Let's be honest, most men drift. We wake up, we scroll, we work, and then we just rinse and repeat. And we know we're softer than we should be. That's why I built the 31-day resilience reset. This is not a devotional. It is a field manual for men ready to stop drifting and start fighting back. So, for 31 days, you'll train your spirit, mind, and body with scripture, prayer, and daily challenges that forge real resilience. Go to www.undaunted.life/31. life/31day to download this resource for free. That's undaunted.life/31day. Start your reset today. [music] This is Undaunted Life, a man's podcast. I'm your host, Kyle Thompson. Let's get into it. All right, guys. We got a special guest on the podcast today. His name is John Roy. He is the CEO of Dawson Knives out of Prescott, Arizona. They've been in business since the 1970s, actually 1973 to be exact, making knives and swords. And guys, I'm so excited about this episode because if you've been getting our emails or seen our social post, you kind of know what all this is happening. But there's a fantastic announcement at the end or towards the end of this interview about something that we did as a collab with Dawson. But we do get in with John. We get into, okay, how do you get into knife making? How do you become a bladesmith? You know, you're part of a family business. What does that look like? And then, you know, I've got a bunch of their knives here. I show them on screen and it's like, okay, what's the design process? How do you know where you're going to compete? Because like, yeah, you can make knives in all these different categories, but then it's like you don't really focus on folders. You do more fixed blades and swords. So, what exactly does that look like? And then we get into again, like I said, all the design stuff, their collab that they did with Wes Huff. So, everybody knows Wes Huff at this point, but they did a collab, you know, sword and a short sword. And they've got a third part of that collab coming out. And then Wes introduced me to Dawson and then we worked on a collab that guys, I just got to tell you, make sure you watch through the end of the interview because it is fantastic. I actually got to see what we've been working on for the very very first time. So guys, I don't want to belabor it any further. So without further ado, let's get into it. John Roy, welcome to Undone Life of Man's podcast. >> Hey Kyle, how's it going? >> It's going good. You know, it's always awesome to talk to people in the show that actually work for a living because, you know, I talk to these pastors and these authors and these people that just be bbop and chat all day long. And same with me. I don't actually work for a living. I just get behind this microphone and I just kind of blow V8 and just say things out on my face hole. But you're actually a guy that works for a living, man. How cool is that? [laughter] I I don't know if I work for a living because I really enjoy my job a lot. So, I don't know if I can call it working. But uh I you know I can tell you one thing is that uh I really enjoy that the calling that the Lord has put on my life to be a bladesmith. I've been a bladesmith for over 20 years. So uh it it's a lot of fun here at Dawson Knives. >> Okay. Very good. We'll get into Dawson and your role there. But your interest cuz I you know every little boy you know loves knives. We all remember when we got our first you know Swiss Army knife which is an awful knife by the way. Can we talk about the fact that that knife can basically it's like it's used as this colloquial thing like oh it's like a Swiss Army knife. It's like throw throw that thing in the garbage. That thing sucks. Uh but like you know uh we we're all excited to get our first knife and maybe that's like a a thing like when your when your granddaddy gave you your first hunting knife or when your dad you know gave you your first pocket knife. I think most of us have that story like I can even remember you know walking by my dad's desk and he had this little plastic tray where he'd put his keys, his change and his little knife that that he would carry carry on him, right? And all that. Where did your interest in knives, you know, start, but then also it's different to just be interested and then become a knife maker, a bladesmith? >> Yeah, actually being a knife maker wasn't on my radar. But my first knife was when I was in Cub Scouts and I got my bear patch. And so my dad gave me a small little case folding knife. And he said, "Son, you're finally gotten to that point in your life where you're becoming a young man. So here's a knife made in America and it's been handed down." So he gave that to me and I love that knife. I think it had like some type of translucent green handle on it or something at that time. But it was a beautiful knife and I thought it was the coolest thing to fold it out and you know it it my dad trusted me with this knife and because of that trust and it was that symbol for me as a a very young man that um knives were important because it was a transition for me to show that I'm becoming a man. And so I took that very seriously. Now, I'm interested uh in hearing more about this because I remember when my dad first started letting me handle knives because we would sit on the front porch and whittle. Now, we didn't live in the country, right? And so, I didn't have a piece of straw hanging out of my mouth and my, you know, overalls without a shirt underneath or anything like that. But, we would just sit there and like, you know, just basically whittle wood and do different things. But I remember distinctly, I had this knife. I don't think it was a case knife, but it was that style of knife and it didn't lock, right? This was a folder that didn't lock. and I cut the absolute be Jesus out of my fingers because, you know, you're cutting away and then all of a sudden you you kind of bend the edge over a little bit and then all a sudden it closes back. That's the one thing I own a lot of case knives. I've gotten a lot of case knives as friends uh or as you know, from friends or or from family members as presents, as gifts, but then I'm like, gosh, the practicality of that knife kind of sucks. You can't fight with it. You can't really work with it because it might you might bite you. >> Yeah. No. And and you know, when I when I was a kid, I used to cut myself all the time. And now that I'm a grown man, I still do it. [laughter] I've got all the scars on my hands. I still have my digits. It's a miracle. I've even caught swords. I don't recommend it at all. But you're right. You know, for a practicality standpoint that, you know, those little knives aren't aren't really made to do a lot, but they're great for for getting your children to understand that, you know, I respect you. You're becoming a man. Here's the first blade that you get to have. So if you do happen to cut yourself, you're not going to lose a finger over it. And as a kid, I cut myself a lot. So they're great knives for that purpose. >> All right. So let's go through the process of like, okay, you're interested in knives, all that. Now, being a a bladesmith, right? There are people that make knives that aren't, you know, bladesmith or they don't go through any