Note: We received this product for free. No other compensation was provided, and as always, all opinions are our own. We may earn money from links on this page, but we only recommend products we back. Learn more.
I had been using my colorful fabric wallet for longer than I care to remember, and it was time for a change. When I got the chance to try this bifold leather wallet from Main Street Forge, I jumped at the chance.
So, is it worth a look?
Spoiler alert, I love it.
Quick Overview
If you don’t have a whole load of cards to carry around (and it helped me to cut down on that) and need something elegant, durable, and robust, then this is an excellent wallet. It is slim, holds cards tightly, stands up to the elements, and oozes style.
Handmade by American artisans, this wallet comes with an impressive lifetime warranty. There are six different colors to choose from, I went for tobacco snakebite brown.
Material
Full-grain leather has been used, and Main Street Forge makes a point that they do not use any fake leathers in their products.
From the moment that I opened the box that the wallet came in, I knew that I was holding something special.
I know a little about the different types of leathers, so I knew that this wallet was going to be durable, even before I received it, but I could feel exactly that when I unboxed it. The full-grain leather is soft to the touch, but tough. It is pliable, folding and unfolding with ease, and the money pouch has a nice soft feel to it.
As I was loading it up with my cash and cards (how I wish that I had more cash to load into it), I enjoyed the tactile feel. I enjoyed having it in my hands, and I knew, already, that I was going to like this wallet.
There is also a beautiful natural grain in the leather, which I know will only become more beautiful over time.
Design
This is a bifold wallet, designed to unfold to give you access to your cards and cash, and then fold back up to fit into your pocket. When unfolded, you can access your cards and cash easily, which any functional wallet should allow, and, when folded, it folds down nicely so that it can fit into your pocket. I have my wallet in my right-hand pants pocket, and the wallet is slim enough to be carried in a back pocket too.
The stitching adds more to the wallet than just being there to hold it together. It gives the wallet elegance and frames the front and back of the wallet too. There is functionality in the stitching and also style.
The logo and company name are marked on the wallet in three separate places. On the front, you will find an embossed double-hammer logo, sticking with the minimalist design. I love the look of this, and it adds to the character of the wallet. Inside, on the right-hand side of the wallet, the complete name and logo are embossed. And, inside the money pocket, the full name and logo are printed in black.
I like all three.
Card & Money Pockets
There are six card pockets.
The one thing that I found when I transferred my cards from my old wallet to my new wallet was that I had too many cards for my new wallet. Now, if you are the type of person who carries a lot of cards, then this may not be the wallet for you. You can fit two cards into each slot, but one per slot seems much more manageable.
Reducing the number of cards minimizes the profile of the wallet, and helps to keep it slim.
The part that I like about all of this is that it forced me to focus on the cards that I really need. When I did that, I whittled myself down to five cards. This was plenty for me, but you could easily carry eight cards without the wallet becoming bulky.
The money pocket has a lot of space for notes, and part of the wallet at the bottom is left unstitched so that the pocket opens wide. I carry five or six notes at a time, but you could carry a lot more without straining the wallet or adding too much thickness to it.
The only downside is that there is no coin pouch. Now, I don’t usually carry coins with me, so that is not a big deal, and I like that the wallet is kept slim because of this. If you had a couple of coins to carry around, then you could hold them in the money pocket, but they might slip out.
Overall, I like the minimalist look and feel, and the number of cards slots is about right.
Size
This is not an ultra-small wallet, like the ones that are the size of a credit card. Yet, the wallet is still small. I like having something with a little weight to it, and I like the size of the wallet when I am handling it. With full-grain leather, you want something that you can hold, or that luxurious material is going to be wasted.
The wallet is small enough to fit into most pockets, side, back, or interior, and has enough weight that you can feel it there. The interior also allows for four cards to be immediately visible, with the pockets slightly elevated, and this means that you are not searching through cards for the one that you need.
The wallet is not too big or too small – it’s just right.
Any Extras?
There are six card pockets and one large money pocket. That’s it.
This design keeps the size of the wallet to a minimum, while also being stylish and elegant. As someone who uses their wallet to hold cards and cash, and, as I don’t need any additional protection for the contents of my wallet, this is adequate.
Carrying The Wallet in My Back Pocket
For most of my adult life, I have carried my phone in my left-hand pants pocket, and my wallet and keys in my right-hand pants pocket. With my previous wallet (a fabric wallet that is now falling apart), that was not an issue. When I switched over to this wallet, a small problem arose, one that could have been avoided, but also one that can be remedied.
After a couple of trips out of the house, I noticed some small scratches on the wallet and found that this was caused by my keys. Immediately, I switched my keys to the opposite pocket, and I now keep my keys and wallet separate.
Thankfully, this problem is easy to fix, and I may do so in time, though having a wallet that looks pristine is not essential for me. With a quick search online, I found that these light scratches can be removed with some leather oil or conditioner.
At the moment, the scratches are superficial and may fade over time. If I run across a friend who has some leather oil or conditioner, I may borrow some and return the wallet to a like-new state.
Conclusion
After a month, I love this wallet.
In fact, it is probably the finest wallet that I have owned. It is undoubtedly the most stylish, and it is also going to last me for a long time.
I need no additional functionality over carrying cards and cash, and I like the minimalist look and feel. The wallet gives me all that I want and no more. By cutting down on what the wallet can do, it gives me exactly what I need.
I love the look, the feel, the color, and even the smell.
If you want a durable, slim, functional wallet, then I would wholeheartedly recommend this one. I love to carry it around with me, and I can see myself doing so for a long, long time.
Related:
- 9 Most Durable Leather, Minimalist, and Tactical Wallets For Men
- Men’s Valentini Leather Wallet: 20 Years Later
You can buy this Main Street Forge wallet from their online store or Amazon.
- Proudly Handmade by American Craftsmen from Full Grain Leather! American made with American Pride! We don’t cut corners. No chemical bonded fake leather here, no mass production in China. Our skilled craftsmen use only the finest American leather to make handcrafted masterpieces for you and they do it here in the USA!
- Lifetime Warranty Provided by Main Street Forge! We take pride in crafting products that are built to last. Because of our committment to quality, each Main Street Forge product comes with a robust Lifetime Warranty, provided directly by Main Street Forge. Buy yours with confidence today!
- Timeless Bifold Design and American Craftsmanship! Each piece of leather is hand selected and sewn to offer a beautiful and uniquely distinct wallet. The six pocket bifold design allows for an ample amount of storage for all your credit cards and a billfold with space for all of your cash.
Specifications
Material: Full-grain leather
Color: Tobacco snakebite brown
Type: Bifold
Stitching: Single-stitch
Measurements: 4.25” x 3.5” x.5” (folded with 6 cards and some cash)
Card pockets: 6
