The Grateful Southern Gent | Darrell Griggs
Darrell has always been the kind of person who works with his hands. He started his working life young, jumping into manufacturing and ship's carpentry at the shipyard in Newport News, Virginia as a teenager. When he wasn’t on the job, he was usually tinkering with sports cars, taking things apart just to understand how they worked. That mix of curiosity and hands-on know-how has followed him throughout his life.
After full retirement about ten years ago, that same drive led him to leathercraft. What started as a spark of interest quickly grew into a passion, and before long he was diving deep into the world of real leather, tools, and tradition. Making things by hand felt natural.
Darrell’s style is all about keeping it simple, honest, and well-made. He loves the feel of good leather and the satisfaction of turning raw materials into something useful and beautiful. His logo says he’s grateful, and he truly is—grateful for the talent, the patience, and the steady learning that have shaped his craft over the years.
As The Grateful Southern Gent, he hopes each piece he creates carries a little of that story: hard work, curiosity, and a whole lot of gratitude. For him, there’s nothing better than knowing something he made with his own two hands can bring someone else a bit of joy.
