Posts filed under Pen Case

Plotter Mesh Case Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

If you're following the stationery sensation that is Plotter, you probably already know that the temptations on their tables have gone beyond their elegant binders. Among their accessory offerings is the Plotter Mesh Case. They come in various sizes and colors, though the one I have is different from the ones that appear on the site. This one is in landscape orientation, with the opening on a long edge, and it is a pale pink color that is not currently listed online. According to the Plotter Instagram post, this was a limited edition for the Chicago Pen Show.

The cases are sized to fit the Plotter binders, but they're handy for lots of things. It should be noted that I couldn't fit a standard A5 notebook in the A5 mesh case, but the design of the case allows it to hold a lot more than you might think. I was able to fit a small novel, a few pocket notebooks, a handful of pens, and plenty more inside. It seems very flat and 2D when lying on the desk, but it has some secret ballooney power that expands to fit a whole bunch of items.

The case has a hinged opening that is spring-loaded, so it pulls open easily and self-closes when you let go. The closure is firm enough that nothing falls out when the case is held upside-down. It's actually very satisfying to open and close it. The only downside to the design is that you can't make it stay open if you want it to. If you're storing a bunch of markers in the case and you want a different color, you can't just reach in and grab another. You're going to need both hands to open the case every time.

The body of the case is separated into two compartments. The front is a mesh pocket that allows you to see what's inside at a glance. The back compartment is solid PU leather. Both appear to have about the same volume.

Overall, I think this is a nice product, and the prices listed on the Plotter site are very fair. The A5 case on the site is listed at $22. That's right in line with similar products you might find from other brands, though the construction of this one is nicer than many I've used.

The only issues I had were the slightly-too-small size (I would like to be able to fit an A5 notebook inside), the fact that there's no way to keep it from snapping shut, and the unpleasant odor that comes with some PU leather. This one was particularly stinky, even after I propped it open with a pen stand to let it air out for a few days. I have a pretty sensitive nose, so it may not bother others as much as it bothered me. And it didn't bother me enough to stop me from eyeing the other sizes and colors available.

(This product was purchased from Plotter at the Chicago Pen Show.)

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Posted on July 20, 2023 by Sarah Read and filed under Plotter, Pen Case.

Sonic Sma Sta Standing Case Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

The concept of a pen case that can double as a stand is one that many manufacturers have tried out. It's a product that always intrigues me because it offers a lot of convenience for anyone that wants to quickly deploy a fistful of writing instruments on any work surface. In some cases, the two main functions of the case can detract from each other. The perfect balance of making a great case and a great stand can be hard to achieve.

The Sonic Sma Sta standing case is a two-in-one case and stand that endeavors to fit both uses. On the outside, it's a clean nylon package with a crescent-shaped zipper over the top of the case, while the back of the case is flat. When unzipped, the back of the case folds back and attaches to itself with a couple of magnets hidden under the nylon fabric. When the case is open like this, the bottom is a nice round shape that provides great stability for everything inside. There's a large opening in the back for storing long writing instruments, and then a smaller opening in the front for stashing smaller tools and accessories. The marketing copy says you can pop your phone into the front pocket so that it holds your phone up, but this only works on smaller phones. For example, a Pixel 7 and iPhone 13 Pro are both two wide to easily fit.

When the case is in stand mode, I've really enjoyed using it. It provides a nice level of organization and great stability for whatever I keep in in. It holds about 10-15 writing instruments when fully loaded, but the sweet spot for this case is between 6 and 12 items. If it's too loaded down, it can be difficult to pull things out of the case because there's too much friction with other nearby things. You can also splay things out a bit so they're easier to grab while the case is in stand mode. The front pocket is handy for keeping small items at bay, but I've found that I don't really use it much (more on why a little later). There's also a small pouch in the front area that has a small Velcro fastener to keep it shut, but the edges of the pouch are still open so you can store objects that are little taller than the height of the pouch. Overall, it's a great stand.

