Homemade/DIY minimalistic wallet.

[BladeScout]

Like most people, Ive carried generic wallets. Lately a sort of 'tri-fold' wallet with room for everything AND the kitchen sink.

When on a motorbike or hiking, I grew tired of having the big(-ish) wallet in my pocket.

Some how receipts also seemed to gravitate to and maybe even multiply in the wallet.

I wanted a minimalistic wallet for credit cards and a some bills, so I scoped out the market.

There are some nice ones there to say the least. The market seems to be flooded with minimalistic wallets these days and in all kinds of shapes. I drew inspiration from a few and thought this was a DIY project just for the heck of it. Some wallets I like, but they had weird appendages, straps or eyelets for carabiners, cap openers or other features, which I didnt care for.

This is the DIY result made by a buddy and I:

One side/half is solid Carbon Fiber:


The other side consists of a thin slice of Titanium (so thin as to be useless for the wallet on its own, as the very thin ti would flex. This thin slice of ti was chosen due to the minimalistic/compact nature of the wallet) epoxy'ed to a slab of Carbon Fibre for rigidity - and this thing is solid. The two carbon fiber halves are very stiff and holds the cards very nice and securely.



Around the wallet halves a simple length of bicycle inner tube cut to what ever size one wants. Ive experimented and the one pictured holds the wallet securely.

As for bills, one simply pushes those under the inner tube on the outside of the titanium or the carbon fiber half. Again it also holds the bills surprisingly secure.

The minimalistic wallet holds (in the current config) from one card up to app. fifteen but one of course just goes to a larger or smaller inner tube diameter depending on how many cards one chooses to carry.

The pictured wallet holds ten cards with ample room for bills on the outside of the wallet. It works like a charm.

A succesful project and a wallet, which was/is an instant favorite - its NO bulk at all and works as intended.

Especially since a small incline was worked into the inside of the wallet - the inner halves of the carbon fiber slopes ever so slightly at the bottom; this means you lightly squeeze the wallet together at the bottom and it opens the top like a fan, in order for one to extract a card.

Its very easy to pick just one card and also easy to replace said card. Sometimes the card behind the one you chose slips up half an inch or so. IMO this is NOT a disadvantage - the cards are in order and this makes them easy to replace in the wallet in the same order.

There has to date been no embarrassing opening of the fan with both halves slipping and all cards spilling to the floor. Cant say it WONT happen, but am fairly certain, that the kinks have been worked out of the wallet.

A small half moon cut was added at 'the bottom' of the wallet to push up the cards. IMO this is not really necessary and Im glad, that I didnt go for the half moon cut to extend further into the wallet. Some minimalistic wallets of the same design has a much deeper cut.

The minimalistic Titanium & Carbon Fiber wallet is pretty much indestructible - at least as far as the very rigid and sold halves of Ti and CF goes.

The only 'weak' point is the bicycle inner tube....but Ive used the wallet for a while now to test it (EDC, sports, hunting, kayaking etc etc) and have yet to have the inner tube around the wallet break.

A moot point anyway, as I carry an extra length of bicycle inner tube cut to size on my key ring, where it goes unnoticed until a future potential use.

Anyway, one should always carry a spare rubber ...

 

[CARRERA50]

Your design is similar to Radix, Ridge, Classy Men's Gear and a few others. I've been experimenting with a few of these for a while and, for me, they all share the same 2 problems: difficulty in extracting and replacing the desired
card and inadequate bill storage. I don't want bills on the outside of the wallet as "flash the cash" is a bad idea, at least in the public places I'm forced to frequent. Cramming the bills in with the cards increases the chance of embarrassing
"over deployment" while fumbling for what I want to extract...
I assume the carbon fiber/titanium combo provides RFID protection which is important because of public exposure. At any rate, thanks for posting your interesting creation; are you planning to market this?

