The King Jim Frio Stand Roll Pen Case: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

With Doomsday (i.e. school) drawing nigh, it’s time to think about supplies. Supplies are the best part of going back to school, so finding some new items for the year is always fun.

The King Jim Frio Stand Roll Pen Case is made in China. It has felted material on the top half and polyester on the bottom.

The case has three 30mm pockets (best for pens and pencils), two 45mm pockets (good for larger pens and rulers), and one 75mm pocket (for scissors or a small notebook). A felt flap protects your instruments when the case is rolled up.

Although I’ve seen many roll cases, I’ve not seen one quite like the Frio. Two magnets connect to the bottom portion when the case is folded backwards so that it functions as a stand.

Although it doesn’t look very elegant from the back, the case morphing into a stand is quite practical and looks nice on a desk.

Although the case rolled up adequately with all the things I put in it, the felt flap didn’t provide enough protection for my fountain pens. It’s much too short to cover them completely, and I was concerned that the scissors and ruler would scratch them.

I wouldn’t recommend using this case for special fountain pens due to the potential for scratches and dings, but it is terrific for EDC pens, art pens, pencils, and other instruments. It’s compact when rolled up, and it acts as a stand when unrolled. That makes this case rather unique.

You can purchase the King Jim Frio in several colors, including green, black, navy, and white for $19.00 from JetPens.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Posted on August 9, 2019 by Susan Pigott and filed under King Jim, Pen Case.

King Jim Ittsui Pen Case Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her first novel, The Bone Weaver’s Orchard, now available where books are sold!)

The neutral, clean canvas and plethora of pockets are what first caught my eye with the King Jim Ittsui Pen Case. I was excited when it arrived. It is sturdy and well-made, with a zipper that opens smoothly and allows the case to lay flat. The magnetic attachable/detachable pen sleeve is a really neat feature--a clever solution for when you need a few more pens (always) or just a more accessible pen (often).

My initial excitement was somewhat stymied when I tried to put the case into use. It has card slots, but I wouldn't want to put my cards next to the strong magnet inside the cover. Small memo pads or sticky notes work, as does a pocket notebook, but they aren't quite the right dimensions to put the case into full use. The pen pocket does hold my cell phone or six pens, but it wouldn't hold anything larger than my ancient iPhone 6 (I know, I know. Analog 4 lyfe).

So, this pretty case sat on my desk for a few weeks while I puzzled over how to use it. In the end, I stuck a Field Notes inside the front cover and filled the pen pocket with my work essentials--a pencil, highlighter, ballpoint, rollerball, and multi-color gel pen. I put a fountain pen in the front pen pouch. It does make a handy grab-all when I'm running around at work, and I have paper for making notes and any tool I might need for any task. But it does mean I'm using fewer than half the pockets available in this case. To me, that means I haven't quite unlocked its potential yet. I can say that if it weren't for the magnet, I'd be using it as a wallet and phone case. It would be perfect for that! But, as it is, I'm not likely to continue using it.

I can, however, see it being useful as a phone/pen/notepad/business card case for a meeting or conference. Then all pockets would be efficiently in use. The case is pretty, and nicely constructed, so I may keep looking for a configuration that works with my needs--and I can still offer my recommendation of it, if you're someone who looks at it and says “Hey, that would be perfect for X.” Also, let me know your ideas!

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!