Made in USA: How One Startup is Reshaping Manufacturing | Josh Smith DSH #1177

Summary

Digital Social Hour Episode Summary: "Made in USA: How One Startup is Reshaping Manufacturing | Josh Smith DSH #1177"

Release Date: February 12, 2025
Host: Sean Kelly
Guest: Josh Smith, Founder of Montana Knife Co.

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1. Introduction

In this compelling episode of Digital Social Hour, host Sean Kelly engages in an in-depth conversation with Josh Smith, the visionary founder of Montana Knife Co. The discussion delves into Josh's remarkable journey from a young bladesmith to leading a thriving American manufacturing startup. The episode illuminates themes of craftsmanship, American entrepreneurship, community impact, and ethical hunting practices.

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2. Josh Smith’s Background and Achievements

Josh Smith begins by sharing his early passion for knife making, highlighting his dedication and skill development from a young age.

• Josh Smith [01:15]:
  "I started making knives when I was 11... I became a pretty damn good maker by the time I was in my 20s."

At 19, Josh achieved the prestigious title of Mastersmith, becoming the youngest in the world to do so—a testament to his expertise and commitment.

• Josh Smith [01:43]:
  "I came the youngest in the world when I was 19. I'm definitely not 19 anymore, all this gray hair, but yeah, it was quite the accomplishment for sure."

---

3. Founding Montana Knife Company

Transitioning from custom knife making, Josh founded the Montana Knife Company in 2020, scaling from a two-car garage to a national brand.

• Josh Smith [05:25]:
  "I started Montana Knife Company in 2020 in my two-car garage, and today we have 80 employees and are building a national brand."

He emphasizes the blend of handmade quality with semi-production processes to meet growing demand without compromising craftsmanship.

• Josh Smith [07:44]:
  "Our production knives are semi-production with CNC machines and are hand-sharpened on a belt. This ensures a higher quality compared to mass-produced alternatives."

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4. Commitment to American Manufacturing

A core philosophy of Montana Knife Co. is to reinstate American manufacturing, prioritizing domestic production to support local economies.

• Josh Smith [09:27]:
  "All of our knives are made here in America. We're bringing American manufacturing back and proving that the American dream is still achievable."

He discusses the intricate supply chain that supports his business, from steel production in New York to leather craftsmanship in Idaho, highlighting the ripple effect of his operations on various local businesses.

• Josh Smith [11:18]:
  "We pay people across the country—from steel in New York to leather in Idaho—which not only supports our business but also creates jobs and stimulates local economies."

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5. Community and Economic Impact

Josh underscores the importance of community, especially in rural areas, where his company's growth injects significant revenue and fosters economic stability.

• Josh Smith [12:05]:
  "In small rural towns, money doesn't circulate much. By growing a national brand, we're bringing millions into our state, hiring locally, and supporting other businesses."

He paints a vivid picture of tight-knit communities, contrasting them with the anonymity of major cities.

• Josh Smith [13:16]:
  "Growing up in Lincoln, Montana, with only about 20 kids in my class, everyone knows each other. That's the sense of community I strive to maintain."

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6. Hunting Philosophy and Practices

A significant portion of the conversation revolves around Josh's ethical hunting practices and the role of hunting in wildlife conservation.

6.1. On Hunting Ethics

Josh articulates a balanced perspective on hunting, emphasizing sustainability and conservation.

• Josh Smith [26:52]:
  "Hunting helps manage animal populations, prevents overpopulation and disease, and ensures future generations can enjoy wildlife."

He debunks misconceptions about hunting, advocating for responsible practices that respect nature and animal life.

• Josh Smith [31:05]:
  "Taking an animal in an instant with no pain and utilizing its meat respects the animal and contributes to conservation efforts."

6.2. Hunting Experiences and Stories

Josh shares personal anecdotes that illustrate his deep connection with nature and his commitment to ethical hunting.

• Josh Smith [24:59]:
  "Last summer, my son and I hunted a giant moose in northern British Columbia. Ten days on horseback, no cell service, living off the land—it was an unforgettable experience."

He recounts the challenges of hunting, such as dealing with wildlife encounters and the meticulous planning required to ensure successful and ethical hunts.

• Josh Smith [37:35]:
  "Hunting isn't aimlessly wandering. It involves extensive research on animal behavior, habitat, and environmental factors to position yourself effectively and make ethical shots."

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7. Views on Politics and Business Integration

Josh navigates the often tumultuous intersection of politics and business, particularly regarding American manufacturing policies.

• Josh Smith [10:17]:
  "With initiatives like Trump's to bring more jobs to America, we're less concerned about tariffs because we produce everything domestically."

He maintains that his business remains apolitical, striving for a balanced approach that respects diverse political viewpoints while fostering national manufacturing.

• Josh Smith [22:11]:
  "We can have a healthy debate and agree to disagree. Our focus remains on building a quality product and supporting American manufacturing."

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8. Product Information and Marketing

Josh provides insights into the craftsmanship and quality control behind Montana Knife Co.'s products, differentiating them from mass-produced alternatives.

• Josh Smith [08:00]:
  "Our knives are built with the best steel, precise heat treating, and edge geometry, ensuring durability and performance akin to custom knives."

He highlights the company's unique selling proposition—offering high-quality knives with lifetime sharpening services, underscoring the brand's commitment to customer satisfaction.

• Josh Smith [09:01]:
  "We offer free sharpening for life. Once you own our knives, you'll never need to buy another set. It's about providing long-term value."

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9. Concluding Thoughts

As the conversation wraps up, Josh reflects on his journey and the future aspirations for Montana Knife Co., including expanding manufacturing facilities and enhancing the company's retail presence.

• Josh Smith [51:15]:
  "We're building a new 50,000 square foot manufacturing facility with retail space and a Black Rifle Coffee outlet. It's all part of the American dream."

Sean Kelly expresses enthusiasm for Josh's vision, inviting listeners to support and engage with Montana Knife Co.'s products and story.

• Host Sean Kelly [51:53]:
  "Check out Montana Knife Company’s website and Instagram to follow their drops and become part of their growing story. Thanks for joining us, Josh."

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Notable Quotes

• Josh Smith [01:53]:
  "It's like making $20 as a kid by selling knives. That was the start of my entrepreneurial journey."

• Josh Smith [09:01]:
  "Our knives aren't the cheapest, but they are an investment in quality and longevity."

• Josh Smith [22:51]:
  "If you have a lock on your door, why not have a lock on the door of your country? That's how I feel about security and freedom."

• Josh Smith [37:35]:
  "Hunting is a science and an art. You have to understand animal behavior and environmental cues to make ethical and successful hunts."

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Conclusion

This episode of Digital Social Hour offers a deep dive into Josh Smith's entrepreneurial spirit, his unwavering dedication to American manufacturing, and his thoughtful approach to hunting and conservation. Through candid dialogue and personal anecdotes, listeners gain valuable insights into building a successful business grounded in quality, ethics, and community support.

