Don’t get tired of Ivy yet because she is back once again for day 8 of The Catholic Man’s 12 Days of Christmas. We are taking a break from books today and instead are taking a look at some rosaries.
Rugged Rosaries is a fitting name for the brand. The rosaries carry a rustic feel to them which is unlike the usual elegant and dainty look the traditional rosary carries. When you look at a traditional rosary, you can tell almost immediately that it is sacred. The rosaries from Rugged Rosaries are more utilitarian and can serve as a conversation starter before progressing to the usual uses of a rosary.
Some of the rosaries are modelled after specific kind of rosary. For example, the one depicted below is a replica of the government issued rosaries given to those fighting during World War I. It is one of the rosaries in their WWI Battle Beads® series. The ones depicted here are made entirely of a dark metal. I can’t speak to how similar these are to the originals but they are very interesting to look at. In my opinion, the Our Father beads are placed a little more further from the Hail Mary beads than I would like, but it is possible that is how the originals were made. I think it would be a meaningful piece to give to someone whose loved one(s) served. You can take a look at the options in this line here.
This next one is based off the rosaries used by the monks – the Trappist Rosary. It is one of their more widely used designs which use paracord and beads. It is a chunkier piece and the beads are closer together, making it hard to fold, so I don’t think it is ideal to carry around. The crucifix on this one is a newer one, so you wouldn’t find this crucifix on this particular rosary in their storefront. You can find the Original Paracord Rosaries collection here.
Considering how large and long the previous two rosaries were, they also offer more compact, single decade rosaries. The one I received has a carabiner clip and that makes life so much easier for me. I don’t like wearing things on my wrists so the clip lets me attach it elsewhere. It is a paracord rosary but scaled down and the quality is no different. You can look at that collection here. This one is the Soldier St. Michael Pocket Rosary and is Vincent’s favourite out of the three featured in this review. It is compact and makes for a handsome prayer weapon to accompany his pilgrimage backpack.
If you wanted something more feminine, that is also something the people at Rugged Rosaries considered, so they released a women’s collection. I think they manage to accomplish they’re goal of adding femininity to this line without compromising the ruggedness of their overall aesthetic. Unfortunately, I did not receive any pieces from this line so I cannot take any photos or verify that the quality is the same.
Each rosary came with its own drawstring bag with the exception of the WWI rosary, which came in a little tin. All feel durable. My only (minor) qualm is the tin has the Rugged Rosary logo on the bottom. I have opened the container up side down too many times at this point.
You get an extra gift with your order which is a key chain in my case. I don’t know if everyone gets the same thing. You also get some cards that elaborate on the rosaries you ordered, a prayer you might not have seen before, as well on instructions on how to pray the rosary which is also available on their website. These are nice additions to a gift for someone new to the faith or only getting back into it. The paper and print quality is really nice, and the paper is thicker with a gloss finish.
I think Rugged Rosaries set a clear goal and has managed to maintain it really well even as their storefront grows. They have created a different take on rosaries that may appeal to many Catholics. I believe they truly had their customers in mind and what part of their audience they are catering to when creating their rosaries. It is also a good place to start for those new to rosaries. I would recommend these rosaries if you know someone who would appreciate a more unique rosary, if there is a specific rosary that would be especially meaningful to them, or maybe they need a more durable rosary for whatever reason (no judgment there).
I think Rugged Rosaries would be a good option to consider, keeping in mind they are a bit higher in price. For the quality and thought put into them, I think they can be worth the price tag. You can visit the Rugged Rosaries home page here.
That is all for day 8; I will be back tomorrow for day 9 of 12 Days of Christmas!
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