About

Kevin Parrish

Abbreviated Version

Kevin Parrish

Saddlemaker

From Montgomery, AL

Apprenticed under father, John A. Parrish

Owned J.P. Leather Works, Montgomery, AL

Worked for Tucker Saddlery, Memphis, TN

Worked for Circle Y of Yoakum, Yoakum TX

Founded The Saddle Guy, Grady, AL

Found Jesus

Got married

Relocated shop to Robertsdale, AL

Starting Out

I’m Kevin Parrish, but you can call me The Saddle Guy. When I turned thirteen, my Dad thought it was a good time to put me to work in his saddle shop in the garage beside our house. I worked in the evenings and weekends all through school until I graduated and went off to Auburn. It didn’t take long to see that college and me weren’t a good fit. Until then, I had never loved the saddle shop, but something in me had changed. Now, I found the design and artistry of saddle making to be very fulfilling.

I got three more years working with my dad until he retired to that great, big saddle shop in the sky. I kept his shop going for a couple years then got hired on with Tucker Saddlery in Memphis. There, I was fortunate enough to work with the absolute best group of professional craftsmen that I have ever known. Those years were like captured lightning in a bottle.

Later Tucker purchased Circle Y and most of the operation moved to South Texas – including my job. And I moved with it for a time, but Texas and I simply weren’t meant to be. So I went home.

Back Home

I unpacked my old stitching machine, my dad’s toolbox, and built a workbench in my own garage. I put my nose to the grindstone and started building The Saddle Guy. That was twelve years ago.

These days I am a little older, hopefully a little wiser, and thankfully knee-deep in saddle work. I’m surrounded by good people who believe in me; I know and love the Lord, and he has blessed me with the greatest gift, my beautiful wife, Whitney.

My Values

The Foundation for Everything We Do Here
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Our Family Legacy

Four decades ago, my father’s saddle shop established a respected, time-honored legacy of Parrish saddlemakers.

As a young teen, I worked many long, summer days by his side, learning the ins-and-outs of saddlery. Since his passing, I’ve carried on the family trade, creating my own shop, The Saddle Guy, in 2005.

American Craftsmanship

By only using fine, American leather and local craftsmanship, I’ve ensured these saddles are built to last. Nobody invests in a saddle expecting to replace it in four years. If properly cared for, they should last a lifetime. That’s my attitude.

Visit the shop to see my work, or scroll down to read testimonials from satisfied customers.

Great Customer Service

There’s a little joke I like to tell people, “I don’t just build saddles. I build relationships.” If not for my customers, I wouldn’t be able to live out my passion.

That’s why there’s a contact form at the bottom of this page. And if you have a problem, I want to help. I believe in making things right. If there’s an issue, we’ll fix it.