Can this really be fixed with just a “repair”?

When I first heard about it, I thought it was just a zipper replacement.
It was a request from my wife's father. He said, “The zipper on my wallet, which I've used for 10 years, has broken.”

A zipper, I thought, I can probably manage that.
Even though I thought that, the moment the number “10 years” came up, I realized this wasn't just a simple repair.

I should take a look at the actual item before making a decision.
I told him that, and the moment I held the item in my hands—.

“Wait, isn't this more in the realm of ‘restoration’ than ‘repair’?”

At that moment, my approach changed.

10 years of time that seemed like it would crumble if touched

The zipper was, of course, dead, and the buttons were at their limit.
The leather on the corners was cracked and tattered.
The bill compartment was so worn out that it barely even felt like fabric anymore.

To be honest, this is a condition I would normally decline.

Why, you ask?
・Taking it apart would damage the leather even further
・It takes a huge amount of time to decipher someone else's design intent
・It is difficult to find similar materials
・And above all, there is the fear of destroying the memories along with it.

That is why my policy is generally not to accept repairs.
“Let's keep it as a memory and use a new wallet.”
That is what I usually tell people.

But this time was different.

A memory bought 10 years ago. A partner that had been in his pocket and used every day.
My father-in-law's feeling of “I want to keep using this” really came through to me.

Pushed by that sentiment, before I knew it, I had said, “I'll give it a try.”

Facing the “mystery structure” of the coin purse

The first thing I tackled was the coin purse. It had such a unique shape...

I took it apart and measured it, traced it in CAD, printed it out, and layered it.
I repeated “No, this part is wrong” over and over again.
It was a process of reverse-engineering the blueprint from the finished product.

The battle with the “cracks” in the card holder

This was the most difficult part.
When I opened it up, I saw it had been reinforced with resin, so I chose to apply new thin leather over it.

However, this "thin leather" was a real challenge...
The process of skiving it down to 0.4mm was incredibly difficult.
Even though I felt like screaming every time it tore, I somehow managed to shape it.

Gently supporting the flimsy bill compartment

The bill compartment was connected to the edges of the card case in a fragmented way, and it felt truly flimsy to the touch.
I was impressed it had lasted 10 years, and I reinforced the edges by wrapping them with long strips of leather.

However, if I reinforced it too much, the cards wouldn't fit.
It was a tense process, working with the absolute minimum width.

Three days later.

The wallet, soaked in oil and fully restored, sat before me.
Honestly, I felt a real sense of accomplishment.

When I showed it to my wife, she was surprised, saying, "I can't believe it got this clean..." and I felt a little touched.

All that's left is to hand it over to my father-in-law.
Imagining the moment this wallet, which has carried 10 years of history, returns to his pocket makes me happy, too.

While doing this repair, I realized something again.

Knowing the "fragile spots" and "unreasonable structures" leads directly to the next "good design."

Right now, I am gradually working on "pattern making" that utilizes my experience so far.
Making the joy of creation more accessible.
And I would be happy if this could become the start of someone else's "10-year item."