In the third article in a series on high-end British manufacturing, we visit the Ettinger factory in Walsall, where handmade leather goods remain the norm rather than the exception. The factory avoids robots and automated cutting, relying instead on a small team to shape and assemble wallets, cigar cases, and other items by hand. It is all down to attention to detail and everything we do is based around that.
According to Business | The Guardian, the production process begins with a hydraulic press that cuts the 28 pieces forming an Ettinger wallet from leather. Each piece has its edges thinned down so they can be turned, glued, and stitched together by skilled workers rather than machines. Visitors to the factory observe rows of tables where artisans sort leather by hand, checking grain, texture, and consistency before any cutting starts. This careful preparation means each finished product follows a method unchanged for decades despite pressure from cheaper, mass-produced alternatives flooding global markets.
KEY FACTS
- An Ettinger wallet has 28 hand-cut leather pieces.
- The Walsall factory uses a hydraulic press to cut leather.
- Pieces are thinned, turned, glued, and hand-stitched.
- The firm produces wallets, cigar cases, and similar leather goods.
- The factory avoids introducing robots into production.
Key Facts
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