🌊 The Japanese Influence: Why Simplicity is Power

Design restraint. Focused detail. Quiet flex. That's the Kraken way.

Golf doesn't need more noise. It needs meaning. It needs depth. And it needs gear that tells a story - not just because it looks cool, but because it says something about the person using it.

At Kraken Golf, I build gear with purpose - every cut, every material, every stroke of color carries the weight of tradition and the clarity of modern design. That belief is rooted in one of the greatest creative philosophies in the world: Japanese design.

From the wave patterns of Edo-era art to the minimal perfection of a samurai's blade, Japanese aesthetics are about doing more with less. Power in restraint. Precision over clutter. And in my world - the world of golf accessories that tell a story - that influence runs deep.

It's not just a vibe. It's a blueprint. And it's the foundation behind some of my most meaningful collaborations - including two drops with one of the most respected names in golf: Miura Golf.

⚔️ Miura x Kraken Vol. 1 - The Brass Damascus Divot Tool

In November 2024, I dropped my first collaboration with Miura - a limited edition brass divot tool machined to perfection, with only 150 pieces available. It sold out within an hour on their website.

This wasn't just hype. It was heritage.

Inspired by the flowing structure of Damascus steel, we gave the divot tool a faux-Damascus engraving pattern - a nod to the centuries-old swordmaking tradition of folding steel until it flowed like water. The entire tool was CNC machined from solid brass, then engraved in detail with that iconic layered design.

On one side, I engraved a traditional Hanko mark - a personal signature used in Japan to represent identity and legacy. On the other side, Miura's crossed swords emblem brought their presence into the piece: bold, balanced, and rooted in tradition.

It wasn't just a tool. It was a pocket-sized tribute to craftsmanship. It reflected everything I believe about what golf tools should be - precise, personal, and worthy of legacy.

🗻 Miura x Kraken Vol. 2 - Mount Fuji Ball Marker

For my second collaboration with Miura, I doubled down on the storytelling. The next drop is a limited edition stainless steel ball marker crafted to honor one of Japan's most iconic landscapes - Mount Fuji.

The front face features a fully CNC-machined Mount Fuji, a 3D-printed red sun rising behind the peak, and a hand-painted cherry blossom branch in the foreground - all surrounded by an ivory goat leather inlay that mimics the purity and elegance of traditional Japanese color palettes.

This piece is layered in both material and meaning. It's steel, resin, leather, and paint - but it's also identity, reverence, balance, and nature, all captured in the palm of your hand. It's a piece that goes beyond function. It's wearable art for the putting green.

🌸 Other Japanese-Inspired Kraken Pieces

These collaborations with Miura are special, but they're just one thread in the tapestry of Japanese inspiration woven throughout Kraken Golf.

Cherry Blossom Mallet Putter: A beautiful fusion of simplicity and motion. The design features soft, engraved cherry blossom lines across the surface, engraved with restraint and placed intentionally. This is a meditation on grace - built into your most valuable club.

Triangular Stainless Steel Marker with Copper Wave Inlay: Triangular markers are rare in the golf world - I leaned into that rarity and gave it more impact with copper inlays in the shape of traditional Japanese wave patterns. On the reverse side, a single cherry blossom branch is hand-painted, offering contrast, calm, and beauty.

Stainless Steel Round Marker with Cloud Inlays: Made with brass and copper, this marker channels the quiet flow of Japanese cloud motifs - soft, abstract, natural. It's like a sky you can carry in your pocket. And the layered metals give it texture that develops as you play with it, touch it, and let it age naturally.

Each piece is made to do more than perform - it's built to express.

💡 The Power of Restraint

What separates Japanese design from Western design in many ways is restraint. While the Western approach often celebrates "more is more," Japanese design asks a better question: What can be taken away?

Restraint leads to power. Fewer colors. Tighter layouts. Thoughtful space. You don't overwhelm the eye - you guide it. You create space for the object - and the moment - to breathe.

That's what I aim for with Kraken Golf: tools that don't just show up on the green, they settle in. They speak for themselves - but softly. Confidently. Elegantly.

🛠️ From Sketch to CNC: The Process

Every product starts as a rough idea - often just a pencil sketch. A curve I saw in nature. A pattern from a temple. A font on a vintage Japanese sign. Then the technical work begins. CAD files. Tolerances. Machining paths.

My shop is filled with machines, but there's still nothing like putting my hands on a tool and dialing in the final touches. Every bead-blast finish, every hand-painted stroke, every cut of leather is an extension of that first sketch - refined with precision, but guided by instinct.

I'm a machinist and an artist. That duality comes to life in every Kraken piece. And Japanese design gave me the framework to live in both worlds without compromise.

🔁 Built to Last, Meant to Patina

One of the things I love most about Japanese tools and materials is the idea of wabi-sabi - the beauty in imperfection, in wear, in age. That's why Kraken pieces are designed to age with you.

Your marker might start pristine, but give it six months in your pocket, and the edges will soften, the colors will shift, and a patina will emerge that's uniquely yours. Your tools should be as seasoned as your swing.

That's why I choose brass. That's why I mix metals and other mediums. That's why I leave space for nature to do its thing - because your gear should be a living, breathing part of your golf story.

⚡ Golf Needs This

Let's be real - golf has a tradition problem. Too often, it clings to stuffy visuals, boring gear, and safe choices. Kraken exists to push back against that - not for rebellion's sake, but to inject meaning, personality, and beauty back into the game.

You don't have to wear argyle and play stock wedges to belong on the course. You can bring your culture, your taste, and your identity. You can carry art in your pocket and inspiration in your bag.

And I'll be here, building the tools to make that possible - one limited drop at a time.

📦 Final Thoughts - Art You Can Carry

At Kraken Golf, I'm not chasing mass appeal. I'm building for the few - the ones who understand that less is power. That meaning matters. That style should be rooted in something real.

From Mount Fuji to minimalist waves, from cherry blossoms to handcrafted inlays - this is golf gear as storytelling. This is the culture that made me fall in love with making again. This is what I want to share with you.

So next time you pull out your divot tool, or mark your ball, or zip your headcover, remember: you're not just using a tool. You're connecting with history. You're channeling generations of design wisdom. And you're doing it your way.

Stay loud. Stay humble. Stay sharp.

- Marc
Founder & Maker, Kraken Golf