stanly Report post Posted March 11, 2011 Is there a preferance for this reason? Wondering because some of members here refer to their finished projects as "bricks". It would seem to be contrary for something that you are going to be sitting on for perhaps hours at a time to value thickness. My latest wallet (biker) measures out at the binding as 3/8" and if I'd wanted to use liner material for the inner partitions it could have been less. Am I just shooting myself in foot by going this way (in terms to selling product)? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ferg Report post Posted March 12, 2011 Is there a preferance for this reason? Wondering because some of members here refer to their finished projects as "bricks". It would seem to be contrary for something that you are going to be sitting on for perhaps hours at a time to value thickness. My latest wallet (biker) measures out at the binding as 3/8" and if I'd wanted to use liner material for the inner partitions it could have been less. Am I just shooting myself in foot by going this way (in terms to selling product)? My wallets have always been made from 5/6 oz. Never had a problem with wear or discomfort from anyone. ferg Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
azrider Report post Posted March 12, 2011 I have noticed that many people think that thinner leathers are higher quailty. Coach wallets cost a fortune, and are made from very thin leather. Most of my wallets have 6-7 oz backs, and interiors made with 2-3 oz. My standard bi-fold wallet is 5/8ths of an inch, empty. I don't make them that thick because I think its a selling point, I make them that thick because I don't want the interior to wear out quickly. I made one for a sandblaster who had been going through 4-5 wallets per year, and he has been using it for a year and a half now, and its still solid. That said, using an acordian style construction on my biker wallet allowed me to make the total wallet only 9/16ths of an inch. Thinner wallets seem to be the ones the potential customers pick up first. I don't think you are shooting yourself in the foot by making a quality thinner wallet. Do you have any pictures? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
WyomingSlick Report post Posted March 12, 2011 People who spend a lot of time sitting on their caboose, and who carry their wallet (billfold) in a rear pocket can, over time, develop a misaligned spine. This is more common in older people. I know as I got older, I found it was better for me to take my wallet out when I am driving somewhere for any extended distance. It wasn't so bad years ago when most of us just carried mostly cash there. Nowdays with all the credit cards, insurance cards, pictures, etc, a wallet can get pretty thick. Is it no wonder, that many are looking for a thinner wallet to start with? Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
knuckles34 Report post Posted March 12, 2011 I agree with WyomingSlick. No one likes a pain in the rear. You could advertise a thick one as, The Sciatic Sizzler. As far as production make a variety. thick or thin, your work will speak for itself. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
billsreef Report post Posted March 12, 2011 People who spend a lot of time sitting on their caboose, and who carry their wallet (billfold) in a rear pocket can, over time, develop a misaligned spine. This is more common in older people. I know as I got older, I found it was better for me to take my wallet out when I am driving somewhere for any extended distance. It wasn't so bad years ago when most of us just carried mostly cash there. Nowdays with all the credit cards, insurance cards, pictures, etc, a wallet can get pretty thick. Is it no wonder, that many are looking for a thinner wallet to start with? There's also a nerve that runs under that part of your backside that can be damaged from sitting on a wallet. Quite a number of years ago my doctor told me to stop keeping my wallet in my back pocket for those very reasons. So I carry in a front pocket or cargo pocket. As for leather thickness and quality, I've been carrying one of the first wallets I ever made. It's the fairly commonplace 3/4 oz back with calfskin liner and credit card pockets. It's a good 30 years old and just recently has gotten to the point of wear that has me planning out my next wallet Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
electrathon Report post Posted March 12, 2011 I make a lot of wallets and always use the thinnest leather I can. I tool them and generally use about 4 oz for the outside , then line them with pig (2 oz I think). I have never had one wear out that I know of. When I used to use Tandy liners they would come apart in about a year, so i stopped using them and make my own insides. One of the primary criteria in construction is to try to keep them thin. If people are not complaining about them being thick I would guess they are just being polite. Why in the world would anyone want to sit on a 2x4 all the time? Make them thick enough to hold up and no more. Aaron Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
BIGGUNDOCTOR Report post Posted March 13, 2011 I hate carrying a wallet in my hip pocket, so I keep it in a cargo pocket, or front pocket depending on where I am. My wallet is usually in the glove box of the car, and only comes out when I am heading into a store. My commute is 206 miles round trip, and there is no way I would leave it in my pocket. Some of us are not that well padded to cushion a wallet no matter how thin it is. I try to keep my wallet purged of cards, and the only plastic in it is a debit card, drivers license, and a rewards card for my main gas company. The rest will be business cards that I accumulate at events. Now this me sound sacrilegious here, but my wallet is a tri-fold Cordura nylon model. It was a gift years ago from a dear friend, and it has held up very well over the past 20 years, or so,can't remember exactly when I got it, but it was a long time ago. If I want thin for a nice event I would probably go with a money clip. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
FatSmitty Report post Posted March 14, 2011 (edited) I think that when a wallet is carved or stamped, a thicker leather is used to get a better relief of the design. If you are just making a plain wallet, then the thinner leather would be more desirable. When I have bought wallets before I started making my own, I tended to buy plain, thinner wallets with a finer leather. These wallets have a more supple feel and seem to be a higher end product. I have 2 wallets that I switch between. I have a chain drive(biker/trucker style) and a thinner plain/supple trifold I use when fancier clothing is required. When I used to travel abroad, I would keep 2 wallets on me-1 in my front pocket with my real cash and ID and the 2nd "dummy wallet" in my back pocket with a 20 in it and nothing else important. I try to keep the contents to a minimum to keep the thickness down. I have a customer that keeps a tooled/laced billfold stuffed to the gills that is over 2 inches thick. Needless to say that this keeps him coming back for a new one once a year. I have told him that the wallet isn't made to carry that amount of stuff and causes the lacing and lining to fall apart quickley. I guess he likes buying a new wallet each year. These days, a custom wallet can be purchased as much as an "accessory item" over just being a functional item, and they may be buying thicker wallets for the overall fashion appeal over function and comfort. With the amount of celebs wearing chain drives in the media, it is "cool" to wear one and a fashion statement more that anything else. I would make your product your way and market to the entended deomgrahic-comfort and function and/or quality over fashion, if thats what you make, or make whats selling hot right now, or make and offer both, or make custom orders to the customers request. My .02 for what it's worth. Nevada Edited March 14, 2011 by FatSmitty Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
