As I mentioned in an earlier post, there is a lot of interest in handicraft now in Korea. Many people are taking up quiltwork or leathercraft, and as a result, many hand-crafted items come up for sale in pen shows. People do seem to enjoy making simple things to go with their writing instruments. Some even bind their own notebooks with the paper of their choice. Here is a sampling of leather accessories available.
This is a memo pad cover designed to fit a Rhodia No. 11.
This is another kind of memo pad, designed for a LIFE Noble B7. This provides an ideal cushion for fountain pen nibs, and together with the smooth Noble paper it makes for quite an experience. There is a sleeve at the back where you can keep additional sheets of paper.
These are pen rests, designed to prevent pens from rolling around on the desk and gathering scratches. All these items above were made by a friend who eventually quit her job to learn leatherworking in Japan. Her teacher (oops… I forgot that she actually apprenticed elsewhere, although she intended to apply to Mr. Takuya’s studio) and atelier owner, another self-taught man whose previous background was also in something very different, is well known among fountain pen users and he makes fantastic bespoke pencases for them. On his webpage you can see some items from his stationery collection.
These are commercially available pencil caps and simple pen cases (sleeves) in leather. Both are Korean brands (Tanzo and Redman). I use the long sleeves for storing pencils that are too long to fit in my pencil case. The smaller pencil caps also provide good protection for individual pencils in rucksacks and tote bags.
pencils and other things 
Wow! These items are great, especially the first one – the colour and the grain are beautiful. – I am happy to see the unusual Caran d’Ache 348 in the last photo :-)
LikeLike
Yes, and that is thanks to you :) Actually, many more people have been introduced to the Swiss Wood pencil since then because I forwarded some of them to Korea and people started to order them directly from Zumstein. So you have been disseminating this pencil virus farther away than you think!
And yes, the Rhodia cover is the one I use most, it stays in my bag and that’s why it is so worn down :)
LikeLike
Oh! That’s great to hear :-) – I like it when things made from high-quality material get old and show signs of wear.
LikeLike
I second Gunther’s comments, and was curious if the last pencil is from Canteo. If so, then I have those same 3 pencils (the Caran d’Ache thanks to Gunther) in my daily-use pencil case—something I never thought I’d see somewhere else!
LikeLike
Canteo is a brand unfamiliar to me, but I was going to give the last pencil its own post. It bears the name of the Swiss stationery firm Biella (“Bundesordner”) but I doubt that it’s Swiss-made. The owner of the shop where I bought it from says it’s probably Taiwanese. A pencil of obscure origins that happens to write really great!
And I am glad to know we have some pencils in common! Right now my “pencil case” is a big tin meant for storing DVDs ;)
LikeLike
Yes, this was the pencil that came with their Canteo notebooks. It writes a bit like Ito-Ya Romeo pencils.
LikeLike
Oh I see! This particular stationer had bought up a lot of those notebooks when they were going out of production because they were popular with his customers, and last year he got rid of his stock by selling the notebooks and the pencils separately. So I picked up only the pencils (I’m told that in the end they bagged up the remainder and sold them for two dollars a bag or something). I am unreasonably attached to them :)
LikeLike