Above are a couple of my favorite images on the fabric. Those toe beans!!! The cat on this bag looks just like our Pepper.

The Yuki Cat Banzai Bag is my first Rickshaw Banzai Bag. I don’t know why I waited so long to get one. The medium, boxy shape accommodates lots of notebooks and other squarish objects that I carry with me on a daily basis. It’s not large enough for a laptop but will hold my 10.5” iPad as well as very comfortably holding my B6 planner in its leather cover. A5 notebooks would also fit into the Banzai Bag.

I love the double zips on the zippered sections (one opens the main compartment and one opens the slash pocket on the back side of the bag). The double-ended zippers mean, regardless of whether you are left or right handed, the zips can be placed where it is most convenient when wearing the bag or when it is stationary (Look! Correct spelling for the use case!).

The interior of the bag is a bright yellow which matches the cats’ eyes and makes it much easier to see the contents inside the bag. While a black interior hides a lot of dirt and grime, it also hides the contents which is a drag. (Note to self!)

The rear pocket is a bit too narrow to hold my 10.5″ iPad and zip closed but it will fit inside the bag and close properly. Sticking out like this is fine for driving back and forth to work or going from the airport lobby to the flight. It’s secure as in it won’t fall out but its not secure from a pickpocket. (Note to self. Again.)

My keys and earbuds fit into the outside slash pocket for quick access.

Inside are a divided pocket on one side and a slash pocket on the other. The rest of the bag is open space for all your stuff.

The Sinclair Model R Pen Case was a must-have because who doesn’t need matchy-matchy? It has all the same features of the Sinclair case but the plush lining is the same bright yellow as the Banzai bag. If you’re not familiar with the Sinclair, it was originally designed and produced by Nock Co. When Nock Co shuttered operations, they worked with Rickshaw to redevelop it under the Rickshaw brand. So now, the Sinclair is readily available and in a myriad of fabric colors and designs, including Yuki Cat. Life is good!

The Sinclair has three pen slots on one side and an open slash pocket on the other. I use the open pocket for various tools like a small ruler, a bone folder and mechanical pencil. The pen slots are used for various fountain pens.

The open area between the pockets can hold some mobile phones (mine is an iPhone 11). The outside slash pocket is also big enough to hold some phones or a card (credit card, hotel room key, couple bucks cash, business cards, etc).

I have one other Rickshaw bag — the small/medium Soho Tote (starts at $89). I thought visually comparing the size might be helpful for anyone who might own one or the other. The Banzai is a couple inches smaller in each direction. Because of the gusseted shape, it is a little more structured. Both bags — when they are full, they’re full and it’s hard to fit even one more item into it. So, if you are someone who sometimes needs to carry a few things and sometimes needs to carry everything, including the kitchen sink, these bags might not be large enough to accommodate.

But for day-to-day carry, for personal items, the Banzai and Sinclair are perfect. What’s your favorite print pattern?

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

The post Rickshaw Bags: Yuki Cat Collection appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

The Companion pen pouches all ship in sturdy boxes. The largest, 5-pen size includes a pocket notebook that fits into the slot on one side of the case. All cases include elastic loops that have a pull tab that makes it possible to adjust how wide or narrow the loops are to accommodate a wide array of pens.

The zippers are metal and slide smoothly. The leather is smooth but will show scratches but can be rubbed out with your fingers or you can just let it get rough and worn with age.

There are minor feature differences in each design. The 2-Pen Companion has no pockets on one side but there is an elastic loop in the spine area designed to hold one extra ink cartridge but I found that it would also hold my Traveler’s bullet pen that I use for ink testing.

The 3-pen Companion includes a secretary pocket with three business card slots. It also has the loop along the spine for a cartridge.

This close-up image above shows that I was able to put two very slender pens (sometimes the most difficult to keep in a pen case with elastics) as well as a big, chonky BENU Skull & Roses pen and they are all snug and safe.

The largest case is the 5-Pen Companion and, being the largest, its easier to see how imperfections or scratches will show on the leather but its still lovely.

