EXB Pen Wrap Review

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

Carrying your pens around is a dangerous affair, which is why you should protect them appropriately when away from your desk. There are so many options for carrying your pens, and more pop up every day.

One of the most common style of pen carrying solution is the pen wrap. It's elegant, functional, and looks really good when combined with complimentary fabrics.

And that brings us to today's product on the review table: Pen wraps by EXBPens. I'm sure you're all familiar with the wrap style of pen case — there's normally 3 or so pockets for your pens, and a flap of fabric folds over the top. Then, you roll up the case and tie it shut with a couple of leather cords. Simple and elegant.

According to EXB, almost all of the cases they make are completely unique, and some can be custom made. I think the description on their about page sums up these cases nicely: Compact, Soft and Satisfying to the Senses.

The wrap I got is certainly unique. I love the outer fabric the most, and the inner fabrics compliment the case nicely. The fabric is soft and smooth to the touch, but still has enough padding to protect the pens inside.

This wrap has three pockets on the inside, although the other design is more of a flat sheet that you fold over the pens. This gives the wrap a nice look once you've wrapped it up since the corners are all diagonal. I'm still trying to find the best method of tying the cords around the wrap, but most of the time I just wrap them around a few times without securing them. So far, it stays closed if it's just going into another bag.

I was a little concerned when I first got the case because it looked like the pens would touch once they were folded on top of each other. Fear not, for EXB likely already thought this through as part of the design. Once the case is rolled up, there's plenty of padding for each pen, and there's no danger of them touching.

It's also worth noting that the three slots are fairly wide, so if you're brave enough to cram two pens into each slot, you could carry six fountain pens. And you could carry even more gel ink pens if they were slim enough. Even though it's a simple case by design, it's very versatile.

At the end of the day, that why I like this case so much. It's simple. Yes, the fabric gives it a lot of visual interest, but I love how elegant the design is. It's just a few pieces of fabric to hold your pens, but a lot of care and attention went into it.

As for the quality of the wrap, I have nothing bad to report. So far it's held up great to normal use. This isn't the type of thing that would typically see harsh conditions, but over a long period of normal use I think it would hold up nicely.

I was pleasantly surprised by the feel and look of this pen wrap. If you'd like to give one a try, head over to the EXBPens store to see what's currently available. Stock rotates in and out pretty quickly, so grab it if you like it as it won't stick around for long.

Overthinking Pen Travel

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

Ever since picking up the bug for fountain pens, I've always been curious about how they act when in a pressurized cabin. It's natural, right? You have these pens that you love using, and you want them to go with you when you go on business trips or vacations. Believe me, I never even considered the fact that fountain pens might misbehave on airplanes until someone told me. Luckily, I didn't find out the hard way.

I also don't travel that much – maybe about 3 or 4 times a year on a plane. That means I don't get a lot of opportunities to try it out, and it's not really something you can ask a relative or friend to try out when they are traveling. So, after a couple of test sessions, I've found a pretty great solution to flying with fountain pens without worrying. My answer? An airtight cigar case.

The first couple of times I flew with a fountain pen, I kept the pen in a plastic bag and tried to keep the nib pointed to the sky. That worked fine, except there was usually some nib creep and maybe even a little spilling. When I fly, I like to keep things as stress-free as possible, and trying to keep a pen in the right position during a flight can be a bit tedious. Not a huge deal, but it's just one more thing. That's why I started looking for solutions that were easier and more trustworthy.

The cigar case wasn't my first stop. All I knew was that I wanted an airtight case, which isn't hard to find – what is hard to find is a small airtight case. I didn't need something that could carry a professional photography setup, just a pen or two. At some point, I started stumbling on cigar cases, but I soon discovered that not all cigar cases are made alike. Some hold just one, while other hold three or four. Since maintaining air pressure on a plane isn't something most people are looking for, it isn't usually listed on the product description. Finally, I found the XiKar case that matched all the requirements. A comment on the product page sold me on it. Basically, the buyer explained that he was in the Air Force and used the case to transport cigars. He said that the case was perfectly airtight and mentioned that closing the case at a high altitude (like the Rockies) before traveling to a lower destination (something close to sea level) would leave the case unable to open because of the negative air pressure inside. Perfect. This works as long as I'm not changing altitudes tonight.

I bought the case in time for my next trip and had a chance to use it. I definitely underestimated how large the case was – it's about the same size as my toiletries bag. Not a big deal, but not the best scenario for packing light.

Apart from the size, this case is top-notch. The plastic is high quality and all of the moving parts are really solid. There's foam on both the top and bottom of the case interior, which is nice, but it's not tight enough to hold pens steady. I plan to find some more foam to make up the difference. Although, a Nock Lookout fits perfectly inside the case as-is.

There are two large latches on the front of the case that secure it shut. There's a place for a lock, if that's something you want to use to protect your pens.

So, how does it fly? On both ends of my trip, the pens didn't leak, creep, or change at all. It was like carrying pens with me in the car. Brilliant. I really don't know what else there is to say about it – it makes flying with fountain pens anxiety-free. I don't have to worry about the pens leaking ink in my bag, and it also protects the pens when they're packed tightly in my bag. Perfect solution for me.

Of course, you may not care about moving to a ridiculous travel setup like this – it's not ideal because of the size, I'll be the first to admit. But, owning multiple fountain pens and inks isn't really practical either. It's all about the hobby and enjoying the experience of writing with fine instruments. And, for me, the ability to pack pens on a plane without having to think about ink leaking is a worth the price of admission, dorky box and all. At any rate, this case also protects it from the trip – think about all the times your checked bag might get tossed, dropped, kicked, etc.

If you want to buy your own fountain pen travel case, Amazon has them for a pretty fair price of about $22.

Kaweco Eco Leather Pouch Review

I was a bit surprised when I saw the Kaweco Eco Leather Pouches pop up at JetPens. Kaweco has made larger, sturdier pen cases in the past, making these seem like a bit of an outlier. I was even unimpressed when I first opened the package for the Liliput 1 Pen Pouch. It seemed thin and flimsy and I was concerned it wasn't such a good deal at $18.50. I was wrong.

I chose the single Liliput pouch because 1. The Liliput needs a pouch more than the AL Sport and 2. My pens would touch in the two pen pouch. The Liliput is so small it tends to get lost in my pocket, but sliding it into this pouch has made it perfect for pocket carry. The leather is thin and soft, allowing it to form to the pen very well. It is also breaking in nicely, getting some nice wear, which all leather goods need.

I can see the use for the single sleeve Sport pouch, but that size of pen just goes straight into the pocket without issue for me. The two-pen pouches seem too large for the pocket but will be fine in a backpack or purse.

Bottom line: The Kaweco Eco Leather Pouch comes in more handy than I thought. My Brass Wave Liliput has found a new home.

(JetPens is an advertiser on The Pen Addict and I received this product at no charge.)