(if you want to see all the features and how many cards and cash it can hold, please watch the video)
Today’s review is on the Carl Friedrik Swanfield wallet. It comes packaged in a sturdy grey box with the name of the company embossed on the front. There is a grey insert inside of the box which has been cut out to fit the wallet just perfectly. The packaging is very clean look at and is very minimalistic. We’ve reviewed both the Carl Friedrik Hatton in the past and their quality continues in this wallet.
On the exterior of the wallet is one card slot. On the left hand side of the interior, there are three card slots. These consist of two slits that are made in the leather where the cards are inserted, as well as a separate piece of leather for the bottom slot. There is also an area behind these slots for additional cards or cash. There is also an area on the back of the right hand side, as well as a card slot that is in a horizontal or landscape position.
I was able to get six cards in the wallet which consisted of one card in the exterior slot, two cards in the right horizontal slot and one card in each of the three slit areas on the left hand side. I got four slips of U.S. currency. Yen will not work, and only Euros 20 and lower will work. Anything bigger will not fit. I find this interesting since the wallet is made in Europe. From a minimalist perspective, probably four cards will work great. The company recommends up to seven cards.
The wallet is designed in London and made in Naples, Italy by a third generation family leather crafting business. It is made from a full grain veg-tanned Vachetta leather by Artigiano del Cuoio, which means the craftsmen of leather in Tuscany. There is a single filament thread that provides durability so the leather pieces don’t come apart, especially at the stress points. The edge treatment is different from what is seen in most wallets. The edges are called a brushed raw edge that are nicely burnished, which look as if they have been painted. There is also a textual detail with this wallet comparing the edges when it’s closed. You have the leather wrapped in one case with burnishing on the other, when closed, it provides texture and visual detail.
The wallet comes in a semi broken-in state because it is folded in the box. The leather is finished on the interior as well, meaning the flesh side of the leather isn’t showing and the leather material extends all the way to the back of the slots.
When I read reviews from owners of this type of wallet and other full-grain veg tanned leather products, it always makes me shake my head when a customer complains about how the leather shows scuffs and scratches after just a few days. This is going to happen because the wallet is made from veg-tanned, full-grain leather which adds to the character of a wallet. If you don’t want to have scratches and scuffs on your wallet, then you will need to buy something that is made from plastic.
The wallet measures 4.1 x 2.8 x 0.4” and weighs 47 grams.
My perception of Carl Friedrik is very high. It is a Swedish company formed by two brothers, who, like most companies these days, found something they didn’t like, and wanted to create something better. They produce high quality products that are incredibly functional compared to other boutique leather brands. The company offers a lifetime warranty which covers repairs or replacements for functional damage of this product.
For the final score. For quality, a 5 price, a 3, features, a 4, usability, a 3 and perception, a 5. That gives us a final score of 4 out of 5.
One of the most popular wallets in the Carl Friedrik line, the quality and craftsmanship shines with equally nice feature, albeit a little small for some foreign currencies when folded twice
