Sun-Star Delde Slide Pen Pouch Review

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

The Sun-Star Delde is a stylish pen case that also serves as a pen cup on your desk or table. It's not the first time we've seen this design, but the Delde does have a unique aesthetic with plenty of color options that make it a fantastic contender for carrying your writing instruments and stationery supplies.

The Delde Slide Pen pouch is really a sturdy pen cup with a sleeve that can slide up and zip off to form a nice pouch. The lower half of the case is a dense foam covered in nylon material, which makes it sturdy and protective. When sitting on a flat surface, the cup is capable of holding a dozen or so pens and pencils with no issue. When on the move, the thick foam material acts as a premium protector.

When it's time to go, the thinner nylon and corduroy material slides up and zips closed to secure all your stationery belongings. This part is much thinner and not as protective as the base, but it still does a great job. Whatever you lose in terms of protection is more than made up by the convenience of the case turning into a pen cup when you unzip it. The zipper on top of the case is a light weight zipper, but it has a smooth action and never hangs. Depending on the color you pick, there may be a fake leather pull, some matching ribbon, or some other pull mechanism that matches the overall aesthetic of the pouch.

Speaking of colors and aesthetics, there are so many options with this case. According to JetPens, there are 26 to choose from. Even though the colors vary, they all function the same. The colorway featured in this review is the Camel and Khaki with a dark green interior fabric. It's a great color, but there are so many other tempting color combos available.

Aside from the main feature of this pouch (the ability to slide down the top half and use the pouch as a standing pen cup), there are a couple more notable perks. The sleeve portion of the case (the top half) has a pair of pull tabs on both sides of the case to make it easier to pull the top half down to transform the case into a cup. Surprisingly, the bottom half is sturdy enough that pulling down on these tabs is all the effort required to convert the case. I thought for sure it would crumple and require some reshaping, but it works beautifully.

The inside of the case also has a couple of pockets sewn in to the lining. There are two pen/pencil size pockets and one larger pocket which would hold a small sharpener, a lead case, cartridges, erasers, etc. quite easily, albeit just one of these items would fit at a time.

After using the Delde Slide Pen Pouch for a while, I'm really impressed by how effortlessly it functions. I thought for sure that it would be somewhat fussy in practice, but I'm happy to be proven wrong. It holds a good amount of stuff, makes it easy to grab things while you're at the desk, and it's easy to zip up for transport in two quick motions. Depending on what color you go with, you'll spend between $15 and $18 for this case, which is a great value. Chances are, you know immediately if this is something that you could use. Lucky for you, this case fits those use cases perfectly. The only difficult choice is deciding on what color you want.

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

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Sun-Star Delde Slide Pen Pouch 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.)

I've realized over the past few years that I'm way more picky about my pen cases than I am about my pens. I'll use a pen even if I don't love it--not so much, for cases. I'll be using this case a lot.

The Sun-Star Delde Slide Pen Pouch tackles the convertible-case problem and does it in a way that allows it to be versatile without compromising on its primary function. This case holds a ton of pens--even my adorably chubby Sarasa collection can fit in here. The canvas material is soft but sturdy and the bottom is reinforced so that it stands as a pen cup when the top portion is slid down. The lining material is smooth polyester, so it slides down easily while also keeping the case contents protected. The structure is a bit mystifying at first. It's like one of those matchbox magic tricks where the hidden drawer slides inside the other. I'm fairly certain Mary Poppins had something to do with the design of this case.

The case can also be closed and carried in its compact form if you have smaller items to tote. In its wee converted state there's an extra layer of canvas between the contents and the world, so delicate items are even better protected.

Inside the lining of the lower part of the case are two pen sleeve pockets and a wider pocket perfect for a few small accessories like lead, eraser, and sharpener. Or some sticky notes, washi, or ink samples. The interior pockets are a little tricky to reach if the case is fully extended, though. They appear to be intended for use when the case is being used as a pen cup. Even fully extended, it can be a bit short for some longer pens or full-length pencils. Measure your favorite tools before you fall in love with this case.

The top of the case closes with a sturdy metal zipper. The zipper pull has a fake leather tab loop that can serve as a wee handle or be clipped into a larger bag. The bottom of the case is reinforced with interfacing so that it stands flat on a desk, but is still pliable enough to squeeze into a bag or backpack.

I've tried a number of different standing pen/pencil cases, but this is the first one that's really won me over. The materials feel great, it looks awesome, and it holds a ton of pens while still smoothly performing its little magic trick. I was torn between using it for pens, or (as JetPens also recommends) for makeup--but honestly, I like this enough that I might get a second one and use it for both. There really isn't better praise for a bag or pouch than "I can think of so many ways to use this that I need several."

(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!

Sun-Star W Knock Mechanical Pencil Review

The Sun-Star W Knock mechanical pencil caught my eye at first with its nice barrel design and cool barrel colors. It was only after I decided that I liked how the pencil looked that I saw the price:  $1.80. Really? Is that a typo? It doesn't appear so, but but never having heard of or used the Sun-Star line, I figured this was a $3-4 pencil on looks alone. Maybe that is just what I am used to these days. :)

So, now that the price is clear, the immediate question that comes to mind next is "Is this a cheap pencil?" I can safely say it is not. It isn't perfect by any stretch, but it is a good value. The key design feature of this pencil is that the tip fully retracts back into the barrel. This protects the lead sleeve from damage, and also protects you from poking yourself in the chest or leg when you put the pencil in your pocket.

When fully extended for writing, the pencil tip does not quite flush up against the barrel opening. This causes a little wiggle to happen when writing, but I didn't even notice it at first, so it isn't too extreme. What is extreme is the eraser wiggle. It is all over the place when I try to erase, so I would definitely recommend a stand alone eraser when using this pencil. Then again, I recommend a stand alone eraser for all mechanical pencils.

So, despite some minor issues, this is a nice overall package for the price. At just $1.80 each, you could buy different barrel colors and match them up with colored leads pretty easily. They certainly make for a nice student pencil or back to school pencil.