doesn't matter how weird it is, like, if you're passionate about it, share it.

Whether that's verbally that that's shooting a video and put.

1:00:12

In a notebook.

But yeah, just get it out there somewhere and don't just hold it up because you're going to inspire someone else or you're going to push someone else to be like, I thought I was the only one that was into painting eggs.

You know, it's like we didn't realize that was a thing.

1:00:28

And and OK, I'm going to start painting eggs and selling them and the next thing you know it's like they're on on the news for you know the most successful egg painting company in the and.

That's pretty weird, but I love it.

I love it.

We're we're meeting for coffee to paint eggs now.

And there's more than just me.

1:00:43

We all, and I think it's a byproduct of social media, is to see the successful people in whatever industry niche, whatever.

And you're like, well, my life is not as interesting as as them.

I could never be this And so like with your weird thought, right?

Like well, no this is not $1,000,000 idea.

1:01:01

This can be nothing.

So I'm just going to die with it in my head harbor it.

No like share it.

Because seriously, here's the here's the really cool thing about social media, YouTube, all these platforms.

If an if an audience exists, it'll find it.

1:01:18

Like the platform will find those people for you.

And so, like, yeah, you're going to be in the same circles with other people who like paint eggs.

Someone you can probably not the only person.

There are over 8 billion people on this planet right now.

1:01:34

You.

Can name something.

I guarantee you there's there is certainly thousands of people into it, Certainly an underground egg painting society.

We are, we are creative people by design like that is that is buried in us.

We say that a lot.

For a reason And so yeah, like share it.

1:01:53

Yeah, Share it, everything.

Yeah.

Yeah, all your weird hobbies and things that you're into.

Don't share straws.

You can get sick from that, but that's a good point.

I need to stop doing that, Yeah, yeah, that's a good point.

Well for instance like the the whole sharing thing like I said that and didn't really think about it in this aspect like a huge NASA fan and big into to Adam Savage like I said and and these NASA jackets and Adam Savage had this NASA jacket on and.

1:02:23

Which is another facet of you that we've not even talked about today.

Your your lunar replica project.

That's a whole nother.

Episode.

That's a whole nother episode.

But yeah, how I got into Lunar replicas is is.

I'll leave a little teaser there is because I decided to share the fact and do a unboxing video of a jacket I'd ordered from them because it meant so much to me, because I'd I'd search for this jacket for years and years and years and kind of obsessed over it.

1:02:47

And I finally got one.

I was like, I want to capture this moment.

It was.

I didn't think of it.

It was really just for myself to upload to my YouTube video because I didn't have literally any followers.

So it was really just to put it up there, document what this happened and and where all that has led so.

1:03:03

You never know.

You never.

Know, I mean had had you had the the fears and and listen to the fears and the reservations and been like yeah, you know what I'm just going to open this thing.

No, no need to document it.

Don't.

Want to work your motivations or whatever tomorrow?

Had you never done that, maybe you're nowhere near where you are right now with little Rep because, you know, there's so many things of like, just do it.

1:03:26

I mean, just just do it.

I'll say this, consider me teased.

We've got to get an episode of Lunar Replica.

Yeah, we can.

There's a lot to dive in there.

I'm going to have to educate myself though, because I'm pretty weak in the space of space.

If if you really want to to get an earful, go ahead and set aside about 3 hours for the podcast and we can get Max on here.

1:03:48

Oh my gosh.

He's the owner of Lunar Replica.

Oh my goodness, are you talking about a?

Just a a.

Wealth of knowledge.

Wealth of knowledge this this guy has is just absolutely, truly incredible.

Yeah, Is Max the Smithsonian guy?

Yeah, OK.

Got you.

Probably, definitely, probably A wealth of information.

1:04:05

Definitely need 3.

Histories.

Yeah, yeah.

And then we can also brush up on, of course, Emily may do it, You know, if she's doing a a podcast, I think with you guys at some point.

Yeah.

In the near future.

Love to get her on there.

Yeah.

And.

Love to have her come by.

Yeah, we'll see if we can get her, get her to swing into.

The She is pretty busy, though.

She's pretty busy.

1:04:20

Yeah, she is.

But we can touch on the sewing stuff, like in the cosplay and her teaching me how to I'd always been exposed to sewing for my mother, but she she got, she taught me how to actually sew and and that led to us making a like a pretty darn accurate screen accurate Mandalorian costume.

1:04:41

So.

Just sweet sewing love.

So in we are, we are so in love.

Oh my goodness.

On that note, Jared?

Our audience has a few things that they can do, especially if they love that line right there.

Yeah, that's good grief.

1:04:57

If they are so in love with us, or possibly so not in love if you hate us.

If we're ugly and we sound stupid, let us know.

Let's love that same Ripper.

Can we say the S word?

No, this isn't radio.

We can say the S word.

Yeah.

If we sound stupid, let us know.

Oh, your son might not like that, but yeah.

1:05:16

If you have any thoughts on us, good or bad, let us know.

Leave us a review, give us give us some sort of rating.

Give us some stars and bars.

Stars and bars.

That's what Garrett likes to say.

This is America.

This is America.

1:05:32

Let us know if any of this resonated with you.

We are going to link all Brandon socials and the ways that you can get in touch with him and his the whole world of Forging.

And Jason Lau, we mentioned Jason Lau as well, yeah.

So we'll put them in the, in the, in the description.

1:05:48

Be sure to reach out to them if something that he said resonated with you.

I'm telling you, we've videoed those classes.

Like I really want to do a class, still need to do a class.

We've been talking about that.

Just need to just need to do it.

Yeah, we just got to set aside some time because obviously new time is not going to be created.

1:06:06

We've just got to just got to block it.

Yeah, we gotta block it.

And if you're looking for a beautiful kitchen set for your lover dove or Honey Boo pie for Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's Day.

Whatever.

Get me up.

Yeah, hit Brandon up the Franklin Forge.

1:06:23

Get yourself a knife.

Yeah.

He's been forced into desire.

Be careful, they're sharp.

They are sharp.

Got quite a quite a tip.

Jared, here's the hard part.

Yeah, I think you're just gonna say it.

Say what?

Well, actually, before, thank you again for agreeing to to come on to the episode here on faith and Frames again.

1:06:44

Still boggles my mind that people want to be on this show, but we certainly appreciate it.

You, you make us seem more intelligent than we are.

Yeah, actually, we're just smart for having you here.

Anyways, Jared, just tell me bye, 'cause I can't say it, it's all.

Right.

See you dude.

All right.

1:07:00

We'll see you guys later, Brandon.

We'll see you later.

Bye, see you later.

Peace.

Peace.

Love you.

Bye what?