E3 Supply Co. Leather Moto Glove Lanyard Review – $40

The E3 Supply Co. Leather Moto Glove Lanyard is a product that solves a problem you didn’t realize you had. I hadn’t thought about the inconvenience that carrying around my motorcycle gloves is until this lanyard eliminated it! This is a great quality-of-life product for any motorcycle rider.

About E3 Supply Co.

E3 Supply Co. began from a passion for building custom motorcycles, and has now extended to creating killer leather accessories for their riders. This company prides itself on hand making each product from start to finish, all at their headquarters in Brooklyn. As far as companies go E3 is as cool as they come.

I highly recommend following their Instagram, which includes cross-country camper adventures, musical pursuits, and, of course, plenty of leather (and sometimes discounts on said leather!). It’s been my pleasure to get to know David, Erin, and their crew over at E3 over the course of several reviews (with many more to come!).

Leather & Construction

The Moto Glove Lanyard is made with Horween’s famous Chromexcel leather, E3 Supply Co’s leather of choice. Chromexcel is a soft and beautiful leather with a strong reputation. Holding the Chromexcel in place is military grade metal: a single snap rivet, two sliding loops, and tipped with an Hk style rifle sling clip. The leather is cleanly cut and well assembled. 

Function

I used to cram my motorcycle gloves in the back pocket of my jeans if I didn’t have some kind of bag with me. It worked well enough, but wasn’t ideal. I’d need to remove them to sit, and could easily end up forgetting them (as, unfortunately, I’ve been known to do fairly often). The Moto Glove Lanyard is a great alternative.

The function is simple. With the lanyard clipped to the belt loop on your pants, you put your gloves in the lanyard and secure them with the sliding loops. When you need your gloves again, you slide the loops up and grab your gloves. Easy!

The biggest concern I had with the lanyard was that my gloves might not be very secure. I’ve stress tested the hold a bit, swinging the lanyard around and tugging at my gloves. So far I haven’t had any issues! The sliding loops wedge the gloves in nicely.

Another perk to using the Moto Glove Lanyard is that it makes your pair of gloves a single unit. Even if I had a bag or didn’t want my gloves clipped to my pants, using the lanyard keeps them together and makes them easier to quickly grab or find in your bag.

Aesthetic

Chromexcel is a gorgeous leather, and it’s hard to go wrong with a product made with it. The color shifts slightly as the leather is folded and moved. The hardware maintains the sturdy, rugged look that is perfect for a motorcyclist’s gloves.

Conclusion

E3 Supply Co.’s Leather Moto Glove Lanyard is a handy accessory for anyone who frequently uses gloves. It works perfectly as intended, looks nice, and won’t break the bank. It’s a great way to keep your gloves secure and out of your way. I’m happy to recommend this lanyard as a Buy It For Life product.

E3 Supply Co. Leather Cuff Band for Apple Watch Review – $99

Have you ever had a product speak to you? The moment you see it, even on a webpage, it just has this immense draw? That’s what happened to me when I saw E3 Supply Co.’s Leather Cuff Band for Apple Watch. Incredibly, when I finally got to see it in person, it was better than I imagined. I’m happy to introduce this killer Apple Watch accessory to you today.

About E3 Supply Co.

E3 Supply Co. began from a passion for building custom motorcycles, and has now extended to creating killer leather accessories for their riders. This company prides itself on hand making each product from start to finish, all at their headquarters in Brooklyn. As far as companies go E3 is as cool as they come. I highly recommend following their Instagram, which includes cross-country camper adventures, musical pursuits, and, of course, plenty of leather (and sometimes discounts on said leather!). It’s been my pleasure to get to know David, Erin, and their crew over at E3 over the course of several reviews (with many more to come!).

Leather & Construction

The leather and construction of the Cuff Band are based on E3’s non-cuff Watch Band for Apple Watch. It’s made with legendary Horween Chromexcel leather. This means it’s tough, soft, looks great, and will only get better with time and use. Complementing the Chromexcel is military grade steel hardware and a few high quality, hand stitched threads.

The stitches are very discreet.

Note that Chromexcel will stretch some at first and isn’t as bulletproof as some leathers, but I find both of these to be trivial concerns.

Function

I’m a big fan of using Chromexcel for a watch strap. It’s incredibly soft and simply feels fantastic on your wrist. The thick cuff doesn’t make you sweat or pull at your skin at all. As a result, it has a comfortable second-skin sort of feel that stays comfortable all day.

Everything operates smoothly on the Cuff Band. There’s plenty of size adjustment holes to get a just-right fit and tighten things as the leather breaks in. E3 offers two strap lengths, as well. The hardware slides along the leather nicely, which makes it that much easier to get off and on.