 

[BladeScout]

Yes, very similar to the Ridge, which was one of those I looked at (briefly checked out the Radix amongst a slew of others and wont ever admit to looking at any product from something called 'Classy Mens Gear':barf: . No, honestly, dont know them). I just wanted the two materials (Ti + CF) on the same wallet - not either or.

Im not keen on the screws in the Ridge - I wanted a cleaner design and only sandwich construction on one side. Ridge have a sandwish construction to hold the elastic band on their wallets.

Not keen on the deeper 'push up' cut on the Ridge though (as mentioned) nor the elastic band itself.

I didnt want a clip on the outside either but that is of course optional on the Ridge.

It was either one of these or a design similar to the Flip Wallet and that was outside the scope of quick and dirty manufacturing possibilities...

As for replacing/extracting cards: After some initial fumbling, I have no problem what so ever in regards to extracting or replacing cards. Of course it does take some dexterity (not saying you dont got it) and a 'method'

The method being - as I mentioned before- that you have the cards in order. I dont often have reason to flash my drivers license (dont get pulled over much), havent had to use my veterans card lately, have other cards not being the most often used etc etc - so the card I use the most is (*sigh*) a credit card most often used to buy groceries etc.

This card is placed almost centrally in the wallet.

The above mentioned wallet 'fan' design practically pops up that card due to its placement in the wallet, when the wallet is squeezed at the 'bottom' half.

I find it works a charm - it DOES take some getting used to though.

How ever the lithmus test is that I reflect over, just how much I like the design and why it took me so long to get around to either making or buying one of these minimalistic wallets. Im certainly a believer.

As for the bills on the outside. That works just fine for me too. The imperative words being 'works for me.' People are different and have different use for cash versus plastic. This of course differs from country to country, from state to state and person to person.

I find myself using relatively little cash hence dont have much need for a wad of bills stuck under the bicycle inner tube. If I carried around a lot of cash, I can see how that would present a problem/potential embarressment etc...but I dont.

As I use little cash, I find myself having only a few unobtrusive bills stuck to one half of the wallet. Works just fine.

You have to use a similar wallet to appreciate the design; if you are worried about your cash showing, just keep that side 'palmed' so to speak and no one will be the wiser.

 

[BladeScout]

At any rate, thanks for posting your interesting creation; are you planning to market this?

Thanks

and no, no plans what so ever to market this in any way shape or form.

I only made this as a fun project with a buddy because we could, had the raw material (having just made some CF sheets) and because I was fed up with my bulky wallet and really wanted the most minimalistic wallet possible, which would still be solid/rigid enough to offer some protection for the cards and prevent them breaking.

If I/we make another/more wallets, it would only be because my buddy wants one or if I want to 'product improve' the existing one (but at this point in time, the DIY wallet works a charm and I honestly cant see, how it can be improved for my use/needs).

 

[CARRERA50]

Again, thanks for your insights. I ordered the Ridge in aluminum and was surprised at just how heavy it was. Tried a flip wallet called EDCcool but ultimately it was just too bulky and the bill extraction was clumsy. I'll just keep trying
different things until I find the best compromise.

 

[BladeScout]

The EDCcool, I dont know.

Surprised, that the Ridge is heavy - Ive only seen it in pics on the web. It never entered my mind, that something so simplistic would be heavy, especially as they come in CF, Alu and Ti.

That only makes me more happy with my minimalistic DIY wallet Needless to say, carbon fiber and titanium are both VERY light weight materials and the wallet is light as a feather - maybe because the layers are thinner in my wallet (?). Strange, that Ridge didnt go that route - my wallet is presumably a tad thinner but still practically unbreakable for all intents and purposes.

Thanks for info - food for thought.

 

[samarc07]

it looks cool and classic, did you try selling it?

 

[BladeScout]

Thanks, very happy with how it came out and have used everyday since it was made.
Nope, as mentioned, this is 1/1 made for my use and just for the fun of making it.