type of special training or something like that, but just kind of take us through your trajectory in terms of your knife making. >> Yeah, absolutely. So, uh, I started, uh, making knives when I was 19 years old. Um, I'm 43 now, so I've been doing it for a very long time. Uh, I learned under my wife's, uh, uncle. So, his name is Barry Dawson, and at that time, I'm going to tell you that he has done some amazing work. He was one of the first ones to pioneer uh, these uh, fixed blade tacticals that that we kind of know. back in the early 80s, he came out with the uh the spike that Cold Steel um had on their site. That was a collab between him and Lynn Thon Thompson. And he did a lot with the Japanese swords. He was one of the uh top five sword makers of that time uh in the United States. So I had the experience to really learn under him and to really understand how to grind a blade. So, so we do it all by hand, heat treating, forging, uh, learning how to shape handles, how to build all different types from swords, all to skaggel style, which is, you know, like your antler with your guard, you know, your traditional American, you know, hunting knife, uh, and all the way through that whole process to sheath work, leather and kidex. So, when you come into that shop, uh, you're expected to man up. So everything that you do is made it. It's like going in the best way I can describe it is Barry Dawson is like the uh Gordon Ramsay of the knife world. So once you enter his shop, he already has a high expectation even if you've never done it and he's going to let you know. And it it was really good for me because it helped me understand that okay, you can fail, but you better figure it out fast and you better understand what you are doing to produce the best product that you can because by golly, we're Americans and we should be producing the best in the world. And that mentality was ingrained in me and my brother-in-law as we were going through uh knife making. >> And so as you get in it, what what kept you in it? Because I mean there are people that will experiment maybe they oh well there's that knife or there's that hatchet I made at some point you know blah blah but then they don't turn it into a career. Where was that kind of like precipice where you crossed over and you're like okay no this is what I want to do now >> you know it was a funny thing because I started my life uh I went to college for a short period of time. Uh I was actually studying micro electronic engineering even at that early age um at ASU. Um, so when I married my wife and I was introduced to it, I just loved it, man. You know why? I I think the reason why I really loved it is because I made something with my hands. I could control what I'm making. So like that's a part of me. I can control the quality. I can control um the design, the the use. I mean, I had every part of that product. So when I put that out or put my name out, I could stand behind it 100%. when I was working over there, even back then in 2001, um, and I had an internship with Intel, the the whole thing with that was they were hiring a lot of foreigners. Even back then, we had a bunch of people from, you know, out of country. Uh, I was looking at that and and everything there did not have that drive and I I couldn't be satisfied with the product that was coming out because I was only one part and I already knew where it was going. I could see how they were going to replace that job that I was doing sometime in the future. And so this aspect of knife making was just so cool because you get to pour your soul into it and you get to have this amazing product that you can stand behind that is 100% Americanmade. I know that it was made by Americans with American raw material here in America. So that drive just really helped me to give back to this country because I'm first generation American on my mom's side. She came from Guadalajara here legally. >> Yeah. >> And so my dad was from Texas and so uh you know so we had a a very proud uh uh happy background of being American. So I really love this opportunity to give back and um and to have something that really represented me. So that's why I stuck with it. I mean, it wasn't always easy. I mean, we had a wall of shame on the uh night floor and I was filling that up pretty good because it took me a while to get used to working with my hands. But once I I did um you know, and and I was determined. I would spend I I literally would work and no joke, Kyle, I would work seven days a week. I mean, not I don't recommend that. I recommend people take a Sabbath. It's biblical. But, you know, I was a young man and and I really wanted to do really good work and I I I wanted to produce my best and plus I I wanted uh her uncle to say good job and he did. >> Well, and I I mean I love [clears throat] having people like you and your your mom and your dad here in this country. people that regardless of where you came from that that you appreciate the values of this country cuz it's like for me like I'm Irish Scottish but also chalkaw Indian so I'm just like a mut of nonsense and slavery and like all kinds of craziness but it's like I was born an American and I'm you know ascribing to American values and you know I'm I'm going to support it as much as I can. The thing that does come up come to mind though there are a lot of brands out there that I love. Okay, that will remain nameless, but a lot of brands out there that I love that make spectacular products, right? But they're either put together uh by laborers that are not in this country or using materials that are not created or designed in this country. But then whenever you do find a brand that you like, like we love origin here on this show and you know, every single stitch of every single, you know, pair of jeans or boots or everything is made and sourced here in America and put together by American workers and American hands. But then you do typically have to pay a premium for that. And so I'm just wondering from a competition standpoint with Dawson. Yeah, you could cut some corners and you could get some Chinese stuff here or some stuff made in Vietnam or or those types of things and you could you can make things cheaper and, you know, have a more ubiquitous presence in the marketplace. Now, I I have a feeling I know what your answer is going to be, but why not why not just do that? Why why does it why is it so important to have this as a 100% Americanmade product? because this business gave me an opportunity as an American to make a living. And why would I rob that from somebody else? So that's why I buy American raw material. Yes, it's not cheap. It's not easy. But I go straight to those manufacturers. I even my boxes are made here in America with American material. I know the guys at the box factory. I visit these places where they make my raw materials. I get to know them on a personal level. I see them at the shows. They're my friends and I know that when we are a success, we are helping America be a success because we are helping those industries and we're providing a jobs and living here in this country. I don't know anyone overseas. They don't share my values. I'm a Christian. This is a Christian nation. Um and I like to support