Rickshaw Leigh Reyes Limited Sinclair R with Shoulder Strap 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 Bluesky. And her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available!)

The eternal conundrum: I want a pen and notebook on me at all times, everywhere I go, BUT I am often without pockets. Or if I have pockets, they are tiny. I run into this problem the most at work, where I frequently need to write things down on the go, and I also need to carry a set of keys, a chapstick, my phone, etc.

I have, over the years, tried several solutions. Overburdened lanyards (heavy on the neck and jingly). Folios with pockets (too easy to set down somewhere and walk off), cardigans with pockets (the classic librarian accessory, but sometimes it's too hot). The best solution that I and a few other coworkers have found is to carry a small work purse. I've tried a few, from store-bought mini purses to hand-sewn zipper bags. They are functional. But this Rickshaw Sinclair with a Shoulder Strap is purpose-built to carry exactly what I need, and now it is a workplace essential.

First of all, the obvious: The Limited Edition Leigh Reyes fabric is divinely beautiful. It's artsy, writerly, and the splashes of rainbow colors will match whatever I'm wearing. The fabric comes in a variety of Rickshaw designs, and I suggest checking them all out, but this Sinclair shows just enough surface area to let the design show itself off.

The nylon canvas is durable and decently weatherproof. The edging and zipper are in black. The zipper is a hardy YKK double-sided zipper, so it can be opened from either side, which isn't really necessary for a bag of this size, but is still indulgently convenient. It has black paracord zipper pulls woven through the zipper tabs to minimize the jingle. The strap is a 1" black nylon webbing and it attaches with metal swivel hooks to paracord loops that are securely sewn into the bag's seam. The strap adjusts generously from a short over-the-shoulder length to a crossbody length. The crossbody length may be a bit short for taller or bigger bodies, but the loops make it easy to attach a strap of your choice to the bag.

The outside front of the bag has a slip pocket large enough for a pocket notebook or a phone. Inside the main zipper compartment, the bag is lined with Rickshaw's fabulous plush lining in bright blue. It's the perfect soft protection for your pens. There are three pen slots and one notebook slot inside the bag. My favorite setup is to put one gel pen, one pencil, and one fountain pen in the slots. A pocket notebook in the slip pocket inside. My phone in the center of the bag. And my keys in the outside slip pocket. A ballpoint pen and my lip gloss usually end up in the outside slip pocket as well. If I were to carry this as a regular purse, I'd put my wallet inside and my phone in the outside slip pocket, then clip my keys to the strap. Either way, it's a great setup for carrying just the essentials with you. Because we all know that "the essentials" include at least three pens.

Inside the bag, you'll also see a nod to the Sinclair's design origins. Nock Co! I miss the old Nock days, but I'm delighted their designs live on through Rickshaw.

Even if you are someone who has been blessed with an abundance of functional pockets in your daily life, this is still a great bag for carrying even more pens, and for keeping them a little safer than they would be in a pants pocket. Rickshaw's sturdy construction and soft lining are the Cadillac of pen transportation.

This Sinclair R with a strap sells for $75 at Vanness Pen Shop, which does feel a little high, considering it's just a few dollars less than the Rickshaw A5 Field Bag, but the Field Bag doesn't have the plush lining like the Sinclair R. Some of the other pouches have the plush lining, but no strap attachment. This one really has all of the best features combined into one utilitarian and beautiful package. I highly recommend it. And if the fabric isn't speaking to you, check out their other designs--or even design your own version on the Rickshaw website.

(Vanness Pens provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Rickshaw Fillmore Pen Case Review

(Kimberly (she/her) took the express train down the fountain pen/stationery rabbit hole and doesn't want to be rescued. She can be found on Instagram @allthehobbies because there really are many, many hobbies!.)

I’ve been a fan of Rickshaw Bagworks ever since I discovered them back in 2017. It was even more awesome that they are local (San Francisco) and make everything to order in their SF factory. I have been meaning to write an article about the many Rickshaw products that I use (and I still need to do that) but sometimes an opportunity presents itself that can’t wait, so here we are!

Mark Dwight of Rickshaw hosted the SF Pen Posse for a meetup last Saturday and it gave me another chance to look at their Fillmore Pen Case, which they debuted at the SF Pen Show back in August. I haven’t been able to decide between the two configurations of the Fillmore, so I asked Mark if I could borrow them both for a comparison article, which would also help me pick the right one for me!

Unlike their other pen cases which roll up or are top zip, the Fillmore Pen Case opens up like a book, with a left and right side. My favorite part of Rickshaw pen products is their oh-so-soft Royal Plush lining and the Fillmore is no exception!

The Rickshaw Fillmore in the Stationery Icons pattern.

Closed and empty Fillmores, side by side. I asked for both to have the same pattern so it wouldn’t affect my opinion.

Both configurations of the Fillmore open/close via zipper and have 3-pen slots on the left side. Let’s talk about the 3-pen version first. In addition to the pen slots on the left, the 3-pen version also has two pockets on the right side - one which you can store a pocket notebook and two shorter and slimmer slots for storing credit cards, ephemera, etc.

Montblanc 146, Franklin-Christoph Model 50, Pelikan M800 on the left, and a utility knife, Swiss Army Cadet pocket knife, and a pocket notebook. Note that the two shorter pockets do not have the Royal Plush lining, but both sides of the larger pocket as well as the 3-pen slots are plush-lined.

From the Rickshaw website, the Fillmore’s overall dimensions are 7.5” x 4.75” x 1.0” and fits pens up to 6” tall and 19mm diameter. I managed to fit a Franklin-Christoph Model 50, which is a smidge longer than 6.5” and was technically able to zip it up, albeit very carefully, so you don’t run the zipper on the cap.

