Meet the Makers: Local Artisans Behind Struggle On Coffee Co.
Coffee is the product. But the struggle extends beyond the cup.
When we started Struggle On Coffee Co., we made a decision early on: if we were going to sell merch, it wasn't going to be the same drop-shipped, print-on-demand garbage every other brand slaps their logo on. No mass-produced mugs from a warehouse. No faux-leather patches from an overseas factory. No shortcuts.
Instead, we partnered with two local artisans in Jackson, Missouri — people we know, people we trust, people whose work we can look at and say "yeah, that's good." Not because it was the easy thing to do. Because it was the right thing to do.
Here are the makers behind the merch.
Jefferson Fox — Fox Stoneware
Makes: Struggle On Artisan Coffee Mugs
If you've held one of our mugs, you already know. These aren't the thin, fragile, mass-produced mugs you find at a big-box store — the kind that feel like they'll shatter if you look at them wrong. These are real mugs. Heavy. Sturdy. Substantial. The kind of mug that feels like it's been around the block and isn't going anywhere.
Jefferson Fox is a ceramic artist based in Jackson, Missouri. He doesn't run a factory. He runs a studio. Every mug is handcrafted — thrown, shaped, glazed, and fired by Jefferson himself. No two are exactly alike. Each one carries the slight variations and imperfections that come from being made by a human hand, not a machine.
Why Handmade Mugs Matter
You might be thinking: it's a mug. Why does it matter if it's handmade?
It matters because you use it every day. A mug is the vessel for your morning coffee — the thing you reach for before you're fully conscious, the thing you hold with both hands when it's cold and the coffee is hot. It's not decor. It's a tool. And a good tool feels different from a cheap one.
A handmade mug has:
- Weight that grounds you. There's a psychological difference between holding a substantial, handcrafted mug and a hollow, mass-produced one. The weight says "this is real."
- Texture you can feel. The glaze, the clay body, the handle — all have a tactile quality that machine-made mugs lack. It feels like something someone made.
- Durability for daily use. Jefferson builds these to be used, not displayed. They're sturdy enough to handle strong coffee and stronger mornings.
- Individuality. No two mugs are identical. The glaze patterns, the slight variations in shape, the tiny imperfections — they're what make each mug yours.
The Fox Stoneware Process
Jefferson's process is old-school in the best way:
- Throwing. Each mug starts on the wheel. Jefferson shapes the clay by hand — the body, the base, the handle.
- Drying. The mugs air-dry to a leather-hard state before trimming and refining.
- Bisque firing. The first fire hardens the clay and prepares it for glazing.
- Glazing. Each mug is glazed by hand. The glaze is what gives the mug its color, texture, and character.
- Glaze firing. The second fire vitrifies the clay and melts the glaze into a durable, food-safe finish.
The result is a mug that can handle the struggle — daily use, hot coffee, microwave reheats, dishwasher cycles, and whatever else your morning throws at it.
Our artisan mugs are $35 individually, or you can get them in a bundle with coffee for $45. That's not cheap for a mug. But it's fair for a handmade piece of functional art from a local ceramicist.
Grant Leather — Leather Patch Hats
Makes: Struggle On Leather Patch Hats
A hat is a hat, right? Wrong. A hat is the thing on your head when you're working early, driving far, or standing in the sun pretending you planned to be outside this long. It takes abuse. It gets sweated in, rained on, shoved in a truck seat, and forgotten on a porch railing. A cheap hat falls apart when things get real.
Our leather patch hats don't fall apart. Here's why.
The Cap: Richardson 112
We build on the Richardson 112 — a structured, mid-profile trucker hat that's become the gold standard for quality headwear. It's not the cheapest cap available, but it's the one that holds up. The 112 features:
- A structured front panel that keeps its shape
- Mesh back panels for breathability
- An adjustable snapback closure
- A curveable visor
- Durability that outlasts the $8 gas station hats by a factor of five
If you're going to put your brand on a hat, put it on one that won't embarrass you in three months. The 112 is that hat.
The Patch: Real Leather, Hand-Stamped
The leather patch on each Struggle On hat is handmade by Grant Leather in Jackson, Missouri. Not printed. Not faux leather. Not "leather-like material." Real leather, hand-cut and hand-stamped with our logo.
What this means:
- It ages well. Real leather develops a patina over time — it gets better looking the more you wear it. Faux leather cracks and peels.
- It's durable. A hand-stamped leather patch can take rain, sweat, sun, and abuse without falling apart.
- It's unique. Like the handmade mugs, each leather patch has slight variations from being made by hand. No two are identical.
- It supports a local maker. Every patch is cut and stamped by a person in Jackson, Missouri — not a machine in a factory.
The Hats
Our leather patch hats are $25. The hat + coffee bundle is $40 (hat + any coffee). The full bundle — hat + mug + coffee — is $70. That's a full kit: something to wear, something to drink from, and something to drink.
Why Local Partnerships Matter
We could make more money by sourcing cheaper merch. We could find a factory overseas to produce mugs for $3 each and hats for $5. We could slap our logo on them and sell them at the same price and pocket the difference.
We don't. Here's why:
1. Quality. Handmade, locally crafted products are simply better than mass-produced ones. A mug from Fox Stoneware is better than a mug from a factory. A hat with a real leather patch from Grant Leather is better than one with a printed patch. The quality difference is obvious the moment you hold the product.
2. Community. When you buy a Struggle On mug, you're not just supporting us. You're supporting Jefferson Fox. You're supporting Grant Leather. You're supporting three small businesses in Jackson, Missouri instead of one multinational corporation. That's how local economies work — money stays in the community and multiplies.
3. Integrity. We say "no shortcuts" and we mean it. Sourcing cheap merch from overseas would be a shortcut. It would be the easy, profitable thing to do. It's not what we do.
4. Pride. We're proud of where we live and who we work with. Jefferson and Grant are talented makers doing real work in a small town. They deserve recognition. We're happy to give it.
The Makers Behind the Struggle
Struggle On Coffee Co. isn't just a coffee company. It's a small network of local makers — roasters, ceramicists, leather workers — who believe that things should be made properly, by hand, by people who care.
The coffee is roasted by us. The mugs are thrown by Jefferson. The hat patches are stamped by Grant. Every piece of the Struggle On experience comes from someone who put their hands on it and made it right.
That's the struggle. That's the point. And we wouldn't do it any other way.
See the work. Shop mugs, hats, and coffee →
Struggle On Coffee Co. — Small-Batch Roasts, Big Missouri Flavor. Indulgence With an Attitude. Fresh roasted to order in Southeast Missouri. Free shipping on every order.