The creation of RuggedWrist was really a happy accident. Owner Tina Galle noticed her golden retriever, Hudson, had a collar that quickly began to rust and disintegrate after his romps in the great outdoors. Galle, who was already making jewelry, tied three of her leather bracelets together to make a new collar for Hudson. It worked perfectly, and RuggedWrist was born. Galle’s beautifully made pet products took off like lightning. “Before I knew it, RuggedWrist was in Instyle Magazine’s 2013 gift guide,” Galle says with a laugh.
RuggedWrist creates marine-grade, nautical-inspired collars and other pet accessories, all made personally by Galle (although she sometimes recruits her husband to help). The collars, leashes and leads are for dogs, of course, but humans can find a few things for themselves, too, including key fobs, bracelets and lanyards, all constructed from sturdy rope and brass with cheerful pops of color.
Despite high-profile shout-outs and sales in 11 countries, Galle sees RuggedWrist sticking to its roots. She runs her company from her home in Excelsior and is picky when it comes to stockists. “I don’t want it to be everywhere. I want to spend time with my kids, and I don’t want to be punching in a clock,” Galle says. Although most of her sales are done online, local residents can find RuggedWrist items at Brightwater Clothing & Gear.
Of course, merchandise is often modeled by the Galles’ pup, a 3-year-old French bulldog rescue named Presley—follow the stylish pooch on Instagram at @frenchpresley.
