Leather Wallets Archives - Page 6 of 6

May 26, 2014December 19, 2017

Born and Bred England Biker Wallet Review – $152

Born and Bred England is a maker of premium leather goods for both men and women. Based out of Brighton, England (about an hour south of London), the company produces goods with four simple principles in mind: style, practicality, simplicity, and durability. The company was founded in 2009 by Paul De Nagy, a Brazilian native, who is a self-taught leather craftsman. All of their goods are handmade–never by machine. The company was formed after Paul was asked by a number of his biker friends to make a wallet worthy of their travels and what he came up with was the Biker Wallet, which we will look at for this review.

PACKAGING

In the classic movie Forrest Gump, Forrest quotes his mother, saying, “There is a lot you can tell about a man by looking at his shoes … where he’s goin, where he’s been”. Similarly, you can tell a lot about a company by how they package and prepare their products to be seen for the first time. Born and Bred is one of those special companies that take the packaging of their products seriously.

When I first opened the box with the Biker Wallet inside, I was greeted by black packaging paper, neatly folded and pressed over the wallet. Upon taking off the packaging paper, I found the wallet wrapped inside a tan cloth bag, with Born and Bred’s logo imprinted on it. After pulling the wallet out, I also found a small black envelope with the standard Born and Bred guarantee card. It is a card that indicates what type of product you purchased (Style), when it was made (Born), and who it was made by (Bred).

The wallet sent to us was born on March 14th, 2014 and was made by Paul himself. It also contains an ID number specific to each product, as well as the company’s contact information and guarantee policy, which is a lifetime guarantee. This all made for an experience that was unique and pleasurable. It is an indication of a company that takes great pride in what it sells and, in my opinion, is an indication of a high quality item.

THE LEATHER

The Born and Bred Biker Wallet is indeed a high-quality item made of durable vegetable tanned leather that is four ounces thick. Vegetable tanned leather is known for its durability. The tanning process for veg tanned leather takes significantly longer than the most popular tanning method (chrome tanning), and results in a product that is arguably superior. A benefit of veg tanned leather is that it patinas well over time, meaning that the color can change slightly and often darkens a bit, which gives the leather a beautiful, worn appearance. Chrome leather does not patina; it wears.

Veg tanned leather can also be burnished, which Born and Bred did to all of the edges of the Biker wallet. Burnishing is the process of waxing the unfinished edges of leather, and then applying the leather to hardwood spinning at a very high RPM. The exposed edges tighten and become hard. It is process that takes time and effort and that many companies do not employ, but results in a more finished and refined product.

The color of the wallet is a light brown, what Born and Bred calls whiskey. The wallet also comes in black, but I have to say that I love the whiskey color. The color of the leather is also struck through, meaning that the leather has been drum dyed until the desired color saturates the leather all of the way through to the middle. It is a more time consuming process that is therefore more expensive, and again results in a superior product. As is common for vegetable tanned leather, the wallet is fairly stiff when brand new. That is to be expected and appreciated, as you will have the opportunity to soften and work the leather through continued use, like a brand new baseball glove.

STYLE

The Biker Wallet is a classic bi-fold, where you open and have a large pocket for storing your cash, receipts, or other paper. The wallet also has a coin pocket, with a snap, that is generous enough to hold a fair amount of coinage. On the other flap are two pockets for credit cards. I was able to slide a couple cards into each slot, which, as the leather stretches a bit over time, will probably hold two more if desired.

The Biker Wallet is not a minimalist wallet. It is made for hauling plenty of cash, cards and coins. It is meant for traveling on the open roads, and carrying everything you need for a trip. The only drawback to that function is that the wallet is thick. When folded over and pressed down, it is just over 1.5 inches thick. It is seven layers of beautiful veg tanned leather.

When I first pulled the wallet out of it’s packaging, I was reminded of a scene from the first Crocodile Dundee movie. A hooligan approached Dundee and his girlfriend and asked for his wallet, after pulling out a small switchblade knife. Dundee smiles and casually pulls out his huge knife (presumably the same one he has used in hunting crocodiles) and says “That’s not a knife. This is a knife”.

My first impression when I pulled this wallet out was that all of those wallets you see at department stores and retail shops are not real wallets; THIS is a wallet. It is big, but it is beautiful and very well designed. You may not want to sit on it while working on your computer for hours at a time, but if you are traveling, or on your bike, or if your job requires a lot of standing and moving around, this wallet is perfect.

THREAD AND HARDWARE

Similar to the leather used for the Biker Wallet, the thread and hardware Born and Bred uses is also premium. The thread is a waxed nylon thread, which Born and Bred waxes in house. Nylon thread is very tough, and is the type of thread that many premium leather goods makers use. The snap used for the coin pouch is solid brass, as is the small D ring on the outside spine of the wallet, which can be used for securing to a belt loop with a chain or similar tethering method.

