ALL-ETT Billfold Wallet
For many years I suffered with a "creeping boat" wallet, consistently growing in size from year to year. Not only can sitting on such a thick wallet be bad for your back, but it also leaves an unsightly bulge in your back pocket (not to mention stretching the pocket out, thereby increasing the chances of your wallet falling out). The All-Ett billfold, while not stylish, solves all of those problems. The wallet has two pockets -- a deep one for receipts and a shallower one for bills - and a four-card slot system that holds a ton of cards without adding much bulk. Right now I keep about 20 cards (I've had up to 30), and it's about a quarter inch thick, with a few bills/receipts.
With my old wallets, I used to keep out cards I didn't use as frequently, but now I take them all with me. The wallet is made of a nylon that feels like a parachute, which helps keep its slim profile, dries quickly (unlike leather), and is breathable. I've had mine for about 2 years and it's held up pretty well so far -- no tears etc. The price is a little high, but comparable to most standard leather wallets I've seen.
It's worth noting that some people have expressed concerns about cards falling out of the slots. It is true that the more cards you keep, the more secure the cards will be in each slot. But I've never had an issue with this. I find that if I open up the wallet and tip it sideways, the cards can come out, but I've never experienced this in real usage due to the fact I hold my wallet horizontally like you'd hold a normal wallet. If I tip it some while looking for bills, the cards still don't fall out as the slots open towards the fold. It seems the only way to actually have them fall out is to open the wallet all the way up and then hold it vertically. Again, if you have several cards in each slot, this doesn't happen, only when there are a few (I've tried it with two in a slot and they slipped out). That said, if I were to be storing only a very few number of cards, I'd store them in just two of the slots, ensuring a more snug fit. Nevertheless, this wallet is intended for those of use who like to carry more than a few.
-- Brian Houle
ALL-ETT Billfold Wallet
$20
Available from Amazon
Manufactured by ALL-ETT Billfold
Favorite (15)
pete
Hey Kevin, this wallet is OK but I found a bunch of really cool wallets on this art wallet. There's a bunch of cool artist series and limited edition wallets for sale on there for like $40 bucks.
PaulD
The ALL-ETT product I really like (and have been using for several years with no noticeable wear) is the "Worldest Thinnest Card Case" for just 5 bucks! All it holds is credit cards, which is fine for me because I like to carry my folding money and coin together in a leather zip pouch in my other front pocket. http://www.all-ett.com/productdetails.asp?prodID=14
tony
great wallet. Only problem is that it's so thin I forget I'm carrying it. With a normal wallet i'm always aware that I have the wallet with me. Without the pressure of the thick wallet on my thigh, I dont have that reminder. While traveling in Mexico I walked away and left the wallet lying on a counter. Money, ID, credit cards gone in 30 seconds.
Jay
Hi. You also might want to check out the Slimmy slim front pocket wallet. It's a premium leather alternative that forces you to carry only what you need.
Slimmy might be a little too simple for some folks and is made for people really trying to unclutter.
It's available at Koyono and SuperSlimmy.