{"id":16927,"date":"2026-06-26T08:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-26T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/?p=16927"},"modified":"2026-06-25T21:52:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T01:52:19","slug":"soolla-not-quite-right","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/soolla-not-quite-right\/","title":{"rendered":"Soolla: Not Quite What We Need"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>\n

Unpopular opinion incoming: The Soolla bag and pouch aren’t well-suited to the fountain pen world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, set aside your pitchforks and torches. I do like Soolla products. I own the 80’s Windbreaker version of both the studio bag and studio pouch, and they’re fabulous. Both are sturdy and well-made, and the range of colors, already large, keeps expanding. I also 100% acknowledge that the Soolla bags weren’t created for the pen world, so I don’t hold it against the creators or the bags that they aren’t perfect for us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

That said, they’d be more useful if they were inside out, with the pen\/tool pockets on the inside. 37.5% of my active use pen collection is over $100, and 38.6% is over $300. If I’m out and about, I DO NOT want those pens on the outside of my bag. Even using the pouch would leave quite a bit of the cap, and possibly some of the body, visible and unprotected. I’d need a pouch for my pouch to keep my precious pens safe. Even with my less expensive pens, I’d be concerned about a “snatch and run” if I had them in the outer pockets of the bag, or about scuffs if they were in the pouch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"the<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"a<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"the<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"the<\/a><\/figure>\n
These photos are from the Soolla website listings for the 80’s Windbreaker studio bag<\/a> and 80’s Windbreaker studio pouch<\/a>.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

If you want a DIY project, adding a flap that velcro’s or zips closed above the pockets would handle the problems. It would be nice if that could be added as an option from Soolla at some point. If the pockets were moved to the inside of the bag and pouch, a basic fabric flap to cover them would work well. And either solution would work for more than just the pen world. There are some seriously expensive crochet hooks out there, for example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Since I do really, like the Soolla products, I want to end on a high note. The bag is amazingly<\/em> capacious. Like, TARDIS levels. I’m always amazed at how much I can fit in it. I’ve used the pouch less than the bag \u2014 I should try to change that \u2014 but it’s worked well when I have used it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, while I wouldn’t<\/em> recommend them for pen transportation \u2014 at least not fountain pens \u2014 they certainly have their place, and make for fantastic work bags (not work as in jobs, work as in what you’re currently working on).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Do you agree or disagree with me? Do you own any Soolla products? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for reading to the end, I hope you enjoyed my post. Make sure to subscribe to my blog<\/a> or follow me on Instagram<\/a> so you don\u2019t miss any posts. I generally post at least once a week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Soolla makes some amazing products, but they aren’t quite suited to the fountain pen world. Put away your pitchforks and check out my post to understand my reasoning.<\/p>\n

Keep ReadingSoolla: Not Quite What We Need<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":16934,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[416],"tags":[491],"class_list":["post-16927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-storage","tag-bags","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/soolla-featured.jpg?fit=288%2C288&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8Z77k-4p1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":5678,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/dark-radiance\/","url_meta":{"origin":16927,"position":0},"title":"Dark Radiance","author":"Rachel","date":"October 8, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"I fell in love with a Tamenuri Studio pen from a macro shot. And it only got better when the pen arrived. 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And perhaps getting these thoughts written down will help me function this week.","rel":"","context":"In "Pen Shows"","block_context":{"text":"Pen Shows","link":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/category\/stationery\/pen-shows\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/penShowPrep-featured.jpg?fit=288%2C288&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":1989,"url":"https:\/\/racheldelafuente.com\/blog\/explaining-pens\/","url_meta":{"origin":16927,"position":3},"title":"Explaining Pens","author":"Rachel","date":"September 19, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"\"You spent\u00a0HOW much on a pen?\" Every pen person has heard it. I've found a way to avoid it. 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