The story behind the development of the small, slim wallet Hitoe® Fold
Hitoe® Fold "The pioneer of small, thin wallets"
A masterpiece from SYRINX that is small and thin at the same time.
The new genre of "small, thin wallets" started from this wallet.
The history of the slim wallet
Based on the information provided by our users and our research, we have compiled below a list of "thin wallets" that were released before the Hitoe ® Fold (November 2019) and that do not allow cards and coins to overlap.
| 2008.07 | Sartore Wallet (Sartore) |
| 2009.12 | Thin Wallet (Value Innovation) |
| 2017.01 | Komodo (ULYSSES) |
| 2018.06 | Hitoe® L-zip S (SYRINX) |
| 2018.11 | Piastra (Mpiu) |
| 2019.09 | Jitan (JACAJACA) |
| 2019.11 | Hitoe® Fold (SYRINX) |
All of these wallets are characterized by their thinness. However, the Hitoe ® Fold was the first wallet to pursue a "small size" at the same time.
Development Background
The development of Hitoe® Fold began in response to the voices of many users who wanted a wallet that was as thin and small as possible in this cashless era.
After much trial and error, he made a groundbreaking invention in the summer of 2019.
The "inner hook" is an idea that uses the stored cards as fasteners.
The Hitoe® Fold is the result of taking this minimalist idea and elevating it to the pinnacle of thinness, simplicity, and ease of use.
Prototyping and development process
Prototyping began the day the idea for the inner hook was first conceived. At SYRINX, if an idea is important, we will make prototypes in-house right up to the point of filing an intellectual property application. This allows us to streamline the prototyping and feedback process.
We then applied for a design registration in October 2019, and announced the product at the same time as applying for a patent in November.
Unveiling the prototype and receiving a great response
After the product was announced, the number of hits increased dramatically. Its minimalist design resonated with many people and garnered support.
"This is the kind of wallet I've been looking for." That comment was the driving force behind taking the next step.
Crowdfunding and the COVID-19 pandemic
The crowdfunding campaign, which began in February 2020, got off to a record-breaking start, raising over 10 million yen in just three minutes.
However, due to concerns about procuring leather due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the crowdfunding campaign was closed on the 18th. It ended halfway at 3,500 pieces .
However, thanks to the generous support, we were able to raise the highest amount in Japan at the time (※) and received the CAMPFIRE Crowdfunding Award from among over 10,000 projects that year.
*As of January 7, 2025, according to our own research
The birth of a new genre: "small, thin wallets"
After a gap of several months following the release of Hitoe® Fold , similar products began to appear on the market one after another.
This is how the new genre of "small, thin wallets" became popular.
To this day, the Hitoe® Fold series continues to monopolize the top three (※) bi-fold wallets in terms of the amount of support they receive through crowdfunding in Japan.
*As of January 7, 2025, according to our own research
World-class design
The Hitoe® Fold series has won 19 awards to date, including the world's three major design awards: iF Design Award , Red Dot Award , and IDEA .
Hitoe® Fold's challenge continues
Not only is it small and thin,
Even easier to use and more beautiful
We will continue to pursue this ideal and take on new challenges.