Cutout allows Apple Watch sensors to track your activity.

Aesthetic

Disclaimer: this band fits my style preferences to a T. Perhaps that means I’m a little biased, but let’s be honest. The E3 Cuff Band is downright gorgeous.

It’s made with Chromexcel, which looks good no matter what. In addition, the styling of the cuff in conjunction with the strap give this incredibly masculine, devil-may-care look. It’s “like Indiana Jones decided to become the lead singer of The Strokes.” Perhaps Uncharted’s Nathan Drake decided he needs a smart watch. Either way, E3 nailed it, and this strap is stunning. Other leather straps help me tolerate the unfavorable square look of the Apple Watch. The E3 Cuff Band makes me love it.

Conclusion

Pros: Chromexcel, great construction, smooth operation, downright stunning looks, very reasonable price

Cons: Nothing noteworthy

I sincerely tried to think of something worth noting in my “cons” list, but none come to mind. E3 Supply Co. offers great construction, great materials, and killer style with their Leather Cuff Band for Apple Watch. What’s more, they’re aggressively priced at only $99! I highly recommend this strap as a huge upgrade to your Apple Watch. Swing by E3’s online store and check out their variety of leather goods, many of which would make fantastic and well-priced Christmas gifts this season.

E3 Supply Co. Horween Leather Watch Band for Apple Watch – $69

Continuing E3’s trend of making very cool gear aimed at the riders of their custom motorcycles, today we’ll be looking at E3 Supply Co’s Horween Leather Watch Band for Apple Watch. This rugged strap features chromexcel, military style hardware, and a great look for most occasions.

About E3 Supply Co.

E3 Supply Co. began from a passion for building custom motorcycles, and has now extended to creating killer leather accessories for their riders. The company prides itself on hand making each product from start to finish, all at their headquarters in Brooklyn. As far as companies go E3 is as cool as they come. I highly recommend following their Instagram, which includes cross-country camper adventures, musical pursuits, and, of course, plenty of leather.

Construction

Hand construction on this watch strap is extremely well done. This is a fairly simple product, but in many ways this makes the little things stand out even more. Edges are cut well, the pair of stitches are seamless, and the skiving and glueing are smooth. I see no flaws in the assembly of this strap. 

The chromexcel leather and steel, military style hardware are carefully selected for quality control and should endure a lifetime of abuse. This leaves the stitching as the weakest link (true of most leather products), but the minimum amount of high quality waxed thread should hold up equally long.

Function

The great construction extends to a well functioning strap. Buckle holes are placed over a wide range and with minimal separation–which is good, as the strap will stretch a bit with use, and you’ll probably need a tighter hole or two over time. The quality leather and hardware make it easy to get your watch off and on, and it feels great on your wrist. Chromexcel isn’t waterproof, but this strap has endured rain and spills with no issue.

If you work a computer job like I do, the hardware can become painful when your wrist is resting on a desk. This is an issue most any watch strap, short of a button stud, will face, and the heavy duty hardware on the E3 strap is no exception.

Overall, the E3 Apple Watch strap functions very well.

Aesthetic

I won’t lie; I’m not a big fan of the Apple Watch’s look. Never have been. The square watch doesn’t suit my fancy. Thankfully, a good strap can do a lot to compensate for this. E3’s Horween strap executes this well. It adds a rugged, masculine feel to the watch. The lines of the leather add rigidity and the curves of the hardware complement the curves of the Apple Watch. It all works together really well.

I have the silver Apple Watch, and the natural chromexcel strap is great for a more casual look, where the black chromexcel version feels a bit more classy for dress up occasions (black on silver). E3 has options that fit whether you want a unique feel, something to match your outfit, or something to match your watch.

Conclusion

I’ve been using E3 Supply Co’s Horween Leather Watch Band for Apple Watch for several months. I still enjoy putting it on every day. It feels both rugged and refined simultaneously. It enhances the look of the Apple Watch significantly. It’s not completely ideal for use while at a desk, but otherwise works well in nearly every situation. I highly recommend this Buy It For Life product.

E3 Supply. Co. makes their Apple Watch straps in a variety of styles out of numerous Horween leathers. Check out the selection in their shop!

Economic Wallet Roundup

This article will be an ongoing coverage of less expensive, quality leather wallets. If you’d like your company’s to be considered, please email [email protected].

We love the highest end goods out there, but sometimes one needs to enjoy leather and save the bank. Here we’re going to bring together some of our favorite recent wallets that fall within a lower price range.

