Earlier this year, the Hahns Atelier leathercraft YouTube channel received a message from a subscriber asking them if they could restore her husband’s wallet. With over 30 years of use and age, this money holder was breaking at the seams.
The problem was that the company which made the wallet (Rolfs and Amity) no longer exists. With this, Hahns Atelier was their last resort. With only a couple of pictures showing the dimensions, the leather company gladly took the challenge of recreating the wallet.
The process started with the sketches of each part of the wallet, which would be used to create the patterns on Photoshop. The patterns were then printed and glued onto think paper, creating stencils that would be placed on leather.
Thickening the Wallet Exterior
The leather in question is 0.8 mm thick, so it was quite easy to work with. After cutting the patterns and skiving the sides to make them thinner, a 0.4 mm thick Texon stiffener was used to reinforce the body and turn it into a sturdy wallet.
Hahns Atelier later covered the piece of Texon stiffener with some polyester lining to create the back portion of the bill compartment.
Making the Pockets
To create the pockets of the wallet, Hahns Atelier glued polyester lining to the leather and folded the edges inward. Finally, each pocket was creased and sticking holes were made in order to sew them easily.
Putting the Three Inner Segments Together
There are 3 inner parts in total: the vertical card compartments on the left, the inner spine, and the horizontal card compartments on the right. Hahns Atelier glued and sewed all three pieces onto a wide piece of the polyester lining before engraving the front of the vertical card holder.
Making the Bill Compartments
To create the essential bill components, a polyester lining was glued over the wide piece of polyester holding the card compartments. To make the divider look more professional, a strip of leather was glued and sewn on the top.
Completing the Wallet
With a polyester lining covering the wallet, Hahns Atelier could now glue and sew everything together. To make the corners look cleaner, a ruler was used to create creases that were folded neatly into the wallet.
Hahns Atelier finally cleaned up the final product with some milk balm and prepared it for the clients to see. I wish the subscriber posted their reaction when they received this almost exact replica of their prized wallet, as this would definitely make anyone’s day. Nonetheless, just seeing how much life Hahns Atelier had given to the wallet is enough to satisfy your eyes.
If you want to make this wallet yourself, Hahns Atelier has made the PDF pattern available on their Etsy shop. While they made it look easy in the video, making a leather wallet is anything but. So make sure you read through the product’s description before purchasing the PDF files for yourself!
