Review: Hapila! [DAISO] Custom Memo Notepad

Like many others, my wallet is often overflowing with cards. And it makes it quite heavy. So sometimes when I only need one or two cards, its troublesome to carry my entire wallet. Even more so when I hardly use cash these days since everywhere accepts mobile payments. So when I chanced upon this, I decided to get it.

Custom Memo Notepad

Featuring a clear pocket on the front.

Pocket size: 92mm x 70mm

Overall size: 110mm x 76mm

What it looks like inside:

Standard grid paper

Cardboard page on the back for writing ease

The pocket is surprisingly useful!

You can use it for ID like office Id and student Id.

Or just a store point card / membership card.

You can use it for travel cards too.

And of course, this memo pad was designed for hobby trading cards [idol cards, anime cards, game cards]

You can customize it in many ways.

What do you think?

Would you get this?

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Review: Daiso Korea Masking Tape Storage Box

We've previously talked about how Daiso in Korea, whilst it shares the same name as the original Japan chain, sells quite a number of things that are specific to the Korea store. 

As a sidenote, the logo and pricing is also different. 

Items start from KRW1000 , unlike Japan where items are JPY100 (before tax) unless otherwise stated. 

On my last trip, I picked up this masking tape drawer/box. 

It was KRW1000, which is roughly USD0.74, a very good deal!

 

It has a sliding drawer with a button to secure the box and it holds about 10 rolls of standard width washi tape. 

It's also made of pp material so it's pretty sturdy, great for taking some rolls out for travel journalling. 

Also, the drawer catches on the button on the sleeve and prevents the sleeve from leaving the box completely but really makes it feel more secure. 

I managed to squeeze in 10 rolls of random washi tape but here's what I found: 

• Full rolls of MT tape are too wide and won't fit. 
• 10 regular width rolls will fit but it is a bit difficult to take them out after. 
• the button on the sleeve catches on the drawer and stops the drawer from leaving the sleeve altogether, but that leaves 2 rolls of tape from being accessible

Even with all the small issues, for KRW1000, I think this is a great item to pickup. It's also a good way to bring home more washi tape! 

and don't forget to check out out all the other cool stationery at Daiso Korea! 

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Review: Daiso Sticker Case/Storage

 

Where do you store stickers? That's the eternal conundrum. 

There's folders, boxes, books, so many ways. 

These sticker cases I picked up from Daiso might be the perfect travel option/

The case comes in 2 sizes, small (172 x 112 x 31mm) and large (153 x 103 x 22mm)

The large fits a standard long sheet sticker including any backing sheet it may come with. The small fits both the square sheets of stickers and packs of individually cut stickers. It fit all my stickers so unless it's a custom size, I think you'll be able to store any sticker sheet.

The main feature of the case is this notch at the bottom, you know how it's such a pain to take out stickers stacked and stored in boxes, this notch allows you to remove the sheets with ease. 

It also reduces damage that might caused when you remove the stickers from the case. 

Of course, the downside is that dust will go in easily so it is advisable to keep the stickers in the original packaging. 

The case has 2 more cool features, one is these bumps on the bottom and top of the case. 

These line up, allowing you to stack the cases securely, and as a bonus, the small case lines up with the large one, although it's only on one side so it's less stable. 

The last feature are these hooks, if you don't want to stack the boxes, you can hang them instead. 

I think it's great to have all these options. 

I think these boxes are a great way to store stickers, the plastic is sturdy and being able to remove the stored stickers is really a plus. 

Personally I already have a sticker storage system in place but I will definitely be bringing this on holiday, with stickers or maybe to store newly bought stickers. 

What do you think about these cases? 

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Review: Daiso Chopitto Stickers

 

Daiso makes great stickers. 

This is their chopitto line of compact journal stickers. 

Each set is colour and design themed. 

It comes in a little card sized sleeve and there are 5 sheets of 15 stickers each. 

The little card sleeves are also decorated which makes telling them apart easy. 

I picked up the cat, bear and panda themed sets. 

The bear set was themed towards homework and studies, perfect for students. 

The cat set was themed towards leisure such a cafe and games and the panda set was themed towards cheering or encouragement. 

