My first EDC design: the first truly all metal expandable wallet

[carinson43]

This is my first post here and I'm looking for feedback, especially criticism, for my first EDC design.

I've seen alot of very cool metal wallets but so far I don't think there have been any truly all metal expandable (non money clip) wallets.

The ones I've seen seem to always use some sort of elastic or rubber orings to provide the spring function.

In my design the two halves are pulled together using internal stainless steel leaf springs.

The storage volume is created by a special interlocking wall that creates a continuous flat surface, even as the two halves move.

I will eventually be putting this up for crowdfunding, in the next week or so. But I want to put it out there for people to look over and get some feedback first.

This design is definitely still fluid. I can make major changes on the fly and roll a new prototype very quickly.

About the prototype in the pictures:

-Material is 6061-T6, but this design could be made without changes in stainless, Titanium, etc..
-The finish was just done quickly by hand using a sanding block. This is not going to be the production finish.
-The leaf springs are 301 stainless
-The screws are stainless
-Minimum cards is about 3, max is around 8.
-A side effect of the way the leaf springs are mounted is that spring tension can be easily adjusted by turning the front screws.
-The vertical ridges on the back create a gap which makes it easier to insert cards.

Some design changes I'm already considering for the (hopefully) final prototype are:

-Reducing the height of the vertical ridges on the back (currently 0.05"), adding two more, and putting them on the front half as well.
-Adding some sort of design/labelling to the front
-??? Suggestions welcome!

I pulled out all the stops to make sure I could manufacture this wallet at a very low cost, in the USA. I should be able to hit a selling price of around $25.

Also pictured just for fun are the various fixtures I had to make (including the custom CNC machined spring fixture), and some cool CAD stuff.

The first prototype is also pictured, it has a bunch of holes because I was testing spring designs.

[Grant Lamontagne]

First off, welcome to the forum!  You will not find a better group of people to help you come up with a very workable design, just watch out, some folks here may want you to add a thousand features without increasing the price! 

I have some input, but before I give it I would suggest that you keep in mind that I have yet to find a hard wallet that I like.  I am y no means trying to be negative about your design, but I do have some questions.

First off, does only one side have a spring?  Or do both sides compress?

What about cash?  I usually always carry cash, as I am certain a bunch of EDC minded people do, and many of these wallets don't have spots for cash.  Do you think maybe a money clip on the outside might detract more than it is worth?

Also, I have some cards that do not conform to the standard- my insurance card for example is all paper and larger than typical credit cards, and therefore would not fit in this wallet.  Ditto for my outdoors cards.  These might  also fit in a money clip.

Lastly, as I also collect receipts for my job and my business in my wallet I need space for that as well.

I will say that your design looks very interesting, perhaps as a business card holder?

Again, I am not an expert, nor am I trying to be negative, so I hope you were sincere in asking for input!

Def

[carinson43]

First off, welcome to the forum!  You will not find a better group of people to help you come up with a very workable design, just watch out, some folks here may want you to add a thousand features without increasing the price! 

I have some input, but before I give it I would suggest that you keep in mind that I have yet to find a hard wallet that I like.  I am y no means trying to be negative about your design, but I do have some questions.

First off, does only one side have a spring?  Or do both sides compress?

What about cash?  I usually always carry cash, as I am certain a bunch of EDC minded people do, and many of these wallets don't have spots for cash.  Do you think maybe a money clip on the outside might detract more than it is worth?

Also, I have some cards that do not conform to the standard- my insurance card for example is all paper and larger than typical credit cards, and therefore would not fit in this wallet.  Ditto for my outdoors cards.  These might  also fit in a money clip.

Lastly, as I also collect receipts for my job and my business in my wallet I need space for that as well.

I will say that your design looks very interesting, perhaps as a business card holder?

Again, I am not an expert, nor am I trying to be negative, so I hope you were sincere in asking for input!

Def

Thank you for the response!! I am looking for criticism and first impressions, so your input is very welcome and appreciated.

So to answer your questions:

The left and right side both have internal springs. The springs make the halves want to stay parallel to each other and pull towards each other.

You can still put cash in this wallet. I forgot to put up a picture of cash, so I've added one.

