Is there anything more rewarding than getting it right when choosing gifts for your son? Especially for your teenager, who's on the cusp of manhood and figuring out who he is.
The challenge is in striking the right balance between the cool factor, aesthetics, functionality, and durability.
Ideally, you’ll want to buy gifts that will be useful in their teens, and treasured as they age handsomely together.
To help you find the perfect coming of age gift for your son, I’ll give you the low-down on three handmade leather products that you must consider.
Today, we’ll look at:
- Key features that make these products ideal gifts
- The price ranges to expect
- Why others love these products
Handmade Leather Accessories That Make Perfect Gifts for Your Adventurous Teen
I remember the joy and feeling of grown-up independence when I received my first leather wallet after years of using a canvas trifold.
Due to my nostalgia, the first category of leather gifts I’ll include here will be leather wallets. But since there’s nothing quite like receiving the perfect leather gift, let’s also take a look at a list of timeless leather items:
- Leather Wallets - Hand-sewn leather wallets come in four colors: English tan, heritage brown, black, and natural. They also range in size and design, offering different styles.
- Leather Belts - Handmade from high-quality leather, they combine comfort, durability, and an aesthetic that is both rugged and timeless.
- Leather Journals - High-quality Horween leather makes these journal covers suitable for any environment. The interior pockets also serve as a perfect alternative to a wallet when traveling.
- Everyday Carry Goods - These are ideal for those simply looking to carry a penlight torch or utility knife, as well as for those who are into bushcraft.
With these gift categories in mind, I want us to consider three of them in greater detail.
1 - Money Clip Wallet
When it comes to cool gifts for your son that he’ll actually use, an uber-compact leather wallet is a no-brainer. He’s now handling his money and needs a grown-up wallet to mark his coming-of-age.
The Money Clip Wallet is the perfect choice because it’s slim and minimalistic, fitting into the young, trendy aesthetic.
It’s also hand-sewn from full-grain Horween leather and Tiger thread, making it a durable gift that your son will use and cherish for years to come. It will always serve as a reminder of his financial coming-of-age.
Important Features of the Money Clip Wallet
- Full-grain USA Horween® leather - A durable, full-grain leather backed by a century-long leather-making tradition that improves with age thanks to its patina.
- Hand-sewn using Tiger thread - Tiger thread is the superior choice for any hand-sewn leather goods because it’s strong, durable, and UV-resistant, meaning the stitches will never unravel or break.
- A lifetime guarantee - I stand by the quality of materials I use and my highly skilled manufacturing process. This wallet is guaranteed for life.
- Antique brass money clip - The spring bar money clip pops up, making it easy to place your crisp bills flat in the wallet.
- Conveniently placed pockets - Two outer and two inner card slots make it convenient to carry in the front pocket for easy access to cards or student IDs while your son is on the go.
The combination of a compact design with enough room for the basics makes the Money Clip Wallet a perfect gift for your young man on the cusp of adulthood.
View the various leather colors available, what others love about the wallet, as well as updated pricing.
2 - A6 Leather Journal Cover
You might be thinking, “When will my tech-savvy son ever use a physical notebook?”
Just hear me out.
The A6 Leather Journal cover is a functional and timeless gift for your son because it’s useful in jumpstarting valuable lifelong habits of writing things down, journaling, and planning.
Its pocket size makes it an ideal gift for your son, who’s always out and about and unlikely to carry bulky items—it can comfortably fit in his jeans’ pocket.
The best part is, the A6 Leather Journal is a book cover with a built-in pen holder and card pockets. Your young man can carry this heirloom-quality journal cover well into his adult years just by replacing the A6 notebook with a new one.
Can’t you just picture him globetrotting with his classic, leather-bound travel journal?
Important Features of A6 Leather Journal
- USA Horween® full-grain leather - Horween leather is the most durable American leather available, taking six months to make, mostly by hand.It also ages beautifully thanks to its leather patina.
- Built-in pen loop - The built-in pen loop is made of leather and can hold just about any size pen; meaning he can write in his journal whenever inspiration strikes.
- Two interior card pockets - The card pockets make this leather journal cover an ideally convenient everyday carry item.
