In this installment I would like to introduce all you readers to leather's worst enemy:
MOISTURE
Nothing breaks down a leather wallet faster, outside of overstuffing, than moisture. Whether its rain water, the swimming pool, the washing machine, or perspiration, continued exposure to moisture will soften leather to the point where it will come apart.
Why knowing this is important in choosing a wallet falls back on what the user of the wallet does for an occupation. Workers in heavy industry, construction, mechanics, farmers, and other blue collar industries, expose a wallet to an entirely different environment than workers in white collar positions.
From here you have to learn which leathers have a high moisture resistance. Surprisingly, leathers from a variety of ocean animals rank very high on the list - sharkskin and stingray among them. High density leathers such as Cape Buffalo, Bull Hide, Crocodile, and Lizard, are extremely tough. More common leathers, such as full grain cowhide, could also be an option depending on the leather thickness and how the surface is finished.
Softer and thinner leathers such as lambskin and the variety of nappa leathers, tend to be vulnerable to moisture because they are more porous. Thin exotics like snakeskin also will have problems as moisture will separate the scales of the skin which will eventually lead to the leather tearing. The only exception is leather made from the sea snake, which has no scales, and, for its thickness, is fairly durable. In my opinion, however, it is not suitable for blue collar duty.
Here's an additional tip for any of you who accidently drop your wallet in the swimming pool or see it sent through the washing machine:
DO NOT PUT THE WALLET IN THE CLOTHES DRYER, also,
DO NOT PUT THE WALLET IN THE MICROWAVE.
To properly dry a wallet that has been soaked, first take everything out of the wallet. Prop it up in an open position and let it dry naturally. Don't put it in the front window so the sun can dry it. That's not as bad as the clothes dryer, but almost. And forget the blowdryer.
