(if you want to see all the features and how many cards and cash it can hold, please watch the video)
Lo Esencial is based in Guadalajara, Mexico which produces unique product offerings like the Bifold Wallet II. Our online community continues to bring a lot of different wallets to my attention including this one. It comes packaged in a nice cotton bag with a grommeted leather piece on the outside with their logo stamped into it. They have included a couple of inserts about their wallets, how they are used, and of course other products they offer.
The Lo Esencial wallet has no features on the front. It is a single piece of leather, which reduces the potential for sewing to come undone and provides for greater wear and tear. There is a quick access card slot on the back. When the wallet is opened, there are 2 sample cards that demonstrate how the card slots work. Credit cards fit through the back two slots. When you undo the tab on the front, you now have access to where the cash lays. The cash folds up when the wallet is closed. Once closed, you can simply pull the leather piece on the side back and extract the cash.
I was able to get six cards, two in each slot and eight slips of cash inside. A minimal carry on this would be five cards, with six to ten being reasonable. Business cards also fit in here just fine. The company recommends three to ten cards, but no recommendation for cash.
From a quality perspective, this is designed and made in Mexico. It is made from a single unlined piece of full grain veg-tanned leather.
It has a nice footprint and sits nicely in your front pocket. One thing to note is the brass tab on the interior where the wallet, when folded over is secured at. It is a screw which screws into the front of the brass tab. The company has provided an extra brass tab in case it’s lost.
It measures 3.8 x 3.2 x 0.3”. It is pretty square in shape and weighs 39 grams.
This was created by Adolfo Navarro, the founder. He has placed great effort in demonstrating Mexican manufacture and design through simplicity and minimalism through subdued aesthetics. This is a wonderful product. I really like the smell and feel of it. The fact that it is a single piece of leather and they’ve incorporated a unique design is excellent.
For the final score: For quality a 4. Price a 4. Features a 3. Usability a 3 and perception a 4. That gives us a final score of 3.7 out of 5. This is one of the top five unique wallets in our top five review.
Made from a single piece of genuine leather, no seams, no fading linings, no fuss. It only has a simple side clasp that will allow you to access its content quickly and stylized.
