Fratello EDC: Jorg Shares his Everyday Carry Essentials From Olympus, Opinel, Hobonichi, And More

I am going last in this series of EDC articles, and that only seems fitting. While I do choose the products that I use daily with great care, I hardly connect to a greater EDC concept. This often results in a bag filled with a lot — and I mean a lot — of random stuff. The items often pile up over time, and whenever I empty my bag and go over the contents, I swear that I want to reduce the amount of stuff I carry with me. Now, I must say that I have become more efficient by simply emptying the bag more often and removing the things I don’t use. Still, this is a long intro to a story that is messier and less deliberate than the well-curated bags of everyday items some of the other Fratello team members have shared. Here we go!

The watch — Traska Commuter 38 Adriatic Blue

Before we dive into my messy bag, the watch you see is a Traska Commuter 38 Adriatic Blue. We have it in for review as I type this. It’s part of the brand’s Commuter collection, which is available in 34, 36, and 38mm sizes. I requested the 38mm version with the sunray blue dial, and I have to say that I am super impressed by Traska’s achievements in making this one of the best affordable daily wearers currently out there.

The Commuter offers everything you could want from a modern daily watch — a slim profile, a well-made bracelet with a folding clasp and a toolless micro-adjustment system, and a reliable Miyota caliber. On top of that, its Rolex-esque looks make it easy to like. I will write a more detailed review soon, but for now, I can say that at its sub-€600 price point, the Traska Commuter is hard to beat.

The bag — a work in progress

The bag that I use to house my belongings has changed quite a bit in the past few years. In our previous EDC series of articles, I mentioned that I was using an Omega bag. That has long been abandoned due to a broken zipper. I have used the same Uniqlo bag that Nacho uses, but I couldn’t get to grips with it because it simply tips over every time. I am on the lookout for a great bag, and I have to say that the canvas Joseph Bonnie bag that Thomas uses is a great option. It’s smaller than the Zara bag I am currently using as an in-betweener, making it easier to drag less stuff around. Talk about an increased drive in life as I get older, and it’s all about “less” rather than “more.” A smaller bag might help me with that.

The black nylon shopping bag I currently use is practical since it has an open top, making it easy to take stuff out. It also has a couple of smaller zipper pockets on the inside and outside, which are nice for stowing away my more precious belongings. But the bag is up for replacement as the quality of the materials is simply bad. The nylon has started tearing, and that’s often the beginning of the end. Thomas’s Joseph Bonnie Maverick bag is a great option because it is of better quality and a smaller size. I used to own a black helmet bag from a Dutch brand I can’t remember that is now defunct. I loved that bag, and it made me fall in love with that style. One like Thomas’s would be a great replacement for my current bag.

The camera — still the Olympus Pen E-PL8

My camera hasn’t changed since I wrote my last EDC article three years ago. It’s still the Olympus Pen E-PL8 that I adore. I am a lazy photographer, and it has led to fun interactions with our resident Fratello photographer, Max. He pokes fun at me for not using it enough, and he is right. I should use it more because taking pictures is a fun, creative challenge that also slows you down during a busy day. I use the Pen with the standard 14–42mm f/3.5-5.6 lens that comes with it. But I want to add a macro lens to that setup to make it easier to shoot objects and details up close.

The planner — Hobonichi Techo Weeks 2025

Speaking of busy days, I use two Hobonichi planners next to the iPhone calendar to write down what’s going on. I have been a fan of the Japanese brand’s planners after trying out a variety of others from Japanese brands like Kokuyo, Midori, and Maruman. Additionally, I briefly experimented with planners from Sterling Ink, Leuchtturm1917, and Moleskine, but I quickly found out that the Japanese rule the stationery universe.

Currently, I use two Hobonichi Techo planners with Midori Chiratto index clips. The Japanese brand excels at creating the best over-engineered planners, and they are nothing short of amazing in terms of design details. Additionally, the Hobonichi Techo planners use Tomoe River paper, which is perfect for different kinds of pens, specifically fountain pens. For keeping up with my Fratello editorial schedule, I use a Hobonichi Techo Weeks planner. It’s super practical, with the left page displaying the days of the week and the right page leaving room for notes.

