I used three words to describe the American Bench Craft Hammer Riveted Leather Wallet upon receiving it: stylish, durable, and compact. If you’re looking for an artisan-crafted wallet that will let you carry the essentials and look good doing it, this may be the wallet for you. The wallet comes in its own box and drawstring bag stamped proudly with Made in the USA on the front. If you’re someone who has come to associate that phrase with quality, you will not be disappointed when handling this wallet.
Yes, you’re going to have to get rid of some of those punch cards and discount cards, but think about it this way: your butt-bump will be smaller, it will fit in your coat pocket more easily, and did I mention the word stylish?
About American Bench Craft
Jason and Chris Angelini founded American Bench Craft to create a better wallet that was as tough as it is beautiful. The brother’s different backgrounds lend themselves well to the leather business: Jason is a mechanical engineer in charge of product design, while Chris’ experience in business gives him an edge in promoting and marketing their brand. Today, American Bench Craft carries a full line of products from their riveted wallets to custom engraved dog collars. You can find all of their products online at the American Bench Craft Store.
Construction
The construction of the Hammer Riveted Leather Wallet is what is going to separate it from the traditional wallet you’ll find in a department store. Single-piece premium steer hide bridle leather sourced in the USA? Check. Rust-resistant plated steel rivets eschewing the tradition of stitched seams? Yep. Compact design weighing only 50 grams and measuring an average of 1.4 millimeters in thickness? You got it.
Jason and Chris use vegetable-tanned leather for this wallet, as it gives rich and warm tones that look more natural than a chromium salt or acid tanning process. Vegetable-tanned leather requires a high degree of craftsmanship to produce and costs more than other types of leather, but it is the only choice for this wallet.
Those with an eye for detail will also appreciate the double-capped rivets throughout the wallet, rather than leaving one end uncapped as you’d find in many other leather products.
Function and Aesthetic
As much as I trust my taste in all things leather, the unique design of this wallet merited a second, third, and fourth opinion. Some comments were solicited and others were made the first time someone noticed the wallet.
The rivets versus traditional stitching are a hit in their look and functionality. As I paid for my purchase at a local coffee shop, the barista noticed the wallet and called all of her co-workers over to take a look. The gold-colored rivets caught their collective eyes, and the one-piece design drew them in. Other commenters said the leather felt stiff, but understood it will mold to shape and end up with a nice patina over time.
I’ve spent a few weeks with this wallet in my back pocket to help break it in and see how it felt. At some point during the day, I forgot it was even there. It was comfortable, and I didn’t experience the numb legs I’ve heard of others getting from having a bulky wallet in their back pocket.
Conclusion
Living in the modern world, I already owned a wallet prior to this one. Now that I’ve had the American Bench Craft Hammer Riveted Leather Wallet for a couple of weeks, I’m considering keeping two for my personal treasury. The wallet looks great, is well constructed, compact, and attracts the attention of those appreciative of all things leather.
I’ll admit that I am sometimes one of those guys who likes to keep the coffee punch cards and coupons in my wallet. This wallet is not designed for that person. It is designed for the person who wants to keep only his credit cards, identification, and cash in one easy-to-access place. Don’t overstuff this wallet with plastic and paper, and you’ll never have the issues of cards falling out when you least expect it.
On a final note, this wallet merits a follow-up review in a few months for a demonstration of how it has been broken in and development of the patina. I’ll let you know more when I’ve had a chance to road test it for a while. If you make the choice to purchase this wallet with the size caveats in mind, you’ll have no regrets. The care and quality in this design make it worth every penny of its $69.00 retail price.