My name is Mareko Maumasi, I am a Bladesmith and the founder of Maumasi Fire Arts.

I grew up next to the waters of the Puget Sound and have always loved the lush greenery that defines Western Washington. One constant theme of my life has been creating art and working with my hands. When I was very young, I thrived when I was drawing, creating and building things, and as I got older I expanded into the realm of food. In my early twenties, while I was working one of my many restaurant gigs, I met a man who would transform my life, Bob Kramer.

 My apprenticeship with Bob was a life-changing experience. In the beginning, I knew nothing of the man or his reputation, but as time passed and the challenges of the work grew, so did the depth of my knowledge and understanding. I worked side-by-side with Bob learning the art and trade of Bladesmithing. It was a ground-up education, starting with simply sweeping the floors and drawing casting resin through brass tubing to produce the mosaic pins found in each of Bob’s knives. By the end of 3 years I had learned how to exicute all the basic skills of blade grinding, handle construction and sculpting, and the art of forging pattern-welded damascus at an incredibly high level. He gave me an amazingly strong foundation to have as a jumping-off point for my career.