J Michael Ashland Archives - BestLeather.org

September 18, 2016December 19, 2017

J Michael Ashland Men’s Classic Bifold Review – $150

Wallets are part of people’s everyday carry, also referred to as ‘EDC’. Wallets are smothered, folded, squished, dropped…the list goes on. The vast amount of options when on the hunt for a new quality wallet can seem daunting. After using the J Michael Men’s Classic Bifold for quite some time, it can certainly be added to the tier of leather goods considered to be ‘bespoke handmade,’ and rightly so. Read on to find out some of the characteristics that make this bifold wallet a serious option for your next quality leather goods purchase.

jmichaelashland-mensleatherbifold-review-7 — For those curious about the color, my example was a deep, rich, dark brown.

ABOUT J MICHAEL ASHLAND

J Michael is a leathersmith with a loyal following, working out of a private shop in Oregon. “As a leathersmith, I have been making knives and leather carry goods since I was a kid.” Conversing personally with Mr. J Michael over email, I can say that he is a pleasure to chat with. If you have any questions at all for him regarding leather crafting or just about his goods in general, be sure to shoot him an email. Be sure to check out his website to learn general facts about him and his craft.

jmichaelashland-mensleatherbifold-review-2 — Customers are greeted with classy and precise packaging–just like the wallet itself.

CONSTRUCTION

The construction of this bifold is immaculate and masterfully done with premium Horween Chromexcel horse leather, which is slightly stronger and more scratch resistant than the cow variant. The outside holes were punched smaller, offering better water protection. The thickness of the individual parts of leather are considered, and hand skived to perfection. The hand-stitch work is about as perfect as it gets, with special attention to even the slightest detail. Even the thread itself was picked based upon its strength-oriented characteristics. No complaints here, as this is truly a work of art.

jmichaelashland-mensleatherbifold-review-5 — Looking closely at the hand stitching and edge work; it is evident just how masterfully crafted this wallet is.

FUNCTIONALITY

One caveat I have with this wallet is the size. It certainly holds a ton of cards and cash with ease, but it is just a tad bulky in its overall design. This is one of those things that some customers may not experience, but it is worth mentioning. Due to the premium materials and construction, it could seem a little thicker to some people. Nevertheless, it does a great job of holding at least 12 cards and a good amount of cash (this was what my daily carry consisted of) and will impress most who are used to a bifold design. The dimensions are: 3 5/8” x 4 ½” x 3/8” thick when empty.

jmichaelashland-mensleatherbifold-review-6 — J Michael has designed this bifold to retain its shape tremendously well. No awkward shaping of the wallet, even when full of lots of cards and cash.

AESTHETIC

The aesthetic of this bifold is classic and timeless. When you imagine a traditional bifold style wallet, this is what you get. J Michael has elevated the design a bit with the premium materials and construction. As previously mention, the full-grain horse-hide leather is sourced from the Horween Tannery in Chicago, IL. Check out Horween’s website for more information about their leathers.

jmichaelashland-mensleatherbifold-review-4 — Classic, timeless, and quality. Three words that sum up the design of the J Michael Men’s Classic Bifold perfectly.

CONCLUSION

If you are searching for a serious upgrade for yourself or someone you know, this wallet will not disappoint. J Michael Ashland obviously puts a considerable amount of thought and precise craftsmanship into his goods, and its hard to put a price on something like that. While the price is certainly higher than your average bifold style wallet, the J Michael Men’s Bifold Wallet will make its new owner proud to hold onto something quite special for a long long time. Be sure to check out J Michael’s other beautiful leather goods over at his website, such as the black variant of this wallet.

jmichaelashland-mensleatherbifold-review-1 — The beautiful box with J Michael’s simple yet rememberable logo.

jmichaelashland-mensleatherbifold-review-8 — The wallet after a few weeks of use.

jmichaelashland-mensleatherbifold-review-2-1 — The wallet holding 10 cards (the rest are in the hidden slots) and 12 bills of cash, with some room to spare.

February 4, 2015December 19, 2017

J Michael Ashland Pocket Wallet & Brass Key Fob Review – $100 & $30

This time around we’re going to take a look at a very luxurious combination of leather products from J Michael Ashland – the Pocket Wallet and Brass Key Fob. These are the third and fourth pieces that I get the privilege of reviewing for J Michael Ashland. Be sure to check out his Steerhide Belt and his Mini Bifold Wallet reviews too.

About J Michael Ashland

J Michael Ashland is a designer and full time minimalist leather crafter. From his location in northwestern Oregon he designs and crafts all of his products 100% by hand – no power tools, no machines…at all. Currently J Michael is designing and making several types of belts, wallets, cardholders, and other accessories. And, he’s producing them at a very high quality level that you will immediately appreciate once you are able to touch, feel, see, and use his creations.

