Charette Wallet

I love this wallet. It became my daily the second it arrived. Fits the hand like a well worn in pair of leather shoes. And the service from the USA to England was super quick. Love it.

Charette Wallet, Black
Optional Fisher Space Pen, Black
Rhodia A7 120mm x 75mm pocket notebook, Black Cover, quad ruled, 24 sheets / 48 pages

Please note: The pen in the photographs is my own and is not the pen that shipped with the wallet. (I use the shipped pen as backup.) The Rhodia notebook in the photos is the dot-ruled variety and did not ship with the wallet. The included notebook is quad ruled like graph paper.

Construction

The Charette is a portrait-oriented, bi-fold wallet and is crafted from thick, high quality leather. The sturdy shell is flexible without feeling floppy or loose, and it gives off the pleasant scent of a top quality tanned hide. Unfolded, the left panel contains three stacked card slots sewn onto a right-angled, tip-out cash flap. Unlike the wave-shaped slots shown on FFF's product page, the current version's each have a broad, center-cut thumb notch for securer retention and easy extraction. The slots are snug enough to hold one card, but can expand to hold perhaps three each. I find two cards per slot the maximum load before the wallet feels bloated or over-stretched. The right panel is divided into two stacked sleeves. A slim inner compartment holds receipts or extra cards, while the outer sleeve retains the Rhodia notebook, and is constructed of three panels creating a central flap that can act as a bookmark. All panels are sewn together with heavy-gauge nylon thread and the stitching is precise end-to-end. All panel edges are trimmed flush and are dyed to match the cover. The Charette is trim enough to fit in a looser fitting front pocket, though it may strain slimmer trousers.

The pen loop is not elastic fabric, but rather the same robust leather as the Charette's outer shell. By design, FFF removed a tiny rectangle of leather about midway down the loop's length. The Space Pen's folded clip-tip rests in this precisely positioned cavity, better securing the pen without stressing the clip spring. The loop's inner circumference exactly matches the pen's barrel along both their spans resulting in a perfectly snug fit. Only with significant effort can one pull the cap away from the pen while it's in the loop. Excepting unusually violent circumstances, the pen's cap will remain in place, in or out of pocket.

As a Moleskine user, I hadn't encountered Rhodia notebooks until I discovered the Charette. The Rhodia A7 cover is made of a thin, hardy plastic sturdy enough to act as a smooth and stable writing platform once open. The white matte paper presents shows no glare even in bright sunlight, and its tooth is neither too smooth nor coarse. The paper holds Fisher Space Pen ink without smudging or bleeding. The notebook is bound with two strong, flush-folded staples.

One Quibble

I don't find the built-in bookmark all that useful. The black leather faintly stains the paper, so I won't risk it obscuring my already illegible scribbles. As illustrated in one photograph, the middle bookmark flap is sewn on separately from its two flanking sections, creating a small but protruding interior tab. The Rhodia notebook's back flap must be inserted under this tab or the wallet will not fully close. When I hold open my Charette, the notebook sometimes slips a little away from the wallet sleeve's inner edge. I then have to fiddle the cover under the tab to close the wallet. I think the Charette would have been better absent the bookmark. A one-piece slot inside the back cover would have provided securer storage for small items and a smoother notebook load. To counter the issue, I removed the back cover from another small notebook, trimmed it to size, and inserted it between the Rhodia notebook's back cover and the small bookmark flap tab. This solved the issue for me.

Overall

Regardless of this one minor point, I highly recommend the FFF Charette. The wallet is exquisite. The Charette is not a fad, a gaudy status symbol, or a tacky bauble broadcasting itself across distances or crowds. It is a modest object whose obvious and timeless quality is best appreciated in the hand. Its simple design and sturdy construction ensure it will last at least one lifetime. It's a pleasure to hold and use, and is the best wallet I ever have owned — or ever expect to own — and is a bargain at its price.

So I had the original Charette and the pen kept falling out and the capacity for cards and cash was quite small. This is a fantastic upgrade. I love the slightly larger Rhodia notebook , over the volant. This can hold cash and each slot can hold about two cards if you absolutely need it to. My one gripe is that the pen clips into the pen sleeve so its hard to remove however I quickly became accustomed to using just the bottom half, although its a bit awkward. I do understand that this was done to negate the problem of losing the pen that was an issue of the original . The black leather with the chrome space pen looks classy.

