About the service
I make and finish custom travel wallets from full-grain and vegetable-tanned leather, built around how you actually travel — passport, boarding pass, several card slots, a pen loop and a slim pocket for currency or a folded itinerary. Every wallet starts from your own measurements: passport thickness, number of cards, whether you carry a second document or a phone-size pocket, and which hand you reach with first. Nothing is cut from a fixed template unless you specifically ask for one of my standard layouts.
Two build methods are on offer. The classic route is saddle-stitching by hand with waxed linen thread and two needles pulled through the same hole from opposite sides — this is the stitch that will not unravel even if a single thread frays, unlike a lock-stitch sewing machine run. The second route is a reinforced machine seam for clients who want a lower price point without sacrificing durability; edges are still burnished and finished by hand either way.
Embossing is done with brass dies I cut to your artwork — an initial, a small crest, a route map outline, a date, or a short line of text — pressed into the leather under heat so the design reads as a permanent depression rather than printed ink that will eventually wear off. Blind embossing (no color) keeps a quiet, understated look; foil or ink-filled embossing makes the mark stand out for a gift piece. Monogramming can sit on the front flap, inside the card pocket, or hidden on the back seam if you'd rather keep it discreet.
Leather options include full-grain vegetable-tanned hide that develops a rich patina over years of use, and a chrome-tanned option in a wider color range for clients who want a brighter finish out of the gate. Hardware — snap closures, a zipper pull, or a magnetic clasp — is picked to match the leather tone and the wear pattern of daily travel.
Typical turnaround is one to two weeks depending on complexity of the embossed design and whether the die needs to be custom-cut. I send a paper mock-up of the layout and a photo of the die proof before cutting the final leather, so changes happen before the material is committed rather than after. Gift orders can include a short card insert with the recipient's initials repeated in the same die pattern, and I can ship with basic tracking included in the price above.
Two build methods are on offer. The classic route is saddle-stitching by hand with waxed linen thread and two needles pulled through the same hole from opposite sides — this is the stitch that will not unravel even if a single thread frays, unlike a lock-stitch sewing machine run. The second route is a reinforced machine seam for clients who want a lower price point without sacrificing durability; edges are still burnished and finished by hand either way.
Embossing is done with brass dies I cut to your artwork — an initial, a small crest, a route map outline, a date, or a short line of text — pressed into the leather under heat so the design reads as a permanent depression rather than printed ink that will eventually wear off. Blind embossing (no color) keeps a quiet, understated look; foil or ink-filled embossing makes the mark stand out for a gift piece. Monogramming can sit on the front flap, inside the card pocket, or hidden on the back seam if you'd rather keep it discreet.
Leather options include full-grain vegetable-tanned hide that develops a rich patina over years of use, and a chrome-tanned option in a wider color range for clients who want a brighter finish out of the gate. Hardware — snap closures, a zipper pull, or a magnetic clasp — is picked to match the leather tone and the wear pattern of daily travel.
Typical turnaround is one to two weeks depending on complexity of the embossed design and whether the die needs to be custom-cut. I send a paper mock-up of the layout and a photo of the die proof before cutting the final leather, so changes happen before the material is committed rather than after. Gift orders can include a short card insert with the recipient's initials repeated in the same die pattern, and I can ship with basic tracking included in the price above.