For more information on Josh Smith and Montana Knife Co., visit montanaknifecompany.com and follow them on Instagram @MontanaKnifeCompany.

Transcript

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[Josh Smith]

The bear that my son shot had almost no teeth left. She was, she had zero fat on her and it was right before winter. She was absolutely going to starve to death. Yeah, 100 she was. Yeah, it was game over for her. And so when you think about it, generally in nature an animal only dies from, you know, starvation.

[Host]

All right guys, Josh Smith from Montana Knife Co. Thanks for coming on today, man.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, thanks for having me.

[Host]

Yeah, first Mastersmith I've had on the show.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, yeah, I appreciate it.

[Host]

No joke getting that title.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, no it's, that was a pretty, pretty cool thing to attain for sure.

[Host]

You got it at a young age.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, especially at that age. Yeah, I came the youngest in the world when I was 19. I'm definitely not 19 anymore, all this gray hair. But yeah, it was quite the accomplishment for sure.

[Host]

What's the process for that for people that have no idea what that even is?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, I, I started making knives when I was 11 and you have to become an, an apprentice, which basically you just join the American Bladesmith Society. And so for a couple years you're just apprenticing and then you can test for. First you have to test for your journeyman and that involves actually making a performance blade that you have to be able to chop a 1 inch rope in half and then chop 2, 2 by fours in half as many chops as you want to take. But then it still has to shave hair when you're done and then you have to bend that blade 90 degrees in a vise without breaking it. Whoa. Yeah, it's, it's legit. So that proves that, you know, have a knowledge of heat treating steel and, and edge geometry and a lot of Those things. And then you take five knives and you present them to a panel of judges, mastersmith judges in Atlanta at the blade show. And they judge fit and finish and how good you know, of a, of a maker you are kind of across your five knives. And so I did that when I was 15 and was the youngest to do that. And then you have to be a journeyman two years and then you're allowed to test for your master. And it's the same test but it's with Damascus steel blades. So that's steel, that's layers of steel forged together. Most people kind of know that as like the way that like the samurais used to do it. Yeah, it's quite a process, but it's the same test but with that Damascus steel blade. And I did that when I was 19 and there's about 120 or 30 in the world now. So it's, it's pretty prestigious thing to.

[Host]

Yeah, that's intense. To do like Somalia for, for drinking.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, yeah.

[Host]

Not many of those guys, right?

[Josh Smith]

Oh crap.

[Host]

And you were doing it super young. So what compelled you at that age to get in a knife?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, my, my little league baseball coach, Rick Dunkerley, he started, he would bring his knives to practice and show the parents. He was kind of learning honestly at that point. And I think being an 11 year old little boy, I was just thought knives were cool. And he invited me to a shop to make one and I, I think I was a pretty responsible kid and he could tell and so I made a couple and then he was like, well, if you want to be a knife maker, you have to have your own shop. Which I think was his way of, you know, getting me out of his shop. Yeah, and. But I had a lawn mowing business and I was earning money doing that. And so I bought a belt grinder and I, I like honestly I was just a pretty driven kid. And so I started buying more equipment and then finally my dad kind of booted me out of his shop. I was making a mess. And he enclosed a lean to kind of shed that we had. And I made knives before school, after school, weekends and. And then I started going to knife shows all over the country when I was about 14 and everywhere I was, when I, when, when I was around other masters, I was just asking them lots of questions, how do you do this and that? And they were a very sharing community. And I. What I didn't know when I started making that Rick would actually end up becoming one of the best knife makers in the world. Someday.

[Host]

Whoa.

[Josh Smith]

So I kind of got lucky that I wasn't learning from some just scrub like he, you know, I was trying to catch him, but then he was also learning and getting better. So it's just constantly chasing these guys I was learning from. And it was, it was, you know, became, I became pretty damn good maker by the time I was in my 20s.

[Host]

That's super cool. So you knew from a young age what you were going to do with this, with your life.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. You know, I made those first couple knives and I, and I, I sold them to my math and science teacher for $20 a piece. And it just blew me away that you could do something so fun. I could make a knife and then you can make money from it.

[Host]

It's like.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. And as a kid, you know, when you're 12 years old, it's like making 20 bucks to make a knife.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

I keep doing this.

[Host]

That's fascinating.

[Josh Smith]

And it became a career.

[Host]

Yeah. When people buy like fancy kitchen sets, are those handmade, those knives in those kitchen sets?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, like with, with our knives, you know, there's, there's two different kinds of knives that I basically make. I have my custom stuff, which is what I did for years. And then I started Montana Knife Company in 2020 and that's a production knife. So I started, and I started very small, I mean in my two car garage and what we've built that into now, if you buy a Montana Knife Company knife, it's semi production, like the machines and all that. And then like they're hand sharpened on a belt.

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[Josh Smith]

Got it cleaned by hand, packaged all by hand. But, but we have CNC machines and some stuff so I don't want to compare those to a truly handmade knife. But, but there's a lot more handwork in those than maybe just like knife stamped out in China.

[Host]

Right.

[Josh Smith]

You know.

[Host]

And is there a massive like quality difference between just a regular kitchen set and Montana knives?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, I mean there really is. I mean the knives that we build, even though they're kind of, we produce them, we're trying to produce them on scale. We're producing them at a level of quality that I would expect like in a custom knife. So steel selection, not, not using like cheap junky steel. I mean we're using the best steel that we can possibly use for a blade heat treatment. So that those skills that I learned young with those heat treating tests and stuff, I've applied that stuff to our, our production knife company. And so when you buy a blade, the edge geometry which is like how thick the blade is, how it's sharpened, how it's heat treated, all those things that I did in my custom knife, you're getting that in a production knife. And so our knives aren't the cheapest, you know, Montana Knife Co. Chef said isn't the cheapest. It's, you know that whole set of knives is 1300 bucks. So yeah, you know, it's not cheap. Yeah, but we also sharpen those for life, for free.

[Host]

Oh, really?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. So if once a year, twice a year, you want to send them in, we'll sharpen them up, we'll send them back to you for free. If you never have to buy another knife set the rest of your life, you know, you've gotten pretty good value. You literally use your chef's knives every day. Right, Right. So they're, they're, they're definitely better than what most people are used to.

[Host]

I could see that. And that makes a lot of sense because we're probably on our fourth set of knives right now.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah.

[Host]

You know.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. So you pay a few hundred bucks, few years, you know, are you really ahead at the end? And the other part of that is, is they're made in America. And that's the thing. All of our knives are made here in America. Everything's done in the US we're trying to bring American manufacturing back. And that's really what my Montana knife company is. You know, we sell a ton of apparel and a lot of people wear our hats and shirts and don't even own a knife yet, you know, but it's because of our story and what they've seen me grow this from a two car garage. I started it in Covid, and my kids were literally helping me assemble the knives that no employees. I was doing it before and after my day job. And Today we have 80 employees and, you know, it's becoming this national brand. But people are seeing that like, the American dream is still achievable. It's alive and real.

