I purchased this beautiful travel wallet from MP Leatherworks last month and thought I'd post a review, since they are new to Etsy and there have not been any reviews posted as of yet.
Since I don't do much traveling any more (unless you can count all the trips I take to the grocery store...), I still wanted a wallet that I could carry alone (as a clutch) or in my bag. After looking at several different ones, I decided to go with the small Travel Wallet in the dark blue croc-embossed leather.
(external pocket for passport--- or grocery receipts)
I liked the fact that the wallet had a handy external pocket so I could easily stash items without needing to unzip the entire wallet. The gold-toned zipper is sturdy, well sewn, and zips smoothly. It does not interfere in any way with fountain pens that are attached to the internal pen loop, so I do not need to be concerned with potential scratches or damages to the pen.
(Aurora Optima Sole in the pen lop -- and some candy for those hangry moments in the checkout line...)
The internal pen loop is sewn-in leather (no elastic) and is wide enough for all of my fountain pens. My largest Visconti (London Fog) fit with room to spare. There was no concern for the pen scratching on the zipper, as the pen loop allows the pen to move away from the center and out of harm's way. There is a slot for a cell phone and, while my iPhone does fit, it does not accommodate for the rather large protective/waterproof case that I have my iPhone housed in. That being said, my iPhone still fits within the zipped up wallet and I can use the phone slot for something else until I get a different phone case.
The wallet, itself, has two other pockets and one large slot for small notebooks, letters, cash, etc. and there are also 5 slots for cards. These pockets/slots are lined and well-sewn.
(product image from MPLeatherworks' Etsy shop)
(product image from MPLeatherworks' Etsy shop)
Overall, I found the wallet to be a great value for the money. At the time I purchased the wallet, they had a shop sale an I was able to get it (including shipping) for about $74. Since they are in Turkey, the shipping was about $14 and it took almost a month via USPS -- but the shop shipped it in less than 24 hours after I purchased it. Prior to purchase, I did ask the shop owner a few questions, and the response was prompt and polite.
I have made a video for YouTube about the wallet (please be kind, as I am a newbie):
As mentioned in the video, I really only had 2 issues with the wallet. The first, is that part of the lining is visible on the inside. It is not very noticeable unless you open the wallet up and pull back the flapped part. The construction appears to be very sturdy, so this is only a cosmetic defect. The other issue is that it has a strong odor of "leather" -- much more than my vegetable-tanned leather products do. This probably wouldn't be an issue for most people, but I am crazy-sensitive to smells. That being said, the odor has diminished since it has been out of it's packaging and I anticipate it to be gone with further use.
Those two issues aside, I would not hesitate to recommend this wallet or company based on the service and product that I have received.
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