Yenderings Toronto Sugar Beach Pen Roll: 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.)

Yenderings is a Toronto-based company that creates custom cases and pen and journal wraps based on menswear designs with colors and themes from the city of Toronto. The designer uses one principle: “fanciful functionality.” According to the website,

Every design contains functional features such as zip pockets to hold all various sundries, strategically placed external pockets for easy access to notebooks and pens and ultrasuede linings to provide soft and cozy protection for your tools. Fanciful elements are then incorporated to add flair and a bit of > je ne sais quoi> to your every day carry.

The pen roll I’m reviewing is called the Toronto AM02 Sugar Beach. It is designed after an urban water park in the Distillery District.

*"Sugar Beach", By Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler / Grid Engine [CC0], from Wikimedia Commons*

For this case,

We drew the colours from Sugar Beach's iconic flamingo pink umbrellas popping against the sand and a crystal blue sky. Mix in some orange Creamsicles with whimsical polka dots to feel that everywhere you go with this roll. We even threw in some cork for that summertime feeling!

The outside of the pen case is made of a linen blend and a cork panel. It features a pocket that can hold two Field Notes-sized notebooks. Of course, I put a Nock Notebook in, because . . . well, you know.

The inside of the case is lined with aqua ultrasuede and has six pen slots. The slots are large enough to hold oversized pens, such as the Montblanc 149. Obviously, smaller pens will fit nicely as well.

The fabric on the inside is a super fun orange polkadot that makes for a sweet contrast with the aqua ultrasuede. The flap folds over to keep the pens from scratching one another.

The case is lined in flamingo pink and has a matching fabric tie. The stitching is aqua.

I wouldn’t really call this a pen roll, since you actually just fold it over (unless you want your notebooks to develop a pen-roll curve). Still, it is small enough to slip in a briefcase, backpack pocket, or a large purse.

Because all Yenderings cases are custom made, you might not be able to purchase this exact model, though it’s currently still for sale for $70.00 CAD (= $53.20 USD) plus shipping. Go to the catalog page to see what’s currently available. If you don’t fancy this design there are others from which to choose. And, even better, you can have a pen case custom designed specifically for you (prices vary).

The Yenderings Toronto Sugar Beach Pen Roll is a whimsical, beautifully-made pen roll. I love the color combinations on this case and the soft ultrasuede. The only thing I’m not too keen on is the cork, but that’s just a matter of personal taste. If you’re looking for a pen roll or case that is unique and handmade, I highly recommend Yenderings.

(The Yenderings Pen Roll was purchased at full price by The Pen Addict for review.)

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Posted on August 17, 2018 by Susan Pigott and filed under Yenderings, Pen Case.

Teranishi Magic Glow Slim Black Note Marker 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.)

The Teranishi Magic Glow Slim Black Note Markers are a bit of a marker-paint pen hybrid. They operate like markers in that they have felt bullet tips that don't require any priming, but the pigment ink behaves more like a paint. It's a pretty happy medium, if that's what your craft requires.

The build of the marker is excellent. They're sturdy and well labeled, the snap caps snap with enough satisfaction that you know they'll protect the felt tip. I was underwhelmed with the felt tips, though. They seemed a bit rough and the quality was inconsistent. Some of the markers seemed to have dried out a little in the package, so the lines were not as opaque as the wetter ones. When I applied some pressure--not a lot!--to try and squeeze out a little bit of pigment, I completely broke it. Oops! My favorite color, too! So be careful with the tips. When they say they don't require priming, they mean "don't press on this at all".

The pigment is very rich on white paper and shows up nice and bright. On black paper, it goes on dark, then give it a few seconds, then it pales to a vibrant opaque color. It looks a lot like the liquid chalk on the menus at coffee shops. It's a nice effect and it does its job well.

These could be really fun for card making or scrapbooking--but it would have to be a project you want to invest in. At $3.55 apiece or $42 for a 12-color set, these are pricey. In my opinion, too pricey. But if it's exactly the tool you need for a special project, it may be worth it. Just be careful with those tips!

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

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Posted on August 16, 2018 by Sarah Read and filed under Teranishi, Marker, Pen Reviews.

Zebra Sarasa SE Gel Pen Review

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

To this day, gel pens continue to be one of the most accessible categories for exposing people to the wonders of pens. With so many options, it's difficult to imagine what else can be done in this space to innovate and provide something new and worthy of existence. In most cases, the easiest route of expansion is in offering more colors or more tip sizes. But, it's more rare to see offerings that focus on providing the same great gel pen experience with a dry time that's 85% faster than standard gel pens.

That's right — 85% faster. The Zebra Sarasa SE line of pens is similar to the regular Sarasa line in every way, except these things dry incredibly fast.

If you've never used a Zebra Sarasa pen before, you're missing out on one of the top five gel refills available today. They're available in several different sizes and configurations, but they all deliver vibrant colors, crisp lines, and a smooth feel. Add on super fast dry time, and you've got a seriously impressive pen refill.

I picked up several of these pens to try out, and in that batch I picked black, blue, red, green, and violet to test. Each of these colors is beautiful and vivid. Even the black is incredibly rich and dark — similar in richness and depth as the popular Pentel EnerGel series.

The body and grip of the SE pens are also similar to the other Sarasa lines, which is just fine. They're comfortable to use, the clips are nice and strong, and they perform great in that respect.

When I started writing, I was impressed by the crisp lines and bright colors. It wasn't until I moved my palm across the page to write somewhere else that I noticed that it didn't create any smudges. I was pleasantly surprised, so I started testing the dry times to see just how fast it was. In most cases, the ink was smudge-proof within 2 seconds. In every case, 3 seconds did the trick. This is incredible! Especially considering how wet these 0.7mm tips are. These aren't ultra-fine tips — there's a good amount of ink coming out when writing.

These pens are perfect for jotting notes when you're out. You don't have to worry about immediately closing your notebook because there won't be any excess ink on the opposite page. For left-handed users, this ink is fabulous. I'm mostly right-handed, but I'm working on training my left hand to write as well. When I was using these pens in my left hand, I never had any smudges on the page and there wasn't any ink on my palm when I was done.

I'm not sure how Zebra did this. There's normally a trade off if you market a pen as having an ultra-fast drying ink. In this case, the Sarasa SE line has smooth feel, vibrant colors, and incredibly fast dry times.

The Zebra Sarasa SE is fairly new, but there's already a nice selection of colorful inks. You're also limited to the 0.7mm tip size, so hopefully we see additional options soon. Pick some up the next time you make an order with JetPens! At under two bucks a pop, they're low risk experiments, and I'm willing to bet that you'll love them after writing with them.

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