KCOPE is back with its second generation fan wallet.
The second gen KCOPE slide wallet is live on Kickstarter with a refined mechanism and a titanium option.
The second generation of the KCope slide wallet is live on Kickstarter with a refined mechanism and a titanium option. I regret missing out on the original wallet - but will I take the plunge with the KCOPE 2? Well I've used similar wallets before - mainly the Ogon range, and well, I have some thoughts. The two wallets are very simular but its clear to me that one brand has stopped trying to innovate and it helps with this latest wallet from Kickstarter. With just over a week to go until the Kickstarter ends, lets take a closer look at the KCOPE 2 Wallet.
KCOPE 2: Kickstarter Campaign Video
Ogon who?
Before we get into the KCope 2 specifically, it is worth talking about Ogon for a moment. If you are familiar with the wallet space, you will know Ogon as the French aluminium wallet brand that has been producing slide-open card holders for years. The concept is neat: a metal shell, a sliding mechanism that fans your cards out as the top cover opens, individual slots for each card. On paper it sounds exactly right.
In practice, Ogon has always had a problem that nobody at the brand seems particularly motivated to fix. The felt pads that hold cards in place are simply not up to the job. Turn the wallet upside down and cards shift. Use a metal credit card and it slides straight out because the felt cannot generate enough friction against a smooth metal surface. Not only that but they’re also incredibly large in size. Compare the KCOPE to Ogon’s flagship - such as the Oslo - and you can really see the difference.
The KCope wallet, which first appeared on Kickstarter last year and attracted over 1,300 backers across its campaigns, is working in the same territory as Ogon but approaching it with considerably more mechanical rigour. The KCope 2 is the second generation of that product, and it is live on Kickstarter now.
KCope 1 vs KCope 2: What Has Actually Changed?
It is worth being honest here: the differences between the original KCOPE and the KCope 2 are not dramatic. The core concept is identical. A single slide opens the top cover and fans your cards out into individual compartments, one card per slot, all visible at once. You pick the one you need and slide the cover back. That part has not changed, and it did not need to.
What has changed is the detail work. The exterior has been cleaned up and given a more refined, modern appearance. The internal mechanism has been improved, with a new stopping structure that makes the opening and closing action feel smoother and more controlled. The shell thickness has been increased and the shape redesigned so the wallet feels more solid in the hand, addressing feedback from original KCope backers who found it felt slightly fragile.
None of these are ground-up reinventions. They are the kind of considered second-generation improvements that suggest the team actually listened to their backers rather than just shipping a version two for the sake of it, and honestly, I really appreciate that.
Why This Beats Ogon at Its Own Game
The KCope and Ogon Oslo are solving the same problem in a similar way, and the comparison is worth making directly. Both use a metal shell. Both fan cards out into individual slots with a single motion. Both are slim, RFID protected, and aimed at the same minimalist carry market.
But Ogon should be scared. The simple fact is whether its design, functoinality, or size. The KCOPE is a wallet that is just better than anything Ogon have produced when it comes to hard case wallets. And please, keep in mind this is coming from someone who like Ogon and their range of wallets.
But its clear that innovation in the Ogon team have strifled since they released their original array of hard shell wallets 15+ years ago, and now, a new brand has come along and just reinvented the idea.
Ogon is a brand that had a good idea and has been coasting on it for a long time without meaningfully improving the execution. The KCope is a smaller, newer brand taking the same idea and doing it better. That happens in the wallet space more often than people realise, and it is usually worth paying attention to when it does.
Early Thoughts: So am I getting this one?
I do not yet have the KCope 2 in hand and will reserve a full verdict for when I do. I must also reserve judgement on its comparsion to the Ogon hardshell wallets as I do feel im being a little harsh without having it in my hand yet.
The simple answer is I don’t know if the KCOPE is the Ogon killer, but with that said, im dying to know. So yes, i have indeed taken the plunge and bought myself the aluminium version. At the time of writing there’s currently just 8 days remaining before the KCOPE Kickstarter campaign ends. But the good news for most is they’ve already smashed their funding goal having raised over $50,000.
For more information on the KCOPE 2 Wallet check out their campaign using the link here.