Our Story

The Story Behind Calibre Industries

My keenness for leatherwork began after a new hunting pack I was using failed, causing my rifle to detach and fall to the ground. Upon closer inspection, I discovered that only one stitch was tasked with attaching my trusty rifle to the backpack. Unsurprisingly, that single stitch failed. Long story short, a lot of the stuff we buy is poorly assembled and not made to withstand the test of time.

After tinkering with an industrial sewing machine for a while, I realised that it isn’t difficult to make items that are built tough. There are two basic rules, use quality materials and thoughtful design. After I repaired the hunting pack, I went on to sew everything from outdoor furniture to caravan awnings, whitebait nets to sun shelters.

It wasn't long before I started buying old leather sofas and transforming them into a range of items. Fast forward a while (and finding some fantastic New Zealand leather suppliers) and my passion for making wallets, bags, aprons, knife sheaths and watch straps had well and truly begun.

Then, while fumbling around in my workshop trying to find the exact size hole-punch for the brass rivets I use on many of my wallets, I discovered that a spent .270 rifle cartridge made the perfect-sized hole. It seemed my story had come full circle from my hunting pack incident, and the name ‘Calibre’ was born.

For a while I ran my side hustle on donations of craft beer (all brewed in Wellington of course), before deciding to turn things legit and try and recover a few costs. I stuck with leather goods for a few years, before my creative ADHD took hold, and with the help of some new tools, expanded into making custom products out of timber, metal and more!

To reflect this change beyond leather goods, Calibre Industries was born. Nowadays Calibre produces a wide range of custom products from timber chopping boards, beer paddles, shop displays, signage, logo engraving and more. We like to work directly with business owners, scrapping setup costs and minimum order requirements.

Mission: To handcraft custom items of a high ‘Calibre’ for folks that appreciate unique design and quality that lasts.

P.S. Craft beer may still be considered as payment, particularly on hot days!