Knife Perspective Podcast
Knife Perspective Podcast
Knife Perspective Podcast
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027 – Larrin Thomas from Knife Steel Nerds
1 hour 53 minutes Posted May 27, 2020 at 10:33 am.
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027 Show Info – Larrin Thomas

Show Topic: Kyle and Dan Answer Listener Questions

Overview:  There are all sorts of misconceptions when it comes to knife steel.  We covered some of the elements in steel in episode 006 and went deep into heat treating on show 007.  Evaluating which knife steel is better than another is not easy with all the different manufacturers and using different evaluation methods.  One man started a quest to get all this steel information into one place and all the testing to be done in a consistent manner so the steels could be ranked.   We plan on having Larrin on the podcast more to talk about the steels that all of us knife lovers care so much about.  Hope you enjoy learning more about the man behind the website, and talking about the nerdy aspects of what makes different steels better or worse than another steel.

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Shout Outs / Gear Talk 

  • Tom Stone from Beyond Wood Products – Stay at home fade – 20 color way!
  • Rick Dunkerley (Insta – RickDunkerley) – Model 13 folder with damascus blade and bolsters.  It has some unbelievable filework on the back spine of the handle. 
    • Kari Hudson of Picture.Perfect.Blades on instagram took some spectacular photos of that blade and did a beautiful composite shot of the knife.

Interview

Early Years / Family

  • Where were you born / grow up 
  • What was it like going to knife shows as a kid
    • Knife Junkie, I heard you say you told other kids your dad was “famous”.  What was that like?
  • What was your first knife 
  • You usually hear about people moving from the country to the city, not the other way around.  What was that like going from Las Vegas to Panaca?      
  • How did you meet your wife Jessica and where does it rank on the Dan and Kyle scale 
    • Dan – met his wife and asked her out at her grandmother’s wake
    • Kyle – met his wife on the internet

Education / Transition to work life 

  • I read in a post on knife steel nerds that you struggled with math in high school, what made you want to continue your education as an engineer?
  • What was your college experience like?
  • What was your bachelors degree in?
  • What made you want to continue your education further?
  • How are you able to balance work, family, knifesteelnerds.com, free time, etc.  

Damascus, pattern welding, forge welding 

  • What is your favorite forge welding pattern?
  • Did you ever help your dad make damascus?
    • What was that like learning from your dad?

What is grain structure in steel?

  • How does the grain structure affect the steel specifically in knives?
    • Martensite, Austinite 
    • What are the difference between grain and carbides 
  • Why are carbides / other steel structures important?
    • What are the advantages of large or small carbides?
    • What are the disadvantages of large or small carbides
  • Is it a problem with having multiple steel structures in a blade?

Factors for Knife Steel Selection

Find more about Larrin Thomas 

The post 027 – Larrin Thomas from Knife Steel Nerds appeared first on Knife Perspective Podcast.

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