When it's time to pack up, just flip the top back up and zip it up. Easy, right? Maybe. In order to close this case, one of the sides ends up being positioned upside down, and gravity can really cause problems here. For me, I gave up on trying to store anything in the smaller compartment when packing it up as a case. I only use the larger compartment so that I don't have to worry about things falling out of the smaller compartment when I flip it and close the zipper. Even though the small pouch has a Velcro closure, it doesn't cover the entire opening and things tend to fall out with just a little movement. When you factor in the fact that the smaller compartment becomes the same area where the writing instruments are stored once the case is zipped up, I really think that Sonic didn't intend for anything to be stored in the smaller compartment.

This learning process was a bit frustrating, but fairly easy to overcome once I realized the limitations. What I haven't overcome yet is the problem of opening the case when I'm ready to use it as a stand. Let's start with the correct way to always open this case: lay it flat on its back and unzip the pouch before picking it up and transforming it into a stand. What I find myself doing without even realizing it is unzipping the pouch while I'm still holding it in my hands, intending to flip it back and set it down on a desk in stand mode. Every time I do this, I manage to spill most or all of the contents of the case onto the table or floor. Yikes!

Aside from the usage problems I've had with opening this case, I still really like using it as a stand that I can easily pack up and move occasionally. I wouldn't use this is a heavy commuting case that I potentially pack and unpack multiple times a day. The process of opening the case and setting it up as a stand is just a little too chaotic for my taste, and there are other options out there that offer the same basic functionality without the uncertainty of spilling everything out when opening it.

At $20.50, it's a fair price for what you get. The materials aren't the best on the market, but it feels well-made and robust. The zipper is smooth and sure, and the stitching is tight and clean. The light blue color is fun and I appreciate the minimal branding — plus, there are several other colors to choose from. The case also looks unique due to the crescent-shaped zipper and half-pipe shape when it's closed. At this price, I'm more than happy to use this on my desk as a pen holder that I can quickly pack up every few days/weeks if needed. If you want something that you can use on the go, look for other options that are more secure when opening/closing the case!

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on June 28, 2023 by Jeff Abbott and filed under Sonic, Pen Case.

Shibui Pocket Pen 12-Pen Case Review

As an avid pocket pen user, I was excited to try the Shibui Pocket Pen 12-Pen Case in hopes it would help transport my mini pens in style. My usual pen sleeves are too long to conveniently carry my pocket pens, and I always have at least a few pocket pens inked, so I was hoping for a gamechanger. I found this case to be a mix of excellent innovative design, and some design decisions that ultimately didn't work for me, but might for you.

The case is made from high-quality, full-grain leather. It is very well stitched, everything lines up nicely, and it's sturdy and protective without being too heavy or inflexible. The zippers are metal and pull smoothly, even around the corners of the case.

The best feature of this case is the trademarked Pull-Tag that allows the user to adjust the tension of each pen loop so that the case can accommodate pens of any circumference. Since I have pocket pens that range from a slim Kaweco Liliput to a chonky Pen BBS, that's an amazingly useful feature. It also allows clip-less pens to be cinched in snug and sound, so the case will work for a variety of styles.

The case holds 12 pens, with six inside each side of the clamshell opening and a padded, soft divider between them. The divider is velvety on one side, and has six card slots on the other. Personally, I'd rather have the velvet on both sides. I don't quite understand the need for pockets in this case, unless you want to carry the ink swatch cards for your currently inked pens. I can see the use case for that, though it's not something I do. Whatever is in those pockets will be touching the pens on that side.

Ultimately, for me, this case works better for storage than carry. That's because I don't carry a dozen pocket pens at once. If I'm carrying a pocket pen, it's usually just one or two, and I've picked them because I'm going for a minimal carry or a light load. It would be good for bringing a collection to a pen show, so it may be the perfect thing if you visit a lot of shows. It's also worth noting that it can fit shorter standard pens. A full-size TWSBI was too long, but it would fit most pens smaller than that.

While I don't find myself carrying this case, I think I'd use something similar in a two-pen design. I will definitely use this one for storage, though, and I don't hesitate to recommend it if you're hauling a lot of wee pens around. The case is currently priced at $85, which is fair considering the design, materials, and construction. I often try to guess the price of something before I look, and this was half the cost I expected. I think my pens will be very happy in this case while they nap between uses.

(Goldspot provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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