Almost every wallet we see is made of two things: leather and thread. Today we’re reviewing a wallet that breaks this mold. Instead of thread, Mr. Lentz’ wallets are held together only with rivets! It’s a unique idea that ends up working really well. These wallets have a strong look and versatile function.
About Mr. Lentz
Mr. Lentz is an artist, a creator, and a cowboy. He believes in the value of creating something with your hands and from the heart. Each product is made to order. The leather and metal only products are a trademark of the company. In Mr. Lentz’ own words: “You just can’t beat that mixture.” Mr. Lentz also enjoys sharing his talents on his blog, encouraging others to get out and go back to the classic ways of doing things. Overall he’s a guy who puts a lot of passion into his work, and I definitely suggest dropping by his about page to read more.
Leather & Construction
All Mr. Lentz products are made with premium, US-sourced full-grain leather, which is exactly what we like to see. Rivets are made of solid brass. No issues with the materials whatsoever.
Construction is also superb. There’s actually a lot more attention to detail in these products than is easily visible. I think this may be intentional, actually. These products maintain a certain ‘raw’ look to them, but in reality are meticulously cut, edged, dyed, oiled, and waxed. Each step is done by hand. Products comes with a small tin of Mr. Lentz’ own conditioner for at home treatment. These are simple wallets, but don’t let that make you think they aren’t carefully put together by a highly skilled artisan.
Function
Here I have both the Mr. Lentz Slim Leather Wallet and the Mens Leather Wallet Plus. Both have a card pocket with a quick access slot on each side. The Plus also has another layer in the back for holding bills.
One thing I really like about these wallets is the versatility. Mr. Lentz designs his products to be minimalist, but a heavy carrier will be perfectly happy too. When I end up with more cards or cash than usual, the open, oversized pockets can hold it all. But when I only have my slimmer daily carry, things are still nicely kept in place. In either configuration my favorite cards are brought to the top with the quick access card slots. It may seem like it would be easier for cards to fall out, since the pockets are open on two sides, but I haven’t had any issues.
Aesthetic
I mentioned already that these wallets maintain a somewhat ‘raw’ leather look. Rivets enhance this with a masculine, tough feel. However, that doesn’t mean they look unfinished. I have a certain soft spot for these types of products, the ones that are both refined yet true to the wild they came from. These will fit in anywhere.
The best part of good leather is that it just gets better with time. Since I had the privilege of experiencing both the Slim and Plus wallets in Mr. Lentz’ ‘Western Brown’ and ‘Sun Tanned Natural’ colors, I thought this would be a really good chance to show a few attributes of leather, its variation, and color over time:
Here at BestLeather we get asked about patina development on products with some regularity. Mr. Lentz’ wallets display this nicely. Leather can by dyed, but because it comes from unique animals it will always have some variation and develop in different ways based on how it’s used.
Conclusion
I’m happy to recommend both of these Mr. Lentz wallets as Buy It For Life items. They seem very simple, but truthfully are skillfully constructed and function at a high level. They’re slim enough for a front pocket but have no problems holding as much as needed. The unique rivet construction makes for a strong wallet that stands out. Swing by Mr. Lentz’ shop to see more of his items. There are an impressive number of unique wallets to suit just about any need. Look forward to a review of one of his duffles in the coming weeks, as well!
