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.

I ordered the Navy Version ($24.00) featuring Snoopy and Woodchuck Woodstock (oops!). The Paco-Tray pen case isn’t new (just the Peanuts editions are). It’s a sturdy zippered case featuring 3 handy compartments to store pens, pencils, and other stationery tools. And the best part is that it opens fully to lay flat and feature a stand up tray. The outside is a dark blue polyester canvas, and the insides is a BRIGHT pink fabric (likely also polyester) featuring bits and pieces of the characters with fun quote bubbles.

The case measures 7.5″/19cm long, and (when zipped) 2.25″/5.5cm wide and 2.5″/6.5cm tall. It’s pretty much the perfect size to throw in a purse or a backpack and have all your essentials corralled in a sturdy case. It says it can hold up to 19 pens, although my guess is that depends on how big the pens are, and whether or not you like your pens to touch.

To me, the most special thing about this handy case is the Peanuts theme. It takes me back to reading the Sunday comics in the LA Times growing up. Or maybe it’s that as a teenager in musical theater, I have fond memories of our 1992 production of You’re a Good Man Charlie Brown (yikes, I feel old). Or maybe it’s that I just love a little Peanuts themed music.

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: Kamio Japan Paco-Tray Pen Case – Peanuts in Navy appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Front flip panel, you might be asking?  The Smand features a magnetic flap on the front of the case (or is it the back? You decide!) that will lay flat onto your work surface and reveals a grippy surface, perfect for propping up your phone.

When I first saw this, I wasn’t sure I needed such a feature. Isn’t the point of writing to not use your phone?  decided to give it a try anyway and discovered that the flap is so handy! Throughout my day, I find that I use my phone for podcasts, the occasional chat and other little tasks. The grippy surface has become the “phone landing pad” so I know where I put it and can easily see if a message pops up.

The rigid construction of the case supports your phone (or a small notepad) easily. I have discovered that the remaining grippy surface can act as a pen rest, keeping pens from rolling off the table.

The easy portability of this case means that if you find yourself working from a coffee shop, library or other non-office-y space, you still have the convenience of propping up your phone and laying a pen on the grippy surface like a makeshift pen tray. AND you’ll have a case full of tools for whatever project you need to tackle.

The internal storage space opens wide to allow easy access to supplies. The case is long enough for most pencils and an array of markers, gel pens and small supplies. The Smand can hold about a dozen pens or pencils comfortably so it forces me to be a bit more choosy about what supplies I keep with me. Any more than 8-12 tools and I find that I need to dump everything out to find what I want to use. I try to pick an assortment of brush pens, Mildliners and dot markers each month to add  a little flourish to my planner but keep my options to a limited palette. The Smand is perfect for this.

If lemon print is not for you, the Smand is available in a bunch of other patterns and colors including more sedate, solid colors. Facing a long, dark January, the bright pop of yellow reminds me that summer will be here soon but in the meantime I can warm my soul with my lemon pen case!

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 Product Review: Sun-Star Delde Smand Pen Case in Lemon appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

I’m sure if you are a regular listener of the Pen Addict podcast, you are well aware that Brad recently announced a new partnership with Rickshaw Bagworks to create a new iteration of the much-loved Sinclair pen case (introductory price $40, regular price $59). The cases were unveiled at the San Francisco Pen Show last week and, while I was not able to attend the show, Mark Dwight, founder of Rickshaw Bags, was kind enough to send this absolutely PINK edition to me to review.

The first thing I notice about the new Rickshaw x Nockco Sinclair Model R is the external pocket which is perfect for slipping ephemera or maybe a phone. Oh, and that the PINK version perfectly matches my Soho Tote.

There’s been a lot of debate around the loop on the back of the case. Is it a boy thing to carabiner things to your belt? I am just not entirely sure what I’d do with it.

When compared to an earlier Nockco edition of the Sinclair, it’s easy to see that the earlier edition is about a half an inch or so smaller. The corners on the older edition are also much more square.

Inside, the new Sinclair features Rickshaw’s plush fabric which feels awesome and protects your pens in this cozy bed of softness.

There are the same three divided pen slots on one side of the case and a full pocket on the other that will hold a Field Note-sized notebook or smaller. I have a Leuchtturm1917 A7 pocket notebook in the open pocket which left room for one more pen.

