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Home / Blog / Product Reviews

Long-Term Anson Calder Card Wallet Review: Worth the Price?

Published on June 12, 2020 by Brock McGoff · Product Reviews, Wallets May contain affiliate links (what's this?)

This is a long-term, hands-on review of the Anson Calder Card Wallet (both versions).

Anson Calder card wallet 4 years later v2
Four years later, this wallet has aged like top shelf bourbon.

Specifically, I’ll share my thoughts after having used the first and second generation Card Wallet for several years.

If you’re trying to decide whether or not to invest in an Anson Calder wallet, you’re in the right place.

Quick Take

If you don’t have time to read the full review, here’s what you need to know:

Pros

  • Extremely low profile
  • Calfskin ages well
  • Can use one-handed
  • Luxurious build quality and design

Cons

  • Color selection is limited
  • Expensive

Click here to check out Anson Calder’s wallets, or read on for the full review.

About Anson Calder

Based in NYC, Anson Calder is named after its founder, Curtis Calder, an investment banker turned leather goods designer.

Curtis loves minimalism, luxury materials and functional design, and you’ll see/feel all of these things when you interact with Anson Calder products.

Anson Calder
Even the packaging feels luxurious, like you’re opening a new iPhone.

The brand now makes several different types of wallets, bags and accessories with prices ranging from $60 to over $1,200.

Slim wallets were their first offering, and the Card Wallet is still a flagship product today.

The Card Wallet

Back when Anson Calder first launched, they were laser-focused one thing: making a better slim wallet.

Anson Calder cash slot vs cash pocket
Card Wallet w/ Cash Pocket (left), Card Wallet w/ Cash Slot (right)

And to be honest, they did just that. I love thin, minimal wallets, and I’ve tried out many different options.

The Anson Calder Card Wallet is my favorite, and it hasn’t been dethroned in several years.

I’ve used two versions of this wallet:

  1. Card Wallet with Cash Slot
  2. Card Wallet with Cash Pocket (formerly called the Cash Wallet)

They’re both small, but the cash pocket version is slightly taller.

Anson Calder card wallets compared
The Cash Pocket version is just slightly taller than the Cash Slot version.

Both are incredibly low profile at just 1/8″ thick, and they carry everything I need:

  • Driver’s license
  • 1 debit card
  • 2 credit cards (work and personal)
  • Metro card
  • 2-4 bills

There is room for more (up to 12 cards), but I don’t need anything else on a daily basis.

Anson Calder card wallet top
Card Wallet w/ Cash Pocket, viewed from the top

The main difference between these two different versions of the Card Wallet is how they carry cash.

The standard Card Wallet (not shown here) doesn’t have a spot for cash.

The Card Wallet with Cash Slot has a diagonal slot on one side for a couple of bills.

Card wallet with cash slot
Card Wallet w/ Cash Slot (my preferred carry)

The card wallet with cash pocket has a vertical slot in the middle for a few bills and/or extra cards.

Black and brown calfskin leather
This is the “cash pocket” for bills and extra cards.

To accommodate this extra space, the Cash Pocket version is slightly bigger, but it’s just as thin and still very small compared to most other minimal wallets.

Anson Calder wallet size 1
Card Wallet w/ Cash Slot (middle) vs. Cash Pocket (right)

Each of these wallets is available in a variety of configurations. The default material is French calfskin, although the cash pocket version can be made from Sport Leather, a weather-resistant material that’s better suited for active lifestyles.

I prefer the calfskin version. Just look at that grain!

Anson Calder stitching
French calfskin + hand sticking = perfection

Whichever material you prefer, you’ll have a variety of colors to choose from. I’ve had the cognac and black French calfskin for several years, and both have aged wonderfully.

New leather vs aged
Brand new vs. 3+ years of use

I especially like the patina that the cognac leather developed, as the patina on the black leather is less noticeable.

New vs aged black leather
Brand new vs. 2+ years of use (note: no logo on the new version)
Black wallet patina
Black leather develops a more subtle patina, but you can see the imprint of numbers through the leather (please don’t steal my identity).

You can also choose to add RFID protection, and you can personalize your wallet with a monogram.

What I Like

Spoiler alert: I love this wallet. This isn’t a paid review, and I’m under no obligation to publish it.

