Reply With QuoteLooks good quality, leather especially, though the buttons may be uncomfortable if keeping in your rear pocket!Originally Posted by dkpw
Are you expecting a customs hit?
Incoming!
This time via Etsy and from Vladimir's shop CrazyHorseCraft based in Lithuania. It's a DIY flat pack, origami wallet, stitch-less wallet, which comes in a large flat envelope to cut down on packaging.
A couple of folds, a couple of snaps and you have your wallet. It has a quick access card pocket on the front, a pocket for notes and coins, and another card pocket on the rear.
It's made from certified Italian veg tan leather which patinas nicely.
It looks very neat and I'm looking forward to trying it.
Looks good quality, leather especially, though the buttons may be uncomfortable if keeping in your rear pocket!
Are you expecting a customs hit?
Thank you.Looks good quality, leather especially, though the buttons may be uncomfortable if keeping in your rear pocket!
Are you expecting a customs hit?
I only put my wallets in either my front pocket, or a jacket pocket, so no chance of discomfort. :)
I've never had an unexpected tax or delivery bill from anything on Etsy from the EU. The seller has charged VAT and as the price is £35, I'm assuming it will sail through.
Cheers
Looking forward to your review when you get it. Looks like a nice piece of kit. I’ve seen a few things like that on Etsy but haven’t taken the plunge yet.
@dkpw - fully expecting you to get and review one of these sometime soon - https://bellroy.com/products/all-con...eather_ripstop
"Card Pocket"? Did they mean "Purse"?
Thanks for the link. I had seen teasers on IG but it is nicer than I had expected. I do like the "bronze" version. Maybe next month though, I've just paid my income tax and NI so am on beans and water for a while.
That's Man Purse, if you please... ;) "Murse" is also acceptable."Card Pocket"? Did they mean "Purse"?
‘Murse’ made me laugh out loud! I’ll be using that at some point soon…
My new Crazy Horse origami wallet has just arrived from Lithuania, a week ahead of schedule. As shown in the photos above, it came flat-packed in a large envelope for DIY assembly. Also included was a very nice, riveted key fob in the same veg tan leather, together with a polite request for a favourable review. Yep. No problem there.
It only took a moment to fold the wallet together and smooth out the internal flaps so that it laid flat. The leather is superb, soft and supple, having a lovely scent. You can feel the waxes in it and the pull-up is really nice. Pull-up is when you put pressure on the underside of the leather, which then lightens on the upper side but can easily be returned to a pristine state by rubbing it. This will patina beautifully.
The front easy access slot is a little tight with just one card but it’ll open up with use. As there’s no RFID, it would make a great place for a tap ‘n go payment or travel card. The pocket behind the slot works very well for cash folded once and other more frequently used cards.
On the rear, two poppers contain the back pocket. You have to be a little bit careful here, as there are three sections. Holding the wallet with the rear poppers near you, the front section is actually the fold with the easy access slot. You don’t want to put any cards here as they could fall straight out the bottom of the wallet. The middle section is the main pocket and the place for cards, coins or whatever else you want to carry. The rear section is the pocket behind the easy access slot, meaning you can access that area from either the front or the back. But realistically you’re only going to access it from the front, as opening one popper is easier than two.
If you want to keep it slim, this wallet will easily hold four or five cards and the same number of notes without any issue whatsoever. If you wanted to stuff it, I'm sure it would cope with double that number of cards and more notes, especially if you stored them in the generous rear pocket.
The only slight negatives so far are that I’ve not quite got the flap and the front popper aligned properly, so it often takes a second go to shut it. I assume this will resolve itself with use and familiarity.
Accessing a specific card from a stack in the rear pocket requires you to either reach in and pull them all out to fan through them, or to tip the wallet up and the cards out. It’s not a huge issue, and the rear pocket is generous, so there’s space for ones fingers to get in there.
Overall it’s a lovely wallet and I will enjoy trying it out, as well as sniffing the leather. It would make a great gift for someone in need of a new or additional wallet.
I love the colour of that dkpw.
If it came without the back pocket I'd be very tempted to give one a go.
The key fob gift is a nice touch. I love the little hand stamped on to the plastic piece on the tag as well!
