SOLAHANPU’s “Thin Wallet” Tenuis—both the first and second generations of these thin, compact wallets—featured an “elastic band” to keep the wallet closed.
Looking back objectively now, it may not have been all good—there were durability issues, such as the elastic inevitably stretching over time.Now that the market for mini and compact wallets has matured and users’ standards for practicality have risen, we at SOLAHANPU no longer use this design. However, there were specific reasons and a particular attention to detail behind that design at the time.
The source of that inspiration was “Moleskine,” the famous Italian notebook manufacturer.
The Moleskine notebook I used to love back then featured an elegant black elastic band to keep the pages open. I believe Moleskine’s appeal lies in its high level of craftsmanship as a tool—its sleek, minimalist design, ease of use, and unique writing experience.I wanted to incorporate that “elegance of stationery”—which evokes a sense of intellectual exhilaration just by holding it—into a wallet, a product we carry in our pockets every day. That strong desire was the catalyst for adopting this design.
Originally, a “notebook”—a piece of stationery—and a “wallet”—a tool for managing money—are entirely different in their direction and serve distinct roles. However, precisely because of this, combining these two elements presented an intriguing challenge: could it give birth to a minimalist wallet with a new, unprecedented aesthetic?
As a result of our pursuit of practical convenience and durability, we likely won’t use rubber bands again in future products. However, I feel that it was precisely through that period of trial and error and learning that we were able to arrive at the refined form of Tenuis we have today.
Moving forward, I hope to do more than just create “thin, functional wallets”; I want to incorporate that “unique charm of stationery”—the kind found in Moleskine notebooks, where the product is so well-crafted as a tool that you grow attached to it simply by owning it.This isn’t just about obvious elements like rubber bands, but also encompasses the wallet’s presence, its texture, and the overall atmosphere the product exudes.
While cherishing our past trials and errors, SOLAHANPU will continue to quietly pursue the “functional beauty of tools.”
