Urushi-cordovan Pen Case

It has a high-quality appearance wrapped in amber-like transparency. A deep and complex brilliance is created by a combination of high-quality natural materials. It also shows various beautiful expressions depending on the viewing angle and light source. I think you will get a better sense of this when you look at the many photos that follow.
Cordovan is scratch-resistant but water-sensitive originally, but this Uruhsi coating compensates for this drawback. Urushi has been used for tableware since ancient times, and has a long history of protecting wooden utensils from water, salt, and scratches. Of course, exposure to water or ink for a long time is not a good idea, but you can easily preserve its beauty with normal treatment such as wiping it off soon. Durable, beautiful, and easy to care for. It is truly the desirable material for pen cases.

PAIR SLOPE specializes in leather goods for motorcycles among its various leather products. And these products have the important mission of protecting the rider's safety. In particular, gloves are required not only to be durable, but also to be flexible so as not to interfere with delicate operations while riding. In this respect, deerskin is an ideal material for rider's gloves because it is extremely supple, yet has higher tear strength and durability than cowhide. However, due to the small distribution volume, deerskin is a rare and expensive material. The reasons are the small size of the deer and the scars of many injuries (such parts cannot be used) due to the deer's active traits. Nevertheless, considering its durability, it can be said to be highly cost-effective as a result.
For pen cases, we think it is essential not only to be durable but also to protect the pens inside gently and to have a comfortable feel of use. We cannot imagine a pen rattling in a hard pen case that is only strong. For this reason, we wanted to use deerskin effectively.
During the development of this pen case, I was impressed by two things about deerskin. One is its amazing strength and the other is its comfortable touch.
As for strength, there was an episode like this: During a meeting with Mr. Mitsuhashi, he made a few centimeters cut from the edge of a deerskin sheet with scissors before handing it to me and he asked me to try to tear it by hand from the cut. I thought the deerskin would tear easily because it already had the cut. However, no matter how hard I tried, the deerskin didn't tear at all. I was so surprised by its toughness, which seemed to contradict the moist, soft, and supple felt in my hands.
Regarding the other point, the texture, I was moved again when I touched the prototype. The sides, and back of the lid, which you always touch when you put the pen in and take it out, give you a very comfortable feel. Of course, in terms of functionality, I was convinced that deerskin was the best choice in terms of the softness that is gentle on the pen and the moderate friction that envelops the pen. It is not a tight fit, but it has a grip that will not slip off even if it is not clipped.
A pen case is a tool for safely storing and carrying your favorite pens in the first place. We reaffirmed the wonderfulness of deerskin through the prototype and decided to use deerskin for the entire interior, including the side parts and pen partitions. As a result, it became a pen case that is kind for both the pen and the user.

The interior is made entirely of deerskin, including pen dividers. In addition, thinly processed cordovan is used for the core material of the partition. We often see products that use cardboard as the core material, but in such cases, if the core material is bent and creased even once, that part will never return to its original state and will become the part that is easy to fold. Although it is not visible from the outside, this pen case uses cordovan as the core material, so you can use it for a long time with peace of mind in terms of strength and durability.
Also, the length of the partition is 80mm. We made it very long to prevent pens from clattering with each other at the lower. With this length, it is very safe. Moreover, this large contact area with the soft deerskin also helps prevent accidental drops of pens of various shapes. It is a part that cannot be seen from the outside, but we prioritized the safety of the pen over the manufacturing cost.
The joints between the side deerskin and the exterior cordovan are also well-finished. The seams near the opening are the parts where force is particularly likely to be applied, so it is double-stitched. The base of the cordovan band is also double-stitched for the same reason.

The edge of the pen slot is the part that is particularly subject to stress when using a clip. In addition, the ball-ended type clip, which is often used in Pilot pens, requires material strength to withstand the initial resistance when the clip bites. Cordovan is a firm material, but double stitching is applied near the edge to make sure. At the same time, the thickness of the edge is finished to be thin by shaving a little so that it can be clipped without stress as much as possible.
In addition, the edge finishing agent is colorless only for this part. This is done to maintain the beauty of the product over long-term use. There will inevitably be marks on the edge due to the repeated use of the clip, and if a dark-colored finishing agent is used, these marks will stand out due to the contrast with the color of the leather body.
These specifications were determined after over 1,000 times of tests of the pen in and out involving using the clip during product development. Of course, we used the Pilot pen with a ball-ended type clip for the tests. Because we thought it was the toughest.