OGL FRET VEG TAN BI-FOLD WALLET REVIEW
Hey guys, I posted a little sneak preview of a bifold wallet I got from scasi aka Johnny from Obbigoodlabels yesterday evening. So without further a do, I'll do a little write up and reviewthe product I now have in my possession
. Before reading on, however, please note that I'm not well-versed in leather appreciation nor do I know the right terms to describe leather-related inperfections/defects, so it's a very laymans term sorta review.
First up,
first impressions, outlook and packaging. Wallet and rein was sold in a classy gold/bronze pouch, schweet no doubt about that. Wallet was slightly bigger than I expected it to be, but upon reaching home and trying out for fit, it couldn't be any better. Slides down perfectly fine in nudies, APCs, wranglers, Skull and even Uniqlo! denim like a dream. For those who are savvy would know that this is a repro of the Skull bifold medallion wallet, apart from some little detail and an extra fold for coins, it even has similar dimensions to boot.
Quality of workmanship and material. Okay here's where I might not be able to convey my message across properly. I haven't actually owned a handcrafted, vegtan leather product to make an objective comparison, but I was definitely happy with the feel of the wallet in my hands. It felt very sturdy and hard which is always a good sign of quality, as opposed to say my BV and BB wallets, of which the BV is made of nappa leather which has a softer nature to it. But for what this is, I'm impressed.
The threading and stitching on the wallet is done very neatly with little flaws to the naked eye. Was told that threading used is more durable than redmoon wallets because of the thicker threads used in the handcrafting process. I especially like the leather patch, for lack of a better term, on the bind of the wallet. It's exactly what I expected of a skull-like repro, which fyi was what I requested and it got made in under a week, talk about service turnaround! A few gripes though, leather cutting on the card slots seem a little inconsistent if you stare, but perfectly normal for a 100% handmade product. And they seem a little tight now, but I'm certain it would be more user-friendly with a little wear and tear.
I don't know if I'm weird that way, but I love the smell on quality leather products. One sniff and I'm sold
, definitely REEKS of durable, longlasting leather.
Leather aging. Another staple factor to buying a vegtan leather product. It's only been a day so far, so I can't say much, but I've included some before and after pictures after a hand-applied (as recommended by scasi) layer of mink oil and some suntanning under the heat for close to 6hrs. From the look of things, it's aging as intended. Ideally I would have the main portion of the wallet in mustard brown and the leather patch in a darker shade of brown.
Pricing. If anything, pricing definitely gets the ultimate thumbs up from me, and one of the vital reasons why I bought from OBG labels. For the effort placed into making a handcraft leather product, all the injuries/dryskin/cuts sustained by the artisan to conjure the end product, this is certainly worth the price I paid for the wallet. Not to mention with other mass manufacturers out there like Redmoon costing an arm and leg, you are better off with a personally-made, personally hand delivered alongside awesome aftersales service from a local group of leather craftsmen. With no compromise to the quality of craft or materials used, I can definitely say you are getting your bang for buck in terms of quality to cost ratio. I even had a 30% discount on the wallet + rein, so I paid a ludicrous amount to kickstart my entry into the world of leather aging.
Conclusion and thoughts on OBG Label. The guys heading OBG labels seem to be genuinely friendly chaps who seriously believe in the product of their labour and contribution to the whole leather/denim scene here in Singapore. Spoken for truth... I just requested for scasi to help shorten my rein and he replied me in less than an hour, eager to meet me up at a convenient location to help me fix it
. Can't really ask for more at the price I paid, for the quality product I received.
I'm giving it an overall score of 9/10.
Here's some
Before and After pictures I took for the benefit of those who might be interested in getting their first leather merchandise from OBG label. Fyi, mink oil was hand applied and left to soak through the night, then left to tan in the sun the next morning for 6hrs or so. I apologise for the photography, I don't own a dSLR, just some crappy cybershot PNS camera, but I try my best to keep the lighting conditions and angles consistent in both shoots.
