Nomadic PF-15 2-Story Pen Case: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

The Nomadic PF-15 2-Story Pen Case is a padded, zippered pen and art supply case. The outside of the case is made of nylon and polyester with a woven, heather-like look.

The case has two zippers for easy opening and closing.

Inside the top flap is a webbed pocket that is perfect for a small ruler, flat scissors, or pens and pencils.

The main compartment consists of two parts. The first “story” can hold several pens plus there’s a pop-up pocket for an eraser or small pencil sharpener. You can also press the pocket flat to accommodate larger objects like scissors.

The second “story” is a flap with three elastic pen/pencil holders. This allows you to put certain pens or pencils on top for easy access.

Overall, I like the design of this case. The bottom compartment can hold ten or more pens (ballpoint, rollerball, gel, or highlighters), and the top flap sets apart three pens or pencils for easy access. The mesh pocket in the top is perfect for flat items like a ruler, though you could certainly put more pens there.

However, I’m not so fond of the pop-up pocket. It is useful to hold an eraser or a small pencil sharpener, but it doesn’t really lie flat when it’s not in use, so it just seems to get in the way.

I wish the top flap held at least four pens (there’s plenty of room for one more slot). I also think that the flap should be longer so that it completely protects the pens or pencils from the supplies underneath. Because the flap is short, any pens in the slots will knock against the pens/pencils underneath, which could lead to scratches. It would also be helpful if the flap was detachable so you could have easier access to the pens in the bottom compartment. As it is, you have to hold the flap out of the way to access the pens in the bottom compartment.

I do not recommend this case for fountain pens. The elastic loops in the pen flap are fairly tight and will accommodate only the slimmest fountain pens. More importantly, because the flap is short, your pens will hang over by about an inch or so, leaving them exposed to any pens or supplies underneath.

For regular pens, pencils, and art supplies, this pen case will work well. It is small enough to fit in purses and backpacks, and the nylon/polyester exterior should stand up to all sorts of abuse.

You can purchase the Nomadic PF-15 2-Story Pen Case from Jet Pens in either black or navy blue for $19.00.

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

Frara Road Pen Roll Review

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

Once you start collecting a few pens, it doesn't take long to realize that you also need a convenient to store and transport multiple pens at a time. Luckily, there are many such options available to stationery nerds today. These options can vary as far as design and materials, but most are made of nylon fabric, plastic, metal, or leather. And, the Frara Road Pen Roll happens to be in the leather variety.

Frara Road is a small company based in Cape Town, South Africa that specializes in unique stationery goods. From James and Jesse, the owners, their mission is simple:

We set out upon Frara Road™ with a simple goal to make lasting products that are beautiful to look at and most importantly, practical to use. To make nothing that is unnecessary and to make things that we personally want. Their shop is small, but focused. It's nice to see a small business that is selling a few goods they really believe in as opposed to a shop selling lots of different things that they may not personally vouch for. In the case of Frara Road, the stuff they sale are curated by the owners.

Back to the Pen Roll — it's gorgeous. Made from full-grain upholstery leather, it has a luxurious, soft feel and tantalizing smell. The leather is a medium brown color, and ages quite well with use. It's bound to pick up a few nicks and scuffs, but that makes leather goods look better with age. Inside the case, there's more leather that forms the pen slots, but it also features a flap that folds down over the pens to protect them each other when the case is rolled up. The back side of the leather is unfinished, which gives it a super soft, carpet-like feel. I definitely don't worry about my pens when they're in this case — they are well-protected.

The Pen Roll has six pen sleeves, which are separated with stitching. In fact, there's a lot of stitching on this case, and it's well-done. I haven't noticed any stray threads or sloppy lines. After several months of use, it's held up really well. But, I'd expect as much from leather goods!

Due to the soft interior leather, pens slide in and out of the sleeves with ease. It can sometime take some fidgeting to get the clip over the edge of the leather, but it's a minor thing that you'll experience with most pen cases, sleeves, etc. Once the pens are in the sleeve, they don't budge. Even if your pen doesn't have a clip, it is held securely in the sleeve. And, once you fold down the inner flap and roll up the case, they're not going anywhere.

Like most pen rolls, it can take some practice to find the best way to roll up the case efficiently and securing the straps. In the case of cloth pen rolls, the process is easier, but it takes more effort to secure the string or straps to ensure the case doesn't come loose and open in your bag. With the Frara Road Pen Roll, you have to pay more attention when rolling the case shut due to the thickness and stiffness of the leather. While the stiffness does go away after some regular use, it's still a thick material. Once the leather breaks in, it becomes incredibly easy to roll the case up. The leather falls into a groove and tends to retrace its own steps when it's time to pack up. That's one of the delightful thing about leather goods. They're unique and take on a life of their own with time.