I assume you weren't hit for any additional import fees?
Andy
Thanks Andy, yes great colour and packaging, and no fees or anything like that. Just delivered by the usual postie!
David
That's good to hear. I might have to take another look (even with the 'extra' back pocket!
Great review as always!
Looks really lovely and also that it’ll look even better as it ages.
Got me tempted but I already have at least 2 others that I need to try/use in the drawer so really should take them out of the packaging first!
Thanks. Another rabbit hole I could go down. that Bellroy looks great as does the crazy Horse
After reading your review ordered a Crazy Horse in Alpine Green last night, already received despatch notification. Should be a cracking alternative to my old Trove.
I should have shares in his company.... ;) I hope you enjoy it, the leather smells delicious and mine is already patinaing, and I've not started using it, just had a bit of a fondle. Oh er.
After having a sort out of my wallets, I'm giving the ultra-minimalist 'wallet' idea another spin and am using one of these Band Joes. I can't remember quite why I stopped using it before but it does what's needed simply and effectively. I have 4 cards with a £10 note held in the middle for emergencies. The width of the band is enough that it holds things together securely (unlike rubber or hair bands I've used in the past) but you can still get cards in & out easily. In hindsight I kind of wish I'd bought the ones that go over your cards in landscape orientation but that's probably just a case of the grass being greener on the other side!
When i bought these it made sense at the time with the cost of shipping being almost as much as the product to order a pack of 5, but this first one seems very sturdy and I expect it'll last a good long while, so if I decide to stick with these as my 'wallet' (highly unlikely granted, given my history of switching things up!) then I've got enough to last me the rest of my lifetime easily
I've also recently received a Herschel Charlie wallet, which I've yet to actually use as I'm undecided on whether to keep or return it. But the material feels lovely to the touch (it's nylon so slightly rough to the touch, but smooth at the same time, if that makes sense) and most importantly it fits up to a £20 folded once in the centre slip pocket. The only downside to it are getting cards out of the lower card pockets is a bit difficult as they tend to catch on the stitching of the edge of the pocket above. Easy solution would be to just put two cards each in the upper card pockets of course but it slightly bothers me to have the bottom pockets unused (I'd much prefer it if it were the same size as it is but just omitted the lower card pockets). One interesting feature of the Charlie is that it's RFID protected for bank cards, but it still allows the frequency of Oyster or building swipe cards through so you can use it without taking your card out but still know you're credit card's protected (I've not tested it out and personally don't worry unduly about the need for RFID protection).
Interesting. Over on Walletopia, sometimes some of the really minimalist wallets are poo-poo’ed for being little more or better "than a rubber band." And there it is. :) I must say for me, that’s too minimal. I would be worried about card damage and items escaping. At least you’ll have a few to keep you going. :)
I’m sure the Charlie wallet will break in with time. I’ve used mine for a couple of days and did find it somewhat tricky to get the cards in and out, and I have wonky fingers due to arthritis. They are inexpensive and well made card holders, although I remember having to cut out the manufacturing labels in the middle pocket, as it interfered with the cards. The leather ones look nice.
Haha true! There are a few rubber band-type options out there (mostly US-based). Or just use a rubber band/hair band/'brocolli band' (which I think is again an American thing more than over here in the UK).
I do think part of the reason I stopped using the Band Joe before was the start (or fear of potential) card damage, as I carried my wallet in the same pocket as my phone at the time (I've now rejigged the order of my pockets slightly). I'll definitely be keeping an eye on any sort of card wear, but in terms of things falling out or escaping, I could only foresee this happening if you went from stuffing a lot of cards in to a lot less, in which case it might be stretched and loose. In general use it holds the cards firmly (the slight stickiness of the rubber helps too).
Yes, it's definitely good value for money! I think if I do keep it I'd be cutting the labels out the centre slot too, and probably unpicking the Herschel label off the front. I imagine the leather version wouldn't have the same issue of the lower cards catching but I might be wrong. Certainly with the leather version I've seen some versions with two pockets on one side and only one on the other, but also versions with two pockets on both sides, so the design has possibly been updated.
This year, I’ve decided to carry only one wallet per month.
