May 3, 2004

"...I carried the Mountain Gun in a simple but rugged and very practical holster built by custom holster maker Rob Leahy. It is of a pancake design, and is built of quality hand-boned leather with expert craftsmanship. As can be seen in the photos, the holster offers excellent protection for the firearm, while allowing for quick accessibility if needed...."

Jeff Quinn

 

    I had been building holsters for a few months by then.  At first I was embarrassed to say what I did for a living: "That's not a real job, is it?"

   Still no company name, but Jeff Quinn's article solved that for me and started a steady stream of customers calling, writing, and e-mailing for Simply Rugged Leather. Six years later I still get: " Yeah, but what do you do for a living?"

  We no idea that this would really work as a full time job, let alone turn into a business that employed my family and several friends just to keep up with it.  But it has, I am blessed to be able to do this for a living.  My wife, Jan works with me, keeps all the plates spinning, so to speak.

  My son Jacob has started out dying belts and holsters then making belts.  He now does a little bit of everything, including the best shark scale and basket weave that we produce.

  My daughter Kelly assists with shipping and general maintenance of the shop. My dad does a lot of our finish work now.

  A life long friend, Rance McGee, is the newest addition to Simply Rugged. He brings a wealth of experience in the outdoors and is a metal artisan in his own right. He has taken to working in leather like he was born to it. Rance is a steady hand that keeps me & my "Sammy the squirrel" mind on track.

  Sometime last fall we went over the 10,000 holsters delivered mark. I'm not sure if that means anything, but, I hope that we get to build at least that many more.  It is great to hear from you folks, we are grateful for every customer.

Thank you!

Rob & Jan Leahy

& the Simply Rugged crew