Recycled Firefighter Wallet
Rising from the ashes of its previous career comes the battle-hardened RF Sergeant. But can this wallet live up to the heroic deeds of its past?
Robustly constructed and surprisingly light for the materials used, this is the smallest money carrier I’ve used to date. Due to my already streamlined existing wallet, I knew that to get any use out of this new purchase it would need to lure me even further into carry simplicity.
The first hook is that it’s seriously cool. I mean just look at it! Weather-worn yellow and MultiCam may only be a small step away from the usual loop-backed tactical style wallet, but it’s a giant leap away from the traditional black leather billfolds. When you throw it down on the bar, the RF Sergeant makes a statement.
What’s even cooler is the weight of shouldered responsibility the fire hose brings to the table. Each fire hose has seen action, enough to reach the point of being decommissioned in fact. I started off feeling like I should maybe treat it gently, helping it ease its way into retirement. But this feeling was quickly dismissed as I realised that, true to the companies tag line (2nd Career Gear), it wants this new role to prove itself all over again.
From saving lives to saving the pounds (or dollars!), one of the first things I noticed was that it was still a little rough around the edges. Where the binding tape has been heat sealed the hard, melted nylon had a slightly sharp finish. I thought it would be easy enough to file it down a little, but decided to leave it for a few days to see how it felt.
If I’m honest, I personally barely notice the slender wallet in my pocket as it is, so any sharpness was completely not an issue (I even have to occasionally check its still there). I also realised the melted edge acted as a grim reminder of its past, and scars are sometimes important, reminding us of where we’ve come from.
The build quality is absolutely solid, there’s no way this thing will fall apart. Whenever you take out a card, even if it’s just one, the hose material stays in a stretched position. This makes it effortless to slide the card back in, but it does leave the remaining cards slightly loose. It did worried me that items could fall out until I realised that, with squeeze and a rub of its spine, the hose can easily adapt to a new shape. This just adds another dimension to the already tactile experience of owning the RF Sergeant.
The unwavering yet moldable structure leaves you confident that your cards are protected. From a hiking point of view, it’s great to be able to chuck it into my pack without worrying about security or scuffing the leather.
The diagonal angle to one of the sides allows for quicker retrieval of the cards. I also discovered it allows you to use a Contactless (RFID enabled) credit or debit cards without even removing it from the wallet, which is very handy.
The Mil-spec elastic on the reverse is designed to hold banknotes, which it does really well, and it also snaps back securely when it’s not in use. I found a £5 or £10 note fits perfectly when folded into three. Unfortunately a £20 notes won’t fit so well as they are an extra 5mm (0.19″) taller. With dollar bills all being the same size this won’t be an issue for any U.S. readers.
I rarely use cash these days, unless I’m going to an event where I’ll need it, so I experimented with a few other carry options for this feature. It was perfect for storing the occasional receipt of payment I wanted to keep. I also used it for two key-fob sized loyalty cards, but as they’re not the standard card size they feel like they could slip loose pretty easily. It’s definitely best to keep larger items in there. The elastic holds tight enough that a thin multitool might work in here too, especially if the tool has some paracord attached for easier retrieval.
Shown here is the PDW Dog Tag Tool USN G6 Edition.
The Sergeant is a strong and slim wallet that wholeheartedly embraces a new career. It is a conversation starting item that has a great story to share, so it will thrive in the pocket of anyone who enjoys talking about their gear. With a wide array of colour variations and products to explore, each often having their own battle scuffs, printed marks or faded colouring, there is truly a unique product for everyone. If you sign up to the mailing list they’ll give you 15% off if it’s your first time. Follow the link below to pick yours up now.
The product(s) being tested and reviewed here were purchased fully by the reviewer.
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