Such restraint, impossible with my watch collection, will give me a chance fully to experience all aspects of my choices, and it may be helpful for people looking to change their wallet and to read a brief review at each changeover. I’ll add a couple of photos for a before and after.
To start, the January to February transition will be from a wallet I’ve had for a while but not previously mentioned in this thread, because it’s quite traditional and not particularly minimalist, the Bellroy Note Sleeve. I’ll be swapping over to my new CrazyHorseCraft origami wallet, which appears above and below... :)
My Note Sleeve comes in Java and Caramel and is one of very few bi-fold wallets I own. While its been in my wallet drawer for a while, I’ve not used it much as I don’t often carry more than a couple of notes. As its name suggests, it’s been designed to carry a lot of currency. Interestingly, Bellroy makes two versions, a “high” and a “lo” to accommodate the height of your notes. If you buy in the UK or Europe you’ll receive the high version, which caters for our £50 notes and the larger Euro denominations.
Despite being more traditional, it’s really nice, with three single card slots on the interior, and a tab-pull pocket on the left, for less frequently used cards. I keep my tracker card and a credit card in there. The billfold has plenty of space for unfolded notes, and it is a pleasant change, after using all my minimalist wallets, not to have to fold notes. I’ve been carrying five notes, which it swallows without blinking, and that could easily be doubled.
The billfold has two additional compartments. There’s a “hidden” single card slot and a coin pocket, protected by a leather flap. I’ve used neither, as the card slot is very tight, and I still have plenty of capacity under the tab-pull. The only time I now use coins is having a pound coin for the shopping trolley, which I keep in the car.
It’s RFID protected, is well machine stitched and is made from the usual Bellroy leather. It will patina slowly since it’s tough. It smells chrome tanned rather than veg tanned. It’s rated for 4 - 11 cards but I think that would be pushing it, who wants an old-school fat bifold? I’d recommend a maximum of 8 cards, three in the single slots and 5 in the tab-pull. There is so much space in the bill-fold, you could store more cards there. With notes, ten plus would be easy. Overall capacity is not an issue.
When I bought and tried it for a couple of days, I thought it was a little boring and not as funky or cool as some of my metal, minimalist wallets. That’s still true but after a month’s use, I have come to appreciate its capacity and good looks, I have noticed it develop a little patina, and become shinier. Its best feature is its ease of access. It’s been a relief not to have to search through a stack of cards to find the card you need, nor to have to unfold notes if paying by cash.
The only negatives are; that it’s a little square, in terms of shape and appeal, like all Bellroy products it’s probably £10-£20 over-priced and finally I did experience some issues with the tab, which either hid in its slot or when pulling the cards out veered off, catching the cards on the edge of the slot. But it’s a great option if you want a slimmer, traditional wallet.
I hope that’s helpful and I’ll let you know how the CrazyHorse performs.
I'm enjoying the updates and reviews here. I still haven't seen anything that makes me want to switch up from a basic Trove though, it really does everything I need. I'm very loyal
Don't just do something, sit there. - TNH
Thanks Matthew, I think back to when I bought my first new wallet in ages, thanks to this thread about five years ago, which was a Secrid Mini. I feel loyalty to it. I should have stuck with that, it's small, perfectly formed and does what I need.
But where would the fun be in that ? :)
As it’s fast approaching the end of the month, I thought I would update the thread with a mini-review of how I got on carrying my Crazy Horse Craft origami wallet. I’ve surprised myself and have stuck with it, not using anything else. As we know, that can sometimes be a challenge, especially when one’s collection is full of exciting and varied alternatives. How did I get on? The answer is very well. It’s a great wallet but it does have one annoying drawback.
Pluses:
As you can see from the photos (check above for the before) the wallet has already developed a lovely patina. The leather has darkened, lost its suede feel and is now very smooth to the touch. I must confess to using it as a fidget stone while watching TV which has accelerated the patination. You can see the original shade of the leather under the flaps, around the studs, and in this shot of it unfolded.
