With many option, Distil Union has produced a number of excellent wallets like the Wally 5.0 bifold. They also have the Wally Euro and Wally Agent, both leather bifold wallet options for cash and or card holder. As you might guess the Wally Euro accommodates European notes.
(if you want to see all the features and how many cards and cash it can hold, please watch the video)
We have in this review the Distil Union Euro and the Agent wallet. The Agent comes in typical packaging that we see in almost all wallet offerings from Distil Union. It comes with some nice tips and great instructions for your wallet besides some other little card. It has a very traditional bifold look, and I got the hickory color for our review, but it also comes in ink, which is black, and slate, as they call it, which is gray.
The Euro wallet, a slim wallet party, comes in a box. It looks very similar to the Wally 5.0, which I happen to also have and will be comparing it to the Euro as we move forward. The Euro wallet is too in the hickory brown color, and like the Wally 5.0, it has got these interesting entry points on the edges for cards. From a sewing perspective, it is very similar to all of Distil Union’s wallets. It has a money clip, and of course, companies feel compelled to provide an RFID wallet because so many people have been brainwashed about them. If interested, you can watch a video in which I express my opinions on this.
As I mentioned, The Agent wallet is a very traditional bifold design, it has nothing on the exterior and the interior has two interior card slots with a capacity of up to two cards each. We also have pole straps on both sides with the capacity of four cards each for additional cards or archive cards.
If you have been counting, that means that Distil Union recommends up to 12 cards in this wallet. In addition, we have the billfold pocket that handles all currencies, including the Euro and the yen, and has a capacity of up to 30 notes. The wallet measures 3.7 x four x 0.5″ and weighs 50 grams or 1.8 ounces. It does not have anything on the exterior, however, we do have card slots at the end, and it uses what is called a flex technology, for flex closure and technology for extraction. It does not have magnets, it just uses tension to open up. It is equipped with a pull strap for cards, and none on the opposite side. This one is for coins as well as SIM cards, keys, and such. Since it is being targeted towards larger currencies, which are outside the United States, we do know that coins are used more frequently outside the US.
The Euro wallet can accommodate quite a bit in there, for example, six cards plus eight cards being the capacity of the pull strap and 10 coins. As we open it up, we have the money clip, which is a traditional spring clip that can hold up to 30 notes. It is a very simple wallet but designed for a very specific purpose. It measures 4 x 3.5 x 0.6 and weighs 63 grams or 2.2 ounces. As to the comparison between the Wally 5.0 and the Wally Euro, I inserted six cards, eight slips of cash, and coins which come out easily with a simple flip. However, one thing to point out is that a lot of force will cause the cards to fall out. Still, I think it would be okay for general use and it works just fine with all these currencies and handles the Euro and the yen like a champ. You would also notice that the cards give you a peekaboo.
The Agent’s minimalist carry is probably four cards, and reasonable is eight. Distil Union states that you can get 12 cards in. It handled the six cards and eight slips of cash that I inserted like a champ. I pointed out the yen and the €100 note, which is actually being phased out and becoming a smaller currency. With that being the case, this wallet can handle everything that the Euro can.
Both of these wallets are designed in the United States and made in China from a full-grain vegetable-tanned leather that smells like chrome tan. Unlike the company’s MagLock design in the Wally 5.0, we have the FlexLock on the Wally Euro. It has got a great fidget spinner, where, by applying pressure, you release the tension allowing it to lock back in place. As we all know, Distil Union has been using magnets in their wallets for years, as result, they have figured out how to not affect your cards. The evolution of the Wally 4.0 to the 5.0 solves several issues which still plague the Euro. Both the Euro and the Agent have a gray nylon lining that is also on the interior with the cards and in their slots. This is no different from what we see in the Euro.
Both come with a 30-day refund policy and a one-year manufacturer’s warranty. From a usability perspective, the Agent is more of a traditional bifold, as I have mentioned, which means that we miss the benefit that we see from magnets like in other Wally wallets. I would love to see the Agent able to close and maintain itself that way. One of the interesting aspects about this wallet, unlike many other wallets, is the pass-through for the strap. Generally, the pass-through is always attached to the bottom of the wallet, while in this one it is attached at the top. As a consequence, instead of inserting the cards above the strap, they are inserted below it. This is very smart because it solves a very occurring problem where the little bridge on the bottom interferes with cards when being pushed in. In this case, because you put the card down on the bottom, you can slide them in without that interference. One of the problems, however, is that the pass-through bridge is very, very thin as it is just a small strip that I cannot see lasting a very long time, and so, over time I would expect it to pull through.
The Euro is similar to other Wally wallets but uses the FlexLock, and as I was playing with the coins during the coin test, they seem not to maintain well when being shaken. The reason is that it is not equipped with magnets.
What is the difference between the Euro and the Wally 5.0? Well, there are several differences, but two primary ones stick out.
First, the Wally has two additional card slots on the interior while, the Euro does not have any interior card slots. I would love to see that as a secondary option for storing cards. The second difference is the money clip. One thing I really love, and I designate as the shining star of the 5.0, is the stainless steel uniquely designed money clip. I always look forward and enjoy the unique designs makers put into the money clips, but the Euro, however, has just a traditional and very common spring-based money clip. It is, nevertheless, pretty tight and not going to just come out easily, but that is still something I do not quite like. I mentioned earlier that the cards bump up against the top of the wallet, and despite having a FlexLock in there, that is still really concerning. The 4.0 on the Wally used to have the same problem, but with the Wally 5.0, they just go in and disappear. Moreover, the pull strap is also magnetic, so it is out of the way, which is quite nice and permits the whole wallet to close shut. These simple adjustments make the Wally 5.0 far superior in many different ways, and I think give them a direction for other wallets.
Will the Euro be a long-term offering for Distil Union? Well, the answer is no, it has been phased out because they say so on their website. While the Euro takes on the Wally 5.0 features of the in cap cards and the pull strap, the Agent also handles tall currencies in a more traditional bifold method. Still, tall currencies, like the Euro and pound are phasing out their taller currency notes, which pretty much leaves the yen. But if the yen ever reduced its height, there would be no need for these additional types of wallets. But does it provide enough market to justify it is the issue? The answer is no. The Euro is still available if you want to get it, but you need to act fast.
For the final score, both the Distil Union Euro and the Agent wallets came out with the same score, four for quality, two for the price, both are expensive; features score a three, they do function; usability scores a four as they are easy to use, although we do see some concerns with the Euro and the coins, such the coins falling out with the FlexLock, and cards peeking their head out; usability scores another four, which I still think is pretty good, and perception scores a four. Finally, that gives both these wallets a final score of 3.5 out of 5.
If you like this review, watch its video. Overall, Distil Union products are excellent in design and construction, and these are no different.