I just love sharing products that have actually improved my life, and the Anson Calder Card Wallet is one of those products.

Card Wallet with cash slot front v2
Anson Calder Card Wallet with Cash Slot

I’ve tried so many different slim, minimal wallets over the past few years. I get emails every week from new brands who claim that they’ve just created the best wallet of all time.

I always try them out, and I always end up going back to Anson Calder, mostly because it’s just smaller and thinner than anything else that’s come across my desk.

Anson Calder card wallet cash slot thickness
The Card Wallet w/ Cash Slot, holding 6 cards and 2 bills.

Plus, the design of these wallets allows for one-handed use, which is rare and extremely useful.

I only need one hand to give a bartender my ID (yeah, still get carded sometimes) or hand over my credit card at a store.

Using wallet one handed
Card cut out for one-handed use

Now, these wallets are so thin that I was sure they’d fall apart after a few months, but they’ve aged gracefully, which helps justify the high price tag.

Anson Calder card wallet patina
Just look at that patina 😍

Put simply, I like almost everything about these wallets.

What I Don’t Like

There are two things that I don’t love about the Anson Calder Card Wallet.

First, the color selection. I’m not sure why AC offers colors like bright orange and red when they’re missing staples like dark brown and natural calfskin.

Black and brown leather calfskin

Black calfskin new
I love the black and brown versions, but I don’t think I’d ever buy a red or orange wallet…

I’d love to see a color lineup that’s less saturated and more neutral. Then again, seeing how the brown leather darkened over time, maybe the brighter colors would look better after developing a nice patina.

Second, I’ve found that these wallets stretch to accommodate however many cards you carry, and they don’t unstretch (at least not quickly).

Anson Calder card wallet cash slot
The Cash Slot version, as viewed from the top. That middle pocket is perfect for cards you don’t use as often.

So if you carry three cards in one slot for a month, then you remove one card, the other two will be loose and could fall out, until the leather tightens up again (which will happen, just not immediately).

This happens with all wallets; it’s just the nature of leather. It hasn’t been a problem, but just know that you can’t really “go back” to carrying fewer cards once these wallets stretch out.

Cash Slot vs. Cash Pocket

You can’t go wrong either way, but unless you need to carry more than a couple of bills, I’d go with the Cash Slot version.

Cash slot vs cash pocket wallet
Cash Pocket (left) vs. Cash Slot (right)

The Cash Pocket is nice to have if you want to carry a few bills and an extra card or two (like your insurance card, subway card, etc.).

Anson Calder card wallet black

With the cash pocket version, you can carry your bills folded in half, as shown above.

Or you can fold them twice for a cleaner look (albeit slightly less convenient).

Anson Calder cash pocket
Bills folded twice and stored in the cash pocket

But if you’re the type of guy who only carries a couple of bills and doesn’t need the extra space, go with the lower profile Cash Slot version.

I think this is the best set up for anyone who doesn’t need much cash. If you never carry any cash, the basic Card Wallet is also a great choice.

My Recommendation

Put simply, the Anson Calder Card Wallet is my favorite wallet of all time, and I’m still waiting for a contender to come along and present some real competition.

If you can handle the price tag, I think this wallet is worth every penny.

Product Reviews, Wallets Anson Calder, leather

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About Brock McGoff

The Modest Man founder, Brock is an aspiring minimalist who enjoys working out, spending time with his family, discovering new brands and creating great content.

Background: Brock McGoff has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a professional background in digital marketing. He believes that men's fashion is just one facet of self-improvement, and he started The Modest Man to help regular guys feel more confident by improving their appearance.

An east coast native, Brock currently lives in Arizona with his wife and daughter. When he's not working, he spends time with family, training BJJ, reading/listening to books and podcasts, and unsuccessfully trying to decide which movie to stream.

Expertise: Brock has built a men's lifestyle YouTube channel with over 400k subscribers. He's also worked as the creative marketing manager in a men's apparel startup. Brock has been quoted in, mentioned by or featured in publications like Esquire, Huff Post, Men's Health, WWD and Forbes.

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  1. Perit says

    May 16, 2022 at 10:04 pm

    Do you know of a good Bifold card wallet with Cash Slot
    Nice article 👌

    Reply

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