Your dominant hand might be the reason for your wallet's "minor inconvenience"
"Cards are a bit hard to pull out."
"The zipper snags a little when I pull it."
Many left-handed people may have experienced such "minor inconveniences" when using wallets or card cases.
Most products used in daily life, including wallets and key cases, are designed with right-handed users in mind, which can make choosing items difficult for left-handed individuals.
In this blog post, from Munekawa's perspective, which has focused on simple leather product designs, we will introduce checkpoints for left-handed people when choosing leather wallets and leather accessories.
We will also introduce some Munekawa products that we recommend for left-handed people, so please check them out.
The basic action is to "hold with your non-dominant hand and take things out with your dominant hand."
When using a wallet, you generally hold the wallet with your non-dominant hand and take out cards, bills, and coins with your dominant hand. Fine operations such as unfastening a snap or pulling a zipper are also often performed with the dominant hand.
If a left-handed person holds the wallet with their right hand and operates it with their left hand, they may find it difficult to open and close the wallet or take out its contents if the wallet is designed for right-handed use.
While these inconveniences may be minor, they can cause stress, especially for items used daily.
3 points left-handed people should check
When left-handed people choose an item, it's important to consider whether they can use it naturally.
Especially when choosing leather accessories like wallets and key cases, focusing on the following three points can help you determine if it's right for you:
① Zipper opening direction
For wallets that open with a zipper, such as round zippers or L-shaped zippers, the usability when operated with the left or right hand changes depending on the start and end points of the pull tab and the direction of the opening. If you hold the wallet with your right hand and pull with your left, you may find it difficult to open and close or see the contents, depending on the position of the pull tab.
Since this is an action repeated every time you pay, even a slight discomfort can be a noticeable point.
When choosing, try holding the wallet with your right hand as usual and opening and closing the zipper with your left hand. The points to check are whether you can comfortably grasp the pull tab, move it smoothly all the way, and see the contents when open.
② Card pocket orientation and placement
For horizontally inserted card pockets, the "easy-to-remove orientation" is determined by the relationship between the hand holding the wallet and the hand removing the card. If you hold the wallet with your right hand and try to pinch a card with your left hand, the opening direction may not match, and your finger may not be able to catch the corner of the card easily. This minor difficulty in retrieval tends to be more noticeable for frequently used cards.
When choosing, hold your wallet as usual and check if you can comfortably place your left-hand fingers on frequently used cards. The ease of removal for horizontally inserted pockets varies depending on the opening direction. Comparing them with vertically inserted or centrally placed pockets will help you choose what suits you best.
③ Opening direction and position of snaps or fasteners
For bifold wallets or flap-type wallets, the opening direction and the position of fasteners such as snaps or straps are often designed with single-hand operation in mind.
If held with the opposite hand from the one intended, you might find it difficult to unfasten, or the contents might be hard to see when opened, leading to minor snags in operations. This applies not only to wallets but also to actions like taking out keys from a key case or receiving coins from a coin case.
When choosing, check if you can unfasten the clasp comfortably with your dominant left hand and if the contents are easily accessible when opened. Items with a central clasp, a nearly symmetrical shape, or no clasp tend to have less difference in usability between dominant hands.
Leather accessory options that are also easy for left-handed people to use
There aren't many leather products explicitly labeled "for left-handed users." However, items designed symmetrically or those that open from the center are less affected by handedness. Also, even if asymmetrical, the position and opening method of pockets might suit left-handed movements.
Here, we introduce some of Munekawa's standard items that we recommend for left-handed users.
Thin coin purse "Undo"
This is a simple, symmetrical coin purse. It opens wide, making coins visible and easy to retrieve regardless of which hand you use. It can hold approximately 20-30 coins and one folded bill.
Envelope-type long wallet "Encase"
This is a thin, envelope-style long wallet that uses no metal fittings such as zippers or snaps. The front of the bill compartment is arched, allowing you to slide bills out one by one with your finger. This action can be performed naturally with either hand, making it easy to use regardless of handedness.
▶︎Click here for the Encase envelope-type long wallet product page
IC card case "Tuck"
This simple card case has three independent pockets where cards are inserted from the top. The back pocket is designed so that about 1.5 cm of the card is visible, making it easy to pull out cards by gripping them. As it's a vertical card case, it's easy to check if it's convenient to retrieve cards with your usual holding method.
Bell-shaped key case "Bell M"
This key case allows you to pull a strap to store keys like a drawstring pouch, and then secure them with a button on the back. Since the structure has no left or right distinction, it can be handled in the same way with either hand.
▶︎Click here for the Bell M bell-shaped key case product page
L-shaped zipper wallet Cram
Munekawa's particularly popular L-shaped zipper wallet Cram is also an item recommended for left-handed people. The interior features a coin purse and bill storage space in the center, a sleeve on the left side that can hold 5-6 frequently used cards, and a two-tier card holder on the right side.
While there is a "left-handed Cram" with the internal structure reversed, some left-handed individuals find the standard Cram layout to be more convenient.
When a left-handed person holds the wallet with their right hand and takes out a card with their left hand, the sleeve on the left side is in an easily visible position. In fact, a left-handed staff member commented, "When I hold the wallet with my right hand, the sleeve on the left side is easy to see, and it's easy to take out cards with my left hand."
This is an example where a standard layout, not specifically labeled "for left-handed users," can still suit a user's movements.
▶︎Click here for the Cram L-shaped zipper wallet product page
For those who still prefer a layout tailored to their dominant hand, we also produce the left-handed Cram.
The left and right card pocket positions of the standard Cram are reversed, designed to align with the natural hand movements of left-handed users. Since it is produced irregularly by order, it is currently sold out. We will announce future production plans on our online store.
If in doubt, try "holding it as usual" at the directly managed store.
The compatibility between your dominant hand and a tool cannot be determined by specifications alone. Ultimately, the surest way is to pick up the actual item and try opening and closing it as you normally would.
At Munekawa's directly managed store in Daikokucho, Osaka, you can pick up and try out the items introduced here.
We also offer a wide selection of other simply designed leather accessories that are easy to use regardless of handedness, so please feel free to visit us.
▶︎Click here for details on Munekawa's directly managed store
