After five years of using a money clip, I have decided to be a grown up and get a wallet. I didn’t, however, want a huge bulky hunk of leather that throws my hips out of alignment and causes me to hobble like an old man at the ripe age of 31. Jiu jitsu already does that for me. I needed something slim that I could toss in my front pocket and go on with my day. I’m all about spending money on quality items but sometimes breaking the bank for an every day item just doesn’t seem ideal. I didn’t want to spend an arm and a leg so decided to do some window shopping on Amazon. After looking at an endless amount of “slim” and “clip” wallets, I decided on giving the Saddleback Leather ID Wallet a shot. The wallet has 243 five star reviews on Amazon and although I normally stay away from skewed reviews for any product, Saddleback seems to have a proven name in the leather industry so I decided to read a bit more. The first thing that I noticed is that the wallet comes with a 100 year warranty. Although it is surely marketing, I can’t help but feel comfortable that a company who boasts such claims seems to have a history of backing it up. I decided to bite the bullet and go for it.

At a price of only $33.00 I couldn’t go wrong. Worst case scenario, I could get half price for it by reselling it online if I absolutely hated it. I made the purchase and forgot about it. It wasn’t long before I got a semi-personal automated e-mail from the company president which made me feel good. Although it was automated I definitely enjoyed the fact that it was much more personal than almost any other third party purchase I had made on Amazon. Companies take note, this is a nice way to start a relationship on the right foot.

About four days later I had a package arrive from UPS. I opened it to find my new wallet! As somebody who is interested in design of all types the first thing I noticed was the fact that the packaging that it came in wasn’t exactly design focused. It came wrapped in seemingly vacuum-sealed plastic. I’m curious as to if their higher end items like messenger bags or laptop cases come packaged the same way. If they do, I must say that it’s a sin to the craftsmanship and artistry put into the product.

The first thing I noticed about the wallet upon removing it from the shrink wrap was the glorious smell. Once I got past the intoxicating aroma the next thing noticed was the quality stitching around the perimeter of the wallet.

One side of the wallet features a slide for an identification card. They boast that there is no plastic cover because it would not be covered by their 100 year warranty. I am glad that they don’t have a cover because it would completely take a way from the classic look. Above the identification area there is a slot that easily fits a credit card or two.

The second side features two slots for various plastic cards with a classy logo in the bottom right corner. I’ve got to say that I was completely impressed with the wallet thus far.

The most impressive part is the fact that the wallet can easily fit six or seven plastic cards, an ID card, and a bit of cash folded up in the middle of the two sides and it still remains so slim.

A lot of the reviews on Amazon stressed the fact that one needs to break it in prior to using it and I personally didn’t get that impression. I found that the wallet was pretty smooth and easy to manipulate. I have noticed that over the course of the past few weeks that the middle section, designated for cash, has started to become a little bit easier to maneuver with my fingers so maybe that’s what all of the fuss was about. All in all, I have to say that I am pleased with this wallet and if any of you are looking for one be sure to check out their website or this specific wallet on Amazon.

Do you have a Saddleback wallet or leather product? If so Tweet at me @_ellenbrook and tell me your thoughts. I’m interested in hearing more about what other people think about their products.