In my never ending search for the perfect front pocket wallet you’d be hard pressed to find a small store or leather operation I haven’t heard of. The shell cordovan Vanguard from Guarded Goods may have finally put an end to my search with a truly astounding wallet made with top of the line materials and unparalleled construction.
Guarded Goods is a one-man operation based out of Minnesota. Jesse is the man behind the whole operation and is an awesome guy who will go to extraordinary lengths to satisfy his customers. He has been slowly growing his business and designs which include wallets, lanyards, watch straps, leather shoe laces, leather care items, and other accessories made out of almost any leather you can think of. He has shell cordovan in almost every color under the rainbow from working directly with Horween.
This particular wallet is his Vanguard design and is made out of unglazed natural shell cordovan from Horween. Typically shell cordovan has a shiny finish but this special run lacks that but is still buttery smooth. I’ve only had the wallet a few weeks and its already starting to darken and develop an astounding patina.
The Vanguard design can hold up to 8 cards in each card slot as well as keep your cash secure in the gold plated money clip. All the edges are hand sanded and burnished with beeswax making it a pleasure to hold in the hand. The wallet is stitched together by hand using the tried and true saddle stitching method.
If you’re looking for the last wallet you’ll ever need definitely visit Guarded Goods and I’m sure you’ll find a design and leather you’ll be happy with. Make sure you visit regularly since he’s currently awaiting a baby boy so I’m sure his time will be limited but he is excellent about closing his store when he’s covered up with orders and getting his orders taken care of. It may be awhile before you can get your order in but sign up for his email list and purchase a truly astounding piece of craftsmanship.
Guarded Goods and by direct association, Jesse, believes in buying high quality and buying once. Something you can certainly do at his store.
Field notes have always been a part of my daily carry. Despite the advancement of cellphones and tablets, to me, nothing beats a hard pencil or pen and a notebook. From tracking spending, writing to remember or revisit, or to exchange information, the field notes journal is my go-to medium. When using covers to protect small notebooks such as Field Notes or Moleskine, there are plenty of options to choose from. Josh and Jen Koch of Koch Leather Company offer a Horween Leather Sleeve that provides a nice breakaway from traditional covers. By utilizing a design in which you insert the journal between the leather, the product provides dual functions and protection.
Koch leather goods come packaged nicely which adds to the overall presentation
The field notes sleeve is constructed of three pieces of Horween Natural Dublin. Koch Leather Company refers to this as their chestnut color. Natural Dublin is a vegetable tanned leather which gives a bit more toughness in feel compared to its Chromexcel counterpart in my opinion. Koch also offers Horween Chromexcel in burgundy, black, and brown, and a vegetable tanned leather from Hermann Oak. The sleeve is hand stitched with waxed thread and edges come in nicely burnished.
The front of the sleeve presents two pockets. One is for a pen, which I thus far have carried a variety of averaged sized pens in from Pilot G2’s to Parker Jotters and Fischer space pens. The secondary pocket fits a few cards, a single AAA flashlight, or a small to medium sized knife. The design protects both accessories in a way such that I was not worried about breaking a plastic pen while sitting on the sleeve. As you can see, the pull-up in the leather is great once flexed and reveals the lighter color as the oils are spread out. The color settles from the lightest color once items have been regularly stored.
I normally carry my field notes in a messenger bag, but for the purpose of this review, I also implemented carrying it in my back pants pockets. Though the Natural Dublin is vegetable tanned, it is soft enough to form to your backside, but not to an extreme bending degree. On a few occasions it also fit into the breast pocket of my suit jackets. The sleeve design allows the back of the sleeve to be used as a writing surface. This worked fairly well when making sketches wresting the sleeve on my knee.
With a lot of companies using Horween their leather of choice, products must rely on design and craftsmanship to separate themselves. While Koch Leather also offers more traditional notebook covers, this sleeve offers a nice separation from the pack. The finite details such as the thumb slit to remove the notebook is properly placed and adds a touch of ergonomics. The burnished edges have held up nicely over frequent use and it has done its standard job of protecting my Field Notes. The logo on the back end blends itself in with this particular leather finish, but can easily be felt.
The Koch Leather Company Horween Leather Sleeve offers solid protection for your journals with an alternative design and dual functions. I could easily see this piece being used with a passport and travel identification. Being able to carry a Swiss Army Knife or flashlight has led to me favoring this setup over a traditional cover. At the price of $58 it presents itself well, especially with the quality of materials used and overall craftsmanship. As it continues to darken and gather small scratches and abrasions, I can only see it becoming more beautiful.
