Ep. 10: Matt Codina
Sweep the Floor
On today's Sweep the Floor, we talk to Matt (Codina Leather) about his love for vintage belts and guitar straps, the unlikely acting debut - playing Scotty Moore in Heartbreak Hotel - that he landed thanks to his Instagram feed, and learn how that job ended up giving him the stability he needed to become a full-time leatherworker. Codina is currently based in Las Vegas, where he handcrafts vintage-inspired leather goods including belts, guitar wraps, and guitar straps.
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Ep. 9: David Harto
Sweep the Floor
On this week's Sweep the Floor, we meet Washington State-based artist/fabricator/car enthusiast David Harto, who races at Bonneville on a bike powered by a 1952 Cushman Eagle scooter motor. He walks us through the minutiae of salt flat racing; describes the neverending evolution of his very artistic creation; and explains how a guy who doesn't even consider himself a motorcyclist ended up racing on two wheels, trying to break the ton (a.k.a. go 100 mph).
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Ep. 8: Matt Wehling
Sweep the Floor
When violin bow maker Matt Wehling offered to be a guest on Sweep the Floor, I couldn't resist. Violin bows look so simple - a long strip of wood, some horsehair, and something called a "frog" - yet they can command five or even six figures. How much work actually goes into them?
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Ep. 7: Jonathan Ward (ICON, TLC4x4)
Sweep the Floor
After a long hiatus, Sweep the Floor is back with special guest, Jonathan Ward (ICON, TLC4x4). Jonathan is an automotive fanatic, Land Cruiser guru, designer, maker, and a tireless learner.
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Ep. 6: David Tracy
Sweep the Floor
David Tracy, Senior Technical Editor for Jalopnik, joins us this week for an inspiring and hilarious talk about his Jeep obsession, finding mentors and bringing long-gone cars back from the dead.
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Ep. 5: Trent Preszler
Sweep the Floor
When Trent Preszler inherited his father's old toolbox, he decided to put it to use by building a wooden canoe. It took him a year, but Trent (who had no prior woodworking experience) built the boat, learned some valuable life lessons and wrote a memoir about the process, Little and Often. Trent now builds similar, handcrafted wooden canoes that sell for $100,000. It's a wild, powerful tale about a lot more than just woodworking.
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Ep. 4: Josh Martin
Sweep the Floor
Surfboard shaper Josh Martin is perfecting the art of upcycling from his Southern California workshop.
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Ep. 3: Richard Sachs
Sweep the Floor
Acclaimed bicycle framebuilder Richard Sachs joins Jason this week for an unfiltered talk about bikes, inspiration, and staying independent.
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Ep. 2: Jeff Pensiero of Baldface Lodge
Sweep the Floor
This week's Sweep the Floor features a candid and hilarious talk with Jeff Pensiero, the founder of Nelson, British Columbia's Baldface Lodge. It's a story about finding true love, overcoming obstacles, making something from scratch and some truly creative accounting.
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Ep. 1: Linda Manzer
Sweep the Floor
The debut episode of Sweep Floor featuring Linda Manzer, one of the greatest guitarmakers alive today. She pushes the boundaries of instrument-making and engineering with each of her creations and has a cult-like following among both collectors and world-class players like Pat Metheny, Julian Lage and Bruce Cockburn.
info_outlineA "prolonged adventure." That's how Richard Sachs describes the pivotal moment when, as a teenager killing time before college, he flew to London seeking a temporary job with Witcomb Cycles, armed with nothing more than an encouraging piece of snail mail. The job panned out, he witnessed state-of-the-art bicycles being crafted by hand, he gleaned what he could and he even found a job back at home in the States, building bikes.
"I stood around people long enough who were doing what I eventually did and I just tried to channel it, because they were no longer there." -Richard Sachs
Five decades later, Sachs' adventure continues: Based out of Deep River, Connecticut, Sachs is one of the most respected bicycle framebuilders alive. The self-proclaimed "loner" builds each bike by himself, entirely by hand, for enthusiasts around the world. Ignoring fads and modern bike trends (no carbon fiber, no e-bikes), his output is as timeless as it gets.
This is a story about more than high-end bicycles: It's about a leap of faith, focusing and staying fiercely independent. When I first had the idea for this podcast, Sachs was on the top of my list for future subjects. He delivered.
Sweep the Floor is a new podcast where we celebrate the stories behind the best makers in the world, including woodworkers, brewers, bootmakers, mechanics, designers and all points in-between. Have a maker you'd like us to interview?
Listener suggestions or sponsorship inquiries welcomed at [email protected].
Host: Jason Verlinde
Music: Paul Rigby
A Fretboard Journal Podcast production.