Thirteen Compact Wallets From ¥2,400 to Hermès: Shunsuke Ishikawa's Picks by Budget
石川俊介の〇〇〇Fashion designer Shunsuke Ishikawa opens with a claim: people notice your wallet, and of all accessories it reveals the most about your character. Since cash is used less and bags keep shrinking, even for men, Ishikawa argues that a compact wallet now makes the most sense. They present 13 wallets they have bought and used, grouped by budget from about ¥2,000 up to roughly ¥500,000. For each one, Ishikawa covers how it is built, what it is like to use, where it falls short, and what impression they think it gives other people.
The episode was timed for Ichiryū Manbai-bi, a day considered lucky for money in Japan, and for bonus season. Ishikawa suggests a wallet is an obvious way to spend a bonus. They also note that nylon and similar materials are lighter and more practical if compactness is the only goal. A leather wallet is the choice if you want to carry something nice, and the lucky-day framing is part of why they wanted to cover leather.
¥2,000 Budget: Montbell Trail Wallet (¥2,400)
Ishikawa calls the Montbell Trail Wallet "a masterpiece among masterpieces." A friend showed it to them, and they were struck by how compact it was. It is a nylon trifold with three card slots. Each slot takes about two cards, so it holds around six in total, plus a dozen or so bills. A zippered coin pocket can also hold an AirTag or a card-type tracker, which Ishikawa says they often use in wallets.
Ishikawa puts the weight at around 15 grams. It slips easily into a pocket, and they reach for it when they want to go out as light as possible or travel abroad. At ¥2,400, they say, you could decide this is all the wallet you need. In their view it signals someone financially sensible, with a minimalist or outdoorsy sensibility.
They name two drawbacks. It is so small that it gets lost inside a bag. It also seems to be out of stock often, so their advice is to buy it when you see it.
¥3,000 Budget: coruri BASIC (¥3,190)
The next pick answers the Montbell's lost-in-the-bag problem. Ishikawa chose the coruri BASIC in bright yellow so it is easy to spot. They add that yellow is said to be good for money luck in feng shui, which fits the day's theme.
Ishikawa thinks it is a step up from the Montbell in usability. It has a large coin pocket with a black snap and a side opening that spreads wide. Inside is a small pocket, apparently meant for a key, that happens to fit an AirTag. The card slots hold only about two cards, but there is a cutout for pushing cards up with a finger. The bill compartment has two sections, so you can split receipts from bills, or dollars from yen when traveling.
Ishikawa particularly likes the D-ring. You can hang a key from it and go out with just the wallet and a phone. You can also attach a wallet chain, or one of the key-leash cords some bags now have, to guard against theft. That makes it a strong travel wallet in their view. They read it as the wallet of a level-headed, rational person.
Their one complaint is that the core material is very stiff, stiff enough that they wonder whether it was deliberate, though they allow the stiffness might prove useful over time. They add that on an item this small, a loud primary color works fine for casual use.
¥5,000 Budget: SITUS Tokyo Minimalist Wallet (¥6,930)
Ishikawa defines this tier as roughly ¥4,000 to ¥7,999. Their first pick uses Tyvek, which they describe as a polyethylene non-woven fabric originally made by DuPont. It is well known among ultralight gear fans because it is durable. The wallet is sold at places like the MoMA Design Store and comes in several colors. Ishikawa chose an olive-gray one.
Empty, it is slightly shorter and narrower than the Montbell. It is much thicker, though, because the Tyvek is layered "like a mille-feuille." Opening the snap reveals accordion-folded card slots, five of them, each holding about two cards. The innermost fold has no side opening and is hard to get into, so Ishikawa suggests keeping something you rarely remove there, such as a card-type tracker. What they like most is that the accordion opens with a gap for your finger, so cards are very easy to grab. It also has a coin pocket that opens wide.
The drawback is thickness: adding money and cards makes it bulge further. Still, they call it a wallet you can put in your pocket and go. They think it comes across as design-conscious, even a little creator-like.
¥5,000 Budget: SHIPS Colors Leather Wallet (¥4,950)
In the same tier, and cheaper, Ishikawa found a leather wallet from SHIPS Colors. They call the price shocking. It has a large snap coin pocket. The one real aesthetic flaw, in their view, is the brown grosgrain fabric lining, which they say looks like an old man's long wallet.
They say the leather quality is not bad at all. It has a moist, supple feel, good enough that you could decide it is perfectly fine. Inside the bill compartment are six card slots in two tiers, and there is plenty of room for bills. Their overall verdict is that it is very well made for ¥4,950. As a joke, they suggest adding some white stitching to dress it up. Their co-host objects to modifying a product already on sale.
¥10,000 Budget: Comme des Garçons Wallet L-Zip Classic (¥15,950)
Ishikawa sets this tier at roughly ¥8,000 to ¥17,999, where leather is fully within reach. They call the Comme des Garçons L-zip wallet another masterpiece. It is made from a single piece of leather with no lining and closes with an L-shaped zipper. Bills are folded to go in, and one inner pocket serves for both cards and coins.
