This July at Axe and Awl Leatherworks, we are celebrating independence- not just from another country, but also from mass-produced low-quality goods shipped in from overseas made by who knows who. Nestled in the Smoky Mountains of Waynesville, North Carolina, our mom-and-pop leather shop has been hand crafting heirloom quality leather goods since 2015.
There’s no planned obsolescence in our business plan, we strive for independence from consumerism. We’ve all heard of manufacturers building things to break just so you have to keep spending your money with them replacing parts. That could never be us. Invest with Axe and Awl once, and you’ll keep coming back for more. Not because our leather products break and need to be replaced, but because they don’t. You can trust that everything in our store is thoughtfully crafted to last you a lifetime. Our customers usually find us because of our history and experience in the fire service leather goods realm but stay for our ever-developing lifestyle brand and the community we strive to foster.
American-made Leather Goods Handcrafted in Western North Carolina
What started as the passion project of our owners Spencer and Courtney with the goal of learning new skills and making gifts for loved ones and their coworkers has grown in the last ten years to a thriving small business employing 10 talented craftspeople in Waynesville, North Carolina. Our “factory” dubbed “The Cougar” produces leather products on the daily built to beat the heat. From firefighter leather gear like leather chin straps and leather radio straps to a gift for mom on her birthday like our leather cross-body bag or the versatile and trendy leather sling bag. We make something leather for everyone.
Leather for First Responders, Gear that Works as Hard as You Do
Ten years ago Courtney and Spencer began building leather fire service gear for Spencer’s co-workers at the fire station. Initially it wasn’t about profits at all, Courtney and Spencer covered that with their jobs as first-responders. They’ve just never been the types to sit still so they started a new hobby while the rest of us Netflix and chilled. These early Axe and Awl leather goods were about making the ideal gear for the job, because Courtney and Spencer wanted to get it right for their people. Spencer was able to see first-hand how their handiwork held up against the heat and iterate on the designs until they were perfected for their people.
In the last ten years, Spencer, Courtney and their growing crew of leather crafters have perfected every kind of leather firefighter accessory you can imagine for the job. All customizable from the color of the leather, to the hardware, to names and image stamping and paint scheme. Our leather goods are not only highly functional, but crafted to tell your story.
Small Business Big Heart
Courtney and Spencer’s list of “people” has grown with the business, Axe and Awl ships leathergoods across the world on the daily, but the growth hasn’t hindered our commitment to their original mission. We embody the personal values of our founders from quality and integrity to genuine customer experience. Celebrating independence to us means:
-Fostering Relationships:
Our customers have to opportunity to know Courtney, Spencer, and the rest of the crew. We aren’t another faceless brand, you can meet the makers by stopping by our retail shop, we’ll even pour you a cold beer and let you pet our shop cat Ivy.
-Unreasonable Hospitality:
Each order “ticket” that comes through our workshop comes from an individual like you, and we won’t forget it. We’re here to provide exceptional personalized experiences that go above and beyond what you’d expect. Even at this scale, we’re in business because we still get it right.
-Flexible Craftsmanship:
Most products in the shop are customizable. We’ve painted a radio strap to look like a corn cob, stamped “hot sauce” flanked with chili peppers on a radio strap, even stamped “Dr. Love” on a chin strap and painted it with red glitter. After a customer orders a custom stamp, it’s available to everyone. We’ve made a cat stamp, a Superman stamp, and even stamped an upside-down pineapple. The world is your oyster, we may laugh but we never judge.
Why American-made Leather Matters
-Supports the Local Economy:
By supporting Axe and Awl you are keeping money circulating in our WNC region and helping give fulfilling jobs to creative locals. It’s like voting with your dollar- you’re directly helping your neighbors with the purchase of your new hand-crafted leather wallet. None of us are trying to take joy rides into space with the support, but we’ll probably turn around and reinvest it in our favorite local businesses.
-Boasts Sustainable Quality:
No fast fashion here. We take pride in every Axe and Awl product being durable, repairable, and long-lasting. Our work is crafted to age with character.
-Carries on Cultural Legacy:
Our methods nod to tradition. Waynesville’s leather-tanning history dates to the 1800s, and Axe and Awl is honored to carry that torch forward and preserve a regional craft. AI could never.
From the Smokies to your Side: Carry the Legacy
When I gifted my dad his first Axe and Awl belt for his birthday last year he immediately turned to my six-year-old and said, “you’ll inherit this one day”. Morbid dad joke and not something I wanted to think about really, but a great example of the undeniable craftsmanship we offer our people.
Celebrate Independence with American-made Leathergoods
An investment in Axe and Awl is an investment in American craftsmanship, local heritage, and a small business with a big heart. Let this July be the month you carry a piece of genuine Western North Carolina with you- designed, built, and made to last, just for you.
Become One of Our People
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