Craft and Lore Launch the TIG Card Wallet: A Stitchless Design
The Idaho handmade leather brand enters the stitchless wallet category with their most compact design to date.
Stitchless wallets have always been among my personal favorites. They have a clean, classic look that is hard to replicate with any other construction method, they tend to be competitively priced because the labor involved is significantly less than a complex stitched bifold, and without thread there is simply less that can go wrong over time. Theoretically, a well-made stitchless leather wallet can last indefinitely with the right care. It is a format that deserves more attention than it gets.
Craft and Lore, the independent leather workshop based in Coeur d’Alene, North Idaho and founded by Nathaniel Von Lind in 2014, has been one of the better American leather goods brands to watch over the past decade. Their Port Wallet and Insider Wallet have built genuine cult followings, with documented seven-year durability reports and a lifetime guarantee across the range. Until now, a stitchless design has been notably absent from their catalog. The TIG Card Wallet changes that.
What TIG Means
TIG stands for Tab Interlock Geometry, which is Craft and Lore’s name for the fold-and-tuck construction method that holds the wallet together without a single stitch. The leather wraps around your card stack and the tabs interlock to keep everything in place. It is the same basic principle found in other stitchless designs including the Johnny Wallet from Loyal Stricklin, the Archer Wallet from Harland Handmade, and the Wask Wallet, all of which I have reviewed previously. The Lemur Wallet uses a similar approach but relies on snap buttons rather than pure folding geometry.
What sets the TIG apart within that group, at least on paper, is size. At 2.5 by 3.5 inches it is notably more compact than most comparable stitchless wallets on the market. For anyone who has found the Johnny Wallet slightly larger than they would like, this could be a worthwhile alternative.
Specs and Materials
The TIG Card Wallet is made from 3.5 to 4.5 ounce full-grain vegetable-tanned leather and holds seven to eight cards comfortably. It is handmade in North Idaho, available in natural, brown, and black. A Horween Dublin leather version is also available for an additional $10, bringing it to $60, and offers a richer, darker tone and the patina development that Horween leather is well known for.
Early Thoughts
I have not had the TIG in hand yet, and I will reserve a full verdict for when I do. Looking at the photos, this is not doing anything dramatically new within the stitchless category. The design is tried and tested, and that is not a criticism. These wallets work, and I am consistently impressed by how well they perform for their price. What I can say is that I am surprised it has taken Craft and Lore this long to add a stitchless option to their range, given how naturally it fits alongside the rest of what they make.
At $50 for the standard leather version, the TIG is priced right. The Horween Dublin option at $60 is the one I would lean toward, as the material upgrade at that price difference is almost always worth it with a wallet you intend to carry for years.
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