This comes from long personal use. Ishikawa says they have used one for more than ten years and that it has held up well because the leather is thick. The design is plain, with nothing on it, yet people who know can recognize it as Garçons at a glance. Ishikawa thinks that is enough. Because it is so minimal, it goes with any outfit, including a suit. They say owning one suggests you understand fashion without being obsessed with wallets, and they call it an ultra-staple in the fashion world. The line is made continuously in several colors, including silver, and in several sizes, so they suggest visiting a Garçons store to choose one.
¥10,000 Budget: usfl mini (¥14,400)
The second pick in this tier comes with a story. Ishikawa owned an earlier usfl mini in Russian calf and loved it. Before it could break in, it was stolen at a Starbucks abroad. They had left their pouch to hold a seat while buying an iced latte, assuming they were in a safe country. They only noticed the next day that the wallet was gone. They know it was taken at the Starbucks because they had just shown ID from that wallet at a phone shop.
The version shown here uses vegetable-tanned leather from an Italian tannery. Ishikawa expects it to flatten, soften, and develop character with use. The construction differs from the others. Bills are not slid into a sleeve; you tuck them in and their edges are held in place, which makes putting bills in a little awkward. Cards and coins share one divider panel inside. Ishikawa warns that if you open it carelessly, things fall out, and says they have dropped cards several times. You have to hold the panel down as you open it. They explain the trade-off: this design uses fewer pieces of leather, which keeps the wallet compact even with thick leather.
Ishikawa loved how small it is. They admit they would be happier if usfl made it again in Russian calf or a more exotic leather, and would buy one if that happened. They mention that the wallets sell out, possibly because they are made in limited runs, and that a cordovan version exists.
¥20,000 Budget: PORTER / CAPSULE Wallet (¥18,700)
This tier runs from ¥18,000 to about ¥26,999. The pick is the Porter Capsule wallet. Ishikawa says it is barely a compact wallet anymore and is closer to a pouch. Both hosts react to the price having risen to ¥18,700. Ishikawa remembers using Porter wallets in high school, including an L-zip model that may now be discontinued and an olive-green one.
The appeal is capacity and carrying options. A strap lets you hang the wallet from a phone's D-ring together with keys, so it can be the only thing you carry. It opens from both sides, like a bag, and each side has a bill compartment, so you can separate two currencies or keep receipts on one side. There are four card slots of about two cards each, a Velcro coin pocket outside, and an inner pocket that Ishikawa guesses is for keys. It is too small for cards but holds an AirPods case, which the hosts agree is hard to find a place for.
Ishikawa adds that Porter goes over well abroad as a symbol of Japanese street culture, in the West and especially in Southeast Asia. They think carrying one for a street look works well.
¥30,000 Budget: Bottega Veneta Intrecciato Money Clip (¥35,200)
This tier runs from about ¥27,000 to ¥39,999, where proper leather wallets and some brand-name pieces become affordable. Ishikawa's high-brand pick is a leather Bottega Veneta money clip with a magnetic closure, which they say they use a lot. They address the obvious worry about the magnet. With twenty bills folded in half, the bills spring back and the magnet seems to lift. With around fifteen, it closes firmly and feels secure.
They use it because they have been carrying very small bags. Once a phone and a few small things are inside, a regular wallet no longer fits, but the money clip slides in. The bag itself has card slots, so the clip only carries a little cash for reassurance. Ishikawa connects this to an old habit: when young and, as they put it, "totally America-obsessed," they saw people in the U.S. clipping dollars and bought silver Native American–style money clips. They think a money clip gives a worldly, American-influenced, sharp look. They also point out that a Bottega for under ¥40,000 makes a good gift, and it comes nicely boxed.
¥30,000 Budget: forme Post Wallet (¥33,000)
Ishikawa calls this one of the top picks of the whole episode. forme is the shoe brand whose loafers and plain-toes the channel has featured before. The wallet shown has embossed Italian calf outside and, apparently, horsehide lining. Ishikawa says the construction surprised them.
What stands out most is the edge paint (coba). Ishikawa says no Japanese brand does edge paint this beautifully. With foreign brands, they argue, beautiful edge paint is a big part of what makes an item look expensive. It is applied thickly, even at some risk of peeling, using materials from specific foreign suppliers. Ishikawa says forme has done it properly, and that this alone adds a lot of luxury. The stitching is clean too.
On function, they find nothing to fault. The top of the bill compartment is open, so bills go in and out smoothly. There are two neatly made card slots, and the snap sits on a tab so cards don't catch on it. The coin pocket has no snap and opens wide on an accordion gusset. Ishikawa calls the price highly convincing and says a high brand at the same budget would look like the money clip instead. A cordovan version is available if you stretch to the ¥50,000 tier. They think it suits anyone, especially people in their 20s and 30s, though 40s is fine too, and that it gives an intelligent impression of someone who owns a proper wallet.
¥50,000 Budget: LEMAIRE Gear Trifold Leather Wallet in Glossy Vegetable Leather
Here Ishikawa says foreign brands come into range. They note that LEMAIRE's small leather goods have become popular. The wallet is thick and holds a lot. It has a large, wide-opening coin pocket, and a bill compartment and card slots behind it. Unlike the SHIPS Colors wallet, it is lined with leather rather than grosgrain, in an elegant brown matching the coin pocket, which Ishikawa takes as a sign of care. There is an exterior card slot for a transit card, and the edges are cleanly finished. They see it as strong on design and suggest it as a gift for a boyfriend.
