Mr. Rouge Estuche Pen Case Review

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

You can never have enough bags, pouches, and cases, and that's a good thing because there's always a new one that fits an aesthetic or functional need for your everyday life. The Mr. Rouge Estuche is a lovely case made of leather and felt that does one thing really well and with great style.

This handmade case is on the smaller side, but still manages to fit plenty of writing instruments or other small objects. The two snaps on either side keep the top flap from opening easily and letting the contents spill out. The snaps are actually really strong, so I have no worries in terms of the case accidentally opening.

The leather that makes up the exterior of the case is supple and pleasing to touch. It has a nice aroma and a great medium brown hue that will age wonderfully with use. The interior is made of natural gray felt that is incredibly soft and thick enough to provide some good protection. I like that the felt extends past the leather on the exterior of the case, but I wonder if the felt will wear out or discolor quicker than the leather.

The straight stitching that holds the case together is well done and features a cream-colored thread that provides a nice contrast of color against the brown leather. Every corner and edge on this case is meticulously precise, and that just adds to the luxurious and high-quality feel.

There's no branding on the case outside of a red leather loop on the side of the case, which gives you a hint as to who made it (Mr. Rouge).

In my testing, this case comfortably holds 6-10 ballpoint or gel ink pens, and 6 fountain pens. It's not wide enough to hold a new woodcase pencil, but it does fit an Apple Pencil or a woodcase pencil that's been sharpened down to less than seven inches.

Since this pouch is a flat design, it bulges as you put objects inside it, so you can't overstuff it. It's not meant for carrying an excessive amount of stuff, but it also comfortably holds more than you'd think.

The Estuche (which is Spanish for case) is handmade in Mexico and retails for $26 USD from Amarillo Stationery. For the materials and precise craftsmanship, this is a great deal. I really look forward to using this and watching the leather take on its own personality as time goes on. This would make a great gift for stationery fans, but it's also great for those people in our lives who aren't as mesmerized with pens and paper since you can use this pouch for anything.

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

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Sonic Utlim Sma Sta Canvas Bag in Bag Review

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

Up for review is the Sonic Utlim Sma Sta Canvas Bag in Bag in Ivory. It is a zipper pouch that doubles as a stand for your accessories.

When closed, the Utlim measures about 7.5” wide by 7” tall and 2.25” deep (19 cm x 17.5cm x 6xm). The back of the case, which houses a pair of magnets, is fairly stiff. It is primarily canvas with a “leather accent stripe”, though I could not tell if it was real leather or not.

Some potential uses for the Utlim: stationery and phone, cables, plugs/chargers or toiletries.

It looks a little strange from the back.

It is a bit of an odd shape as it isn’t exactly rectangular since the sides kind of bulge out - I’m not sure if it’s the design or the zipper or what. The base isn’t very wide, so it doesn’t stand up very well when zipped; in fact, it worked better upside down, probably because the top is 0.25” wider.

Unzipping the Utlim from the front, where there is some elastic on the front and a zipper on the other side.

After you unzip the front, you need to push the back side down so the magnets stick together, forming a stand/mini pouch, then you have to turn it around to use it. I found that kind of weird

This is a front view of an unzipped Utlim with the magnets engaged on the back.

Insert earworm: “Turn around….”

I was able to fit a Traveler’s Company passport size cover & inserts, a couple rolls of washi tape, and a glue stick in the main compartment, as well as some washi tape samples and a couple of pens in the elastic. I was also able to fit two rolls of washi tape in the zippered pouch.

This particular Utlim is marketed as an A6 case, and I was successfully able to fit an A6 Hobonichi (with cover), along with the above accessories.

A6 Hobonichi A6 with my iPhone 13 Pro in the pouch.

I was able to zip up the Utlim with the phone in the pocket with minimal issue, but the phone ends up in the upper portion of the pouch, making it top heavy.

You can also put your phone in portrait mode, giving you a little more room for items you want handy.

Side profile of the Utlim with the phone in the stand. As you can see, the angle is pretty vertical.

If you want your phone to be more angled back, you can separate the magnets, but whatever you’re carrying in the main pouch or the flap itself, will likely get in the way.

The 2” bottom also means that you can’t really fit anything wider than that in the lower part of the pouch. I was able to fit a small bottle of vitamins (phone was removed) but I wasn’t able to fit two Hobonichis. The vitamins made the pouch bulge forward a bit as expected when I zipped it up.

Even though the Utlim tag suggests a possible use as a toiletry bag, I did not try to get it wet or dirty, so I don’t know if the canvas would stand up to the inevitable moisture and stains.

It doesn’t hold a lot and anything I’d put in the “stand” portion would likely fall out as soon as I zipped it closed.

Here it is inside my Bellroy Tokyo Tote that I use as a journaling bag (along with a regular size Traveler’s Notebook, an A5 PLOTTER pouch, a binder of clear stamps, some ink pads, vial holders and washi tape.)

That said, it does its job of holding various products in a zippered pouch that converts into a stand. It could be handy for someone who needs a little organizer pouch in their backpack/tote and isn’t looking for something with a lot of capacity. And the stand is a neat feature, as long as you don’t need to store anything in that space.

The Sonic Utlim Sma Sta A6 Canvas Bag sells for $35 on JetPens and is also available in Gray. There is also a standing pen case that is also available in the two colors for $25.

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

Kaimo Japan 2 Room Pikachu 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 Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

School supply shopping season is upon us. The seasonal glut of bargain stationery, the feeding frenzy of office supplies. At my house, and I'm sure this is true for many Pen Addict homes, there are several phases of the back-to-school supply prep. Step one is "what survived the previous year," where we check anything off the list that can be re-used. Step two is "raid mom's stash." There are three people in this house who want this pen case, which is quite an endorsement. And it's easy to see why. It is both functional and adorable.

This Kaimo 2 Room Pen Case is made from vinyl with two ring-pull zippers, one on either side of the case. The zippers are plastic, but pull smoothly and feel sturdy. The rings are a little bulky, but do make for more easy and accessible opening and closing. The vinyl on this case is color blocked in a pale coffee color and cream, and printed with some super cute Pokemon characters enjoying some cafe treats. The text says "Enjoy your cafe time!" Thank you, Pikachu. I will.

Inside, the case is divided into two compartments. At first I worried that this would limit the space too much--that having two small pockets would not be as useful as one large space. However, the pockets are deceptively large, and the space is divided only by a very thin piece of nylon cloth, so if one side is overstuffed, it can borrow some space from the other compartment. The division doesn't impact the volume at all, and having the two compartments helps keep things organized.

The inside of the case is fully lined with no rough seams, which is always nice to see. The satiny fabric will likely show some ink and pencil stains, but that's just part of the pen case life. It's a dirty job.

Quite a few of the cases in this style are limited editions with a variety of cute characters. This one is not currently available on JetPens, but there are others just as adorable. The case is priced at $25, which I think is fair and in line with other cases of similar quality. I'm glad it's reasonably priced, because I'm going to need two more to keep the peace.

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

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!