(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!)
It's weird to say something like this, but I love everything about the Shibui A5 Life Organizer except the design. The things I dislike about it might not bother you, in which case (pun intended) you might really enjoy this product.
For one, it is extremely well constructed. The stitching is strong and even. There are sturdy, metal YKK zippers--one for the main compartment that has a metal pull, and two interior ones with leather pulls. The whole case is made from a suede-textured genuine leather (this one is called Desert Tan). The finish of the leather takes on the character of its environment, absorbing hand oils, etc. The suede finish means it will show stains and damp fingerprints very clearly, which I like but it might drive you nuts. There's a brass snap closure inside, and a pull-to-adjust pen loop that can accommodate a wide range of pen widths. The outside is very minimal looking, and the inside has the Shibui logo embossed on the left side.
Inside, on the left, there is a small, fabric-lined zipper compartment, four fabric-lined card slots, one long vertical leather-lined zipper pouch, and a folder pocket behind that. At the center is the adjustable pen loop. On the right side there is a card slot, a snap-closure loop, and a large folder pocket for a notebook cover.
These inclusions are fairly standard for an organizer cover. I've tried out at least four other A5 cases that have similar features in the past few years. The issue I have with this case is the configuration of these features.
For one, the pen loop is placed so that any pen you put there will be aligned with the metal zipper teeth and slider. That's likely to damage the finish of any pen you place there. That may not be an issue at all if you're just carrying a disposable pen or a metal pen that's made to take a beating, but if you're inclined to carry fine pens, this is an easy deal breaker.
The other design issue I have with this cover is the snap loop closure on the inside back cover. I have a serious Princess and the Pea situation going on with that snap. Placing it behind where the notebook is supposed to sit creates a huge lump in the middle of the page. And if I were to actually use that loop to hold cords as it's intended, it would be even more lumpy. Of course, not everyone uses this space for notebooks. Some use that pocket for devices. And if you're using it for a planner where you're just jotting down quick entries, maybe that lump isn't so intrusive. But for longer writing, it's not very nice.
Overall, this is not a bad product, and it's competitively priced at around $70, which is much less than many genuine leather A5 cases cost. And for the average person, who is not as fussy about their pens as we are in this community, and who isn't as likely, perhaps, to sit and write for an hour or two in their notebook, this could be a wonderful addition to their stationery setup. It really doesn't work for me, though, and I wouldn't recommend it to a general audience in the pen community. There are people who would love it, though, and they'd have good reasons, too.
(Shibui provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
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