The Crazy Horse leather is flexible, has great pull-up and while it can scuff rather easily can be quickly “repaired” by a nimble rub of the fingers. The stud for the front flap now finds its post just about every time so easy closing matches its easy opening. Once the front flap is open, accessing my debit or Morrisons card is a doddle. I usually have four or five notes tucked in behind them. As they only need folding in half, storage and retrieval is simple and quick.
Capacity in the rear pocket is generous. I carry a tracker card, two credit cards, my Tesco card and two business cards. It could comfortably carry more. The back snaps open and close without a problem. And with snaps front and back, everything is held securely.
Minuses:
Let’s address a series of nitpicks before I mention the main drawback.
The wallet is not really minimal. With seven cards and five notes, it becomes quite chunky, which is inevitable given that there are several layers of leather wrapped around the contents. It’s noticeably taller than a credit card, as evidenced by those retained in the rear pocket resting well below the pocket’s lip. I measure it as being 11.2cm on the longest side.
I found my notes, held in the space behind the front cards, became very sharply creased. Which is not a huge problem, so long as you have folded them in the middle. With polymer notes, this makes refolding for placing in another wallet a pain, although I accept this is not going to be an issue for most people. :)
The quick access slot is cut fairly tightly and there’s pressure from behind from the wallet and other contents. This can make it a little tricky to replace them both, although one is usually okay.
The leather does scuff and scratch quite easily.
The main problem with the wallet is its rear pocket. The cards and cash in the front, restrict the opening and prevent you from reaching in to grab your cards. Even pressing on the sides to widen the open doesn’t help. I find it very difficult to get two fingers into the pocket to extract the card stack. It’s impossible to select one specific card.
The cards’ top edge lie 2.5cm below the lip of the opening, which is narrow in itself. The other contents and the layers of the folded leather contribute to its inaccessibility. I found the only way to access the contents is to tip out everything into your hand to select what you need. It isn’t the best and the flap can interfere too. Having said that, keeping only rarely accessed cards in the rear would minimise this annoyance.
To conclude, I really enjoyed using the wallet and seeing it break in, and patina. For about £35 it’s excellent value and would make a great gift. I’m going to look forward to carrying it once at some point in the future.
Next month, I will be carrying a wallet I’ve carried many times before, but after two months I feel the need for a properly minimalist wallet which combines leather and metal. March’s wallet will therefore be the Trayvax Contour in titanium with Horween Mississippi Mud leather. As you can see, it's much smaller than Origami wallet, but matches the capacity and feels really solid in the hand.
Nice review thanks.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
As another month speeds towards its conclusion, I thought I would share some pluses and minuses of this month’s carry, the Trayvax Contour. I’ve carried it before, so the experience wasn’t new but that made my points easier to determine.
On the plus side, I really enjoy the unique design. There’s nothing much else out there that looks like this and Trayvax has a reputation for producing innovative, original designs - not always successfully it has to be said - their Venture Bifold is a dog’s diner. However the Contour is successful and considered their flagship product.
I find the mixture of leather and metal appealing. Solely metal wallets feel more minimalist, are protectively strong but can damage your cards. This is the best of both worlds, a soft leather cradle within a CNC’ed frame. Mine is titanium and it’s available in steel, blacked out steel and brass. Having said that, there’s not a huge amount of titanium, just the frame, sitting beneath black locking plates. There are four shades of excellent quality, top grain leather to choose from; Mississippi Mud, Stealth Black, Tobacco Brown and Slate Grey. Mine is from the Mississippi.
The frame has two features, a bottle opener at the front and a lanyard or clip point. The opener is a little gimmicky but it works, although I was careful not to spray cider all over my cards. I’ve not used the attachment point but it could be useful if you’re a paranoid hipster or similar.
There’s excellent capacity because it’s adjustable. The leather cradle is clamped between the titanium frame and a steel clamping plate. You loosen the screws and position the leather in or out to fit your card stack. The leather tabs which come through the clamp are marked, so you can align both sides of the cradle. The locking grommet is moveable, so the strap can easily be pulled over the post to lock and unlock the wallet depending on the contents.
I’ve mine adjusted down to hold 4 cards, a tracker (1.5 cards thick), and I usually carry one or two notes in the back. Trayvax claim it can hold about 12 cards and 10 notes. I’m sure it could but….