[Host]

I love that.

[Josh Smith]

Takes a lot of work.

[Host]

Yeah. And now with Trump, he's trying to bring a lot more jobs to America, right?

[Josh Smith]

Absolutely. And, you know, the people ask me about the tariff stuff and whatnot, and it's like, well, that's why, you know, it does, it doesn't bother me what he does with terrorists because we do everything right here in the U.S. other.

[Host]

Companies are going to be affected though. Yeah, 25%.

[Josh Smith]

Trump's got a chef set from us, Don Jr. A good friend of mine. And yeah, they're very supportive of American manufacturing. And you know, we, I think people, you know, they say, like, buy American whatnot. And some people are like, yeah, I support that, but I don't even myself. I didn't have any idea how impactful American manufacturing was until I built this company. You know, it's not just my 80 employees that I've hired in the last three years. It's also all the other businesses that we Pay to do things in that process. Right. We're not doing everything in house yet because we're trying to build this, all the manufacturing process, but it takes years because some of these processes cost millions of dollars to bring in house.

[Host]

Right.

[Josh Smith]

So, you know, the steel's made in New York. It's rolled in New York, you know, heat treated in Pennsylvania, you know, and so we're paying people all across the country. Our leather sheets are made by a gal, Teton Leather Company in Idaho. And just because of our business, she's hired like eight or ten people. Our, our, our wood blocks, like our cutting boards and our display boards and everything are made by a guy that was making some, some cutting boards and a few things as a hobby in his garage. And he has now has nine employees and just trying to keep up with our production. So when people support American manufacturing, it really, it means more than people know, and it really does spread the dollar around.

[Host]

Yeah, I didn't even think about it that way, but that's so true because you're working with other companies and people.

[Josh Smith]

And, and for a small place like Montana, you know, for western Montana, a lot of times in those really small rural towns, it could be in North Dakota or Idaho or anywhere that's small. Generally, dollars just get kind of spun around in the community, and there's not a lot of inflection of new dollars. So, you know, it's like you have a local business, I hire you, but then you hire me to do something. It's just back and forth.

[Host]

Yeah, yeah.

[Josh Smith]

So a national brand like ours is bringing millions of dollars of revenue into our state from out of state. 90% of our sales are out of state. And so all that money comes into our, our state. We, you know, we hire our employees, we spend all that money in our state, and it's, it's a, it's a huge thing for rural areas, you know?

[Host]

Absolutely.

[Josh Smith]

You know, and I, and I hope more small businesses will. Will grow and become bigger businesses in small rural areas besides just the big cities.

[Host]

Yeah. That way the city could grow.

[Josh Smith]

Right, Right. Yeah. And that way there's, you know, the money that we make now. Now they tax us. Right. Those taxes go to the fire department and the local schools and ems, and so it's a benefit to small towns to have some form of manufacturing.

[Host]

Yeah, makes sense. Are you born and raised in Montana?

[Josh Smith]

Basically, I was born in Colorado Springs, but my parents moved there when I was six months old. My mom was born in Montana. So I always feel like fraud if I say yes. But, yeah, I grew up in a. In a tiny town, actually grew up in Lincoln, Montana. It's where they. They caught the Unabomber. Oh, wow. He was hiding in the woods up there. Yeah, it's kind of.

[Host]

Was that guy from there or. He was just randomly there? He.

[Josh Smith]

That's where he. That's where he lived. And for. He wasn't from there. I think he actually was a professor at Berkeley.

[Host]

Wow.

[Josh Smith]

And then when he started doing his. All his. All his. That's crazy. He moved to hide from the feds and lived in a cabin in Lincoln. I mean, it's a small little logging town of like 1500 people, and he lived with no power up, off the grid. I mean, nobody really knew who he was, obviously.

[Host]

Yeah, It's a. Probably a good spot to hide out kind of.

[Josh Smith]

What? Yeah.

[Host]

1500 people?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah.

[Host]

Wow. I had more people in my high school than you did in your whole town.

[Josh Smith]

Exactly. Yeah. I graduated with 20 kids in my class, and it was the biggest class that ever graduated from. Yeah.

[Host]

That's nice. Everyone's super tight with each other.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. Yeah, exactly.

[Host]

There's value in community, though, you know, There is.

[Josh Smith]

There's a lot of value in it, you know, helping out your neighbor. And when people are down or need help, it's.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

You take care of each other.

[Host]

That's something that's lost in these major cities.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah.

[Host]

That network. That network, you know, people you can rely on.

[Josh Smith]

I interviewed a guy. I now live in Frenchtown, Montana, which is a little bit bigger than Lincoln, but still small. And I think my kids have about 80 kids in their class or so now. But I interviewed a guy that we're hiring from Baltimore, and I took him to my son's football game. We interviewed him during the day, and I was like, he's not flying out till the next day. He's like, dude, have dinner with us, and we'll just. We're going to my kid's football game if you want to go watch. And he just couldn't believe that sense of community, you know, where everyone kind of knows everyone, and it was safe, and it was just like a beautiful Friday evening in Montana, and you're saying hi to all the neighbors. And he's like, man, this is. I have to move here. This is what I'm missing. He's like, there's no community like this in big cities. And he's like, it's just so nice to know that even if you're not around your kid, you know, that maybe someone that knows your Kid's looking out for him, you know.

[Host]

That's cool. Yeah. I hope to one day live in that atmosphere. Right now with the podcast, it's a little tougher. I kind of got to be in a major city, but I go to like a Whole Foods now. I don't recognize anyone.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah.

[Host]

Like in Vegas.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. Yeah. If you came and visited me, you'd be, you know, we'd go down to the grocery store and, you know, I'd say hi to four or five people just walking through there.

[Host]

And that's great, man. When you, when you look at these blue zones and people live long there, community is a big part of it.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, exactly. Yeah. And. But it, you know, has its drawbacks. Like you say when you're running a podcast, you know, I have a podcast. It's not, it's not something I like, push or whatever. I just do it because I really like people.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

And with my business, I've really come to get to meet really neat people. But I was telling some of your folks out there, you know, it's hard because I only do them in person.

[Host]

Right.

[Josh Smith]

And you know, when you're in Vegas, there's always somebody cool coming to town that you could interview. But when you're in Montana in the winter, it's like, well, who's going to be around? That's interesting to talk to. You know, it's not quite like.

[Host]

Yeah, you probably get a ton of snow out there, huh?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, yeah, we get quite a bit.

[Host]

We don't get any out here.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, no, it's. It's been unseasonably kind of dry and warm right now. It's been in the 30s during the day, maybe 40 maybe, but we don't have much snow yet. But we do get quite a bit. And ski is a big thing there. I can see snowboarding.