The A6 Leather Journal Cover is a multitasking piece of stationery that will serve your son well, thanks to its built-in pen loop, soft, durable leather, and three generous interior pockets to accommodate all his essentials.
Feel free to have a look at the color options available, our customer reviews and pricing.
3 - EDC Pocket Armor
It’s no surprise that the Swiss army knife, Leatherman, and other similar multi-tools are wonderfully useful coming-of-age gifts for young men the world over.
The EDC Pocket Armor case is perfect for keeping your son’s pocket knife or multi-tool secure, preventing it from scratching other pocket contents or injuring him.
It’s the perfect cool leather gift for your son if he’s outdoorsy, into crafting and fixing things, or just likes to be prepared.
Not only does it securely house your compact utility tool of choice, it also has a convenient pen holder.
Important Features of The EDC Pocket Armor
- Burnished and polished edges - The burnishing process buffs the edges of the pocket knife sheath to a slick finish that looks and feels fantastic. It also compresses and seals the cut leather edge, helping the leather retain its natural oils and stay soft for years.
- Adaptable design - On top of being a protective sheath for a utility knife, the pocket armor can also carry a travel size multi-tool, a Fisher Space Pen, mini flashlight, and a pry bar—and still fit comfortably in the front pocket.
- Heavy-duty materials and construction - Horween leather, Tiger thread, and highly skilled hand sewing techniques make this everyday carry accessory hardy enough for even the most adventurous boy.
Speaking of everyday carry…
Did you know?
In the 16th and 17th Centuries, people would carry their leather mugs to the pub for a pint of ale. The name commonly used for a mug-sized leather pot was gispen or gyspen.
While on the topic of drinks, pigskin leather was a popular material choice for water skins.
For adventure enthusiasts or any guy who enjoys carrying portable tools, the challenge is always how to blend this with your regular, school, or work life. The EDC Pocket Armor comes to the rescue with its clean finish and highly skilled construction.
Pro Tip:
A memorable way of communicating your pride in your son, as well as elevating your gift to an entirely new level is by personalizing it.
Each of the leather products I’ve discussed above can be personalized with permanent laser engraving.
What Others Said About Handmade Leather Gifts
Who would’ve thought that the intoxicating smell of leather would have such a huge, positive effect?
That aside, people also love the:
- High-quality leather that is soft and will age beautifully as it develops a patina
- Superior workmanship in the stitches and finishing, which increases durability
- Minimalistic design that motivates you to scale down what you carry around daily
“ … I definitely recommend this wallet to anyone … that needs just the basics, i.e. cash, ID and credit cards. The outside pockets offer convenience for everyday tasks.”
"This wallet was exactly what I was hoping it would be. . . a thoughtful design with quality full grain leather expertly crafted."
"The notebook is beautiful with natural markings of leather, which will surely acquire a natural patina. It looks rugged, ready for everyday use and has a pleasant smell of leather."
"The craftsmanship is superb … a year later, it has broken in perfectly ... The little marks and dings of everyday use have truly made this one of a kind."
"The combination of quality, feel, and practicality of the pocket armor makes it a joy to carry."
Level up Your Gifting With Handmade Popov Leather Products
Handmade leather products add that special sauce to your gifting because of the time, skill, and innovation that has gone into them, and their long lifespan.
Whether you choose a leather wallet, journal, or everyday carry accessory, you’ll want the highest quality full-grain leather coupled with expert craftsmanship. That’s why the Popov Leather collection is the best place to start.
Each leather item I make is a product of expert skill and care. The leather only gets better with time and I stand by this with a lifetime guarantee on all my products.
Browse my leather collection for a gift your son will love and use for decades.
Written by Ryan Popoff
Ryan Popoff is the creative mind behind Popov Leather wallets, iPhone cases, belts, watch bands and journals since 2013. With a Bachelor Degree in Fine Arts, my leatherworking journey began at home. I wanted to create a simple leather wallet that could fit into my front pocket and — to my delight — it was a hit with family and friends. Hopefully you love our honest, quality leather goods too! Reach out with questions.