BESTLEATHER CONCLUSION

The Biker Wallet from Born and Bred England is made with premium raw materials and is expertly crafted. The wallet has plenty of style. It is fully practical. It is simple in design and once you pick it up, you immediately know that it is going to be durable. It is an excellent wallet whether you are a biker or not.

May 19, 2014December 19, 2017

The Classic Bifold from Orox Leather Review – $110

Orox Leather is a family owned company in Portland, Oregon. They build a full line of cool, interesting leather goods, including a line of leather/canvas lunch bags, bags, totes, and wallets. This is their take on the bifold wallet, the Classic Bifold from Orox.

construction

The Classic Bifold is made of the renowned Chromexcel leather from Horween out of Chicago that is stitched together with nylon thread. It features cut out pockets to hold your cash and multiple cards.

function

The wallet functions as a wallet should. It is relatively thin, it has the capability of holding all of your essential cards and cash, and it fits in your back pocket without causing your spine to warp out of alignment.

At first, it was a little tight fitting all of my cards and cash, but after about a week of use, it broke in and the cards fit snugly, but not too loosely either. Perfect fit.

aesthetic

Upon first receiving this wallet from Orox, I was slightly disgruntled by the appearance. At first glance, it appears roughly cut, the edges not sanded well, and the stitching not straight. But after talking with Martin at Orox, I realized that this was actually the aesthetic they were going for — a pre-worn in, rugged, rough and rowdy look. And in this light, they achieved this aesthetic perfectly. It would not look out of place in an old western movie. After my conversation with Martin, I took a few new looks at the wallet and realized that it actually is beautiful in its ruggedness. This is a very unique aesthetic.

BestLeather conclusion

If you are looking for a ruggedly beautiful, pre-worn-in, aesthetically balanced, and well constructed wallet, then you have struck gold with the Classic Bifold. Look no further. At $110, you are getting what you pay for — a handmade wallet using high-quality materials.

May 9, 2014December 19, 2017

Orox Utilis Classic iPhone Wallet Review – $70

The Orox Utilis iPhone wallet/case is a beautiful, well-constucted option to carry your cash, your cards, and your phone (assuming you are a part of the iPhone family). Continue reading “Orox Utilis Classic iPhone Wallet Review – $70”

April 23, 2014December 19, 2017

Ewing Dry Goods Minimalist Wallet – $60

Bear Fat and Beeswax. This got my attention. The Ewing Dry Goods store prides themselves on products Made in USA and burnishing the edges with a mixture of bear fat and beeswax. The mixture gives the leather that extra edge standing up to moisture and abusive elements. This is what you would expect from a leather crafter in Alaska.

If this has your attention too, you probably are not interested in ordinary, plain products you can purchase from your local big-box store. You enjoy merchandise that represents adventure, character and quality. This is a good time for you to learn about the Minimalist Wallet by Ewing Dry Goods. They call it the “perfect little wallet that holds only the essentials: your cards and some cash.”

CONSTRUCTION

The Minimalist Wallet is made from one piece of 7oz Horween Chromexcel. This is some of the finest leather made in America. It is folded in half and hand-sewn with artificial sinew and the edges are burnished and rubbed with bear fat and beeswax. This is heavy construction and build to last.

FUNCTION

Ewing claims the Minimalist Wallet is “the perfect little wallet” but if it were, it would be expandable to daily use. It is a great wallet for on-the-go; dashing out with just a driver license, a card or two and some cash. When Best Leather received the wallet, I stuffed five cards in it and some cash and was quite impressed.

The wallet is fun. It makes you rethink what you need to carry on a daily basis and it seems to be reshaping me into a true, if not reluctant, minimalist. But, then, in my pursuit to make the Minimalist into a daily wallet, rather than sacrifice entirely, I set out to see if it could carry more and found the wallet holds eight credit cards, gift cards and license and still has room for cash. This was amazing because even one or two cards by themselves remained snug in the wallet, yet when stuffed with eight, the cards could still move in and out with ease.

At this point, this reviewer was convinced. I have had several thin wallets but none that could hold eight cards. The Ewing Dry Goods Minimalist Wallet is, indeed, the perfect little wallet. But, then again, business cards. . . how do we get the wallet to hold eight cards and a dozen business cards, as well? Just wondering.

AESTHETIC

Seven ounces of Horween Chromexcel leather has a good look and feel and it is most assuredly durable, even if taking a lot of abuse. As mentioned before, the edges of the leather are burnished with bear fat and beeswax. This gives it a smooth, almost melted appearance and highlights the matte black color of the wallet we reviewed.

The Ewing Dry Goods Minimalist Wallet comes in Black, Burgundy, Brown and Dark Olive. This reviewer likes the black and it goes well with the black Survivor Clip.