[Host]

I did see on your YouTube you did a archery rifle challenge.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah.

[Host]

With Tulsi and Bo Nickel.

[Josh Smith]

Yep.

[Host]

That's awesome.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. Sig Sig Sour. Big gun manufacturer. Phenomenal people. They put on an event and they said, we're gonna do this competition and it's for fun, but the winning team, we're gonna give $50,000 to. To give to whatever charity they choose.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

And they asked some, you know, kind of well known people in the space to put together a team. And so they basically chose team captains. And then it was on us to choose our own teammates. And so they chose me as a captain and I, I sent a message to Tulsi, invited her and Beau and they both Jumped on it. And you guys did well. Yeah, we did. It was actually amazing because, you know, Tulsi's a good gun shooter. She'd never really shot a bow, bow, nickel, shoot, some rifle, but he hadn't really ever shot much pistol. And I kind of worked with both of them a little bit on some of that stuff. And man, we were, you know, there's a bunch of. It was. Tulsi was the only woman in the competition, so she was on my team. Everyone else had all these kind of high speed dudes, you know, military guys or hunters and whatnot. And sure enough, after day one, we were in the lead and then a really good team passed us up the next day. But I think we took second or third in that.

[Host]

I think it was second.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. And it was an absolute blast. And Tulsi, I mean, she was in the middle of the whole craziness of that campaign season and for her to take a couple days out and come compete for a veteran charity like that. And she'd never met me in her life.

[Host]

Wow.

[Josh Smith]

Now we had mutual friends, so I think she knew I wasn't some weirdo. And we camped in wall tents and stripped down in our underwear and swam in the river afterwards during the day because it was like really hot and dusty and you're sweaty because it was very physical. And yeah, she's just a real person, like just such a good person.

[Host]

That's awesome. Yeah, she's been one of my favorite guests. I've had. I've had on 1400 people. Wow.

[Josh Smith]

1400.

[Host]

Yeah, she's been one of my favorite though.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, she's one of my favorite humans. And her husband actually came along and just hung out and he took photos. And Abe is just a really nice guy too. That's awesome. I see everything kind of being said about her with this whole Senate confirmation stuff coming, and it actually really disappoints me because it's like if you can make up bad things about her, then I just can't believe anything that you ever say. Like with the media.

[Host]

Yeah, I saw AOC said she's like pro war or something.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, pro war. Yeah. She's absolutely not. In fact, what made. What made Democrats so originally upset with her is when Obama tried to authorize bombings in Syria and she went against him and voted against it and they kind of. That was when the beginning of her end in the Democrat party.

[Host]

Yeah, that was like.

[Josh Smith]

So how can you say she's pro war? I mean.

[Host]

Yeah, yeah, that was silly. Aoc, she. I think she might be running for president next term. Really? So we'll see how that goes.

[Josh Smith]

Is. Yeah, yeah.

[Host]

I like a lot of Trump's picks lately. I see a new one every day and I'm like, oh, I like that. You know.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, he's done a pretty good job. I mean, I can't imagine you're going to probably pick some ones that aren't that, you know, you pick that many people, it's kind of like hiring. Right. If you hire 100 people, the odds say you're going to miss on a few.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

You're going to interview them the best you can. You're going to miss. And you also have to lean on advisors in that position. I can't imagine. But I really am happy with what he's, what he's doing. Yeah.

[Host]

100%. It's a numbers game. He has to fill what, 10,000 positions, something crazy. So not every single person is going to be the best person.

[Josh Smith]

Exactly. I don't think Trump's exactly sitting there reading 10,000 resumes at night, you know.

[Host]

And then you'll see the media cancel him for one hire.

[Josh Smith]

Right, exactly.

[Host]

That happened last term.

[Josh Smith]

And it's like Pete Hegseth, another guy I know that's really good guy. And you know, I really give Trump credit because like an rfk, a Tulsi, people that haven't been lifelong Republicans, you know, I don't really see the other side doing that, bringing in people from the other side. And you know, clearly Trump and RFK don't agree on everything. Right. You know, he's like, I'm gonna keep him out of the environmental stuff, you know. But he does respect RFK for what he is an expert in with the.

[Host]

Health stuff, which is cool.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah.

[Host]

I don't see the other side doing that at all.

[Josh Smith]

How many 7 year olds you see doing that many push ups and pull ups?

[Host]

Not on that.

[Josh Smith]

That's what the guy in charge of our health should look like.

[Host]

Yeah. You know, did you try to separate the politics from the business or.

[Josh Smith]

We do. Yeah. I mean, you know, I think it's, it's kind of known how we feel. But you know what, Democrats buy knives too. Right. And, and I have absolute respect for the other side. Like we can have a healthy debate. I have friends that are Democrats or liberal and we disagree on certain topics and stuff. But you know, I, I, you know, if you're respectful and we want to have a good debate and agree to disagree, like, I'm fine with that. But I kind of want our instagram page and our website and some of that to be a little bit of a. Maybe a break from the storm. It's like, you see that stuff everywhere. It's on everything. And, you know, a few times I made my voice known during the election because I felt like, I mean, if Trump's willing to take a bullet in the ear.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

I should be willing to stand up, maybe lose a few followers, but say what I believe.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

You know, and we can either agree to disagree or you can stop following us, you know, But I try to not hit the politics stuff too hard.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

With the company page on my page, I say a little bit more, but I figure if you're following the CEO of the company and the founder, you might want to know a little more how I am and how I feel.

[Host]

Right.

[Josh Smith]

You know?

[Host]

Well, you're in Montana, so I think people can assume where you're at, you know.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. We're a hunting knife company. Right. And, you know, we make chef's knives and we, you know, and that stuff. But, like, I'm, you know, proud to be conservative and have my feelings about the way our country should be. And, you know, if you have a lock on your door or your house, then why wouldn't you have a lock on the door of your country?

[Host]

Right.

[Josh Smith]

It's kind of how I feel.

[Host]

Absolutely. You know, any crazy hunting stories? I've actually never been hunting, by the way.

[Josh Smith]

Really?

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah.

[Host]

Never gone.

[Josh Smith]

Would. Do you want to go?

[Host]

I wouldn't be opposed.

[Josh Smith]

Really? Yeah, it's. It's really cool. Like, we took another gal that had never been hunting a couple years ago, WWE wrestler Natalie Eva Marie.

[Host]

Oh, she's been on the show.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, Natalie. Natalie's great. And we took her on her first elk hunt and got her an elk.

[Host]

And elks are big, right?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, yeah, they're. I mean, they're. Yeah, they're big.

[Host]

Wow.

