FAQ


Frequently Asked Questions

INTERNATIONAL ORDERS:

I live outside of the US.  Do you ship internationally?  Yes, but not through our shopping cart.  Fill out our International Shipping Quote form with your address, phone number and the exact details of what you'd like to order and we will look up the shipping cost for you and email you back a price quote. Then, if you wish to continue with your order we will send you a PayPal invoice.  

We only ship via Fedex Priority
due to problems with every other less expensive form of shipping we have tried.  We do a lot of international shipping and have a special discounted FedEx rate which is typically $20 to $35 USD depending upon your location.  We often ship to Canada, UK, Australia, Singapore, Hong Kong, and many other countries. 

Can you declare the value of the wallet lower so that I can save on import taxes/duties?  Sorry but no.  We must declare the actual exact value of your items in order for the shipment to be insured properly.  YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY ADDITIONAL IMPORT FEES, TAXES, DUTIES, OR CHARGES THAT OCCUR AND ARE NOT INCLUDED IN OUR QUOTE.

We often ship to Canada, the UK, Australia, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Hong Kong, Singapore, Israel, Malaysia, Japan, UAE and a few others.  These countries all have different import duties/taxes that they charge and various rules, but are generally not a problem.  We have had problems with and do not ship to the following countries for a variety of reasons including extreme import restrictions, very high duties/taxes, fraud, etc...  India, Italy, Greece, Russia, Philippines, Africa, Mexico, South America... These are just some examples.  In many cases the shipment will cost more than the item due to the high import duties. In other cases like Italy, they do not allow any leather items to be imported.

 

USA ORDERS:

How long does it take to get my order?  We build each of our accessories (wallets, valet trays, journal covers) to order within one week before shipping.  For US orders we charge a flat rate of $9.95 no matter how many items you buy and use USPS Priority which normally takes 2-3 days to arrive.

Where are your items made?  Everything is made in our shop in Thiensville Wisconsin (just outside of Milwaukee).  We are a very small family business.  Lisa, Bernadette (Mom) and David are the only employees and make every single item right here in our shop. 

Where else can I buy Mitchell Leather goods?  We only sell direct to consumers, either through this website or our factory store located at 170 Green Bay Road in Thiensville, Wisconsin 53092, USA.


MONEY CLIP WALLETS:

I see that you offer money clip wallets that range from $79 to $349.  What's the difference?  They are exactly the same in form and function.  The only difference is the choice of leather used.  Even our "standard" leathers are quite special, but we are also known for using some of the best premium leathers too.  

I'm interested in your money clip wallet but want to know whether it will fit larger Euro bills?  Our wallet measures 4.125" by 3" when closed.  The 3"  height will be the limiting measurement for some of the larger non-US bills.  

Can you make a slightly larger or modified version for me?  We wish it were that simple but, we cannot.  Our wallet is made using carefully developed patterns, sets of hand forged cutting dies and custom sized hardware, so we cannot change the dimensions or the design without starting over with a whole new design, new patterns, forged dies, templates, etc...

Will you make one with an I.D. window or extra card slots?  We don't make any wallets with a plastic or other window because we find it to be inelegant and to wear poorly over time.  Our design is a special combination or minimalism, elegance, and functionality when compared with other wallets that have more card slots, pockets on the outside, or an I.D. window.  

How many cards and how much cash can your money clip wallet hold?  Ideally we recommend 12 cards maximum (4 in each top slot and 2 in each bottom). Cash should be limited to around 10-12 bills.  The key to longevity with any wallet, especially a minimalist one, is keeping the number of cards per slot consistent over time.  Remember the whole idea of this design is minimalism!

Watch our video, "Mitchell Money Clip Wallet - A Closer Look"

What color / finish is the clip hardware?  The outside "clamp" is nickel (silver) inside is brushed spring steel.  Pictures sometimes reflect the light in ways that make it look like a different finish or color, but they are all exactly the same.

