A Review of the Stewart/Stand Stainless Steel Wallet

After using a wallet by "QuickSilver" surfing company (it came free with a belt I bought) for the better part of six years, I've moved on to greener pastures finally. Enter "Stewart/Stand" wallet company's stainless steel wallet. It's sleek, sexy, ultra thin, tough as nails, made of stainless steel and even has anti-theft capabilities. Away we go.

About six months ago when my QuickSilver wallet began to rip, tear and fall...almost completely apart, the little red flag in my head went up with great urgency. I knew I needed a new wallet and fast. Being that my Q.S. wallet was made of cloth and, in general, put together poorly I knew I wanted something that was tougher and would last much longer than six years. So, like a good little shopper I did some preliminary research and a few fly-bys in the wallet section of the local mall. Much to my dismay I found the wallets were incredibly expensive. After some thought, I decided I needed a wallet bad enough to bite the bullet and pay the price. Though, I would pay no more than $150 for one. For my money I wanted something that truly would last.

I made a comment in passing to my mom how I needed a new wallet and she suggested this company "Stewart/Stand." Certainly, I'd never heard of them and I'm not quite sure how she knew about them either. I did a bit of reading on the company but more specifically on their prized product: the stainless steel wallet. After reading, I made my decision and bought the bifold wallet with criss-cross style card slots. Upfront, I'll tell you the wallet was $125. However, I believe it's worth every penny.

First, the design: it's sleek, looks somewhat futuristic and literally is made from stainless steel...even the stitching. It has one bill fold -- place to put your loot -- and six slots in front of the bill fold to keep cards, I.D.s etc. Between the card slots and the bill fold are two "hidden" compartments which are surprisingly roomy for how small the wallet is. These compartments can be used for further storage. For all that can fit in this wallet, it remains very flat and thin. It's quite remarkable and always a good thing to not look as though I've got a tumor growing on my butt.

Being that this is made of stainless steel it is a very tough, strong wallet . I don't know if the following story is true, but I read somewhere that someone came to a skidding halt on top of their wallet with their car, pulled it out from under the tire and it was fine. No tears or marks. I wouldn't recommend trying it yourself but if it's true, that's pretty cool. Now, something completely true because I've tested it myself, albeit inadvertently. The brochure that comes with the wallet claims it is immune to liquid: get it wet and the contents will be protected. This is absolutely true. If any of you reading this have ever been trapped in a Japanese rain storm, you'll know you get hammered with water from above for a long, long time. I was in this very situation not too long after buying the wallet. I came home and was soaked completely. My wallet, bone dry. The contents, bone dry. Cards were fine, paper money was crisp. I was impressed.

Now, onto what is easily this wallet's coolest feature. It's "theft-proof." I put that in quotes because it's invulnerable to only one kind of theft, but it's still pretty neat. Here's what I'm talking about. There's a relatively new gadget out that criminals are getting their hands on to help them steal. I don't know a great deal about it but I can tell you it's a small electrical device of some kind, similar to the metal detector wands at the airport. The thieves are using these gadgets in a very non-threatening and completely inconspicuous way. They walk by someone and wave the wand over their victim's wallet, whether it's in a back pocket or a purse. The wand then picks up all the information on the victim's credit cards by reading the magnetic strips. The wand stores the info and the criminal has it at their disposal...or until the victim realizes they've been robbed and cancels the credit cards. So, what the stainless steel wallet does is, essentially, rejects the signal from the wand which would otherwise penetrate the wallet's material. I find this to be fascinating but maybe I just don't get out enough. Now, certainly this won't stop someone from doing a good old fashioned pick-pocket on the victim but at least there's a way to combat a form of really unexpected thievery.

Okay, on to the downsides of this wallet. Yes, there are a couple. Again, I have the bifold wallet with criss-cross style card slots. One: there is no dedicated ID holder (though there are models that have them). You'll have to toss your ID card in with the rest of the credit cards and what not. I have two separate IDs which under normal circumstances would suck completely because I'd have to use two slots. But, the slots are flexible enough that I'm able double-up my IDs into one slot. Two: This is really the credit card holder's wallet. The bill fold does not allow a lot of room for paper money. If you're in to credit cards, this is definitely the wallet for you. If you pay for most things in cash then I'd say look elsewhere because again the bill fold will not fit a lot of money before it begins to pop out the top. Lastly, this isn't a complaint but more of an observation, the wallet does not have a place for pictures. I don't carry pictures with me but for those of you who want to hang on to a photo of your sweetheart everywhere you go, well you'll have to mix them in with the credit cards.

A few of might be wondering, "will the wallet ruin my credit card's magnetic strip?" According the brochure that comes with the wallet, definitively no. The wallet doesn't emit any kind of magnetic field so it can't ruin credit cards. "Will my wallet set off metal detectors?" Again, this answer is from the brochure and is actually kind of funny, "we hope so, that way you can take it out and show everyone your cool wallet."