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Introduction

Recently I got my hands on a Thaler M 1.0, made by Husar. My old leather wallet needed a long overdue replacement and I decided to go for a tacticool one – something I never did or had used even though most of my gear has a technical or tactical background.

In any case I was looking for something more flat, more minimalistic and since I had already some good experiences with Husar, I went for a Thaler M 1.0.

Husar Thaler M 1.0

Overview

The Thaler M 1.0 is a medium sized wallet made of Cordura laminate and Husar Skin. It features one large compartment for banknotes, 5 laser-cut slits for debit-, credit-, or ID-Cards, two smaller hidden compartments and a velcro coin compartment. It can be closed by a button lock strap.

Specs:

• Material: Cordura laminate, Husar Skin, Velcro, button lock
• HxWxD (closed): 12,5cm x 11cm x 1,4cm
• HxWxD (open): 12,5cm x 22cm x 0,7cm
• Weight: 74g

The Thaler M 1.0 Wallet

The wallet has a very comfortable flat profile and is focused on the essentials. The design is that of a classic folding wallet, with the addition of a single strap, using a button lock to keep it closed. The attachment of the strap is quite simple: it is attached in the interior and laced through a laser-cut slit to the outside.

Husar Thaler M – backside, strap attachment.

When you open the wallet you will find 5 laser-cut slits to the left of the interior. The material used is the so called Husar Skin and the way the slits are cut result in a piggybacking of the cards you put inside. As a result the cards stay in there not only because of the slits, but also because they secure themselves by simple physics of friction.

Inside of the Thaler wallet – laser cut card slots to the left, coin compartment to the right.

To the right you will find a coin compartment also made from Husar Skin. This can be opened/closed through a velcro area that covers the top and the left side. The upper left corner is angular and designed as a flap to open the compartment. As a cool detail an arrow symbol and the word “open” are put there to give you a hint.

Coin compartment with opening flap

The compartment itself looks like a net because of various laser-cut holes. This not only minimizes weight, but also gives you a good idea what and how many coins you have still in there.

opened coin compartment with velcro closure visible

Beneath both the coin compartment and the card holder you will find one slot compartment each. I use them for additional cards, business cards or notes.

slot compartments underneath the card slots and coin compartment.

additional look at one of the hidden compartments

Last but not least there is one single compartment for banknotes, which is rather large given the height of the wallet. Considering the various sizes of (international) banknotes, this is actually a good thing, especially if you put other papers into it like train tickets, notes etc.

large compartment for banknotes

Manufacture

The manufacture of Husar goods is always top notch. The materials used, and the designs themselves are always very good. Nevertheless – given the fact that their gear is basically custom made by two guys only, you will find the occasional thread that is standing out. These things are quickly dealt with by a knife or a lighter.

Other than that the seams are always tight and straight and from the pictures you can get a impression of the quality.

One thing I did notice with the wallet was a slight burnt smell. This is not surprising given the large amount of laser-cut material. In any case the smell did go away in a short period of time.

In use – observations

When I got the wallet I had two concerns and one additional thing irritating me.

• First I was worried that the coin compartment would fail me at certain a point, because velcro tends to get weaker over time, the more you use it. And a coin compartment is something you open several times a day.
  In the end my concerns regarding the coin department were needless. So far it is holding up amazingly and did not give me any problems. The wallet is used on an everyday basis and so far has not let me down.

• Secondly I was annoyed by the strap, because in my opinion there is no need for it and also the button lock being quite strong. So I actually considered cutting it off. BUT, then I realised you can actually lace it back into the inside of the wallet through the laser-cut slit, even though that would leave you with the metal part in front still there… In the end I got used to the strap quite fast, and I quickly learned to put the wallet into my pockets the right way so the strap doesn’t snag on the pockets of my pants.
• The third thing was the lowest laser-cut card slot. This has the least amount of Husar Skin to hold the card and also the sides bend quite a lot to the outside. So I was concerned how much fabric there is to hold the card properly. By now nothing has happened. The friction of the fabric and other cards hold everything together. So in the end my third concern was unfounded as well.

last slot without a card – raised some concerns, but without reason in the end.

Conclusion

Considering how many wallets are out there, it is always interesting to see with what kind of solutions designers come up for the same needs. Thinking of a wallet there is actually a quite clear picture what you need: banknote compartment, coin compartment and card slots. The guys from Husar actually managed to design a wallet, that does not look like all the others and through clever designs stays more flat in the process.

The laser-cut slots for the cards and the velcro based coin department are the best examples on you can minimize essentials without compromising them. With that being said I have to salute the guys from Husar – well done!

Coming to an end, I hope I could give you a good look at the Husar Thaler M 1.0 wallet. Thanks for stopping by and reading! Much thanks to the guys of Husar for giving me the wallet!

Take care and until next time!