that. And so we work hard to it. Um we produce everything here. We do everything in house. That way we can control every aspect. So we know for sure that the quality is there. Uh it also helps us to know with our manufacturers that their quality is going to be there. I don't have to second guess. They're working hard. Uh they're doing their best and we all have a drive to let the world know that America makes the best products regardless. So now as far as price, uh that's a very good question. Um, I always want to be extremely competitive even against other people who sell uh Americanmade products, not always American sourced, but Americanmade. Uh, they like to price it high for a premium. My idea is to give everyone an opportunity to own Americanmade product for a price that competes against the foreigners, even though we're 100% Americanmade, but to work on our process. That's how we bring down the price. Work on the process. get things faster, more efficient, and having that passion and drive, you can really see that in our product. We don't have to keep going back. We don't have to keep doing this or we don't have everything is streamlined here. >> Well, and so when you when you streamline things, you're able to compete in a lot of different areas, but I'm curious for you because you know, as the the CEO and how long have you been in that position with Dawson? >> Uh, I've been in that position, let's see, seven years. >> Okay. So, seven years working working our way towards a decade. Obviously, as a CEO, there's a lot of things that you have to deal with. You have to deal with, you know, uh, management of materials, but also the personalities. Uh, you have to deal with with labor. You have to deal with, you know, taxes and market share and projections and, you know, you might have a line of credit at the bank. There's all kinds of things that you got to deal with. But part of it is you have to figure out where are we going to compete? You know, because there's the blue ocean, which is where no one else is competing, but you're in the knife world. There's basically nowhere where no one's competing now. [snorts] But I am curious for you because the lowest hanging fruit, the most ubiquitous knife is the folding pocket knife. And so to date, my understanding is that, you know, Dawson, y'all have your fixed blades. And we'll look at some of those here in a second. And you got swords and some different things like that. But for, you know, just about every guy in my world, we just got, you know, a pocketk knife. And there's a bunch of different uh brands of pocket knives and all that. And so y'all have chosen up to this date to not compete in that world. So, I guess just take me through like, okay, this is what we do. This is what we're going to be known for and what we're best at. And, you know, we know there are other, you know, verticals we could get into, but we're just not, we don't really care. >> Yeah. So, uh, the first thing that we decided at this country, uh, in this company is that we are a ministry first. That's number one and business second. So my passion for Jesus Christ and God because I love this country and the more that I learned about it, I love history, the more that it was founded by godly men. And so I want to continue to share that tradition. So that's why we're in ministry first. So that's number one. Uh number two, uh yeah, everyone can make a a folder. We we can make folder. We have made folders in the past, but I there's something about a fixed blade. I, you know, just having a fixed blade. The ability that nowadays you can carry it in your pocket, you can um take it wherever you want. You can do all the things that a folder can do, but just way better. I mean, it's a fixed blade. You can survive off of it. You can baton off of it. It is a multi-use tool, and that's what we're really good at. We really make some amazing fixed blades. We have videos out there with torture test um fixed blades. And the other thing is swords. No one makes swords. We're real sword makers. When we make our swords, they are made for use. This isn't a showpiece that you get to put up. Now, it looks nice. It looks like a showpiece, but it's highly functional. And and that's that's another thing. We really show our our our ability as bladesmiths to produce a wide variety of fixed blades from your smallest hunting knife to a you know you know 30inch katana 33inch katana or um you know long sword. So I mean that's that's what we're known for. That's what I'm not saying that we won't make a folder. If we do go in there it's going to be something special. And that's the idea. If I'm not changing the industry, I I don't want to do what everyone else is doing. I'm not here to be a Benchade or a Montana knife company or a Kershaw or a Spyderco or Leatherman. They're all the same. They all are striving to be just like one and the other. That's not my goal. My goal here is to honor Jesus Christ, to make the best blades in America, and to keep it 100% Americanmade. And this is the route that we have chosen to do. Hey guys, real quick. You may have noticed a lot of companies out there that are advertising and marketing that they're American companies, but guess what guys? All of their manufacturing and all of their jobs are overseas, right? These companies are manufacturing overseas in order to increase their profit margins, but they're allowing globalism to put America and Americans behind. And I've been wanting to partner with an American company with really all across the board, American companies that prioritize American workers, their families, and keep their word. And guys, I have been working with this company for so long. We're going on, I think, four or five years now. That's why I want to remind you that we are partnered with Origin. Origin is an apparel company based in Maine. And what do they make? They make, guys, literally the best jiu-jitsu geese on the planet. And they are the only jiu-jitsu geese that are made completely in America with all American products and completely with American hands. And I use the Rift 2.0 and the Nano Pearl geese exclusively. Now, they also make jeans. That is their bests seller. They have very, very awesome stretchy jeans, and they also have work jeans and bootcut jeans. They make amazing hunting and outdoor gear. They offer handmade leather boots to include steel toe boots. My personal favorites are the Whiskey Main Mocktoe boots in a natural wedge sole. I wear those around all the time. And they also make great workout clothes. They have everyday pants and shirts. They're getting more into kind of men's casual stuff. They have indestructible hoodies. They're launching new apparel all the time. It's just an amazing, amazing company. So guys, if you haven't already, you need to check them out and support a company that supports Americans. Try Origin out today by going to origusa.com. That's originusa.com. Use the promo code undaunted to get 10% off your order. Again, that's originus.com. Promo code undaunted to get 10% off your order. Okay. Well, let's actually get into I [clears throat] want to bring in the knives, but also the ministry aspect. So, I've actually got the shepherd right here in front of me. So, it's in the kiddex