Watches and leather..two luxurious things many luster over. The two combined makes for quite the fashion statement. Although I own only 2 watches, I love to interchange the bands based on season, formal attire or just fun!
Besides specializing in bags, wallets and other leather goods, Olpr’s watchbands have been quite popular due to the customizable nature with leathers and a wide range of classic and colorful thread colors.
Olpr. Leather Goods makes custom leather and thread watch bands using rich Horween leather that is sure to spice up your wrist wear.
About Olpr. Leather Goods Co.
Olpr. Leather Goods Co. is a small family business, started in Ukraine. All of the items are made to order, but they also have a showroom in the workshop where the customers can come and choose something from stock.
One day, Viktor, the company’s tailor, decided to sew the kind of wallet he had always wanted—a simple pocket wallet with a straight seam. It was so well made that he sold it the next day. He made another; he sold another. Soon, we were making leather goods for all of their friends. Their goods became so popular that they were invited to the arts markets. They sold everything they made. They had found their calling—creating leather goods.
The Internet gave Olpr. the exciting opportunity to sell their goods outside Ukraine. They could share their passion all over the world. But the distance caused a problem-shipping to the U. S. could take up to a month. That was not the type of service they wanted to provide, so they moved to North Carolina to be closer to their many American friends who value the handmade leather products.
Construction
All of the leathers used are the full-grain cowhides sourced from Horween tannery. High grade thread comes in several different colors ranging from the classic white, brown and black to more fun colors like orange, blue, green. The buckle is stainless steel. The bands are available in various widths and lengths. They also carry bands tailored to fit apple watches.
Aesthetic
I absolutely love the fact that not only are these watches made from high quality leather, but you can customize them to fit your skin, wardrobe, or just overall style. I personally wear a lot of blues and light colors so chose a sky blue thread color that compliments the natural Horween brown and has a gorgeous pull up effect. I can’t wait to see what this leather looks like through age. The buckle is very basic and lightweight which is one thing to keep in mind. I actually prefer this. I own some watch bands with a very clunky and heavy hardware and although that is a statement, it is nice to have a buckle with a low profile to put the attention on the leather band and, of course, the watch.
Conclusion
At $49 for a Horween leather customizable watch band like this, I truly believe it is a great value. Other customizable bands I have come across can easily go for $100 and over. The leather is gorgeous with some natural marks and scars from the hide and the thread colors are fun to mix and match. I am already contemplating another color combination! Check them out -Here-.
Joshua and Jen Koch have been booming with new designs in their store lately. We’ve reviewed a few of their products before but never a custom one. Outside of BestLeather, I consider Koch Leather to be one of my go-to companies to contact when I want a custom piece made. One of the most recent products is this custom tote with a masculine edge to it. Josh and I spoke via emails to come up with a tote that had some risky modifications: side straps to cinch the bag, a drop-down key leash, d-rings for shoulder straps and a stitched bottom 1/4th of the way up. After carrying it over the last few months every day, I figured it would be a great showcase for review.
Koch Leather Custom Tote, breaking in nicely but still able to stand on its own due to reinforced bottom.
Construction
One thing I can always count on Koch (pronounced “coke”) leather for is quality leather and materials choice. This bag is fully made of Horween Chromexcel with plenty of pull-up and pretty decent resistance to scratches. The hardware used is mostly stainless steel, with a few hammered copper rivets that add a nice touch. For the side cinch straps, a stud closure is used as well as an optional stud closure at the top of the tote, which would help secure the contents.
I didn’t purchase a shoulder strap with this tote design, but could easily pick one up in matching leather from Koch leather, or use any of my straps from other bags. Exterior D rings accompany the sides of the bag, as well as the extended key latch inside the bag. A standard pouch that seems customary to all Koch totes was also included inside.
Detachable key strap also nicely finished with a logo and copper rivet.
Function
The tote has been a great secondary every day carry option for me. I believe that the design and function of a tote-style bag is underappreciated amongst men, and certainly underrated in terms of quick, no zipper/closure access to your goods. Typicallyy, I carry my DSLR camera, a small pouch with extra memory cards and batteries, and a light jacket. There is still plenty of room for a water bottle, wallet, keys etc. I mainly chose the tote design because I didn’t want to have to unbutton or unzip any closures to access my camera. There is that optional stud closure up top, but I find myself rarely using it, in fact tucking it behind the inside pocket often.
It is very useful however, on rainy days. I have also carried a full size notepad along with my regular set up with no issues or bending of the pad. As I stated previously, I didn’t order the optional shoulder strap with the bag, but for this review I did spend a few days carrying it via a shoulder strap. The less amount of bulky items in the tote, the more it will lean in towards your body. Even with my big camera inside, it did not bump up against my side enough to cause any discomfort.