Once again, I made an effort to fill the case with pens that are of widely different widths. It took a few minutes to pull the elastic snug on all the pens so once you have it set up, you will want to remember which slot the skinny pens goes into versus where the wider pens are placed. So, for me, the Pilot Cavalier will always need to be on the outside and the Carolina Pen Co. (pale pink) will need to go closest to the spine. The 5-pen Companion also has the loop along the spine for a cartridge but could be used for a slim pencil or other tool as well.

The 5-pen Companion includes the small Storyboard cahier with dot grid and Endless’s Regalia paper.

The design of these cases are excellent, the materials and the functionality. They are a bit longer than what I need as my pens tend to be on the smallish side but I do think these cases will accommodate most pens in your collection. I think the Platinum Desk Pen was a bit too long for it but that’s on the outside edges of sizes.

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

So, now, its your turn. All three of these cases are up for giveaway. One case per winner, three winners chosen. Please read the “how to enter” below. If you don’t play by the rules, your entry will be disqualified. US only. (Giveaway for cases only. No pens or accessories are included.)

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below and indicate which style Pen Companion you like best. Play along and type in something. It makes reading through entries more interesting for me, okay? One entry per person. Winners will be randomly selected and we will be giving away all three styles (so there will be THREE winners).

If you have never entered a giveaway or commented on the site before, your comment must be manually approved by our highly-trained staff of monkeys before it will appear on the site. Our monkeys are underpaid and under-caffeinated so don’t stress if your comment does not appear right away. Give the monkeys some time.

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on October 6, 2023. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your actual email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 5 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping via USPS first class is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance will have to be paid by the winner. We are generous but we’re not made of money. US and APO/AFO only, sorry.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by Luxury Brands USA for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

The post Product Review: Endless Companion Pen Pouches appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Whenever I see a lovely, handcrafted pencil roll, it evokes fantasies: Seated at a sidewalk table in a Venetian or Parisian café, sipping an espresso, I sketch – my colored pencil roll, charmingly patina-ed with years of travel, casually opened next to my sketchbook.

Despite the fantasies, I didn’t think a roll would work for me. When sketching from the sidewalk, I prefer to stand, so I have no place to spread out a roll. In the cold-weather months, though, I do most of my urban sketching from my car or in coffee shops. Maybe I could fulfill my roll fantasies, at least during the winter. . .?

The roll I had coveted for years is the Peg & Awl Sendak Mini Artist Roll. In December, a Christmas gift card and a post-holiday sale at Peg & Awl came together, and I decided it was time to make a mini Sendak mine!

Peg & Awl’s Sendak rolls (mini and full size) are made of durable waxed canvas in many color options. I chose Moss, which I knew would hide dirt well (mine is already starting to gain a scuffed patina that is definitely charming). Unrolled, a flap protects implements in the upper pockets.

I use the single narrow zipped pocket to hold a sharpener and a blending stump. I could put more in there, but I’m trying to keep the Sendak’s profile svelte. (I don’t want it to turn into a bulging burrito.) 

The other pockets and slots are for my limited watercolor pencil palette, one brush pen and a waterbrush – the key essentials in my sketch kit. 

One benefit I noticed immediately is that it’s much easier and faster to slip pencils into the Sendak’s slots and pockets compared to the elastic loops in my long-time sketch bag organizer, the Tran Portfolio Pencil Case. As much as the Tran Portfolio has served my needs for years, getting pencils back into the loops has always been frustrating – like randomly stabbing into the black hole of my bag. 

Another upside is that thicker items like markers fit easily into the mini Sendak’s pockets; they would not fit into elastic loops designed for pencils. Overall, the mini Sendak’s elegant design is more flexible and versatile for a variety of tools and materials.

Versatility – that brings me to my biggest and most exciting discovery about the mini Sendak: Like my Miata, it’s a convertible! While sketching from my car or at a table, I can unroll it, use it, and roll it back up again.

That’s all find and good, but what about when I’m standing on the sidewalk? What I loved most about the Tran Portfolio is that it kept all my pencils upright and fully accessible just by opening my bag. In the same way, when I’m sketching on location, I simply keep the opened Sendak standing inside my bag. (It fits nicely in the small size Rickshaw Zero Messenger Bag that has been my everyday-carry for a decade. I pulled the Sendak up for the photo below, but it easily tucks in all the way to the bottom of the bag.) During outdoor-sketching season, I’ll leave it that way. Imagine my glee when I realized that it works well both ways – while I’m either sitting or standing! The mini Sendak is my year-round convertible.

