Wallet Blog Extrodinary
The Best Wallet Blog in the Universe
Money Clips | Money clip
Feb 10th
Are Money Clips for Real?
One of the biggest changes in society over the last 10-15 years has been the shift in attitude towards wealth. It used to be that people with money liked to keep it to themselves and not flaunt their wealth. These days people expect to show off their success in a more public way, weather that is through a fancy sports car, mansion or the cash that they carry. Nothing says decadence quite like carrying around a wad of cash.
Money Clips Rock
The ironic thing is that the money clip is as simple as it gets. It is literally a simple metal or carbon fibre clip that can hold up to 15 folded bank notes in place. They also can hold a couple of cards in place as well. Despite their humble construction the money clip has a public perception of being for high rollers and playboys.
The money clip can be manufactured from a variety of materials. From precious metals like gold, silver or platinum for the true high rollers and in more recent times carbon fibre has become a really popular material for money clips.
Another trend on money clip scene is the use of strong magnets to further ensure that your notes stay in place. Important to make sure the magnet that wallet your clip uses will not void the magnetic strip on your credit cards. But this information should be readily available from wherever you buy your clip from.
Money clip in a wallet
One of the key drivers in the growth of take up of money clips is the fact that they are a fantastic gift for young men. As a result boat loads of young fella’s have been receiving a clip for either their 21st or their 18th birthday gifts. They last a long time, they are a reall talking point and they can easily be engraved to preserve the memory.
Also a great present for your boss, but it seems that the money clip is not too popular with chicks. I think it is because most women prefer to carry a bit more around with them.
We have seen the surge in the use and uptake of money clips has been somewhat predictable, society has changed and we now proudly display our success and our wealth. And there is no better way to do that than by swinging a wad of cash around in your pocket
Magic Wallets – Magic Wallet
Feb 9th
What is up with “Magic Wallets”?
The definite trend amongst young hipsters these days is the slim wallets that they like to carry. This maybe a result of their more general “laissez faire” attitudes towards life,.or it maybe due to the huge popularity of the Magic Wallet. The magic wallet could not be more simple design or any less straightforward. The Magic wallet is comprised of two different pieces that are joined by two pieces of elastic. An important part of the magic function is that they open from both sides.
Magic Wallets
The functional part of the wallet are the elastic straps, one side (left hand side) has two vertical straps of elastic whilst the right hand side has two elastic pieces placed in the form of an X
The magic function of the wallet is activated by placing your notes on top of the elastic X form. Then you just close your wallet and open it up from the other side
Sweet Magic Wallet
Then BAMMM, your notes have magically moved behind the vertical elastic straps on the other side. This will never grow old and will continually impress your buddies at the pub on a Friday night.
A big part of the magic wallets appeal is it’s slim form and minimalist design. The fact is that people prefer to travel lighter these days, much information is carried on our phones and we can live without a lot of things that we used to stuff our wallets with. Magic wallets come in a huge range of colours but tend to stick to the same basic design.
Magic wallets are a popular gift idea for the young gentlemen in the family, and they tend to be pretty well received. At the end of the day the Magic Wallet is a lot more exciting than the old stock standard men’s leather wallet.
Travel Wallets
Feb 1st
Most people are terrified of losing their important documents when they are travelling, that is where a good travel wallet will come to the rescue. Keeping your important documents, passport and travel tickets in one single safe place is the recipe for a relaxing trip.
Traditional Travel Wallet
The best way to address this little problem is to get yourself a good travel wallet. And it is no surprise that travel wallets have become more popular as travel increases both domestically and internationally. We used to drive for holidays and work, now it seems as though we are in the air the whole time.
So in order to encourage you to buy a good quality travel wallet we have created a checklist of what to look for and what to think about.
1. The Material: I encourage you to look for a travel wallet that is nice and flexible. You need to be able to squeeze this wallet into your over burdened luggage and carry on. If your wallet has no flex then it cannot go anywhere.