holster. So, I do want to ask you a question. I know we're not going to be able to see it on on screen cuz we won't be able to zoom in, but on every blade that you guys have, there's uh there's a cross. There's a W that has some numbers attached to it. And then there's what looks like a stone rolled away from the open mouth of a tomb. I What could that possibly mean? [laughter] And so, like, if you uh go ahead and give us the story, like, okay, what do all those symbols mean? Obviously, I think we know what the first and third one are, but the one in the middle, the W with the numbers, but then also, why put that on the blade? Cuz, as you know, there are going to be guys that see that cross and go, "Man, I ain't supporting no company like that." You know what? You know, you got people that are going to be mad about it, but you know, this is what y'all are here for. >> Well, and I think it's a funny thing because you say that I'm the CEO. And you know, by legal standards, I am, but in my mind, Jesus Christ is the CEO of this company. I've got a big picture of him up there. It's that um it's called the Prince of Peace. It's a painting. It's beautiful. And um so uh as far as that goes with the uh symbol, I um so I was asleep one night and this is uh and I was dreaming and in the dream I was uh walking in this like I don't know corporate building. I I don't know. It's kind of like that. So, I'm walking this corporate building and this this man stops me and he just kind of asks me, um, what is it that you want to do? And I'm like, that's a broad question. [laughter] I'm like, I don't know. I, um, and then he stops me. He says, what do you want to do with your life? And I said, well, I guess that I I would feel the best if I could honor my God. I think I would feel the best doing that. And he said, "Okay, well, I want to show you something." So, he had me look up in the sky and or or you know, towards the sky out this window and I could see the T being formed and I could see the W and I could see the O and I said and it said two and I'm like, "Okay, well that's that's cool." But then he said, "Keep looking." And [clears throat] then I could see under the T and I could see a hill forming under it. So, and it looked like a cross. So, I I got that and I could see the W, but nothing was happening with it. And then I could see that on the two I could see the rock. And I said, "Oh, it's the cross in the tomb." And I looked at him. I said, "But what does a W mean?" You know, that's that's kind of funky. And then he said, "Just keep watching." And so I I kept looking at it and I could see all of a sudden numbers appearing on each point of the W. So at the top I'd see one, two, three. Then on the bottom I'd see one, two. And you know I'm I'm a little dense. So like [laughter] what does that mean? And he said from the cross to the tomb is three days and two nights. And that's what was the one, two, and three on the top was the days and the bottom was the nights from the cross to the tomb. And uh and then I understood and he said, "I want you, if you want to represent God, your God, then put this on every knife. You're going to be a ministry first and a business second." And so I woke up. And so I I I I said yes. So I gave my word. And so my word means more than somebody's feelings because I made a promise to my God. And that's why I put it on every knife. It's a reminder of Jesus Christ's love for us from the cross to the tomb. And that W, everything, it's two. You know, there's a lot with two. It takes two witnesses, right? And we look at that at end times. Two witnesses. You know, some people say that Jesus Christ is the second Adam. Two. Well, funny thing in this business, I am second generation. You know, we're part of the second generation of um bladesmiths in this business, and this is a family business. There's three generations working here. And so, there's a lot to tomb. There's a lot of biblical references, but I didn't even know that. I had to look that up. But it's representative of our faith and belief and our trust in our God and our promise to him that we would always be a ministry first. So, it's as much to everyone else as it is to us. >> I love it. And and the thing that I love about you telling that story is so many of us, we own things that we don't know any of the story behind. We own it because it's practical. We own it because it looks neat. We own it because somebody gave it to us. We own it because we have no idea why we own it. It's just there in our house taking up space. But then when you know the story behind something, right, that's why so many guys, I mentioned origin again. Why have so many guys in this audience bought their boots and their jeans and their ghee and their workout clothes and all that? It's because they know the story behind it. you know, this group, you know, with with Pete and with John and with Joo, like they're like, "Let's get manufacturing back here. Let's get jobs in in Maine and in North Carolina and let's let's take care of business." And so people can attach themselves to it. And so I've, you know, and I've seen a lots of your blades. I've got three of them here. And yes, that is stamped on all of them. >> But I want to show So we've got we've got uh the Smuggler here. Sorry, the smuggler here. This is a small one. And then we got the Shepherd here. And so obviously the Shepherd, this is uh kind of, you know, more heavy duty. Uh whereas the smuggler is going to be a little bit more EDC. And again guys, I wish I could show these closer to the camera where you could get the details, but y'all understand. But I am just curious for y'all. How do you approach the knife design process? So does someone just get an idea? Do you get a vision in a dream and you're like, I want to shape it like this? Cuz you know some things a lot of guys buy knives cuz they look cool. They don't have any idea you know what like on any part of the knife. They don't know. They don't know what any of the stuff is called. They don't know why the grip is shaped the way that it is. They don't know why there's the the shape and the angle of the blade. They don't really know anything. So for y'all, how much of this is just, hey, let's make sure this thing looks freaking awesome, but also let's make sure this thing can do whatever the job is that we need done. >> Yeah. So those are excellent questions. And um well, number number one, uh in order to in our opinion, in order to make knives for the different trades, you have to be able to do so. So, I'm a hunter. So, I go hunting uh out here in Arizona. It's a draw. So, when I get drawn, I go hunting. Didn't get drawn this year for elk, but hopefully next year, but I'm going to put in for deer. Yeah. But we did get drawn last year and and that was awesome. And my son, who is now 14, uh so last year he got an elk, and that's a great story. I I'll have to share that later. >> That's great. >> Yeah, dude. And that was his first hunt, his first time. It was amazing. I'll share that story later because I do want to come back to that. It's it's a really incredible story. But um so that's number one. So understanding what you need for a hunting knife. Okay, that's number one. Uh number two, uh for a good uh