In a digitized world, the pocket companion you carry can send a strong message. Whether it’s a custom-made leather money clip or a tattered old billfold, the style of your vintage wallet is reflective of your overall look.
In this article, we will dive into various styles and discuss how they are made along with what quality hallmarks to look for in a vintage wallet. We’ll also suggest some recommendations.
The Timeless Elegance of Vintage Wallets: A Collector’s Guide
When choosing a vintage wallet the quality of the leather is most important. A good wallet is a long-wearing item so it needs to be durable. High-quality leather will be undyed, unblemished, and have very fine pores. Look for straight stitching that stays perfectly parallel to the edges. Junky factory wallets are hurriedly stitched and often have ugly corners. Look for Polyester threading as it’s the same thread used in critical components of sailboat sails and parachutes.
Launer makes a variety of traditional pocket-sized billfolds and coat wallets. Their coat wallets are longer and narrower to fit in the inside breast pocket of a jacket or suit. They usually have a space for a check or paper currency and credit card slots on both sides. They use a more time-consuming construction method, which is more expensive than the third method, where they cut slits into a single piece of leather for each card slot. However, the difference in durability is well worth the extra effort. Also, their divider is not sewn and cut like other wallets which adds to their longevity.