About Us

Born in a humble barn in the far reaches of the Upper Left corner of the USA, the Austere cam buckle was forged from one simple frustration: low-quality plastic buckles, constantly failing and risking your gear—and your mission. Designed by Uriel Eisen, then engineering on NASA spacesuit components, the solution was born from necessity and expertise.

Uriel was frustrated and upset with plastic buckles breaking on biking and backpacking trips. Having gear fail at the exact moment you rely on it isn’t just inconvenient—it’s a real problem. Determined to fix this, he set out with a clear goal: to build buckles that were lightweight, extremely reliable, and able to perform in any circumstance. To pursue that vision, he moved into a friend’s barn, set up a CNC machine, and began iterating. The result: a compact, precision-machined aluminum-and-titanium buckle that holds strong—whether you're bikepacking, overlanding, backcountry skiing, or even just keeping your pants up. With vibrant color options, Austere buckles also add a dash of flair wherever they go.

Today, Austere Manufacturing continues to innovate from the heart of Seattle’s SoDo neighborhood, bringing rugged reliability and smart design from our barn-born roots to an urban manufacturing hub. We’re proud to be local—while always pushing forward.