The exterior slot sets off a tangent. Many people still take out transit cards or tap them while visible, and Ishikawa wishes JR would issue an all-black Suica, perhaps with a small black penguin engraved, or even a silver one. They say the standard green is, sorry to say, a bit uncool, and they cite all-black tissue boxes, which they attribute to Seven-Eleven, as a precedent. They half-jokingly ask anyone at JR who watches to consider it.
An Aside on Leather: Why MARKAWARE Has Held Off
The phrase "glossy vegetable leather" leads Ishikawa into a longer explanation. They say MARKAWARE has barely made leather products. The reason is a friend, a tanner they have spent New Year's with for about four years. According to Ishikawa, this friend is preparing a new business developing what the friend aims to be the most environmentally friendly tanning method yet, including developing and testing the chemicals. Ishikawa decided to wait for that leather before making leather goods at MARKAWARE.
They pass on something the tanner taught them. Most leather, they say, does not use the grain surface as it is. Full-grain leathers such as nume use the natural surface. In many cases, though, the surface is buffed to raise a faint nap, close to a nubuck state. Ishikawa explains why: hides carry scars and vein marks from the animal's life, which show if the surface is left as is. After buffing for durability, the leather is embossed and set with resin or oil, and Ishikawa says most leathers go through this. According to them, makers often don't know this unless the tanner tells them. So for a leather jacket they are working on, they asked the tanner to use full grain. The co-host is surprised to hear about the jacket, and Ishikawa declines to say more.
¥100,000 Budget: THE ROW Zipped Wallet (¥81,400)
At this level, Ishikawa says, you want a high-brand wallet, and ¥100,000 still buys one. THE ROW's zipped wallet is essentially a card holder. Four cards fit on the front, and an L-zip opens onto a space that works as a coin pocket, where Ishikawa keeps cash folded in thirds. With about five folded bills it stays thin enough for a small bag. Ishikawa is also fond of its hanging strap. They compare it to a miniature money-collection pouch and carry it with keys on a keychain and a phone in their pocket for casual outings.
The leather has a smooth, slightly resin-treated feel, and Ishikawa guesses it has been treated somehow. It scratches very easily and gets scuffed if thrown in a bag with other things. Ishikawa raises "the ¥80,000 question" and says it would be great at ¥30,000. Even so, they praise the design as effortlessly simple with a clever, playful touch. They credit THE ROW's designers, saying well-known shoe and womenswear designers work there. They also mention hearing that investment has come from Chanel and from L'Oréal or another cosmetics company, and describe the brand as walking "the royal road of luxury."
¥100,000 Budget: Bottega Veneta Cassette Bifold Wallet With Coin Purse (¥105,600)
Ishikawa notes this wallet seemed to cost under ¥100,000 not long ago and has now crossed that line. In their account, the oversized "Cassette" version of Bottega's Intrecciato weave, from the Daniel Lee era, suddenly made the brand modern and gave it an image young people could carry. They have used several bags from the line and find it more modern and cooler than the regular Intrecciato.
This model has four card slots plus another section, holding about six cards in total, and a fairly large coin pocket. Other Cassette wallets exist, including a thicker one with an internal zipped coin pocket, but Ishikawa considers this simple type the most usable. They praise the construction, especially the clean transition in thickness and how neatly the bill compartment opens. They make a direct comparison: they would rather spend ¥100,000 on this than ¥80,000 on THE ROW's wallet, because this feels more worth the money. They acknowledge it is expensive but think the value is there.
¥500,000 Budget: Hermès Azap Vertical
The last pick is what Ishikawa considers about the top of the compact-wallet category. They say they don't know the current retail price and estimate somewhere from the ¥400,000s to around ¥500,000. It is larger than the others but was originally a compact size. It has a U-shaped zipper, four card slots with cards on both sides, and one bill compartment. Ishikawa notes it costs about as much as a typical luxury brand's bag.
Ishikawa says many business owners and executives around them carry this wallet, so it tends to make people wonder whether you are an executive. Beyond it, in their view, only exotic-leather wallets remain, so this is roughly where the category tops out.
Why Ishikawa Keeps Returning to Bottega and THE ROW
After the lineup, the co-host asks why Ishikawa's high-end picks keep coming back to Bottega Veneta and THE ROW. Is it that other brands in the ¥100,000 range don't make many good-looking wallets? Ishikawa agrees they don't much want most of what is out there. What they want is a well-made wallet in really good leather, and a domestic one would be fine. If a brand like forme used truly great leather, they say, they would want it even at around ¥100,000. But good leather is hard to source now, so such wallets are rare. They rarely find one that grabs them and keep ending up with THE ROW for its design cleverness and Bottega for its build quality.
Ishikawa says they looked at a great many wallets for this episode and still found few they liked. forme was the big discovery. Their one-line takeaway is to "keep your wallet small and smart." They leave the rest to viewers: which of the 13 appealed to them, and which compact wallets from other brands they would recommend.