I made two hacks to meet my needs better. The Sendak’s diagonally slanted cut of the lower slots is intended to accommodate implements of various lengths. But as some pencils get shorter and shorter, they begin to disappear into even the shortest slots, and then they are difficult to retrieve. I devised an easy solution: When a pencil gets too short, I drop a plastic, flat-bottomed pencil cap (like the Sun-Star Sect) into the slot, which gives the pencil a leg-up. 

Field Notes-size books will tuck into the upper pockets easily, but I prefer to use the pockets for more implements. The pockets are the right depth for longer pencils, but even medium-length pencils start to disappear inside them. I put a small piece of foam at the bottom of the pockets to make them a bit shallower. When I use brand-new pencils, I can pull the foam out. 

The only mini Sendak detail that I’m not crazy about is the leather belt and buckle that secure it. Fastening the buckle is fussier than I like, but I can live with it. I hope the leather will soften over time and become easier to fasten.

I’m thrilled that the ever-versatile mini Sendak is meeting my needs in ways I had not expected. Whenever I get to travel again, I’ll be ready for that Parisian café. Meanwhile, I’m happily rolling along in Seattle coffee shops and on sidewalks, too.

Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge or with funds from our fabulous Patrons. Please see the About page for more details.

The post Pencil Case Review: Peg & Awl Sendak Mini Artist Roll appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

A few months ago I was browsing JetPens and I came across the Sun-Star Delde Slide Pen Pouches ($16.50-18.50) and decided I needed to try one.

I opted for the pouch in Happy Fleur and Mint which is listed as a limited edition. I was particularly intrigued by the sliding part of the pouch.

The pouch itself is approximately 7.5″ tall and 4.5″ wide at the widest part. The base is about 2.5″ deep.  The upper part of the case (here, the floral motif) is made of PVC, and the lower part of the case and trim (tabs, zipper pull) are made of synthetic leather. Both are listed as sturdy and resistant to dirt.

Inside the case has a mint green polyester lining with a few small pockets. The larger portion of the inside is just open for storing pens, pencils, rulers, scissors and anything else you’d like to carry on the go.

The creative part of the case (for me) are the two leather tabs on either side of the case. Pull on the tabs and the entire top portion slides down, allowing the convertible pen pouch also functions as a pen stand on a desk. As you can see I’ve loaded it up with my brush pens for handlettering and my Sakura Gelly Rolls for some color.

As we’ve mostly been isolating, I haven’t taken this pouch out and about much yet, but I think it would be perfect for some urban sketching, or just keeping in my purse in case the mood strikes when I’m not at home among my tools. It’s portable, lightweight and seems easy enough to clean in case of mishaps!

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided to us free of charge for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

The post Pen Case Review: Sun-Star Delde Slide Pen Pouch appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Their Notebook Cases will be of particular interest which are available in a foliage grey ($30) or a shapes ($30) pattern created by Kate. Kate’s pattern is excellent but I’m biased because I am a fan of her illustrations. The material on the shapes pattern is cotton canvas-y where the foliage grey is nylon so they have a slightly different feel. The foliage grey, like all nylon, attracts cat hair like I attract cats.

The Notebook Cases hold an A5-sized notebook in a pocket on the right-hand side and a zip pocket for small ephemera and 4-slots on the left for pens and drawing tools. The case zips all the way around with a big zipper. There is no structure built in to the case so depending on how stiff the notebook is that you put into to the case will determine how stiff the case becomes. I put a sketchpad in mine so it was not rigid but stiff enough that the case did not flop around or feel unstable.

I filled the gray model with my drawing tools and doubled up pens, pencils and waterbrushes for sketching. Since the case is large enough for an A5 and the slots for pens are not blocked by anything, a full-sized waterbrush will fit and the pockets are large enough for the widest pen or two smaller pens. In the zippered pouch, I stored extra leads for my mechanical pencils, a Tile and some stickers and business cards.