[Josh Smith]

She got a nice bowl, and she totally embraced it. She. But she wanted to know where her food comes from, and she wanted to be a part of that. You know, I. I understand some people that maybe don't want to go hunting, but to maybe denigrate it or talk poorly about it because you don't understand it. You know, that's really where I think a lot of people kind of are misled or misguided a little bit. And also the role that hunting plays in conservation of the animals. You know, what people don't know is, you know, the conservation of all the animals in Alaska or in Montana all come from taxes and stuff. From hunting dollars. Do you buy a box of bullets in Montana for hunting? They tax that box of bullets and it goes to conserving animals.

[Host]

Really?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. All the trail maintenance, all of the. They do animal counts every year, and if there's a drought or the winter was really hard, they'll back down. The numbers that, you know, hunters can harvest, they might even make it a draw only area or completely shut hunting off in that area for a few years. So hunters want animals to be on this landscape more than anyone, because I want my kids and my grandkids to be able to enjoy the same things I do. So the last thing hunters want to do is wipe animals out. I mean, obviously in this, you know, the settling of the west, you know, us white people came out and kind of overdid it on taking out buffalo. Right. But those times have definitely changed. But yeah, we. I took my son to northern British Columbia this summer. We took a float plane into the middle of absolute nowhere and moose hunting, and he shot a giant moose.

[Host]

That sounds fun.

[Josh Smith]

Ten days on horseback, no cell phone coverage, sleeping in tents, out in the rain and cold and. But you're. You sit around at night around a fire, and you hear nothing. It's just birds and some squirrels and nothing. You know, it's that, it's. It's something that I think very few people will ever get to, you know, to experience. And I think there's something cleansing about being out in nature and just hearing nothing when you're laying there and you're looking at the stars and it, you know, you also tend to think about a lot of things and just. And it's a cool way to connect with your kid or your spouse or your. Or your buddy.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

Without the distraction of the world.

[Host]

I agree. I do believe nature is very healing.

[Josh Smith]

It is.

[Host]

You know, just grounding barefoot on the grass.

[Josh Smith]

It is. And. And you have to do something hard and, And a lot of times you fail. You know, you try to stock in on an animal or you're not enough, good enough shape and you don't get up there in time and the animals are gone. And. And then there's something really rewarding. Once you, you work that hard for that many days and you take down an animal, if you have some leftovers on your plate, you don't throw it away. You know, you appreciate your food.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

And even here at home, people who go buy beef or chicken or whatever, I mean, all you're doing really is outsourcing your murder to somebody else. Right. That animal's still Being put down and feeding you. And so when you're a part of the process, you're really thankful for one living in a free country to be able to do it. You're thankful for the environment that provided that animal a place to live. You're thankful to the landowner that maybe let you go hunt there's and their conservation and whatnot. And then you're thankful just for the animal, for the meat and the food that it provides.

[Host]

Absolutely.

[Josh Smith]

It's really not to mention all of this, the connection with the people that you're with.

[Host]

Yeah, that's awesome. So it took you guys days to get a moose out there?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, we were out there 10 days.

[Host]

And it took full 10 days to get one.

[Josh Smith]

Well, he got one in four days and then we hunted for the next six days hard hiked miles and we never got it. Never saw another bull moose.

[Host]

Wow.

[Josh Smith]

So that's the other thing. Like hunters generally go out and fail. I mean it's a, it's a failure sport. You hunt a lot of times you got in the woods and you're on a more even playing field with those animals and they have all their senses and the terrain's hard and generally you fail. But that's what makes the success feel so good. And then also again, I can go out and see some elk or deer or whatever and maybe it doesn't work out and I go home and I haven't shot something and I had the best day. You know, you got to see animals in their environment. You know, we watched, we saw two different grizzly bears up there.

[Host]

Damn. Are you allowed to shoot those?

[Josh Smith]

Not in British Columbia. You can in Alaska. You can in the Yukon.

[Host]

Okay.

[Josh Smith]

Where we are. We weren't. So we just watched him actually Hanks bear, my son Hank or his moose after we, you know, dressed all that moose out and got all the meat out. Yeah, you know, the bones and the carcass are left there. And the next day the grizzly bear got on it. I have videos afterwards. I'll show you in and pictures. But that grizzly bear buried that entire carcass. And then he sat on it for the next five days while we were in there.

[Host]

Holy crap.

[Josh Smith]

Guarding it from the wolves and the other bears.

[Host]

Oh, so he wanted to save it for hibernation.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, well, he's saving it and he'll, he'll eat on it up until hibernation. But yeah, he, that's a prize, right? Like that's, that's a big deal to that bear. And that's the other Thing too is like even that gut pile and some of that stuff that's left over from us taking the meat out. That bear is going to clean that completely up and that's going to provide him, you know, that sustenance to get through the winter.

[Host]

Wow.

[Josh Smith]

You know, and so he's going to guard that with his life, you know, because that's a big deal for that bear. You know, for a bear to go take down a moose or something, he could get injured, expend a lot of energy, maybe not get it.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

So he basically happened along a free meal.

[Host]

That's cool. You ever have any sketchy incidents where like the animal got a little too close for your comfort?

[Josh Smith]

Not too bad. I've, I've been, you know, I've hiked in and hunted and then as I was hiking out, found out that a mountain lion had been following me for miles, you know, in your tracks. And had some close encounters with bears, but nothing too terrifying. My son had a fairly close encounter with a bear when he was 14. He was hunting by himself with his bow. And my son, the bear didn't attack him or anything, I don't want to overstate that, but it was snapping its jaws at him and kind of woofing at him and. Whoa. My son shot that bear with his bow at six yards.

[Host]

Holy crap.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. At 14.

[Host]

That's scary. Killed that bear with one shot. Wow. So bows are that powerful?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, yeah. A bear, a bow, an arrow will, will go completely through an animal. What like. Yeah, I mean, you have to go look for your arrow.

[Host]

That's a lot of force.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. And a lot of times an animal won't even know it was shot. Like you'll shoot it, it's that fast. That broadhead is that sharp and it goes through and the animal like pick its head up or flinch and be like, what was that? And they'll go back to eating at times and then just tip over.

[Host]

Whoa.

[Josh Smith]

I mean it's, it's crazy.

[Host]

They don't even feel the pain.

[Josh Smith]

No, a lot of times they don't feel anything.

[Host]

Well, I have seen other people say that hunting is actually like the quickest way for these animals to go.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. When you think about like that moose my son got was a big old moose and people kind of denigrate or they want to talk trash about trophy hunting, but if you think about it, you're taking an animal that it's at his, at his most mature and oldest point and quite honestly, you know, he's the 70 year old guy that's kind of on the way down. Right. He's maybe not even breeding anymore, but he might be keeping the young bulls away from breeding the cows. You know, he's still. He's still pretty dangerous and he can still be a problem. But at a certain point, even like my son's moose, when you look at the teeth and stuff in his, in that, in that moose's skull, he. He may not have even lived another year.

[Host]

Oh, wow.

