(if you want to see all the features and how many cards and cash it can hold, please watch the video)
Today we are going to do a comparison between the Ridge carbon fiber and the Pirna carbon fiber which are both band wallets.
First I will do a review of the features of both wallets. This is not going to be hard because they are exactly the same, or appear to be the same. This Ridge is carbon fiber and has a band. The Pirna is also carbon fiber but only has a money clip. The Ridge provides a money clip or a money strap. As far as the finishes, the Pirna is very shiny and has resin on it, whereas the Ridge has more of a matte finish. However, if you look at them side by side, they are essentially the same looking wallets. Both of these have the same design. They each have a backstop elastic strap and the same thumb push. They also have the same method of getting into the wallet. The screw placements are also exactly the same.
I will now take them both apart. It looks like the whole structure of the Pirna is larger, requiring larger screws. The force I had to use was not as much and seemed a lot smoother on the Ridge. If we take a look at the back structure, we notice that both the Pirna and the Ridge have the backstop elastic that comes down both sides, and is heat-sealed into the strap that goes all the way around. As a whole, the construction is relatively the same. I am not going to come to conclusions other than, as I was taking it apart, I could tell that the Pirna felt a little more rough than the Ridge. I think the construction on the Ridge is still superior. But whether that is $115 versus $27 superior, I think is really up to you.
The final scoring on these wallets was as follows. The Ridge had a 5 in quality. The Pirna had a 3. They look completely the same, but through touch, the Ridge is better quality by way of materials.
I think the features of the Ridge outweigh the Pirna because you can put a money clip instead of a strap, or vice versa. By usability, they are both the same. By perception, Ridge has built a reputation around this wallet. They started on Kickstarter and built this up over time. Pirna just copycatted and came into the market, which, again, is competitive, and that’s fine with me. The final scoring of the Ridge came out ahead at 3.7, to Pirna’s 3.4.
The Ridge wallet is an excellent band wallet. It’s materials and presentation provide a great experience.
Pirna continues to make very acceptable quality products at incredible prices.