North Star Leather Horween Leather Money Clip – $45

It’s becoming more and more rare to carry cash these days. So much so that most people had to ask me what the clip part of this wallet is! For those who do still practice the art, let me present the North Star Leather Horween Leather Money Clip.

Made of Horween’s Chromexcel, you can be sure the leather itself is of high caliber. I have the red brown version, and it’s offered in natural as well. The design is simple and good looking. The stitching varied a little, actually getting closer to an edge than I would have liked in one place, but not enough to cause any durability issues.

Functionally this will favor those who like to carry just a few cards and like a big space for their cash and receipts. The card pockets on each side held two cards each for me; you could probably manage three. Then there’s the money clip, which functioned well and held as much as I ever needed to carry. Pop it open, lay things flat, pop it closed, and hold it together with the rest of the wallet.

For those who do recognize and appreciate a good money clip, you’ll like this wallet. There’s no frills but at only $45 it’s a shoe in for our economic wallet roundup.

Kendal & Hyde Simpleton 1

Most of Kendal & Hyde‘s customers can’t get enough of their boots, belts, and bags. Their Simpleton 1 wallet is made with the same fantastic leather concept and is a great minimal card carry.

The Simpleton uses a classic wrap-and-sew card holder design, with a main storage pocket and a single easy access slot in front. I’ve found an ideal fill to be about four cards in the main pocket. This makes them fit snugly but leaves some room for cash or receipts if needed, and doesn’t put too much pressure on the single card slot.

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Edges are gently burnished, and stitches are a nice thick marine grade polyester, machine sewed. The construction leads me to believe this little cardholder will last a lifetime.

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The Simpleton 1, sadly, isn’t sold anymore on Kendal & Hyde’s website, but we’re told they have some other wallet ideas coming out soon. If Kendal & Hyde has taught us anything, it’s that sometimes the best products are worth the wait.

Update (March 2017): Sadly, Kendal & Hyde is no longer in business. Many of their designs have been revived by SALT Co.

E3 Supply Co Holster Style Slim Wallet – $39

Gotta love a design unique enough that it’s hard to know what it is: I showed E3 Supply Co’s Holster Style Slim Wallet to a friend without cards in it, and was immediately asked “…what is it?” Once I put cards in it, that confusion turned to envy. Something about the open corners design feels both cool and rugged, and being made of thick, strong, and supple Chromexcel obviously doesn’t hurt one little bit.

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Functionally, the Holster is a single, slim card pocket. It needs at least a few cards in order to keep things snug, and will get hard to use with too many. I’d say 3-6 cards is ideal. With a single large pocket it is sometimes necessary to pull out all of the cards to reach one, but thankfully you can put your most common cards on the outside of the pile to make them easy to access. Folded up cash and receipts slip in nicely.

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Once you get used to where you place your fingers as you take cards in and out (at first I kept accidentally pushing out all of my cards!), the design is great to use, and is overall extremely minimal. If you just need to carry a handful of cards and love the rugged look, the E3 Holster Style Slim Wallet is inexpensive, made with the incomparable Horween Chromexcel, and should last for years to come.

Great and inexpensive wallets will continue to be added to this roundup as we come across them! Email [email protected] if you’d like your company’s to be considered. 

E3 Supply Co Passport Notebook & Tactical Keychains Review

The first time I went to E3 Supply Co’s website, I thought my web browser had auto-filled in a website from my history–why was I going to a page about motorcycles? I was in the right place though. E3 began by making custom motorcycles, and carried that spirit of freedom into making killer leather accessories. We’re going to look at a couple items that would fit right in with any biker’s every day carry–E3’s Passport Notebook and Tactical Keychain series.

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Horween Leather Passport Notebook

There’s lots of great options out there for a small leather notebook cover. E3’s Passport Notebook is distinguished in that it’s kept very simple (no card or pen slots), but can hold two smaller Scout notebooks. The Horween Chromexcel used is nice and thick, and as soft yet strong as we’ve come to know and love of this leather. It looks great and E3’s wing logo is very cool.

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Elastics at the centerfold are used to hold the notebooks in the cover, and another elastic is used to keep it closed when not in use. This is a great system that makes the Passport Notebook very easy to use. It’s quick to pull out and jot notes when the moment comes, and with some flexing can lay nice and flat. One unexpected use I found when I only needed one notebook was to use the freed-up elastic to hold cash or receipts. A drawback about the elastics is that they’ll be far outlived by the Chromexcel, but they should be quite simple to replace once they wear out.