[Josh Smith]

Teeth are completely worn down. The bear that my son shot had almost no teeth left. She was. She had zero fat on her, and it was right before winter. She was absolutely going to starve to death that way. 100% she was. Yeah, it was game over for her. And so when you think about it, generally in nature, an animal only dies from, you know, starvation or injury, you know, because old age generally means, you know, they get injured, they get sore, something happens, or they just can't feed enough and they can't, you know, their body isn't robust enough to build fat up and make it through winter. And so old age generally means starvation. And so to take an animal out in an instant with no pain and then utilize that animal, you know, utilize that meat and the stuff that is left that the rest of the animals get. And there again, now you provide that opportunity for that young bull to come in and take over the herd and breed and. Yeah, you know, so it's. There's a lot of. There's a lot of benefits to hunting, for sure.

[Host]

Yeah. My stance on it has changed over the years because I grew up pretty liberal in New Jersey.

[Josh Smith]

Sure.

[Host]

I was like, oh, you're hunting like you're a bad person, you know?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, no, and it's. I understand. You know, I've. I've had this conversation with a lot of people that really don't get it. And I start to explain, you know, it's not just a bunch of people going out and just shooting a bunch of animals. I mean, there's a lot of work that goes into, you know, the studies of, of animals and how many are on the landscape and how many can ethically be taken out of this area. The other thing is, is if things get overpopulated, they can also get disease, you know, so, you know, we humans do a pretty good job of managing that, especially in areas where there is no good, like fish. Wildlife in parks in Montana does a really nice job of. Of making sure animals are taken care of.

[Host]

Yeah, that's cool. What's the most challenging animal to hunt, in your opinion?

[Josh Smith]

You know, that's an interesting one. There's different challenges like. Like a. Like a bighorn sheep or a goat can live up it 10, 12,000ft and be in just the gnarliest country, where you're literally crawling around on rocks. I mean, you're rock climbing at any point can fall to your death. Right. And so. And there's not a lot of oxygen up there. It can be very difficult physically. And then there's animals that are really, really twitchy. You know, an antelope out in eastern Montana that lives out on the prairie, and they have vision that's unbelievable. I mean, they will spot you from two miles away and be gone.

[Host]

Two miles?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, Easily. Easily.

[Host]

Holy crap. You gotta wear camo.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, camo. And even with camo, you have to. You have to, you know, keep terrain features between you and them. And then they can smell. Right. So in addition to their vision, their noses are unbelievable. And so if you don't have the wind. Right. They will smell you from. A bear will smell you from a mile away. Easily.

[Host]

Holy crap. You got to be thinking about the wind while you're hunting.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. Yes, absolutely. Wind is your number one thing. Over, even over sight. Like, bears don't have good vision. But I've been watching bears on the other mountain, like, across the draw from me, and all of a sudden, he'll pick his nose up and kind of smell you and. And then, like, look around and bolt. Gone. Yeah. And elk and deer. Absolutely. Scent is the number one thing to watch for.

[Host]

So how do you mask your scent then?

[Josh Smith]

You have to understand that, like the thermals in the mountains. So at night, the air is heavy and it's cold, and so it's settling. Right. So in the evening, if you have elk below you, you have to know that as soon as the sun starts going down, it gets cool. Your air is going to start to settle.

[Host]

Wow.

[Josh Smith]

And it's going to go into the valleys, and your scent is going to settle down on them. So you have to get around and position yourself in a place where you know your scent isn't going to go down there. But in the morning, if you're hiking in and those elk are above you and the sun comes up, it starts to heat. You get daytime heating, and the thermal start rising up the mountain, and your scent will carry right up that mountain into them.

[Host]

That's great.

[Josh Smith]

And so you have to have an idea of where you're hunting, where you think the elk are. When my son took another bear we spotted from a mile and a half away and we made an amazing stalk, but we had to loop way around and get downwind because the wind was coming out of the west. So we had to get east of the animals and then sneak in and keep, you know, our are sound down. You know, if they hear sticks break or any of that kind of stuff. Right. Your brush on your pants you can't wear, you know, slick, like rain gear that's real swishy. Then you have to watch your scent and your, and your eyesight. And there again, that's why archery hunting is so hard. Because with a gun, you know, my son shot that moose at 650 yards in one shot.

[Host]

That's far.

[Josh Smith]

And dropped that moose. And the moose was dead before he hit the ground. But with a bow, you know, 20, 30, 40 yards, you gotta get close. Yes. You know, a long, long shot. And one could argue that for most people, it's not even ethical to shoot an animal at like 100 yards. With a bow, generally it's like 60 yards.

[Host]

And in, you know, why is it not ethical?

[Josh Smith]

You, you, you start to get a little, you get less accurate.

[Host]

Okay.

[Josh Smith]

And also you start to lose energy and speed on your arrow. And so your arrow travels in an arc. Just like if you throw a rock, right. If I tell you throw a rock as far as you can. Well, if you, if you're going to throw a rock 50 yards, you're going to throw it real high and it's going to. And it's going to be dropping. If I tell you to throw a rock from here to that TV right there, you're going to throw it in basically a straight line and it's going to get there fast. And even with a deer or an antelope or an elk, an animal that's real twitchy, the sound of your arrow flying through the air, they'll hear it and they will flinch and they will, they can actually move. If you make a perfect shot, by the time the arrow gets there at too far of a range, that animal will move and you can hit it in a poor, you know, a bad shot.

[Host]

Wow. So their hearing's very good.

[Josh Smith]

Very good. And they're very quick. Right. I mean, they're used to, they're on edge all the time. Right. Bears are hunting them, Mountain lions are hunting them. So they're always on edge. You know something humans aren't? We've, we've lost those.

[Host]

We are not on edge.

[Josh Smith]

No. Imagine just sitting. If we were all just sitting in, you know, somewhere out on a park bench at a park and all of a sudden you smelled something. It just took off running. And I just ran with you, and I didn't even know why.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

You know, it's like they have that kind of sense.

[Host]

That's crazy. I did not know this much went into hunting. I just thought you guys wandered aimlessly and just, you know.

[Josh Smith]

No. And you do a lot of research into where are you going to find water, where do those animals have to go to water, where do they go to feed and where do they go to bed. And you try to position yourself and put yourself into areas, like if the weather's really hot, you know, they're going to probably be going to water. You're going to be trying to hunt in an area where there is water and. And maybe they're going from really thick timber and in the middle of the day they got to go to get a drink. You know, you're. You're looking for bedding areas where it's safe and thick and. Wow. And the animals are really smart. They know, you know, a lot of times they'll go nocturnal where you won't see them at all during the day.

[Host]

They're that smart. Where they can see if.

[Josh Smith]

Absolutely. Absolutely.

[Host]

Wow.

[Josh Smith]

It's. It's amazing.

[Host]

I thought they were just, you know, wandering around.

