George Costanza (Jason Alexander) and his famous “exploding wallet” on Seinfeld (“The Reverse Peephole” Season 9, Episode 12, 1998).
George Costanza (Jason Alexander) and his famous “exploding wallet” on Seinfeld (“The Reverse Peephole” Season 9, Episode 12, 1998).THE MINIMALIST WALLET: A BRIEF HISTORY
Hard as it may be to believe today, there was in fact a time not too long ago when men really did walk around with wallets like George Costanza’s “exploding wallet” - wallets so overloaded with cash, cards, coins, receipts, and other little knick knacks that they could send you to the chiropractor’s office.
With the prevalence of digital technology in our everyday lives, particularly over the course of the last decade, the slim, minimalist wallet has now become the norm for everyday carry enthusiasts and casual customers alike. Similar to smartphones, designs have become slimmer with each new evolution. As we’re now able to store our receipts, and, if we’d like, even our cash, electronically, this is definitely a product that emphasizes quality and design over quantity and storage capacity (though, needless to say, not at the slightest cost of usability).
There is a wide array of minimalist wallets to choose from out there. From those that offer easy access to your cards with the simple press of a button (what’s also known as “webbing”), to those with a phone or lens stand, to those made with materials not typically associated with more traditional wallets, there is a perfect minimalist wallet out for there to uniquely fit the lifestyle of any Gallantry man. There’s a perfect minimalist everyday carry wallet without the bulge for you.
One’s perfect minimalist wallet may not be another’s. So, as you measure minimalism versus functionality, we recommend keeping the following elements in mind.
SLIM &TRIM
FINDING THE RIGHT MINIMALIST WALLET FOR YOU
FIT
Whether you’re packing your new minimalist wallet in your front pockets (if you are, in fact, a front guy, you most definitely want a wallet that emphasizes easy access) or your back pockets, we are talking about slim minimalist wallets. That means wallets that are truly designed to be the size of your average credit card or business card.
In addition to slim bifold and trifold minimalist wallets, card holders are also popular due to their sheer simplicity and absence of bulk, able to fit into even the tightest of back pockets.
EASE
One of the great aspects (albeit there are many) of the minimalist wallet is that it can be controlled with one hand, making it the perfect accessory for the EDC enthusiast who is on the move and may need to multi-task with the other hand. Once you decide on your perfect minimalist wallet, you’ll definitely want to keep your most important cards in the pockets (if there are pockets, that is) up front for quick, stress-free retrieval.
BONUS FEATURES
With every evolution, the minimalist wallet space seems to introduce an even cooler new built-in multi-tool feature, whether it be a simple bottle opener or phone lens/stand, or something more advanced, like RFID blocking or wireless tracking.
It’s safe to say that, similar to your digital footprint, we don’t expect this trend to go anywhere but up.
FEEL
There’s just something about holding a slim, minimalist wallet that makes it such a unique product. Though it is supremely compact, lightweight, and anything but spacious with the length and height of your average credit card, it somehow still feels very substantive. It’s quite the feat.
STYLE
Well-built, sharp as hell, and yet anything but overly showy, the minimalist wallet isn’t going anywhere in the EDC space for some very simple reasons - it works, it is refined, it is reliable, and it is quite substantial despite simultaneously being incredibly insubstantial (volume-wise, that is).
FUNCTION
At first glance, especially to those previously only familiar with traditional, bulky wallets of the “exploding” variety, slipping your cards into a thin, crisp minimalist wallet appear less-than-accessible. However, once you load you cards, you’ll be able to retrieve what you’re looking for with great ease, speed, and agility.
DURABILITY
You’ll be amazed how tough and rugged these minimalist wallets are in this day and age. Whether you’re dropping yours on a bar countertop before ordering up some cocktails or whipping it against some bark in the woods, good luck shaking your cards loose from this clutter-killing puppy.
MATERIALS
Though leather can still be found as the dominant material of many minimalist wallets due to its historical and cultural significance, the growing popularity of EDC has led to more tactical options such as woven fabrics, wood, aluminum, titanium, stainless steel, and, yes, even carbon fiber!
Speaking of which…
THE CARBON FIBER WALLET FROM RIDGE WALLET
There are no two ways about it, so we’ll just cut right to the chase and let you know that Ridge Wallet makes a killer minimalist wallet that will clean knock your socks off with its unique balance of aesthetic appeal, innovation, and utility.
Based out of Santa Barbara, California, the father-and-son team of Daniel and Paul Kane behind Ridge Wallet don’t play around when it comes to their craft. They make stylish, durable, highly-functional, compact, strong, stunningly sleek, and absolutely reasonably priced modular cash and card carriers from the most quality materials in town.
