The Omega Wallet since its original release has been an icon in the minimalist wallet industry. It has been in such high demand ever since its debut on Kickstarter and to this day is still highly sought after. Due to its popularity over the years the Omega Wallet has been targeted by imitations. Some say that imitation is the best form of flattery. In this case you can accept no imitations.
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Ever since I first started shopping for my first premium minimalist wallet, the Omega was one of the first to pop up on my radar. I have seen a lot of people compare this wallet to others such as The Ridge and seeing how they stack up side by side. I will tell you, that comparison is like comparing aluminum apples to titanium oranges (I love oranges).
Origins of the Omega Wallet
The Omega Wallet is the passion project of Gregory Venters of MyFireTI.com. Gregory has been a maker for a while. One of his first products was a phone case, which the Omega Wallet closely resembles. Gregory launched the kickstarter back in 2013. The project was backed by 1,844 people to bring it to life. He launched the project only asking for £4,800 but by the time the project closed all the backers funded £103,899 which was a massive success and a fantastic step forward.
Lets start to break down this titanium beast shall we?
Designed with two Teflon line titanium plates, the Omega Wallet provides RFID protection without sacrificing a rugged feel. What really sets this wallet apart and makes it highly unique is what holds it together. The Omega wallet uses 4 o-rings, screws and edge bars to allow the wallet to carry as little as 2 cards and as many as 8 cards.
The use of o-rings is quite brilliant. If you think about it, many wallets like The Ridge, Machine Era Ti5 and Elephant for instance, use elastic bands. Some elastic bands are tailor made for a specific wallet. If the design becomes obsolete, you could be left without replacements. The Omega Wallet’s use of o-rings in my mind is not an aesthetic choice but a long term choice. Yes o-rings can dry out or snap much easier than an elastic band BUT if you know the spec of the o-ring used or can find close replacements, you are not without your wallet. Not failing to mention that you can purchase o-rings for about $0.08-$0.10 each depending on where you go. Which makes replacing them very affordable. This I feel is the genius of the design. It really is a good long term solution.
Since the original version of the Omega Wallet, MyFireTI has added Stainless Steel Edge Bars which will help reduce some of the stress on the o-rings, will help protect from potential loss of an o-ring and overall extends the life of the o-rings. The addition of these Edge Bars is a major plus. While I was doing my research into the product I came across a good bit of complaints about the original Omega Wallet regarding losing o-rings or them wearing out too fast. Adding these bars was a very smart move.
Specifications (Omega II Classic Raw)
Some Specs pulled directly from their website:
• Capacity: 2 – 8 Cards plus some cash
• Dimensions/Weight: 86.6mm x 54.6mm x 2mm 39g (Individual plate dimension and weight)
• High grade Titanium plate (Raw or Anodized options are available)
• Teflon lined interior for smooth card action
• RFID theft resistant design
• O-ring Spec: 2mm CS x 10mm ID, EPDM Black Rubber Also available here
• Designed and manufactured in Scotland
Product Options
The Omega Wallet currently comes in 3 designs: Classic, Hex and Superlight.
Color options include: Raw, Gold, Violet, Royal Blue, Ice and Denim.
For an extra $12.49 you can also have your Omega Wallet monogrammed.
Other Features
Other than the normal card and cash carrying features that the Omega Wallet has, there are some other small things that the Omega Wallet can do.
• The Omega Wallet has the capability of opening a frosty brew.
• You can also use it as a kickstand for your smartphone if you are in a pinch.
I simply love it when products have other uses other than what is intended like this!
Minor Issues
A few things that I did notice with the Omega Wallet while using it for the past few weeks was that if you are carrying cash on the inside of the plates, it does hinder the smooth sliding of cards on one side. It was also a bit difficult to access the cash in the wallet at the same time. I really hope to see MyFireTI to create an optional money clip that does not detract from the overall minimal design.