In J Michael’s own words: “cut from a hide by blade, marked with dividers, pricked with irons, skived, beveled, saddle stitched with needles, burnished by hand, and then finished with natural oils and Oregon beeswax.”

Construction

In keeping with his dedication to using only the best “ingredients” in his creations, the Pocket Wallet is made from Horween Chromexcel. The thread is Tiger thread, which is the same as what he uses on all of his belts, wallets, and key fobs. Tiger thread is thick, bonded, waved, and U.V. coated. It’s also unable to be used in machines. So, all of the stitching is done by hand. When you get your own wallet or belt from J Michael, take a look at the even stitching and the thickness of the thread. It’s very labor intensive and it will give you a greater appreciation for J Michael’s dedication to creating all of his products 100% by hand without the use of any machines.

When the wallet is opened up, facing you, you have one pocket on the right that’s made to carry frequently used cards. Underneath, folded cash. On the left – two pockets for cards. The pockets are a little taller to protect the magnetic strips and designed for the general preservation of the cards. Another nice feature is that J Michael has widened the bend/break area so that even when the wallet is full, it still lays flat.

The matching Brass Key Fob is made from with two types of leather – a thick slab of belt leather in the middle and is wrapped with pieces of Horween Chromexcel. It also includes the same thick, great looking stitching. The brass components are heavy duty and look as if they’ll last forever.

Function

Take about 90 seconds and watch this video. J Michael walks through several of the design elements of his Pocket Wallet in order to give you a solid grasp on its functionality and design.

The Pocket Wallet is an expertly designed piece. It’s clearly evident that much thought was put into the design, layout, and function-ability of it. In spite of its small footprint, it will carry a very large amount of cards and cash with ease. Currently it has 14 cards and seven pieces of paper currency in it. And, there’s room for more if needed. It’s also not a gigantic lump in my back pocket, it still measure under .75” (actually between .6” and .75”).

The Brass Key Fob is also a welcomed departure from many of the key fobs I’ve encountered in the past. My previous experience with key fobs always ends in irritation…because they aren’t long enough. I don’t want to clip my keys to my belt loop and walk around with them rattling away…it reminds me of Mr. Weise – the very kind, very fastidious janitor at my elementary school. He had a jingly set of keys attached to his belt loop that always gave him away…you could hear him coming before you ever saw him. The Brass Key Fob from J Michael is 7” overall, which allows you to clip it to your belt loop and have your keys rest silently in your pocket, which is PERFECT! The Key Fob is made with thick leather that at first is pretty stiff. However, within just a couple weeks of use, it has softened up nicely. However, it’s sturdy enough to assure you that it will not fall apart…ever.

Aesthetic

There are no surprises here…both of these pieces look fantastic. The black leather with black thread on the Pocket Wallet looks fabulous. The same holds true with the Key Fob. Both sport J Michael’s logo and signature sailing vessel placed in tasteful locations. As these pieces wear over time they will continue to look great. Both pieces are also available brown and the Pocket Wallet is also available in an attractive natural color.

Conclusion

At $100 the Pocket Wallet is a bit more expensive than many of the wallets we have reviewed so far. However, its price is not out of line either given the nature of its design and construction. The J Michael Ashland Pocket Wallet is built to last for decades. If there was ever a Buy It For Life wallet, this is it. The Brass Key Fob is an excellent add-on, which will serve you well while looking great, and at $30 is a bargain in my opinion.

Also, be sure to enter the giveaway that we’re hosting – it’s free to enter and you’ll win three terrific leather products from J Michael Ashland.

January 30, 2015December 19, 2017

J Michael Ashland Mini Leather Bifold Wallet Review – $60

Wallets are the perfect introductory leather piece. They are reasonably priced, easily customized, and vary with hundreds of styles and materials. Buying a leather wallet for the first time, or before dropping a large sum on a bag, allows potential leather connoisseurs to experience leather, decide what they do and don’t like, and base future leather endeavors off of a small, reasonable, and practical purchase. Believe it or not, the BestLeather staff still enjoys reviewing leather wallets – especially when they’re really good ones. The J Michael Ashland Mini Leather Bifold Wallet is an ideal example of a classic, timeless design with a few great tweaks.

About

J Michael Ashland is a father, designer, and minimalist leather worker. If there is one thing that sets him apart from his competitors, it’s the fact that he uses no power tools. You’d think his operation would be based out of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania (Amish country for those of you who aren’t aware). But actually he is a fellow Oregonian with a passion for traditional leather working. He has designed and built several production items to assist him in his by-hand leather business.