People actually notice it — your wallet. Among accessories, the wallet is the one that most reveals your character. So, what should you use? For those wondering, here are 13 picks of what to carry now — compact wallets suited to the times, explained thoroughly by budget. Hello everyone, I'm fashion designer Shunsuke Ishikawa. — Ishikawa-san. — Yes.
What's today? — Today it's wallets. Wallets. We've done bags and such, but we hadn't done wallets yet, right? — Yeah, wallets, nice. We're in an era where people use wallets a lot less now, but in such times, what wallet do you choose? A compact one is the way to go, right? Luggage keeps getting smaller, bags are shrinking, even for men, so — let's go through 13 compact wallets that are convenient to carry day to day. And once again, by budget. — Nice. — Starting from quite cheap, too, I'd like to begin.
Right now, every maker is pouring more and more into compact wallets, and the variations keep increasing — that's the era we're in. And there are all kinds of materials, too. Today, on the cheaper end, from things like nylon up to leather wallets, of course. If you're truly aiming for compactness, materials like nylon are lighter, smaller, and more convenient — but in terms of carrying something nice — today, this release date, what's it called again? Man-? Ichiryū — Ichiryū Manbai-bi. — Oh — we're delivering this on Ichiryū Manbai-bi (a lucky money day), so a leather wallet boosting your money luck is something I'd like to touch on a bit. Everyone's bonus has come out around now, and as for how to spend that bonus, the most obvious choice would be a wallet, I'd say, so today we'll go through them. — Wonderful. — So let's start with the first budget: the ¥2,000 budget.
— Seriously? — Yes. This is a wallet I've introduced several times: the Montbell Trail Wallet, a wallet you can buy for ¥2,400. But I think it's a masterpiece among masterpieces. Originally a friend introduced it to me — "Ishikawa-san, there's a great wallet" — and this is it. "What is that?" I said, struck by its compactness — it was the first time I'd seen it, a wallet that shocked me. As for contents, inside there are card slots — three of them — and each holds about two cards, so you can fit around six if you want. It's a trifold, but a dozen-odd bills slip right in. And another nice thing is this zippered coin pocket, where you could, say, stash an AirTag, or this kind of card-type one — I use card-type ones in wallets quite a bit — slip one of those in and use it that way.
Honestly, at ¥2,400, you could conclude this wallet is all you need. That's how good I think it is. It's made of nylon, so it's very light — it weighs something like 15 grams. Incredibly light, easy to carry, slips right into a pocket, and it gives off the impression of someone financially sensible, someone who gets it. A wallet that conveys a minimalist vibe, or an outdoorsy vibe. I'd recommend it to those kinds of people.
I own several wallets and switch between them quite a bit. When I want to head out as compactly as possible, or go abroad, this one really comes through. I think it's a great thing. However, one slight issue: if you put it in a bag, you lose track of where it went, it's so small. Although right now it's not really in stock, is it? — Right. — Oh really. It seems often out of stock, so when you see it, you should grab it, is my advice.
Next, let's go to the ¥3,000 budget. Still cheap. Since the Montbell just now had that "where did I put it in my bag" problem, let's go somewhere easy to spot. — That's flashy. — It's the coruri BASIC wallet, ¥3,190. — ¥3,190. — Cheap, right? Why I chose yellow: even in a bag it stands out instantly because it's yellow — I thought that was good — and also, in feng-shui terms — since we're talking about Ichiryū Manbai-bi today — yellow is apparently good in feng shui. Using it in a wallet is said to raise your money luck, so I chose a yellow wallet.
What's good about it, different from the Montbell: it has this tag, and on this side there's a black snap button — this is a large coin pocket, with a side opening that opens wide and is easy to reach into, so usability is a notch higher, I'd say. When you open it up, this part is apparently for holding a key, but there's a pocket here just about AirTag-sized. And what's nice — the card slots — hold only about two cards, but there's a spot you can push up with your finger, so easy card access is thought through too. Another good point: the bill compartment is doubled, so you can put receipts on one side and bills on the other, or when abroad, put dollars on one side and yen on the other — that kind of thing is possible.
One more thing I like: this side has a D-ring. You can hang a key here, and head out with just this and your phone, which is nice, and for theft prevention you can attach a wallet chain here, or — some bags lately have a key-chain rope — hooking something like that on helps prevent theft, so in that sense too it's a very handy wallet for travel, I'd say.
As for the impression it gives — someone financially level-headed, and also a rational thinker, I'd say. One thing though: the core is really stiff — so stiff you wonder why they made it this stiff. Was there some intention behind it? As you actually use it, maybe this stiffness has its upsides, and it's a wallet you can get very cheaply — with a money-luck boost. — But that little yellow one is cute. — Cute, right? With something this small, carrying a flashy primary color is totally fine, for casual use.
Next, let's go to the ¥5,000 budget. — Still cheap. — The ¥5,000 budget, from ¥4,000 to about ¥7,999. At this budget, so far it's been nylon, nylon, but here's a slightly special material — a non-leather material — is it read "SITUS"? The Minimalist Wallet in Tyvek — the well-known Tyvek. Fans of ultralight gear all know Tyvek — a material originally made by DuPont, a polyethylene non-woven fabric. But it's very durable, so ultralight bags are mostly made of Tyvek — that's the idea. That's the material.