combat blade. So uh I was never in the service, but I wanted to understand how to use these different things. So I would do training. So there's a group here called Marauders, but I think they're now Arizona Tactical. And we used to go and do training with them. So there's special forces guys. Uh they would kick our butts. They would [laughter] give us the full thing. We come down there. There's all kinds of stuff. Repelled from helicopters, uh using simunitions. I never realized how much those hurt, but it definitely teaches you about windows and all kinds of stuff and and breaching and and so I so we took knives and and we got to use them on a daily basis. And they they really geared it so we would have some type of understanding. I mean, there's no substitute for the real thing, >> but some understanding. My I come from a background of a military family. My dad's side is all military. They've been in OAF, OEF, Vietnam. Uh Barry Dawson, the founder of this company was in Vietnam. So there was a lot of feedback from that and I wanted to have some understanding. So I don't golf. I probably should learn how to do that, but that's what I like doing and so uh doing hunting and stuff like that. Um and then cooking. Gosh, that's a tough one. So, uh, for me, I mean, barbecuing is awesome, but learning the finesse of how to use a cooking knife. That was difficult, but, uh, I started learning it. My, uh, sister-in-law is a chef and up in San Jose, so she has a lot of good skills and, uh, she was helping me with that. So, just getting these aspects, putting together, and then listening to your our customers, listening to what they say, experts in the field, being very humble and understanding in every design. And so we we and we also want to push the uh envelope. So if you notice like if you pull up the shepherd or even the smuggler. Now some people ask why is there a hole up there in the Yeah. bottom and then at the top. Yeah. So those two holes and then you also have that little part that large chil. >> So um >> so what what you're looking at on that blade is that you can actually take that and make a spear out of it. So you have three points of contact and it works pretty darn good. I've actually speared fish. So >> nice. >> Yeah. So, you know, a knife should be able to be multifaceted and a tool and on the smuggler is a screwdriver on the back end of that little guy. So, that's pretty cool. So, every purpose has something. Not all knives have that because they don't need that. >> We do it on on certain knives. >> And then when we get to our names, I literally will pray over a Bible. No joke. I'll pray over the Bible, close my eyes, >> and wherever I open to and point to. That is the [clears throat] name of the knife. >> That's pretty interesting. I have a I have a knife name story that we'll get to in just a second. But let's go ahead and do the elk story first because you got a lot of guys that are like, I want to hear about the elk. So, let's go and do that and then I I want to get back in into the knives. >> Okay. So, it's it was a very interesting story. Um God's hand was all over it. All over that trip. So we we went up we hunted in HappyJack. Uh we got drawn in uh 5A and five uh and 6B. So uh it's just that area. It's a youth hunt. And so my two sons are with me. They both got drawn. And uh we had and this is in Arizona. We had the worst rainstorm ever, ever up there. So it was bad. I mean we could hear it on our tent. It was just raining. As soon as we got there, uh, we could see the clouds coming in and me and my brother-in-law looking. We found some campsites, but I was just like, man, I just have this feeling, uh, we need to get a high area for the campsite. Let's let's find a high place. So, uh, my brother-in-law found one. And, uh, so we camped there. It rained all night, all day. When we woke up, it was still raining. And we're not talking about just like a little pitterpatter. It is downpour. And, uh, there was a river that had formed next to us. So [laughter] it just appeared there. We It was like within 50 yards of us and um and so we went out hunting. A lot of people had left. A lot of people got rained out. Uh but you know, we prayed about it. So the Lord just, you know, we we had his peace and he was going to take care of it. I at no time did we doubt. There was some hairy moments in that because like my brother's tent started leaking. So we had to run out there, throw tarps on top of it, you know, hook it up, tie it down. Um, so we go out into the woods. I'm with my sons. They're like, "Dad, it is raining." I said, "That's why we got uh rain conchos and rain suits. I mean, this is what it's about, you know." And so they got had to track through the mud, track through the rain. Uh, we probably hiked that first day almost 30 miles. I mean, we just hiked all the way around till evening. But my brother-in-law uh his daughter got drawn and she um got an elk on that time and so she got on the first day and it was amazing because it was raining and it's like the clouds just opened up and it was dry in that moment and it was insane cuz it was raining all around except for this moment area where the elk is and they're processing and cutting that up and we're we're helping out and they get that out and so the next few days we're still hunting. And um it did not go well. It was raining the whole time. Sometimes you would get some sunlight and it was beautiful because all the mountains had like little streams and and tributaries running through them. And uh finally on the last day, my sons have not gotten anything. So we split up. My oldest son went uh well the older son went with my brother-in-law because you know they already got something. So he went out there and my youngest came with me. It was just me and him out in the woods and I said, "You know, I want to go back to this place." So, so we go back to this one area and and right there we see him and he gets set up. He's getting ready to take a shot, but they move and they run off. So, somehow we they got spooked and uh he's all frustrated, you know, he's [laughter] he's 14. He just turned 14. He's frustrated and he's like, "Dad, we're not getting anything. There's nothing going to happen, Dad. this is this is pointless. We're not getting anything. I'm like, you know what? Let's just stop. Stop. We didn't do something that we should have done. I said, let's pray. So, I said, give me your hands. We're going to pray. All right. We're going to give this to God. Whatever his will is, but you know, I want you to ask with conviction, not with doubt, that we're going to get an elk. Okay? I want you to pray that way. So we we we put our hands together and we close our eyes and we pray to the good Lord and we thank him for the trip and we ask with conviction if we can get an elk but his will be done. And so we we go out and we could see where they ran off to and uh I'm I'm thinking to myself and I start going that direction cuz you know ask him where he wants to go and we start walking the direction where we saw him running off to and I'm like you know what I want to backtrack it. I want to go back the other way. And my son is like, "That's stupid, Dad." We saw where they ran off to. You don't want to go