I've seen other money clips in wallets. What makes this one special? First, we have been making this design for over thirty years and have continuously tweaked and improved it along the way.  Our proprietary hardware is custom made to our specification in Wisconsin.  We use some of highest quality leathers available anywhere in the world (Horween Dublin, CXL, Shell Cordovan, Shark, Alligator, Bison) and offer an array of choices to have your wallet built from.  Finally, our wallets are the opposite of mass produced, with the three members of our family being the only hands that build every single one. 

What do I have to do to care for my money clip wallet? Very little care is needed but the way you use the wallet will have more to do with its longevity.  Here are some tips: 
1. Keep a consistent number of cards in each slot.  Leather in any wallet will stretch to accommodate the maximum that you put in a slot, so you don't want to put more cards in temporarily and then remove them or things will get too loose.
2. Avoid water or exposure to moisture.  Obviously you want to avoid putting your wallet through the washing machine or having it in your pocket when you jump into a swimming pool.  But long term more subtle exposure to sweat or moisture can cause problem for both the metal hardware and the leather.  A few drops of rain or brief exposure is no big deal, but long term wetness will cause problems. 
3. Do not sit on your wallet in your back pocket.  Your back will thank you and your wallet will last much longer.  This is specifically designed as a front pocket carry wallet.

Can I get one of the premium Horween wallets with your smaller logo instead of the larger one?  Yes, just order from our shopping cart and put a note in the "special comments" box that will appear at the bottom of the cart page and request that we substitute our small logo. Also follow up your completed order with an email requesting the same thing and reference your order number.   Please note that the small logo will be oriented vertically as shown on all examples that feature the small crest. 

Do I need RFID blocking and do you offer that kind of protection?  The short answer to both is, no.  We believe that most of the marketing around RFID for wallets is preying on the fear of consumers for a problem that doesn't really exist.  There are many much easier ways for criminals to get access to credit cards in large quantities than trying to scan your wallet, which is not so easy to do.  Furthermore, any information they could get is likely not going to be useful as the latest few generations of credit cards are EMV and not susceptible to RFID skimming. 

For more information, take a look at this video: Is RFID Protection Necessary?

Or read this article: RFID Blocking: Do You need This?

CARD WALLETS:

What are the dimensions of the card wallet?  It's 4" by 2.75" when closed.  

How many cards can it hold?  This design is ideal for holding a combination of business cards and/or credit cards.  Each of the two slots can comfortably hold 10-12 business cards or 4-6 credit cards.  The wallet will break-in and form to your cards nicely within a week or so.  Much like the money clip wallet above, the leather will stretch to accommodate the maximum number of cards that you carry so the key is to keep things reasonably consistent over time.

What about holding cash?  As this is primarily a card wallet, the only way to hold cash is to fold into thirds.  Many card wallet users will have an "emergency" bill or two hidden behind their cards just in case. 

MONOGRAMMING:

Do you offer the ability to personalize any products with initials?  Yes. We can laser engrave up to 3 initials (all caps, no punctuation) on our money clip wallets, card wallets, and key chains.  We charge $10 for this service.  The initials will be located at the lower right hand corner of the inside of any wallet.  See the example money clip photo below.  

Which leather makes the initials look the best?  This is really in the eye of the beholder, but generally the lighter colored leathers make the laser engraving more vivid, while darker colored leathers are more subtle.  The example shown below is a medium colored leather called Horween Natural CXL.

Are you able to personalize larger items like Valet Trays?  We are sorry but we cannot as our laser engraving machine cannot fit larger items. 

 JOURNAL COVERS/PASSPORT WALLETS:

What is the difference between your Journal Cover and Deluxe Passport Wallet?  They are the same shape and size with the only difference being the addition of two extra card slots along the left inside of the Passport wallet.  Both versions can hold your choice of a journal or passport.

What size journals fit into your Journal Covers?  They are designed to fit the Field Notes, Moleskine and other popular brands in the 3.5" by 5.5" size.  The Journal Cover itself measures 4" by 6".  

VALET TRAYS:

What is a Valet Tray?  It's a soft leather tray intended to hold your keys, phone, wallet, pocket change, watch, jewelry or just about anything else.  They are one of our most popular gift items for men or women because everyone has a use for them.  We even use one in our retail store as a candy tray.

