One Punch to Rule Them All (Almost)

I’ve shared my fanboyism for Japanese stationery before (among other things). When it comes to design, form, and function, Japanese stationery is light-years ahead of the rest of the world.

One of the biggest advantages of using a dynamic system like Plotter is the ability to turn just about any piece of paper into an insert. Punch a few holes, pop it in the binder, and done.

First Attempt: Generic, Cheap… and Annoying

Yeah, I don’t recommend this.

My first hole punch was a generic one I found on Amazon ES. It looked sturdy enough and besides A5, it supported sizes like A6 and A7 (which I didn’t need… yet), so I figured it would get the job done.

Spoiler alert: it didn’t.

After a few test punches, I realized the holes didn’t line up properly with the Plotter inserts. Cue my OCD meltdown. Worse, it forced me to buy a paper guillotine just to fix the margins. More hassle, more friction and overhead, all for something that should’ve been simple. Eventually, I accepted the loss… it’s not like I’m punching inserts every day.

Enter: Plotter x Carl

A few days ago, I got the Plotter USA newsletter announcing a partnership with Carl, a Japanese stationery brand, for the Plotter x Carl Refill Maker Hole Punch.

Cue hyperfocus.

While it looked slightly different from the one I had, the main question was: would this solve the margin alignment issue?

So I checked the Plotter USA site and was hit with two surprises:

1. The price: $50.
2. Plotter doesn’t ship to Portugal. And to top it off, it was sold out.

Back to the Source: Japan

When I really need something Japanese, I go straight to the source: Amazon.co.jp. And there it was, the exact same model, minus the Plotter logo, for ¥2,227, or about €13.23 / $15.26.

So yeah… apparently the Plotter logo adds 35 bucks.

Shipping and import taxes were handled at checkout, and it landed on my doorstep two days later. Japanese logistics are simply next-level.

Final Verdict: Not Perfect, But Close Enough

So… did it solve my issue?

Not completely.

But the margin is much more tolerable, and, importantly, it no longer causes friction when turning pages.

One less annoyance in my workflow. And hey, I got myself a cute new Japanese hole punch. Win.