When you look at a minimalist wallet, ask yourself:

Is this thing comfortable enough for everyday carry?

Are the corners sharp?

Is it comfortable to sit on?

Do I really want to pull that thing in and out of my pocket?

I'm a big fan of the minimalist style wallet. The problem I was finding was that most have hard edges, sharp corners and are uncomfortable when I sit down in my car or at my desk. I've had a few money clips put holes in my pockets and I felt the space could use some extra creativity. So I looked for a better solution.



Billetus Design Criteria:

Super-strong



Finest Materials: Carbon fiber, titanium and aircraft grade aluminum

Lightweight

RFID blocking

Super Slim: As thin or thinner than an iPhone 4S (not empty, full with cash and cards)

Easy access in and out of your pocket

Enclosed Money Clip - Standard money clips have sharp corners that put holes in your pocket

Above else, comfortable to carry!

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Billetus Minimus shown with optional Cardus Openus

>>>>>> Here's how Billetus Maximus works:

#1 Pressing the slot on the bottom of the wallet creates an opening on the front of the wallet so you can insert cards. #2 Eject cards using this same slot. #3 The clip on the top of the wallet keeps pressure on the entire assembly and functions as a money clip.

>>>>>> Here's how Billetus Minimus works:

#1 Simple uni-body design with an elastic strap to hold cards and cash tight. #2 Pressing on the bottom strap applies pressure on the bottom card through a hole on the bottom of the wallet. This opens the front of the wallet, allowing you to insert cash and cards.

Try a rigid wallet. Your business cards will thank you!

Both wallets are available in 5 colors: black, silver, red, blue and Kickstarter green.

To do this I created custom panels of carbon fiber. Using 2 x 2 twill weave on the outer layers and uni-directional fibers oriented at 0° on the inner layers. These were layered to achieve a thickness of 1.43mm (.0565 inches) and placed in a heat press to bake for an hour. The result? 50" x 100" sheets of super high strength carbon fiber goodness.

Not all carbon fiber is created equal. The above process creates panels of carbon fiber that are 3X stronger than standard twill weave carbon fiber which is then CNC machined into the bottle openers you see below. To make it even lighter, add grip and just plain look cooler, we machined out additional inner material.

Cardus Openus - World's thinnest, lightest (and coolest) carbon fiber bottle opener

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Just finished sanding. Next step, clear coat

Lots of product testing. The bottom ridge on the opener was updated a dozen times.

Billetus frame prototyping shown here performed at Red Wolf CNC

We did an initial run of 25 pieces to establish cycle times

Machining the plates. Prototyping here done by Steve Nusco at Nusco Machine in Poway CA

Checking molds with machine plates

Milling out the carbon fiber at Nusco Machine

Initial Mold Testing - Holding 50 PSI!

Internal Frame Assembly with Plate

First print samples of the carbon fiber bottle openers!

Rhinocerous 3D Drawing (link)

Rhino Drawing (link)