Wallet layout has changed over the years. First, chequebooks disappeared (I have been in Sweden for 28 years and have never seen a cheque) so wallets became narrower. Then store cards arrived, bank cards multiplied, drivers’ licences turned from paper to plastic, and wallets bulked up with lots of slots and flaps. More recently in Sweden, cash and coins disappeared. Then the store cards and bank cards moved to apps on our phones. So wallets have gone from long and bulky to slim and small.
In 2024, Van Der Spek sent me a black Touch Me credit card wallet prototype to test. It was very compact, which made me happy because I had previously been using my Filofaxes or my Phone as my wallet (by using a phone case with credit card slots). The problem with the phone-wallet option is that if you lose your phone, you lose everything. So now I halve the risk by having my phone separate from my cards by using the VDS credit card wallet.
My first credit card wallet was in Black Touch Me leather. It wears like iron, due to the full-grain French buffalo leather from which it is made. I used it constantly for two years and the leather did not stretch, lose colour, or show a single mark or scuff. It also does not patina.
My second one is made of Janet Leather (JL), brown on one side, black on the other. You can see the gorgeous patina it has developed over time. It also stretches slightly to mould around its contents. That makes it so easy to take out and replace cards when you are standing paying. I don’t carry cash or coins so I put my door tag and key in the little zippered compartment. If you are in a cash society, this pocket would fit some notes and coins.
If you are looking for something small but great quality for Christmas gifts this year, these would be a great idea! Both of these have been used intensively.
Great recommendations