Kamino Wrap Wallet Review

I’ve always been a fanatic about Japanese culture and specifically Origami. It was back in 2007 when I first learned the basic but highly satisfying Origami Crane, probably the most famous Origami model. So when I discovered that people were creating wallets solely from Paper, you might say I was a little excited, to say the least. You can check out our article on the Best Japanese Wallet Brands here. 

Kamino is a brand that prides itself on this very fact. Every wallet in their range is handcrafted by skilled craftsmen, from paper, in Japan. Its founder, Kan Yamamoto, is the brains behind the operation. As a successful Graphic Designer, he spent many years studying the craft of Origami and digging deeper into his own cultural roots. With creativity, sustainability, and simplicity in mind, his range of wallets encompass the traditions of Japanese culture and provide a unique and minimalistic way to bring this ancient craft into the everyday carry community. 

Look & Design

The wallet we’ll be looking at today is the Kamino Wrap Wallet. I choose this wallet due to its compact size, and all-around versatility in both design and functionality. The first thing we need to talk about is the ‘paper’ material used by Kamino in all of its wallets. It’s not a common assumption to assume that using Paper for something like a wallet isn’t the best material option. After all, Paper is often seen as a low-quality material that lacks any sort of durability. So how does Kamino combat this?

Instead of the standard paper, we’re used to in the West, Kamino uses a material known as Cordoba Paper. This Latex laced ‘paper like’ material on the surface is every bit like paper, but has many advantages including increased durability (it can’t be ripped), washable (naturally water-resistant), and sustainability (biodegradable). I did my best to put the Kamino Wallet through its paces with an occasional dunk test (in water) and rip test trying my best to break the wallet. To my surprise, the wallet easily survived these tests and didn’t show any signs of wear/tear – quite incredible. 

The Kamino Wrap Wallet has a highly innovative and unique design. As I mentioned earlier, the entire wallet is made from this Cordoba Paper, folded into a shape that provides great functionality at the small size of only 100mm x 63mm. The only wallet is completely stitch-free and uses no adhesives to hold the wallet together. All that keeps the Kamino Wallet in its shape/design is clever design thanks to the way the paper is folded. 

The Kamino Wallet itself is available in 3 colors to choose from – Dark Brown, Tan (light brown), and creme white. These colors offer a very minimalist and attractive appearance that fits nicely with the Kamino brand and ethos very much Japanese through and through. 

Functionality & Utility

What impressed me further regarding the Kamino Wrap Wallet was its amazing functionality and storage capabilities. Considering its compact size, I was shocked by how much this wallet could fit. Usually, when it comes to wallets with great storage you’ll usually have to comprise on the size (it would need to be a larger wallet). Not in this case. With a size around the same as a typical credit/debit card and weighing just 32 grams, the wallet is both small, yet highly functional being able to store anywhere up to 7 standard credit/debit cards (including business cards) and around 15 banknotes/bills. 

The only negative I have with the Wrap Wallet is its potential to, ironically, Unwrap itself. Being made from paper and folded without any adhesives mean’s that I often found myself being quite delicate with how I handled the wallet. If I didn’t, occasionally parts of the folded wallet would begin to unwrap and move out of place. This was probably down to the fact I was being overzealous with the wallet (as I was testing it), and it took some time to get over the psychological barrier that this is made from an untypical material. 

Final Verdict

Overall, The Kamino Wrap Wallet was a real joy to use. It was a pleasure using such a compact, yet functional wallet and it often turned heads when people saw it when in daily use. You really don’t need to worry about the durability of this wallet. It exceeded my expectations and was easily comparable to the best quality leather wallets I’ve tested. Whether it be daily use, water, or even trying to rip the paper, the Kamino Wallet is as durable as they come.

At a price tag of just under $45.00, the Kamino Wallet was pleasantly affordable – much more than I expected. Shipping is something to consider as these are shipped directly out of Japan, so if you’re in Europe or North America you may have to wait a little while. But it’s worth the wait, and I’m so glad I got the opportunity to test and try this incredible origami wallet. For more information on Kamino and the Wrap Wallet check out their official website using the link below.