What is SoKa?

For me, SoKa is radical joy. Radical joy isn’t just a pursuit; it’s an act of defiance. SoKa is my pursuit of joy in defiance of capital waste and the never-ending cycle of USING UP. Using up the labor. Using up the resources. Using up the energy. Joy comes from something more. For me, it comes from USING AGAIN. I use what has been used to create something new. I am a small part of the greater resistance but that’s the point. Each is small in their part, but the collective of each is revolutionary.

“Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without.” - Boyd Packer

Thank you for your patronage - it brings me great joy.

- Scott Shaeffer, Builder/Owner

At SoKa Trading Company, 100% of our barrels are salvaged from local distilleries, wineries, and breweries. Color, condition, size, shape, and wear of the staves, hoops, and caps that come out of these barrels varies wildly. We’re ok with that. Each individual piece is going to be a little different than every other piece we’ve made or will make. This distinction is important for our customers to keep in mind when purchasing sets of “same” items.

Furthermore, the only items we ship are the “knick-knacks”. Most of our pieces are either big, fragile, heavy, or all of the above. Being that SoKa is a very small company, building each piece one at a time, we cannot afford the risk of damage during shipping. We are proud to serve the local market. If you’re not local to us, we certainly hope you can make your way here some day. Maybe take something home with you.