Cinch straps on the side make it easier to increase or decrease the opening and capacity.Fully packed for the next trip with room to spare.
Aesthetics
With Horween leather and copper rivets, what’s not to appreciate about the look? As this bag has been used, it has gained some floppiness, and scratches and scuffs have been kept at a minimum. I intend on utilizing a shoulder strap more, to add some shiny patina to the sides of the tote. The accent stitching and reinforced bottom also add to the overall beauty. Two small logos occupy the bag minimally and pleasantly, and I had to search for them to notice.
I believe the most masculine or gender-neutral feature is the shortened straps as opposed to traditional totes with a longer strap drop length. When I propositioned Josh to make the tote, I knew beforehand I didn’t want a bag to sling on my shoulder via the straps, so the design modification shines. In hindsight, the only modification I would add, which I could still do, is request a snap button handle wrap, to make carrying via the straps a little easier and more uniform looking.
Minimalist logos are my favorite.
Conclusion
As you can tell, I couldn’t quite find anything negative to say about this custom tote from Koch Leather. Custom designs are done by Koch on a made to order basis, so its best to figure out what design ques and functionality you’re looking for prior to purchasing. Costs may vary but I highly recommend Koch Leather Totes, and adding your own modifications to get a bag unique to you. Josh is also a great help at providing guidance if you are unsure and would like to ask questions prior to him putting the needle to leather.
Stepping away from department store wallets and into the world of handcrafted, built-to-last goods is a difficult step. Even before I came to write for BestLeather, I had taken a dive and purchased multiple styles of high quality wallets, as I like rotation and variety. When it comes down to suggesting one wallet for friends and colleagues I give advice to, I’m torn between two styles – the traditional bifold, and slim front pocket designs. At that crossroad, the user ultimately will have to let me know which way they want to go. Tyler Condie of Rugged Material recently threw a wrench into my usual advice given. He developed the Rugged Material Slim Bifold that comfortably can carry large or small amounts of cards while remaining slim enough to carry in the front pocket of most men’s jeans.
Tyler Condie and the folks at Rugged Materials pride themselves in being able to make goods in the USA, guaranteed for life. Based out of Utah, Rugged Materials has been in the business of offering wallets, bags, and other leather accessories at a direct-to-consumer price. This means that instead of outsourcing production, they make their products in-house using materials made in the USA. This saves the consumers costs significantly and ensures a better value.
The slim bifold is constructed of two relatively thin pieces of Horween Chromexcel leather in burgundy. It is also offered in a variety of other Chromexcel colors. The aroma and quality of Horween Chromexcel is the perfect choice for Rugged Materials to utilize. The thin profile of the leather allows for flexibility while remaining strong and durable like full grain leather should be. Marine grade polyester thread is used to stitch together the pieces of leather. The interior sports a Made In USA stamp in the cash slot and a mountain logo on the exterior. Over my use, the exterior logo has started to fade or smear slightly, making me wish it was laser-burned like the logo on the messenger bag I gave first impressions on. Nonetheless, both logos are subtle and very appealing. The outside edges are nicely burnished and have held up over my use.
The inner setup of the wallet is where the slim characteristics of the bifold are accomplished. Going with a horizontal setup to the cards, as the card pockets stretch from accommodating multiple cards, they appear to be less likely to have cards slip out of the top of the wallet, and instead slip in towards each other. This is the idea behind Rugged Material’s design and so far it has proven to be functional in providing minimal layering that avoids unnecessary bulk. Each side sports two card pockets as well as a slot behind for storing extra cards. For my setup, I chose to put one card in each pocket and the rest of my cards behind in the bigger slots. You could easily stack two cards in each of the four slots, but I choose to carry a minimal amount of cards. For the cash slot, I don’t usually carry a lot of cash but over the course of use, I did at one time have 14 bills in and it did not add unnecessary bulk. At all times I was able to carry in front or rear pocket of jeans.
Comprehensively, the Rugged Material Slim Bifold Wallet is a great candidate to upgrade the wallet of yourself or a dear friend. The inner card setup is definitely a change from traditional wallets, but with good thought process towards its design. Priced at $60 I would consider it a bargain for those stepping away from department store wallets. At just $5 more, the same wallet but with RFID blocking materials can be purchased which is well worth the protection against card scan thefts. Accompanied by a lifetime warranty, this is the perfect gift for the holiday season or upcoming birthdays and celebrations. With the ability to arrive before Christmas, the RFID version of the wallet can also be purchased through Amazon.
Hello everyone! I’m new here to the BestLeather crew but I’m a leather enthusiast the same as everyone else with a special place in my heart for footwear.
