Why Cork Wallets?

Did you know that we offer a selection of cork wallets alongside our full grain leather wallets? These cork products provide a great alternative to leather for those looking for a vegan option or just something a little different. Cork offers several benefits that make it an ideal material for minimalist wallets. Here, we’ll tell you all about what cork is and how it can be used as an alternative to leather.

What is cork?

A cork wallet is basically an extremely flexible wooden wallet. Cork is sourced from the bark of cork trees; harvesting the bark doesn’t harm the tree because it grows a new layer. The harvesting process can be repeated every nine years or so. This makes cork a natural, organic, and sustainable material.

Cork is also antimicrobial, meaning that it repels harmful bacteria. Because of this, it won’t develop a smell like fabric wallets might over time. It also won’t absorb dust or dirt like a fabric wallet will. Cork is stain resistant, and any spots that may affect its surface through natural wear can easily be washed away with a bit of soap and water. Plus, if you happen to drop it into water, the wallet will float!

Why make cork wallets?

We know that cork is a sustainable vegan material—but why use it for wallets? The answer is that cork is perfect for wallets because it shares many properties with full grain leather. Like leather, cork is water resistant, meaning that your cards and cash will be protected from the elements. And because leather and cork are both natural and organic materials, just like each full grain leather wallet is unique, no two cork wallets will look the same. When you purchase a cork wallet, you can know that the pattern of the cork will be totally individual from any other wallet of the same material. Cork can easily be assembled into a fully RFID-blocking wallet, just like our leather wallets. Best of all, like the full grain leather we use, cork is thin and extremely light. You won’t feel weighed down by a cork wallet like you would with a bulky wallet, making it perfect for the minimalist style.

Aside from its similar qualities to full grain leather, cork is perfect for wallets because of its extreme elasticity: it can hold several cards (within reason) in each slot without tearing. Although cork isn’t quite as durable and long-lasting as leather, it won’t crack or crumble like you might imagine (cork bulletin boards that crack are assembled using cork shavings rather than a natural sheet of cork that’s used in wallets). A cork wallet can also withstand temperature and pressure changes without its shape suffering any warping.

And besides cork having all these great properties, cork wallets look really cool. Check out our selection of cork wallets to take advantage of cork's unique characteristics.