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My Perfect Pen Case

Posted in Storage

For most of us, our pens are precious. Even more so as we venture into more expensive territory. Considering how much a pen can cost, it’s no wonder we spend freely on protective cases. With the purchase of my most recent pen case, it occurred to me that I have some very specific ideas when it comes to a perfect case.

There are sleeves, roles, and penvelopes; leather, fabric, and wood; portable and leave-at-home. But, in all of that, we still don’t have a perfect multi-pen case — in my view.

Hear me out. I’ve had several cases in my time. Some of them are near perfection — Girologio — and others left much to be desired. But none of them offered my ideal mix of crush and scratch protection.

What’s Available Now?

Rickshaw Bagworks creates the best sleeves and rolls when it comes to protecting a pen’s finish, of the brands I know well. The plush interiors can’t be beat, and their construction is phenomenal.

There are multiple people/businesses who make stunningly beautiful pen holders — BouSi Design, Galen Leather Co., Helen’s Creations NJ, UTTOKO, and Zoia, among others.

Franklin-Christoph’s Penvelope and Esterbrook’s Nook Cases offer good protection against crushing, but cap out at 12 pens.

Girologio offers decent crush protection, but the elastic isn’t exactly the best for delicate pens.

Pen boxes keep your pens very safe, but they’re heavy and bulky.

I’m sure I’ve skipped a lot of options, but these are the types of pen protection/storage I’ve tried.

So, I put a question to pen case makers: Can my perfect pen holder be made?

What is my Perfect Case?

I want something that zips, like the Girologio 24 and 48 pen cases. A 48 pen capacity would be great, too. Although, I’d imagine smaller sizes would be offered as well.

I want the case to have hard/stiff sides to offer some crush protection. At least as hard/stiff as the Girologio, perhaps a bit stiffer. Or maybe on par with a hardbound book.

Here’s where things diverge from what’s available now. I’d like the case to have plush sleeves instead of elastic bands. I realize that elastic means there is more leeway on pen size, but it’s also harsher on my delicate pens. I certainly would never put an urushi pen in a case with elastic bands.

Since this is about my perfect case, let’s make those sleeves about half height, with a flap to cover the top half, so you don’t “lose” the shorty Kaweco Sports and TWSBI Minis.

And, if we can have some pretty exterior material, that would be great. A fabulous silk kimono fabric or damask would spice it up so much.

But, really, I’m after pen sleeves in a portable, zippered, firm-sided case. Is that too much to ask? That’s a serious question, by the way. I really want to know.

Photoshop mockup of my perfect pen case
After a generous application of photoshop, we get this.

So, readers, did I miss anything you’d want in a perfect case? Let me know in a comment.

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