I love the pastel colours chosen for the sets, it's very on trend with a lot of pastels we're seeing this year. 

All the stickers are round and easy to peel, the small size is great for journals and diaries or even as little notes. 

These are a great item to pick up from Daiso to use in your journal, especially if you're someone that journals on the move. 

What do you think, do you like these stickers from Daiso? 

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Review: Daiso Marker Sticky Notes Roll

 

I love a highlighter, I always need something to help me point out important text and information. 

I've used everything from a highlighter, to rulers that have a neon yellow window, to various tapes but this marker sticky notes tape by Daiso is really interesting. 

It's probably one of the few ways to highlight text that is not permanent, that I've seen anyway. 

I picked up 2 colours, Dusty Rose and Lavender Haze, very pretty pastels. 

Each roll is 6mm wide by 5m long and material is polypropylene. 

I think the colours are great, they really stand out and are not too jarring to look at. 

However, the opacity leaves something to be desired. The text turns out more cloudy and less defined, layering the tape deepens the colour but makes the clarity situation worse. 

Overall, I think this a good product, the non-permanent use outweighs it's weaknesses.

This would be useful for library books or for books that you might want to sell later on, i.e textbooks. 

What do you think? Is this a product you might be interested in? 

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Review: DAISO Extra mini strap scissors

A pair of scissors is always useful on the go and here at TN5C we are always looking for the most convenient travel friendly edition out there.

This new discovery over at DAISO might just be the one!

For one thing, its definitely the smallest we have seen so far!

Here it is out of the packaging!

The scissors have a built in mini spring so you do not need to put your fingers into it. There is also an accompanying lid to ensure you don't cut anything by mistake.

The size in detail:

There is also a strap attached to it so you can easily hang it off your pencil case or bag etc.

Overall, its not the easiest to use if you are trying to cut a lot but for the occasion cutting of clothing tags or packaging whilst you are on the go, it is perfect!

Have you tried it out?

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Review: Daiso Coke Pen

 

I reviewed the Metacil last month and recently saw something similar at Daiso. 

There are a few differences but the concept appears to be the same. 

Whilst the Metacil has an aluminium body with a graphite based core, the Daiso coke pen has a plastic body with a petroleum coke (carbon based) tip. 

Yes, I thought of the drink too when I saw the name. 

The Daiso coke pen comes in 2 varients, a shorter wide shaft, which has a cap with a metal notebook hook and a longer triangular shaft with a short plastic cap. 

The longer version reminds me of the apple pen stylus whilst the shorter variant is more like a regular ballpoint pen. 

The coke pen works exactly like the metacil, it doesn't need to be sharpened, you can do shading and extra pressure increases the darkness of the pencil line, all exactly like a regular pencil. 

Whilst the Daiso and Metacil look similar, they also both claim to be equivalent to a 2H pencil 

However, on testing both, I found the Metacil to be lighter than the Daiso pencil.

This will probably come down to preference then. 

So if you were looking at the Metacil but didn't want to spend that much money on it, I recommend buying the Daiso version first to see if you like it. 

The only downside to the Daiso coke pen is that the construction feels rather cheap, the plastic body also means it is tip heavy so the balance doesn't feel quite right. 

At that Daiso price though, it's worth buying. 

What do you think? Would you try the Daiso coke pen? 

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Review : DAISO Premium Notebook Series

Recently, Japanese store DAISO has been mentioned a lot on SNS because of their premium notebook series. Needless to say, we simply had to check it out for ourselves as well!

Here is what we got

The series has quite a big lineup.

There is 5mm grid, 5mm dot and 5mm lined and plain versions in 2 sizes A6 and B6.

This series is MADE IN JAPAN with a cover reminiscent of the expensive Japanese notebook brand NOBLE. The paper used is smooth to touch and slightly yellow.

We did a ink test on the paper using several different pens.

As you can see below, other than the copic pen and oil marker, the rest do not seep through the paper at all!

What do you think?

Have you tried this series?

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Review: DAISO Precision Design Knife

Here at TN5C we are always on the lookout for new compact stationery. So when DAISO put out a Precision Design Knife, you know we had to try it out!

At first glance it looks like a common pen or even a pen shaped paper cutter.

However upon closer inspection, you will see the tip of the "pen" is unlike any other.