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Chromexcel Tactical Keychain V1 & V2

Everyone needs keys, and every key needs a good keychain. E3 offers two options of their Tactical Keychain, and I’ve had the chance to test out both. V1 is for those who prefer to clip their keys to their belt loops, and V2 is for those who like to snap the entire keychain to their belt and unclip their keys when they need them (or perhaps those who want to save a few dollars on the less expensive of the two). I’ll let the visible wear-in on mine show which I preferred!

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Both versions are well made with the same thick Chromexcel as the Passport Notebook. V1 uses a thick stitch at each corner to hold three folded layers of leather together and the hardware in place, and V2 uses a single snap rivet to keep its two layers of folded Chromexcel in place. Hardware is military spec Hk style rifle sling clips. The PVD coating on the clips is starting to wear on the contact points of my clips, but this shouldn’t affect function or longevity. Everything involved is tough enough to handle the abuse a keychain takes for years to come.

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BestLeather Conclusion

E3 Supply Co. is a cool company with some great products. Their Chromexcel Passport Notebook and Tactical Keychains are simple, well put together items with our recommendation. Prices are reasonable as well–the Passport Notebook is $45, and the tactical keychains are $39 for V1 and $29 for V2. 

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E3 has many other great accessories to offer, as well. Be looking forward to a review of their Holster Style Slim Wallet in our upcoming wallet roundup as well as a review for their Apple Watch straps in the coming weeks.

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E3 Supply Co. DSLR Wrist Strap Review – $23

David Browning and Mai Kato, owners of E3 Supply Co. come from two separate fields of business. David owns and operates a custom motorcycle shop, East Third Motorcycle Club, and prior to that he was shooting fashion and editing music. Mai was a graphic designer. These two minds came together and, using the inspirations found from the simplicity of vintage motorcycles, the recognition that simplicity is necessary and better in photography, and the knowledge of design in modern society, created E3 Supply Co.

The E3 Supply Co. is based and run in New York. They specialize in camera straps, building each piece by hand from high quality materials. Using their combined knowledge of the different aspects of design, David and Mai create high quality, simple, and functional products.

construction

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The DSLR Wrist Strap is built simple, but strong. It is a half inch strip of leather bound together by hand waxed hemp cord. Seems simple enough.

The leather is a heavyweight cowhide, which is brushed on the underside for next-to-skin comfort. It is a thick and solid leather, one that will definitely stand up to the abuses of photo shoots and excursions into the forest.

E3 hand waxes the hemp used to bind this strap together, which is definitely cool. Hemp is a strong material and they wrap it heavily, so you need not worry about this thing coming apart. It is built to last. Another strap that we have reviewed from E3 Supply Co has been in service for a year now and shows little sign of degradation.

The connection between the camera and the strap is a simple steel keyring, one that will absolutely catch and hold the camera if it were to fall. I know because I have tested it. With a direct connection between the camera and the strap, you don’t need to worry about destroying your $3000 investment; once this strap is connected to your wrist, the camera is not going anywhere.

aesthetic

The strap is simple and does away with the needless bulk of a neck strap. It looks clean and it is definitely aesthetically pleasing, much more so than the stock nylon straps of DSLRs today.

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function

To test the function of the strap, I attached my DSLR with one of the stock lenses to the strap, then to my wrist, then I let it go. There are two factors which play into the strength of this strap. The materials and the length.

Leather is a tough and durable material to be using, which is why I love it so much. It’s extremely difficult to tear and cut if you take care of it properly. Thus, dropping a few pounds onto it in a jarring motion isn’t going to cause the leather to break a sweat. And the hemp cord is extremely durable as well, especially in the way that E3 used it.

The camera only will fall a few inches before the strap catches it, so you really need not worry about your investment falling to its demise on the concrete.

There is a minimalist aspect to the function of this strap as well, which seems to be the case in a lot ventures with leather. Simple is always better. Taking away the bulk and constraints of a full neck strap, it creates much more versatility in shooting. For instance, you can easily get interesting shots from different distances and angles. The fact that you are not hindered by the length of a neck strap really frees you in photography, opening new avenues of artistic expression.

BestLeather Conclusion

Most DSLRs are sold with a neck strap, a piece of nylon which goes around your neck to secure the camera. I’ve been using the stock strap since I bought my camera and have always been a bit annoyed by the bulk of it and have always thought it was unnecessary.

The only constraint to your photography becomes the length of your arm; it opens up new ways to shoot. And for only $23. For that reason, if you are in the market for a new camera strap for your DSLR because you are annoyed with the lack of freedom a neck strap provides, you have stumbled upon the answer: The DSLR Wrist Strap from E3 Supply Co.. If you, however, would prefer a neck strap with the same aesthetic as the wrist strap, E3 also makes a neck strap, using similar design and construction.

Check out the E3 Supply Co Etsy page here.