by Grady Mitchell | All things artisanal are in high demand these days, but few craftspeople can say they’ve been at it as long as Ken Diamond. Since 2002 he’s been bent over hunks of leather in his workshop, meticulously cutting, sewing and glueing them into beautifully handcrafted pieces that are each one of a kind.

Ken took a nine month course in upholstery when he first arrived in Vancouver. After plying that trade, he moved into building sets and props for theatre and film, and it was there that he first handled leather. His upholstery background gave him a basic grasp of the work, and the rest he taught himself. And he’s still learning every day at his workbench. Although he enjoyed set design, he was less fond of the film industry. He’d always dreamt of launching his own business, and not long after he started working with leather he founded Ken Diamond.

Perhaps best known for their line of moccasins, the company also offers items that will hold your cards, cash, and secure your pants. Every piece that leaves the workshop is hand-made by the man himself, his wife Marla, and his apprentice Lukas. What machines they do use are of the old-school, press-and-punch variety. And they plan to keep it that way.

Although their popularity would handle speedy growth, Ken plans to keep things small, to continue building by hand, and to grow slowly rather than burn out. That care and patience is what makes his work so excellent. You can see it firsthand if you visit their open storefront at 756 E Powell, where you can check out the goods personally, and watch them being made just a few feet away in the back room. To learn more about Ken Diamond, visit his website.

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