Former firefighter Spencer Tetrault knew that the leather radio baskets, leather helmet bands, leather chin straps and other items he made for fellow first responders at his Axe & Awl Leatherworks business in Waynesville, North Carolina, would need to be sturdy and durable enough for the rigors of the job. Spencer’s wife and business partner, Courtney Tetrault, a former paramedic, knew they had to be well-crafted and designed in order to deliver maximum efficiency in life-or-death emergencies.
The one feature of their leather goods outpost they might not have anticipated in 2021, when they first welcomed customers and visitors to their brick-and-mortar location on Depot Street, just off Waynesville’s main drag, was the public’s response to the rich aroma of a leather shop. As you most likely know, if you’re reading this magazine, it’s a sensory experience that evokes associations with timeless traditions. For most folks,