Yes there is a really small blade at the end of the tip!

There is a small learning curve to using it [especially if you are left handed like myself] but once you have mastered it, it is surprisingly useful! It cuts well and like its namesake, it really does do a better job of cutting fine details compared to other pen knives.

The compact design also makes it easy to transport. As a matter of fact, it will fit in a small pen case without any problems.

What do you think? Have you tried this?

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Review: DAISO MY NOTE + FILE Clear pocket square

A while ago, we reviewed Hapila! Sheet Seal Collection Refills for organizing one's sticker sheets. [see here] So what about sticker flake packets? Well Daiso has come up with a solution.

DAISO MY NOTE + FILE Clear pocket (square)

Each packet contains 10 sheets. Each with two pockets.

Each sheet measures 12cm by 21.5cm

Each pocket measures 10.5cm by 10.5cm

The pockets are large enough to fit most flakes [and in most cases, even the packaging so you can clearly see what each set has!]

These will fit in any standard A5 6 ring binder; making it easy to file your sticker flakes!

At Daiso's prices, this is an affordable solution to organizing your flake stickers! 

Have you tried them? How do you organize your flake stickers?

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Review: Daiso Water based Twin Marker (Modern set)

I'm always picking up random odds and ends at Daiso and the colours of this twin marker set caught my eye. 

 The pens have a thin end and thick end and come in 5 neutral colours.

The thin end is 0.5mm, the thick end is 1.5mm. 

It comes in black, cool gray, khaki grey, deep brown and brown. 

The difference in the pen thicknesses is obvious which is always nice. 

I also appreciate the the colours of the pens are marked clearly, which will make it easy to reach for. 

A test of the pens show that the colours are pigmented and the colours are very pretty. 

The brown and greys are more semi-opaque whilst the darker colours are nice and deep.

All in all, this was a good find from Daiso. 

What do you think of Daiso pens? Do you have a favourite set? 

 

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Review : DAISO Portable Masking Tape Holder

Here at TN5C, we are always looking for new ways to store masking tape. So when I spotted this at Daiso, I decided to buy it and see how it fared!

DAISO Portable Masking Tape Holder

This is made in conjunction with the students from Kyoto University of the Arts who designed it.

First impression, it seems to be a very simple and pleasant looking design made out of PVC clear vinyl of medium thickness.

There is a piece of vinyl in the middle which you can detach using the press button to "thread" the masking tape through. 

It can hold up to 4 standard sized masking tape rolls.

There is also a ball chain at one end for you to hang it off your pencil case or pouch or bag; making it very suitable for travel!

The clear vinyl makes it easy to see what the tapes are and protects the rolls from getting dirty. Needless to say, it is also very light thanks to the material used.

What do you think? 

Have you tried this before?

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Review: Daiso Stand Pouch

 

Stand pouches have been around for awhile. 

Many brands, like lihit and kokuyo, make them in a variety of shapes and designs. 

This one from Daiso only comes in 1 size/colour but at Daiso prices, it seems like a great deal. 

This design reminds me most of Kokuyo's stand pouch, with the front folding flap and 3 inner pockets (though not as many as Kokuyo's)

The pouch is 19.5cm wide 16cm tall and the base is 5cm deep.

Quality wise, it's what you would expect for the price you say. 

The material is scratchy and think and you can clearly feel that both faces of the pouch has a plastic board insert. 

However, with a top handle, all around zip, one pocket in the fold down flat and 2 inside, it's pretty practical so it's good value for money. 

Once you fill the pouch with items, it stands pretty well. 

I managed to fit a notepad, some pens and other accessories and I definitely had space to fit more things. 

It won't fit an A5 notebook but would make a great companion for one. 

The base for my pouch didn't flatten completely but that might be something that will go away the more I use it. 

Stands on it's own pretty well. I can imagine decorating that front flap with some cute badges/pins. 

and the handle, small but functional. 

All in all, if you don't already own a stand pouch, I recommend the Daiso version. 

It's a good introduction to the stand pouch before deciding if you want to upgrade to a better quality version. 

I hope they release it some new colours (hint hint yellow)

What do you think, is this something you would buy? Let us know in the comments below. 

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