Timo! Travel Wallet
2. Something a little different: It is too easy to leave your travel wallet behind in your hotel room if it doesn’t stand out. Get something a little different so that you are less likely to leave it behind when you are in a rush.
3. BIG…but not too big: You want a travel wallet that is big enough to fit your wallet, tickets and papers of course. But too big and bulky and it will be a liability your whole trip.
Also look for something that is pretty streamlined and doesn’t have too many pockets and the like. Otherwise you are just as likely to loose your passport in your travel wallet, and that defeats the whole purpose. So just keep it simple. Look for something with a couple large pockets, that should be enough.
Timo Wallets
Jan 31st
Continuing our series that profiles those that have dragged the wallet kicking and screaming into the 21st century of fashion we profile the passionate and talented Timo Weiland. Unlike my good self Timo has a genuine flair and passion for design and a natural proclivity for creative design and creation.
Timo! wallet with graffiti print
Although his name is Timo Weiland, it is also the name of his with Alan Eckstein and there work has had them ordained as the next big thing out of New York. It is not often that something as mundane as the wallet gets such attention from the top design talent in the world, and the results have been true innovation in design, materials and construction.
So why did Timo decide to have a crack at changing the wallet world? Well he couldn’t find anything that he liked, so he created his own line. The Timo! Wallets are unique because of the vast departure from the traditional wallet making techniques and materials.
Timo 3D Wallets
The Timo! Range is constructed from recycled paper, recycled laminate, soy ink for the prints and the wallets are hand stitched. This creates a completely different wallet, it feels more temporary and flexible and allows you to make real statement with your wallet.
Because the designs are printed there are a huge range of designs that Timo! has created and he continues to push boundaries.
My personal favourite has to be the 3D wallet range, who doesn’t love half naked women popping out from your wallet in 3D. And don’t worry the 3D glasses come with the wallet so you can impress your mates at the pub.
It really is this production process that means each wallet can be a stand alone work of art. The simple construction with its sweeping lines and simple construction provides a strong and simple wallet. And with the trend in recent years towards slim wallets that easily fit into jeans and jacket pockets we can see the Timo! range of wallets being incredibly popular for years to come.
Stewart/Stand Wallets for Men
Jan 30th
Too highlight some of the true innovators in the wallet market we will be highlighting designers and manufacturers that have taken a unique approach to the creation of their wallets. To start this little series we will take a look at one of my favorite designers Stewart/Stand.
StewartStand Design
This Brooklyn based design company also distributes, manufactures and sells directly their range of wallets, furniture and some other unique items. Famous for their simple and innovation design solutions Stewart/Stand made their mark on the design world in 2002 with the introduction of Flatlinks’ the unique folding men’s cuff links. And looking back that was the start of better things to come.
The company takes it’s name from the surname of its founders. The brothers Paul and Theo Stewart-Stand both have a passion for designing products that are both innovative and the two themes that run through all of their designs are compact and sustainable. Making them a popular choice with eco-aware consumers.
The biggest innovation that Stewart/Stand have added to the wallet industry is their willingness to embrace different materials. The use of fine stainless steel mesh has traditionally been confined to industrial filtering applications. Which makes the choice by Stewart/Stand to use this material to create wallets even more impressive.
Stainless Steel Mens Wallet
Turns out that this stainless steel mesh is an ideal material for wallets. It is lightweight, incredibly tough, feels as soft as silk and even protects sensitive personal information from being electronically lifted from your wallet. So it is no wonder that the range of stainless steel wallets have been the most popular range of the Stewart/Stand product range.
We drool over the stainless steel wallets range by Stewart/Stand and if you are ever in Brooklyn we recommend that you swing by their flagship store. Or you can purchase them online at wallets online.
