I usually just buy a leather wallet at some store and it starts to get grungy after a year or so. Any recommendations? Thanks.
Go to an arts festival. There are usually leatherwork artists there. I got a really nice handmade trifold this year.
What you want is a Nivisto kangaroo wallet, handmade in Australia.
Kangaroo leather is the toughest and lightest leather that exists. I’ve had my Nivisto bifold for well over a decade.
It’s worn in, not worn out.
Once a year, I give it a good cleaning with Bick 1 and conditioning with Bick 4. That’s the only care it needs.
It’s developed a great patina. Sure, it developed a few scars, but that only makes it more mine.
But I haven’t died yet, so I can’t truly call it BIFL!
Adrian Kliss makes Bison leather wallets. Not quite bifl, but my my last one lasted 22 years of daily use.
I like Slimfold wallets. They are thinner than your standard leather wallets and are more of a “front pocket” wallet. They have different configurations and materials. They come in tyvek or soft shell material.
I have the “Original” in tyvek. Used it for close to a decade and it held up great. I switched over to the “Micro” in soft shell just because I wanted something new. Had it for 2-3 years now and no complaints. They’ve both been great. Personally I like the Original more because it’s slimmer, I could put it behind my phone in my pocket and not even feel that it was there. The Micro is more of a traditional wallet shape, so it feels a tad thicker. After trying both I like the soft shell material more than tyvek.
Nylon wallet. They wear out after a while but they don’t get as funky as leather ones. There is no BIFL wallet as far as I know, but maybe Kevlar or something would work if you don’t mind it scratching up your pants.
Honestly it depends on what you want your wallet to hold. I use a Ridge wallet (I had a knockoff for a while but treated myself to a forged carbon Ridge with blue inclusions that I really like the look of).
I only carry 4-5 cards though, and a couple folded bills in the cash strap. It goes in my front pocket because that’s just more comfortable and is a somewhat more secure place to keep a wallet (not perfect, but marginally harder to pickpocket than a butt pocket and less likely to just slip out while going about your day). It’s made of metal, carbon fiber, and some replaceable elastic bands. It protects against RFID skimming, and is overall about the size of a trifold wallet. I consider it a BIFL wallet because it fits my needs in a wallet, that style may not work for you though.
Flowfold - made from recycled sailcloth
I’ve had the same one of these for almost a decade now, and it still looks brand new: MyWalit
Low profile, fantastic stitching, and great leather.
I got a wallet from Hanks Belts a few years back and it’s still going strong with minimal wear. Hoping it’ll be the last wallet I own
For solid recommendations you’ll probably need to give some additional details about what kind of wallet you prefer, how many cards and such you carry in it, and which pocket you carry it in.
Bifold vs trifold vs zipper vs money clip etc, front or back pocket, etc.
In general, if you’re looking for leather goods, try to avoid “genuine leather” that’s basically the lowest grade, and about the only nice thing that can be said about it is that it’s not fake.
Basically all leather goods benefit from a bit of care now and then, like cleaning with some saddle soap and some sort of leather conditioner. Over time all leather goods will tend to develop some creases and wear. In some cases that just adds to the character, in other cases it might look kind of grungy, and that’s kind of up to personal taste.
Personally I’m a back pocket wallet guy, and after using thicker leather wallets for most of my life that started to give me a little bit of back pain from sitting on it, so I switched to a thinner nylon wallet (I use a Chums surf short wall for my EDC) and that’s held up probably as well as any leather wallet I’ve personally used (not that I bought particularly great leather wallets) and a simple metal money clip for dressier occasions
But I also don’t carry very much with me. ID, a couple cards, and maybe a little bit of cash.
For leather, I’ve been a big fan of Popov Leather from BC, Canada. They have the absolute best leather I’ve ever seen. I own a wallet, half a dozen belts, coasters, bags, and more from them and they’re fantastic.
I am enjoying my Secrid wallet if you’re looking for a thinner card holder with room for some notes but not coins. They come in leather but also different materials. It’s made in the Netherlands and reviews say they last a long time.
I’ve been rocking a leather wallet from Open Sea Leather. They have some interesting designs that work really well for me and the leather patinas nicely.
As others have mentioned, the Flowfold is a good option, in particular their model made from upcycled sail cloth (not all models are).
There’s also Couch Guitar Straps, who make some of their wallets out of upcycled vintage NOS 70’s car upholstery, which is extremely hard wearing, and very thin.
Quality leather with quality stitching. It will last you so long you get bored of it.
