Wife bought a Saddleback Leather wallet for me. I suspect a grandson will inherit it. I wish I could afford other products of theirs. The leather is thick enough that even if a stitch came out, I figure it'd be worth having repaired.

A wallet that only lasts 10 years seems disposable at this point.

I bought a Saddleback wallet at least 14 years ago, and it's still in pretty good shape. There are a couple of stitches that have broken on the fold, but it's generally ok. Has a nice patina.

Though, it's thick. Really thick. And the card pocket edges are thick enough that they will destroy a credit card in 3 years or so. (Except for the top one on each side, and the hidden slot behind the visible cards.)

I was expecting to use it forever, but between the thickness and just not using nearly as many cards/cash any more, I'll probably give up on it and make a thinner one that's specific to the 3 or 4 cards I use and a stashed bill or two.

(Make because we now have way too much leather because my wife has started making barefoot shoes, and hey stash. Have a really nice leather laptop sleeve now too.)

Same, I've got a few Saddleback pieces including a wallet and it's seen some abuse over the past decade but it's supple and strong with no signs of wearing down anytime soon.

Who knows if their claim of "They'll fight over it when you're dead" is true or not, but can confirm the quality will easily outlast 10 years with no problem.

My question is; Why even have a "wallet" at this point?

My teens use these little things that attach to their phones to hold gym key, debit card and ID.

I use a traditional "wallet" or billfold as my abuelo used to call them, but I am positively a dinosaur using one. Also, the darn thing hurts my back if I leave it in my back pocket while driving/sitting.

Heck, I have been eyeing those crossbody bags or saccoche to hold the things that are in my wallet.

I still use cash for all of my in-person purchases, but I do live in a rural area where cash is still king and you will get discounts for cash because the people can't just ignore the 3-4% markup on credit like more well off communities.

Also if you need to carry more than just a drivers license and a single credit card for your job. Trailers have their own registrations that you don't want people to loosely throw in their pockets, different professions have license requirements you need to have on you, receipts and notes are still important because you don't want to just be giving everyone your personal bank statements with cryptic "Part/product 482302" and no breakdown on the individual charges involved. Same with auctions and stockyards. Also someones phone on a job is way more likely to get lost/dropped/stolen and you don't want all your identification and licensing and registrations and receipts being lost along with your phone, you basically throw away the entire next day or two or more re-obtaining all that and like they say, don't put all your eggs in one basket.

>Also, the darn thing hurts my back if I leave it in my back pocket while driving/sitting.

Not that anyone has ever had to worry about pickpockets in my generation (even criminals aren't as skilled as they were in eras past, I guess), but I've always carried it in a front pocket. I'd lose it a dozen times a month otherwise.

>My question is; Why even have a "wallet" at this point?

There are things I keep in it I need. It's been a long while since anyone mistook me for a teenager.

With handmade wallets, if you can replace the stitching, they will outlive you. It’s really lining and stitching that gives up usually. That’s why hobbyists rarely line and the stitches are usually in a groove and people use waxed synthetic thread.

The oldest are maybe old 5-6 years, but they still look great!

That said depending on how you store it ymmv. If you keep it in the same pocket as your keys you’ll have a different outcome from keeping it in a separate pocket of a bag or just even in its own pocket in your pants.