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Details
- Price $119 at reformcarry.com
- Material Custom chlorosulfonated polyethylene synthetic rubber
- Weight 1.20 oz / 34 g
- Dimensions 0.4" (w) x 0.5" (h) x 0.0" (d) / 11 (w) x 14 (h) x 0 (d) mm
Overview
I slacked off on being intentional with my everyday carry till one day, I realized I had a wallet, key pouch, and coin wallet that I had to bring out each time. The setup was clumsy and stuff was falling out of my pockets each time.
After mercilessly paring the setup down, I eventually settled on a handmade Dyneema wallet that was able to contain everything—3 cards, 2 keys, an NFC tag, coins, and notes. The daimi Car Key ONE was essential in making this happen by replacing the need to bring out a giant car fob.
Being someone who obsesses once I start a project, I started wondering if I can minimize it further. When I saw RE:FORM wallets, I knew it was my chance. In this review, I will be reviewing the RE:01 wallet, which I will refer to as coin sleeve for simplicity.
Style
I often describe products I review as minimalistic but the coin sleeve takes it up (or down) a notch.
It is almost completely black which was what got my attention. There are grayish-blue stitching on four spots at the edges that give it some identity. I don't hate it, but the purist in me would prefer it in black.
The wallet is one of the few I've seen that give off techwear vibe and wouldn't look out of place in the Akira movie. The synthetic material, matte black colorway, and metal hardware comes together in a unique but low-key package.
The material looks to be the same as the one used on WAYFINDER wallets and helps keep the wallet looking simple in matte black. While it doesn't look as premium as leather wallets such as the NOMAD Slim Wallet, I like its simplicity and how it doesn't grab attention but blends in.
The wallet is as small a wallet as it can be; almost the size of a card. While the thickness is listed as 1mm, that is when the wallet has no contents. Even with few contents, my wallet is about 1 cm in thickness.
The wallet shape conforms to the contents and the part that's going to look the most malformed is the coin sleeve where coins will cause the wallet to jut out. While it won't be streamlined, the size of the wallet keeps it very compact even if you fill it to the max.
Material
The material, which RE:FORM calls RE:FINE, is a custom chlorosulfonated polyethylene synthetic rubber. It is a technical fabric that has higher durability to chemicals, temperature extremes, and ultraviolet light.
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It is supposedly 10X more durable than leather while staying thin. There aren't specific details on exactly where the source of this fabric is, but from what I can tell, it's the same as the ones used on WAYFINDER wallets.
They are indeed durable and thin, however they can feel synthetic for those who prefer natural materials like leather.
Usage
There are four compartments in the coin sleeve.
The actual sleeve for coins is opened by a metal clasp. Push it from the sides and it will open. I've found this pretty tough to open with just two fingers. Sometimes I'll have to slip a third finger through the cracks to open it up.
It does get easier to open after a few times but still requires quite a bit of force to do so. The trick here is to push it open with the joints of your index and thumb finger, and not with the fingertips. On the flip side, this compartment is very secure. No amount of shaking or tossing it around will cause its contents to fall out.
While it was able to hold all the coins, it becomes a challenge if you try to put both banknotes and coins in there. It became such a hassle since the notes were getting in the way of accessing the coins and vice versa. I ended up putting the notes with the cards on the inside which worked fine.
Whichever slot you choose to put your notes in, you'll probably have to fold the notes into thirds to fit, which can be a hassle and make the wallet thick.
On the other side of the exterior, I have a single credit card, the one I use the most. Depending on the amount of stuff you put in the wallet, the card here can bend from the pressure of stuff pushing out, as it does in my case.
I designed a thing.
I found a 100 year old company that would create these heirloom quality canisters for me. They are handmade and will keep your tea leaves, coffee beans or anything that you need dry for years to come.
or read review
On the inside, there is a card slot where I put a credit card, a tracking card, and banknotes. This is a pretty straightforward compartment.
Across it is a slot with a little more space. The slot goes halfway down and stops to make way for the coin compartment opening clasp on the other side. I have two keys and an entry fob here.
This is quite a loose pocket and I've had keys fall out as I open it up awkwardly and the opening was facing downwards. Given how symmetrical the wallet looks, it is incredibly difficult to open it “the right way” or carefully so that stuff doesn't fall out.
Conclusion
The RE:FORM RE:01 is a beautiful, well-designed wallet… if you are an extreme minimalist. It is so purpose-designed that it leaves little wiggle room for any odd items that you like to keep in your wallet. I would recommend planning out exactly where each of your wallet contents will go. There is, quite literally, little room for error.
Additional Images
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