Posts filed under Luddite

Luddite Patchwork Bendy Pen 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 Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

Pens on the go need proper conveyance, so I'm always up for trying out a new pen case. It seems there's no end to the new ways designers will configure a simple pen case, but this Luddite Bendy Pen Case is yet another fun, fresh take on the idea.

This case answers the question no one has ever asked: What if my pen case was like a taco and a pita at the same time? The answer: Awesome, that's what. The square-ish case is lined with five pen pockets, and it folds in half lengthwise and snaps closed over the pens. But also! Each side of the case is a zipper pouch. So much storage!

The case is made from a soft woven Kurashiki canvas, this version in a patchwork of denim colored textures. The stitching is a yellow thread, and the zippers are gold colored YKK zippers. The designers opted for quality at every decision on this one.

The only issue I encountered with this case is that if you put bulky items in the zipper pouches, they interact with the pens in the pen slots. The volume is shared, so your ability to use those zipper pouches is somewhat limited. But for smaller items like a notepad or ink swatch cards, stickers, etc., it's a fantastic way to assemble a small writing kit. The fabric isn't as protective as a more robust case would be, but the two layers of canvas provide enough padding to keep the contents reasonably safe.

The case sells for $35 at Dromgoole’s, where it's available in a variety of colors. That's a great price for the quality of the case. It's been perfect for taking my writing supplies to the November write-ins happening at libraries everywhere this month. I've been attending one or two a week and really enjoying this kit in the process. I could also see this working well for a sketch artist kit, or even a case for knitters or crocheters to store hooks, needles, and notions. It's a great design made very well, so there are endless uses. When November writing is finished, this one is likely headed for my knitting bag.

(This product was purchased at Dromgoole’s at regular price.)

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Posted on November 13, 2025 by Sarah Read and filed under Luddite, Pen Case, Accessories Review.

Luddite Liberator 4 Pocket Case Review

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

Pen cases (and bags in general) are one of the products that I have a lot of trouble keeping under control when it comes to my collection. I want them all because I can envision a unique purpose for each unique bag or case. The main problem is that there are so many different worthy designs and products out there — it's almost impossible to choose. That makes it so much more important to choose wisely to ensure my collection isn't needlessly large.

It's not very often that I come across any products that have any critical flaws or weaknesses, so that makes it even more astounding when it happens. At least in this case, it makes the decision of whether to add it to the case collection all that much easier.

What I'm leading up to is a specific pen case that I've tried using for the past couple of weeks. The Luddite Liberator Cordura 4 Pocket Pen Case looks interesting on the surface, uses some good quality materials, and hits a couple of trendy checkboxes that should interest many different customers. But be warned, dear reader, that this pen case has a critical flaw: it doesn't actually close when zipped up. The zipper works smoothly and flawlessly, but it's undercut by the two large gaps in between the zipper panel and the side panels of the case — one on each end of the case!

When I was first unpacking and inspecting the case, this design stood out to be almost immediately, but I shrugged it off thinking that it must do an adequate job of keeping objects inside the case — otherwise, how did it make it to the market? After loading it up with a few pens and trinkets, I did a quick test. I used both hands to smoothly rotate the case end over end to simulate being tossed in a bag. Three of the four pens fell out and onto the floor. One more rotation shot out the last pen as well.

At this point, I'm inspecting the case closer and trying to find a manufacturing problem — missing or broken stitches that might provide an answer for why it was so obviously ineffective at its one job. Nope — the fit and finish are fantastic and only show that this case is operating as designed.

And for that one simple reason, all I can do is dissuade any potential buyers from purchasing this case. I could talk about the main compartment and how it's divided by a nifty internal pocket sleeve, but that doesn't matter. The mesh zippered pocket on the front of the case is the only thing that works great. But there's no point in using the mesh pocket if you leave the main compartment empty. I could also talk about the Cordura fabric and overall build quality, but that doesn't matter either. Just for fun, I put as many pens as I could into the gap between the case walls and the zipper strip. I could easily fit three to four pens into the gap with plenty of wiggle room. What?!

In looking at Luddite's other Liberator case options, it seems that they definitely understand how to make a case that completely seals. This just further confuses me for why this 4 pocket case even exists, and that's the real problem I have with it: this is a product that shouldn't exist. There are so many good cases on the market that can fit almost every use case, and they all fulfill the most basic requirement: keep my stuff inside the case when I zip it closed.

The other case options look interesting, but this particular case design just leaves a bad taste in my mouth when it comes to this brand. There are so many excellent options out there that will serve you well. In my mind, Luddite has to offer a truly exceptional product to get me over this initial setback.

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

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