DuctTuff Comic Book Wallet Review

Introduction

Comic book tie ins are continually being created by savvy entrepreneurs the world over. Some of the more obvious tie ins include large corporations with huge clothing and toy lines. Then there are other small business craftsmen and women who create new lines of products that go outside the grain of these big business ventures. One such company is a small Portland based venture called DuctTuff. DuctTuff’s philosophy is, “… that of form following function and bringing forth the total beauty of that functional form.” Take a look at this new product and see if it might be a good fit for your comic wardrobe.

Vital Specs

Dimensions:
Closed – 4”X3”
Open – 8.25”X3”
Carrying Capacity: One cash slot and 4 card slots.
Cost: $14.00
Shipping: $4.00 for the first item. $2.50 for each additional item.
Website: DuctTuff On Etsy
Social Media:
Facebook
Twitter
Material: DuctTuff wallets are made from actual comic books where pages are, "sandwiched between a duct tape backing and an adhesive laminate covering the front." The material is water resistant and sewn for extra strength.

Review

I found this wallet in a bit of a luck fashion. My wife, who makes hand made cards as a side gig, had her cards in a local store that sells other kinds of hand made crafts and natural food products. A recent anniversary came about and my wife presents me with a Captain America wallet from DuctTuff. I have to say she earned big time kudos for getting me such a great comic item.

One of my first thoughts about this product is the legality behind it. I wondered if these were scans or color prints as the wallet looked to be actual comic panels. In doing some research, the creator, Joel Bowman, uses actual pages from the comic, cuts them down to size and laminates them to a duct tape. I don’t see any reason why this would be wrong as the product is just re-purposed from an already purchased comic book.

An impressive thing to me was how seamless the comic page to duct tape is done. It looks like the material is one piece, not sandwiched between and that was why I was wondering if it had been printed in some other fashion. The lamination process Bowmen uses is top notch and very well done.

I haven’t truly tested the durability of the wallet, it being a gift and all, but it does seem quite strong. Most people know the reputation that duct tape has and even though it appears to only be on one layer it feels quite tough and the stitching seems to add quite a bit of additional support. I have no doubt it will last a good amount of time.

My one and biggest complaint about the wallet is its size. It is a rather small item and for those like me that suffer from George Costanza Wallet Syndrome, it will take some adjusting to carrying less stuff. I have about eight different cards in the four slots and it doesn’t look like I can carry much more than that. Like I said, it will probably be a good thing in the long run as it is forcing me to slim down my wallet contents.

Conclusion

I love seeing new ways that people come up with in creating comic based items, and DuctTuff wallets are perfect for any comic fan. He has quite a few different characters to choose from and each one is a unique product that will make a great addition to any comic based ensemble. I was quite excited to get my hands on one and think you should definitely check them out.