Our Story

Black Helmet started in 2008 in a fire station in Orlando.

James Love, a third-generation firefighter, sketched a skull in a black helmet for a tattoo. His brother-in-law Pedro saw it and said put it on a shirt. Two sales on a good day turned into 120 a day. Firefighters across the country started wearing Black Helmet because it felt like theirs — designed by someone who actually knew the job.

Every design was hand-drawn. Every garment was quality tested and proven to hold up. Our Classic Skull became the most tattooed logo in the fire service.

Then we sold the company.

For eight years, Black Helmet operated under corporate ownership. The designs stayed, but the soul drifted. Quality decisions were made by people who didn't understand the culture. The standard slipped. Firefighters noticed.

In 2024, Pedro bought it back.

Not to cash in on nostalgia, but to restore what made it respected in the first place: better fit, better fabric, designs that speak the language of the job.

We're not starting over. We're picking up where we should have been.

The designs you remember. The standard you expect.