BestLeather has worked with hundreds of leather companies. Whether they have been making leather goods for centuries, decades, or even just starting out, we enjoy reviewing their products. When we were contacted by Lopalo Leather and learned about the man behind the scenes, we were pleasantly astounded. This is the first leather company BestLeather has had the pleasure of working with that is owned, operated, designed, and built by a 15 year old leather entrepreneur — Aidan Forsyth.
About
Established in 2014, Lopalo leather began after Aidan made his own wallet because his store-bought wallet had fallen apart. Here is Aidan’s description of his business foundation, “Quickly family and friends wanted wallets and I turned it into a business. I do custom orders regularly in addition to making the designs I have on my site.” Based out of Albany, New York, Aidan uses only USA made materials in his wallet making business. His business is rapidly growing, and he plans on adding several new products and accessories to his website. So, be sure to follow Lopalo Leather throughout this leather journey, and contribute as much as you can. Whether that is advice, ideas, or the purchase of a leather wallet, following a young company like this is always a good thing.
Construction
The Bi Fold Card Holder is made with Horween’s Chromexcel leather. The cardholder is 100% handmade, so Aidan himself saddle stitches all of his products. He has an excellent visual representation of what that means on his website. Check it out here. Basically, by using the saddle stitch, the lifetime of the product is greatly increased. If one stitch breaks, the product can still live on comfortably. If a stitch broke on a normal machine stitch, the product’s construction is compromised, and will not last much longer.
The Card Holder is extremely simple. With just two sleeves on the inside for storage, the wallet’s construction is very minimalistic, yet provides adept space for plenty of cards and bills. With this card holder’s minimalist design, you don’t need to sacrifice space for slimness.
Function
There is not much difference in functionality from card holder to card holder. Each one’s purpose is to hold your cards and information, and most of them do it well. The Lopalo Bi Fold Card Holder is a complete example of flawless performance. I have used this product for a solid 10 days and enjoyed every minute of it. At the beginning of its use, the inside pockets were a little tight and stiff, but after using it several times, they have loosened up effectively. I carry on average 7 cards in this wallet, with an occasional bill here and there. The sleeves are certainly not over filled, allowing ample space for those surprise bills.
Here is Aidan’s description of his Bi Fold cardholder: “This minimalistic Bi Fold Card Holder is perfect for someone who wants to carry around their credit cards and a few bills. After the handmade wallet is broken in, you will be able to fit in 3-5 cards on each side. On the front side, this wallet will develop a unique pull up. Each wallet is hand cut, stitched, and finished by me. With proper care, it will last you a lifetime.”
Aesthetic
I think I can safely say that Horween’s Chomexcel leather is ONE of my favorite types of leather. The Bi Fold Card Holder has a fantastic, graceful feel, and the thread color used contrasts seamlessly with the deep brown leather. Lopalo Leather also offers several colors of stitching for their products. White, Royal Blue, Cream, and Dark Green are all choices for the stitching, and judging from pictures I have seen, all are perfect contrast colors to the leather. Over time this cardholder will look better and better, and the one I have now has already started to build a beautiful patina.
Conclusion
When I first accepted the opportunity to review Lopalo Leather’s Bi Fold Cardholder, I was beyond enthusiastic. It’s not everyday you get to work with young people who enjoy the timeless and passion oriented leather industry like we do. I have been utterly impressed with Lopalo Leather and their products. At $37.50, this wallet is a steal for the quality you are receiving. As most of the leather companies know, networking is one of the greatest things you can do in the industry. So if you have any pointers, ideas, or just a word of encouragement, let Aidan Forsyth know. Head over to his website (http://www.lopaloleather.com/), snoop around, check out his high-quality products, anticipate new products, and contribute to a strong, full-of-potential young man and his leather business.
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