Many companies have their take on the service boot, but the Canadian company Viberg is widely known for their impeccable interpretation of it. Viberg has many different models of the service boot and this particular pair that I’m going to be reviewing is from Blue Button Shop.
About Viberg
Viberg was founded in 1931 by Ed Viberg and has been family owned and operated into the present day by 3rd generation family members. Viberg is based in Victoria Canada and in the last 5 years has expanded their work boot line into the fashion market. They use top of the line materials from leather sourced from Italy and US tanneries, Swiss hobnails, and Vibram soles.
Construction
Viberg’s fashion line of service boots are mainly constructed using a stitch down method of manufacturing. While they do use a Goodyear Welt on some of their footwear they are known for their use of the slightly more unique stitch down method.
This particular pair is built on their sleek 2030 service boot last using Horween color 8 chromexcel leather, structured perforated cap toe, 8 antique brass eyelets, and British Dainite out soles.
For anyone unfamiliar with Horween’s chromexcel it is an excellent oily pull up leather that ages and develops a patina that is hard to match. It can be prone to loose grain at times but my pair appears to be free of that entirely and is creasing beautifully. Scuffs and scratches wipe away with your finger or light brushing of a horsehair brush.
Outside of nit picking minor scuffs from shipping the boots are immaculate. The Horween leather uppers are thick and substantial, stitching is immaculate, and the presentation from Blue Button Shop is excellent.
Fit and Sizing
As is the case with most boots, Viberg’s on the 2030 last run a half size larger than Brannock sizing and possibly an entire size larger than what one would wear in sneakers. My feet are a slightly wide 8D on a Brannock device but not quite an 8E and this pair in a 7.5 fit great with thin to medium weight socks. If I wanted to wear really thick socks I would likely have to size up to an 8. For reference I wear a 7.5 in Red Wing Iron Rangers, a 7.5 in the Alden Barrie last, and an 8.5 in most sneakers unless they provide wide sizes.
Look and Feel
The color 8 Horween chromexcel is an elegant deep eggplant color with red undertones that comes through in sunlight. The Dainite sole keeps the silhouette lean while providing a suitable amount of traction while being hard wearing and make the boots wearable in inclement weather.
This particular pair of boots pair well with both denim and chinos. They work well for me both on the weekends and in my business casual setting at work. These are not my first pair of Vibergs so I knew what to expect, but everything about these boots checked all the boxes I wanted. They came with a pair of black and brown waxed round laces and I’m not sure which I like more at this point.
The price tag for Vibergs is a large step up from other service boots like Red Wing but there is an aesthetic they provide that can’t be found easily elsewhere. They are much sleeker and slim than other boots in the fashion work boot space and that’s a large part of the cost. Viberg’s pattern and high quality combined create a truly awesome product.
Conclusion
If you can tolerate the price or are a footwear fanatic like myself, you can’t go wrong with Viberg. They make boots and shoes in an astounding number of leathers and construction methods so there is bound to be a makeup that you’ll fall in love with, either from Viberg directly or one of the many stockists.
Whenever someone shows me a small leather company, I am immediately interested. Many times I find some of the most gorgeous and well-made products from these small companies. Turek Leather Works has continued this interest with their handy and affordable Horween Front Pocket Wallet.
ABOUT TUREK LEATHER WORKS
Robert Turek believes in handmade, high quality, long lasting, affordable goods. Based in rural Illinois, Turek Leather Works was established in 2014 and is a fresh new leather company born from “love and passion for elegant style” and proves these beliefs by crafting some gorgeous goods out of Horween leathers – one of the oldest tanneries in the United States. As we will see from the review, this is one of the nicest handmade Horween front pocket wallets I’ve seen at this price point.
CONSTRUCTION
The rich Dark Brown Horween Chromexcel leather is so beautiful, and when bent shows some light pull-up in the leather that disappears after a short time. Its aroma will make you smile. Each piece is hand cut, and then hand burnished and slicked to ensure a finished and smooth edge. For the stitching, it’s all done by hand using the saddle stitch method to provide unrivaled durability. The wallet they sent me was certainly up to the standards they claim to stand behind. Please visit Turek Leather Works’ website for detailed information on their production process.
FUNCTIONALITY
This wallet is quite handy. When all I have to do is open it up and take out whatever I need, it makes life so easy. Keep in mind this is more of a minimal wallet designed for your front pocket, so it will hold what you need but probably not a whole lot more than that. After breaking the wallet in a little, I managed six to seven cards on one side and ten to twelve folded bills on the other side. The wallet will easily slide into your pants, even if they are on the tighter side.
