Re-imagining Mini Long Wallet Interiors

The Mini Long Wallet started out as a way to appease some of our customers that liked the long wallet but just wanted something a little shorter. Obviously we do try to listen to our customers' feedback because that's just good business. The original design wasn't even available as a stock item. But folks saw us make a few as requested by some of our customers on social media and before long it had a achieved a somewhat cult status in as much as a style of leather wallet can have a following. Eventually we had enough interest in them to make a version that was available on the website, and they've sold fairly well over the years. That being said, there's always room for improvement. We're constantly looking at ways we can better the styles and designs of our products. 

One of the biggest opportunities we had to improve upon the mini longs had to do with the interior pockets. The standard design actually uses a similar card slot that our first and second generation long wallets and bifolds used. This slot is literally an unbacked slot punched into the interior. It's a simple design that looks and functions well enough, but there's really not much room for cards. One of the benefits of doing this type of work for so long is that you really do improve upon techniques and skills, and this simple pocket design is a holdover from a version of RyanTheAnvil that was younger, and a less proficient leather craftsman. So, we can do better these days. Looking at the improvements made to the trifold  interior RTA was able to stair step some thinner, but still very solid layers of leather to develop a more efficient space for cards on the mini long.

These stair stepped interiors means that the mini long wallet is just a hair thicker but in a good way. At Anvil we're always asking ourselves "Is this substantial?" and the mini longs always felt a little thin compared to our other wallets. And if you know anything about Anvil we have a reputation for building sturdy products. The biggest benefit of this stair stepped approach is that the new interior will feature 4 wide card slots that are backed and give the wearer ample room to carry plenty of cards. Plus you won't have to worry about the cards falling out no matter how broken in the leather gets. All that plus it still has a bill section for your cash and lotto tickets.

Obviously we have to test this interior out for awhile to see how practical it is. But currently, it's looking like this new design is going to work very well. Once we feel good about it we'll take the hand cut template and square it up on the computer. We'll build a technical illustration with specific measurements and clean up all the imperfections that the draft might have. From there we'll send that file over to the company that makes our clicker dies. Once we have the dies in hand and we can click out consistent parts then start offering them to the general public.

So that's what's coming down the pipeline so look for those in time for this holiday shopping season. We're really looking forward to the new and improved mini long interiors and we think you're going to really enjoy them as well.