When it comes to wallets, I tend to change a few times per year.
I go back and forth between wanting a “minimalist” wallet, but then regretting it a few weeks later. When I go back to a more “tradional” sized wallet, I begin to miss the smaller form factor. After awhile, I begin to feel a bit like George Costanza in Seinfeld:
So in a nutshell, I’m totally confused about what kind of wallet I truly want. Have I just not found the right wallet or am I just impossible to please?
I think it’s the former.
The A-Slim Machete in Jet Black/Air Force Blue.
Buying a wallet is something I used to put in the same category as buying socks. When my current wallet was worn out, I went to a department store and bought a new one.
But it’s really more along the lines of buying a computer. One must determine how the wallet will be used. Do you need something light and portable (the 12″ MacBook) or a complete workhorse that holds everything (15″ MacBook Pro)? You could even make the argument that multiple wallets might be needed throughout the week. Perhaps one during the week, and then one for the weekends? I also need to think through which cards I need to carry daily. I have Lowes and Home Depot credit cards, but do I really need to carry them day in and day out?
Coming home one Saturday night, I had a package waiting for me. Inside the package were the A-Slim Tsuki and Machete. While both are on the minimal size, they are certainly no slouches. I spent two weeks carrying each of them, and here are my thoughts.
Tsuki
The Tsuki is extremely small and lightweight.
The A-Slim Tsuki in Mahogany Brown.
In fact, when it was in my pocket, I sometimes forgot it was even in there. It could easily double as a wallet or a business card holder. When I was using it as my wallet, I could easily fit 6-8 cards and it would still close comfortably.
The Tsuki is designed to hold up to eight business cards.
Even with a few credit cards and other paraphernalia packed in, the Tsuki remains exceptionally thin and light.
The Tsuki is made by hand and has 100% leather and 4-ply thread sewn in. It’s been created using original origami technology from earlier products, so it’s only one single piece of leather.
The snap mechanism feels incredibly solid. My worry about a lot of wallets like this is that, over time, the snap would be less “snappy” and cards might start to fall out.
Other than a small motif on the front and back, there are no other markings on the Tsuki.
While I had to cut down on the cards I carried daily, I felt like it was a fairly good trade off for the slimmer size. My only complaint was that, when I wanted to take a card out, I basically had to pull them all out, find the card, and then reinsert all the cards.
If you want to carry every department store credit card you own, this isn’t the wallet for you. It’s for the type of person that wants to carry a driver’s license, insurance card, and a couple of other cards. It’s not going to fit much cash or your Subway frequent buyer card. If you want a high quality, great feeling minimalist wallet, the Tsuki is a great option.
Machete
If you need a bit more room than the Tsuki has to offer, you might want to take a look at the Machete wallet.
The Machete is designed to hold up to eight cards and has a bi-fold design for carrying bank notes as well.
The one I was sent was the Gargoyle Grey/Mustard yellow (the Jet Black/Air Force Blue color is shown). It’s more a of a typical billfold wallet. It’s a nice balance of thinness while still allowing for more function. A-Slim notes they have fit up to eight cards in it, but your mileage may vary depending on how thick you want it to feel. Depending on your style, each slot could hold two cards.
If you want to carry cash, you can easily carry it in the interior lining. The lining has a very unique feel and really stands out well compared to the rest of the wallet.
The Machete is no bigger than the palm of your hand and doesn’t carry as many cards as I originally hoped for.
The wallet still remains thin and light, but this wallet feels like it’s designed to carry all my daily cards. Instead, it only carries eight cards, meaning I’m still looking for a better everyday wallet.
The leather material used in the Machete feels incredible. It’s soft, flexbile, and durable. This wallet could go from the hiking trails to the boardroom without missing a beat.
While this is a great wallet, I prefer the Tsuki between the two. The Machete wasn’t big enough to carry everything I want, but it wasn’t as slimming as the Tsuki. It felt great in my pocket, and I was able to pull it in and out with ease. And one big advantage of the Machete over the Tsuki was that I could access single cards much easier.
Packaging
A-Slim doesn’t disappoint with their packaging. Each wallet comes in a felt bag that is inside of a very nice storage case with velcro. I’m not totally sure if A-Slim meant this packaging to be used to store the wallets, but it’s so great that I couldn’t ever see throwing it away. This is quality packaging for quality products.
Overall Thoughts
Are either of these wallets good enough to be my daily carry? I’m not sure.
Despite me wanting to carry more in the Machete, A-Slim’s larger bi-fold wallet is made of rock solid materials and is a great purchase at its price.
I used both of them for two weeks straight, but felt like both left me wanting something more. This isn’t the fault of A-Slim, but rather my own personal indecisiveness about what I want from a wallet.
Of the two wallets sent to me, I prefer the Tsuki. It’s incredibly thin and light (I almost forgot it was in my front pocket), and it doesn’t break the bank either.
What it has shown me is that A-Slim is one of the premier brands for wallets. Both items that I reviewed felt and looked great. I’m sold on the A-Slim brand, now I just need to find the wallet size that I love.