After the case is rolled up, there's a single strap that secures it. The strap wraps around the case, feeds through a small slot, doubles back, and stays tight without any need for knots or extra tucking. I was skeptical that it would be this easy, but it works really well. Feed the strap through the top of the hole, pull it back under itself, give it a tug to tighten it down, and you're set. The friction of the leather is enough to keep this roll secure, no matter how long or short the journey. When you arrive and it's time to get out the goods, a simple tug in the reverse direction will loose the strap and allow you to quickly open the case. This is truly the first closure system that I've enjoyed in a pen roll or pen wrap style case. It's great!

Obviously, there are other cases available that hold the same number of pens, have more features, cost less, etc. When it comes down to it, this is a well-made leather stationery accessory. You already know if you're keen on leather goods. If you're one of those people, there's a good chance you'll love this case. If you're not, lucky you! There are so many other choices out there. To me, this case is worth it alone based on aesthetics, but it's also a great functional case.

When first using the case, one downside in my mind was how bulky and large it is once rolled up. But, after comparing it with a fully loaded Brasstown, I was surprised to find that it was a very similar size. It's a bit fatter, but not as tall length-wise. Also, being made of leather, it's pliable when you pack it in a bag. It might look a bit chubby in some ways, but it's still very space efficient and easy to pack.

Overall, the Frara Road Pen Roll is a great intersection of beauty and functionality. For storing and transporting up to six pens or pencils, this is a top-notch option if you prefer leather over nylon or plastic. At $75, it's a bit pricey when compared with other cases, but (again) it's made from leather and looks fantastic.

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

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Wancher Penfolium 13 Pen Portfolio: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

(Update: Please read the comment below from Scott Franklin on the origination and lineage of this design. -BD)

The Wancher Penfolium 13 Pen Portfolio is a black leather pen case with a soft, Jacquard, cream interior. The case has room for thirteen pens plus there is spare room in the expandable envelope for a notebook or other accessories.

The case comes in a black cardboard box with the Wancher logo. It is wrapped in a muslin cloth bag to protect the leather.

Made of full-grain cowhide leather, the case feels sturdy and well made. It has a magnetic snap closure.

The case is large, measuring 11.02 inches long x 6.69 inches wide, so it won’t fit in a purse or a small backpack. But it will fit in portfolio cases and larger backpacks.

One of the things I really like about this pen case is that the pen slots are pliable cloth. Because of this, you can fit virtually any pen in the slots. I filled the case with pens ranging from one of my smallest (a TWSBI Mini) to the largest (a Wahl-Eversharp Decoband Oversize). Every single pen fit, even the Wahl-Eversharp. This is a major difference between my go-to pen case, the Franklin-Christoph Penvelope, and the Wancher. The Penvelope simply cannot hold larger pens because its pen slots are unyieldingly rigid.

The LM1, Dumas, and Wahl-Eversharp do not fit in the F-C Case

That said, the larger pens (my Lambrou LM1, Montblanc Dumas, and Wahl-Eversharp) required a little twisting and turning to manipulate them past the lip of each pen slot, but it wasn’t much of an issue. The only pen that I had trouble getting in the pen case was my Omas Blue Angel. For some reason the clip simply did not want to go over the lip of the pen slot, scrunching the soft material instead. With some pulling on the clip, I was able to get the pen in.

Regardless, I was impressed that I could fit every size of pen into this case. I also tried clipless pens, such as my Nakaya Naka-ai Cigar Housoge Kikyo Platinum, Danitrio Sho-Hakkaku, and Nakaya Cigar Dragonfly. All of them fit nicely, and I even held the case upside down and shook to see if they might slip out. They all stayed put even without clips.

As I said, the Wancher case is sturdy and well made. The snap closure is solid, and I would feel confident carrying my pens in this case. I do have a few issues. One is the size—it’s a bit large for me. I like my Franklin-Christoph six-pen Penvelope because it fits in the small backpack I carry to work. And, honestly, do I really need thirteen pens with me every day? Well . . . um . . . yes. I can totally justify having thirteen pens with me. You never know when you need a certain pen with a certain nib and a particular ink! So, I may wind up switching to the Wancher mainly because I can put my large pens in it, whereas my F-C case can’t accommodate them. As a result, I wind up having to put my larger pens in separate single cases if I want to bring them to work. I’ll just have to carry the Wancher in my laptop bag instead of my backback.

The other issue is that the Wancher case only comes in black. I prefer brown leather. Perhaps Wancher will eventually offer the case in other colors since it does so with its smaller pen cases.

You can purchase the Penfolium 13 Pen Portfolio from Wancher for $85.00.

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

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