Black is the colour you choose when you do not want to think about it again. It goes with every shoe and every suit, it hides a year of use better than anything else, and it is the one colour every wallet we make comes in.
That makes the question not which colour, but which shape. This guide walks through the seven black pieces, from the thinnest to the fullest, so you can match the wallet to the pocket it is going in.
Every black piece in one place
Seven pieces, one per model: Keychain, Card Sleeve, Cardholder, Slim Wallet, Zip Wallet, Billfold and MacBook Sleeve.
For a suit: the Card Sleeve and the Cardholder
A suit jacket wants the thinnest thing you can carry. The Card Sleeve is the thinnest piece we make, a single sleeve for a few cards and a folded note, at €55. The Cardholder, 100 by 70 mm, holds up to six cards across three slots and a centre section for notes, and is the shape most people mean when they say card case. Both disappear in an inside pocket.
For a front pocket: the Slim Wallet
The Slim Wallet is designed for the front pocket of a pair of jeans or trousers: six card slots and a note compartment in a wallet thin enough not to show. It is probably our best-selling wallet, and black is its best-selling colour. €110, in a presentation box.
For coins: the Zip Wallet
If you still carry coins, the Zip Wallet is the answer. It zips on three sides, with an open compartment for coins and notes and a card slot inside, and measures 12.5 by 9 cm. In black it is the wallet we would recommend to anyone who wants one piece for everything.
For a traditional shape: the Billfold
The Black and Blue Billfold is the fullest wallet we make and still thin: six card slots, two receipt pockets and a note compartment, 105 by 88 mm. Black outside, blue inside, so it looks classic closed and a little less so open. The Keychain at €25 and the Black and Dark Blue MacBook Sleeve complete the set.
How the leather ages
Black is the colour that shows the least change, which is why people choose it, but it still ages. The matte surface of a new black wallet takes on a soft sheen within a few months, the corners round off, and the leather relaxes to the shape of what you carry. Scratches, which show on paler colours, mostly disappear into black with a rub of the thumb.
Every piece is cut from Italian vegetable tanned leather from the Tempesti tannery in Tuscany, then stitched and finished by hand in a single atelier near Braga, in the north of Portugal. The edges are painted by hand, the logo is stamped in gold, and every wallet arrives in a presentation box. We design everything in Brussels.
Which black wallet to choose
Inside jacket pocket. Card Sleeve if you carry four cards or fewer, Cardholder if you carry six.
Front trouser pocket. Slim Wallet. It is what it was designed for.
Bag, or coins. Zip Wallet.
Back pocket, or a lot of receipts. The Billfold. For a fuller comparison of the four shapes, see our guide to wallet sizes in mm.
See every piece in black leather goods, or browse the full small leather goods range.
Frequently asked questions
Which black wallet is best for a suit?
The thinnest one. The Card Sleeve (€55) for a few cards and a folded note, or the Cardholder (€75, 100 by 70 mm, up to six cards) if you carry more. Both sit flat in an inside jacket pocket.
Does black vegetable tanned leather change over time?
Less than other colours, but yes. The matte surface develops a soft sheen within a few months, the corners round off and the leather softens to the shape of what you carry. Small scratches mostly disappear into black.
What is the thinnest black wallet you make?
The Card Sleeve. It is a single sleeve of vegetable tanned leather for cards and a folded note, and it is the thinnest piece in our range. The Cardholder is the second thinnest.
Do you make a black wallet with coin space?
Yes. The Zip Wallet in black zips on three sides and has an open compartment for coins and notes with a card slot inside. It measures 12.5 by 9 cm and is €110.
Is the black leather vegetable tanned?
Yes. All black pieces are cut from Italian vegetable tanned leather from the Tempesti tannery in Tuscany, dyed through the hide, and made by hand in a single atelier in Portugal.
Escuyer. Considered design, made to last.
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