All Ewing Dry Goods products are stamped with their logo – if size permits. The logo is handsome, featuring the horizontal portions of a large capital “E” set into the right side of a Spruce tree.

BESTLEATHER CONCLUSION

The product is good. This reviewer enjoys the look and feel – and the fact it holds enough cards to be a daily wallet. It is built of the finest leather and will last many years. It is a fine little wallet and is well worth the investment.

March 15, 2014May 9, 2020

Saddleback Leather Small Bi-fold Wallet Review – $47

Saddleback Leather has multiple styles of wallets to choose fron. This review will cover the Saddleback Leather Small Bi-fold Wallet in Tobacco and Black (and it seems they do not even have the black color available any longer). The wallets come in two other colors; chestnut and carbon (a grayish color). I do plan on purchasing the other colors to see which I like best, especially after they have developed a nice patina. Patina is a shiny or dark surface that forms naturally on something such as wood or leather that is used and or worn for a certain period of time. Here is a great example of patina. Upon the six month and year follow up reviews there will be pictures posted so you can see the developed patina.

Packaging

Some companies have awesome packaging that somehow sends you back to your favorite Christmas, yet this is not so with Saddleback. But even though the packaging may not be overdone the product you receive certainly will be.

Some Initial Details

The first thing that stood out was the smell. That true leather smell is so delicious. Among many things, the smell was what I kept showing and telling people about. Then after some odd looks I would explain that the wallet only cost about $36. I could not get over the fact that I had purchased a full grain leather wallet that people were raving about for less than 50 bucks. Saddleback did not disappoint. The wallet has aged for about three months and the smell, unfortunately, has worn less pungent than I would like. Yet as the smell has declined the quality of craftsmanship is really starting to show off.

Aesthetic

When you receive your wallet do not be shocked by the stiffness of it. This is how a lot of good leather starts off before the user breaks it in. At first, barely any bills fit into the slot (unless you put some strength and finesse into it); yet that has slowly gotten easier over the last three months. The bottom right corner on the face of the wallet has “Saddleback” stamped on it and the bottom right inside flap has Blue, Dave Munson’s (the founder and owner of Saddleback Leather) late dog stamped on it.

Function

Six cards can barely fit in each card slot (more will go in if you really want them to). There are two card slots. When accessing cards be aware that you might be tempted to take out all of the cards, shuffle through them, and then pick which one you want. It is possible to leave all the cards in the slot and nimbly pick through them depending on how many cards you are going to put in each slot. The wallet is geared more toward a minimalist tool and I normally carry four cards max in each side and it fits them perfectly. Currently I have four bills in the bill slot with 4 paper punch cards, one stamp, and a receipt from Papa Murphy’s. All of it fits great with room for more. The bills have enough room to go deep enough as to not stick out, which is admirable. For those of you who usually put a giant rock-sized thing called a wallet in your back pocket, this might be the cure the doctor has for you to minimize the things you carry and be a little easier on your body. When I received it I definitely had to go through and prioritize the things I actually need to carry.

Quick Aside of Dave’s Deals

So how was this product obtained for only $36? Dave’s Deals. Since his products are hand made (another star for him) sometimes small mistakes are made, usually in the stitching. He will then mark down the product by as much as 25%, depending on the flaw. Each flaw will be different. On the wallet I purchased, the only flaws were about four places where the stitch must have been messed up so they re-stitched it. Now it looks just a little thicker than the normal stitch. There is slight fraying from one of the stitching flaws but if it ever breaks I will happily let them uphold their warranty.

BestLeather conclusion

I will add some thoughts and updates as time goes on to see how this wallet ages but these three months make me think that there is going to be much enjoyment of this great product for years to come. My family just might fight over it when I am dead. This is a great purchase for a wallet especially since it is in the lower price range for such a good quality product, Dave’s Deals or not. Make sure to check back in the following months for updates and let me know your thoughts if you own or have had a significant encounter with the wallet. Overall the Saddleback Leather Small Bi-fold Wallet was a great purchase.

Click here to see everything that is discounted on Dave’s Deals today.

March 14, 2014December 19, 2017

Waskerd Slim Strayer Wallet Review – $55

As time progresses it seems that many of the materials and skills that our ancestors used are falling away. Of course they are replaced with more easily produced, less expensive products and materials. We could assume that this is better, but Waskerd has a different philosophy. They make all of their products by hand, and all their materials are from the US. It’s a throwback to the days when most of what you owned was built by someone who you knew. I can say that having the Waskerd Strayer Wallet has proven to me that the old way has advantages. In comparison to my life filled with mass-produced generic products it is fast becoming one of my favorite possessions.

Construction Technique

Derek, the owner at Waskerd, has made a point to keep his construction processes as far away from the mechanically produced as possible; the result is very high quality leather goods. Everything that he makes is by hand, and just as the old days he emphasises knowing where everything that goes into his products comes from. As a purist he avoids templates, opting to cut and stitch by eye. The wallets can be ordered with custom leather and thread colors as well. Both of these features lend to the town leathersmith aspect of his business and certainly makes each wallet an original.