Im my personal opinion, I'd like to not add a money clip to this particular design, and accomplish cash holding within the main compartment.

This wallet is definitely in the "minimalist" category. I would say it would work well for someone who already uses a very thin wallet with a few cards and a couple bills. It wont be able to hold as much as a full size leather wallet though.

The storage compartment is designed with about 0.02" extra space beyond the standard card shape on the left and right. I could make this space bigger. It will make the whole wallet bigger but if its just another 0.05" or so that might not really have an impact, and allow larger cards to be stored.

[JBW1]

Just curious about what it weighs "fully loaded"? I really like the design of it, I really want to like it, but one thing that would be a concern for me is how does it carry or sit in your pocket? Great idea for sure! And.......welcome

[carinson43]

Just curious about what it weighs "fully loaded"? I really like the design of it, I really want to like it, but one thing that would be a concern for me is how does it carry or sit in your pocket? Great idea for sure! And.......welcome

Hi, thank you for your questions.

It weighs 2 ounces without anything in it. Its weight with cards will of course go up, credit cards weigh around 0.15oz each.

It is a solid metal object, so it should compare to all metal wallets in that respect. However its much smaller than a cell phone, for instance, and doesn't generate heat. So its quite comfortable to carry around. I'm using it as my wallet and so far its been good. Heres a pic comparing it to my old leather wallet, which was a very thin one. Actually I think technically it was a business card holder.

Also heres an animation of how it expands.

[JBW1]

Thanks for the animation, now I get it

[Grant Lamontagne]

It does look pretty cool- the only other thought that I would have is to maybe round off some of the edges.  They look like they could be damaging to clothing or parts of one's anatomy!   

Def

[carinson43]

It does look pretty cool- the only other thought that I would have is to maybe round off some of the edges.  They look like they could be damaging to clothing or parts of one's anatomy!   

Def

thanks! which edges look sharp? all of them are rounded except for the outer corners (of which there are eight)....I could definitely round them off more..

my phone doesnt take that great of pictures..

[Gohard]

Great workmanship.
I never had a metal wallet and never had the urge to get one. The idea of it in your back pocket without any flexibility is what puts me off. So the question I got. How comfortable is it to wear or sit with it in ones back pocket?

[Grant Lamontagne]

Forgive the horrid MS Paint arrows, but these look like they might be a bit pokey.  These might just look pokey in the photos, obviously I have no idea how they are in real life so I could be way off base here too.

Def

[carinson43]

Great workmanship.
I never had a metal wallet and never had the urge to get one. The idea of it in your back pocket without any flexibility is what puts me off. So the question I got. How comfortable is it to wear or sit with it in ones back pocket?

I would agree. As far as metal wallets in general go this is one of the unavoidable facts of life. I go a step further and I dont really like anything in my back pocket when I'm sitting down, even my super thin leather wallet.

That said the best I can describe how it feels sitting would be this: its significantly smaller than an Iphone 4, and about the same thickness. So if you would consider sitting with one of those in your pocket then it would be more comfortable, especially since it doesnt generate heat.

[carinson43]

Forgive the horrid MS Paint arrows, but these look like they might be a bit pokey.  These might just look pokey in the photos, obviously I have no idea how they are in real life so I could be way off base here too.

Def

nope you're right those are sharp..I can definitely round them off no problem. I like how they look sharp but I can radius them so that they dont cause problems.

[carinson43]

Forgive the horrid MS Paint arrows, but these look like they might be a bit pokey.  These might just look pokey in the photos, obviously I have no idea how they are in real life so I could be way off base here too.

Def

wait just to be clear..the long edges are all filleted/chamfered already. Its the short edges (across the short ~1cm thickness of the wallet) that are full sharp..the pics make it hard to tell...but either way I'll make sure 100% of the corners and edges have some amount of filleting/chamfering

[Poncho65]

Welcome to Very interesting design you have there I am a maximalist and carry a pretty good sized leather wallet so this may not be my cup of tea I do enjoy the process of seeing how it works and all the ins and outs of it

[carinson43]

Welcome to Very interesting design you have there I am a maximalist and carry a pretty good sized leather wallet so this may not be my cup of tea I do enjoy the process of seeing how it works and all the ins and outs of it

thank you! yes this is definitely a minimalist design. But...I do have something very special in mind for a bigger all-metal "maximalist" wallet that could really take the place of a big leather one, but without being a big solid block. Thats the next project though..first things first!

