Thanks to Rickshaw Bags, I’m awash in fluorescent pink pen and pencil cases. I already spread the wealth a bit. Laura will be reviewing the Waldo Field Cases in the future. Rickshaw, and Mark Dwight, seem to have warmly embraced the pen community and was even very kind when I fan-girled all over him at the San Francisco Pen Show. I have been a fan of Rickshaw Bags since they launched. I bought their Moleskine notebook cover very early on and I have several Zero Messenger Bags. So when I saw Mark walking around the pen show, I wanted to walk up and say hello but I chickened out. Lcukily, he came back the following day and I got up my courage to walk up and tell him what a fan I was of Rickshaw.
So, Mark gave me my first Solo Pen Sleeve at the show to match Caran d’Ache 849 fountain pen which started the whole PINK thing, I think. Well, that and my hair, I suspect.
The Plush Pen Sleeves
There are lots of options available from Rickshaw in the pen sleeves (and all the other pen and pencil-related products and even the ability to customize them!) but the Solo Pen Sleeve ($12) has been holding that Caran d’Ache 849 everyday since the San Francisco Pen Show. The Solo Pen Sleeve has been lovingly dubbed the “pen taco” at our house. It’s so simple. Slide the pen into the plush-lined taco, then when it’s needed, squeeze the bottom of the taco like a Go-Gurt to get it out. The great thing about the Solo Pen Sleeve is that it doesn’t add a lot of bulk to your Everyday Carry so if you have a pen you like to keep in your pocket or the pocket of a bag, the plush sleeve provides an extra layer of protection without inhibiting access. My thinking is if you just dropped three digits on a new pen, $12 on a sleeve seems like a no-brainer.
The Duo 2-Pen Sleeve ($20) is exactly what you think it is. The Solo plus one. Initially, I couldn’t wrap my head around what to do with it. Pen and pencil set? Then I saw someone (and I can’t for the life of me remember where I saw it!) used a Duo to add some extra NO TOUCHING protection to their NockCo Sinclair case and it all became clear! And, if you have some extra special pens you want to carry in your Sinclair or Brasstown, the Duo will give you the added plush lining to protect your most treasured items.
The Trio 3-Pen Sleeve ($24) is three times the pen fun. In case you’re curious, there’s a Sailor Fresca, Karas Decograph and a Sailor Pro Gear Slim Cosmos in the 3-Pen Sleeve. I put a Pelikan M205 and something shiny in the Duo but I can’t for the life of me remember what the other pen was. Needless to say, the medium size holds a variety of sizes easily. I quickly discovered that the Trio is a case for the pen minimalist which I am not. It’s so cool looking and lovely but I can neither pare down my bag carry to just three pens nor do I ever wear anything that can accommodate the Trio. But I love the look of it.
The Plush Pencil Pouch
The Plush Pencil Pouch ($18) was specifically designed to hold the loved but annoyingly long Blackwing pencils. The Plush Pencil Pouch is able to carry up to two dozen unsharpened Blackwings.
The interior is lined with plushy goodness. This is both a perk and pain. The plushy lining protects your treasures but it will pick up pencil marks, shavings and other detritus fairly easily.
As a sketcher, I don’t carry just pencils. I also carry other tools with me like a sharpener, eraser, ruler, leads for mechanical pencils, etc. My KUM 2-step sharpener pushed the limits of what the Plush Pencil Pouch could hold which was a bummer. Even with what I consider a very pared down assortment of drawing tools, I was straining the zipper. I am NOT a minimalist.
I switched to the Plush Pen Pouch ($18), which is not as long as the Plush Pencil Pouch but is considerably deeper. I filled it with my watercolor palette and some of my other pen and drawing tools.
Behold! Chaos!
If you are looking for a step up from art supply store pouches to protect your nicer tools but don’t necessarily need a sleeve for everything, then I think the Plush Pen Pouch is a good option. This is a good option for the urban sketcher, bullet journalers, and maybe those sub-$50 fountain pens you have in your collection.
The Hemingway Deluxe 6-Pen Roll
The Hemingway Deluxe 6-Pen Roll ($39) is the fanciest case on offer from Rickshaw, IMHO. It offers six slots to protect all your best pens with a protective flap.
I clearly should have watched Mark’s video on how to properly roll the roll because I’ve been doing it wrong the whole time. He makes it look so easy!
There’s plush lining throughout as well.
Remarkably nice looking case and well-constructed. I am, however, so not the target audience on this one. I can never narrow down to just six pens and I pretty thoughtlessly throw my pens around. I’m the same person who never buys cases for my computer and thinks “protection” for my camera is wrapping it in a t-shirt before traipsing across the globe.
The Giveaway:
So, the fact that I’m a pen heathen is your bounty! I want these awesome cases to go to folks who will actually put them to good use. I am giving away the following items reviewed above:
Trio 3-Pen SleevePlush Pencil PouchHemingway Deluxe 6-Pen Roll
Let me know, in the comments below, (1) which item you’d like (warning: fluorescent pink!) and if you’ve shopped at Rickshaw Bags before, (2) what you’ve bought. If not, (3) what you’d buy in the future. GO!
FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Tuesday, January 16, 2018. All entries must be submitted on THIS post at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? Winner will be announced on Wednesday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include the email address you would like to be contacted at in the comment form so that you be notified if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 7 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 residents and AFO/APO only please.
DISCLAIMER: These items were sent to me free of charge by Rickshaw Bags for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.
This week I have a few posts I forgot to include in previous weeks. You may have already seen these elsewhere but, if not, I wanted to bring them to your attention.