Leather

The Waskerd Strayer is made out of full grain leather. Full grain leather is the best quality available meaning that this wallet will last for years. In addition it is chrome tanned and after only a few weeks use it is already developing a nice patina. In years to come it will develop personality through my habits of use. A nice touch is the unfinished edges that highlight the way the leather wears. In some cases a manufacturer will leave edges raw in an attempt to skip a step. Since this leather is chrome tanned, the edges fit the look and feel of the wallet.

Stitching

Waskerd uses waxed polyester thread. As opposed to cotton it is much more durable (less likely to rot, break or come unraveled, and impervious to ultraviolet rays). Each hole is punched by hand. This is great because even though the stitching is extremely straight, it has a nice bespoke look and feel to it. He uses a saddle stitch for better durability and the corners are cleverly double stitched for better wear.

One of the endearing features of Waskerd’s unique designs are the intricate W sewn into the front of their wallets. This is fantastic and a level of creativity we don’t often get to see.

Bestleather Conclusion

This is a good wallet. At $55 it is reasonably priced especially since it will last for so long. The one drawback that I have found is that your bills must be double folded in the front. As a result they all need to be pulled out every time you pay cash. For someone who uses less cash and more cards the Strayer is worth looking into more. Their other wallets are also well worth a look.

Click here to check out the Strayer Slim wallet on Waskerd.com.

March 8, 2014December 19, 2017

Ashland Leather Johnny the Fox Bi-fold Wallet – $200

The Ashland Leather company is maker of fine, small leather goods. Based in Chicago, Illinois, they specialize in making high quality wallets, key fobs, key cases, and leather watch straps. Ashland Leather was formed by two tanners from the Horween Leather Tannery. With a knowledge of how to make superb leather, they decided that they needed to also make great products from great leather and their company was born. BestLeather had the opportunity of reviewing their Johnny the Fox bi-fold wallet.

the name

Your first question might be, “Johnny the Fox, what’s up with the name”. That’s a good question. Named after a 1920’s Chicago gangster who was tough as nails, this wallet is similarly tough, with a never say die construction. All of Ashland Leather wallets have similar names from unique Chicago history. For more info on the inspiration behind the name, read here.

the leather

The Johnny the Fox is a classic bi-fold wallet, but the fact that it is made with genuine shell cordovan from Horween, ratchets up the uniqueness and quality of the wallet a few notches. My first impression of the wallet was that it is a very simple bifold, but as I held it, and thumbed over it, I could tell that it was not an ordinary bi-fold, and the main reason was the leather.

Shell Cordovan is a very unique and fairly rare leather. A small section (the shell) is taken from a horse hide and tanned by Horween to perfection. It’s a process that they have perfected over many years, and the end product is a piece of leather that is beautiful, looks rich, and as a distinctive feel. In fact, it takes Horween over 6 months to complete the tanning and finishing process for their Cordovan.

Shell Cordovan is known for it’s durability, denser grain, and resistance to abrasions. What I did not initially know about Horween’s Shell Cordovan was its high gloss finish. This makes the wallet pop when you whip it out of your back pocket and pull out the green.

the function

Johnny the Fox has a main compartment for your bills, along with three slots on each side of the fold for your cards. It also has a sleeve where you can slide in additional cards or necessities. Though not a minimalist wallet where you slip in a few cards or cash and that is it, this is a simple wallet. Using it this past week, there was something pleasing in using a classic wallet where there was sufficient room to carry some bills, plus all of the cards that I need to use. It is a little too thick to also be used as a front pocket wallet, but it was never meant to be.

Ashland Leather also has high attention to detail in the crafting of their products. This wallet had precise stitching placement, clean lines on all of the cut leather, and perfectly symmetrical. The fine craftsmanship is a great complement to the fine leather.

BestLeather conclusion

Ashland Leather’s Johnny the Fox bi-fold wallet is simple, it is classic, and the leather is beautiful. The quality of leather used on this wallet will ensure many years of use and abuse. If you are in the market for a classic bi-fold, with a high degree of class, look no further than the Johnny the Fox from Ashland Leather.

February 15, 2014December 19, 2017

Waskerd Pinnell Money Clip Wallet Review – $78

Derek Shaw, located in Philadelphia, really exemplifies the spirit of Philadelphia in his designs and business model. They are simple and effective. He realized that life was much better in the old days, when people knew the process behind everything they consumed and knew exactly where everything came from. In other words, true hand-crafted quality. Not to mention he values simplicity and minimalist qualities in his designs. His company is actually called Waskerd Slim Wallets, which should really say enough. His products are designed with simplicity and attention to detail in the quality and construction.