backwards. That's dumb. I don't know what you're I said, you know, I got a feeling. Let's Let's do it. So, we start walking back in the direction. My son is uh lowkey uh you know, griping and we're moving forward. And as soon cuz we were down in this little ravine. As soon as we start walking up, here comes the herd right towards us. So, I'm like, "Dude, stop." So he stops and he's standing behind me and they're just walking right towards us. They literally get within, no joke, I would say 10 yards of us and they're just walking right in front of us and and they're and and the uh bull comes out and he is huge. He's a toad, but we don't have a bull tag. Ours is a cow tag, but he's huge. And he stops and he looks at me. Now he can't see my son because of line of sight. My son is like right behind me and uh he looks at me. I'm not moving. I told my son, "Don't move." And the wind was blowing in our favor and he just moves on. And they're walking. They're within now like 20 yards and there's this huge cow. So I'm like, "Son, this is going to suck for me, but you need to go ahead and put the gun over my shoulder [laughter] so you have a rest and that way you go for that cow." Okay. And uh so he's like, "All right, Dad." So I said, "Just calm down." So he does. And he takes his first shot. Boom. And the cow does not go down. And she is standing there and everyone's looking at us and then they go back to eating. [laughter] So I'm like, "Reload. >> Come on. Reload. Let's do this. Just go for it." But the cow has shifted a little bit. Now she's got her butt towards us and um and you have her neck. So I'm like, "Well, you can't shoot the butt. So uh you're going to have to wait till she moves." He's like, "Dad, I'm going to go for the neck." I'm like, "If you think you can make it." Yeah. >> You got a very small window, but you know, if you feel confident, take that shot. So he reloads, he goes, and boom, and this time the buck walks in front of where the cow is, so you can't see the cow. And it doesn't look like that we got him. And that's it. That's two shots. We're done. And so we walk over there and he's all angry and upset and you know, he's he's like, "I can't believe I thought I had it and everything." I said, "Don't worry, son." And we're walking around. They don't give a care that we're walking around them. I'm having a conversation with my son from they're doing nothing. They're just looking at us. We can't shoot again. We're done. So I'm like, "Don't worry." Finally, the, you know, he he is like totally in the pits and everything. The bull moves out and the next thing you know he's walking out towards where the bull was and the cow's down. He just couldn't see it. So what ended up happening was he did hit it right in the neck. The first shot did hit but it it hit it on the shoulder and grazed off. So the next one hit it right through the neck, several everything. Immediate drop. Done. And it was a great shot. And so I told my son, "Excellent job." And he was like, "This is amazing." So now he went from way down low to unbelievably elated. [clears throat] >> And I think we've all been there. I think we've all been there with hunting. Like I, as you're saying that, I'm like, "Yeah, I got some 14-year-old boy in me cuz I didn't hunt when I was that young. I didn't hunt until I was an adult. But there are times when I'm just like, are there any animals in this entire mountain range? Cuz I'm pretty sure there's not. I've seen birds and squirrels. Like this sucks." So uh that that's that's so awesome for your son. And and again, then I'm y'all got to use some family knives to to process it and get it out of there. And so that's that's all all part of the process and your son gets to see that as well. Uh now I got to I got to throw throw a shout out to my boy Wes Huff. He's a buddy of mine because >> he's the reason why I know Dawson Knives exists and he's the reason why a lot of people now know that Dawson Knives exists because he released this gorgeous video and these awesome uh social posts where he's going to be doing a threepart release with you guys. Okay, so there's the Ignatius uh which is like a gladius, like a sword, and then there's the Araneus, which I think you pronounce it Pugio or Puio, probably Italian. Uh so which is a short sword. And then later this year, you've got like a third thing that y'all are releasing with him. And then uh you know, Wes was like, "Yeah, I' I'd love to connect you with them and all that." And so I got a little story to tell. And then I got to like te you up to do something that I've been waiting for for a long time. So I get hooked up with uh the guy Andrew who does y'all's y'all's creative uh work and all that. He's just kind of talking about Undaunted, talking about it. And dude, I don't get very many like God put a word in there things. Like I'm kind of a bottom shelf guy. I'm like, "Dude, just put on the bottom shelf. like otherwise I'm going to miss it. And as Andrew and I are talking, we're kind of like hinting around like maybe it would be cool to do like a collab knife with Dawson. I don't really know. Like let's just kind of see how this works out. And I just get the word Nehemiah. >> Now, for anyone that listens to my show, you know how much I love the the book of Nehemiah. It's a it's a very uh it's not studied very much. A lot of people don't really know what goes on in Nehemiah, but especially the first four chapters. And then in chapter 4, you have these Israelites. I mean, they're they're rebuilding the walls of their city, which had been destroyed for forever. And Nehemiah's, you know, leading the charge. But it says that they stood ready to work with one hand and to fight with the other. And automatically, I started talking to Andrew. I'm like, "Hey, what if we did a knife that could like cover a couple of different bases where it's like, hey, if you needed to work with it around the campsite or in a, you know, survival situation, it could cover that base. But then also like if you needed to to fight with it or if you needed to kill an animal or skin an animal or something like that, like it's a multifaceted knife." So, fast forward, y'all send me a bunch of knives and you're like, "Hey, just start handling the stress test these blah blah blah." And there is one knife that I have not talked about yet on this show and it's the Woodsman. So I get the Woodsman. It's just one of those things, you know, I'm taking the knives in and out of the the sheets and all that and all that. The moment I took the Woodsman out of the sheath and felt it in my hand, I was like, "Whoa, oh, that feels different." Like I I like that it kind of curved right into my hand almost like it was made for it. And then I get my buddies who are, you know, knife guys and all that. And I let them handle all the different knives. And I'm just sitting there like just wondering what are they going to say? What are they going to think is cool? And they're like, "Oh yeah, the smuggler's pretty cool. Like I like that. It's pretty sharp. Oh yeah, it's got the little, you know, the, you know, thing on the end you can screw drive with. Okay, yeah, shepherd's cool. It's it's heavy. It's heavy duty. Blah, blah." And then all of them picked up the