(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 first novel, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, now available where books are sold!)
The neutral, clean canvas and plethora of pockets are what first caught my eye with the King Jim Ittsui Pen Case. I was excited when it arrived. It is sturdy and well-made, with a zipper that opens smoothly and allows the case to lay flat. The magnetic attachable/detachable pen sleeve is a really neat feature--a clever solution for when you need a few more pens (always) or just a more accessible pen (often).
My initial excitement was somewhat stymied when I tried to put the case into use. It has card slots, but I wouldn't want to put my cards next to the strong magnet inside the cover. Small memo pads or sticky notes work, as does a pocket notebook, but they aren't quite the right dimensions to put the case into full use. The pen pocket does hold my cell phone or six pens, but it wouldn't hold anything larger than my ancient iPhone 6 (I know, I know. Analog 4 lyfe).
So, this pretty case sat on my desk for a few weeks while I puzzled over how to use it. In the end, I stuck a Field Notes inside the front cover and filled the pen pocket with my work essentials--a pencil, highlighter, ballpoint, rollerball, and multi-color gel pen. I put a fountain pen in the front pen pouch. It does make a handy grab-all when I'm running around at work, and I have paper for making notes and any tool I might need for any task. But it does mean I'm using fewer than half the pockets available in this case. To me, that means I haven't quite unlocked its potential yet. I can say that if it weren't for the magnet, I'd be using it as a wallet and phone case. It would be perfect for that! But, as it is, I'm not likely to continue using it.
I can, however, see it being useful as a phone/pen/notepad/business card case for a meeting or conference. Then all pockets would be efficiently in use. The case is pretty, and nicely constructed, so I may keep looking for a configuration that works with my needs--and I can still offer my recommendation of it, if you're someone who looks at it and says “Hey, that would be perfect for X.” Also, let me know your ideas!
(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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