Posts filed under Pen Case

Wancher Penfolium 13 Pen Portfolio: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

(Update: Please read the comment below from Scott Franklin on the origination and lineage of this design. -BD)

The Wancher Penfolium 13 Pen Portfolio is a black leather pen case with a soft, Jacquard, cream interior. The case has room for thirteen pens plus there is spare room in the expandable envelope for a notebook or other accessories.

The case comes in a black cardboard box with the Wancher logo. It is wrapped in a muslin cloth bag to protect the leather.

Made of full-grain cowhide leather, the case feels sturdy and well made. It has a magnetic snap closure.

The case is large, measuring 11.02 inches long x 6.69 inches wide, so it won’t fit in a purse or a small backpack. But it will fit in portfolio cases and larger backpacks.

One of the things I really like about this pen case is that the pen slots are pliable cloth. Because of this, you can fit virtually any pen in the slots. I filled the case with pens ranging from one of my smallest (a TWSBI Mini) to the largest (a Wahl-Eversharp Decoband Oversize). Every single pen fit, even the Wahl-Eversharp. This is a major difference between my go-to pen case, the Franklin-Christoph Penvelope, and the Wancher. The Penvelope simply cannot hold larger pens because its pen slots are unyieldingly rigid.

*The LM1, Dumas, and Wahl-Eversharp do not fit in the F-C Case*

That said, the larger pens (my Lambrou LM1, Montblanc Dumas, and Wahl-Eversharp) required a little twisting and turning to manipulate them past the lip of each pen slot, but it wasn’t much of an issue. The only pen that I had trouble getting in the pen case was my Omas Blue Angel. For some reason the clip simply did not want to go over the lip of the pen slot, scrunching the soft material instead. With some pulling on the clip, I was able to get the pen in.

Regardless, I was impressed that I could fit every size of pen into this case. I also tried clipless pens, such as my Nakaya Naka-ai Cigar Housoge Kikyo Platinum, Danitrio Sho-Hakkaku, and Nakaya Cigar Dragonfly. All of them fit nicely, and I even held the case upside down and shook to see if they might slip out. They all stayed put even without clips.

As I said, the Wancher case is sturdy and well made. The snap closure is solid, and I would feel confident carrying my pens in this case. I do have a few issues. One is the size—it’s a bit large for me. I like my Franklin-Christoph six-pen Penvelope because it fits in the small backpack I carry to work. And, honestly, do I really need thirteen pens with me every day? Well . . . um . . . yes. I can totally justify having thirteen pens with me. You never know when you need a certain pen with a certain nib and a particular ink! So, I may wind up switching to the Wancher mainly because I can put my large pens in it, whereas my F-C case can’t accommodate them. As a result, I wind up having to put my larger pens in separate single cases if I want to bring them to work. I’ll just have to carry the Wancher in my laptop bag instead of my backback.

The other issue is that the Wancher case only comes in black. I prefer brown leather. Perhaps Wancher will eventually offer the case in other colors since it does so with its smaller pen cases.

You can purchase the Penfolium 13 Pen Portfolio from Wancher for $85.00.

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

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Posted on November 10, 2017 by Susan Pigott and filed under Wancher, Pen Case.

Bellroy Pencil Case Review

I am a fan of Bellroy’s design style and aesthetic. They made their name in the slim wallet market, and over the years branched out into phone and tablet cases, plus related accessories. The Bellroy Pencil Case falls into the latter category, as more and more of us carry a mix of analog and digital tools with us on a daily basis.

The outside of the case is a thick grey canvas which should age well and withstand plenty of wear and tear. The inside is partially coated with I’m not sure what exactly, but it feels like a thin layer of plastic/rubber. Assumedly this is for added structure, durability, and it probably makes the material easier to clean too.

The structure of the case comes into play with the ability to fold the top edges of the case out to form an open tray. This works well if you are planning on staying in one place for a while and need to get in and out of the case frequently.

Each end of the case features sewn in pull loops that are integrated into the case design. Technically, they did a great job integrating the loops. Aesthetically, they look fantastic. Functionally, well, let’s call that a mixed bag.

On the exterior of the case, the loops are perfect. They allow for extra spots to grab and pick up, or hold and pull the zipper open and closed. I imagine they would allow you to clip this case on the inside or outside of a bag, although I haven’t specifically tested that. The loops are certainly strong enough to withstand it.

But, there is a but. From end to end, the case is 9-1/2” long. Since the loops are integrated and take up inside space, they limit the interior opening of the case to around 7”. An unsharpened Blackwing is 8”. You see where I am going with this.

*Unsharpened Blackwing sitting atop the interior pen loop structure*

That’s not to say you can’t fit one, but it takes work. Even after the first sharpen, you have to angle it into the bottom of the case, under the loops, from top left to bottom right, or vice versa. Alternately, you can float them above the loops at the top of the case right under the zipper. This is something you will have to consider with all long pencils.

I agree that is a very specific use case, and an awfully fine nit to pick, but that is the first thing I wanted to know about this case. Otherwise, I think it is excellent. It you are loading it up with gel pens, art markers, erasers, and smaller accessories, I think you will be happy with it, if not thrilled. It is a fun, functional, well-made case that I will get good use out of.