[Josh Smith]

No. And in fact, the animals have gotten so used to hunting and whatnot that like, certain. Maybe certain pieces of property, maybe I have. Let's say I had a ranch and I don't allow hunting.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

But everyone around me does. I swear those animals have a calendar in there. Because the opening day of hunting season, those animals will be on my ranch because everyone else is hunting.

[Host]

Wow.

[Josh Smith]

It's. Those animals will move to areas where they feel safer.

[Host]

I could see it, man. I went fishing in Greece once, and I swear, these fish were so smart, they could see your fishing line.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. Yes. Especially animals that get more pressure and fish, you know, that's why in areas where, let's say, like Yellowstone park, they're never hunted. Right. And so they're a lot more used to people, so they're not going to run from cars and people and whatnot.

[Host]

Right.

[Josh Smith]

But then those animals, I think, tend to be a little bit more susceptible to the other predators in the park, wolves and bears and, you know, and they also be a little bit more susceptible to disease because they get to have so many. Because there's no hunting allowed in those kind of parks. You know.

[Host]

That makes sense.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah.

[Host]

What's been your favorite meat to eat on your hunts?

[Josh Smith]

That moose was really Good. Over the fire. So once my son shot that, we hunted for the next six days. And we carried. We kept the back straps in my son's pack. And every night we cut meat off of that and started a fire and just the rocks and just got like branches and stuff and cooked those on like a hot rock over the fire. And I think part of that was just it tasted so good because we were working so hard and cold, but. Axis deer. I shot an Axis deer in Hawaii. Axis deer, Axis deer in Hawaii are an invasive species. They are actually not native to the island of Hawaii. And they're everywhere. And there's no predators in Hawaii. There's no wolves, foxes, coyotes, mountain lions. And so they have a real problem with them there. So when you hunt them there, there's a lot of them, but they taste. They're. They're probably the best tasting wild game.

[Host]

I gotta try that out.

[Josh Smith]

It's amazing. You can actually buy it. Hawaii is a state tries to manage the populations and they go through and they will euthanize a bunch of them and. But they take all those to a. I think it's called Maui Nui. And it's a place that butchers all that meat and then they donate a ton of it to homeless people and then they also sell it and the selling it funds the meat that goes to the homeless.

[Host]

I've heard of that company, Maui Nui Venison.

[Josh Smith]

Yep, yep. Rogan talks about it.

[Host]

Yeah, I've seen them. Sponsor podcast. Yeah, I need to try that out.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah.

[Host]

How did they get there, though? Like deer in Hawaii. That's weird.

[Josh Smith]

You know, people, as they were settling those islands, brought them in on ships, basically. And people brought them in from. I think they came over from Asia.

[Host]

Okay.

[Josh Smith]

And, you know, people were like, oh, well, we'll let these deer loose and then we'll have something to. To hunt and harvest and eat. But without predators, they just overpopulated in their overrunning the island.

[Host]

I grew up in Jersey. There's a lot of deer in Jersey, but you're not allowed to hunt them there. I think.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, in certain areas you can, but there are so many people in places like Jersey and whatnot, that those deer, we call them town deer. They know they're safe.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

And you can't hunt them. And they get overpopulated and they really. You really get problems with disease. Deer in, like towns. You get a lot of inbreeding.

[Host]

Damn.

[Josh Smith]

Because there's no real predators in town. The bears and mountain lions and stuff aren't in town. Hunters can't hunt them. And so you do have a lot of problems with that where there's, like, high populations of people.

[Host]

There were so many there. Yeah. You could get right up close to them. They would not react.

[Josh Smith]

Yep.

[Host]

I was at one one time.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. Yeah. No, those town deer. A lot of times people do feed them right out of their hand. They just get so used to humans.

[Host]

Yeah. They probably have ticks and stuff, right?

[Josh Smith]

Oh, yeah. Well, even the wild ones, I mean. Yeah.

[Host]

You ever get ticks on your hunts?

[Josh Smith]

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

[Host]

Just brush them off.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. Try to. I hate those creepy little things. God. But yeah. Like, in the spring when you're out in the woods, you come back with 10 or 12 of them on you. Yeah. You have to really check yourself.

[Host]

Yeah. Some of them are so small, you can't even see them. Right.

[Josh Smith]

I had one buried in my damn belly button. That's kind of gross. But he was, like, locked in there. I had to, like. I heated up a hot piece of steel and. Holy crap, burned it on him. And if you. If you burn, if you pull on them, their head will come off.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

Stay in you and you heard that get Lyme disease. Jim Miller, the UFC fighter.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

Good friend of mine, He's. He got Lyme disease from a tick and he's hunted. He or he's fought his whole career with Lyme disease.

[Host]

What?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. I mean, it jacked him up bad for a while.

[Host]

Yeah. Lyme disease is no joke.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. So if you do, you know, that's why you really want to get them damn things off of you.

[Host]

Yeah. What's your favorite, like, weapon of choice when you're going on these haunts?

[Josh Smith]

I mean, archery, you know, a bow.

[Host]

Do you like the short range stuff?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. Because it's so hard. Like, you're gonna fail. More often than not, you're gonna fail. But that's the. That's the joy of it is like the animal has. It's such an even playing ground, and it's almost like caveman days, right? You're. It's you and the animal. And he has way more senses than you do. He knows. He knows the area. He's. His nose works better than you, his eyes, his hearing. And it's a game of chess trying to figure it out and make it happen. But there's just something really special about archery hunting, but with rifles, like a sequence precision, a.28 nosler, nozzler ammo. And Seekins is a gun company in Idaho. They build guns up there. They're really good guys. Make amazing guns. That's what my son shot his bull with.

[Host]

Nice. You have to get a silencer on.

[Josh Smith]

All the guns you can. I actually have just, I just ordered some to put them on there. It's weird. Silencers or, you know, suppressors are a pain in the ass to get. They have weird regulations around just getting approved to get them.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

Which is dumb because all it is is a round steel pipe. I mean, it's. They, they got a weird rap, I think, from the movies because everybody envisions like James Bond. Yeah.

[Host]

Yeah. Well, the guy in New York you saw, he had one.

[Josh Smith]

Exactly. But it doesn't make your gun silent. It just makes it quieter but still. Like you can hear the crack of the gun go off like that. That gun in New York, that would have still been loud.

[Host]

Oh, really?

[Josh Smith]

You know, but just not as loud.

[Host]

Okay.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, the person standing, like. Yeah, it makes it. Yeah, it's. That's total bs. But what the suppressors do, you know, the sound, it's one thing, it's kind of nice because then you're not having to use hearing protection. But what the suppressors do a really good job of is recoil management. So, you know, my young kids or my wife, hell, even myself, with a high powered rifle, when you shoot it, it just slams you in the shoulder so hard. I mean, after a good day of shooting, like my shoulder would be black and blue.

