Wallet

Wallets are simultaneously generic (almost every guy and alot of girls have one), and highly personal. (In my very small questioning, people are more attached to their wallet than they are to, say, their mobile phone)

Thus wallet design is big business.

Prologue

I am a wallet snob. Sometime around 1999 (for a guess), I bought a wallet. A nice little tri-fold leather number, with multiple card slots, two note sleeves, and NO coin pouch (so: no zips or clips). Result? A small clean wallet which suits my minimal slimline non-bulky (I like to call this style 'efficient') tastes.

Sometime around, oh, probably 2003, I realised I'd need a new wallet one day, and so started keeping my eye out for a replacement.

Cue 2005... I'm pretty seriously looking for a replacement...

By 2006 I'm starting to ask people everywhere. An identical to the one I had would have been perfect. Sadly, not findable. So in increasing desperation, I start a duct-tape wallet, but quickly stop, realising my long-standing instinct regarding Duct Tape wallets is in fact correct. ie, it will be too bulky. (I stopped half way through making it, when it was already as thick closed as my empty 'live' wallet. Clearly this was not going to be feasible. I return to looking for a wallet to buy...

I buy a 'magic wallet' style, but whilst I like it's size and nifty opening methods, it's not suitable for carrying all the myriad of knicknacks I keep in my wallet. (yes, dispite being way slim and minimal).

2007: I discover tyvek (wondrous stuff) and resurrect making my own wallet idea. Origami style! (I have found Tyvek wallets online (both professional and how-to guides to make your own), but none appealed). I make several paper prototypes, then a tyvek prototype which sees live testing...

Feb 2008: My tyvek prototype1 (Type 1 design) has been in use for a few months, however one of it's fatal flaws is that it's made from fabric-grade tyvek which has worn badly along one flat surface with use. And so I move onto onto prototype2 (Type 2 design) made from paper-grade tyvek.

April 2008: Prototype2 is wearing noticably thinner (the outside is semi-transparent now for the car directly behind, and also ink on the other side of that tyvek. It is also colouring a dirty/yellow shade. (skin oils?). I expect it to remain viable for a few more months however.

July 2008: I am now trialing the Type 3 (quodfold) design. The Type2 was usable but as the tyvek continued to age and lose rigidity, it's pure-origami structure became an issue. See notes re: Revision2 of this design, below. I am also making a new Type1 wallet using paper-grade tyvek this time.

Type 1 - Complex Trifold

A tri-fold wallet from a single sheet of tyvek, however requiring tape (duct and/or gaffa) for cohesiveness. Additionally, a sheet of card paper was included in the design for overall structural support.

Features twin note sleeves, and multiple card pouches, and one extremely-difficult-to-access non-obvious 'secret compartment'.

Pros

• 'just right' amount of storage of different types (2 banknote bays, and 8 card bays)

Cons

• Tape providing closure means people assume the wallet is a duct tape wallet, when it clearly is not!

Note: Tape only holds sides together. The wallet is folded from a single (cut to shape) sheet of tyvek.

Type 2 - Simple Trifold

Revision 1

A trifold tyvek wallet made origami style. Tyvek cut to shape, then folded. No tape required to hold parts together.

Features twin note sleeved, and a single card pouch on each side. Secret compartment also features - still non obvious, much easier access.

Pros

• Pure tyvek construction (no tape required) from a single sheet.

Cons

• The folds used do not hold the ends quite as firmly closed as I would like - resulting in a feel that if I dropped it just wrong, the wallet would dissasemble and contents would explode out. (in practice this has not happened, but I do find I'm re-"tucking in" one end very regularly.
• In use, the paper-grade tyvek is losing rigidity (but not structure) - this is most noticable on the inside divider. It is also losing a little bit of structure on the outer faces, in a similar but much slower manner as the fabric-grade tyvek.
• Not quite enough seperation of card storage areas for my taste (only 2 card bays compared to the 8 in Type 1)

Revision 2

not yet made This revision would use backing tape on some parts of the wallet to give it structure, and/or included paper in the 'secret compartment' (as per prototype1 of Type1). It would retain the "unfoldable" aspect of revision 1, but backing tape giving solidity to some panels should mean it will both hold together better, and age better.

Type 3 - Simple Quodfold

This is a quadfold based on the bottom edge of a 10"x13" envelope. This is a rather simple wallet, but has the advantage that the existing sides and base of envelope are part of the wallet, so it is relatively structurally sound. With no additional materials, it is proving usable in and of itself. Long term is may succumb to the same aging issues as Type2.