When it comes to making a quality leather wallet, the thickness of the leather matters more than most people realize. Too thick, and a wallet can become bulky and difficult to use. Too thin, and it may lack the structure and support needed to hold up to everyday use. Finding the right balance is one of the most important parts of making a good wallet, and it is something that takes years of practice to get just right.
At Dark Forest, every wallet begins with carefully selected leather. I hand-pick my hides, paying attention to the character, feel, and qualities of the material before deciding how each piece will be used. Not every part of a wallet has the same job, so I don't believe in using the same thickness of leather throughout the entire construction. Instead, I intentionally pair different leather thicknesses to create a wallet that feels right in the hand, carries comfortably in your pocket, and functions the way it should.
For the outer back pieces of my wallets, I typically use leather in the 3–4 ounce range. These are the surfaces that see a lot of daily handling, rubbing, and wear. They need enough substance to provide structure and hold their shape while developing the natural character that makes a good leather wallet better with age. This thickness offers a nice balance of durability and flexibility without making the wallet unnecessarily bulky.
The interior card sleeves are a different story. For these panels, I use thinner leather in the 2–3 ounce range. Card pockets need a little more give so they can accommodate the cards you actually carry. Using thinner leather in these areas helps the pockets flex and expand while keeping the overall wallet slim. If every layer were made from thick leather, the finished wallet could become unnecessarily stiff and bulky, especially once you fill it with cards.
Leather thickness is measured in ounces, with one ounce representing approximately 1/64 of an inch in thickness. That means 2–3 ounce leather is roughly 1/32 to 3/64 of an inch thick, while 3–4 ounce leather is roughly 3/64 to 1/16 of an inch thick. These small differences might not seem like much on paper, but when several layers of leather are stacked together, they make a noticeable difference in the finished product.
Of course, choosing the right thickness is only part of the process. Different hides have different characteristics. Some leather is firmer, while other leather is softer and more flexible. Even leather of the same thickness can behave differently depending on how it was tanned, finished, and cut from the hide. A good wallet maker learns to account for these differences rather than treating every piece of leather exactly the same.
This is where experience comes into play. Making a wallet is a balancing act between structure, flexibility, comfort, and appearance. Every panel needs to work with the others. The outside needs to feel substantial, the card pockets need to function properly, and all the layers need to come together without creating unnecessary bulk. Small decisions during construction can make a big difference in how the finished wallet feels and performs.
Getting all of this right takes years of practice. You learn by working with different hides, refining your patterns, making adjustments, and paying attention to the little details that might go unnoticed by someone who has never made a wallet. Eventually, those decisions become second nature, but they still require intention.
At Dark Forest, that attention to detail is part of what goes into every wallet made in my Portland, Oregon workshop. I want the materials and construction to work together as a complete design, rather than simply using the thickest leather possible and hoping for the best. The goal is a wallet that feels substantial without being bulky, has enough flexibility to function comfortably, and reflects the kind of thoughtful craftsmanship that used to be more common in everyday goods.
Because making a great leather wallet isn't just about the leather you use. It's about knowing where to use it, how to work with it, and how to bring all those individual pieces together into something that feels just right.