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Affordable Men's Style

Patina Porn: Saddleback’s Leather ID Wallet, Two Years In

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Saddleback Leather Co. Leather ID Wallet – $33.00

I bought this wallet  in tobacco brown about the same time as my thin briefcase. For two years I’ve carried it almost every day and it’s holding up far better than any other leather wallet I’ve used for two years.

On a typical day all I carry in it are two cards and a license. That leaves room to tuck in a few extra cards and various odds and ends for the day’s needs. In theory, I have a money clip for cash. In practice, the cash I carry usually fits in the center pocket fine. That’s about it though, and that’s the idea. This wallet forces you to keep it light.

saddleback2Wallet in tobacco brown on thin briefcase in dark coffee brown.

It’s slim, but it does have more heft to it than other card cases. It’s about twice as thick as my Brooks Brothers Slim Card Case. But it’s still slimmer than my previous billfold, particularly with all that I used to stuff into that. And it’s a third of the price of the Brooks Brothers one.

The exterior is full grain leather and the lining is pigskin.  The marine grade thread has held up incredibly well and there’s not a hint of fraying. There’s no plastic in the ID window to age and crack. After two years, my ID sits a little loose, but I’ve never had it slip out accidentally.

Wallet in tobacco brown on thin briefcase in dark coffee brown.

It sits comfortably in either my front or back pocket. It has been soaked with both rain and sweat without damage. If anything, the leather has improved, developing a gorgeous patina. It just keeps looking better with each year. I’ve had other leather wallets wear out. This thing has matured.

Own a wallet from Saddleback?  What’s your experience been like?  Have alternatives?  Leave it all below.

Ben Madeska is Dappered’s Arts & Culture correspondent.  Along with quality leather goods, he enjoys literature, art, food, and wine.  For a real perspective on the news these things seem to make, follow Ben on Twitter.

Comments

  1. Oh man, that is sexy. Putting this on the wish list for when I need to replace my Dopp Regatta.

  3. Got the same one (in a darker brown) this past Christmas and I’m very pleased so far.

  4. I have the exact one in the darker color as well. I have had it for 6 months or so and it’s been great. Very happy with the purchase.

  7. Seriously.

    I challenge you people to play a game. Go to a grocery store, and try to find an aisle without a product using the Papyrus font.

  9. How precisely, does one with this level of criticism spinning in his head, actually get any sleep at night?

    Someone hand me a match. I’m going to light myself on fire.

  10. Let me put it this way:

    Let’s say you were hiring a lawyer and meeting him face to face for the first time. He exits his office to greet you and you are pleasantly surprised with his style: expertly tailored fine Italian suit, crisp white shirt (with subtle herringbone pattern), Hermes tie that perfectly accents his eyes, Edward Green cap toes in a unique but coordinating color. He shakes your hand firmly and sits down across from you to get down to business. As he crosses his legs, your eyes fall on his sagging white athletic socks. So close to perfect, but one detail immediately becomes a sore thumb.

    No one’s saying you shouldn’t hire the guy but you would be within reason to cringe at the one ruined detail of his otherwise perfect appearance. That’s what the Papyrus on this wallet is to me. I just don’t like Papyrus.

  11. I have the “Classic Wallet Business/Credit Card” – basically a bi-fold card wallet. I’ve had it for 3 years and really love it. It was stiff at first, but has broken in very well. The thread broke in one spot, but I don’t think it’s in any danger of coming apart. Very well made, and a steal at $21.

  12. I didn’t know what the hell you were talking about in your original comment until jdw wrote “font”

    The white socks don’t fit your guy’s outfit. This font fits their brand. Maybe they started using it long before Papyrus become so universally(?) hated. But I’m guessing that the vast majority of us only extend our font knowlege/dislike to comic sans. That fits the white sock analogy. If they would have stamped a comic sans font on there, then yeah, white socks.

    We can agree to disagree. But I think we’ll both agree on the fact that we should be spending our time this evening doing other things than discussing this.

  13. Well my original comment was meant to be innocuous and silly. You escalated by saying you were gonna light yourself on fire…

    I feel the same way about Papyrus that you do about Comic Sans, and I’m willing to go out on a very sturdy limb and say that 99% of designers would agree with me. I disagree that it fits their brand, unless they are based in Egypt. I’m not criticizing YOU, just the typeface choice of the product.

    But you’re right about not spending the evening arguing about the font on a wallet. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to throw on my Sketchers, cargo shorts, and fedora and hit the town!

    PS thanks for the site, Joe. I still love ya. Also, my wallet is tacky as hell.