I’m not much of an “EDC” kinda person, but thought I’d try shoving a couple of knives into the Fillmore to see how they’d fit. I didn’t love my utility knife in the case because I kept worrying that the tilted-up clip would hit my pen, but it pretty much stayed in the seam on the other side. I also flipped the utility knife so the clip would face “outward” (away from center) and it was also fine.

Partially zipped view where you can see the utility knife centered between the right two pens.

Here’s what it looks like once it’s all zipped up. You can kinda see the bump in the top middle where the F-C Model 50 is hitting the top.

I managed to stuff my Traveler’s Company Passport notebook/cover into the right pocket, and still cram the utility and Swiss Army knives into their slots.

It does zip up but it’s a tight fit.

I was able to fit the Passport TN with the train charm on the cover (which added to its thickness). The Fillmore was more than capable of handling all the stuff, but I was more worried about the pressure of all that stuff against my pens.

I wish I had a picture of this but someone at pen posse uses the right pockets in their 3-pen Fillmore to fit their Canon Ivy photo printer and extra Zink packs, making it a photo/journaling kit. I thought this was a great use case (pun intended). I can also imagine using those pockets for cartridges/converters in baggies.

The 3+3 Fillmore case features 3 pen slots on both sides of the case. In addition, it also has a slightly shorter, full-width pocket on the right side. Mark recommends storing a 2-Pen Coozy (sold separately) or pocket notebook so your pens aren’t touching when the case is closed.

Montblanc 146, Franklin-Christoph Model 50, Pelikan M800 on the left side, Pilot Custom 823, Leonardo Momento Zero Grande, Nahvalur Voyage on the right side.

You can see that the pens would be touching each other if you didn’t put anything between them.

I added a Visconti Homo Sapiens and a TWSBI Eco in the 2-pen Coozy sleeve.

Yay, no more touching!

You can also use a pocket notebook, which will also prevent the pens from touching.

Here are a few shots of the Fillmore with the Sinclair R so you can see how they compare:

Fillmore and Sinclair R (on the left in the Starry Night pattern) - the Fillmore is ever so slightly larger than the Sinclair R.

*Looking down at the Sinclair R (top) and the Fillmore - both happen to be 3-pen models. *

If you open the top of the Fillmore, it’s almost like a Sinclair R, where you insert/retrieve items from the top. You can get both in a 3-pen or 6-pen configuration. The Fillmore has the added ability of being able to be fully opened and laid down, but of course, it would take up more desk space when doing so. It really comes down to which one works better for you, or in my case, probably both. 🙂

Opened-up Fillmore with the Sinclair R.

I liked the dual zippers of the Sinclair R and thought it would be cool to have that on the Fillmore, until I thought about how I would most likely end up unzipping the wrong end and have pens falling out (even though it isn’t difficult to figure out which side is up). The Sinclair R wouldn’t have that issue because the zipper is always on top.

The Fillmore 3-pen Pen Case is $69, while the 3+3 is $74 (free shipping kicks in at $99). As I mentioned before, they make everything to order in their San Francisco factory, which means that products aren’t made until you order them. Turnaround time to shipping is usually within a few business days.

In the end, I’m not sure why I’ve been agonizing so much. Since I don’t really use pocket notebooks much, and I don’t really carry anything else with my pens, it became a no-brainer that the 6-pen Fillmore would be the better option for me. Since I already put more Coozy sleeves in my Coozy case and Sinclair R, I would do this with the 3+3, even if they didn’t suggest the 2-pen Coozy. Now that I’ve decided on the 3+3, the hard part will be picking what pattern I want!

(Disclaimer: Thank you to Mark Dwight of Rickshaw Bagworks for loaning me the 2 Fillmores and the 2-pen Coozy sleeve for this review. The Sinclair R is my own.)

Rickshaw 6-Pen Coozy Roll 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 her latest book, The Atropine Tree, is now available for pre-order!)

There's no better feeling than curling up in a soft blanket. Why deprive our pens of that joy? Rickshaw has them covered--literally--with the handy 6-Pen Coozy Roll.

Rickshaw describes these pen rolls as "plush," which is the perfect word for it. The inside is the softest, fuzziest fabric I've ever seen in a pen case. It is teddy bear soft. The fluffy padded roll will keep your pens cushioned from the outside world while protecting delicate surfaces from any scratches or abrasions. It's not a hard case in any way, so care must still be taken when it comes to impacts or pressures your pens might encounter, but for soft, cushiony protection, this roll is fabulous.

While the inside is full of the softest fluff, the outer material is a woven polyester printed, in this case, with a plethora of adorable black cats drawn by artist Yuki Tanaka. Their personalities perfectly match those of my own black cat, Merri. The pen roll comes in tons of colors and patterns and you can easily find one or three that appeal to you. The edges are all lined with a reinforcing trim, and the roll securely closes with an elastic band that circles and cinches closed with a locking plastic toggle.

As it states in the name, it holds six pens. Each pen slot is stitched on both sides, so your pens never touch. The slots are wide enough to fit thick pens, but the plush texture fills the empty space around thinner pens, so they don't slide out, even though there is no closure flap over the opening. When not housing pens, it lays flat, which is great for storage purposes. But your pens are going to love living in this roll, so storage will likely be unnecessary.

This pen roll sells for $49 on JetPens, which is very fair for such a highly constructed piece of pen transport. The cases are also all made in San Francisco, where Rickshaw devises all sorts of tempting bags. Browse at the peril of your wallet.

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

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