[Gohard]

Thin leather wallet is still ok to sit on. But not a solid Wallet. But like the concept. There will be lots of people out there that supports your idea and good luck.  And great workmanship. Hope it works out for you with all the ideas and support from these guys.

[Kampfer]

Hi and welcome.

May I ask why one would wish for a wallet made of metal instead of other flexible material?

[Fortytwo]

Im my personal opinion, I'd like to not add a money clip to this particular design, and accomplish cash holding within the main compartment.

How about giving the user the choice? Something like how the Thrunite T10t and plenty of other flashlights, knives etc. add their clips?

[ducttapetech]

Welcome to MTO!

I gotta say, that is some serious craftsmanship. Nicely done. I love the looks of it. There are two things that I hate carrying, keys and a big wallet. The less keys I have to carry and the smaller the wallet I have to carry, the better. This looks like a good option and made of metal is a plus.

 I have to agree with Fortytwo, I think the option for a money clip to add to it would be a good idea.
Unless I missed it in your OP, about how many cards will it hold?
Also, you plan on doing any engravings or custom work on them? They look like a good platform to personalize.

Best of luck man.

[carinson43]

As far as why metal, I think functionally there is the benefit of RFID blocking. Beyond that..as far as I know its mostly style and preference. Maybe there are more reasons, I'm not sure.

Since there seems to be more than one person interested in a money clip option, I will look into that and see what I can do. There isn't a whole lot of room for screws to mount one, but I bet I can figure something out. I'd also probably not be able to make the money clip myself since it would most likely be a piece of formed stainless. But it would probably be inexpensive enough in large enough quantities. So probably realistic.

Engravings may definitely be an option on kickstarter, perhaps the first 50 people get custom etching or what not. I've had more than one recommendation on that as well.

I've made a rev 3 design now, (the last was rev 2). I tried to add some more aesthetic features and also change the ridges on the back to be more visually appealing while still doing their job (creating a gap to make cards easier to insert).

Opinions? Better or worse?

Its really tempting to put this up on kickstarter right now to see what happens..but I think I should make a production quality prototype with a proper finish. In other words one that doesn't look like a prototype anymore. Thats going to take a few days.

Also the minimum number of cards in the current design is around 3, and the max is around 8. This can easily be changed though. I think those are good specs...more on the minimalist side which is what its really designed for.

[jcs0001]

Nice looking design.  I would suggest testing it's Rfid blocking capabilities and emphasizing them a bit if it is indeed effective as a blocker.

John

[carinson43]

Nice looking design.  I would suggest testing it's Rfid blocking capabilities and emphasizing them a bit if it is indeed effective as a blocker.

John

Thanks. I'm basing its RFID blocking capabilities based on other RFID blocking metal wallets I've seen that only have one side metal. Since mine has two sides metal I would think it would have to work as well or better.

[carinson43]

Rev 3 prototype machined!

[Yadda]

Consider making it in feminine colors.  It looks like a back pocket carry similar to phones.  Women might find it useful.

[Kampfer]

I never had a problem with RFID so that is a moot point for me.
While I love the look of your design, don't think my butts will feel comfortable with a metal wallet.

Good luck. 

[carinson43]

still need to come up with a name/logo of some kind..thinking "ALMTL" as in all-metal and Al being aluminum element abbreviation.

As far as the wallet color, clear anodizing most likely. Although I may look into that once the kickstarter is up and try to offer different wallet colors. I would need to do some research as far as which anodizings are UV stable long term and how much it costs to do that. There have been some reports on kickstarter of various wallet type products with dark anodizing who fade fast in the sun.

[carinson43]

Its on Kickstarter now! Thanks for all the support! I'll be working on other EDC projects for sure once this project is finished.

Heres the kickstarter campaign: http://kck.st/2cStFM8

Funded 60% already and its only been a day and half!!

[SteveC]

Good luck   

[carinson43]

I've added a money clip stretch goal option! I know that was a popular request.

Kickstarter here: http://kck.st/2cStFM8