I was even able to stick my cellphone in the notebook pocket and zip up the case. This makes the notebook case a great option for taking out for a walk-and-draw, out to the patio, or (someday) to conferences or lectures. It holds everything you’d need for a day of notetaking, plus phone, some credit cards or cash in the pocket. And the price on these can’t be beat.

THE GIVEAWAY:

We are giving away one Formal Dept Notebook Case in the Shapes Pattern (new, unused) to one lucky reader (pictured here).

TO ENTER:

Leave a comment below and tell me what you’ll put inside the Formal Dept Notebook Case. Play along and type in something. It makes reading through entries more interesting for me, okay? One entry per person.

If you have never entered a giveaway or commented on the site before, your comment must be manually approved by our highly-trained staff of monkeys before it will appear on the site. Our monkeys are underpaid and under-caffeinated so don’t stress if your comment does not appear right away. Give the monkeys some time.

FINE PRINT:

All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Sunday, Sept. 20, 2020. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your actual email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 5 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Shipping via USPS first class is covered. Additional shipping options or insurance will have to be paid by the winner. We are generous but we’re not made of money. US and APO/AFO only, sorry.

DISCLAIMER: I was not paid for this review or giveaway. I purchased these cases with my own money because I think they make really cool stuff. Please see the About page for more details.

The post Review: Formal Dept Notebook Case (& Giveaway) appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

It’s no secret that I love Tombow Irojiten colored pencils, inside and out. Aside from their beautiful glossy white lacquer and even more beautiful end caps, these wax-based pencils are a delight to use. As much as I could go on about them, I won’t repeat what I wrote in my original review about their performance or appearance; my focus in this review will be on a new portable case including pencils (24 pencils/$39 with case).

The set comes with an insert (mostly in Japanese) showing swatches of the entire Irojiten color line and a blank swatch card to make your own color chart. It’s clear from the imagery that the Japanese esthetic based on the four seasons guided the color selection of the 24 pencils, which are suitable for landscapes and nature.

Made of sturdy canvas, the cream-colored case is fastened with a brown elastic band. The brand is printed in brown on the front. Unlike many pencil rolls that are literally bulky rolls, the Irojiten case tri-folds like a book. It emulates an elastic-banded journal as well as Irojiten’s other boxed sets that look like books (after all, Irojiten means “color dictionary”). Folded and filled with 24 pencils, the case is no more than an inch thick. I like the slender profile.

When opened, the “book” reveals 30 elastic loops – 24 for the enclosed set, plus six more for additional colors or other pencils. Although 30 pencils will fit, I prefer keeping the folded profile slimmer by sticking with 24. The loops are snug enough to hold standard-size pencils securely, but slightly larger pencils (like my favorite Caran d’Ache Museum Aquarelles) will easily fit, too.

The 24 colors are not new to the Irojiten “dictionary,” but they have been carefully curated for a landscape sketcher. In addition to five greens (essential to any landscape-focused set), the palette also includes several shades of blue, a few earth tones, some warm florals, and a warm and a cool gray. Although I might have exchanged one of the darker blues for a second, cooler yellow, this urban sketcher approves of Dandelion, which could be used for heavy equipment (one of my favorite subjects). Overall, it’s a good urban and natural selection.

A flap of fabric protects the pencil points. (Gratuitous image of lovely end caps also shown.)

On the end of one flap are two small pockets that would accommodate a standard bar eraser and small sharpener.

It was time to give the Irojiten case a spin! Sadly, my urban sketching range has narrowed to a few neighborhood blocks these days. But on a sunny afternoon, I tucked the Irojiten case under my arm and dragged a kitchen chair out to our front stairway landing. Across the street, I spotted our neighbors’ happy trees. It’s a tidy sketch kit that fits easily on my lap under my sketchbook. (For my sketch, I used Scarlet, Dandelion, Moss, Cactus, Indigo, Sepia and Taupe in a Stillman & Birn Zeta sketchbook.)

