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View Full Version : The $2 "leather" pen case



Darkbulb
April 11th, 2016, 12:10 AM
Being a newbie I don't really have 'accessories' for my puny pen collection (I mean..I have like six pens now) - but I have started to carry some with me these days (including 3-4 brush pens) and gotten tired of having the pens rattle around in a pocket of my bag. I wanted something simple and inexpensive that would look ok and keep all the pens somewhat safe and organized.

You see a lot of pouches/wraps on eBay selling out of China for a buck or two but I haven't been too fond of the high-shine, deeply embossed ones that I seem to come across the most. I did however spot this one the other night and for $2 including shipping its now slow-boating its way over to me.

It's "synthetic leather" and measures;
Coiled size: 20x7.3cm / 7.8"x2.87"
Tiled size : 20x22cm / 7.8"x8.6"

I have no real expectatins in it in terms of quality but I hope these two dollars will help me see if this is the style of wrap/pouch that I'd want down the road.
And hey, who knows - it might even last for years...I bought a bag (actually the one in my avatar) for over two years ago for little to no money out of China and it is holding up amazingly well with near daily use!

If anyone is interested I can post some photos and a mini-review of it when it arrives :)


http://i67.tinypic.com/2w682tf.jpg

pensplash
April 11th, 2016, 05:38 AM
I'd be interested to hear about this after you've checked it out.

Thanks,
Dana

Haefennasiel
April 11th, 2016, 08:19 AM
Looking forward to your review! [emoji4]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

katherine
April 11th, 2016, 08:24 AM
I'd be very curious in a review! I keep eyeing pen cases on eBay, but so far haven't pulled the trigger.

Darkbulb
April 11th, 2016, 08:45 AM
Couple of more photos from the ad;

http://winchehk.com/9hk5443/CA05265/CA05265_2.jpg

http://winchehk.com/9hk5443/CA05265/CA05265_4.jpg

Flounder
April 11th, 2016, 10:47 AM
I'm guessing its mother was made of chrome based dyes and its father was half-plasticisers, half VOCs. Burn it and bury the remains in a sealed drum!

scrivelry
April 12th, 2016, 01:17 PM
Now, now, insulting its parents when you haven't even met it!

That guy out in the West of Scotland makes tubes which are lined and protect the pen much better, of course, but he doesn't make enough of them to go around - the rest of us must do what we can... http://fpgeeks.com/forum/images/smilies/smilies/wink.gif:wink:

And I have no idea why the winking emoticon won't just show up and wink...

katherine
April 12th, 2016, 01:24 PM
Flounder -- what are chrome based dyes? it sounds like they're probably bad for me? :)

MY63
April 12th, 2016, 02:52 PM
I am an amateur leather worker who specialises in pen cases I have been working with leather for about 3 years now.
Leather is expensive I can testify to that.
I want to say this without causing offence to anyone but one of the ways to reduce the costs of leather is to use animal skins that would not normally be used for making leather.
So please be aware that your $2 pen case may well be made from leather just not the type of leather you were expecting.

Darkbulb
April 12th, 2016, 03:22 PM
I am an amateur leather worker who specialises in pen cases I have been working with leather for about 3 years now.
Leather is expensive I can testify to that.
I want to say this without causing offence to anyone but one of the ways to reduce the costs of leather is to use animal skins that would not normally be used for making leather.
So please be aware that your $2 pen case may well be made from leather just not the type of leather you were expecting.

I think the description "synthetic leather" implies that it's "pleather"

carlos.q
April 12th, 2016, 05:34 PM
http://fpgeeks.com/forum/images/smilies/smilies/wink.gif:wink:

And I have no idea why the winking emoticon won't just show up and wink...

I believe you have to leave a space between the URL and the emoticon. :wink:

scrivelry
April 12th, 2016, 09:15 PM
http://fpgeeks.com/forum/images/smilies/smilies/wink.gif:wink:

And I have no idea why the winking emoticon won't just show up and wink...

I believe you have to leave a space between the URL and the emoticon. :wink:

When I look at it in editing mode there is no space... ah, well, not like it's going to hurt anyone this way...

MY63
April 13th, 2016, 04:03 AM
I think the description "synthetic leather" implies that it's "pleather"[/QUOTE]

There have been a number of reports in the UK of goods in particular gloves and small items that have been advertised as being synthetic or pleather that have actually been made from leather. One of the replies to your post on fpn reports that their case is actually leather.

Darkbulb
April 13th, 2016, 10:00 AM
There have been a number of reports in the UK of goods in particular gloves and small items that have been advertised as being synthetic or pleather that have actually been made from leather. One of the replies to your post on fpn reports that their case is actually leather.

Interesting. I'll be sure to report back on what the material seems to be when it arrives.
Taking into consideration that it's the free shipping option out of China it can take anywhere from 7 to 40 days :)

katherine
April 13th, 2016, 11:12 AM
Oooh. Definitely let me know if it's real leather. I've been in the market for a pen case/roll for months. I have the jankiest sleeve now. -__-

Darkbulb
April 13th, 2016, 11:26 AM
Oooh. Definitely let me know if it's real leather. I've been in the market for a pen case/roll for months. I have the jankiest sleeve now. -__-


Sure, I'll let you know in X weeks :)

Flounder
April 14th, 2016, 03:22 PM
Flounder -- what are chrome based dyes? it sounds like they're probably bad for me? :)

They won't harm you as the end user, but at this kind of price, the environs of the poverty stricken sweatshop/human misery factory will likely be cancer-contaminated with hexavelent chromium :(

Here in the first world, there have been FPN discussions of the salts reacting with base metals to tarnish clips, trim etc. So... worse than having no pen case at all!
1 (http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/302267-sailor-1911-l-gold-band-tarnished/), 2 (http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/36661-can-leather-really-harm-the-pens/), 3 (http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/48400-extreme-yard-o-led-tarnishing/)

katherine
April 14th, 2016, 05:33 PM
Oh whoa -- totally didn't know that was possible. Very good to know, thank you for sharing!

