Bringing these crafts together under one roof is an important part of the way Westley Richards works today. Traditionally, case-making existed as a craft apart from gunmaking, with cases commissioned from independent specialist makers. In recent years, Westley Richards has deliberately brought this expertise in-house, establishing case-making within our own leather department and giving us control over another important element of the finished gun or rifle.
The case-making and leather departments are undergoing extensive expansion in 2026, to better provide customers with bespoke products, in-keeping with the quality and style they expect when ordering guns or rifles from Westley Richards.
The best cases require remarkable precision in their design and manufacture. Every compartment must correspond exactly with the dimensions of the gun and its accessories, while the materials, colours and details of the case should complement the character of the commission itself. An exceptional gun placed in an indifferent case will never look entirely at home.
Our case-makers can produce everything from lightweight traditional leather cases to oak-framed, leather-covered cases fitted with a full complement of tools and accessories.
At the highest end of the spectrum are entirely bespoke presentation cases, French fitted and finished with custom labels, gold embossing and exotic hides for some of the most important guns and rifles we make.
Many customers like to display their guns and rifles in the cases. As such these too have become items of exceptional value and they demand the same attention to detail as the firearms.
Customers may have specific ideas, materials or motifs they want included, or they may simply ask for something highly embellished and of outstanding appearance, leaving our craftsmen to interpret their wishes an translate them into polished wood, lacquered brass and softly shining hides of complimentary tones.
The fit is exact, the materials complementary and the two bespoke pieces immediately belong together.
The case-making workshop contains materials every bit as considered as those found at the gunmakers’ benches. Naturally tanned hides are selected and cut by hand; saddle-grade straps are worked and finished using traditional tools; rolls of baize and other case fabrics wait alongside locks, hinges and our own brass hardware. From the large Victorian windows, natural light falls across a craft that remains remarkably unchanged in principle.
There is something particularly satisfying about seeing a newly finished Westley Richards gun lowered into a case made specifically for it just yards from where the gun itself was built. The fit is exact, the materials complementary and the two pieces immediately belong together.
Made properly, both should endure for generations. The gun will acquire the marks of use, the leather will darken and soften, and together they will record a century or more of sporting life.
The humble case, originally intended simply to protect the gun in transit, is now a luxury item in its own right.
The Explora Blog is the world’s premier online journal for field sports enthusiasts, outdoor adventurers, conservationists and admirers of bespoke gunmaking, fine leather goods and timeless safari clothes. Each month Westley Richards publishes up to 8 blog posts on a range of topics with an avid readership totalling 500,000+ page views per year.
Blog post topics include: Finished custom rifles and bespoke guns leaving the Westley Richards factory; examples of heritage firearms with unique designs and celebrated owners like James Sutherland and Frederick Courteney Selous; the latest from the company pre-owned guns and rifles collection; interviews with the makers from the gun and leather factory; new season safari wear and country clothing; recent additions to our luxury travel bags and sporting leather goods range; time well spent out in the field; latest news in the sporting world; and key international conservation stories.