RFID Security Wallets
Dec 16th
With the constant march of technology there are inevitably new pitfalls and risks that we have to be aware of. And this is no different when it comes to your wallet. With the huge uptake of Easy Pay Credit Cards to the RFID chips in the new generation of passports your sensitive information is now a lot easier to steal. Make sure your wallet can protect your information
Hackers have worked out how to steal this sensitive information by using technology to “sniff” the information embedded in these chips. They can then emulate your personal information and either sell it off or use it for personal use.
So what can you do to protect yourself?
You need to shield your sensitive information from prying radio waves, and this can be achieved through a few different approaches.
1. Wrap your cards or passports in aluminum foil
2. Use a “Faraday Cage” – This is a device that blocks any radio waves from entering or exiting.
3. Get a secure wallet – Many companies now make wallets that block on radar waves.
It may seem like an unnecessary precaution but with more and more of our sensitive information becoming digitized you have to take smart steps to protect yourself. Identity theft is now a mainstay of organised crime and they fly gangs all over the world to steal credit card details and social security details. Don’t let your life get hijacked.
Keyboard Wallet
Oct 11th
So whilst further exploring the depths of Geekdom (or the heights depending on who you ask) I came across a wallet that has been created from the leftovers of a PC keyboard. The wallet looks very cool but probably not all that functional.
Bilbo Baggins probably has a coin purse
Personally I always like to have a coin section. No idea what people do without one, maybe they keep a separate coin purse in a similar fashion to Bilbo Baggins.
- Bilbo Baggins probably has a coin purse
Well this precious would realistically take you about 30 minutes to make but maybe longer if you wanted it to be a bit more durable.
What’s next? Who knows? Maybe a vinyl record wallet…..
Well if you do happen to make one of these bad boys please send us the photos of the results.
Atari Cartridge Wallet
Oct 4th
So old school gamers like me remember fondly the Atari cartridge games for what was for many people the first game system that they had. For me this was the very first computer game I ever played, and it was a powerful drug. So when I saw this video showing you how to create a wallet with an Atari cartridge.
This is actually pretty cool, you can buy them off the dude that made the video or try and make one yourself. They are pretty durable and defiantly a talking point, but I am a little concerned about how long they will last.
Anyway let me know if you have seen one of these bad boys in action or have some doubts. Come on people lets share the love.
Ch,ch,ch,check it out;
What are your thoughts punks and punkettes???
Whats Next?
Oct 3rd
The Evolution of wallets?
Wallets really have not evolved much over the last 50 years, they are durable with enough variations to meet most unique needs. Some people don’t like a coin section in their wallet, but I personally cannot live without one. Although my mate Parky has told me this is because I am a tight ass (which is correct). But where do we see the wallet going into the future, there is a lot of talk about our wallet being replaced by a mobile phone, so your phone acts as your cash card your ID etc… sounds good huh?
Well yes and no, what happens if your phone gets a flat battery, breaks or gets stolen. Or most commonly lost, which I do for about 20 minutes every day before I leave for work. Well then your pretty much screwed. Although I am sure that these issues will be ironed out over time, it seems the conventional wallet will be with us for some time to come.
But in the meantime what is happening in the world of wallet innovation? Well I am going to be showing other people’s You Tube clips over the next few weeks to give some thoughts on wallet design and where it might be headed.
Below is a video that focuses on increasing the security of a wallet, pretty cool but seems a little bulky and not all that user friendly.
Let me know what you think, would you buy one of these high tech bad boys?
Lost a Wallet?
Sep 26th
So some dude has created a website and trap. He dropped 100 wallets and video taped people picking them up. He then measured how many people returned these wallets and broke it down via the demographics. Of the sample wallets 74 were actually returned and 26 were “stolen”. My thoughts “Stitch Up”.
You cant drop a wallet and then expect to people to return it every time, the problem in this case was that there was not much in the wallet. A couple of dollars and an idea. Seriously you might just think the wallet had been lost a while ago. You might have intended to send the wallet back but lost it in the meantime. You can check out the video below.
So have you ever lost a wallet? Did you get it back? Is this dude a dick? (hint: the answer to the last question is yes)