  14. If you’ve worked in or with graphics professionals, you’ve probably encountered burning hatred for Papyrus. It’s the single most overused font in the country right now. It’s also such a unique font that once someone has called your attention to it (I blame my ex, here), it’s difficult NOT to notice its prevalence. I once saw two restaurants on opposite sides of the street from each other BOTH using Papyrus as the font on their signs. Had it been Helvetica or something else “boring” and innocuous, I would never have noticed, but Papyrus… *shudder*

  16. I guess Saddleback heard everyone call them out on the Papyrus. I got this same wallet a couple months ago and they use a more generic font with a fancy S.

  17. I’ve had this wallet for about a year in the Chestnut color. I love it. It has held up really well.

    P.S. They are no longer using Papyrus. Don’t know what the current font is called.

  18. Maybe it’s me. Not a fan of the ID window, even without the plastic. Any time I’ve ever been asked for my ID, I’ve been fully expected to remove it from the wallet and hand it to someone, thus rendering ID windows useless.

    Bit of a shame on an otherwise good looking minimalist wallet. Except for the papyrus…

  20. I’ve had this wallet for two years and can’t recommend it highly enough. It has survived numerous trips to the field (Army Infantry) and doesn’t have a single stitch coming loose. Great buy.

  21. Have they change the thickness of the leather? The pic on the website makes the leather less thick than the 1-2yr review pics that I find on the web.

  22. I have this wallet. In the Id slot, I have my ID card in front and my health insurance card behind it. If I need to remove the card, you just push it with your thumb and it slides out easily.

    I got my wallet like a year ago and the font is different now (same font as the current saddleback logo http://www.saddlebackleather.com)

  25. I’ve been getting really tired of the trend of administering the ‘porn’ moniker to anything interesting or cool. Kind of disappointed to see it here.

  26. I’ve got Saddleback’s card case in tobacco brown. It’s really phenonenal, especially at only $20. The initial color is too light, but it ages so beautifully.

  27. For an extra $20 – $30, I’ll take a Chester Mox #52. Mine looks incredible after about a year.

  29. Noted. Honestly, it was half of a joke (Patina porn? really?) and half alliteration. But your point is taken.

  31. I got the card case they make – single fold two pocket that’s just the right size for ID and credit cards. It’s held up as well as this, and also fits comfortably in a front pocket.

  32. I’ve had this wallet (in coffee) for over two years. I love it! It has a beautiful shine to it now that the inside of my front pocket has been polishing it for going on three years. I keep my drivers license and my military ID in it. I like that all I have to do is push the one out slightly to access the other. It’s a bargain compared to other wallets I’ve owned. Now I hope my other Saddleback items will continue to age even half as well.

  34. I just ordered this. Same color and everything. You have yet to disappoint me, Joe. Thanks for leading me out of my poorly dressed early 20s.

  36. LOVE my coffee brown ID wallet. Unless I’m dressing more on the formal side, it’s on me at all times. Just glad they nixed the papyrus before I got mine. As the pictures show, raised lettering will eventually leave an impression on that bottom card slot, so I simply flipped the card in that slot over.

    I think the greatest thing about this and Saddleback’s other products is the fact that they get better with age, both in appearance and functionality. They basically become more valuable the longer you have them.The exact opposite is true with practically everything else you’ll purchase in your lifetime, save for antiques.

    I just got their bible cover in chestnut to use as a journal cover, and I don’t doubt for a second that it will be passed on to another generation after I’ve gotten over half a century of solid use out of it.

  37. I’ve had this wallet for about a year and a half now, and I love it. I also carry quite a bit more in it (cash, credit card, debit card, Metro SmarTrip card, Driver’s License, Fire Department ID, EMT card, CPR card, Health Insurance card, and another ID card for work). Everything fits just fine and I’ve had no trouble with it and no signs of fraying or wear. The Dark Coffee Brown leather still looks great!

  39. I might know a little bit about the patina on a Tobacco Yellow Saddleback… This one’s about two years as well. Why is it so much darker than his? My guess is that I sweat like a horse.

  41. I have the same wallet in dark coffee. Right now, it holds:
    license (with change of address card)

    hsa card
    health insurance card
    atm card
    starbucks card
    safeway club card
    lowes card
    sentrilock card (I’m a Realtor, it’s the card that gets me in to lockboxes)
    target card
    personal m/c
    business m/c
    chase sapphire
    delta amex
    morgan stanley m/c (debit card)
    $47

    everything stays in, fits in front pocket.