It feels like it was only yesterday when we saw an explosion of new slim wallets for EDC popping up on crowdfunding sites. Many of those projects proved successful and their resulting products have since become staples in plenty of EDCers’ pockets. One of the earliest and first of its kind was Machine Era’s slim aluminum wallet. Despite its seemingly barebones appearance, it stood out with its utilitarian design language, intuitive operation, and durable build quality. It’s been through several revisions since its debut back in 2013, culminating in the Ti5 Wallet we have now. With so much competition in the slim wallet market these days, it begs the question: is the Machine Era Ti5 Wallet worth it today?
Why Was the Machine Era Wallet So Popular?
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The original aluminum Machine Era came along when everyday carry as a whole started to hit its stride, and people really began to reconsider what they kept in their pockets. Popular EDC wallets were usually made from thick premium leather, or more affordable but just as tough nylon or polyester—especially from tactical brands. Machine Era shook things up with something so starkly simple in its design: just a slab of metal with a band to hold your cards in place. But its design was considered and the attention to detail was there, as you’d expect from a piece of kit designed and machined in the USA.
It went through iterative improvements and revisions until reaching its current form as the Ti5 in late 2015. The Ti5 keeps its tried-and-true metal-and-elastic design at its core, with a few key improvements. First, it’s made from grade 5 titanium, offering excellent durability for its weight and a unique handfeel. Next, a thumbslot in the back of the wallet made accessing cards even easier while also shaving off a few grams. The thumbslot also added extra functionality as a bottle opener you’d always have with you. With these improvements in addition to its made-in-USA quality, the Ti5 became a go-to choice for ultra minimalists and titanium fans alike.
Our Recommendation
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Given that the Ti5 can be purchased for less than $50 these days, we think it’s still worth buying today. Its combination of an original design with premium materials and the origin of manufacture are hard to come by these days, with very few other options meeting those three criteria.
However, the wallet isn’t for everyone. Not everyone would benefit from a metal wallet, and people who carry cash notes would be better served by a wallet with a dedicated billfold section. Also, while the Ti5 does block RFID skimming, it only does so when carrying the wallet with the cards facing your body. With that said, for a slim and sturdy way to stash your cards, the Ti5 is worth considering.
Other Wallet Options to Consider
If you’re not quite sold on the Ti5, here are a few more recent offerings. They’re all based on the plate-and-band design in a vertical orientation, with RFID blocking, thumb retrieval, and some form of multifunctionality.
- Rugged Material Ranger: More affordable at around $35, with more built-in functionality. It one-ups the Ti5’s bottle opener with 12 built in tools, mainly different sized drivers and wrenches on top of its cap lifter. The Ranger also blocks RFID signals and is built in the USA. One major difference is that the Ranger features a powder coated stainless steel build, rather than the Ti5’s grade 5 titanium. (Buy on Amazon)
- Trayvax Armored Summit: The Armored Summit prioritizes extreme thinness in its design, but doesn’t compromise on features and durability. Like the Ti5, it’s built in the USA and based on a plate-and-band design that includes a built-in bottle opener. Instead of titanium, it’s made from a melonite-finished heat-resistant steel plate for its chassis. Its namesake Armor Plate add-on protects your cards from RFID skimming as well. Its two unique features include a wide ID display and an attachment point for a lanyard, making the Armored Summit best suited for EDCers who need to flash credentials often and value the security of extra retention in their wallet. It’s a few dollars more than the Rugged Material Ranger mentioned above at just under $40. (Buy on Amazon)
- Dango M1: With a cost of entry around double that of the Ti5 or any of the other alternatives on this list, the M1 is solidly a premium upgrade pick. It’s still lightweight, it’s durable to the point of borderline overengineered, and it still blocks RFID skimming. It isn’t the thinnest, it isn’t made of titanium (rather, aluminum and luxurious top grain leather) and it doesn’t open bottles in its base configuration. However, as a platform it has tons of potential to dial in to fit your EDC’s needs. By adding one of Dango’s multi-tools to the wallet, it offers functionality beyond just opening beers. With the right straps, it can be worn as a lanyard or it can be tethered for extra security. (Buy on Amazon)
Have you used a Machine Era wallet? Tell us about your experience and whether you think it holds up today in the comments below.
