Story

I started tinkering with advanced textiles and processes as an industrial designer at a major outdoor company that made carabiners and skis and ice picks. As a young bag designer I was curious to see if textile-based objects could be designed in a way that would rival the precision and engineering of the durable outdoor tools around me.

Being head-to-toe in technical apparel I felt that my leather wallet didn’t make sense anymore. So I focused my off-hours tinkering on creating a wallet that matched the premium precision of technical outerwear and innovations in the footwear category. I gave early prototypes to climbers, cyclists, boarders and fashionistas alike. Years went by and the wallets weren’t even showing signs of wear. When I asked for my prototypes back, and testers refused, I figured there might be something here.

It still took a few more years of refining but the outcome was an entirely new way of making wallets. Using heat, pressure, ultra-high-strength fabrics and an obsessive attention to detail, Pioneer was born.

-Henry Lefens, Founder

Process

Through extensive and meticulous testing, both in the lab and in the field, the Pioneer team emphasizes fit for function and improvement over convention.

Our fabrics are all custom developed to perform to our exact specifications. Our debut 10XD™ fabrics and FutureForm™ core technology were over three years in the making and represent the very best innovations to come out of our lab.

The manufacturing methods that help mold and weld our wallets together are state-of the-art, precision processes combining absolute exactness with hand craft. Through a series of steps that include heat, pressure , and lasers our product takes shape. Finally, they are secured and completed with our signature bar tack for absolute strength.

We have set out to define the future of wallets for active and demanding lifestyles. Our journey has just begun and our search for the world’s foremost materials and methods is never over.

If you have any suggestions for new products or materials we would love to hear from you.