And this is a wallet carried at places like the MoMA Design Store, so it's a bit design-conscious, and it comes in various colors. I chose an olive-ish gray one, but it's a low-priced, compact wallet. Compared to the Montbell from before, it's about this size — the Montbell is quite small too, but if nothing's in it, this one's a bit shorter in height, and a bit shorter in width too — about that small. The biggest difference, though, is the thickness — it's really thick. The Tyvek is layered, like a mille-feuille.
As for what that is, let me show you — open the snap and these layers fold out accordion-style as card slots, like this. Isn't that nice? Each holds about two cards, so there are one-two-three-four-five slots. This part is just accordion-folded with no side opening, so it's hard to open, so here you'd put, say, an AirTag-type card — something you don't take out much — tuck that in here and put other cards elsewhere. What's really good is this accordion — opening it like this makes cards super easy to grab; there's a gap for your finger — a very usable wallet, which is why I like it. And it has a proper coin pocket here too, the kind that opens up wide, so it's a very usable wallet — and it's ¥6,930, so within the ¥5,000 budget, buyable for under ¥7,000.
It does have some thickness, so putting money in will make it bulge more, and cards too, but this is a wallet you can quickly slip into a pocket and head out with. As for what kind of person, what impression it gives others — it's somewhat design-conscious. A slightly creator-like impression, I think. A bit of a stretch, but SITUS Tokyo — seems to be a Tokyo brand. — Tokyo? — Yeah. — A good wallet, I think.
And in the same ¥5,000 budget — cheaper, actually — there's a leather wallet. — That's the ¥5,000 budget? — Yeah. SHIPS Colors Leather Trifold Wallet — you can buy a leather wallet for ¥4,950, a shockingly priced leather wallet. It's compact too, and what's nice is the coin pocket — this big, snap-open type. Why they used this brown fabric, like an old man's long wallet — that grosgrain feel really amps up the "old guy" vibe in the coloring, I admit. But is the leather quality terrible? Not really — it has a moist, supple feel, leather good enough that you'd think this is perfectly fine.
It's quite properly made, and the card slots — inside the bill compartment there are six card slots. Can you see them? There are card slots here, two tiers each, so cards go in like this. — Oh, really. — Yeah, and the bill compartment is plenty big, so money fits well, and there's the coin pocket I mentioned, so it's a very well-made wallet, at ¥4,950. — That's cheap. — Buy this and add a little white stitching here and there, and doesn't it look the part? — Don't do that to one that's already out, though.
Next, let's go to the ¥10,000 budget. Even in the ¥5,000 budget a shocking leather wallet showed up, but at the ¥10,000 budget you can definitely buy leather. From ¥8,000 to about ¥17,999 is what I'm calling the ¥10,000 budget. A wallet you can buy there: the COMME des GARÇONS Wallet L ZIP CLASSIC WALLET, ¥15,950. A little pricey, maybe. This is another masterpiece. A masterpiece wallet, I think. I've used this one a long time myself, and back in the day this compactness was quite compact.
What is it? It's a wallet with an L-shaped zipper, made from a single piece of leather with no lining. But the leather has good thickness — I think I've used this over ten years — and it holds up this well, is the point. As for bills, you fold them and put them in here. And there's a pocket inside that works for both card and coin storage — a simple wallet, but though it's plain with nothing on it, those in the know can tell it's Garçons at a glance — that kind of wallet. Isn't that enough? And that it's buyable within the ¥10,000 budget makes it a very satisfying wallet, I think.
It's a staple they keep making, in various colors — silver and so on — and different sizes, so do go to a Garçons store and pick one, I'd suggest. It's truly minimal, so it doesn't clash with any clothing at all, and works even with a suit, so I think it's an excellent thing. Owning this, though you're not obsessively into wallets, gives off a sense that you understand fashion, I feel, so it's a wallet I'd recommend. Yes, it's an ultra-staple in the fashion world. Garçons makes lots of everyday items like this — bags and all sorts — and that's a great thing about them. — Yeah.
Next, in the same ¥10,000 budget, let's do a leather compact wallet. I think it's read "Useful" — usfl — Small and Easy-to-Use Wallet, the mini. The naming gives me slight pause, I'll admit, but this is ¥14,400. I used this wallet before — I had the Russian-calf version, loved it, and while I was hoping it'd break in and soften up soon, it got stolen, vanished who-knows-where, at a Starbucks abroad. I should've known better — a little pouch — I thought it was a safe country and left the pouch to save my seat while I went to buy an iced latte.
I had a bit of time, came back, drank my iced latte, went home, and didn't notice at all then, but the next day, when I went to head out empty-handed, I thought, huh? My wallet's not in here. And just before going there, I'd gone to a phone shop abroad and had to show ID, which was in that wallet, so I definitely showed it and put it back. Right after that I went to Starbucks, and at that Starbucks just the contents were taken — actually, just the wallet was taken.
This time's version uses an Italian tannery's vegetable-tanned leather. This wallet is very compact, and as you use it it should flatten out a bit more — the leather softens and lies flat — and being vegetable-tanned, it should develop more character. Opening this wallet, what's different from the others so far is that the bill compartment isn't the slide-in type — you tuck the bills in here and the edges are held over here. Because of that, there's a slight issue with getting bills in and out — it's a bit awkward when inserting.
