Runner-up
Leather Wallet
Ash Browne makes leather goods that are most popular among first responders and law enforcement, although anyone can buy them. This handcrafted leather wallet for police badges is one of Open Air Options’ most popular items. Browne is a police officer who took up leatherworking in 2021 in his garage in Grande Prairie. Made with vegetable-tanned natural leather, stamped with a Canada flag and lined with poker speed cloth, the entire wallet is hand-stitched and edged with Tokonole burnishing agent. Once finished, it’s sealed with mink oil and buffed with a horse-hair brush. He offers free stamping of officer numbers on the leather, which makes it truly customised. The wallet is available in 16 colours plus a few custom colours. Browne says, “Being a police officer, I have a lot of leather goods from my profession. I have always enjoyed the smell of real leather.”
