Kawaii Pen Shop Back To School Mega Gift Offer Is Live! (Sponsor)

Kawaii Pen Shop is pulling out all of the stops this Back To School season, with an offer you can’t afford to miss.

For a limited time only, any order over $49.99 will receive a selection of 20 unique items, worth a whopping $160, absolutely free! All you need to do is add the promo code BTSGIFT at checkout, and the extra items will automatically be added to your shipment. How cool is that?

Kawaii Pen Shop is your ultimate destination for all things cute and creative. They are a one-stop-shop for beautifully designed, high-quality, and unique stationery items that inspire and delight. From pens, notebooks, and stickers, to a variety of desk accessories, they have everything you need to make your stationery dreams come true.

This Back to School promo will not last long, so place your order, and don’t forget to add the code BTSGIFT at checkout for all of the amazing extras.

My thanks to Kawaii Pen Shop for sponsoring The Pen Addict this week.

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Featured Sponsor.

PLOTTER Grain Leather Pen Case Review

I picked up the PLOTTER Grain Leather Pen Case at the Chicago Pen Show earlier this Spring. Did you know they made pen cases? I didn’t, until I was standing in front of their table in May. So, what’s a person in my situation to do? Buy one, of course!

Yes, it was a spur of the moment decision. I mean, have you handled one of these yet? They are so soft. And the color I chose, this Natural leather, is not available on the website. FOMO much?

I’ve spent ample time with this case since then, primarily on my desk. That is a telling factor, because I don’t think this design is good enough for every day portable carry. Let me break it down.

First off, the positive: this case feels amazing. The leather is thin and soft, while providing enough protection. The finishing around the seams, pocket, zipper, and magnet are perfect. To no ones surprise, it is extremely well made.

Functionality is where this case falls off, and I have an opinion as to why. I use a lot of fountain pens, and this case is not designed for these larger pens. PLOTTER also does not sell any fountain pens, so given that, maybe it is perfectly designed for what they sell. If I was loading this case with two of their ballpoints and two of their mechanical pencils - with some extra leads and erasers in the pocket - maybe I would have had a better time with it.

The fact remains that I use a lot of different pens and pencils, and this case is not a good fit for most of them.

The pen slots are too narrow, and too close together. The flap to cover the pens is too short. Pen clips touch when you roll it closed. When closed, the pens sit on each other awkwardly, giving it that poorly wrapped burrito vibe. And this is before I attempt to put anything into the zip pocket, which only exacerbates the situation.

I want it to be good. For highly-specific setups, it can be. For more random use, especially with fountain pens, it is not good enough.

*A proper setup, with narrower pens and clips turned inward. The zip pouch holds more than you think.*

Will PLOTTER run out version two of this product? I kind of hope not, because I would like to see a complete rework, not an iteration of this one. I don’t think it can get there from here.

If you are interested in carrying your narrower pens and pencils (maybe it is my Spoke Design case?) then I do think you will enjoy it. Even at $85, it is more than fairly priced for what it is, and is available in three different color options - Brown, Gray, and Navy - to boot. Just be very sure it fits your needs before making the purchase.

(I purchased this product from PLOTTER at the 2023 Chicago Pen Show at a discount.)

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!

Posted on July 24, 2023 by Brad Dowdy and filed under Plotter, Pen Case, Accessories Review.

Misfill, Hypothetical Edition

Each week in Refill, the Pen Addict Members newsletter, I publish Ink Links as part of the additional content you receive for being a member. And each week, after 10 to 15 links, plus my added commentary on each, I'm left with many great items I want to share. Enter Misfill. Here are this weeks links:

— Hypothetical! Top 5 (Weirdoforest Pens)

— eye candy: troublemaker foxglove (a fleeting ripple)

— Issue #11 Lessons from the Fountain Pen Hobby (Fountain Pen Weekly)

— Journaling Series: Journaling Through Fear (Writing at Large)

— Pininfarina PF Two Review - YouTube (Figboot on Pens)

— Lennon Tool Bar Tiegan (Inkcredible Colours)

— 2023 Bag Dump: What Do I Carry to Work? (The Gentleman Stationer)

— Introducing the Touchstone (Penquisition)

— Notebook Review: Colorverse Nebula Casual Notebook (The Well-Appointed Desk)

— ION Infinity II Titanium Pocket Pen (dapprman)

— Dethroned Favorites (Rachel's Reflections)

— Introducing: The Locavore Guide (Caroline Weaver)