Open Sea Leather Co. (Now Hook and Hide on the corner) — Local services in Honolulu

This turned out to be a longer review, so I will start by summarizing. Open Sea Leather is a must-visit for anyone, whether you're from Hawaii or elsewhere, when on Oahu. By far the best wallet I've ever owned and the kindest staff working there.

I found Open Sea Leather from an online article discussing the best EDC wallets. Once I realized they were based in Honolulu, I made point to visit in person when there and save some money on shipping and duties. I emailed to ask if this would be okay, and received a very friendly reply soon after. I was told they could make a wallet for me and have it ready, or I could come by and they'd make it on the spot. This was an opportunity I couldn't pass on!

After a day being stuck in a tourist trap (that's a whole other story unrelated to Open Sea Leather), I was worried I wouldn't make it to their storefront before they closed. I called ahead, briefly explained my situation, and was told no problem. They asked what wallet and colours I wanted, and said they'd start making it for me to be there when I arrived.

I got there 15 minutes after the official close time, arriving to both Luka and Sophie (I think I remembered her name correctly? If not I apologize!) smiling and being very welcoming. They gave me my newly made wallet, and totally turned my stressful unhappy day into one of the best I've had on Oahu.

The wallet is amazing, I am in love with both the design and level of precision put into the manufacturing process. You can tell by looking at, and holding, the wallet that it's high quality. I couldn't be happier with it!

A huge mahalo nut loa to all of your staff too. From the emails, to the ladies I met in the store who made my wallet, I can't put into words how grateful I am for your kindness and excellent customer service. It's clear to me that Open Sea Leather is passionate about the leather goods they make, and also care about customers as if we are all one 'ohana. Keep up the great work!

My only regret was not being able to spend more time in their store. Sadly, I didn't want to take up too much time of theirs after they closed. I will try to make it back before leaving Oahu, and if I can't make it there I will certainly be ordering from them again.

For those wondering, I purchased the Nimitz in all...

Update 16th January 2022. Happy New Year to all.

I have now purchased and received my third wallet from Open Seas which is a same day shipper Houbei in the Bordeaux colour, and once again I was not disappointed in the quality of this wallet. The colour is a little different to what I'm used to as I normally go for brown leather wallets, however this is a colour that I think I would get used to fairly quickly. It has an old school vintage matt finish (similar to a suede), and the colour looks nice in the Houbei design. I think I'll take a break from buying another wallet for a little while and am waiting to see if I can get an Open Seas T-shirt in a XXL size (could only find XL as the biggest on Open Seas website).

I have purchased two wallets from Open Seas now, and have not been disappointed with either. The first was a Gundeck Quickdraw and the second was a Topsider Bifold. The quality of both is fantastic and the choice of leather and thread colours lets you customise these wallets to suit your own taste and style. A great front pocket wallet and even though there are smaller wallets out on the market, these are the perfect size for cash and cards. I'm looking at a card wallet from Open Seas now and I know the quality will still be there. Check out the Open Seas website and you should be able to find something...

This isn't my first OSleather wallet, but my recent experience has been disappointing. I placed an order during their Black Friday sale, requesting my usual customizations: initial stenciling and removal of the OS logo. I messaged the store beforehand, and to my surprise, they said these customizations weren't offered during the holiday season. This wasn't clear or make known on their website. I immediately requested a cancellation after paying, but the seller ignored me and shipped the wallet anyway. A month later, I finally connected with someone through their website chat. They agreed to make the corrections if I returned the wallet. I sent it back, and it arrived at their location on the 10th January. I followed up via chat, but the seller has gone silent. I'm concerned about the lack of communication. I'm not sure if OSleather is still under the same management, but the customer service has definitely declined. It's been two months, and I still haven't received my...