I tried sandwiching a Field Notes Signature sketchbook inside the Irojiten case, and it fits nicely without adding much bulk. A pocket-size Stillman & Birn sketchbook would also fit, but it’s a bit bulkier. With either, when the elastic is fastened, the book stays secure inside. The pairing makes a great grab-and-go sketch kit. In fact, what a terrific gift they would make for an urban or travel sketcher. As the smallest Irojiten set, this is an ideal introduction to Tombow’s dictionary of color.

Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

DISCLAIMER: Some items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

The post Pencil Case Review: Tombow Irojiten Set with Portable Case – Limited Edition appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Some lovely friends sent me an even lovelier gift this holiday season: the new Franklin Christoph Penvelope 3 ($25) in Cranberry.

This natural wood fiber (NWF) 3-pen case is a perfect fit in my handbag and will hold 3-5 of my favorite pens. (if you don’t mind them touching!) The NWF makes the pen case vegan, but with the durability and feel of leather. The cloth insert is removable making it easy to get your pens in and out. Each slot will hold a pen up to .75″ thick and 6″ tall, so this geared towards smaller and medium size pens.

Dimensions when the case is closed: 6″ x 2.5″ x 1.”

The post Eye Candy: Franklin Christoph New Penvelope 3 appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

One distinctive characteristic of the popular Palomino Blackwing pencil is its trademark large, flat eraser and ferrule that make the Blackwing about an inch longer than conventional woodcased pencils. While I have many pencil cases, most are not quite long enough to accommodate new or freshly sharpened Blackwings. I’ve been looking for a trim case to neatly tuck away the several Blackwings I regularly have in rotation. The Sonic Kodawari ($22) seemed to fit the bill, especially since (according to JetPens) the word kodawari means “fastidious”!

Available in pink or black, the plastic-covered case is lightly textured. When the case is closed, it does, indeed, look fastidious. (I like to keep it on my desk upside-down, as shown in my photo; according to JetPens’ photos, the clasp would be on top.) The case stays secured with both a magnetic closure and a clasp.

I appreciate details such as the red top-stitching on the black case and the retro design element inside.

Inside are sensible compartments that keep things from shifting around too much and becoming disorganized. A hinged upper compartment holds six pencils.

The small compartment on top is just right for most bar erasers. I was eager to see how the Blackwings would fit, so I filled the lower space with six. Standard pencils would fit better below the eraser space, but the longer Blackwings lean against the eraser compartment wall with no problem.

I filled the hinged, upper compartment with six standard-length pencils. Although the ends lie on top of the Blackwings, the cover still closes adequately (there’s a tiny gap, which would be eliminated if all pencils were standard length).

Just for fun, I also tried filling the upper compartment with a few colored pencils. (This would be a sweet minimal portable sketch kit for me!)

Then I tried a different setup: several pens in the lower compartment and Blackwings in the upper hinged compartment. Everything fits better in this arrangement, with no gap when the cover is closed. (Pens will not fit in the hinged compartment’s slots.)

So – Blackwings, other pencils, a few pens, and an eraser, all in a sleek box that’s secure enough to toss into a backpack or large bag. Looks good – but if I were really going to take it with me, I’d want a small sharpener, too. Sadly, a KUM Blackwing 2-step sharpener does not fit, but a one-hole or two-hole wedge sharpener would easily fit in the eraser compartment.

I am using this on my desk, though, instead of taking it with me, so the sharpener doesn’t have to fit. The Sonic Kodawari is a tidy place to store a few favorite pencils.

(When I was a kid, I had a small box for my “special” pencils and erasers – back when I had so few special pencils and erasers that they would all fit in a small box. Not so anymore – I need a storage bin for all my “special” pencils and erasers and pens and . . .! But sometimes I long for the days of such simplicity. The Kodawari box gives me that illusion.)

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

Tina Koyama is an urban sketcher in Seattle. Her blog is Fueled by Clouds & Coffee, and you can follow her on Instagram as Miatagrrl.

The post Pencil Case Review: Sonic Kodawari appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

As you peruse this round-up, be warned that I may show a colorway or material that is from a limited edition or is no longer in production. I apologize in advance if I get your hopes up. I used the stash of NockCo products accumulated over years.

Lookout 3-Pen Case

The Lookout ($25) is one of the most minimal, slimline cases NockCo carries. If you prefer your pens do not touch, carry only a few pens and have another solution for a notebook, then the Lookout is right for you.