I've seen other similar catch-all trays.  What makes this one special?  Ours is constructed from two layers of leather, glued and stitched back to back, with a solid stiffening material that forms the rectangular bottom of the tray, sewn between the layers of leather.  This means that our tray sits perfectly flat and has an elegant finished look.  It also has high quality snaps at the corners allowing you to pack or ship it flat.  Of course we also offer them in your choice of many beautiful leathers.

What are the dimensions of the Valet Tray?  Our tray measures approximately 9" x 7.5" externally not including the corners which snap together and stick out a bit.  The inside flat bottom of the tray measures 5" x 6.5 inches. 

Can you make other size trays?  Unfortunately, no.  Just like with wallets and other designs, it would be extremely time consuming and cost prohibitive.  Our tray is deceptively simple looking but involves multiple patterns, several hand forged cutting dies, and custom alignment and stamping templates. 

LEATHER:

What is "Horween" leather?  Horween is the name of one of the oldest still operating tanneries in the USA and the place that we get much of our premium leather from.  They are located in Chicago and specialize in producing leather that is tanned long and slow, the old fashioned way.  The result is that the leather is not only more durable, but also more visually complex and natural in the way that it ages and develops a patina over time.

Where does your leather come from?  The vast majority of our leather is from Milwaukee and Chicago.  Why?  Because in the Midwest we have lots of cows and some of the very best tanneries in the world.  You can also get a really good steak around here for the same reason:)

What's the difference between Horween CXL (Chromexel) and Dublin leather?  CXL is a primarily chrome tanned leather with a softer and more oily feel and smooth satin / semi-gloss finish.  Dublin is a veg-tan leather with a slightly firmer feel, more rustic character and a satin / matte finish.  Both are excellent durable leathers that will darken and patina with age.  See our video comparing these two leathers here: CXL vs Dublin Leather

How does the Big Grain Bison leather compare to other leathers? Made from bison instead of cowhide and tanned right here in Milwaukee at Law tannery, this leather has wonderful big peaks and valleys that are achieved by shrinking the hide which causes it to "bunch-up" and results in the most natural and varied texture possible.  Like the Horween leathers above, this leather is infused with oils and waxes for a beautiful finish and excellent durability.  The temper is medium/soft.

What's the difference between these premium leathers and the leather in most common items in larger stores?   The leather found in many fashion and furniture items these days is heavily corrected and pigmented.  This means they can use inferior hides, sand them smooth and then paint them much like vinyl.  When these leathers wear, they look terrible, like peeled paint.  Our leather is typically full grain, which means the hide is uncorrected leaving the skin as-is with scars, fat wrinkles and other natural character.  The color is achieved with transparent aniline dies rather than paints or pigments, allowing you to see into the actual skin.  Lastly, the tanning process involves saturating the hides with lots of oils and emollients which keep the skin moisturized and waxes to provide a natural protective finish while adding to the character of the leather.

BRIEFCASES:

You have a rather long lead time for briefcase orders.  Why is this?  Lisa and I build each briefcase one-at-a-time rather than the typical assembly line style of work most companies do.  Because of this and the fact that briefcases are highly labor intensive, the lead time is long.  We can understand if that prevents you from ordering form us.  We prefer to build them this way and feel that the final result is much better because of it.  If you place an order for a briefcase, we take a deposit of half and then you pay the remainder when your case is complete.  We must have all of the details of your order before we can take the deposit.  Once you order, we use that information to plan our leather inventory for the long term, so any cancellation will result in a $200 fee. 

How long should my briefcase last?  That depends very much upon how it is used and/or taken care of.  Some people can kill a case in 5 years, but in our decades of experience, most people will get somewhere from 10-20 years.  We could build a briefcase that would outlive all of us, but it would be bulky, heavy and less elegant by necessity.  The cases we build are a balance of two opposing goals: elegance & efficiency <vs> durability.  We build them to be as light weight and elegant as possible while achieving excellent durability through ingenuity rather than bulk or brute force.

Mitchell Leather Factory
414-272-5942
dave.mitchell@ultrafi.com

 

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