[su_heading size=”22″ margin=”0″]An Interview With Jeremiah Savoy Of SAVOY Leather[/su_heading]

The American Shooting Journal spends a lot of time with different products and one of the things we do is look to our readers for the latest greatest guns and gear out there. One of the names that kept coming up over and over … and over and … you get the idea, is Savoy Leather holsters. What surprised us the most was that people from all facets of the shooting industry favor these holsters: tactical gurus, CCW carriers, cowboys, hunters and some who fit all of these categories. It is not often we find a product that seems to be equally coveted across such different groups. Savoy Leather falls into that category and we needed to know who these people were and how they did it. I reached out to Jeremiah Savoy who was nice enough to share a few of their eastern Oklahoman secrets. You’ll need to fill out some documentation before we disclose this classified information, but go ahead, it’s worth it. We will wait.

American Shooting Journal Who founded and owns Savoy Leather?

Jeremiah Savoy My wife Jerri and me. I am the president and she is the vice president.

ASJ So it’s a family business. Can you tell us a little bit more about your backgrounds, where you came from and how you became interested in firearms?

JS I was raised in south Louisiana and spent most of my life there. In 2013, my wife and I moved to Oklahoma where we thought we would have a better opportunity to grow our business. We chose Weleetka, where Jerri had previously enjoyed living.

ASJ This is my favorite question to ask: What was the spark that eventually started Savoy Leather? Many people have a great ideas, but those who take the steps to make them happen, well, these people are driven. Why were you and Jerri so passionate about doing this?

JS I felt I needed to focus a bit more. I was filling my time with random activities and wanted a new hobby. For my birthday one year, Jerri gave me a set of leather tools and some blank leather. I started making all kinds of things. The more I created, the better I became – people started requesting things. At first, I would just purchase more tools and give everything away. At that time things were financially tough. One day Jerri nudged me and said I would have to either slow my hobby down or start selling my creations. And so began our leather business.

ASJ Sometimes we do not realize the number of folks it takes to put out great products, and for so many nationwide. Who makes up the team at Savoy Leather, and why have you chosen them?

JS Well, Jerri and I work at the shop every day, and there are currently nine other full-time employees with us. They are all local folks from the Weleetka area. We are trying to help this little town come back to life and employing them is the first step. We are trying to create an atmosphere where people love to work and enjoy creating heirloom-quality products. Our motto is “Let our family create an heirloom-quality product for yours.”

ASJ In all of the designs you have, Savoy Leather offers a lot of patriotic styles. Were you in the military?

JS Neither of us have been in the military, but we support our troops and enjoy making patriotic themes.

ASJ Looking at your leather goods you have a couple things going on: 1) I’m pretty sure I would be able to tell a Savoy Leather holster from someone else’s holster because yours has a very specific look and feel; and 2) There is a lot of diversity in the designs. Who makes your designs and can people submit their own?

JS I am the artist behind most of the designs, but we welcome original ideas from customers. Sometime people may not realize that their creation simply can’t be made in leather, or, more to the point, it will not look good, so we work with them to create the design they love and one that works.

ASJ What has been your favorite piece to create and why?

JS My favorite piece was one I created for the Lone Survivor Foundation, founded by Petty Officer Marcus Luttrell. It was a fun challenge to create that piece, and best of all, it was for a great cause. It is always an honor when we are asked to create an item for a foundation that we believe in.

ASJ What have you tried to make that you have not perfected?

JS I am passionate about everything that I do. I’ve attempted to work with wood several times, but I am just never satisfied with the outcome.

ASJ Where is the furthest you have shipped a product?

JS There are a couple guys in Guam who started out as customers, and ended up as friends. That has, thus far, been the furthest we’ve ever shipped anything. I always laugh when I talk to them on the phone. With the time difference of almost a full day, I feel like I’m getting a call from the future.

ASJ The gun industry is very broad. There are tactical shooters, competitive shooters, hunters, law enforcement or work-related shooters, collectors, historians – it goes on. What group do you feel is your largest demographic within this industry?

JS We have tailored our work, a bit, to each group. A lot of these shooters have several guns and most carry on a daily basis, so even if someone is more inclined towards one group or another, people seem to have guns that they are proud of and like to show off. You don’t want to pull your awesome gun out of a funky holster. It should compliment the gun and show a glimpse of the owner’s personality.

ASJ Looking ahead, what are your goals?

JS Our one-year goal is to get the word out about our products. We would like to see them in more gun stores, and we are currently putting together a wholesale plan for dealers. Above all, we want to make sure we continue the same level of quality. All of our holsters are made with 100 percent American materials right here in Oklahoma. As our products hopefully become more popular, we would like to have a production rate that can employ as many as 50 people. We have a love for this area, and we want more Americans working.

ASJ Do you have any charities that you support that you would like to share with our readers?

JS Other than the occasional holster donated to auctions for charities, we do support our friends at Trinity Outdoor Disabled Adventures. This is an awesome group who take the disabled on fishing, hunting and camping trips, just to name a few. They have dedicated their time, effort and hearts to sharing the joy of the outdoors with people who may not have the ability to do so by themselves.

ASJ What is a personal motto or thoughts you and Jerri try to live by?

JS Our personal motto is “Put the Lord first and he’ll take care of the rest.”

ASJ Thank you, Jeremiah, and give our love to Jerri.

JS Thank you for the opportunity. ASJ