For many years, Westley Richards leather goods have been made by hand in Birmingham in relatively small numbers, often to order and always with the same emphasis on character, quality and generational utility that defines the company more broadly. That relative scarcity has long been part of their appeal. Now, following significant investment in the leather department, that part of the business is entering an important new phase.
Building on the success of established models such as the Bournbrook 48hr Bag, the Sutherland Safari Kit Bag and the Perfecta Cartridge Bag, Westley Richards has expanded the leather department with a clear purpose: to shorten lead times, increase the number of stock pieces available for immediate dispatch and broaden the range of designs offered to customers.
That is significant because Westley Richards remains unusual among sporting gunmakers in having its own leather factory, where leather workers make their wares in workshops alongside the gunmakers. The same house ethos that governs the making of our guns and rifles extends naturally to the leather shop, where sporting bags, luggage and accessories are designed in-house and made by hand in Birmingham.
In early 2026, Westley Richards invested in new machinery to strengthen the department’s manufacturing capability and support greater consistency and output. Alongside that comes an extension to the early Victorian factory building that houses the leather shop, due to open in 2027. It will be the first addition to the site since the company moved into its current Aston premises in 2008, having left the Bournbrook factory it had occupied for well over a century.
The workforce is being expanded in step with that investment, increasing capacity while also reinforcing the leather department’s role as a skilled local employer. As the department grows, so too does its ability to train and support the craftspeople whose work underpins this side of the business.
For customers, the most immediate benefit will be greater availability. More of our best-loved leather goods will be held in stock and ready for immediate dispatch, including popular pieces such as the Explora Rucksack and the Bishop Bag, rather than carrying the typical four-to-six-week lead time that has often accompanied a handmade order.
At the same time, increased production capacity will allow the team to devote more attention to truly bespoke commissions. Customers will continue to be welcome to supply their own hides, which can be incorporated into highly personal bags and luggage, with bespoke additions and omissions made to suit individual requirements and create heirloom pieces of particular meaning.
What will not change is the character of the work itself. Westley Richards leather goods will continue to be made in Birmingham, by hand, with the same emphasis on practicality, durability and quiet distinction that has long made them a natural companion to travel, safari and life in the field.
This next stage is therefore not a departure, but an evolution: one that will make Westley Richards leather goods more readily available, broader in offer and better placed to serve both existing customers and those discovering the department for the first time.
Westley Richards has been outfitting its clients for with fine leather goods as long as it has been building custom rifles and bespoke guns for them. Whether you are on safari in the African bush, in Paris for the weekend, or in New York on business, our heirloom quality leather luggage strikes the perfect balance between functionality, durability and timeless elegance. Made in our leather factory in Birmingham side by side with the gunmaking, the company offers a range of luxury travel bags made from leather and canvas, including holdalls, briefcases, backpacks, messenger bags and weekend bags. The perfect partner to our high quality safari wear and country clothing.
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I hope that your rifle slings and cartridge wallets remain the same. They are the best you can buy, period. I have tried other “custom” leather makers but I have not found any slings or wallets of the same quality. One thing I really like about your slings is that once you have a sling set for your rifle, it is set and will not change. You can take the sling off the rifle, put it on another rifle, but if you do not change the length setting, when you put it back on the original rifle it will fit perfectly. So called adjustable slings are always slipping and causing the user to readjust the sling. Not yours.
I prefer the open top carry on belt cartridge wallets or carriers. With open top carriers, bullets are always at hand. The individual cartridge holders must perfectly fit the cartridge case size of the caliber your shooting. Yours do so perfectly. The cartridges can be pulled out easily, but the cartridges will not fall out in normal use because the holder fits the case exactly.
Keep up the top quality products.
MMP