And one more caution: the card and coin compartments share one divider panel inside. You put cards here, and over here you put coins — but be careful: doing it like this, they scatter and fall out. I scattered several cards, so you must hold this down as you open it, which adds one extra action — but in exchange it lets them reduce the number of leather pieces, so even with this thick leather it's made relatively compact. I really liked its smallness.
But honestly, around here, rather than this simple leather, I'd be happier if they put out something using Russian calf or a slightly exotic leather again — and if they do, I'd want to buy it, is the thing. They sell out — maybe made in limited runs — and there's a cordovan version too, and using one of those might be nice. That was a wallet in the ¥10,000 budget.
Next, let's go to the ¥20,000 budget. From ¥18,000 to about ¥26,999 I'm calling the ¥20,000 budget. An ultra-staple of staples — you can't even call it compact anymore, but — the PORTER CAPSULE Wallet, ¥18,700. — So it's come to cost ¥18,700 now, huh. — It has. A staple of staples — we used it back in high school, of course — this Porter wallet. There used to be one with an L-shaped zipper here, and I had both. It might be discontinued now — I remember using the olive-green one too, a fond memory.
It's a big wallet, but maybe you could think of it as almost a pouch rather than a wallet. It has a strap like this, so — maybe this way around is better, either way — if your phone has a D-ring, you could face the D-ring down here and dangle the wallet, the D-ring, and keys, heading out with just this one thing, and it's huge, so storage capacity is excellent. It has a bill compartment, and another one on this side — it's like a bag that opens from both sides — another bill-compartment-type part, so you can split two currencies, or use this side for receipts, that sort of thing. And there are one-two-three-four card slots here, holding about two each, so you can stuff it full.
And on the outside, properly, there's a Velcro coin pocket. There's one inside too, probably meant for holding keys or so, I'd guess — cards don't fit here, but it'll hold about an AirPods case. — Ah, true. — Those are tricky to know where to keep, right? When you head out — you could keep them in a pocket, but if you put them here, then with your phone and keys hung on for the trip, this becomes a pouch you can walk around with, is the idea.
So in that sense, I thought it'd be nice to carry a Porter again after a while, which is why I bought it. — Yeah. — Also, abroad it goes over well, Porter — it feels like a symbol of Japanese street culture. — True, that's right. — In the West and hugely popular in Southeast Asia too, so carrying it for a street vibe is great, I think. So around here, you'd even get change back from ¥20,000. At a cheap shop they might throw in a handkerchief set.
Next, let's go to the ¥30,000 budget. From ¥27,000 to about ¥39,999. At this level you can buy proper leather wallets, and also some brand-name items, and if you want a high-brand item on the ¥30,000 budget, this is what it looks like: I use this hard — the BOTTEGA VENETA Intrecciato Money Clip. A money clip. — Yes. — It's a magnetic money clip, made of leather. And you'd think, is a magnet okay? Folding and clipping twenty bills is a bit scary — the folded, rounded part of the bills springs back and tries to open, so the magnet kind of feels like it's lifting a bit. But around fifteen bills folded in half snap shut nicely, so you can carry it with relative peace of mind.
Why do I carry this? Lately I've been wanting to use tiny bags hard, and once you put your phone and some odds and ends in, the wallet won't fit — I use bags like that. But with this, a money clip slides right in, snug, so I find it convenient and use it. And the bag itself has card slots, so I keep cards there, and when you think "a little cash would be reassuring," it's handy for clipping just a few bills to carry — that's how I use it.
Money clips — I used to use them now and then, silver Native-American jewelry-style money clips. Totally America-obsessed, right? I went to America, saw people clipping money, clipping dollars, thought it was cool, and bought and used one when I was young — that kind of thing. As for the impression — it gives off a worldly, America-influenced, sharp sort of look, I think. And a Bottega buyable in the ¥30,000s — that's pretty good, isn't it? As a gift too. — Right, good for a gift. — It comes in a little box, packaged up nicely.
Next, still the ¥30,000 budget. The next wallet is one of my top picks this time. It's the Forme Post Wallet. Forme — the shoe brand Forme — we've featured their loafers and plain-toes, right? It's Forme's wallet.
This wallet quite surprised me — the construction is incredibly good. There seem to be several leather options, and this one uses embossed Italian calf on the outside, with horsehide lining, apparently. And the most noteworthy thing is the beauty of this edge paint (coba). No Japanese brand does edge paint this beautifully. With foreign brands, what makes them look expensive is the beauty of the edge paint. I think I've said before — you paint it thick, even if it might peel, and there are specific foreign makers of edge-paint material — applying that properly gives a luxurious feel, and here the edge paint is done really beautifully. Right there it gains a lot of luxury, and the stitching too is clean. Impressive.
That you can buy this wallet in the ¥30,000s makes it incredibly good. And no practical problems at all. What I like is the bill compartment — the top part opens cleanly, and because it's open here, it opens easily and bills go in and out super smoothly. The card slots, two of them, are cleanly made, with the snap placed on a tab like this so cards don't catch inside — that kind of thoughtfulness. The coin pocket has no snap; it opens right up, and the gusset — see, the gusset opens this wide, accordion-style, making things easy to get in and out. Really, even just looking at the construction, it's a clean, good wallet — and that you can buy it for ¥33,000 is highly convincing.