woodsman. They're like, "Hey, hey, this this feels different in my hand." And so then what basically we decided is I worked with you guys and I I'm there on my iPad and I'm just sketching out like okay let's let's use the woodsman kind of like as the basis of this but hey what if we did this and what if we did that and instead of doing like the full curve like what if we put a drop point on it and different things like that cuz it's like I feel like this could you know be used in several different ways but you're probably not going to want to take a hammer to the back of of something like that if you're trying to like split wood or something like that because of the tip and So, I say all this as the the longest setup ever because if you guys are listening to this on time, you probably already got the emails from me. You've seen the social media posts because the Nehemiah collaboration knife with Dawson Knives is now live at dawson knives.com. You can go and check it out. Check it out in the show notes. Go anywhere. Search Google uh you know uh Dawson Knives. It's right there on the homepage. But as of this exact moment, John, I have not seen it. the creative director that's creating all these videos and stuff that you guys have probably seen, he has not seen it. And as of when you and I got on before I hit the record button, you didn't even have one in hand, but you said, "Hang on, hold up. Wait a minute. Let me go to the shop. I think there might be one that's already done." And then you came back and you said, "It's done." And I have not seen it. And so, John, you are technically making the world debut of this knife, at least to me, because this is happening in the past, guys. if you're listening in the future right now, but I guess take me through your understanding of the entire I don't mean to belabor this any any longer, but take me through your understanding of of Undaunted and getting introduced to me and this whole knife and then for the love of God, can you just show me this thing, but I'll let you set it up on your own. Go for it. >> Yeah. So, uh when uh Wes Huff first off is an amazing person. Uh just collabing with Wes Huff, he's incredible. He is so humble and he is so passionate passionate for Jesus Christ and the word and making sure that it is represented truly and and this collab has been amazing with him. So when Andrew uh reached out and said, "Hey, there's these guys from Undaunted. You got to check them out." So I started watching your podcast and I loved it. I loved everything that you guys represented, what you stood for, and and how bold you are, Kyle. So, I really appreciate that. So, he's like, we we're wanting to do a collab with the knife. I said, I am 100% for that. I just want to make sure it glorifies God. And then after he started talking to you and saying, look, he wants to do uh on Nehemiah. I'm like, that's a sign of God because I love Nehemiah. It's one of my favorite books, too, in the Bible. So, um I was like, all right, I'm on. Let's do this. what does he want? So once you start talking to us and and start giving us some ideas and design input, especially with the drop point, I think that was really really critical because it opens up that knife to so many different things. And I'm going to show you once I bring out the knife here. The knife is mostly done. It still needs the name on and sharpening, but it's done besides all that. Um, and you'll see that. But it's really cool. It is amazing. All the guys in our shop are talking about the knife. The guys are like, "Dude, I want that knife. This is the coolest knife that I've ever seen." He says, "I love the Woodsman, but I think this takes the Woodsman just an extra notch. Just it's just that extra little level." And it just started moving around. It's funny cuz like you can see in one part of the shop where it's being made as it moves through the shop, you know, and you get like guys coming up to me. It's like, "What is this knife? This knife is really cool. When do we start doing this? What is this all about?" [laughter] And so it finally makes its way over here to the sharpening table. That's why I had to go grab it. Um, and even the our sharpener, he's all like, "Dude, this is like one incredible knife." And he's a big burly dude. So, he's all like, he does a lot of hunting, fishing. He's all like, >> "Yeah, >> um, I'm going to have to get me one of those." So, uh, just earmark one of those. I need one of those knives. So, >> so this is really cool. This also has when when you were talking to us about colors. >> Yeah. Um, so we had to actually custom make your handle color in the black and blue. And I have to say it looks pretty darn stunning. Uh, it is really cool. Um, even the finish, everything, the feel. >> So, I'm going to go ahead and show this off right now. So, here we go. So, this is the undaunted knife right here. [sighs] >> Let me see if we can get into view. There we go. >> Oh my goodness. Look at that. >> Look at that sucker. Look at that. Yeah. Y'all don't have a handle like that? >> No, I don't have a handle like that. It's It's hard to tell here, but you can see the blue and the black. So, I'm going to move it right here. It looks incredible. >> It is. >> Yeah, cuz like you know our color. It's just blue, black, grayscale. That's basically everything that we put out. >> So, that's where you got the gray finish right here. It turned out, it's hard to see it, but it's got blue accents in the finish. It's just because of lighting. So, this blade, you can see that drop point. So, you got this hammering part right up here. So, which works great for batoning. Then you got a nice top. We had to add a top bevel to it. So, really gets that defense and also gives you a better tip point, but you still have a strong tip. We got the tie down hole. It's just got a good weight and feel. And it is a real blade. Even the curvature right here, we added a little bit of angle for skinning. So, that way you could really work out anything from, >> you know, a white tail all the way up to an elk or you can even go bigger. Yeah. >> And then you als Yeah, moose definitely. And then you got the tie down hole right here. And the tie down hole right here. And you got gimping on the back. So we were able to get that gimping. And the thickness on this is actually oversized 8 inch. So it's not too heavy and it's not too light. So it's point uh 135 to 136. So you know you're in that range. So it's oversized 8 inch. >> But it is an amazing knife. even the feel. And the great thing is, okay, so you got all the hunting aspects and you got a tie down lanyard hold. You can go from here to here. Um, you got a sharpening chil right there. >> But the cool thing is you can reverse grip it and that sucker just fits right in perfectly. >> And what so as you're reverse gripping that, as soon as I reverse grip this one, because a guy taught me a long time ago, he's like, "Look, if someone come at comes at you with a knife like this, it's a knife. It could stab you. It could kill you. But you don't need to be super scared of that guy in terms of how he knows how to use it. But if a guy comes at you like this >> with the reverse grip on a knife, just take off that guy you pieces cuz he's ready to