Posts filed under Pen Case

Kamio Japan Pokemon Paco-Tray 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!)

I've reviewed a Kamio Japan Paco-Tray Case before, but it's a good enough case that it's worth revisiting, especially because this one has Pikachu on it. Originally, it was only available in some fairly plain colors, but now you can get them with all sorts of fun characters and in a lot more striking designs.

To recap: It is a simple rectangular cuboid in a clamshell-style with the zip opening lengthwise across the front and side edges. It's made of nylon canvas and has a double zipper, which is always a plus. When opened, the inside lining blooms like an accordion into three separate trays. Magnets in the spine snap together to hold the case open. When you close it, the dividers hold the contents nested in those trays, so everything stays neat and orderly and is easy to find when you need it. If you overstuff the pockets (lol if), there may be a few things that smoosh out into other compartments, but otherwise it does a great job of keeping things separated. When the case is closed, the magnet in the spine can be used to attach the case to a metal surface, like the front of a desk drawer.

Despite its small size, the case can hold a surprisingly large number of pens. A few dozen easily, plus accessories. It is, alas, too short to hold some wood case pencils at their full length, but once they've been sharpened down a bit, they'd fit, too. The rectangle shape makes it easy to fit in bags alongside books and other pen cases.

One downside is that you can't just open one end of the case and dig out a random pen. Because of that tray lining, the case has to be opened the whole way to get to anything. So, it's great for sitting down to a work station, but not great for quick access.

Since I first reviewed this over a year ago, I can now also attest to its durability. My eldest has been using my old one for his school pens for the past year, and it has not disintegrated the way everything else in his backpack does. This Pikachu version was immediately claimed by my youngest, who drags it around the house full of markers, ready for spontaneous illustration.

Standard design cases are $16 on JetPens, and character cases sell for $17.50. It's a really good price for a sturdy, well designed case. Someday I might even get to keep one for myself.

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

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Posted on December 10, 2020 by Sarah Read and filed under Kamio, Pen Case.

Esterbrook Double Pen Nook Case in Navy: 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.)

The Esterbrook Double Pen Nook Case is a sturdy carrying case covered in synthetic blue leather stitched with striking red contrast thread. The case is made in China.

The case is lightly engraved with the Esterbrook name and "est 1858" on the front. The top portion is padded.

The case measures 6.7 inches/170mm long, 2.1 inches/54mm wide, and 1.26 inches/32mm deep. It weighs 81 grams without pens inside.

A magnetic snap closure, engraved with the Esterbrook eternity symbol, makes the case fairly easy to open and close. I found that the snap top and bottom don't always match up precisely, even with the magnet, and I had to shift the top flap for proper closure.

Both top and bottom parts of the case fold back to provide access to the inside compartment, though the bottom portion doesn't stay out of the way. I suspect that over time it will become less stiff.

The inside compartment is lined with soft red fabric and the bottom is padded. An elastic band insures that your pens stay secure. The board that separates the pens is not removable.

The case easily accommodates most pens. I tested it with a Montblanc 149 and Nakaya Neo Standard and both pens fit. That said, getting them in and out of the elastic was a little difficult, and I had to angle each pen to get it into position. Smaller pens were easier to insert and remove.

The Esterbrook Nook Case is handsome and well constructed. It's much more substantial than a pen roll or other soft pen case, so if the safety of your pens is a priority, it would be a good choice.

However, at $76.00, it is expensive. I could see paying that much if it were made of real leather, but for synthetic leather I think it is over-priced. I honestly expected the case to be around $25.00.

You can purchase the Esterbrook Double Pen Nook Case from Goldspot Pens for $76.00. Other sizes are available as well, including single, triple, six-pen, and twelve-pen cases.

(Goldspot Pens provided the Esterbrook Double Pen Nook Case to Pen Addict free of charge for review purposes.)

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Posted on October 2, 2020 by Susan Pigott and filed under Esterbrook, Pen Case.

Hinemo Wide Open Pen Pouch Review

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

One of the most recent pen pouches to come across my desk is the Hinemo Wide Open pen pouch from Lihit Lab. It's a fairly standard take on the classic zippered pen pouch, but opts for a zip that goes across the case in a diagonal line. I've always preferred these types of zipper pouches because they store flat, open wide, and store a lot of stuff inside. In that regard, the Hinemo Wide Open is no slouch.

According to the JetPens marketing copy, this case is made with hanpu cotton canvas from Fiju Kinume, "a company dedicated to preserving the craftsmanship of this traditional Japanese fabric." I'll definitely be reading up on what makes this fabric unique, but I can tell you that it feels incredibly strong and rugged, while also being smooth to the touch and gentle on pens.

The case measures 7.5 inches long, 3.75 inches wide, and just over half an inch thick when empty. It's a great size for a pen and pencil pouch and can hold as few as three or four pens comfortably, but can also tolerate up to 16 or 20 pens depending on their size. Obviously, this is a pouch where everything inside is jostling against everything else, so not the best solution for pens that you want to keep in pristine order. Aside from that, it's astonishing how much this little case can hold — including full-size woodcase pencils.

The diagonal opening allows the pouch to open a little wider and make its contents more accessible. It's a great design touch. The end of the zip goes beyond the edge of the case, making it easier to grab onto when zipping it shut, but also adding a little extra space when opening up the pouch. When the extra portion of zipper isn't needed, it tucks around the back side of the case and snaps into place for transportation. It's a tidy solution for an otherwise troublesome little tag of fabric and metal that would get hung on all sorts of things in a bag.

Despite the otherwise excellent craftsmanship and design of this pouch, the only thing I haven't enjoyed using is the zip. It looks nice with the antiqued brass finish, but it's just too clunky to use. The large teeth are difficult to zip and unzip — they feel like they don't want to cooperate most of the times, and it's quite common to get stuck. Zipping the case or unzipping it definitely takes two hands, and sometimes it takes a couple of back and forth tries to get it fully open or closed. It's a minor complaint, but one that I think they could have avoided with a slightly higher quality zipper component.

The branding on this pouch is minimal. There's a small faux-leather tag that protrudes from the top seam that simply says "HINEMO" in stamped letters. The interior of the case has a small tag that lets you know the fabric came from Fuji Kinbai, but it's tucked away out of sight under the zipper interior.

The red canvas fabric featured here is a fantastic color. It's happy and bright, but also makes it easy to lose track of. The cream fabric and antiqued zipper add to the aesthetic. The stitching and seams are all well-done, and I've been really happy with the overall build of the pouch (aside from that pesky zipper). If the bright red isn't your first choice, there are plenty of other color options that range from black, beige, yellow, and navy. At $12.50, they're also a really good value. For a medium-sized pen/pencil pouch made from good canvas, this is a great deal. I'd be happy to pay a little extra for a better zipper, but it's still a decent deal as-is.

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

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