Saddleback Leather Wallet Review

Contrary to what many people think Saddleback Leather isn’t a type of leather (like fine grain or Crazy Horse Leather, etc..) but the Brand name for one of the most popular, bespoke manufacturers of leather goods on the market. Saddleback was established back in 2004 where the founder, Dave Munson, began creating backpacks, ones that we’re so durable that they could easily last a lifetime. 

Since then, Saddleback has created many fantastic products all with the same care, craftsmanship, and high-quality leather that the brand has become so well known for. Today, Saddleback resides in Texas selling wallets and other leather goods around the globe at a great range of prices. In this review, we’re going to be looking at one of the most popular Saddleback Wallets on the market – the standard Saddleback Leather Bi-fold. Let’s see how well Saddleback does with their own take on the classic wallet.

TL;DR: A wallet for those who want traditional style with the most amazing quality leather and craftsmanship. But the wallet does fall short in terms of its features and capacity for cash and cards.

What is the Wallet Made from?

All products made by Saddblack leather are made from a Full Grain Leather. For those who don’t know not all leathers are equal in their quality. For example, Genuine leather is considered to be one of the worst types with it basically benign made from the thin scraps the hide. Contrary to this, Full Grain Leather is one of the best quality leathers being made from the most durable part of the hide and it lives along with the top 1/4 of the leather hide. For more information on leather grades, which are best and what to avoid check out our full article on the subject here. 

When I first unboxed the Saddleback leather wallet it was blown away by the sheer quality. Instantly I was hit with a deep aroma of pure leather that is my personal first sign that a leather wallet is going to be good. When you further inspect the wallet you quickly notice the thickness of the hide that almost resembles the leather you find on high-quality boots. I bought the classic deep brown color from Saddleback but the wallet is available in a very small yet elegant range of colors including black, brown, and tan.

What are the Wallets Features?

Simplicity is the name of the game with this wallet. The only issue I have with the Saddleback leather wallet is its lack of features or basic capacity compared to other wallets (in relation to its size). The wallet is fairly large coming in at 5.50 (in) x 4.25 (in) x 0.75 (in) so you’d automatically assume it’ll have many features to utilize this larger space effectively. This unfortunately is not the case. The wallet has 6 card slots total with around a capacity of 12 – 13 cards. Personally, this is a lot but spreading 13 cards among so few slots means the wallet can be a little clumsy in how easy you can easily access these cards. Finally, the wallet has a full-length slot at the top, in typical bi-fold fashion, where you can store a huge number of physical banknotes or other paper items. 

Is it a Good Price?

Considering the premium nature of Saddleback Leather I was pleasantly surprised by the affordability of certain wallets in their range. With wallets starting at $29.00 and ranging to as high as $189.00 (for the Big Leather Wallet), Saddleback is fairly priced especially considering the durability of their range and their incredible lifetime warranty (more on this later). In the case of the standard leather bifold, this will set you back $99.00.

What are the alternatives?

When it comes to brands that put their craftsmanship first Saddleback is up there with the best of them. That being said, many brands also place great emphasis on creating some of the highest quality leather wallets on the market usually being made from premium full-grain leather along with options such as customization with a personalized monogram. Below are just a few brands that we think are similar to Saddleback and are good alternatives for your consideration.

JooJoobs

Loyal Stricklin

Cafe Leather Supply

Mr. Lentz

Final Verdict

A wonderfully elegant and traditional wallet. Saddleback is by far one of the best wallet brands when it comes to the quality, durability, and aesthetics of their wallets. Although this particular wallet isn’t innovative with any quirky pull tabs or secret pockets it doesn’t need too. It’s one of many great wallets from Saddleback Leather and I highly recommend it. 

Finally, Saddleback Leather is also known for having one of the best warranties going, offering a Lifetime warranty of 100 years. In the words of Saddleback, if your wallet naturally begins to degrade over the years you could contact Saddleback and they’ll do their best to hopefully restore and fix any issues you may have – free. For more information on the Saddleback Leather Wallet check out the full review using the link below.