What To Look For In A Minimalist Leather Wallet

Whether you’re not carrying much cash these days or you simply want a wallet that doesn’t add bulk to your pocket, a minimalist wallet can be useful for many reasons. And, when you’re shopping for a minimalist leather wallet you’ll want to know how to find one that’s best for you. It’s important for consumers to know what to look for in a good minimalist leather wallet, so they can pick one with a sense of style and lasts a lifetime.

We want to help you be as informed as possible when searching for the right minimalist leather wallet, so we’ve highlighted three qualitied below we think evey consumer needs to consider.

Three qualities to look for in a minimalist leather wallet

1. Quality of Leather — Unless you work with leather all day, it might be challenging for you to identify high quality leather versus lower quality leather. Frankly, much of this lies at the fault of tricky nomenclature used in the industry. Department store belts and wallets will often have the phrase “Genuine Leather” stamped on them as though it’s a mark of esteem. However, what “Genuine Leather” often means is that the product has some form of leather in it. Sadly, the quality of that leather is often poor or, in several cases, the leather is made up of bonded scraps.
   
   These “Genuine Leather” products tend to fall apart after a short time, which is why they’re so inexpensive and you have to frequently replace them. And hey, if Genuine Leather is the best you can do right now, that’s alright! Just know that it’s not going to last as long or be as well-made as something that has “Top Grain Leather” or “Full Grain Leather” in the name.
   
   Top and full grain leathers are made from the outermost layers of the hides, where the fibers are dense and toughly interwoven. These hides are much more efficient at holding the tannins used in the tanning process. They tend to last a long time, even through multiple generations if taken care of well. These are also the types of hides that contain the rich leather smell people often associate with old leather goods.
   
   Products made with top and full grain leather tend to be more expensive than “Genuine Leather” products, but they do usually last much, much longer, making the value worth it to many consumers.
   

2. Quality of Construction — Understanding how well made a leather product is can be difficult for a consumer who knows little about the process of making leather. Consumers have a lot on their plates, so they shouldn’t have to become experts to know how to tell if a leather product is made well; that responsibility lies in the hands of the maker.
   
   When you’re shopping for leather products, pay attention to the details shared by the maker/seller. Do they let you know if it’s made by hand or is hand-stitched? Do they use materials with short life spans, such as plastic or cork or pleather? A good crafter will make their product information available and clear as possible. Keep an eye out for this when comparing products.
   

3. Quality of Style — The dilemma every leather crafter faces is that we are not reinventing the wheel with what we make. A bag is a bag. A wallet is a wallet. At face value, what separates one crafter’s work from another is how they style their work. At Ravensgate, we prefer to use asymmetrical patterns in our items along with two-tone color options. We feel that this not only allows us to creatively express ourselves, but it also distinguishes our leather products from other similar items in the market… that and the quality of leather we use, but we already talked about that above!

You probably noticed that we did not include “price” as an item of consideration in this list. This is for a couple different reasons. The first being is that price is subjective to the buyer. Everyone has different budget limits, and we can’t possibly speak for what’s best for each individual buyer. Second being is that price doesn’t always reflect any of the three points above. Sometimes, bad wallets are overpriced; sometimes, a good wallet can be found at an affordable price. Now that you know what to look for in a good minimalist leather wallet, hopefully you’ll be able to tell spot when an item is overpriced or undervalued.

The important takeaway is that once you find a wallet that meets your expecations in the categories of leather quality, contruction quality, and style, you need to determine for yourself if the value of the wallet is worth what you’re willing to pay for it.

Shop for minimalist leather wallets at Ravensgate

At Ravensgate, we have a collection of handmade, full-grain leather goods, including minimalist leather wallets. Our minimalist leather wallets are designed to fit 8 cards and some folded cash pretty comfortably. You can cram more in there if you need to, but at that point, if you’re carrying that much you might want to consider something bigger instead, such as a bifold.

Find the perfect wallet for you now at our web store or at our physical location on 207 Bridge Street, FL 1, Phoenixville, PA, 19460.