ABOUT AWL STAR LEATHER
Built from experience. Made for the people who use it.
Awl Star Leather was registered in 2016, after a couple of years spent learning leathercraft and developing an appreciation for making practical, durable equipment by hand.
What began with small personal projects and gifts gradually found its way into my work in emergency services. While working as a paramedic, I was asked to make a leather radio harness for a colleague. After building one for myself, interest began to grow through word of mouth.
Over time, radio harnesses became the focus of Awl Star Leather, with each piece made individually for firefighters and other emergency responders who depend on their equipment every day.
ROOTED IN THE FIRE SERVICE
Awl Star Leather has always had a connection to the people its equipment is made for.
My background in firefighting, paramedicine and military service has shaped the way I approach the work: keep it functional, keep it dependable, and don't add complexity where it isn't needed.
That same approach continues today. Awl Star Leather remains a small operation in Durham, Nova Scotia, allowing each piece to be made and finished individually rather than mass-produced.
The goal isn't to make the most gear possible. It's to make good gear for people who will actually use it.
THE AWL STAR
The Awl Star Leather logo has been part of the business almost from the beginning. It was created by my best friend and fellow veteran, Greg, combining the traditional compass-star design with the leatherworker's awl at its centre.
It has remained the mark of Awl Star Leather ever since.
MADE IN NOVA SCOTIA
Today, Awl Star Leather specializes in handcrafted leather radio harnesses for firefighters and other emergency responders, along with practical leather equipment including helmet chin straps.
Each piece is made in Durham, Nova Scotia, with an emphasis on straightforward design, durable construction and equipment intended to be put to work.