Mark also sent a beautiful Pink Cherry Blossom 2-Pen Plush Coozy. This particular colorway is not currently available but there are lots of other options as well as the option to custom build your own with dozens of fabric color starting at $25.

The 2-pen Coozy includes the same PINK plush material so it matches my Caran D’Ache 849 fountain pens perfectly.

The placement of the tags on the inside differ as well.  And Rickshaw added a trim at the top of the pockets for durability.

I think this new iteration and partnership is a perfect opportunity for the popular designs from the Nockco catalog to live on. They are definitely tools for the pen community and have been very smartly designed.

This PINK color combination of the Sinclair Model R is not one of Brad’s Picks color combinations. If you would like this wholly Desk-approved color combination, when ordering, choose the “special request” and choose PINK Cordura, PINK Plush, FLO PINK Paracord, FLO PINK Label. OR send them the link to the video on Instagram and tell them you want the Well-Appointed Desk version, they’ll know which one that is.

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

The post Product Review: Rickshaw x NockCo Sinclair Model R 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.

These Japanese-made pen rolls are made with traditional Japanese prints on the outside, and plain black fabric on the inside. They aren’t padded (just a few layers of fabric), and have a sturdy black cotton cord that can wrap around twice to hold them shut. Inside there are three slots for pens. Each slot can hold more than one pen, if you’re comfortable with your pens touching, or you can keep three pens relatively separated within the case. With these cases, what you see is what you get. They’re simple and perfect for dropping a few pens into a purse or bag, or carrying along with your favorite notebook.

The reason I ordered these cases is because a case from Galen or Rickshaw that will accommodate 3-6 pens will set you back more than $16. I do think they have other bonuses (more variety on prints, extra padding, etc.) but if you’re just starting out and looking for a way to carry a few pens, these Saki rolls will serve you well!

I mentioned a giveaway right? We’ll select two winners who will each win one of the Saki Pen Rolls pictured above (Purple and Maccha Green) plus some ink samples and swag. The pen cases are brand new, only used for the photos above!

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below telling me about your favorite pen case! If you don’t have one yet, let me know which color Saki Roll you’d like to win.  (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, January 30, 2022. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. ONE 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: These cases were provided to us by Jetpens (a lovely sponsor) for the purposes of review and this giveaway!

The post GIVEAWAY: Saki Roll Pen Case appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Congratulations Margret – I hope you love it!

The post Giveaway Winner: Yenderings Pen Roll appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

For a short while, Yenderings produced a limited batch of pen rolls with designs inspired by places in Toronto. We found a review from the Pen Addict dating back to 2018 showing another case and discussing some of the design inspiration. There is a Yenderings Facebook page (linked above), but the website isn’t active currently. Still we wanted to share this gorgeous case with you.

This soft fabric case has a combination of individual pen slots and separate zippered pockets to hold your essentials. When opened completely, the case is approximately 20″/50cm wide. The case is a tri-fold can can be folded and held closed with a fabric tie, at which point it is approximately 8″/20cm wide x 9.5″/24cm tall.

All of the seams on this case are beautifully finished, and the complementary zippers open up to reveal lined pouches. I easily fit a pocket sized notebook into both zippered pouches and, while it would create some bulk, one could fit a handy Col-o-Ring in there as well.

The 12 pen slots are deep, meaning your pens can slide in and remain protected (for those who never want their pens to touch!). For the photo I didn’t push them in quite all the way, but when I did there was less than an inch of the caps that showed. Col-o-Ring aside, the case is a few inches thick when full, but lightweight.

And if you match it with a Musubi notebook, you’ll be stylin’!

So let’s get on with the giveaway shall we? The giveaway includes the gorgeous pen roll pictured here, but not any of the props I used (I’m keeping my pens and Musubi y’all).

TO ENTER: Leave a comment below telling about your current go-to pen 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 Friday, June 18, 2021. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Monday. ONE 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: All the items included in this post, as well as the giveaway item, were purchased by the staff of The Well-Appointed Desk using their own funds.

The post GIVEAWAY: Yenderings Pen Roll appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.

Congratulations to Alan and Natalie, and thanks to everyone who entered. I’ve got more goodies for review and giveaway coming up in the next few weeks!

The post GIVEAWAY WINNERS: Shibui 9-Vial & A6 Cases appeared first on The Well-Appointed Desk.