The Lookout holds pens from average size to large. Oversize pens or very long pens (Conids and such) might be too long for this case.

Sinclair Zip 3-Pen Case

The Sinclair ($40) is the Lookout with room for a Field Notes and more. There are slots on one for three pens you do not want to touch and an open slot on the other for a Field Notes-sized notebook. The open section in the middle can accommodate additional cards, receipts, a couple random pens like a Sharpie or ballpoint that you don’t mind touching, etc.

The nice thing about the Sinclair is that many folks have discovered alternate uses for it. My husband has used his for a money pouch at craft and pen shows or to store a small portable harddrive as the padding is enough to provide protection and the pouch has room for the cables and harddrive. Laura store her knitting supplies in her Sinclair. I’ve been know to fill the open pocket with pens and stuff a small notebook in the middle section. So, if you like the pens plus more and still have a small, portable carry, than the Sinclair is a good option.

Brasstown Pen Roll

The Brasstown ($40) is the multi-tool of pen cases. Inside the neat zip-up case is a multitide of options for organizing pens and accessories.

Inside is a roll-up, divided pen sleeve. Originally, I thought this seemed excessive. Why have a pen roll in a zip case?

Because you can overstuff a Brasstown. Not only can you divide your “fine pens” in the roll, your other items can be tucked to the left and right of the roll and the case will still easily zip closed. As shown above, I have filled the space on either side of the roll with fineliner pens, some business cards and a pack of stickers.

The roll, when unrolled, reveals sleeves for six pens. The sleeves can hold an array of sizes and since the pens are contained inside the zip case, both clip pens and clipless pens can safely reside in the Brasstown.

(Please overlook the condition of my Brasstown. I once had a pen explosion which lead to discovering that NockCo cases are machine washable. The more you know!)

The photo above shows all the items that were contained in the Brasstown and it was not at all difficult to zip shut. I often include other items in my Brasstown like a pipette, cotton swabs, and a vial with spare dip nibs when I travel for pen shows or go to pen club. The Brasstown is definitely a bigger case and may be more pen case than you need. Or you might need two.

Lanier/Burton A5 Pouch

The latest case available from NockCo is the Lanier A5 Pouch ($35). Originally only available as part of the Lanier Briefcase, its now available as a standalone item.

Pictured here is the Burton case available in this year’s Kickstarter and will be available at a future date. It is padded and has individual pen slots and the extra slot for paper ephemera. Inside there are three large slots for pens and I mean LARGE. (Thanks to the eagle eyes in the Pen Addict Slack Group for catching my mistake.)

The Lanier A5 pouch is a great “around the office” or “around the conference” kind of case. If you like to organize your bag-in-a-bag as well, the Lanier A5 pouch will help with that too. There are two slots for Field Notes-sized notebooks or a phone. The open section holds an A5 notebook.

I work on a large campus and often walk from meeting to meeting without returning to my desk. The Lanier A5 Pouch plus my laptop keeps me organized and well-stocked for a whole day. Though I don’t recommend the smooth matte black if you have pets. I lint rolled this before the photos and it still looks like I rolled it around on my dryer vent. Imagine what it will look like at the end of a long week? Lint city! The standard Cordura is a way better option, lintwise.

Seed Case A6

The Seed A6 ($60) (also available in an A5 size) is a pen case in the loosest sense of the word. It’s really more of a notebook case with a pen slot. However, it does hold a couple pens, a notebook and some miscellaneous items so it fits into this round-up.

The double zip on these cases are one of my favorite aspects. As a lefty, I tend to zip and unzip in the opposite direction from the rest of the world so being able to choose directions is awesome.

Depending on the thickness of the notebook will determine how stuffed you can get with your Seed case. These really work best with a more streamlined notebook and regular sized pens. The A5 case has a bit more wiggle room than the A6 case overall.

Rare & Discontinued Cases:

There are a few cases that are no longer available but that might turn up on Buy/Sell/Trade, at pen shows or might come back at some time. I thought I’d include a couple.

