Review: Sketch Wallet

“Always be drawing,” that’s a motto I try to live by. I’m a fan of sketching and doodling whenever I can. This can be a logistical challenge at times though. It isn’t always practical to carry around my sketchbook (because I need my hands free to fight ninja and/or pet cats). I’ve tried various small “pocket-size” sketchbooks in the past, but I tend to forget to take them or they get bent in my pocket. The solution? The Sketch Wallet.

I first heard about the Sketch Wallet via my cartoonist pal Jeff Manley (please go read his comics and buy all of his books). Jeff swears by his Sketch Wallet (he actually has two!) which was the all convincing I needed.

Video Review: Sketch Wallet

Watch the video on my YouTube channel if the embed doesn’t work.

Make sure to subscribe to my YouTube Channel!

Read my full, detailed review below.

Sketch Wallet: What Is It?

The Sketch Wallet is, surprise, a wallet with a small sketchbook inside. The entire wallet is roughly four inches by six inches in size, and about ¾ of an inch thick (depending on what you have inside, of course).

Closed. About 4″ x 6″.

The sketchbook, a standard 3 ½ inches by 5 ½ inches, slides into the right side of the open wallet. The left side is for your various cards: driver’s license, credit/debit, ALF Fan Club. There’s also a pocket for the included small 2B pencil.

Card slots and pencil holder.

There’s a pocket behind the card section too, which I’ve been using to store receipts, business cards, and fortune cookie fortunes (“You are an angel. Beware of those who collect feathers.”).

At the top is a cash pocket, which is apparently a new feature for the model I got, and very handy for the rare days I have cash on hand (also a great spot for my business cards!).

Cash pocket.

I opted for the canvas Sketch Wallet (available in a few colors), and there is a leather one as well.

Sketch Wallet: The Sketchbook

There are a few different kinds of refills for the Sketch Wallet (including lined paper). It came with one of the white paper sketchbooks, and I bought a pack of the toned paper refills. So far, I’ve been using the toned paper.

The sketchbook with toned paper.

I love the look of the toned paper. It’s a nice change of pace and handles ink very well. My usual cartooning pens don’t bleed through (in this case a Tombo calligraphy pen), but a Sharpie did. I didn’t expect the paper to be bleedproof, so I’m not worried (and most markers bleed through just about anything).

It can handle watercolor and ink washes a bit too, but I wouldn’t go too crazy. The paper obviously isn’t meant for heavy use of wet media, and that’s fine.

The main perk of the wallet itself is it protects the sketchbook, and keeps it flat. I’ve bent plenty of pocket notebooks and sketchbooks over the years, and that’s never fun.

Is That a Sketch Wallet in Your Pocket?

The Sketch Wallet is much bigger than my old wallet, but it does fit in my pocket. I’m a front pocket wallet guy, and I think the Sketch Wallet is designed with back pockets in mind (which is fine). So far, my Sketch Wallet has no problem fitting in any of the front pockets I’ve used. It can be tight at times, but it still fits.

It is important to remember switching to a wallet of this size is an adjustment. However, after a couple of weeks of daily use, I’m used to the size difference. While its surface area is larger than my old wallet, it is not as thick (a well packed tri-fold wallet can be pretty lumpy).

I will say, a Sketch Wallet in your front pocket is very noticeable, especially in tighter (or “skinny”) cut trousers. This doesn’t bother me, because I’ve had a wallet in my front pocket for years, so I’m used to how that looks.

Stephanie, my wife, pointed out this could be more of an issue for women, because as she said, “girl pockets tend to be smaller.”

I bought a simple “front pocket” wallet for times when my Sketch Wallet won’t be practical or comfortable.

Always Be Drawing

I really love my Sketch Wallet. Like I said, it took getting used to, but after two weeks it has become a part of me. There’s a great community of Sketch Wallet users on Instagram, check out the #sketchwallet tag. If you are looking for an easy way to always have a sketchbook with you, then I recommend giving Sketch Wallet a try.