I like good looking wallets and I dread when someone ahead of me at a pay counter takes up a raggedy, beaten-up wallet fully packed with notes and credit cards. Oh, and they use it to pay for something they might actually not need. Why not save some of that money and buy yourself a nice wallet? Granted, they'll have to save for about several years until they can afford some of the wallets discussed below.
These wallets are nice looking, handmade in UK or Japan and they wear slim, mostly because you won't have much left in your wallet after you buy them. And, surprise, surprise, we won't talk about the usual suspects: Coach, Louis Vuitton, Hermes or Tumi.
Launer: Established In England 60 years ago by Sam Launer (a Czechoslovakian emigrant), the company holds the Royal Warrant to H.M. The Queen for handbags and small leather goods. Their style is elegant and the quality top-notch. Their production is still in England, near Birmingham. I would definitely check their Japanese collection as well, since it has some very nice pieces.
Ettinger: Founded by Gerry Ettinger over 70 years ago, the company is still family owned and run by his elder son, Robert Ettinger. With a big following in Japan, the company prides itself as one of the most distinguished British producers of small leather goods. In 1996, the company was appointed with a Royal Warrant to HRH the Prince of Wales.
Swaine Adeney Brigg: Renowned for their exquisite umbrellas, Swaine Adeney Brigg also manufactures a wide selection of small leather goods. Enjoying a stellar reputation, the company has been producing their famous umbrellas since 1750. The company is appointed as
"Whip and Glovemakers" to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and as "Suppliers of Umbrellas" to HRH The Prince of Wales.
Whitehouse Cox: Quite a hidden gem, the company benefits from a rather lousy web-site (except for the first page) and dedicated Japanese customers. Since the Japanese tend to go as far as counting the stitches on each side of a wallet and return the product if the number of stitches is not the same (for high end items), we can assume that Whitehouse Cox's quality is up to task. Some of their products can also be seen here.
Glen Royal: Very much the same story as above. Small Scottish manufacturer with a loyal following in Japan. And to make the similarities even more obvious, their web-site is rather lousy as well (for a producer of high-end leather goods). But again, they must be doing something right to earn the trust of their Japanese customers. More of their products here (sorry, couldn't get Google to translate this page, but main sections have English titles).
Cypris' Cordovan and Vegetable Tanning Leather Collection
"Grip Spring" grained leather money clip wallet by Valextra
Valextra Italy: In the spirit of their design we'll keep it minimalistic:
- Superb design
- Top notch quality
- Prices to match the above 2 qualities
Honorable mention:
- Goldpfeil Germany
- Smythson of Bond Street
- Mulberry
- Bottega Veneta
- Loewe Spain
