Posts filed under Pen Case

PLOTTER Grain Leather Pen Case Review

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.

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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Posted on July 24, 2023 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Plotter, Pen Case, Accessories Review.

Plotter Mesh 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 Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

If you're following the stationery sensation that is Plotter, you probably already know that the temptations on their tables have gone beyond their elegant binders. Among their accessory offerings is the Plotter Mesh Case. They come in various sizes and colors, though the one I have is different from the ones that appear on the site. This one is in landscape orientation, with the opening on a long edge, and it is a pale pink color that is not currently listed online. According to the Plotter Instagram post, this was a limited edition for the Chicago Pen Show.

The cases are sized to fit the Plotter binders, but they're handy for lots of things. It should be noted that I couldn't fit a standard A5 notebook in the A5 mesh case, but the design of the case allows it to hold a lot more than you might think. I was able to fit a small novel, a few pocket notebooks, a handful of pens, and plenty more inside. It seems very flat and 2D when lying on the desk, but it has some secret ballooney power that expands to fit a whole bunch of items.

The case has a hinged opening that is spring-loaded, so it pulls open easily and self-closes when you let go. The closure is firm enough that nothing falls out when the case is held upside-down. It's actually very satisfying to open and close it. The only downside to the design is that you can't make it stay open if you want it to. If you're storing a bunch of markers in the case and you want a different color, you can't just reach in and grab another. You're going to need both hands to open the case every time.

The body of the case is separated into two compartments. The front is a mesh pocket that allows you to see what's inside at a glance. The back compartment is solid PU leather. Both appear to have about the same volume.

Overall, I think this is a nice product, and the prices listed on the Plotter site are very fair. The A5 case on the site is listed at $22. That's right in line with similar products you might find from other brands, though the construction of this one is nicer than many I've used.

The only issues I had were the slightly-too-small size (I would like to be able to fit an A5 notebook inside), the fact that there's no way to keep it from snapping shut, and the unpleasant odor that comes with some PU leather. This one was particularly stinky, even after I propped it open with a pen stand to let it air out for a few days. I have a pretty sensitive nose, so it may not bother others as much as it bothered me. And it didn't bother me enough to stop me from eyeing the other sizes and colors available.

(This product was purchased from Plotter at the Chicago Pen Show.)

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Posted on July 20, 2023 by Sarah Read and filed under Plotter, Pen Case.

Sonic Sma Sta Standing Case Review

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

The concept of a pen case that can double as a stand is one that many manufacturers have tried out. It's a product that always intrigues me because it offers a lot of convenience for anyone that wants to quickly deploy a fistful of writing instruments on any work surface. In some cases, the two main functions of the case can detract from each other. The perfect balance of making a great case and a great stand can be hard to achieve.

The Sonic Sma Sta standing case is a two-in-one case and stand that endeavors to fit both uses. On the outside, it's a clean nylon package with a crescent-shaped zipper over the top of the case, while the back of the case is flat. When unzipped, the back of the case folds back and attaches to itself with a couple of magnets hidden under the nylon fabric. When the case is open like this, the bottom is a nice round shape that provides great stability for everything inside. There's a large opening in the back for storing long writing instruments, and then a smaller opening in the front for stashing smaller tools and accessories. The marketing copy says you can pop your phone into the front pocket so that it holds your phone up, but this only works on smaller phones. For example, a Pixel 7 and iPhone 13 Pro are both two wide to easily fit.

When the case is in stand mode, I've really enjoyed using it. It provides a nice level of organization and great stability for whatever I keep in in. It holds about 10-15 writing instruments when fully loaded, but the sweet spot for this case is between 6 and 12 items. If it's too loaded down, it can be difficult to pull things out of the case because there's too much friction with other nearby things. You can also splay things out a bit so they're easier to grab while the case is in stand mode. The front pocket is handy for keeping small items at bay, but I've found that I don't really use it much (more on why a little later). There's also a small pouch in the front area that has a small Velcro fastener to keep it shut, but the edges of the pouch are still open so you can store objects that are little taller than the height of the pouch. Overall, it's a great stand.

When it's time to pack up, just flip the top back up and zip it up. Easy, right? Maybe. In order to close this case, one of the sides ends up being positioned upside down, and gravity can really cause problems here. For me, I gave up on trying to store anything in the smaller compartment when packing it up as a case. I only use the larger compartment so that I don't have to worry about things falling out of the smaller compartment when I flip it and close the zipper. Even though the small pouch has a Velcro closure, it doesn't cover the entire opening and things tend to fall out with just a little movement. When you factor in the fact that the smaller compartment becomes the same area where the writing instruments are stored once the case is zipped up, I really think that Sonic didn't intend for anything to be stored in the smaller compartment.

This learning process was a bit frustrating, but fairly easy to overcome once I realized the limitations. What I haven't overcome yet is the problem of opening the case when I'm ready to use it as a stand. Let's start with the correct way to always open this case: lay it flat on its back and unzip the pouch before picking it up and transforming it into a stand. What I find myself doing without even realizing it is unzipping the pouch while I'm still holding it in my hands, intending to flip it back and set it down on a desk in stand mode. Every time I do this, I manage to spill most or all of the contents of the case onto the table or floor. Yikes!

Aside from the usage problems I've had with opening this case, I still really like using it as a stand that I can easily pack up and move occasionally. I wouldn't use this is a heavy commuting case that I potentially pack and unpack multiple times a day. The process of opening the case and setting it up as a stand is just a little too chaotic for my taste, and there are other options out there that offer the same basic functionality without the uncertainty of spilling everything out when opening it.

At $20.50, it's a fair price for what you get. The materials aren't the best on the market, but it feels well-made and robust. The zipper is smooth and sure, and the stitching is tight and clean. The light blue color is fun and I appreciate the minimal branding — plus, there are several other colors to choose from. The case also looks unique due to the crescent-shaped zipper and half-pipe shape when it's closed. At this price, I'm more than happy to use this on my desk as a pen holder that I can quickly pack up every few days/weeks if needed. If you want something that you can use on the go, look for other options that are more secure when opening/closing the case!

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

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