CALIFORNIA WALLETS

Lejon: Corona-based Lejon of California is a family shop that makes interesting belts and wallets out of traditional and exotic leathers, such as snakeskin, bison, and alligator.  My Lejon Vintage Bison wallet feels like quality.  The thick leather is soft and smooth, yet doesn't scuff.  And it is constructed to last -- I wouldn't be surprised if this wallet lasts me ten years.

Espinoza’s Leather Company: Rosemead-based Espinoza’s is a family shop that makes custom-tailored clothing for motorcyclists, including leather and serape-coverd wallets.

 
Marcopolini: Campbell-based Marcopolini imports high-quality, hand-made leather goods from Italy, including wallets and money clips.  I own a Marcopolini key wallet (which, for those who don’t know, is a keychain that stows your keys inside a coin-purse-like wallet, so your keys don’t punch holes in your pockets).  It is extremely well made, and its leather keeps looking better as it ages.

Zeyner If the Lucifer from the Rolling Stone’s Sympathy for the Devil carried a wallet, it would be a wallet made by Baldwin Park-based Zeyner.  These double-take-inducing, highly functional wallets feature top-quality leather and handmade-jewelry hardware, stitched together by someone who wanted this wallet to last forever under all circumstances.  I do not yet own a Zeyner wallet, but my Zeyner briefcase remains one of my most prized possessions.

DSTLD: Los Angeles-based DSTLD is an online-only, direct-to-consumer designer and seller of Kenneth Cole-grade clothing and accessories.  Their wares include wallets.

Hernandez and Sons Custom Boots: San Jose H&SCB makes very pretty things from leathers, including wallets.

Glaser Designs: San Francisco-based makes wallets to order for "executive travelers," which I think means rich people who spend a lot of time on planes.
 

Volcom: Orange County-based Volcom is a one-stop shop for skater/surfer/snowboarder fashion, from wallets to board shorts to two-piece suits.  Because they target skaters – who shred clothes quickly, no matter how high quality – I did not expect Volcom to put much effort into the second-thing-to-go elements of clothing construction.  After all, why double-stitch a garment that’s going to be rags within weeks regardless?  But I was pleasantly surprised.  A few years back, I bought a Volcom button-up. It was a good purchase.  The shirt had a clean silhouette, but with slightly skewed seams that bent people’s eyes just enough to prevent them from looking past me.  And – because I do not lead a tear-through-fabric lifestyle – it lasted for years.
 
Jaqet: Los Angeles-based Jaqet makes simple, clean-lined handmade-in-California leather goods, including wallets.

DODOcase: San Francisco-based DODOcase makes muted, well-constructed-looking (I've never seen one myself, but they look nice on the website), functional things in which to put other things, including wallets.