Years ago, I carried a thick bifold wallet that I would keep in my back pocket. For years (and like many folks my age and older), this was my only method for carrying cash, cards and whatever else I kept in my wallet. Then I found out that there were some pretty serious health drawbacks of doing so — including causing back, neck and shoulder problems. Initially, I tried carrying it in my front pocket, but it was just too damn unwieldy (and created a big, unsightly lump in my pocket). So I sought out other solutions.
Then, in 2018 while I was working for an everyday carry retail operation, we onboarded this relatively young brand called Pioneer Carry. Apparently, the fellow who founded the company had worked as a designer for several high-profile brands — including Levi’s and Black Diamond Equipment — before deciding to start his own EDC brand specializing in wallets that were, for all intents and purposes, indestructible in regular usage. The brand had even developed its own proprietary fabric that was ten times stronger than steel by weight, yet still incredibly slim.
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While I was skeptical of the dubious claims, I took the leap and bought one of the brand’s cardholder wallets — and I never looked back. To this day, I still carry a Pioneer Carry Molecule, the very same one I bought back then, and I have no intention of swapping it out (unless I lose it or some other catastrophic series of events befalls me). Honestly, it might be my overall favorite piece of EDC I have ever bought — and that’s coming from someone pretty obsessed with knives.
PioneerPioneer Carry Molecule Cardholder
Specs
| Material | 10XD or 3XD |
| Capacity | 4-6+ Cards and Folded Bills |
Recently, I had the opportunity to catch up with Henry Lefens, the aforementioned fellow who founded Pioneer Carry. We chatted about the brand’s seemingly indestructible wallets, game-changing proprietary materials (both existing and in development) and the brand’s next big venture: a collection of bags.
Products in the Guide
What would you say the state of the EDC industry is right now, and where do you see it heading in the next ten years?
Ask my dad about everyday carry and he will talk about knives and guns and macho stuff. Ask me and I’ll talk about CNC titanium keychains or Pioneer wallets. It’s such a vast space with such varied meanings. Idyllically, I think of EDC as a community of small makers providing unique, bespoke, or small-batch items to like-minded people that improve your daily flow or add to your personal narrative in a private way.
Remember, most EDC items stay hidden in your pocket and are really objects for yourself, with usually very little tribal signaling going on. Often, when they uncover ancient hunter-gatherers, they find numerous little EDC items and even seemingly nonsensical charms alongside their personalized tools and provisions. So I think EDC has been around for some time, and it’s only social media that has brought people together on what essentially has always been.
Pioneer’s wallets are made unlike anyone else. We have seen attempted copycats, even from large corporations […] and all have failed.
In ten years, I hope that we have better social platforms to express and connect since that is the essence of what EDC really is. I don’t think EDC is an ‘industry’ in the traditional sense. EDC communities, like most online niche interests, have obviously bowed to the whims of the algorithm. What I find interesting is that many EDC brands’ products are considered ‘weapons’ by big tech and are excluded from the algorithm altogether.
So they find alternative places to connect in an even stronger way than just seeing something on a ‘for you’ page. This is an interesting topic on its own. But if you are asking for a trend report, I’m at a loss. At Pioneer, we keep our heads down and just make rational well-designed products. Our trend report is really just reading the vibe of our fans and long-time customers.
You last spoke with Gear Patrol back in 2018. How would you say life has changed since then?
Pioneer’s wallets are made unlike anyone else. We have seen attempted copycats, even from large corporations, since that article was written, and all have failed. The process by which we manufacture our textile wallets, heat-welding mixed with detailed handwork, is impossible to copy without putting years into it.
But back in 2018, our process was still in its infancy. Now, it’s been dialed in. So the quality and consistency of our manufacturing has really improved. As it should have — that’s our craft, it’s what we bring to the table, and we hope our long-time customers have noticed, and we apologize to the customers who were there for the early stages of the process. If you bought a wallet in 2017, email me.
Pioneer Carry created 10XD — a material that’s 10x stronger than steel per weight. Where do you go from there?
We have since introduced new fabrics with different ‘strengths’ or vibes. Namely, our Baby Ballistic fabric, which came out last year. This is a Pioneer take on traditional ‘ballistic fabric’ that is better suited for smaller, more detailed products like our wallets. It gives a more gritty yet also very refined essence to the wallets and looks quite classic.
Could you tell us why you’re redeveloping your Soft Shell fabric?
