Money Clip Wallets: Why the Slimmest Wallet Is Also the Oldest

A money clip wallet combines card slots with a metal clip that holds folded notes. It is the slimmest way to carry both cards and cash, and it has a long history: Valextra’s Grip wallet, named after its internal note grip, was first made in 1951. Coveti carries 20 Valextra money clip wallets from $720 to $820. This guide explains how they work and who they suit.

Key facts

• What it is: card slots plus a metal clip for notes.
• Why: slimmer than a bifold, since notes sit folded once against the clip.
• Valextra Grip: first made in 1951.
• Variations: Simple Grip (cards and clip), Grip Spring (adds a magnetic coin pocket), Sublime Simple Grip (very soft leather).
• At Coveti: 20 Grip wallets, $720 to $820.

How a money clip wallet works

Fold your notes once and slide them under the metal clip on one side of the wallet. The clip holds them flat, and the cards sit in slots on the other side. There is no separate note section, so the wallet stays thin even when it is full.

Who it suits

A money clip wallet suits men who carry some cash but not a lot, and who want something that disappears in a trouser pocket. If you carry many notes in different currencies, a bifold with a full-length note section is easier.

The Valextra Grip

The Simple Grip has six card slots, each cut with the V notch, and the metal grip for notes. It is 10 by 8 cm. The Grip Spring is the version Valextra traces back to 1951, with a magnetic snap-shut coin compartment, and it folds small enough for a blazer pocket. The Sublime Simple Grip is the same design in a very soft smooth leather.

Colours

The Simple Grip comes in 15 colours at Coveti, from black and navy to bright orange and green. A dark colour is the safe choice; a bright one is easier to find in a bag.

A short history of the money clip

Before wallets, men folded notes and held them with a metal clip in a trouser pocket. The money clip wallet combines that old habit with card slots, which is why it suits men who like a pocket kept flat. Valextra built its version around an internal metal grip in 1951, when cash was still how most bills were paid, and the design has hardly changed since.

Leather and finish

The Grip wallets are made in Millepunte calf, the fine grained leather Valextra uses for most small leather goods, and in Pave calf on some versions. Every cut edge carries the black lacquered Costa, painted by hand, so the wallet keeps a sharp outline as it softens with use.

How to use one well

Keep no more than eight to ten notes under the clip so it grips firmly, and sort them by value so the largest sits at the back. Fold notes once, never twice. Carry receipts elsewhere, since a money clip wallet works because it holds so little.

Grip wallets at a glance

House dimensions, centimetres.

Money clip wallets to buy

1. Simple Grip in Ash Grey, $720

Six card slots, each cut with the V notch that makes cards easy to slide out, and an internal metal grip for notes. It slips into a jacket pocket and a clutch. Dimensions: width 10 cm, height 8 cm. Millepunte calf leather. Made in Italy.

2. Grip Spring in Black, $820

The Grip is named after its internal metal note grip and goes back to 1951. This compact version keeps the grip and adds a magnetic coin pocket, and it folds small enough for a jacket pocket. Dimensions: width 10 cm, height 9 cm, depth 1 cm. Millepunte calf leather. Made in Italy.

3. Sublime Simple Grip in Chocolate Brown, $820

Six card slots, each cut with the V notch that makes cards easy to slide out, and an internal metal grip for notes. It slips into a jacket pocket and a clutch. Dimensions: width 10 cm, height 8 cm. Sublime smooth leather. Made in Italy.

Buying Valextra at Coveti

Every piece is authentic and checked before dispatch, and ships worldwide by insured express courier (DHL Express and FedEx International Priority). Most regions ship Delivered Duty Unpaid, so local duties and taxes are payable on delivery. Bags and small leather goods are one size. Full terms are in the logistics and returns protocol.

Frequently asked questions

What is a money clip wallet?

A wallet with card slots and a metal clip that holds folded notes.

Is a money clip wallet better than a bifold?

It is slimmer. A bifold holds more notes.

When was the Valextra Grip first made?

In 1951.

How much is a Valextra money clip wallet?

$720 to $820 at Coveti on 14 October 2026.

Can a money clip wallet hold coins?

The Grip Spring has a magnetic coin pocket; the Simple Grip does not.

Do money clips damage notes?

No. Notes are folded once and held flat, which is gentler than stuffing them into a pocket.

Read next

Men’s designer wallets, men’s card holders, luxury gifts for men, Valextra for men.

More men’s guides

Valextra for men, Men’s designer wallets, men’s leather briefcases, men’s crossbody and sling bags, and the full Valextra collection at Coveti.

Sources and method

Checked on 14 October 2026 by Gemma Deeks, Fashion Editor at Coveti. Product facts (materials, dimensions, straps and country of manufacture) are the brand’s own product-page text; prices and counts are the live Coveti catalogue on that date and move with stock. Where a claim could not be checked it was left out.

• valextra.com, Small leather goods: product pages read on 14 October 2026
• Coveti, logistics and returns protocol
• Coveti live catalogue, 14 October 2026: prices, sizes and stock

Gemma Deeks is Fashion Editor at Coveti. Prices, stock and counts on this page were checked against coveti.com and valextra.com on 14 October 2026.