The Eel Skin Wallet

This is the wallet made from the skin of the Pacific hagfish (Eptatretus stoutii), selected for its paper-thin yet durable structure that reduces overall bulk for comfort in a pocket. Classified as "eel skin" by the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service due to its ambiguous evolutionary history, the prolific marine species' hide is highly valued for yielding a supple hand and strength that surpasses leather. Believed to be a hold-over from the Paleozoic when fish first evolved, it is unlike any other living vertebrate in that it absorbs nutrients through its skin, an anatomical anomaly that grants its skin the superior resiliency for which it is sought. Dyed, cut, and ironed, each skin bears the subtle linear wrinkles, rough spots, and smudges of the original hide, making each wallet unique. It has five slots for credit or business cards and a transparent ID window. Its two folding bill pockets are separated by a metal alloy-lined divider that blocks radio signals emanating from or reaching newer RFID-enabled credit cards. Black. 4" L x 4" W x 1/8" D. (1 oz.)