I also took notice that when you are trying to access a card and finish using the card, it can be a little troublesome to put the card back in if it was either card nearest to the Teflon lining. With time I was able to find better ways to put the cards back such as keeping the cards fanned until I needed to put the card back.
The last thing I noticed was when pushing all your cards out and then pushing them all back in again, you will sometimes catch the corner of your cards on one of the o-rings. Again, over time I was able to work around it.
Final Notes
Overall, I have greatly enjoyed this purchase. While the price tag can be a bit high ($75.30 – $138.17 USD Depending on model and options) I still very strongly recommend it. The rugged design and knowing that if something happens, I can still be able to obtain o-rings down the road, gives me the feeling that the Omega Wallet and I will be friends for many years to come.
I have had the opportunity to speak with Gregory a variety of times over the past couple weeks. He has been very willing to put up with all my questions, comments, concerns and suggestions. It has been an all around pleasant experience. I have not had any issues that require testing out their warranty or other customer support practices but I have an extremely strong feeling that you can expect great service if you do have an issue.
I am extremely satisfied with the purchase and without a doubt can recommend the Omega Wallet to friends, family or anyone who would ask me about it. The all around design intends it to be used in the very long term. Aesthetically the base raw model was really eye catching for me. I really enjoy the industrial look and feel of it. Functionally it works for me with minimal issue after figuring out the minor use issues I had mentioned above. All in all, I am in love with it and now I can see why it has such a hardcore following.
Source: Omega II Classic Titanium with Raw Finish Purchased from MyFireTI.com
Other Products Pictured: Spyderco Paramilitary 2, Maxpedition Kodiak Gearslinger
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Was this for the omega I or omega II wallet?
Archie,
This was for the Omega II.
-Robert
Robert, I’ve been wanting to transition from my current set up (which is a business card holder) to a minimalist style wallet/card holder. I love the design and simplicity of the Omega II, however I hear good things about the Ridge Wallet. I don’t like the elastic idea about the ridge wallet, But I really like the angled lip where the cards slide in. I AM TORN. price is not an issue, just want something I enjoy. also im unsure about the weight of the omega compared to the titanium ridge. I know im all over the place but ive… Read more »
Archie, Both are fantastic choices and have their own positives and negatives. I personally could not pick my favorite between the two as both are very well rounded and very well designed. The elastic on the Ridge Wallet, I have had very minimal issues with to this point. I used the Ridge until I bought the Omega II and it had a good long break in period. The elastic in that time frame did not wear out. At the time I only carried about 8 cards in it at a time and it could still carry as little as 1… Read more »
This was very helpful, Thank you!
Archie,
You’re very welcome! Glad I could be of help. Regardless of which you decide on, let me know how you like it. I would love to hear your thoughts on it after you have had some time to use it.
-Robert
I put a rubber band around the Omega long ways to hold my dollar bills in place. It is a great card holder. Some of the other brands do not have as deep a thumb slot and cards do not retract out as far and makes for more work trying to remove your credit cards
James,
That really is a genius idea! I have never thought about doing that to hold my bills in place.
I have handled quite a few different brands and models over the past few years and I still love the Omega Wallet to this day. It easily ties in my top two favorites that I have used over the years. I am happy to hear that you are enjoying it too! Thank you for taking the time to leave this comment 🙂
-Robert
I ordered an omega II wallet in September of 2017 (almost 90 days ago) and have still not received it. I have got no response from Greg or his website, despite 4-5 attempts to contact him. I’m very disappointed and do not recommend anyone order this wallet.
Robert, Great article. Where or how can I see the options and purchase the Omega II wallet? Went to their site and it does not appear to be taking orders.
Hey John,
Thank you for reaching out. It seems as though they are transitioning to a new e-commerce platform. Depending on their needs it may be taking some time for their designer to get their website just right so they can open up for business again. Generally it is uncommon to see a online marketplace to completely stop taking orders while they transition to another platform but strange things can happen. I would try to reach out to them via social media to get a for sure answer on when they will be able to take orders again. 🙂