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(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
There's always more room in my stationery cabinet for more pen pouches, and a recent newcomer for my collection is the Midtown pouches from Itoya's Profolio division. These come in both small and large formats, and both are really useful for keeping your things organized inside drawers or bags.
While some pen pouches consist of just one pocket with a zipper, these pouches feature a sleeve in the middle that creates two discreet pouches. The adds a nice level or internal organization without adding much bulk.
The pouches are made of a thick felt material, so it's both soft and protective. The color coordination make it feel a little special instead of a pen pouch that only uses one color for the fabric. In my case, I opted for the black and wintergreen colorway, but I had a really hard time choosing. All of the color options they have are attractive.
On the outside, the cases are smooth and clean. The stitches are well done, but I don't expect them to last forever since they're made out of felt. That isn't a knock against felt, but I just don't think it holds up as long as something like nylon fabric.
The zippers are smooth and easy to operate. The inclusion of a pull tab on the end of the zipper is a welcome addition. It makes closing the case easy. One thing that I really dislike about the case design is that the zipper doesn't actually seal the case entirely. At both ends of the zipper, there's a small gap that can allow things to fall out if you're not careful. It's not a big deal on the small case because even a wood case pencil is a tight fit, but the large case has a gap that's large enough for a regular fountain pen to slip through. I don't think this would happen easily, but the right conditions could mean losing a pen or pencil that you value. With that in mind, I only use these pouches when I know they won't be thrown around or jostled very much.
Inside Large.
Inside Small.
Inside the pouches, you're greeted with a fun color contrast because the slim pouch in the middle that divides the larger pouch into two sides is a different color. In my case, the divider is a bright wintergreen while the rest of the pouch is black. Each side of the main pouch has plenty of room to store all kinds of things. The small pouch is even large enough to store unsharpened wood case pencils! The dividing pouch is slim and doesn't expand, so its storage capabilities are limited. It's great for storing something flat. The divider in the small case isn't deep enough to hold a 3.5x5.5 inch pocket notebook, but the large case divider is perfect for a pocket notebook.
In terms of the size, there are two options: small and large. At 4x7 inches, the small size might be poorly named, but I think it strikes a great balance in portability and how much you can store inside it. I can easily fit about 15 to 20 gel pens in each interior pocket of the small case, and while it does expand quite a bit, it's still very stow-able.
The large pouch comes in at 5x9 inches, which doesn't sound like much but translates to a much roomier pouch that holds almost too much stuff. This pouch is large enough to handle small electronics and power bricks along with plenty of stationery goods.
These cases certainly aren't my top choices for storing or transporting more valuable pens since they might get scratched or dinged, but they've been fantastic for throwing a bunch of pens and tools into the pouches, tossing the pouch into a bag, and going out. The thick felt is pleasant to use and offers plenty of protection to what's inside. And with two size options, you can find plenty of different ways to use these pouches.
The small pouch comes in at just $5.99, and the large pouch is $7.99. Look, they're zippered pouches with a divider inside — they hold stuff and they look cool. If you need a pouch, pick one up! Choosing a color is the most difficult part about this proposition.
(Goldspot provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
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(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
Always on the lookout for new notebooks, I couldn't pass up the Itoya Profolio Oasis in Wintergreen and A5. It borrows some aesthetics from other Japanese paper brands, but how does it perform for the price?
The exterior of the notebook is clean and simple. The wintergreen color of mine provides a nice pop of color on an otherwise boring desk. The covers are thin and flexible, but I worry they won't provide much protection in a bag with other items. The corners are square, which are just begging to get bent over in no time, but it makes the notebook look really crispy and clean.
The notebook is stitched very cleanly and has black tape covering the spine for additional protection and strength. The notebook really resists laying flat at first, but it breaks in really quickly. Despite this, it also has no trouble staying closed when it's laying on a desk. This is somewhat unexpected for a notebook with a stiff spine and really lightweight covers, but I'll take it.
Moving inside the notebook, there's nothing extra included between the covers. There are 80 sheets of lightweight paper, and no extra pages for organization or labeling. The inside front cover has some marketing information, but it's incredibly difficult to read in my copy because the light gray ink disappears against the wintergreen cover. It provides some helpful hints on how to use the notebook and it's unique ruling system. Aside from that, the pages aren't numbered, but they do include a spot at the top for a title and date. The paper is really smooth and feels like 80gsm in weight.
Similar to the Lamy notebooks I've been using recently, the Oasis also features a unique ruling system that combines lines, grids, and even dots to create a lightweight "everything" rule that seems to work well. I'll admit, it looks busy when the page is blank, but the ink is light enough that it easily gets out of your way once you start writing. The additional structure is useful if you want to create neat sections on the page, but they easily disappear when writing. I know that this rule format won't appeal to everyone, and that's cool. It's a cool system and I'm glad to see more stationery makers try it out. As long as there are plenty of options available for everyone, I have no problem with creating notebooks with quirky, uncommon rule formats! If you happen to enjoy it or use it for a specific purpose, that's reason enough to manufacture and sell a product like this.
While the paper is smooth and lightweight, it doesn't stand up to wet fountain pens very well. The fountain pen marks easily showed through on the back of the page — making it unusable — but Waterman's Mysterious Blue bled through the back of the page and onto the front of the next page! I've never had any problems with Mysterious Blue in the past, so this definitely surprised me. In the future, I won't be using any fountain pens in this notebook without testing them out on a scrap page first.
Luckily, the paper handled other types of pens, ink, and graphite superbly. It's a smooth paper with just a slight amount of tooth to provide some feedback and friction for controlling your writing instrument, and I've really enjoyed using it.
If you're in the market to try a somewhat uncommon ruling in a sharp notebook, the Oasis is a fantastic option. At $9 for the A5 size, it's a pretty good value for what you get. It's utilitarian but still has some style and personality, but it does have some weaknesses with certain ink/nib combos you'll have to watch out for. The ruling format is interesting and well-executed. For the price, you can try one of these notebooks to see if you like the format — if it's not for you, you haven't lost much money to find out.
And if the Wintergreen cover or A5 isn't what you want, there are several other color and size options available as well. It's not for everyone, but if it's intriguing to you, don't hesitate to try it out!
(Goldspot provided this product at a discount to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)
Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.
Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!
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