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

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Posted on July 31, 2017 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Bellroy, Pen Case.

The Pen Guardian Pen Case Review

One of the first things that many new pen addicts pursue after they get a taste for fine pens is a way in which to carry those pens securely and in style. The pen case industry is large and varied, but that also means there's room for individual expression. Whether you prefer nylon, hand-sewn cotton, plastics, or high-quality leather, you can find something that fits your style and carry needs.

The Pen Guardian case falls into the leather case genre, but it isn't your average binder or wallet type of case. Aside from one model, the Pen Guardian holds two of your pens inside a luxurious leather inner and outer case. The marketing copy on their website does an excellent job explaining the case, so let's take a look:

All Pen Guardians are individually handcrafted with quality, calfskin leather and made 100% in the USA. Lightweight and beautiful, their unique design includes a two-part system that can be used together or separately. The dual inner well is stitched and glued to provide extra protection. It also features cutouts in the leather that protect your pen clips and provides a PH neutral environment to preserve the beauty of your pens for years to come.When used in the pocket, the lightweight, inner well holds pens in place to prevent damage and keep them upright to reduce the risk of a cap accidentally unscrewing and leaking. The inner well is held in place with the clips from your pens. It stays safe and secure even while bending over. The Pen Guardian's outer case provides an additional layer of protection for pens stored in your briefcase or purse.

In case you didn't catch it, this case is actually two separate pieces. One is an outer pocket with a snap closure flap, and the inside is a two-pen pocket protector style slip. It's a pretty cool system that gives you some unique options compared to other pen cases and carry systems. There are two use cases that I love this case for. One involves packing two pens in the interior slip and then attaching the pens to an inner compartment pocket in my bag. The pens stay put and are protected against any reasonable threats. Once I arrive at my destination, I can unzip the bag, grab a pen, and get to work. Since the other pen is holding the slip in place, I can easily pop my pen back into the slip when I'm done. The only instance where this doesn't work well is if you're using two pens at once, but those are rare times for me. And, even so, you can remove the entire slip and place it on the desk or table where you're working until you're ready to pack up and leave.

This use case is very similar to the heavily suggested use from the Pen Guardian creator: keep two pens in the breast pocket of your shirt or jacket. While that's great for some people, I've never enjoyed having pens in my shirt pocket, and that option is also fairly absent for women. While the design fills a niche purpose, it comes close to being too niche in this case. Luckily, there are endless other places to clip your pens, and you probably already know your favorite spots in any bag, purse, jacket, or other garment/accessory that you own. Nine times out of ten, The Pen Guardian will easily slide into that use case.

The other way I've enjoyed is keeping the inner case inside the outer case and throwing it in my bag for the day. I don't always remove the inner case when I want a pen, but that option is there. Otherwise, it does just fine operating as a more traditional case or binder for a couple of pens.

The leather in the model I have is a soft, pliable leather that is stitched and glued professionally. I don't have any doubts about this case breaking down prematurely. Like the website states, there aren't any chemicals that will react negatively with any of the materials that fountain pens tend to be manufactured from.

Overall, it's a fantastic case that has a couple of neat tricks up its sleeve, it looks great, and it solves a niche purpose.

But, there are a couple of minor "gotchas" that are worth pointing out.

In my testing, this case works really well for "standard sized" pens that have clips. Pens like Kaweco Sports, Kaweco Liliputs, Franklin Christoph pocket models, and other similar pens just disappear into the depths of the inner slip.
The Lamy Safari / AL Star clip works with this case, but it clips on to the case itself, which is against the design of the case. This isn't a major deal at all, but something to be aware of.
It works best if the two pens are within an inch of each other as far as their overall length. For example, a Pilot Custom 823 is a long pen, and should be paired with something similarly long. This won't make the case unusable by any means, but it will mean it can get lopsided sometimes.
The case works best if the end of the pen reaches the bottom of the case. Otherwise, you end up with the clip attaching to the case, which makes it tricky to clip to a pocket, bag, etc. For example, a TWSBI Mini definitely clips to the case below the provided slit. Again, the case is still usable, but there's that minor quirk.
The price is hard to swallow. There are a lot of factors that go into the price of any product, and this one feels a bit unbalanced in that regard if you shop leather goods often.

Ultimately, pens, notebooks, and cases are all highly subjective to the beholder. You know what you like, and you normally have a fairly good idea of whether you'll like something before you purchase it. If The Pen Guardian speaks to you and you can immediately think of how it will fit into your pen routines, it's a no-brainer. If you struggle with that same thought (or the price), though, it's probably not for you. To me, that's what's great about this market. There are enough choices and options to satisfy everyone, and if you don't like one product, you have so many more to choose from.

The Pen Guardian costs $129.99 (at the time of publishing this review) and is available in several colors, including some bright, non-traditional leather colors. And, if you need something that holds twice as many pens, they have you covered there as well with the The Pen Guardian Elite.

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

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