8 Card Classic Bifold Wallet in Antique Mahogany Full-Grain Montecristo Leather

Although we live in a highly digitized world, a wallet is still an essential everyday item and the easiest way to carry cash and cards. No wallet design is more classic or more versatile than a bifold wallet, which can be stowed as easily in your trouser pockets as in a jacket or coat. Crafted from leather of the highest quality and assembled by European artisans, this wallet is an exceptional accessory of heirloom quality that will offer years of service and only grow more beautiful with age and use.

This wallet follows a traditional bifold design. A central pocket follows the wallet’s length, split into two sections with an all-leather divider. This sectionality allows you to organize two types of currencies when traveling, or to keep receipts, tickets, and other ephemera separate from your cash. Each half features a panel with four cardholders, equaling eight total cardholders to securely and conveniently stow all of your credit cards, identity cards, and other cards. The sections behind these panels can also offer additional storage potential.   

Prefer the ultimate in slim design? Shop our Four Card Cardholders

When designing this wallet we wanted to create a traditional bifold wallet that offered maximum storage capacity with proportions as slim as possible, created from as much top-quality full-grain leather as possible that was made to last.

Every aspect of construction, from the careful skiving of connected sections to reduce bulk to the exact material used for the body and backing, has been carefully selected in order to produce the thinnest and slimmest profile without compromising on functionality or durability. We even redesigned the traditional central compartment section to reduce its width, providing unparalleled slimness without compromising on storage.

With eight dedicated card slots and a divided central pocket, you can easily hold everything that you require when out and about without adding meaningful bulk. Other brands achieve this by shrinking the size of their cardholders, moving the slots closer together, or by using synthetic lining in the central compartment, but thanks to our intentional design schema, we’ve achieved remarkable thinness without compromising on any of the functional features of the wallet.

Please be aware that if you choose to double stack your cards, the leather will naturally stretch if the slot is double stacked for an extended period, meaning that it may become too loose to securely hold just a single card. This issue is easily resolved by simply keeping two cards in any slot that has conformed to hold two cards.

1. Quality Leather: The uncorrected full-grain leather used in this wallet comes exclusively from English bulls. 

Why does that matter? 

When cows give birth, their hides become stretched, distorting the appearance of the leather. Bull hides have no such defects and preserve the natural, unadulterated appearance of the leather without the need for artificial correction.

a. Artisanal Tannery: These hides were tanned and prepared by a heritage Italian tannery that has been in operation for over a century. In addition to its dedication to producing only the finest open-pored leathers in the grand tradition of Italian workmanship, this tannery is also devoted to sustainable harvesting, fair labor practices, and minimizing its negative environmental impact.

b. Supple and Firm Texture: Our Montecristo leather has been finished to offer a firm, supple hand and a subtle, tumbled texture. The visible open pores appear uniform at a distance, but up close, they present a complex pattern for unexpected visual interest. With no topcoat covering, you are able to experience the leather itself directly with every touch.

c. Becomes More Beautiful with Age: The antique mahogany Montecristo leather for this wallet has been thinly waxed. As a result, scratches and knicks will appear prominently until they are lightly buffed out. Then, as the oils and waxes recollect, any minor damage will be subsumed into the base color, adding a unique tonal variation to the leather. As a result, with time and use, this wallet will become its own work of art, a unique accessory that fully tells your story.     

d. Warm Antique Mahogany Dye: This wallet has been dyed a warm antique mahogany. Thanks to our aniline-dyeing process, the dye has been fully absorbed into the leather in a procedure that can take over 12 hours, ensuring a long-lasting color that won’t fade and will bring out the patina of the leather as the carrier ages. This color is a versatile option that is ideal for casual occasions but, thanks to its darker tone, can also be worn with more formal ensembles.

e. Incredible Color Depth: Thanks to our dyeing process and proprietary waxes and oils applied to the leather, this antique mahogany Montecristo leather offers an unparalleled depth and “pull up” effect: when the leather is gently stretched, you can see the full range of colors and textures present within the leather.

2. Ultra-slim Profile: Few things are uglier than the bulky square of an overly large wallet spoiling the lines and drape of your clothing. Every element of this wallet has been intentionally designed, executed, and tested to ensure a slim profile that won’t mar the beauty of your clothes. 

When fully loaded with one card in each slot, the thickness changes from just under 14 mm to 23 mm or from 0.55” to 0.90”

3. Proudly Made in Europe: With a history of craftsmanship, stringent quality, environmental and fair labor laws, and access to a massive pool of talented workers, many of the finest menswear goods are made in Europe. This wallet has been carefully constructed by artisans who have studied and practiced their trades for years. 

4. 2.5x More Leather than Other Wallets.  This wallet is crafted from five layers of superlative leather plus the card slots, which are also made from leather. Other wallets will just have one outer layer of leather plus the card slots. This means our material costs are much higher, compared to our competitor’s wallets, but we do that because we believe in quality products. By utilizing all leather, we can ensure the durability of this wallet, as well as its beautiful appearance: every time you open your wallet, you will be greeted by the beautiful luster of exceptional-quality leather.

