ivan ottinger For many years I used a minimalist Ridge wallet. I didn’t miss anything about it. By now it was a bit worn, but still served me well.
I noticed, however, that its durability had a side effect — it was destroying my pants. The constant movement and friction of the hard aluminum against my pocket gradually wore through one pair of pants after another.
I started looking for an alternative. I first considered the Trove, but eventually I found a paper, 18-gram Kamino wallet. I went with the Card Wallet variant in beige.
It fits several payment cards, banknotes, and even one or two coins. It also has one external slot, which is ideal for slipping in a hotel key card when I travel. I can then open the door just by tapping the whole wallet — no need to pull the card out.
I was a bit worried whether the wallet would hold up. So far, I can report that it’s been going strong for 17 months. :) It has only picked up a little patina:
The material is similar to the leather-like brand tag you usually find on the back of jeans near the waistband / belt. So the wallet can also be washed, though I haven’t tried that yet.
Now I just have to wait and see if it’s gentler on my pants.
Translated from the Slovak original.