Jacob Davis was a tailor before he worked with Levi Strauss.
Davis was a Latvian-born American tailor who made practical clothing for workers. While operating in Nevada, he developed riveted trousers after a customer requested especially durable pants. He placed copper rivets at strain points such as pocket corners and the base of the button fly.
Davis lacked the money to pursue a patent alone, so he wrote to Levi Strauss, whose San Francisco dry-goods business supplied fabric. The two men became business partners, and their patent for riveted trousers was issued in 1873.
Davis is sometimes mistakenly described as a miner or blacksmith because his invention was intended for hard-working customers. His documented occupation was tailor, and his expertise in garment construction directly shaped the invention.