Inside Ettinger: The Walsall Leather Factory Handcrafting Wallets and Cigar Cases

In Walsall, a town once synonymous with leatherworking, Ettinger stands as one of the last remaining leather goods factories, preserving a craft that resists automation. Gary Billingham, a key figure at the factory, demonstrates the meticulous process of cutting a wallet's 28 pieces from leather using a hydraulic press, before edges are thinned, turned, glued, and stitched by hand. This attention to detail is central to Ettinger's ethos, where every step is performed by a small, skilled team rather than machines. The factory produces a range of high-end items, from wallets to cigar cases, for a global clientele. As part of a series on high-end British manufacturing, this visit highlights the intersection of tradition and luxury. Ettinger's commitment to handcrafting not only sustains local jobs but also upholds a standard of quality that mass production cannot replicate. In an era of automation, Ettinger proves that human touch remains irreplaceable in luxury goods.