The Contour is well made from quality materials. With the leather cradle well adjusted it feels reassuringly solid. It’s genuinely small but has enough heft not to disappear in your pocket. I like to feel it’s there. It comes with a pretty specific 65 year warranty, and spare parts are available. Access to your cards is easy and the open design means that the speaker on my tracker card is not muffled when ringing.
Some negatives now.
While the wallet has excellent adjustability, you need a T6 torx driver to loosen the six screws on the clamping plate. Trayvax provide a driver but it’s a cheap L shaped version. I always use a full sized handled one. Even then it can be a bit fiddly to get the adjustment just so, with the side tabes level, although the locking post is easy to adjust. It’s a good system but not one you can adjust quickly while out and about.
Cash handling is okay. You have to fold your notes into quarters and they are tucked behind the rear strap. This means your cash is on display, which some people don’t like. While I’ve never lost money, in theory it’s possible, as the top of the strap is open. I’ve found cash can move around under the strap.
Coins go in your pocket. :)
The leather is great quality and therefore takes some time to break in. The wallet can feel a bit awkward until that happens.
Finally, these are either expensive or very expensive depending on your point of view. Prices vary depending on the frame’s metal. “Raw” stainless steel is £160. “Blacked out steel” is £170. Brass is £190. And for that must have EDC option, titanium is £225.
Overall I enjoy carrying the Contour and prefer it to the oft-compared Ridge wallet, mainly because it feels more solid and has the leather elements.
Talking of which, April’s wallet is going to be the Craft & Lore Port Wallet. I’ve had this sometime but not carried it extensively. As you can see, it’s a minimalist card holder, made from one wrapped piece of leather, in my case natural Horween Chromexcel. It’s cut and saddle stitched by hand, in North Idaho.
We’ll see how I get on with it and I hope you enjoyed the above.
Where do you carry that?As another month speeds towards its conclusion, I thought I would share some pluses and minuses of this month’s carry, the Trayvax Contour. I’ve carried it before, so the experience wasn’t new but that made my points easier to determine.
I carry my wallet in my front pocket and something like that would dig in every time you sit and I'm certain would wear it's own outline in my jeans ...
I usually wear a fleece or a jacket, so I carry my wallets in their pockets. I could carry the Contour in a front pocket, as my trousers are going to be considerably baggier than your jeans - trust me. It's not that thick and you do have one side of essentially just leather. The lanyard loop is very smooth but yes, if you wear close fitting clothes it could be an issue.
I think where you carry your wallet has a big bearing on what you choose.
Mine has always sat in my front pocket and so I am always looking for something very minimal.
The Bellroy Card pocket has been a great buy, I think recommended by you up thread. Small, carries 5 cards, cash, SAK, paper clip and an AirTag; all in one small package.
Last edited by Montello; 29th March 2023 at 14:54.
Go on then I'll ask....... Paperclip SIM replacement tool?
Resistance is futile..........
Seriously though, still looking for more small wallet reviews.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Mostly resetting things that have a small hole for hard reset and hooking halyards from masts.
Plus it’s intended use
I have one and love it. Bought it a good few years ago now. Did have one from the crowdfunding they ran before the evolution to this design
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Of course you're right.I think where you carry your wallet has a big bearing on what you choose.
Mine has always sat in my front pocket and so I am always looking for something very minimal.
The Bellroy Card pocket has been a great buy, I think recommended by you up thread. Small, carries 5 cards, cash, SAK, paper clip and an AirTag; all in one small package.
I was recently showing all my wallets to a friend's wife as she was looking for inspiration for his birthday present. She already has a card pocket, and after looking at A LOT of wallets, she couldn't think of anything better for him, even though he derided it as "a purse." It's very hard to disagree with her.
In turn, he'd bought her the new All Weather Card Pocket for her birthday and for all its ruggedness and water-proofness, the zip was more awkward to use and the capacity seemed less flexible. Which is a long winded way of saying, they are fantastic wallets, and perfect to carry in the front pocket.
It's interesting to see how you've loaded yours. I keep my cards in the main vestibule and would put the cash and SAK in the pocket on the right. I found the zip could catch on the tops of the cards when they were in the right hand pocket. But everyone has their own system :) Love the paperclip, so many uses!
