Knife Radio: Podcasts Bring the Knife World to the Digital Airwaves
By H. Clay Aalders
At some point in time about three million years ago, our ancestors crafted the first edged tool. Roughly 15 minutes after that point, two of them likely sat down to talk about it. Fast forward several millennia, and people formed guilds where many craftsmen could get together and talk about knives. Several centuries after that, the modern knife show came to be, where collectors and makers alike could gather together and talk about knives. People like to talk about knives. Apparently, they also like to listen to people talk about knives.
The internet revolution has allowed knife enthusiasts to talk about knives in ways that one could hardly have been imagined 30 years ago. What started with online bulletin and message boards, which are still very much around, has evolved into blogs, social media groups, video streaming channels, television shows, and the medium I wish to discuss today – the podcast.
What is a podcast? Merriam-Webster defines a podcast as “a program (as of music or talk) made available in digital format for automatic download over the Internet.” Think a radio program that is available to you on demand, along with archives of past recorded shows. Even the most Luddite among you has probably heard of Joe Rogan. His podcast, the Joe Rogan Experience, has more than 1950 back episodes and averages 11 million listeners per show.
Chances are, you have an app for podcasts already on your phone without your knowing it. There are built-in Apple iOS and Android apps, as well as external podcast apps like Soundcloud, Stitcher, I Heart Radio, and Spotify. Most podcasts are available across multiple platforms, allowing the consumer to choose the one that best suits their needs.
This article appears in the July 2022 issue of KNIFE Magazine. You can read the whole thing by clicking on the blue button below.