But doesn’t that mean the wallet will be too thick and bulky?

No, because we split the leather super thin, reducing excess bulk. 

5. Thinned Folded Edges: Folded edges are essential for ensuring the durability of leather goods. But most wallets are made with edges that are cut and then painted or burnished. With wear, this edge dressing deteriorates over time and cracks. At Fort Belvedere, the edges of our wallets are meticulously thinned down at an angle before being folded and sewn together. This not only produces a uniform edge thickness, but it also greatly reduces the wear on the edges of the carrier. As a result, our folded-edges typically last twice as long as edges that are just edge-painted or burnished. 

a. Folded External Edges. Both pieces of leather along the edges of the wallet have been carefully folded. Whereas our competitors may fold only one piece, if they fold their edges at all, we have folded both to ensure the neatess possible look and the most durable construction.

b. Smoothed Corner Radius: Overly pointed edges on wallets catch on your clothes and become crumpled with use and age. Each exterior edge of this wallet has been rounded, ensuring smooth access and a subtle, organic appearance.

6. Elegant Contrast Stitching: Our cream thread provides a subtle pop of color against the mahogany brown of this wallet. Not only does this create visual interest, it highlights the piece’s incredible workmanship: every neat and fine back-and-forth stitch is on full display. The workmanship is even more impressive when you realize that the artisans can only see one side as they are working, so it requires extra care and skill to sew these together. This contrast stitching is done near the end of the production cycle, and so the artisans work extremely carefully: if they make a mistake, the entire wallet has to be scrapped. .

7. Eight Card Slots hold up to Sixteen Cards: The dedicated slots of this wallet were designed to hold eight cards, but each slot can hold an additional card if desired. Be aware that the leather of that slot will conform to hold two cards and will become too loose to securely hold a single card if “double stacked” for a few days. That being said, we do not recommend double stacking, as it makes your wallet quite thick.

a. Folded Edges on Card Slots: Most wallets have card slots that are simply cut, leaving a potentially ragged edge that could fray or catch, eventually coming apart. Each one of our leather card slots have been carefully folded for maximum longevity and an elegant, clean appearance: the fold of the edge has even been tastefully highlighted by a pressed horizontal line. Secure stitching means that your cards are held tightly in place, even after years of use, but with sufficient give to allow each card to slip out.

8. Divided Central Pocket. Running the length of the wallet, this central compartment is ideal for the storage of paper money, receipts, tickets, and other ephemera. It includes an all-leather divider that splits the compartment in two, allowing you to organize your money, such as between large or small bills or two types of currency. You could also use one section for storing bills and the other for storing everything else. 

9. Quality Backing and Lining for Slimness and Ease of Use: While it would be beautiful and durable, a wallet made entirely out of leather with no fabric lining would be very bulky. To keep this wallet as unobtrusive as possible, we strategically employed a high-quality moire lining as the backing behind the card holder panel and within the cardholder slots. We have ensured that this lining does not negatively impact durability, but it does drastically improve the overall slimness of the wallet.

Made in Italy, this forest green moire-textured fabric provides a beautiful contrast to the leather, and is functional as well. While we tested an all-leather variety, it proved too bulky: the additional layers of leather made the wallet much thicker without notably improving its strength. The viscose fabric, however, allows for unparalleled slimness without compromising durability.   

In addition to its slimness and ensuring structural stability that contributes to better longevity, this special fabric also facilitates the smooth removal of cards from their pockets thanks to its slippery surface. This material was also specifically chosen to not degrade the leather, allowing for the thinnest possible leather slim wallet.    

This viscose fabric has also been treated so that it does not fray when being cut, ensuring superior endurance and a neat, beautiful appearance at the seams with no tattered edges. We specifically selected adhesives that ensure a strong bonding to the leather to further improve durability and a clean look.

10. Tastefully Debossed: The name and crest of Fort Belvedere are debossed on the left inside panel of the wallet, discreetly identifying the maker of this fine product in a refined and unobtrusive way.

11. Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) Blocking: To protect you in an ever-changing world, the exterior of this wallet has been specially treated to block RFID signals that could be used to access your cards and steal your money or information. This treatment has been carefully applied between the leather and the moire on the outside layer so that it does not adversely affect the appearance or hand of the leather.

12. Spared No Expense: With five layers of leather in its body, this wallet has about 2.5x times the leather of our competitors: we have utilized as much leather as possible without compromising overall slimness and functionality.  

The size was also carefully chosen to fit elegantly in your pocket with reduced bulk: while others select their product sizes based on dimensions to maximize the yield from standard hide sides, our dimensions are determined only by what works best for you.

With neatness and attention to detail evident at every step of production, this wallet is truly an example of artisanal craft.

13. Extensively Tested: We subjected this wallet to over a year of extensive field testing and accelerated stress testing: every issue and fault has been identified through hands-on experimentation by our team and fully resolved. Like every Fort Belvedere product, it exceeds our own high standards, and we cannot wait to hear about your experiences with this wallet.