New forum member brand (Rugged West)

ZeroDelta said:

I was thinking of The Sentinel in the black tea core... The cordovan looks nice too...

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herculance said:

Leilah just reposted this IG story from a customer unboxing:

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Looks good to me!

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leatherhead said:

I think Leilah will make the Sentinel in teacore steerhide if you want.

That is just the regular two tone steerhide I think, not the cordovan.

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herculance said:

I just pulled the trigger on The Marling haha I had to run my numbers with the wife and thankfully it checks out

Will update here too if anyone's interested

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Ianrivaldosmith said:

I just had a custom version of this delivered last week, took around 8 weeks all in all ( I did order it over Xmas to be fair). I still have not had time to try it on yet! When I do, I'll post a pic.

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TartuWolf said:

Good honest review on YT/Reddit : https://www.reddit.com/r/leatherjacket/comments/1jlzv8g Seems like a lot of mistakes were made along the way, customer disappointed, communication was neglected, but he should get his money back at the end of the day.
Also some info / feedback about the new leather in the video : awful smell, thin and top coat already chipped off on a new jacket. Obviously that's just one experience and the "thin" thing is subjective.
One of my main notices was the zipped cuffs that don't hug the wrist at all. That's bad in my opinion.
Saddest thing by far is the communication reported by this customer. I think that really makes or breaks an experience - if the support is good and things get sorted out in the end to the satisfaction of the customer - all mistakes can be forgiven. In a way it was sorted out in this case, but the customer was definitely left feeling disappointed.

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Leilah Wilde said:

Hey fellow TFL members,

I wanted to take a moment to say hello and address the recent review and the discussion around it directly, with full transparency and respect.

1. Communication:

The truth is, in the past few months, the volume of orders has skyrocketed, which I’m incredibly grateful for, but it’s also been overwhelming. Rugged West is just me: designing jackets, liaising with my makers, replying to every email, packing each order, and even finishing some of the jackets by hand. Managing custom orders has been particularly difficult - especially when changes are requested after the green light has been given and production has started. It becomes a logistical juggling act that, unfortunately, I haven’t always handled well.

I’ve acknowledged this publicly already, and I’ll say it again here: I need to do better. Communication has slipped, and that’s on me.

2. The Mistake:

I’ve fulfilled over 200 orders in the last year. I’ve made a couple of mistakes - this was one of them. It stings, but it’s also an opportunity to learn. My intention has always been to provide a warm, personal experience - many of my customers have become friends, a few weeks back I even had an awesome couple fly in from Belgium to collect a jacket and ended up coming to my home and sharing tea with my family. That’s the kind of connection I care about. So yes, this was a painful moment, but I’m taking it seriously.

3. The Leather:
Regarding the new steerhide - I’ve been collecting rare leather jackets for 20 years, and I’m extremely particular about what I use. This hide is what I would describe as a mid-weight, comfortable steerhide - definitely not thin and not fragile. The standard stock hide I work with is thicker and very rigid. Some adored the harsh break in period; others found it far too extreme for daily wear.

This new leather was created specifically for wearability. I’ve worn it for two months straight, in rough conditions, and haven’t experienced any chipping or coating issues. The feedback I’ve received from customers after receiving their jackets made from this hide has been overwhelmingly positive. I have had follow up emails weeks later to praise how wonderful it is, just because. I genuinely believe the damage seen in that video was due to transit or external factors. Again, no excuse. Should any of my customers ever receive a jacket that is damaged in any way, I will pay to have it sent back to me for a full refund.

4. The Smell:

This one I actually addressed with the customer privately. I currently store everything downstairs at home, and I’ve been having bathroom tiling and renovation work done. If anyone here has ever lived through tiling, plastering and fresh paint, you’ll know - it stinks. Despite keeping windows open and trying to air things out, I think that smell may have transferred temporarily. Thankfully, that’s since cleared, and the jackets smell exactly as they should.

5. Zipped Cuffs Fit:

Fair point raised. This is subjective, of course, but I understand the concern. I’ve taken that feedback on board and will revisit the pattern to see how the cuffs can be adjusted for a closer fit without compromising comfort. I should note that the majority of my customers have a cuff circumference of 4.8” to 5”.

At the end of the day, I’m not a corporation - I’m just one person trying to build something honest and real. I’ve made mistakes. I’ve also poured everything into this. And I plan on learning from this experience and improving as I go along.

For now, I’ll be putting custom orders on pause while I focus on tightening up workflow and perhaps taking someone on to support. I take full accountability for where things have gone wrong and I am truly sorry.

Thank you to those in this community who’ve supported me so far, and even to those who’ve offered critique - it helps me grow. I’ll continue doing everything I can to make the jackets the best it can be.

Thanks guys,
Leilah

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Khilij said:

I have had a fantastic experience with your company so far, for what it's worth, and I fully believe you will address these issues and come out stronger for it. Can't wait for my (third) Rugged Rider.

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