The Maker
Two Hawks Leather is a one-person shop out of South Carolina. Every piece that leaves here was cut, tooled, and stitched by the same pair of hands — no shortcuts, no assembly lines, no compromises.
It started the way most good things do - out of necessity, happy accidents, and following the twists and turns of fate.
I had just dropped out of my third year of college and had no idea what direction my life was going to take. Admittedly, I was lost and looking for a sign. One day, while checking the local ads, I saw that the leather shop down the road was hiring for a shop apprentice. I figured I’d try my hand. The worst they could say to me was no.
Thankfully, they said yes and my passion for leather turned from an appreciation and curiosity to a burning passion. I spent a full year as the shop apprentice, learning the fundamentals of leathercraft in a professional setting and spent hours upon hours practicing and honing my craft.
After my year there, I set out on my own and continued my journey in life, eventually settling down and opening up my own shop as Two Hawks Leather.
Regardless of where I found myself though, I always had the first hand-tooled I ever tooled with me. A belt that would hold up, couldn't be replicated, and I can proudly say now has lasted at least a decade. That first belt meant a lot to me. It still serves as a reminder and inspiration to this day.”
The rest of the text ranging from, “Leatherwork is one of the oldest crafts there is…..— which usually means the slower way.” Can remain the same.
A few things that matter around here.
Full-grain leather is the real thing — the top layer of the hide, with all its natural character intact. It's tougher, more durable, and develops a patina over time that tells the story of how it's been used. We don't use bonded leather, split leather, or anything that's been corrected into uniformity. If it's leaving this shop, it's the good stuff.
Every design you see on a Two Hawks piece was put there by hand, one stamp or swivel knife cut at a time. It takes longer. It's worth it. The slight imperfections in hand tooling are what make each piece genuinely one of a kind — you can't replicate that with a machine, and we wouldn't want to.
Nothing here is made to sit in a display case. These pieces are built to be carried, worn, and put to work. A good leather piece should get better with age — softer where it needs to be soft, tougher where it takes the wear. That's what we're building toward every time we sit down at the bench.
Handmade work takes time, and time has value. We price our work to reflect what it actually costs to make something well — good materials, real labor, no corners cut. We'd rather make fewer things and make them right than crank out volume at the expense of quality.
We source full-grain vegetable-tanned leather from reputable tanneries that take the same care with their process that we take with ours. Vegetable tanning is the traditional method — it uses natural tannins from tree bark rather than harsh chemicals, and it produces leather that ages beautifully and lasts for decades.
Hardware is solid brass or bronze — no pot metal, no plating that flakes off after a year. Thread is heavy waxed linen or polyester depending on the application. Edges are hand-burnished. Finishes are applied by hand.
Even the leather balm we sell is made in the shop — organic castor oil, beeswax, and tallow. Simple ingredients, honest formula, works better than anything you'll find at a big box store.
Browse what's currently available in the shop, or reach out about a custom commission.
