Today we’d like to introduce you to Mike Hathenbruck.
Hi Mike, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
About 8 years ago, my fiancé saw a TV show that she thought I’d like. She told me I should watch it, so she came over and turned on Forged in Fire. I’ve always loved to tinker, but had never really done anything with steel. Seeing these guys manipulate hot steel into a usable knife was mesmerizing, to me. Cristin saw how much I loved watching this process, so she bought me classes for Christmas. I set up the classes, and after the first class, I was hooked. I got online, that night, and purchased a hammer. Within the week, I had a forge and anvil ordered and on the way.
When I first got started, I was making big blades that were basically useless. These knives were put in a drawer or put in a display box upon a shelf, by the people who bought them. I quickly realized that everyone uses a kitchen knife, and I wanted my knives so be used, so this is the direction I focused on. I love making kitchen knives and knowing they are used to prep the meals that bring people together.
Because I love to work with my hands to fix and build things, I also do some fabrication work. Not only do I love the challenge of building fixtures that someone needs, it also helps break up the monotony of just making knives all the time. I have built many wedding fixtures and displays for my friends at Artisan Bloom in SLC. My displays are not very esthetically pleasing, but they sure take care of that.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For the most part it’s been a pretty smooth road; maybe more like a freshly graded dirt road.
Some of my challenges have been, and still are, shop space and sales. It’s not always easy finding people who want to spend larger sums of money on knives, but they’re definitely out there. Up until about 6 months ago, I’d been working out of my garage. It’s nice working from home, but space was very limited. My new shop space still isn’t as large as I’d like, but it’s much better. The main reason for wanting a larger shop space away from my home, is classes. I’ve wanted to teach people how to make knives for quite a while, but didn’t necessarily know how to make that work from a home shop. Now that I have a proper shop space, I offer classes for anyone who wants to learn how to forge and make knives.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
My knives are mainly Japanese inspired kitchen knives that are designed for use, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be fun to look at, as well. Materials I use range from a single satin finished steel, to my own Damascus steel. I have a fondness for copper, so sometimes I incorporate that metal into my knives. I do some smaller outdoor knives. I love hiking, so my outdoor knives are usually based around knives that can be carried during outdoor activities.
I feel like one of the only things in life that I truly have control over is my integrity, so when I do things, I do them honestly and to the best of my ability.
The only thing I know of that set me apart from others, is my attention to detail. In almost every aspect of life, details matter.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was extremely shy. I kind of hid from everyone I didn’t know, but if I knew you well, I was very goofy around you; I’m very goofy to this day. I’m Gen X, so I was outside a lot playing with my friends, riding bikes, playing in the dirt, and drinking from garden hoses.
As far as interests go, I’ve always been attracted to art and mechanical things. I loved tearing apart my bikes and RC cars, just to put them back together, or modify things. I loved to draw and paint, in my teens. I actually had an art scholarship that I squandered, but we don’t need to talk about that. I got into photography in about 2010, and have been doing that ever since. I’ve always needed an artistic outlet, so between photography and knife making, that need is filled.
Pricing:
- Basic kitchen knives $200-$500
- Damascus knives $600-$1200
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hathenbrucksteelworks.com
- Instagram: @hathenbrucksteelworks
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hathenbrucksteelworks
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@hathenbrucksteelworks
