Osmond Brothers Mfg. Co.

It's been super fun having all these sales these past few weeks, but *new* goods are finally arriving! First of which was Osmond Brothers Mfg. Co. that I've been really keen to tell you all about.

We met Zac, the man behind the operation at Nature Nocturne late in 2013, and after looking him up online totally knew we had to have his leather goods in our shop.

Osmond Brothers Mfg. Co. is a culmination of a childhood immersed in old world traditions and a career focused on modern design.

Maker Zac Osmond grew up on the north east coast of Newfoundland, in the outport fishing community of Twillingate Island. Everyday life on this isolated, rugged shore echos traditions of centuries past and a resourcefulness forced upon by a harsh and unforgiving environment.

Iphone sleeve with pocket, 60$ (available in 4S & 5, at both locations & online)

When he left the island, it was to study Industrial Design in Ottawa.  Once completed, he spent the next half a decade designing softgoods and apparel for the kayaking industry. The experience was priceless, but from a design standpoint we became somewhat disengaged due to the nature of overseas manufacturing.

 

He found himself being drawn to the hands-on processes involved in small scale, local production, and to the materials that hold a more direct link to the natural world and past cultures.

Flapjack wallet (80$, available at both locations & online)

He's been learning constantly since starting this venture, starting with the basics: saddle-stitching leather by hand using an awl, finishing edges by hand, and tweaking designs. With production of this nature, the process is truly just as integral to the final product as the sum of its physical parts.  

All goods manufactured by Osmond Brothers are made by Zac in his workshop in Brockville, Ontario.

Wallet fold (60$, available at both locations & online)

He uses rugged chrome tanned, vegetable tanned and latigo leathers for long lasting durability and a no-nonsense, traditional aesthetic. Holding the leather together is thick 3 ply thread, stitched entirely by hand, a method that offers increased durability when compared to a conventional machine stitch. All edges are burnished and waxed.

We often forget that leather is in fact the skin of an animal, an animal that lived a life full of everyday bumps and bruises. The resulting leather shares that story in the form of slight blemishes and imperfections, for the most part adding to the character of the finished piece. It’s then up to the user to add to that unique story, through years of their own everyday bumps and bruises.

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