COLUMBUS — Columbus native Brandon Ault is a boat captain, and one day when he was working on a boat, he discovered an old piece of chafing leather that inspired him to take on a new craft.
Old Salts Leatherworks was founded in 2008 by Ault, but it wasn’t until last November that Ault and his partner Becca Lynn opened a retail shop inside their home on Kelton Avenue.
“The things we make are so function-forward, like really simple,” he said of the Columbus’ Olde Towne East neighborhood bussiness.
Old Salts Leatherworks offers hand-crafted front pocket wallets, totes and messenger bags to name a few.
“Once the pandemic kind of hit us, and our jobs dried up, we really concentrated on this, and with the East Market opening up, it only made sense,” says Ault.
Both Ault and Lynn say they’re proud to provide a quality, lifetime product in an often throwaway culture.
“I think when you’re interacting with something, that you can tell somebody’s hand made and it is good material, it just feels better than something that’s mass produced,” says Lynn.
Although Ault says his days as a boat captain are on hold for now, he dreams one day of having his own sailboat.
Until then, he looks forward to a summer of shows, showing off his hand-crafted labor of love and engaging with local residents.
“Every single time I came back to Columbus, it was always a very welcoming city,” Ault said. “It was always small enough to where I knew people, and big enough to where there’s excitement and new things. None of it’s easy, but it’s worth it.”
