[andrewvc]

A few years ago I got into the hobby of handmade leather goods, like wallets.

One thing that struck me as I learned more about the process was that I could with little training, make a higher quality, hand sewn wallet than even most luxury brands for less money by simply buying more expensive material. Indeed, the wallets I've made are still going strong.

What was also apparent was that I certainly had far less skill than the people constructing those mass market wallets. To be able to operate an industrial sewing machine at speed takes far more skill than learning to saddle stitch by hand. When you stitch by hand you can go quite slowly, and taking the time is the point of a hobby anyway. A sewing machine is slightly worse in quality (but not by a lot) but also scales way better.

If you watch videos of skilled folks sewing together shoes on youtube it's insanely impressive how precise and practiced those folks are!

Back to wallets, most hobbyists will take a very high end and thick piece of leather, cut out the pattern with an exacto knife, skive the parts that need it, hand stitch it with a saddle stitch, then finish the edges. Whereas a mass-produced wallet will often use a blend of leather, synthetic fabric for pocket liners, and be machine stitched, with some other machines used along the way. The hobbyist design is simple and robust, it's just layers of leather thicker than you'd find in a normal wallet.

A mass manufactured wallet, even many luxury ones use thinner pieces of leather and synthetic material and construction methods that are less robust. It's not all about cheapness though, some of these things require extra work. I think a lot of it is about producing a product that looks a specific way, even if it is less durable. For instance some luxury products will use a delicate finish (like a paint) that will look awesome, but just won't last as long as a thick piece of vegetable tan. A thin turned edge can certainly be a failure point as well, and that takes more effort to make! I also have to wonder if these brands intentionally want their items to wear out to encourage people to buy more. I imagine the sort of person who buys a Gucci wallet sees it more as a seasonal status symbol than as an investment.

[verbify]

> Indeed, the wallets I've made are still going strong

I'm confused - I purchase a new leather wallet from a department store (a UK one that has a reputation for quality) about once every ten years. How old are your wallets? Or how quickly did your other wallets wear out?

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

Wife bought a Saddleback Leather wallet for me. I suspect a grandson will inherit it. I wish I could afford other products of theirs. The leather is thick enough that even if a stitch came out, I figure it'd be worth having repaired.

A wallet that only lasts 10 years seems disposable at this point.

[wiredfool]

I bought a Saddleback wallet at least 14 years ago, and it's still in pretty good shape. There are a couple of stitches that have broken on the fold, but it's generally ok. Has a nice patina.

Though, it's thick. Really thick. And the card pocket edges are thick enough that they will destroy a credit card in 3 years or so. (Except for the top one on each side, and the hidden slot behind the visible cards.)

I was expecting to use it forever, but between the thickness and just not using nearly as many cards/cash any more, I'll probably give up on it and make a thinner one that's specific to the 3 or 4 cards I use and a stashed bill or two.

(Make because we now have way too much leather because my wife has started making barefoot shoes, and hey stash. Have a really nice leather laptop sleeve now too.)

[jihadjihad]

Same, I've got a few Saddleback pieces including a wallet and it's seen some abuse over the past decade but it's supple and strong with no signs of wearing down anytime soon.

Who knows if their claim of "They'll fight over it when you're dead" is true or not, but can confirm the quality will easily outlast 10 years with no problem.

[monkmartinez]

My question is; Why even have a "wallet" at this point?

My teens use these little things that attach to their phones to hold gym key, debit card and ID.

I use a traditional "wallet" or billfold as my abuelo used to call them, but I am positively a dinosaur using one. Also, the darn thing hurts my back if I leave it in my back pocket while driving/sitting.

Heck, I have been eyeing those crossbody bags or saccoche to hold the things that are in my wallet.

[AngryData]

I still use cash for all of my in-person purchases, but I do live in a rural area where cash is still king and you will get discounts for cash because the people can't just ignore the 3-4% markup on credit like more well off communities.

Also if you need to carry more than just a drivers license and a single credit card for your job. Trailers have their own registrations that you don't want people to loosely throw in their pockets, different professions have license requirements you need to have on you, receipts and notes are still important because you don't want to just be giving everyone your personal bank statements with cryptic "Part/product 482302" and no breakdown on the individual charges involved. Same with auctions and stockyards. Also someones phone on a job is way more likely to get lost/dropped/stolen and you don't want all your identification and licensing and registrations and receipts being lost along with your phone, you basically throw away the entire next day or two or more re-obtaining all that and like they say, don't put all your eggs in one basket.

[NoMoreNicksLeft]

>Also, the darn thing hurts my back if I leave it in my back pocket while driving/sitting.

Not that anyone has ever had to worry about pickpockets in my generation (even criminals aren't as skilled as they were in eras past, I guess), but I've always carried it in a front pocket. I'd lose it a dozen times a month otherwise.

>My question is; Why even have a "wallet" at this point?

There are things I keep in it I need. It's been a long while since anyone mistook me for a teenager.

[asyx]

With handmade wallets, if you can replace the stitching, they will outlive you. It’s really lining and stitching that gives up usually. That’s why hobbyists rarely line and the stitches are usually in a groove and people use waxed synthetic thread.

[andrewvc]

The oldest are maybe old 5-6 years, but they still look great!

That said depending on how you store it ymmv. If you keep it in the same pocket as your keys you’ll have a different outcome from keeping it in a separate pocket of a bag or just even in its own pocket in your pants.

[intrasight]

Fashion over function is most definitely a thing.

But there's also status signaling in having something that you can pass down to your descendants. Of course that signal only transfers to those in the know.

Edit: My childhood friend inherited from her parents (who inherited from their parents) a badge making company that made leather badges for first responders. They went out of business last year and sold off all their leather stock.

[BobAliceInATree]

It's relatively easy to make a thick leather wallet that will last a couple decades.

It's hard to make a thin leather wallet that will last a couple decades.

Most of the online leather brands that popped-up in the past 20 years are the former, not the latter.