Hello. In this post, I’d like to talk about the “lifespan (durability)” of the zippers used in the SOLAHANPU Tenuis Compact Wallet (Zipper Type) (*formerly the 3rd-generation Tenuis).
Generally speaking, the zippers used in minimalist wallets and traditional wallets are opened and closed multiple times a day, making them one of the parts most prone to wear and tear.
Currently, the slim and compact Tenuis wallet uses YKK’s flat slider designed for wallets. We combine this with a standard “No. 3” size coil zipper.(While they’re often collectively referred to as “zippers,” technically speaking, they consist of a slider that you pull by hand and the zipper tape.) It’s difficult to find specific service life figures on the manufacturer’s official website, but generally, “5 to 10 years” is considered a rough guideline.
In the past, when I tested an ultra-thin “No. 0” zipper in pursuit of extreme thinness, it was ultimately unable to withstand the stress of use in a compact wallet and broke fairly quickly.I also used a “No. 2.5” zipper (not the wallet-specific slider version) for a while. I didn’t notice a significant difference in usability compared to the No. 3, but since I didn’t use it for very long, I wasn’t able to verify its actual lifespan.
It’s worth noting that in many cases where people say “the zipper broke” while using a wallet, the issue isn’t the zipper’s lifespan itself, but rather poor stitching quality causing the surrounding fabric to fray.
As for this No. 3 zipper, which we’ve been using in our products for a long time, I’ve actually been using it for about five years now, and it shows absolutely no signs of breaking. While it depends on frequency of use and how it’s handled, based on my experience, I feel that the general guideline of “5 to 10 years” is generally accurate.
