Chef Mike Riddle at the asado fire pit wearing his full-grain Artisan Leather apron from Own The Fire with whole hog over the coals
Artisan Leather

Leather I stake my name on.

Aprons, knife rolls, and chef gear cut from full-grain hides and hand-oiled for durability. Built to take the heat, pick up the scars, and earn a rich patina with every cook. This isn't catalog gear. This is the same leather worn at the fire.

"I've been smoking and live fire cooking all my life. As a chef, I've gone through my share of knives and aprons. Burned through cheap ones, worn out the expensive ones, and learned exactly what works in the heat. When I developed my line of Artisan Leather goods, I wasn't designing for a catalog. I was building what I'd actually wear. Gear that moves with you, protects you from the flame, and gets better with every cook. This is leather I stake my name on."

Mike Riddle · Founder, Own The Fire®

Premium Full-Grain Hides Hand-Oiled Finish Custom Builds Available Earns Its Patina
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Prosciutto stuffed Iberico pork tenderloin sliced to show molten cheese, roasted red pepper, and spinach filling, hand-cooked over live fire by Executive Chef Mike Riddle for The Chef's Notebook recipe vault by Own The Fire
The Member Vault · Now Renamed
The Chef's Notebook Mike Riddle's Recipe Vault

Not recipes. Capability.

A Google recipe shows you what to cook. The Notebook shows you how a chef cooks it. Eighty-plus professional recipes across eight categories, written from twenty years on the line in New York kitchens. New ones added every month. The technique you can't find online because the cooks who knew it never wrote it down.

Beef Rib Pastrami Wagyu Tri-Tip Iron Cross Suckling Pig Whole Roasted Duck Lobster Bisque Smoked Bacon

"Twenty years behind the line. Now yours."

Mike Riddle · Executive Chef, Own The Fire®

80+Recipes 8Categories NewMonthly

$29.95 one-time. Yours permanently. No subscription.

30-day satisfaction guarantee. Cook from it. If it doesn't change how you work, we make it right.

Paul of Big Paul on the Grill using an Own The Fire Brazilian hand-forged artisan knife with full-grain leather apron
Artisan Knives

Hand-Forged steel that tells a story.

Every blade begins in the Brazilian forge. Steel heated, quenched, balanced, and finished with detail that promises more than decoration. Mokume Gane layered steel. 58 to 60 HRC hardness. Gaucho blade profiles. Custom resin handles. Tested in my kitchen on Long Island before any of it reaches yours.

"Pulled out this gorgeous monster hand forged steel knife from @weownthefire and my leather apron like I'm auditioning for a cooking show and an action movie at the same time."

Paul · @bigpaulonthegrill

Mokume Gane Layered Steel 58 to 60 HRC Hardness Gaucho Blade Profiles Lifetime Craftsmanship
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Mike Riddle, Executive Chef and founder of Own The Fire, with a hand-fabricated custom Santa Maria grill on Long Island NY
Custom Builds · Brasero Grills

You dream it. We build it.

Hand-fabricated Argentine parrilla, Santa Maria grills, and reverse-flow smokers. Quarter-inch carbon steel. Your specs, your space, your standards. From backyard statements to competition rigs, every build engineered to last. One build at a time, on Long Island.

"I love my Santa Maria style cooker from Own The Fire. Mike and Co. are wonderful people and extremely down to earth. They treated me like we were old friends. If you appreciate craftsmanship, these are the guys you want to build your dream smoker."

Jen N. · Custom Build Customer

Quarter-Inch Carbon Steel Chef-Designed Hand-Fabricated Your Specs
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Real Reviews

What cooks say.
When the fire is on.

"Craftsmanship That Shows"

I love my Santa Maria style cooker from Own The Fire. Mike and Co. are wonderful people and extremely down to earth. They treated me like we were old friends.

If you appreciate craftsmanship, these are the guys you want to build your dream smoker.

Jen N. Verified Custom Builds

"5 Stars, Absolutely Blown Away"

This thing is a beast. Razor sharp, perfectly balanced, and built like a tank. It's not just a tool, it's a statement piece.

Used it on a brisket and it sliced through like butter. Worth every penny.

Anthony C. Verified Artisan Knives

"Next Level Teaching"

Mike is an excellent teacher when it comes to learning the techniques and tricks of cooking.

There's lots of information out there. This is the next level.

Jonathan S. Verified Member Vault

"Built to Last a Lifetime"

I don't usually leave reviews, but I had to drop a note after getting my gear from Own The Fire. Picked up a gold knife, silver knife, the tongs, forks, and bear claws.

Every single piece feels like it was made to last a lifetime. The knives are razor-sharp and balanced beautifully.

David D. Verified Artisan Knives

"High Quality, Hand Crafted"

It's easy to tell by the look and feel that all the products at Own The Fire are super high quality and hand crafted.

Mike knows his way around the kitchen, BBQ pit, and open fire.

Zack Verified Artisan Leather

"Changed My Whole Approach"

This has changed my entire approach to cooking. I'm confident now, willing to take risks, trust my instincts.

So straightforward. I'm ready to cook for anyone.

Poppy W. Verified Member Vault
Launching 2026 · A New House Brand from Own The Fire

Ember & Salt Co.
A premium house of spice and finishing salt.

Six chef-composed blends. Hand-built in small batches. The same seasoning Chef Riddle reaches for at the fire, refined into a line worth the shelf it sits on. Not yet available. First allocation opens later this year.

Ember and Salt Co launch collection of six chef-composed blends in amber glass jars by Own The Fire Culinary Group
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