Why do “Eel Skin Wallets” cause problems for magnetic stripes?
A. This is a rumor that started during the mid 1980’s at a time when eel skin wallets had become very fashionable. The most common way of providing a clasp on these wallets was to use a magnet. This magnet was usually powerful enough to erase a magnetic stripe if the two came into contact. The popular press picked up the problem and very quickly the rumor that the eel skin was capable of damaging the magnetic information was spread. In fact the eel skin is no different from any other kind of leather and was not the problem, the magnet was the sole cause of the problems.