To put it in layman terms, these guys don’t do bulk or bulge. It’s just ain’t their MO.
Well-engineered with a remarkably modern look, the Ridge Carbon Fiber Wallet is a slimline minimalist card and cash carrier for the Gallantry man looking for that little extra something, something from his simplistic carry, specifically “RFID blocking” to help insulate you from a newer, high-tech form of pickpocketing known as “RFID skimming” (which can scan radio frequency identification chips on your credit cards, driver’s license, and passport) via inner plates.
With the ability to hold anywhere from 1 to 12 cards without offering even the possibility of stretching, this sleek beauty also includes both an elastic cash strap (giving it room to expand based on how much you’re carrying) and a well-integrated spring-loaded money clip to give you the options you deserve.
Also included with the Carbon Fiber Wallet from Ridge Wallet is a T5 Torx screwdriver, giving you the ability to disassemble it for maintenance and/or clean it at your leisure.
SPECIFICATIONS
- 1-12 card capacity
- Carbon Fiber construction
- RFID blocking
- Includes money clip and elastic cash strap
- Replaceable screws and elastic
- Includes T5 Torx driver
- 2oz
Available in Ember & *Special Edition* Forged Ash
Carbon Fiber Wallet
$150.00
[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] The Ridge Carbon Fiber Wallet is a slimline minimalist card and cash carrier for the modern man who wants a little more out of his simplistic carry. It is modern in its styling and well-engineered… read more
Carbon Fiber Wallet
$150.00
[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] The Ridge Carbon Fiber Wallet is a slimline minimalist card and cash carrier for the modern man who wants a little more out of his simplistic carry. It is modern in its styling and well-engineered… read more
THE ALUMINUM WALLET – TOPOGRAPHIC FROM RIDGE WALLET
This *Special Topographic Collection Edition* of the lightweight Aluminum (the brand’s flagship material) Wallet from Ridge Wallet has the same features and construction as the Carbon Fiber Wallet, but includes one additional, incredibly slick touch – laser engraved aluminum.
Like all Ridge Wallets, this bad boy is evergreen. Extremely light on pocket real estate, but heavy on efficiency and utility, this one is what’s known as a “compliment-getter”.
Grab one while they’re hot!
Available in North Shore & Half Dome
Aluminum Wallet - Topographic
$125.00
[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] The Ridge Aluminum Wallet is a slimline minimalist card and cash carrier for the modern man who wants a little more out of his simplistic carry. It is modern in its styling and well-engineered and… read more
Aluminum Wallet - Topographic
$125.00
[tab-section data-sc-active-background="#ffffff" data-sc-other-background="#ffffff" data-sc-color="#555555"][tab title="Details"] The Ridge Aluminum Wallet is a slimline minimalist card and cash carrier for the modern man who wants a little more out of his simplistic carry. It is modern in its styling and well-engineered and… read more
KEEPING IT LIGHT. KEEPING IT TIGHT.
Rocking a lumpy wallet today is like rocking a pair of JNCO pants. It’s aggressive.
We often emphasize being prepared as a main driver of the everyday carry lifestyle. Truth be told, however, we could also add achieving minimalism to that list. Marie Kondo is making benjamins up the wazoo tidying up people’s lives for a reason. Decluttering and paring down what you actually need in your wallet involves precisely the same psychology. Having that A+ EDC Feng Shui is the real deal and, as you’ll discover with your new minimalist wallet, there are genuine, quantifiable benefits to keeping your pockets simple with the bare essentials.
Whichever minimalist wallet you end up adding to your EDC collection, one thing that’s for certain is that a man with an orderly wallet is a man with an orderly life.
STREAMING THE EDC MINIMALIST WALLET
Hitman Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) thinks about how he should’ve swiped that Ridge Wallet from his spot earlier before engaging in a standoff in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994).
Hitman Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) thinks about how he should’ve swiped that Ridge Wallet from his spot earlier before engaging in a standoff in Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction (1994).Ok, so it’s not an EDC minimalist wallet per say, but Jules Winnfield does everyday carry a “Bad Motherfucker Wallet” (literally, that’s what it’s called), a name that is just as apropos for any of the minimalist wallets we carry at Gallantry. In fact, if Pulp Fiction took place in 2021, there’s no doubt that Jules would have a cool (“like three little Fonzies”) slim, minimalist wallet to hold his necessities.
Be sure to bundle AMC+ with your Amazon Prime (you can start with a 7-day free trial) and watch Pulp Fiction, because correctamundo! You’re gonna be real cool with your EDC.
Yup. Next time, Jules is definitely bringing out the Ridge Wallet.