The fabric was just too stretchy for our manufacturing process. We have tried to reduce the spandex and have tried a few other versions but haven’t gotten the softer feel we wanted quite yet. It’s still very much in the works and we hope to focus on it more soon.
What Pioneer Carry product are you most proud of?
Hands down, the Flyfold wallet. This is such a pure and modern wallet to me and represents where our manufacturing is at right now and how we use cards and cash in today’s world. It’s a less conventional silhouette that, at first glance, looks very plain, so customers often choose something they are more familiar with. But I hope with time, people will see the Flyfold is the future.
PioneerPioneer Carry Flyfold Wallet
Specs
| Material | 10XD or 3XD |
| Capacity | 16+ Cards and Full-Length Bills |
Do you have an all-time favorite piece of everyday carry gear?
Everyone is going to hate this answer, but the Flyfold wallet.
What are your go-to EDC items — the things you never leave the house without?
My titanium micro-blade by WESN, which was a limited edition Pioneer collab that I helped design. That is special to me, and I chose to collab on that EDC product because it was one I already loved and used. If watches count, I am never without my Tudor BB36 ref. 79540.
WESNWESN Microblade 3.0
Specs
| Steel | D2 |
| Handle | Titanium (G10 Scale Available) |
| Lock | Frame |
| Blade Length | 1.5" |
Tudor Black Bay 36
Specs
| Case Material | Steel |
| Case Size | 36mm |
| Movement | Calibre MT5400 |
| Water Resistance | 100m (330 ft) |
Is there anything else you’re working on over at Pioneer Carry that you can share with us?
We have just launched the Pioneer bag collection. As a seasoned bag designer who has been only designing wallets for some time, it feels really good to finally show the world within the platform of my own brand what I consider my ‘personal best.’ These bags are the best I can do and I put my all into them with no exception and no compromises. I fought for them, I financed them, I believe in them. I hope the world likes them too.
What’s special about Pioneer Carry’s new lineup of Million Mile Bags?
Pioneer Carry bags are a search for timelessness within technical bags. Can we turn from techy trends and marketing gadgetry to imagine designs that perform at the highest level yet maintain an ease and purity that endures? These new designs should feel familiar, because they are a take on classic shapes and modes of carry that have been evolving for decades. We added nothing ‘new’ just for the sake of new. We took great care to honor timeless elements while upgrading materials and details to bring about a more evolved design built for right now and beyond.
What isn’t special about the bags? Probably nothing. What I mean is that every single element, from the zipper puller to the lining to the type of foam in the shoulder strap, is special, unique, custom, or the absolute best in class. Put our bags next to any other bag, be it a military or luxury bag, and the Pioneer bag will either match or outperform them.
Take a closer look at Pioneer Carry’s Million Mile Bags
3 photos
Who are these new bags made for?
Someone who just got a new job or promotion, I want for them to buy a Pioneer bag as a gift to themselves. Someone who finally racked up enough miles to unlock priority seating, etc. They need to be carrying Pioneer. The guy retiring his leather bag: I wish for him to see our bags as the modern step forward and to kindle the same affection and long relationship he has with his leather bag with a Pioneer Carry bag. We designed these for the long haul and we know they aren’t cheap. So we wish for it to be a special and considered moment in their lives to upgrade to Pioneer.
How does the Mandarin 840 ballistic nylon fabric stand up against other common bag materials?
When I was a designer at Levi’s, I was told an interesting fact: Levi’s has the largest second-hand market and is present in more thrift stores than any other brand on Earth. If that’s not the mark of a timeless and useful product, I don’t know what is. When designing our bags and creating our fabric, the idea of our bags living in a second-hand market, being sold ‘used’ on eBay, or gifted down to a son from a father was the ultimate goal.
Mandarine 840 is the fabric to get us there. Not only is its strength on par with all the known strong bag fabrics, but it also wins you over with its hand feel, better-with-age drape, and unique dobby weave that gives it a bit of heft. Mandarin 840 is a heavyweight fabric that feels just as at home thrown in the back of a Bronco as it does sitting in the front seat of a Mercedes. Just like a pair of Levi’s.
PioneerPioneer Carry Duration Pack
Specs
| Capacity | 18L |
| Material | Mandarin 840 |
PioneerPioneer Carry Savant Pack
Specs
| Capacity | 20L |
| Material | Mandarin 840 |
PioneerPioneer Carry Panda Pack
Specs
| Capacity | 25L |
| Material | Mandarin 840 |
