I picked up the PLOTTER Grain Leather Pen Case at the Chicago Pen Show earlier this Spring. Did you know they made pen cases? I didn’t, until I was standing in front of their table in May. So, what’s a person in my situation to do? Buy one, of course!
Yes, it was a spur of the moment decision. I mean, have you handled one of these yet? They are so soft. And the color I chose, this Natural leather, is not available on the website. FOMO much?
I’ve spent ample time with this case since then, primarily on my desk. That is a telling factor, because I don’t think this design is good enough for every day portable carry. Let me break it down.
First off, the positive: this case feels amazing. The leather is thin and soft, while providing enough protection. The finishing around the seams, pocket, zipper, and magnet are perfect. To no ones surprise, it is extremely well made.
Functionality is where this case falls off, and I have an opinion as to why. I use a lot of fountain pens, and this case is not designed for these larger pens. PLOTTER also does not sell any fountain pens, so given that, maybe it is perfectly designed for what they sell. If I was loading this case with two of their ballpoints and two of their mechanical pencils - with some extra leads and erasers in the pocket - maybe I would have had a better time with it.
The fact remains that I use a lot of different pens and pencils, and this case is not a good fit for most of them.
Watch those clips!
The pen slots are too narrow, and too close together. The flap to cover the pens is too short. Pen clips touch when you roll it closed. When closed, the pens sit on each other awkwardly, giving it that poorly wrapped burrito vibe. And this is before I attempt to put anything into the zip pocket, which only exacerbates the situation.
I want it to be good. For highly-specific setups, it can be. For more random use, especially with fountain pens, it is not good enough.
A proper setup, with narrower pens and clips turned inward. The zip pouch holds more than you think.
Will PLOTTER run out version two of this product? I kind of hope not, because I would like to see a complete rework, not an iteration of this one. I don’t think it can get there from here.
If you are interested in carrying your narrower pens and pencils (maybe it is my Spoke Design case?) then I do think you will enjoy it. Even at $85, it is more than fairly priced for what it is, and is available in three different color options - Brown, Gray, and Navy - to boot. Just be very sure it fits your needs before making the purchase.
(I purchased this product from PLOTTER at the 2023 Chicago Pen Show at a discount.)
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