[Host]

Damn.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, I mean, it's, it's that hard. Oh, yeah.

[Host]

Holy crap.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, with like a.300 win mag, you know, 4570. But you put a suppressor on them and it off gases in the way that it works, it takes a lot of that force off of your shoulder and you can shoot. And it actually makes you a more ethical hunter. This is the argument for suppressors. If, let's say I take my wife out and I've shot with her and it whacks her like that. It's like being kicked by a donkey every time. Right. Well, guess what she's gonna do when she goes to shoot. She's gonna flinch, right? She's gonna kind of like squint and she's gonna like jerk the trigger and it's gonna make her less accurate, which is gonna result in a poor shot and likely wounding an animal. Well, if she shoots with a suppressor and that gun doesn't hurt her, now she can practice more because it doesn't hurt. She's going to shoot more shots in practice. And then when she's going to shoot, she's going to be Thinking about making a good shot, not thinking about, oh, this is going to hurt. Right. And so you actually end up wounding less animals, being more, More ethical. There's literally not a single reason why a suppressor should be even something that you have to get a license for at all.

[Host]

Yeah. I didn't know that was required. So it's a separate license.

[Josh Smith]

It's a, it's a, it's a separate backgr check than the gun. Yeah. And I've, I, I ordered two about two months ago and I'm still waiting on the background.

[Host]

Holy crap.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, it's a long crazy. Yeah, I can get a gun and have a gun tomorrow.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

But the little round pipe that screws on the gun. Like if I hand, if I just took that round pipe, I could take that round pipe on an airplane. I mean, it literally does nothing.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

Right. It's just a, it's a round pipe with a bunch of little holes in it. You know, you could drop a bullet in it, you could do whatever. It's just literally a pipe that's us nuts. It only does something when you actually put it on a gun. But it's weird. Our government is. They do some strange things.

[Host]

I think everyone's going to turn into an assassin if they start selling those stuff.

[Josh Smith]

It's politicians that actually don't know at all what they're talking about.

[Host]

Right.

[Josh Smith]

That's literally what it is.

[Host]

Yeah. Hopefully times will change with that. Right.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. And. And to be honest, people should actually in, in England or in Europe, you can't hunt without a suppressor.

[Host]

Oh, wow.

[Josh Smith]

So by law, because it does make the guns quieter. So when you are shooting at a range or you're out in the woods shooting, it makes it quieter so it's less, like, obnoxious for the other people that may be in the vicinity and, you know, scares people less and whatnot. They hear a big boom go off and they're scared. Right. And even at shooting ranges, generally a lot of shooting ranges are surrounded by, you know, neighborhoods and stuff. And so you can't shoot guns there without them. So it's kind of, it shows you the two countries. One country's looking at it as a benefit to the public because it's quieter and whatnot. In our country's like, it's going to make everyone. James Paul.

[Host]

That's interesting. Is there anyone working on this legislation or.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, I mean, there's constantly, there's the gun lobby and there's constantly people working on it.

[Host]

Okay.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah.

[Host]

If that gets through this time it's gotten better.

[Josh Smith]

The background check length. I mean, it used to be like 10 months, 12 months.

[Host]

It's gotten better because when I moved here, first thing I did was go to the gun store. I got in like a week.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, the Glock. Yep.

[Host]

Yeah. So it used to be months, though. You got a gun?

[Josh Smith]

Well, to get the suppressor.

[Host]

The suppressor. Okay.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. The guns have always been pretty. Pretty good as far as as getting those.

[Host]

Yeah. A couple days, same day in Texas, I feel.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. It depends a little on your name. Like, my name is Josh Smith. So when the FBI is doing the background check, they're looking through a lot of Smiths.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

You know, if you have a little bit more of a strange name, it goes a lot quicker because there's less people to sift through.

[Host]

Yeah. I saw the FBI guy just resigned. Who the. Forget his name. It was like two days ago.

[Josh Smith]

Oh, really?

[Host]

Well, Trump already announced the new guy, so.

[Josh Smith]

Right.

[Host]

I guess the old guy resigned earlier.

[Josh Smith]

Okay. Interesting. No, I didn't see that. I've. I've been on planes each of the last two days. Oh, yeah, you've been all over, missing some things.

[Host]

Yeah. You were in Nashville yesterday.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. Last night I saw that.

[Host]

I'm like, damn, he's going to get all the way here and in a night.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, Yeah, I ran there the, the, the night before and then came back this morning, so.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah.

[Host]

Well, dude, it's been cool. Where can people check out the knife stuff and your personal stuff?

[Josh Smith]

Yeah. Montana knife company.com is our website. And then just like Instagram at Montana Knife Company, you just spell it out. There's no periods or no double. There's so many fake Instagram pages of our company. It's crazy. Trying to scammers drives me crazy. Yeah. Follow our social media. You know, we do drops. Our knives are really actually kind of hard to get. It's crazy how fast they sell. Like within minutes every week. Yeah, like it's, it's. It's pretty wild. Every Thursday night we do a drop at 7:00 Mountain Time. And a lot of times they sell it within two or three minutes.

[Host]

Holy crap. Those are the ones you're hand making?

[Josh Smith]

No, those are our. Those are our production knives. We'll move, Yeah. A thousand knives in a couple minutes. It's wild.

[Host]

Crazy.

[Josh Smith]

But people are. They really love the story of the company. The fact that I started this in my garage with just my kids. A lot of people have watched this grow and you know, five years ago or during COVID 2020 four years ago, you know, I was a lineman working for the power company making knives at night and whatnot and started this. And today I'm sitting here talking to you and you know Joe Rogan as well. Yeah, Rogan. And all these fun cool people that I've gotten to meet. And it's all because I started a knife company in my garage. And we actually still, you know, of our 80 employees, about 70 report to work. Still at my, at my house. Whoa. We're building a new manufacturing facility right now. We just bought some land, but I, I moved from my two car garage and I built a bigger shop out back in my horse pasture.

[Host]

Yeah.

[Josh Smith]

About a 10,000 square foot building. We moved into that January 1 of 23 and we're absolutely busting at the seams right now. I mean it's completely jammed up, but all those people like park in my driveway every day. That's awesome. And so it's truly the American dream. And we're building a new 50,000 square foot manufacturing facility. It's going to have a black rifle coffee in it. It's going to have a retail store. It's gonna take another year to get.

[Host]

Finished, but can't wait. I'll visit one of these days.

[Josh Smith]

Please do. Yeah, maybe we'll have to try and figure out a way to take you hunting.

[Host]

Yeah, I've never been to Montana. I've never been hunting. So we could kill two birds, one stone.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah.

[Host]

Still. Well, thanks for coming on, man. That was cool.

[Josh Smith]

Yeah, thanks for having me.

[Host]

Yeah. Check out the stuff below, guys. Thanks for watching.

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