Kingfisher Leatherworks
- Founded 2011 -
As a young sportsman, Kingfisher’s founder Luke spent hours observing
wildlife on hunts, hikes and fishing trips. One of his favorite sights was an American Belted Kingfisher, cackling over a creek on its hunt for prey. A maverick of the air, these compact birds wait patiently, hovering high above. Once his prey is identified, he dives with precision, splitting the water’s surface. Reemerging with a wriggling bream like a shiny prize, he returns to his treetop throne.
The Kingfisher’s keen eyesight, powerful wings, and dagger-like beak are perfectly honed by his Designer to ensure he is well-fed. With a regal crest like a Roman soldier and the color scheme of an American flag, each feather is as purposeful as it is beautiful.
When Luke took up leatherwork to create gear for his sporting pursuits, the elegance embodied by the Kingfisher guided his designs, becoming the company’s namesake. When starting a new prototype, his goal is to distill a complex set of desired functions, limitations, and environmental factors into the simplest form possible. As the basic functionality is refined, complexity is replaced with intentionality.
“The highest form of elegance is intentionality.”
Steeped in the fragrance of leather, Kingfisher Leatherworks’ headquarters in Birmingham, Alabama is the hub of our product design, testing, and distribution. Kingfisher products feature a combination of materials and techniques found only here. Our signature full-grain leathers are tanned in a natural bark extract process, refined over centuries. The resulting leather has an amazing depth of color, and a degree of rigidity that adds structure to our bags and cases. In addition, if you look closely at our stitching you will see that the outside seams on our bags are recessed into the leather’s surface. This technique allows the leather to take the brunt of wear, protecting the thread from briars and abrasion in the field.
Corners are finished with a solid brass rivet, taking the strain off the thread in high-stress areas. Each component, from the materials to the spacing of our stitching, is designed intentionally to maximize aesthetic beauty and long-term serviceability.
After development, our designs come to life at the hands of third generation Amish craftsmen in Illinois. On the underside of each Kingfisher product, you will find the embossed initials of the craftsman who constructed that particular piece. Finished with the Kingfisher seal, it is a commitment to providing generations of enjoyment.
Birmingham, AL
Member Since 2024
