*sigh* Well, it has come time for me to do that one thing that all men hate… all men fear… and all men wish they could go their entire lives without having to worry about ever again.
Shop for a new wallet.
Bleh.
For something so small, you would think that the actual shopping process would be relatively painless and simple, but given how much you interact with your wallet on a daily basis, it has to be exactly right, or it will forever niggle at the dark, OCD-infested corners of your brain. However, my now very, very clean wallet is not doing me any good at the moment, and while I love my Jimi Wallet
to death, I purchased it for use aboard my old ships, and it is too small for my civilian life and the plethora of plastic cards we seem to attract.
So the good news is that I have managed to narrow my options down to two equally-priced money holders, but the unavoidable bad news is that I am not sure which way to jump. So, here I be, asking for your input (with the understanding that this is not a democracy, and I am likely to choose something that is not even one of these two items).
Option 1: The Flipside Wallet
Pros:
- Sending it through the washing machine will not kill it.
- It is effectively identical to my Jimi, just larger.
- Snaps shut so no flopping around, and spring-loaded opening.
- Fairly minimalistic.
- Will force me to reduce the number of cards I carry.
- Satisfies my "ooh shiny" requirements.
- Entirely fabricated and assembled in the USA.
- RFID blocking capabilities (though none of my cards have chips as far as I am aware).
Cons:
- Limited storage space (7 plastic cards + 12 cash bills, though there are reports of higher numbers).
- Plastic exterior could slide out of pockets?
- Attention-grabbing (Do you want people to notice your wallet? However, it does come in other colors… thankfully.).
- Could take some getting used to (The cards are held in stacks, so you have to remember which card the one you want is under.)
—–
Option 2: The Saddleback Leather Company Wallet, Bifold, Medium
Pros:
- 100 year warranty. Seriously.
- Pretty much the hardest-core leather wallet made.
- 100% full grain leather, lined with pigskin, sewn with marine-grade polyester thread.
- 6 3-card slots, two pockets, and cash pocket.
- Will look absolutely awesome as it gets older.
- Pretty much the only Saddleback product I can afford.
Cons:
- The warranty does not cover washing machines.
- Prone to "wallet creep".
- Could get bulgy (see above).
- No "ooh shiny" quotient.
So, what do you all think? Bear in mind I am destructive, forgetful, and generally easily-entertained, all of which could easily be clouding my judgment.
Of course, it goes without saying that if Saddleback or Flipside want to send me a test-and-evaluation unit, I would be more than happy to provide a comprehensive, picture-filled review… Y’know, for you, the readers! *coughcough*
Go with the leather.
Plastic wallets. Meh.
I am cheap. I went to Walmart and spent about $11 on a wallet. It works well, and if I wash it, it’s only another $11 to replace it.
I vote for the flipside. looks cool.
Duct tape!
Their site says you shouldn’t keep the flipside in your back pocket. I don’t know if that matters to you or not, though.
I currently am using the best wallet I’ve ever had.
http://www.duluthtrading.com/searches/75023.aspx
The Fire hose wallet
I’ve got a tri-fold leather wallet that I got at Sears or something ten years ago that’s been in my pocket everyday since. Couldn’t have cost more than $25.
One of my friends has a stainless steel wallet (made out of woven SS fibers), supposedly also blocks RFID, and, I mean, c’mon, Stainless Steel!
I’d say go with the leather bifold. It’s classy, compact, and will last forever. $42 isn’t bad at all for something with a warranty your grandkids can use. Also it will stay in your pocket, something I’m not sure I can say for the plastic jobbie. Way more convenient too. Maybe it’s easier to use than it appears, but the plastic deal looks like a pain in the ass.
I hear ya, went through this same exercise a few years back. Merlin Mann’s 43folders site, along with a general realization that paring down would be a good thing, got me looking for a slim wallet.
I settled on the Dopp Regatta series. Although it sounds like you have more plastic than this could handle.
Get the leather option.
Dude, it is a wallet. It is something that keeps flat things and will smell like your butt after the first day. Go cheap.
The leather looks awesome. I have a Coach wallet with the same layout.
I don’t carry cash in my wallet so I’m assuming that space in the Flipside could be used for more cards?
Stick with leather.
I have a Saddleback passport wallet and it’s very well made. It’s held up to quite a bit of wear and tear and I would definitely get another one from them.
It would be cool if magpul made one like that flipside
Ooh. My vote is for the leather one. In fact, I’m buying one right now, for myself.
If I may complicate things a bit, I recently bought:
http://www.amazon.com/Geoffrey-Beene-Mirage-Passcase-Wallet/dp/B000BJDPM0/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1304626835&sr=8-1
It’s awesome. Very well-constructed, slender, but still managed to hold my ID, and all my cards. Plus, it’s a screaming deal on Amazon right now.
So, by my count, we have seven votes for the leather one, two votes for the plastic, three votes for “anything cheap”, and three votes for something else entirely. That sounds pretty definitive. Now to decide what I want to do
.
Regarding specific concerns, I am a front-pocket wallet guy, so that is no big deal (though it may be an issue if I ever decide to pocket-carry anything).
I see no reason why the internal clip on the Flipside could not be used for cards, though I am not sure how well it would hold.
I agree that a MagPul wallet would be wicked cool – with their iPhone case under their belts now, it might be feasible…
And I confess to still liking the idea of getting something that will probably last longer than I do… Cheap is good for some things, but on something like this, why not have a little fun?
Still thinking, but whatever I get, you can expect a review!
The following from their site just sold me on leather:
Are the animals tortured before they are slaughtered?
Absolutely not! With some pigs we do use waterboarding and sensory deprivation techniques previous to slaughtering them, but the cows do not require any special handling.
*giggle*
I was wondering if anyone else would notice that…
I carry my wallet in my back pocket. How do you think the flipside wallet would be for that? I’m slightly worried id get a sore back because it wouldn’t contour itself to my chiseled ass cheek. Is that a valid concern?
The webpage seems to indicate that back-pocket carry is doable, but not necessarily recommended – leather wallets back there definitely form to your tush, and this one definitely will not.
It depends on what pants you wear, too. I usually wear Carhartts and the back pockets are positioned such that I’m not sitting right on my wallet or LCP or whatever else I keep in the back pocket, so it never bothers me. I always have my wallet in the back left pocket, and often keep an LCP in a pocket holster in my back right pocket. I can sit down indefinitely without discomfort with my good old Carhartts.
Other pants sometimes put the pocket under my butt/leg where an object will make my leg go numb by pressing on nerves, which is not particularly pleasant, especially after a long road trip where you might end up on the ground if you hop out of the truck too fast with a numb leg.
Yeah, the 5.11 tactical pants I have run the back pocket seams all the way forward to the midleg seam, but the rest of my pants have the annoying tendency of being aft-only, meaning I would eventually sit on the plastic wallet wrong and bad things would happen…
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