box and cut you up with the other hand. And when I put the woodsman in the reverse grip for the first time, like everything just felt like it was right in place. That's why I wanted to kind of keep the curvature of the woodsman when we got into the Nehemiah. >> Yeah, absolutely. So, it's a super multi-functioning tool. We're we're going to be offering these guys uh online with the uh carbon fiber kidex sheets. Um we're also going to be um putting alt clips. So, they'll get them with Ult. Uh some of them I they're working that out to either be a code where you can redeem it or you just click it online and that way it sends out to you. So, because some people don't want it, but I think it's a great feature. I think you should have it. uh just adds that it also comes now this uh knife will be able to be carried on um on a vest so like mole so it has those attachments and it can also be carried cross straw scalp carry or upright so on a belt so it it's got a lot of uh function and features to it uh a lot of these have our differential heat treat so uh they're going to have an amazing rock well on the edge so it's going to be super sharp but a softer back so even when you're batoning or doing anything like that you're not going to chip or or have any uh you know wear points. It's going to take it really really well. So, we we did a lot of testing. We even done bin tests. You're going to see those videos coming out very shortly. >> Uh they're some pretty crazy tests. Um I don't recommend people doing this at home, but we're we're just showing people what the knife can do. But, uh this is an all-in-one knife and uh I'm I'm pretty stoked about the design. So, excellent job, Kyle. Well, I am uh excited that my first foray into knife designing helped. But no, I had my I had a buddy Tucker and Zach and Adam and they all kind of were like, man, you know what? If a drop point was put on something like the Woodsman, all that and then we just started like extrapolating out. Then I just started like whittling or not whittling, but just like kind of doodling and drawing on the iPad and then here it is. So like I am thrilled. It looks gorgeous. Again, guys, if if you're listening to this right now, just search for Dawson Knives. It's right there on the homepage. everything on our social media. If you're on our email list, you're going to get direct links to where you can go and purchase that. And again, this is a limited time thing. Like, as of how we know right now, like we have no idea how many of these we're going to sell. And then also another cool thing when we were talking through, you know, uh the money for the collab and all the different things, there is a significant portion of the proceeds that's going to go to support Project Savior Outdoors. Okay? So, you guys have seen me uh do videos with Mike Dragitch there out of Florida. He's like the ultimate Florida man. And yeah, like we go out and and we kill gators and, you know, we do these these cool videos and these hunt videos and, you know, do the things like that. But the the point of Project Savior Outdoors is to prevent veteran suicide. And so these guys are flying in veterans from all over the country to come and hunt. You know, do a hog hunt, do a gator hunt. But really, it's about, you know, getting together with those guys at the fire pit after it's all done, after you've cleaned up the animals and cleaned up yourself and, you know, leading these guys to Jesus, helping them along their sanctification and disciplehip journey in service to Jesus. And it's just a tremendous group. And so guys, when you purchase this knife, there is a significant chunk that is going to go to support the work that Project Savior Outdoors does. And so, man, I'm I'm just so thrilled. I think it's been great working with y'all up to this point. I'm I'm so thrilled to see the knife. I can't wait to get them in hand. I know that they're going to be coming to me probably next week or so. But, uh, as of right now, that's all for me. Is there anything else you want to get off your chest? >> Uh, no. And I I just want to let everyone know that, uh, we are very happy that, uh, to support these causes. Um, and and we do that with every cell of every knife. And and that's part of the ministry work. And so I'm really happy, Kyle, that that you chose them. Uh, that we can work with veterans. Like I said, I have a family full of veterans. U they've been through a lot. And, you know, that they need Jesus and they need camaraderie. They need to know that people care, that people love them, and uh it's just awesome. I just I just love the whole thing. The knife is cool. The charity is amazing. Uh, and working with you, Kyle, has been amazing. So, I really appreciate it, brother. >> Well, even as we were uh, doing this interview, I came up with a couple more ideas. So, guys, but we got to make sure the Nehemiah is successful, okay? So, if you see it out there, if you think it looks cool, jump on it. I mean, I'm I'm going to have some that I keep back for my for my boys whenever they get older. Their their first fixed blades are going to be Nehemiah's uh whenever James and Eli get older. And so, guys, let's make sure this first one's successful and then maybe this becomes a trend. But John, we'll talk again soon, buddy. >> All right. Thank you. God bless you, Kyle. >> There you go, guys. I hope you enjoyed my time with John Roy. And oh my gosh, the Nehemiah. Doesn't that thing look good, guys? You can go check it out right now. But hey, I'm getting ahead of myself. We got to do a quick resilience boost at Undaunted Life. Our mission is equipping men to push back darkness with content that forges spiritual, mental, and physical resilience. If you go to the show notes, there is a link to the Dawson Knives page. Guy guys, go anywhere like go to Google, go to, you know, Duck.Go go or whatever you know thing that you search for, search for Dawson Knives and it's right there on the background right now. Again, it's during this period. So, if you're listening to this in the future, they've moved on to some other different designs, but you can search on their website for the Nehemiah, which is the collab knife that we did with Undaunted Life that supports Undaunted Life and Project Savior Outdoors. Check it out, pick it up. Let's make sure that this is a successful launch. Thank you for listening to this podcast. Wherever you're listening to this, please subscribe, rate, and leave us a positive fivestar review. If you want me to come speak live at your event or on your podcast, just shoot me an email to info@undantton.life, that's info@undanton.life, follow us on Instagram and like us on Facebook and check out our website for everything else, including how to donate to keep more content like this coming your way. Just go to www.undton.life. And as always, we want to thank the band Holy Name for allowing us to use their music for our content. The music on this podcast is their song Perpetual, which is off their self-titled debut album on Faceown Records. The links are in the description. I'm your host, Kyle Thompson. Remember, keep pushing back darkness. Keep forging spiritual, mental, and physical resilience. Keep seeking the Lion of Judah. [music] [music]