Fodderstack Pen & Card Case

The Fodderstack existed in a regular, an XL model and this diminutive version. The XL was large enough to hold 4×6″ cards, the regular held 3×5″ index cards and this little guy holds mini DotDash cards, business cards or… Col-o-ring cards. That’s where it really won my heart. I stuck one of my hacked traveling dip pens in the slot on the front, plus a couple cotton swabs and a handful of Col-o-ring cards and I had an instant traveling ink sampling kit.

For everyday use, I stick a Kaweco Sport and a stack of mini index cards. I luck out having a printer for a husband so I just have him give me cut scraps to fit into the Fodderstack Mini. If you like writing on index cards, I say send a pointed email to NockCo and request that they put the Fodderstacks back in the production rotation, particularly the Mini!

Sapelo Penvelope

While this is the small Field Notes-sized Sapelo that was a limited edition, NockCo does make a larger Sapelo XL ($40) that is currently available. The larger Sapelo XL fits a slim A5 notebook or miscellaneous papers and features additional pockets on the front to hold pens and a Field Notes-sized notebook. The original Sapelo holds a Field Notes-sized notebook or similar and a pen.

As a travel companion, the Sapelo is the picture of minimalism. It could double as a makeshift wallet as well to hold a couple credit cards and some cash and be the perfect “at the beach” or “going down to the cafe” companion. The closest alternative to this would be the Sinclair or the Hightower ($25).

Not Pictured:

There are even more cases that I didn’t have here at Desk HQ or that I didn’t actually own one. So, this round-up is not as complete as I’d like.

• The Coleman: Stand-up pen case
• The Hightower: 3-pen and Field Notes-sized notebook bi-fold
• The Chimneytops: zip pouch for pen/pencil or accessories
• The Tallulah (sold out): 2-pen zip case
• The Pencil Pouch (sold out): zip pouch
• The Maryapple (discontinued)

Hopefully, this round-up gave a good overview of the various NockCo cases and which one might be right for you. Maybe you need more than one, maybe you need all of them too. We won’t judge.

DISCLAIMER: Some of the items included in this review were provided free of charge by NockCo for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

The post Which NockCo Case is Right for You? appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Conventional wallets don’t seem to meet my needs anymore. Like many people, I carry a lot more plastic than paper these days. Most wallet designs still offer plenty of space for cash while being relatively stingy with card slots. I was attracted to the design of the Kurochiku Accordion Card Case for having the opposite: an emphasis on the cards.

Available in eight adorable Japanese patterns, the Kurochiku is made of aluminum alloy on the outside and plastic inside. I took quite a while to make up my mind, but I finally chose the tenjiku botan (dahlia) pattern (it was hard to let the rabbits go, though). Smooth and very lightweight, it evokes a tiny, hard-shell suitcase that seems durable. About 3-by-4 inches, it fits comfortably in the palm of my hand.

At less than an inch thick, it would fit easily in any bag pocket without much bulk. The latch at first seemed awkward and difficult to open because I was trying to push against the shallow ridge with a thumbnail. But all it requires is an easy rocking motion with the ball of the thumb. Now it feels like it could open too easily, but so far, it has remained secure.

Inside, the “accordion” is thin and flexible. To function well, it needs to be thin, but I’m not sure how durable it is. I like how easy it is to remove and replace cards compared to digging into leather or other slots that are often too tight (but alternatively, if you are accustomed to cards staying secure while you dig, beware that the whole pile could fall out easily if you overturned the case).

Seven (not six, as it says in JetPens’ product description) slots offer generous space for credit and ATM cards, gift cards, coffee punch cards, coupons and other wallet detritus. Maybe even some of the folding kind of money. I don’t show them all in my photo, but since the product information says that the capacity is about 13 cards, I kept stuffing more cards in to see for myself. Twelve plastic cards fit comfortably; the 13^th would fit, but when I closed it, the latch felt like it could release inadvertently. Ideal is about 10 cards, with remaining space for folded cash.

I’m not sure how long the accordion will last, but otherwise, it’s a cute and practical case that takes care of my plastic (and some paper) money needs well.

DISCLAIMER: The items included in this review were provided free of charge by JetPens for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

The post Case Review: Kurochiku Accordion Card Case appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.