As expected of a solid domestic brand. If it were a high-brand, it'd be like this for the same budget. Stretch to the ¥50,000 budget and there's a cordovan version, too, so this is a really convincing, good wallet, I think. Even from where I'm sitting it looks classy, right? Really. Especially for someone in their 20s or 30s, the younger crowd — though 40s is totally fine too — carrying this gives the impression of someone with a proper, good wallet, I think, so it's truly for everyone, gives a very intelligent impression, and is a nice wallet, I'd say.
Next, let's go to the ¥50,000 budget. At this point foreign-brand wallets come into play. Even saying "ten-thousand-yen budgets," we're spanning from yen to tens of thousands, so foreign brand wallets become buyable. What I'll introduce — lately this brand has been making lots of small goods and various things, and those small-goods lines have gotten quite popular — is Lemaire. The Lemaire Gear Trifold Leather Wallet, in glossy vegetable leather.
Tens of thousands of yen. It's quite a thick wallet, so storage capacity is excellent. First, looking at the coin pocket, there's a fairly large, wide-opening coin pocket here, so you can fit plenty of coins, and opening this reveals a bill compartment and card slots. The bill compartment — this, unlike the leather wallet from the ¥5,000 budget, is leather inside too, not grosgrain. The inside is a slightly brown — an elegant brown, the brown of the coin pocket — which shows real attention to detail. And on the outside there's also a card slot, so you could keep your everyday transit card here, I'd say.
On that note, transit cards — a lot of it's on phones now, but you have to take them out, or tap them while they're showing, often, right? So I wish they'd make a black Suica. A plain one — that green is, sorry to say, a bit uncool, isn't it? Seven-Eleven — that guy made all-black tissues you can just leave out — so I'd like the card in black too. All black. — True. — Yeah, with a little black penguin engraved small — that'd be fine — that kind of thing would be nice. Just thought of it. Anyway, then it wouldn't look out of place put in a spot like this. Or silver might be interesting too. If anyone from JR is watching this channel — everyone at JR — please do consider it; we'd be most grateful. — Yes.
That's the kind of wallet it is. So Lemaire's small goods are popular, and a wallet like this is good on the design front, I'd say, and as a gift for a boyfriend it'd work too. And here as well, the edge treatment is done cleanly, so it's properly constructed. And as for this glossy leather, vegetable leather — you might wonder what that is.
Can I talk about leather a bit? These days I'm developing leather — having it developed. At MARKAWARE we used to make leather. We'd barely made leather products at MARKAWARE. Why? Because there's a guy I've spent New Year's with for about four years now, a leather tanner preparing to launch a new business. What's he trying to do? He's developing the most environmentally friendly leather-tanning method to date — developing the chemicals and testing it. So until his leather is ready, I decided to hold off on making leather products at MARKAWARE, and I haven't. When I was spending time with him recently, he taught me something I thought I'd pass on to all of you.
Most leather doesn't use the grain surface as-is — that's worth being aware of, I think. Nume leather and the like all use the grain surface as-is, what's called full grain, but in many cases they buff it once — buffing — raising a faint nap, putting it into a nubuck-like state once. Why? Because leather, in many cases, has scars and vein marks from the animal's life, so using nume as-is inevitably shows those, and to make it more durable, they buff it once, then add embossing and set it with resin or oil — most leathers do this. And unless the tanner brings it up, the maker side mostly doesn't know, so when we make our leather jacket I told them to spare us that — that's the gist.
— You're making a leather jacket? — Sorry. — Yes. Let's go full grain, is what I went and discussed. Shall we continue? And, well, a little more — if I say more — actually, no need to say more. Anyway, that's about it. What? Nothing in particular to add. — Nothing in particular. — Right.
So at last, let's go to the ¥100,000 budget. — Yes. — Still buzzing, but the ¥100,000 budget. At this point you want a high-brand wallet, right? And even with high-brands, ¥100,000 can still buy a wallet, so let's go. The first one — it's become a regular brand here, but — the THE ROW Zipped Wallet, ¥81,400. The price keeps creeping up on this too. A wallet THE ROW makes here and there.
It's basically a card holder — four cards fit on the front, and there's an L-zip here with the inside being basically a coin pocket. I fold cash in thirds and put it in. Why this wallet too? When bags got smaller, it's not very thick, and with about five bills folded and tucked inside, it slips into even a small bag — and I got attached to this thing on it. — You seem to like that, Ishikawa-san, dangling it around. — It's like a tiny version of a money-collection bag, right? You can carry it like a collection pouch, so with this and a keychain and keys, and your phone in a pocket or whatever, it's just right for heading out casually — that's what I bought it for.
And the leather texture too, it has a slightly resin-treated, smooth feel — maybe they've done something. However, it scratches really easily, so tossing it in a bag with other things scuffs it up quite a bit, is the impression. There's the ¥80,000 question, though. — ¥30,000... — Well, but it really is well done, isn't it, these. Effortlessly simple with a slightly clever, amusing touch. If this were ¥30,000 it'd be great, though.