They crowd funded paperclips?! ;)
iClip have brought out a model combining two of my favourite materials, Horween leather and titanium. It looks lovely and at €200 so it should. I'm on a buying moratorium, but maybe next year...Resistance is futile..........Seriously though, still looking for more small wallet reviews.
It’s not a purse, it is a man purse �� …. Or murse.
I looked at the all weather one and concluded as you state. I have the all weather phone pouch which is excellent but quite stiff. I’m wondering if it will soften with time, I use it for my stuff when I cycle.
I put my cards in that side as they are easier to get out.
Stop it!iClip have brought out a model combining two of my favourite materials, Horween leather and titanium. It looks lovely and at €200 so it should. I'm on a buying moratorium, but maybe next year...
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
I've been using a Cardamon wallet for about 5yrs now. 20g of welded waterproof nylon with a lifetime guarantee.
For those with slim wallets and AirTags, have a look at the TagVault and the compact version of it, by Elevation Lab. It's a simple thing, just a silicone holder which the AirTag sits inside of, but it helps keep the AirTag in position and makes it easier to slide things past it, if you place it in a general purpose pocket.
Link: https://www.elevationlab.com/products/tagvault-wallet
Also found on Amazon, but called the Wallet Holder for some reason.
For slim AirTag alternative these look a decent shout ...
https://chipolo.net/en/products/chipolo-card-spot
AirTags are 8mm thick; this card is 2.4mm
Anyone tried them?
I was tempted, but the lack of precision finding put me off. For something as small as a slim wallet I'd want to be able to track it quite specifically, but the Chipolo only gives you a general area to look in. Fine if you just want to know it's at home or at work somewhere, but less good if it's down the back of the sofa, the dog / kid / wife ran off with it, etc. They also have non-replaceable batteries, which isn't great environmentally if you have to throw it away and buy a new one each time the battery dies.
What? How often do you lose your wallet?
I can't remember the last time I would have wanted to 'track' my wallet. It's in the drawer or in my pocket.
Last edited by oldoakknives; 30th March 2023 at 18:32.
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
I have young kids :) My young boy will take my car keys and wallet and walk off with it quite happily, even if I only place them down for a minute! If he walks it into their play room it would be lost forever if it weren't for AirTags.
About a month ago, when it fell out my pocket in the car when I'd come back from the shops. With the tracker it took me two minutes to find it rather look around my car and not find, look round my flat, go back to the shops, not find it there and have to cancel all my cards...
Lose your wallet or keys once, and you will immediately appreciate the benefit of a tracker.
This is the downside to slimming down your wallet. If you're one of those people who have a 5" thick wallet with every card you've ever owned in it, the broken foot when you drop it lets you know what's happened.
I can see the problem if that happens. I I carry mine in my front pocket so the chances of it falling out are minimal.
Also I always put it in the same drawer as soon as I come in so no chance of it ‘walking’ anywhere.
What is the range on a tracker like that? If you lost it outdoors walking the dog say?
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
Picked up a carbon Fibre set from The Ridge - because they both clips on the back they are difficult to lose:
They work with Bluetooth and so have a range of several hundred meters in a clear line of sight. Less so in a building. The Tile trackers on a £30 annual subscription and the Apple Tags have a location history option, so you can "follow" the breadcrumbs back to previous locations. The Apple ones also can be switched to lost mode and will ping someone with an iPhone if they pass buy. I started on Tile but have moved to Apple as I like the Find Me integration better. You can use the Tile trackers to call your phone.
Very nice Ridge BTW!
That happens without it being in lost mode - any time any Apple device (iPhone, MacBook, iPads, etc) is in range, the AirTag's location is updated automatically. You can see in the FindMy App when and where it was last seen, even if it's not in lost mode.
I use a bunch of them and even have one hidden in my car as a tracker, and it keeps reporting its location all day.
Back on the topic of slim wallets... can anybody recommend a slim wallet for just a couple of cards and an AirTag, but not a solid one like the Ridge, and without any form of RFID protection? I want one for my work pass which is also for door access.
See #828 above. Bellroy card pocket.
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