I've been meaning to replace my bulky wallet and key ring for quite some time now... but it has been sort of hard to do. I hate getting new anythings (except for games, instruments, and tech gadgets...)... I'm sort of a creature of habit in that regard. Plus, I hate having to take everything out of my old wallet and reorganising them in the new one.... the the current leather wallet was a gift from my wife for a birthday, and so there were many things that were conspiring to make me see how long this wallet could hold out before falling apart.

However, I had been eyeing off the RFID blocking Ridge wallets (and similar types...) for quite some time. The concept of having a small stream-lined card holder instead of a bulky wallet bulge was quite enticing... and just recently, I decided that I would just take the plunge and purchase the Burnt Titanium pack that included the two different types of bill clips and also the keycase as a single package. A bit of an impulse buy... but it was also on sale for Fathers Day... and I figured I would just indulge myself (again, my wife would say...).

So, one of the big draw-cards for me was the RFID blocking... I didn't really think too much of it in Netherlands, but Australia seems to be much more rife with people doing naughty stuff... or perhaps it is just more in the news, in a language that is easier for me to read. Anyway... I figured it was high time to start taking it seriously, and get a wallet that at least hampered that attack vector.

A Lifetime guarantee is also pretty cool... I don't think I've had a wallet that has managed to last my entire lifetime, so I will be pretty happy if this one does!

... and this is the little beast itself! Small, the size of a credit card (surprise surprise...) and with a nice burnt pattern to it. One thing that I was a little bit disappointed about was the feel of the Ridge... I was expecting something more cold and metallic feeling, but it isn't quite that. It looks like it... but it feels much less so, I'm not entirely sure what it is made from, but it isn't quite a industrial feeling as it looks.

One thing that I will need to get used to is the fanning out of the cards... It is quite easy to pick out the top or the bottom card, but the middle ones are a bit fiddly to get hold of. I guess that will come with practice, but it isn't quite as elegant as I had hoped. I have seen other similar wallets with a fanning feature (Fantom Wallet... not the crypto...), but I do wonder if the fanning mechanism is prone to breaking or failure... hence going with the with the similar Ridge.

Another problem that I will have to think about is the lack of space for photos... I carry a photo of my kids... and a really old photo of my wife and I from our first year together... a very very long time ago! I don't look at them all the time, but I feel reassured that they are there with me. Unfortunately, stream-lining your wallet means that you streamline away some memories... or at least the ability to carry them around easily. I might need to move them into my violin case.

I know it isn't quite the "fix it yourself" movement... but including a screwdriver AND extra screws... well, more companies should do this... at least the extra screws part. I can't tell you how annoying it is to have a laptop that is missing screws or some piece of electronics that have expansion slots... but they don't remember to add the screws, instead expecting the drop-in part to have them... and sometimes the drop-in part expects the expansion slot to have them. Irritating! So, it is a small thing... but having these is really a good and much appreciated gesture! I wonder if they will fit in my SSD expansion slot...

The keychain is also pretty damn cool! Your keys sit tensioned in between the two metal plates, and you just swing them out to use them. I will have to also practice this as well... I have gotten so accustomed to flicking out the right key with the keying that I have... knowing instinctively which one to use in the dark... this might prove a little bit slower in the beginning. I'm not really sure if I want to have my car fobs on this either... it would make the entire thing look significantly bulkier... which detracts from the minimal aesthetic of the keychain. I might end up having the car fobs sitting alone in my pocket.... but I could attach my lockpicks that are housed in a similar sort of key-holder. Hmmmm... or that might be annoying with airport security...

I can also be found cross-posting at:
Hive
Steem
Publish0x

Handy Crypto Tools

Ledger Nano S/X: Keep your crypto safe and offline with the leading hardware wallet provider. Not your keys, not your crypto!
Binance: My first choice of centralised exchange, featuring a wide variety of crypto and savings products.
GMX.io: Decentralised perpetual futures trading on Arbitrum!
Kucoin: My second choice in exchanges, many tokens listed here that you can't get on Binance!
FTX: Regulated US-based exchange with some pretty interesting and useful discounts on trading and withdrawal fees for FTT holders. Decent fiat on-ramp as well!
MXC: Listings of lots of interesting tokens that are usually only available on DEXs. Avoid high gas prices!
Huobi: One of the largest exchanges in the world, some very interesting listings and early access sales through Primelist.
Gate.io: If you are after some of the weirdest and strangest tokens, this is one of the easiest off-chain places to get them!
Coinbase: If you need a regulated and safe environment to trade, this is the first exchange for most newcomers!
Crypto.com: Mixed feelings, but they have the BEST looking VISA debit card in existence! Seriously, it is beautiful!
CoinList: Access to early investor and crowdsale of vetted and reserached projects.
Cointracking: Automated or manual tracking of crypto for accounting and taxation reports.
Poloniex: One of the older regulated exchanges that has come into new ownership. I used to use it quite a lot, but have since stopped.
Bitfinex: Ahhh... another oldie, but a goodie exchange. Most noted for the close affiliation with USDT and the Basic "no-KYC" tier!