I don’t remember the last time I bought a wallet.
The wallet I’ve been using for over a decade is a wallet my father got as a gift and never used.
A lovely, shiny, black leather Coach wallet.
But despite the brand, it has only gotten worse over time.
Size
The problem is it’s too tall for US paper money. The height (at 4”) is wrong. So over time when money is in it a crease develops around where cash is in the wallet, where part is thicker than the rest.
I don’t think Coach makes it anymore — all the wallets on their site now have one fewer card holder per side, and at 3.75” tall probably fixes the problem.
The glossy texture over time has become less pleasing; the seams falling apart.
It’s not that it’s become unusable over time, but it doesn’t feel like a baseball glove that’s gotten worn in over time, more like a shoe wearing away over time.
It only feels like it will get worse.
Improve over time
What I wanted was something that would get better with age, so the Saddleback Leather wallet’s pitch appealed to me: http://www.saddlebackleather.com/Classic-Wallet-Bifold.html?sc=8&category=87
100 yr. warranty. If it wears out before you do, I’ll replace it for free 100% Full Grain leather No breakable parts,e.g. zippers, buttons etc. Industrial marine grade thread Pigskin lining (tougher than leather) Gets better looking every year No one will comment on how cool your wallet is … this year. In ten years for sure, but not this year. It’s nothing fancy. It doesn’t have a window for your driver’s license and it there’s no plastic spare key holder. It’s just a very solid wallet made with leather from the top of the hide called full grain (where the fibers are the most tightly woven together). It will be the longest lasting wallet you’ll ever own and least exciting… the first year.
And at under $50 it seemed reasonably priced to try.
In Use
It’s a bit thicker and stiffer than one might like, but that’s to be expected, I think.