They can churn out things like that one after another, so the designers inside are skilled too. They have famous shoe designers and women's designers do the designing, so they're incredibly good. The small goods, bags too — they've clearly got good designers. And there's Chanel money — coming in from there too, and from L'Oréal or some cosmetics company as well, I hear, so it's a brand firmly walking the royal road of luxury. Wonderful.
Next, in the ¥100,000 budget, for a wallet you can also buy this brand: the Bottega Veneta Cassette Bifold Wallet with Coin Purse, ¥105,600. Until recently it felt like it was under ¥100,000, but now it's crossed ¥100,000. In the Daniel Lee era this "Cassette" — a large Intrecciato weave — suddenly made it modern, giving it an image even young people could carry. I like this Cassette series too and have used several bags from it, is the thing. It's modern — the normal-size Intrecciato is nice too, but this one is more modern and cooler, right?
Inside this wallet there are four card slots, and this part holds some too, so in total you can keep about six cards, and it has a largish coin pocket. The Cassette series has various wallet types — there's a thicker one with a zippered coin pocket inside — but this type is simple and the most usable, I think. And of course, being Bottega, the construction is incredibly good — the way the transition in thickness is handled here is really clean, and the way the bill compartment opens is clean too, so it strikes me as a good wallet, and if you can buy this for ¥100,000, it's a wallet worth the ¥100,000 investment, I'd say. Rather than spending ¥80,000 on that one, spending ¥100,000 on this feels more worthwhile. Of course it's expensive — a pricey wallet, I think — but the value is there, it seems.
Yes. Lastly, one more — what's probably the very top class of compact wallets — I'll introduce in the ¥500,000 budget. I don't actually know what the current retail price is, but it's the Hermès Azap Vertical — about ¥500,000 now, somewhere from the ¥400,000s to around ¥500,000, I'd guess. Compared to the others it's big, but originally this was a compact size, and it's a wallet with a U-shaped zipper. Inside there are four card slots here, with cards on both sides — oh, something's in here, an AirTag-type thing — and one bill compartment. And it's priced about like a typical brand's bag, is the thing.
I think I've mentioned before — a lot of business owners around me carry this. — Oh really? — Lots. Many executives use it, so carrying a wallet like this gives off that "oh, an executive?" kind of impression, I think. Among compact wallets, this is about the top tier. Beyond this, about all that's left are wallets in exotic leathers, I think, so this is roughly where it tops out, is how I see it.
So that's my lineup. The price gap from here to here is huge, and in between there are lots of good wallets, so I hope you'll pick from among them. So, 13 picks, run through quickly. Compact wallets — did everyone find a favorite? That's the idea. — Right. — I wonder if we managed to air this on the Ichiryu Manbaibi of June 24, to get it out, I wonder. Everyone, it's fine as an investment in yourself with your bonus, or as a gift for someone, I think — buy any of these and you can't go wrong, I believe. So please, if there's a wallet you liked, let us know — "that one was good" — or if you have a compact wallet you like from elsewhere, we'd love a comment introducing it.
So, today's summary. Today's summary: keep your wallet small and smart. — What? You were still waiting? — There might be a floor below this. — Huh? — No, that's it, it's over.
The wallet episode was really fun, but honestly I wanted to see more from Ishikawa-san — in that ¥100,000-budget range, you tend to go to Bottega or THE ROW fairly often, right? Is that because you look at others but the impression is there aren't many cool ones? — Right, exactly. In the brand-wallet price zone, at ¥100,000 there are quite a few — is it that you don't really want them? — Yeah, not really.
If anything, I really want a well-made wallet using good leather — for example, domestic would be fine. So if a brand like Forme used really good leather, truly great leather, then even if it came to around ¥100,000, I think I'd want it. But sourcing leather is hard now, those aren't really around, so I rarely find a wallet that grabs me, and I inevitably end up at THE ROW's design cleverness and Bottega's build quality every time. — Yeah. — I've looked at tons. I looked at tons of wallets this time. — Right, you've looked at a lot, Ishikawa-san. — Yeah, there just aren't any. — I see. That's right. In terms of finds this time, Forme — Forme was a big find, I'd say.
And one more — a surprise, may I? — Huh? There's something like that? — There's a surprise. Recently our Katsura-kun went and properly paid his respects to the parents — went to greet his partner's parents, apparently. A happy occasion. A joyous bit of news. We have to celebrate that, right? So I thought, this — as a celebration, this — it's apparently still a way off, sorry, a way off — but here, there's a box too, so this, as a celebration, this for Katsura-kun. — You'd been saying you wanted this, right? — This is a surprise. — Wow, amazing. Is this shot okay? — What a punchline to the episode, huh? — No, wonderful. I'm surprised. As a celebration, I'd like to do that. — I should go pay my respects too. — Yeah, you should. I'm waiting for big-bro's visit. — I'm looking forward to it.
So, everyone, toward 100,000 subscribers, we want to finally start the countdown — soon, I want to — I want to do something, and for that we need a few more subscribers, or we can't make our move. — Not yet, right. — I want to accelerate here, so please, if you're watching this and haven't subscribed yet, subscribe right now, please. And a like, a comment on which wallet you like, and the bell and Hype — we humbly ask. Please, please. — In my heart I was just doing a full dogeza, you know — me.
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