Drive By :: Barrett Alley Reuben Wallet

During the Carryology shop visit with Barrett last year, I was extremely interested in the wide range of his handmade pieces of artwork.  Most of all, I was enamored with the triad combination of his expert and meticulous handmade process, the buttery US vegetable tanned leathers, and the antique liner fabrics (from Japan, France and the US).  The wallet that initially jumped out at me was the Disciple wallet, in russet leather.  The construction and closure method was super clever…however, it hit only 2 of my 3 favorite aspects, missing the crazy interesting interior lining.  I immediately asked Barrett about adding some of this beautiful fabric lining into the Disciple.  Nope.  Not at that time at least, for a variety of reasons.

Fast forward, Saturday October 5th, Barrett Alley just released the Reuben wallet.  Just as smart as the Disciple, with the addition of lining fabrics.  The lining options offered are antique Japanese solid indigo, antique Japanese indigo plaid, antique Japanese furoshiki, antique French toile de jouy, and antique American red and white stripes.  On the outside, the Reuben is available in the following vegetable tanned cowhide leather: natural, russet, and Barrett’s brand new tobacco color.

Barrett was generous enough to send out one of his first Reuben wallet creations, still hot off of the presses workbench.  We had to share this fine piece with you all sooner rather than later, as we couldn’t keep this one to ourselves.  For my Reuben wallet, I opted for the orange/red/brown “russet” leather and made a very special request to have it lined with a bit of antique (approximately 100 year old) Japanese indigo katazome cotton that I picked up while visiting Tokyo.

Just like the rest of the product collection he offers, this is one damn fine-looking product.  I’m especially loving the contrast of the burnt auburn leather and the rich bright blue indigo in the liner, the two really complement each other in a bold way.  The white/cream saddle stitch really pops off of the leather as well, highlighting each one of Barrett’s meticulous needle-passes.  Seeing this with your eyes is one thing…handling it is a real tactile experience for the fingertips (hopefully by 2015 you can touch your screen to feel the leather/textures…we’re currently developing that).

Though this hand-numbered wallet is intended to carry cards and cash, I always wanted a lined Disciple for business card carry, to replace my metal card case.  So personally, this Reuben is perfect for my specific desires.  It holds between 10-15 very (very) thick business cards.  I’m still going to stick with my Barrett Alley shell cordovan Revelation wallet for my daily wallet; the Reuben will be reserved for when I need to bring my cards to client meetings or whenever I’m traveling…both of which occur often.  However, I could imagine this being a great slim front-pocket wallet for EDC.  In fact, the Disciple wallet is what Barrett carries in his pockets daily (again, the Reuben is the exact same design, updated with even more detail).

Like all leather goods, they look better with use and I’m excited to see what happens here with this one.  Simply put, the Reuben is another extraordinary example coming from Barrett Alley.  You can’t go wrong with this new Reuben wallet, which I’ve personally been keeping my fingers crossed for its release.  Keen to purchase?

Rumor has it, we may even be seeing some other forms of larger carry coming out of the Barrett Alley shop soon too…we’re very much looking forward to that as it progresses.  To stay up to date on Barrett’s developments and product launches, which are usually done via social media, follow him via Instagram (@barrettalley), Facebook, Twitter (@barrettalleyxx), and Tumblr…always fun visual treats.