Anytime I can cut down on the amount of junk I carry the better. What do guys actually put in their wallets anyhow? I carry ID, credit cards, business cards and cash. That’s it and anything else means I need a hipster purse. If you’re not going to downsize then you might as well upsize, right?

A wallet should fit to your lifestyle and not the other way around. What do I mean by that? If you see yourself as a pipehitter than you better be carrying a slim-profile wallet rather than a handbag for your stuff. Bills, coins, and cards are the things we have to handle. I’m a very active person and find myself walking distances or running everywhere. I do a minimum of 5 miles a day just by walking. Like I said before, “the less I have to carry” the better. A slim wallet is ideal for me.

When I spoke to Ryan, founder of Celtic Shield on the phone, we talked about the creation of his company. Celtic Shield came to life because Ryan had his credit card information stolen; how’s that for motivation to build a detterent against future scumbags? Western consumers live in the day and age where some are fearful of their credit or debit cards info, housed in a tiny computer chip and a radio antenna to transmit account information from within their card, will fall into the hands of badguys.

So there’s a huge industry that’s popped up around the male consumer market “want” for Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) products that block unwanted transmissions. I’m not going to go in to the weeds here about portable electronic card readers that can capture your credit card data; far too much info on the web that will explain it better than I can.

All you need know is some shields or wallets can make it more difficult for someone using a portable card-reader to “skim” your cards. Some wallets work well and some don’t. In the end it seems that a piece of mind is what the end user wants.

But let’s discuss some other things that I like about the Celtic Shield Wallet. First, it’s built around the idea of using challenge coins. Being able to pull out a coin in order to discuss it with those who care is a great way to share good times/bad times and build fraternity. Wallet options exist for buyers that do not want the challenge coin option-see pictures below the article.

American made. Nuff said right? For those who like John Wayne, fast cars and explosions, getting an American made product is a cool thing in a day and age where everywhere we turn something comes from China.

Colors. Ranger Green (RGR) or Mall Ninja Black (MNB). I’m not sure if the company will provide more choices in the future but never say never. Maybe we’ll one day see Stolen Valor Tactical Puke color.

Options: You get quite a few options when it comes to the wallet. You can order what Ryan names a “slick”. The slick is a blank plate of aluminum and can be engraved, if you so choose, with text or a picture. You can order the wallet with the clip feature and the coin feature as well. Some may choose the slick/slick feature and put their family crest or military insignia on those blanks. The last two options are the coin/coin feature and the slick/coin. The Celtic Shield website has a lot of great photos of wallets made by Ryan.

Each wallet is made of 6061 military spec aluminum and should give you sufficient blocking properties against RFID theft. Celtic Shield requires an upcharge for any image, large or small, to be placed on your slick or clip plate. Text can be placed on your slick too or both can be done. Wallets take about 3-5 days from the time you place your order until you get it in your grubby, fat hands. Custom engraving can take up to 3 weeks to arrive.

Final Thoughts

I like this wallet. I’ve been using a leather wallet for years but it was time to downgrade; I’m always moving. One feature that I like is the money clip feature. If you don’t carry cash the clip can be used to affix the wallet to your tac-belt. Large, overburdened wallets carried in your back pocket have a tendency to leave an ugly imprint upon your jean seat.

I’ve had this wallet for less than a week and I like it. The placement of your cards should be thought out prior. I place my credit cards closer to the moneyclip side and I place my business cards closer to the challenge coin side so I can grab them almost intuitively when I’m blindly yammering away at the sales clerk. This a very functional wallet. It’s sturdy, good looking, and can be customized for very few dollars to reflect your personality and loyalty to a creed, unit or sportsteam. Much nicer than a leather wallet and it can be wiped down more easily to get rid of germs than a piece of hide.

They come in under $100 ($98.00) without the custom add-ons but well worth it. Yes, I got mine for free, and I wasn’t obligated to write a postive review in return for my wallet. I like good products and I like good people who make them.

• Coin / Coin – Featuring two 1.5″ coin holders
• Coin / Slick – Featuring one 1.5″ coin holder and one large slick plate ready for your large custom image
• Coin / Clip – Featuring one 1.5″ coin holder and a money/belt clip with enough space for your small custom image
• Slick / Slick – Featuring two large slick plates, perfect for displaying two large custom images, one on each side of your wallet
• Slick / Clip – Featuring one large slick plate for that perfect for that large custom image and a money/belt clip with enough space for your small custom image