Review: Constellations88 Single Pen Sleeves - Set of Four

These pen sleeves were sent over from Constellations88 for review. I've had them for a few months now and have toted them around to give them a go.

ABOUT

Color: Executive Black, Minion Yellow, Toffee Brown, and Jade Blue.
Price for 4: $9.00USD - regular price $10.00USD
Shipping: $10.00USD (up to two items)
Where To Buy: Constellations88
Constellations88 has kindly offered 10% off to all GourmetPens readers if you use the Where To Buy link! I do not receive any commission.
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PACKAGING

No packaging for these sleeves.

APPEARANCE

These sleeves are quite simple. They are a flat piece of material at the back, cut into a long rectangle. There is a pouchy part in the front that is a little shorter, and is attached at the ends by a color-matched stitching all around the ends. The Constellations88 logo is printed into the space at the top. Inside the pouch, there is a somewhat soft, felt-like material. The exposed edges are painted to match the pouch and threading.

I found the finishing on these hit or miss. The painted edges on some of the sleeves appears better than others - in some spots, it was incomplete. The brown in particular had black edges that were incomplete, exposing the brown underneath, and some of the paint had actually gotten on the sleeve itself. Of course, at $10.00 for four, one doesn't expect immaculate work, but it is something to be aware of.

The four colors are: blue, black, yellow, and brown. The material is foam leather, so although it's smooth and looks a little like finished leather, it isn't. It looks fairly stiff, as the pouch sticks out rigidly. Even with use, the appearance and shape does not really change.

PERFORMANCE & FEEL

The sleeves are very light, which is not a bad thing. They're simply made, and the material is light. The cut of foam leather is also very thin, so they are not bulky. I think these kinds of sleeves are quite nice to take to a pen show if you plan to buy some pens - light to carry there and will hold your pens on the way back.

I was surprised by which pens I could fit into these sleeves. They are designed to fit pens around the size of the Montblanc Meisterstück 146, and they also hold longer pens (although not desk pens). I found they held large pens like the Pelikan Souverän M1000, Montblanc 149, Sailor King of Pen Professional Gear, Visconti Opera Master, Pelikan Souverän M800, but also other sizes: Pelikan M101N, Namiki Yukari, and the OMAS Ogiva Cocktail. The Delta Dolcevita Oversize and Gama Jumbo Acrylic are too wide. My issue with the sleeves and large pens is that because the material is so stiff, if you put a really wide pen in there, it's a bit of a struggle to get it out. Small pens without clips fall to the bottom, so it's best if it's a clipped pen. Pens that fit with space around them work best as they slide out the easiest.

The material doesn't hold up well to scuffing, though. Where animal leather develops character, picking up scuffs and marks, this one doesn't show anything, unless you nick it, in which case it just looks cut.

Not bad for popping a pen in your bag if you want to protect it from other items - they don't provide much protection, but they do cover the majority of the pen. Clips are exposed, tops are exposed.

PROS

• Foam leather - ideal for vegans or those who don't want an animal leather case.
• Minimal branding. 
• Affordable.
• Accommodates quite a few pen sizes.

CONS

• If you put a wide pen or clipless pen in there, the material is not supple so it's not easy to squeeze it out from the bottom.
• Finishing needs some refining. 

WHO IS THIS FOR?

This is a good case for someone who wants a few affordable pen sleeves to store and/or tote small to medium sized pens in - but not necessarily for serious protection of those pens. Also ideal if you are vegan!

OVERALL

I don't have much need for pen sleeves like these, and I wasn't too thrilled by the colors or finish of them. Although they work and I do prefer to store a pen in something like this rather than just have it sitting around in a bag, it's not the kind of item I frequently need. However, it's a great add-on gift and of course, can be used with pens other than fountain pens!

I received this item free of charge for the purposes of this review. I was not compensated monetarily for my review. Everything you've read here is my own opinion. I do not receive a commission if you purchase through the link here.