MY63
April 15th, 2016, 02:05 PM
Normally at this point I would provide evidence that chrome tanned leather is safe and would not damage your pens but in this instance I cannot. Tanning leather takes time and costs money the way this leather is sourced and produced it is actually cheaper than vinyl. So the choice of chemicals is one of the first things to cut.
I would ask anyone thinking of ordering one of these cheap Chinese cases to consider that it was probably made by a child and from an animal many of us consider our best friend.
Sorry if my bluntness offends anyone.

Crazyorange
April 17th, 2016, 04:30 PM
Normally at this point I would provide evidence that chrome tanned leather is safe and would not damage your pens but in this instance I cannot. Tanning leather takes time and costs money the way this leather is sourced and produced it is actually cheaper than vinyl. So the choice of chemicals is one of the first things to cut.
I would ask anyone thinking of ordering one of these cheap Chinese cases to consider that it was probably made by a child and from an animal many of us consider our best friend.
Sorry if my bluntness offends anyone.

Awhile ago, I signed a petition to stop gap selling fake fur, which was actually dog fur. Also as a Chinese medicine practitioner, products from China can deceiving. Several years ago, the fda took an Chinese herbal diaper rash cream off the market because it was actually a steroid cream. In fact, the Chinese dry herbs by driving over them in vehicles. The exhaust quickens the drying process. Of course, the herbs contain high levels of toxins...so toxic it can damage your organs. Be cautious of cheap Chinese products.

Darkbulb
April 17th, 2016, 04:33 PM
Normally at this point I would provide evidence that chrome tanned leather is safe and would not damage your pens but in this instance I cannot. Tanning leather takes time and costs money the way this leather is sourced and produced it is actually cheaper than vinyl. So the choice of chemicals is one of the first things to cut.
I would ask anyone thinking of ordering one of these cheap Chinese cases to consider that it was probably made by a child and from an animal many of us consider our best friend.
Sorry if my bluntness offends anyone.


I hope you're not using an iPhone, wear Nike sneakers, etc :)

I don't think your thoughts are offensive..but I will be honest and say that bringing up 'accusations' that these particular cases were made by child labor and by skins of pets is rather inappropriate and unfounded.
I am a near-tree-hugger myself but I try to base arguments on facts and not what I think, maybe, potentially, probably is the case. It makes for a more healthy discussion :)

MY63
April 18th, 2016, 04:19 AM
There is lots of evidence available most of it is quite graphic and that is the reason I am not providing links to it. There have been a number of seizures of products coming into the UK from China that have been advertised as vinyl and have been found to be this type of leather.

Of course I cannot be certain that the case you have ordered is made from one of these products but for $2 including postage.

My statements are based on facts that are widely available from reputable sources not my thoughts or assumptions.

Darkbulb
April 24th, 2016, 06:00 PM
Not too bad - it's too exactly two week for the case to arrive.

First impressions: It's certainly not an artisanal high quality leather product - but it was not sold as one and I didn't expect one.
If I had to guess I'd say the material is, as it was described, "synthetic leather' - or 'pleather' on the outside and the inside pockets are covered with a soft felt-material.
http://i64.tinypic.com/2dt983o.jpg

I can't see it provide any level of protection as it's so thin but it might just allow me to carry some pens with me in my bags without having them float around as they do now.

The strap has a little metal star that I will most likely get rid of. A bit too cutesy for me :)

Plopped some pens into it.
They clipped securely onto the top of the pockets and even shaking it around didn't make them move/come loose.
http://i64.tinypic.com/14myxk0.jpg


Rolled it up with 5-6 pens in it:
http://i66.tinypic.com/dothdl.jpg

I don't have any really expensive pens and I don't bang around my bag too badly so to me it will probably do what I wanted it to do - provide a way for me to transport pens in my bag and making it easy to find them/get them all out of it.

Will it destroy/disintegrate/discolor/scratch my pens merely from being in the case?
I have no idea but I'll use it and see what happens.

scrivelry
April 26th, 2016, 05:39 PM
It looks like one I have, also very obviously some sort of plastic imitating leather, although mine is decorated with a Twilight design. I find mine useful - I can throw a few pens in it and they will stay together in my purse. I agree 100 percent that protection is negligible to non-existent, but at the price point it does what it does well enough to be worth it. I recently ordered one in another color. If I keep it moving fast enough when I whip out a pen no one will be able to read the thing that says Twilight..

katherine
April 26th, 2016, 06:23 PM
My two cents -- I'd like to know if the product harms the humans who make it, but I don't see why horses/dogs are that much more appalling to "abuse" than cows or sheep (or pigs or chicken). But this is probably a totalllly separate discussion for another day. :)

Darkbulb
May 6th, 2016, 08:39 PM
After having used this 'pleather' wrap for two weeks I honestly couldn't be happier.
I shove the pens I want to bring with me for the day into it, wrap it up and toss it in my bag.
So far it hasn't eaten any pen and it keeps everything well organized.

For $2 incl. shipping it ended up being a great deal for me - but I can understand the aversions to using something cheap like this. YMMV and all that :)

http://i64.tinypic.com/e83ix1.jpg