I have been eying this wallet for some time now and finally pulled the trigger a couple months ago. I wanted to give it a couple months before writing a review. I was looking for something to hold my favorite notebook (the Rhodia A7) as well as some cards and a pen and this is exactly what I needed. I carry 9 cards in the 3 slots, I could maybe squeeze a couple more in but I don't need to. The cut on the top of the slots is slightly different from the pictures but I think this is probably better. The cards are easy to slide in and out. One thing I hadn't thought about when I bought it is that I can stash some cash or business cards behind the notebook. Bonus! You could also put cash behind the card slots but I find that adds a bit too much thickness to that side of the wallet. The pen loop fits my space pen or my Kaweco Liliput just perfectly. Overall I am extremely pleased! Thanks FFF!

So I stumbled upon this amazing company a little more than a year ago when I was browsing wallets on the internet, my Coach wallet was beginning to fall apart after about a couple of years and I desperately needed a replacement. I came across the Charrette and knew this was what I wanted. I love to jot notes sometimes on the go, and the beauty and functionality definitely appealed to me. I reached out to Shawn and asked for the XS version and some customizations. The final product I received checked all the boxes and exceeded all my expectations. The best part is that this is USA made which is something I actively search for when making purchases. It makes all the difference. Thank you Shawn!!!

So saw this wallet on Reddit and thought it looked cool. I looked on this site and saw it was made in the USA and I was sold. I ordered it on Friday and it came in on Monday with my initials on front and some special engraving inside. I ordered the XS version and it is perfect for my needs. This is a must have for your EDC collection. Thanks Shawn!

Excellent quality. Excellent tool. I love my new product.

I was looking for the smallest possible combination wallet/notebook cover and found the Charette through the EDC subreddit. I was worried about having the pen in my back pocket, but it is well suspended in the middle of the wallet, and I never feel it when I sit. It's thicker than the card case style I'm used to, but that's inevitable when adding a notebook. All around I couldn't be happier, it's exactly what I was looking for.

I am a firefighter. My architect's wallet has held up great through years of abuse, including numerous trips inside burning buildings. The notebooks seem to keep disintegrating for some reason, however. The Charette keeps the notebooks nice and safe, while simultaneously remaining impervious to the mauling that it receives on a daily basis. It's tough, practical, and looks phenomenal.

The Charette Wallet is the PERFECT size for front pocket carry and can easily get between 6 to 9 cards in the pockets, plus cash in the back. As featured on the website page, the Italian Brown is now my FFFavorite color. Absolutely top shelf workmanship and service - even during a Cat 3+ Hurricane! Keep up the great work, gang!

great feel. Fits well in front pocket. leather has a very nice feel. previously had a wallet with metal components - my son asked “why do you want a hunk of metal in your pocket?” Good question. The Charette is a great answer!

Love the addition of the cash slot! At first glance I didn't like it but it grew on me!

Very happy with the quality and function. Speedy delivery. I will be back for more.

Was gifted a FFF wallet years ago that has tremendous meaning to me. That wallet has been put in a remembrance case, and I got myself this as a replacement. Little larger than anticipated, and I prefer the smaller model I had before, but that is my own mistake -- I just didn't realize. Gorgeous wallet, tremendous lasting quality that allows for meaning to grow. Strongly recommend.

Shawn and the FFF team make some world-class wallets. I just received my 3rd wallet, and am as just as pleased as ever. The first two have held up great - I just like to change it up every few years. If you’re even considering an upgrade, look no further!

I find the card carry side of the wallet to be excellent. Overall size makes for easy carry. Rhodia notebook is a bit hard to locate locally.
Very nice construction and design.

I must admit I don't use this in the manner it was intended, I use it more like an A7 Midori/ traveler style notebook that has wallet pockets and I asked to have the pen loop removed (I use a flat pen tucked into the notebook pages like a bookmark), but it is GREAT for my intended purpose.
Highly recommend for anyone that wants a small notebook+ wallet setup

3rd or 4th time I have purchased a wallet. Craftsmanship is first rate. Shipping is fast. Unique designs. Enjoy carrying them.

Charette Wallet

The wallet ensures I am never too far away from my notes from the last week and that when I need to take a note it's there for me. iPhones don't cut it for notes - they too easily distract you from what you really need to do - this is the perfect solution. In terms of size, it's probably just a little bigger than I was expecting but I still love it.

Love my Charette wallet. I decided to upgrade to the Charette for the cover. The architect wallet has been great, I just got tired of replacing notebooks. Long reign the Charette.