(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)
Carrying your pens around is a dangerous affair, which is why you should protect them appropriately when away from your desk. There are so many options for carrying your pens, and more pop up every day.
One of the most common style of pen carrying solution is the pen wrap. It's elegant, functional, and looks really good when combined with complimentary fabrics.
And that brings us to today's product on the review table: Pen wraps by EXBPens. I'm sure you're all familiar with the wrap style of pen case — there's normally 3 or so pockets for your pens, and a flap of fabric folds over the top. Then, you roll up the case and tie it shut with a couple of leather cords. Simple and elegant.
According to EXB, almost all of the cases they make are completely unique, and some can be custom made. I think the description on their about page sums up these cases nicely: Compact, Soft and Satisfying to the Senses.
The wrap I got is certainly unique. I love the outer fabric the most, and the inner fabrics compliment the case nicely. The fabric is soft and smooth to the touch, but still has enough padding to protect the pens inside.
This wrap has three pockets on the inside, although the other design is more of a flat sheet that you fold over the pens. This gives the wrap a nice look once you've wrapped it up since the corners are all diagonal. I'm still trying to find the best method of tying the cords around the wrap, but most of the time I just wrap them around a few times without securing them. So far, it stays closed if it's just going into another bag.
I was a little concerned when I first got the case because it looked like the pens would touch once they were folded on top of each other. Fear not, for EXB likely already thought this through as part of the design. Once the case is rolled up, there's plenty of padding for each pen, and there's no danger of them touching.
It's also worth noting that the three slots are fairly wide, so if you're brave enough to cram two pens into each slot, you could carry six fountain pens. And you could carry even more gel ink pens if they were slim enough. Even though it's a simple case by design, it's very versatile.
At the end of the day, that why I like this case so much. It's simple. Yes, the fabric gives it a lot of visual interest, but I love how elegant the design is. It's just a few pieces of fabric to hold your pens, but a lot of care and attention went into it.
As for the quality of the wrap, I have nothing bad to report. So far it's held up great to normal use. This isn't the type of thing that would typically see harsh conditions, but over a long period of normal use I think it would hold up nicely.
I was pleasantly surprised by the feel and look of this pen wrap. If you'd like to give one a try, head over to the EXBPens store to see what's currently available. Stock rotates in and out pretty quickly, so grab it if you like it as it won't stick around for long.
