In an age of mass production, demand is growing for the kind of quality that only comes with the personal touch. Ben Grafton finds a firm still doing it the old-fashioned way.
If it’s a luxury gift you’re after, Ettinger of London is probably not the first name that springs to mind. While the likes of Rolex and Prada top birthday wish-lists the world over, Ettinger’s success has remained largely unknown outside leather-making circles, until now.
Founded 74 years ago by Gerry Ettinger, a former film producer who worked with the likes of Marlene Dietrich, the company has for most of its life made high-quality leather goods for other brands, including Dunhill. But when the eldest son, Robert, took over from his father in 1995, he started work on a process which would lead to Ettinger becoming a brand in its own right, and one which is rapidly winning recognition (the company was granted a Royal Warrant to supply the Prince of Wales in 1996).
Nowadays, the vast majority of Ettinger’s sales – 70 per cent – come from foreign markets. The firm exports to over 40 countries worldwide, with Japan and the Far East being the biggest buyers. It seems that, from Tokyo to Shanghai, British briefcases and luxury jewellery rolls are the items of choice for men and women whose appreciation of quality products is reflected in the amount of protective leather balm they buy.
To meet demand, the company’s workforce has grown from 14 in 1990 to 40 in 2008, but while the scale of operations has expanded, the core values have remained the same, the onus being on high-quality, handmade and aesthetically pleasing products which remain true to their traditional British roots.
The company now produces a portfolio of over 400 luxury items, all handmade in its factory in Walsall and displayed in its showroom at the Ettinger head office in Putney. Here, an array of attaché cases, stud boxes and travel wallets take pride of place on the spot-lit shelves alongside more eclectic items like mobile-phone holders and backgammon sets.
Ettinger designs go through over 20 different stages before they are ready to be sent out, with the manufacturing process taking between 45 and 80 minutes. Before work can begin, samples are made which serve as templates for production on the factory floor. The skin is hand-cut using razor-sharp knives or with a clicking press, which uses special cutting tools to carve shapes through the leather. It is then split down the middle into thin layers, by a process known as “skiving”, prior to being turned and worked.
When it comes to assembly, craftsmen use a smooth bone strong enough to handle the leather without damaging it. The backs of the items are thickened and the strips glued together on sewing machines. Ettinger says: “With something like a wallet, there are anything between 40 and 50 strips of leather and silks to be put together. Effectively, it’s like putting together a jigsaw puzzle.”
Finally, the piece is checked and polished prior to packing – the leather has already been blocked with the Ettinger brand logo before this stage. Even though sewing and splitting machines have been around for 100 years, Ettinger says: “Eighty per cent of the manufacturing process has to be done by hand and I can’t see this changing.”
After more than 30 years in the business, it is clear that Ettinger has lost none of his enthusiasm for the product. Eager to show off a tiny leather piece which folds out to reveal a handy shoehorn, he is more “Q” from James Bond than industry magnate. Ettinger says: “We are constantly expanding our range of products and looking for new ideas. While we have a number of freelance designers, a lot of ideas come out of our own factory, and I take a very active part in this process.”
Launching the brand into the 21st century – a little belatedly, Ettinger admits – the company will be making its luxury leather items available to buy online for the very first time. “It’s no longer a case of not being able to sell luxury goods online,” he says.
“We have waited so long and at last we’ve decided to do it. While people won’t be able to actually pick things up, the beautiful photography we’ve included will certainly help to create the feeling of a wonderful shop window for our brand.”
Ettinger products are available in Mappin and Webb stores across the UK. For more information visit ettinger.co.uk.
