Pen and Pencil Case Buying Guide

Pen Cases and Pencil Cases - Are They Different?

The two terms could be interchangeable, but they’re usually used somewhat differently. In general, a pen case is made to hold one or more pens, holding each one separately. Pen cases for holding multiple pens may have completely separate compartments, or just a loop for each pen.

In contrast, a pencil case generally has one or more compartments for holding multiple pens or pencils, or accessories. At their simplest, they’re just a pouch, big enough to put a few pens in. More complicated pencil cases may have several compartments for pens and pencils, and maybe small compartments for holding erasers, sharpeners, or other accessories.

Many Compartments

If you only need to carry a few pens or pencils, and maybe an eraser and sharpener, extra compartments might just make things harder to access. But if you add spare leads, maybe a lead pointer for a clutch pencil, some stickers, a small ruler, etc., it soon gets a bit cluttered and hard to find things. And maybe you have a couple of more special pens that you’d rather didn’t get scratched by the sharpener.

In that case, a bigger case with multiple compartments might be a big help. Lihit Lab is probably the master of this sort of case, with some of their cases having a ridiculous amount of organisation in them. Some even have a handle or strap, blurring the line between pencil case and bag.

Pen Pot Pencil Cases

Some pencil cases can stand on end, converting into a pen pot when you’re sitting at your desk. If you take a few pens or pencils with you, but then sit down at a desk to work, they can be very handy - everything is available to grab when needed, but easy to carry and kept together in transit.

We love Lihit Lab’s PuniLabo cases, with their super-cute designs. Legami make some similar designs now, too, and they’re also very cute.

Pen(cil) Rolls

Most often used for sets of coloured pencils, or maybe a range of different hardnesses for artwork, a pencil roll is a flat sheet that you roll up and tie or buckle closed to carry. It unrolls flat, with all your pencils spread out, held by individual loops.

While pencils are the most common use for these, there are some that are made with wider loops, suitable for pens too.

Materials

Most pencil cases are cloth, with quite a few alternatives around, like leather, silicone, and metal. Pen cases are more often made from leather, but again, plenty of other options are available.

Most cloth cases are nicely flexible, which limits the protection they provide, but does make them softer for fitting in your bag. Leather is more firm, but usually protects the contents well. Hard cases can be made from metal or plastic, giving more protection, but making them rigid, so they always take up the same space, even if they’re mostly empty.

From an environmental point of view, leather is debatable, but very much a natural product; while most cloth cases are man-made fibres. Britton Scotland’s handmade wool tweed probably wins the eco-credentials, but a good pencil case can last for many years of use, so even plastic cases are very far removed from single-use plastics.