Pilot Otobaco 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!)

The Pilot Otobaco is a pen box that transforms into a desk stand. A very cool idea, if a puzzling execution. It's made of hard plastic with a magnetic closure, and the inside is comprised of a number of compartments that unfold to serve various stationery related purposes. The material is sturdy but lightweight. If you were a kid in the 80s-90s, this is the same plastic your toys were made of. This is the 90’s Barbie fold-out camper of pen cases.

When the case is opened, the front flap folds down to become a pen tray, one part smooth, with part of it ridged to keep pens from rolling. Behind the ridged tray is a rubber strip designed to work as a stand for your phone or papers. Behind the stand strip is a deeper compartment with a hinged cup that folds up to serve as a pen cup.

There's a lot going on, and it's definitely fun, but not entirely functional. When closed, it only holds 5-6 pens total because so much of the interior space is taken up by its mechanics. While you can use the front edge of the tray, or the deeper back compartment to hold things when the case if fully opened, all of those things will have to come out before you can close the case back up, because the pens fold into those spaces when it closes. Overall, it makes a better desk stand than a case, and might be handy as a permanently open wee stand on a wee desk. As a case for on-the-go, it doesn't quite work for me. It's large and inflexible and doesn't hold enough stuff.

I could see this being useful for a student, though. If you don't need a lot of gear, and will be moving between multiple small desks throughout your day.

Whatever you're carrying in this case will need to be fairly small, also. It is only 16.5 cm long internally, so it won't hold most wood pencils or longer pens. That's what keeps me from recommending this for wandering artists. Bulky pens or highlighters would take up most of the interior. There isn't space for things like washi or erasers or other accessories.

As a mini-mobile desk stand, I think it does serve its purpose, but the trick is, what is the audience for this purpose? I'm not sure. It's also a bit pricey at $27. That's $10 more than the SMAND, the now legendary case-tray-stand that serves a similar purpose and is close in size, but holds at least a dozen pens.

So while I don't enthusiastically recommend this, it does make a useful small desk organizer, and no doubt it will find its audience who will love it dearly.

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

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RIIND Compact Pen Review

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

The world of custom machined pens is so fascinating to me, largely due to the constant innovation and release of new products. There's always something new around the corner to satiate any obscure pen refill or aesthetic needs you may have. At a higher level, they all perform a simple duty: they're all writing instruments in the same way a Bic is a writing instrument. But the individual design, craftsmanship, and vision is what sets these bespoke objects apart from anything you can find that's mass-produced.

The latest machined pen to cross my desk is from RIIND. After a successful Kickstarter run, the Compact and Slim ballpoint pens are being manufactured to fulfill the rewards. At some point, they'll also be available to purchase from RIIND in the event you missed out on the initial fundraiser. The RIIND Compact is what I'm using here, and it's their smaller body that uses a Parker refill. The pen comes with a Parker Quink 1.0mm black refill, and it writes beautifully for a ballpoint. The ink flow is smooth, and it starts writing immediately. While it isn't as crisp as gel ink, it's still a great writing experience and maintains a small package. Since it's a Parker style refill, you have a lot of options if you don't like the Quink refills.

The RIIND is machined from aluminum, and my review unit is actually anodized in a lovely dark blue. This wasn't available in the original Kickstarter campaign, but I hope it's available as an option to purchase because it's a great color.

The grip features an aggressive knurling texture that feels really good when writing. There's no feeling of slipping when using this pen due to the tactile grip. Even though the knurling feels intense, it's not overly sharp or unpleasant. It provides excellent grip while being pleasant to hold and use.

The twist cap uses the same knurling to great effect. You can twist the cap either way to open/close the pen. It takes a little bit of force to turn it, but once you get used to the effort needed to operate, it's a piece of cake to operate with one hand. Since the pen is fairly short, using it with one hand is pretty easy. Not sure if the same can be said for the longer G2 refill sibling.

The twist mechanism is really fun to use and very tactile. The resistance from the spring grows stronger right until the moment the nock clicks over to either extend or retract the refill. The click is crisp and clean, and there's a satisfying sound to go along with it. It's safe to say this can fill in for your favorite fidget toy.

The clip is unique and is one of my favorite aspects of the pen's aesthetics. How many different ways can you shape a tube that holds a refill? That's why the clip design is so important with these machined pens — that's where you can really set the pen apart from all the others. RIIND does that exceptionally well here with a robust clip that acts like a carabiner clip. The attachment points are staggered, giving the clip torsion when you pull it away from the pen body. It works really well! Despite being smooth and not using a clip shape at the end to grab onto things, it has no problem securing the pen to whatever you clip it to. The staggered attachment points add visual interest to the pen due to the lack of symmetry. I love looking at it, and it's also a joy to use.

Since this model is made of aluminum, it's not very heavy. It weighs more than other aluminum pens I own, but not by much. I think most of the additional weight is due to the unique retraction mechanism and possibly a thicker than normal pen body wall. This thing feels indestructible.

Writing with this pen has been a fantastic experience. The Parker Quink refill has never been my favorite, but I've found myself picking this pen up more often than not despite the "sub-par" refill. I've enjoyed using it, and I think most of that comes down to how it feels in my hand and it handles when I'm writing. It's balanced perfectly and offers a fantastic level of control.

When it comes to machined pens, our options are plentiful. It's a fun space to explore, and when you find the right one for your style and taste, it's easy to pull the trigger. If the tubular and gnarly knurling juxtaposition of the RIIND meets your fancy, you'll love using it. At $99 (shipping included for US customers), it's also a fair deal. You can get aluminum machined pens for less (and more), but I think the quality, fit and finish, and writing experience are well-worth the cost of admission here.

Pre-orders are open now for both the Compact, as featured in this review, and Slim models.

(RIIND 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!

J. Herbin Blotting Paper Giveaway

This giveaway serves to accomplish two things:

1. To share with you one of my favorite products.
2. To see if this giveaway can set the record for fewest entries.

I know what you are saying. “Really, Brad. Blotting paper?” Yes, blotting paper. A 10-pack of Pink J. Herbin Blotting Paper, to be specific. If there is one stationery item I use ever day, it is blotting paper. I keep it under my hand as I write to keep hand oils off the page. Oils affect how the ink attaches to the paper, causing lines to skip and be inconsistent.

Could I use a scrap piece of paper instead? Absolutely. But this blotting paper has a specific job that I use it for, and the pink color stands out inside my notebooks and on my desk. It may be the single most-used stationery item I own.

I have one 10-pack of Pink J. Herbin Blotting Paper to give away to the most lucky winner of all of the giveaways ever to be given away on The Pen Addict. Read the rules below and get to entering!

J. Herbin Blotting Paper Giveaway