For journaling, I use the Hobonichi Techo HON in A6 format. It has one page per day, and I like that format for writing down all that is going on, the music I have listened to, things I need to check, the ideas I want to work on, and other, more trivial stuff. On top of that, I also use that for more creative outbursts I might have during the weekends. Both of the planners feature special limited-edition covers created with Kyoto-based publisher Unsodo. They found inspiration in a special design catalog created 100 years ago called Bijutsukai, resulting in a series of amazing covers.

The pens — A Leuchtturm1917 Drehgriffel Nr. 1 and a Namisu Studio Frosted Ti

To write in the planners and in general, I use a variety of different pens. I am very specific with my picks, though. For the Hobonichi planners, I usually use Japanese gel pens. They are the smoothest and dry the quickest, so they are the most practical. For journaling, I use a Leuchtturm1917 Drehgriffel Nr. 1 Gel Pen. After using 0.7mm gel pens, I found that this little white Drehgriffel is brilliant for writing in the Hobonichi Techo HON A6. The fine (0.5mm) tip is perfect for the small pages. For the Hobonichi Techo Weeks, I generally use the Organic colors of the Uni-Ball One in 0.7mm. These are beautiful, classic tones that are more saturated than the usual pen colors.

On top of that, I always have a King Jim Lezaface U pen case with me that holds five Pentel EnerGel BL77 pens and a foldable Midori Multi Ruler. I don’t use them much, but they have come in handy several times in the past. But that’s not where it ends for my pens. I always have a Kaweco Sport Stainless Steel Sport Ball Pen and a Namisu Studio Frosted Ti fountain pen with me. Lastly, I also carry a mechanical pencil for some quick scribbles and drawings. It’s the classic Verstatil 5359 from Czech brand Koh-I-Noor, which produces some of the nicest pencils out there.

The music — Loop Earplugs and Apple AirPods

On to music, which is a big part of my EDC. As some of you might know, music has long played a defining part in my life. There is hardly a situation in which I don’t play music, and a lot of memories are tied to specific songs and artists. I also go see artists and bands play live as often as I can. Because I go to concerts quite a bit, I always have a set of earplugs with me. In my bag currently is a set of Loop Switch 2 earplugs. They have three noise-filtering levels, which is a nice feature. Having said that, standard off-the-shelf earplugs have one issue: they tend to filter too much of the high tones. That’s why I will switch to personalized earplugs soon with better filters. But these are good to have just in case.

For listening to music, I have several options. I generally use my second-generation AirPods because they sync well with my iPhone. Additionally, I use a pair of wired A-Jays Four that I have had for years. The sound of those is a lot better compared to the AirPods. Lastly, the headphones that I rarely use, only for long-haul travels, are the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones. They turned out to be too big to constantly drag with me, so I keep them at home most of the time.

The tools — Opinel N°08 Walnut

The remainder of my bag’s contents is a mix of varied items. I always have the walnut version of the Opinel N°08 with me for opening packages and random other tasks. While it is a cheap knife, it’s still perfect for the tasks I use it for. Additionally, I always have two pairs of glasses with me. Last year, I had to switch from regular glasses to ones with progressive lenses — ah, the “perks” of getting older. The first pair of glasses is a pair of Ray-Ban RX6494 2861 that I use as my computer glasses. The second is a pair of sunglasses from a brand of a Dutch optometrist that I quite like. I bought two pairs recently, and this is a classic brown tortoise-shell-colored pair with light brown lenses.

To finish my grab bag of random items, I have a cheap screwdriver set always with me and, since a couple of weeks ago, a Wimbledon keychain. It’s a little replica of the Wimbledon men’s trophy that Jannik Sinner lifted only a couple of weeks ago after beating Carlos Alcaraz in this year’s Wimbledon men’s final. Robert-Jan had the unique opportunity to visit Wimbledon this year with Rolex and took this fun little keychain as a gift. As some of you might know, I have played tennis ever since I was seven years old, and visiting Wimbledon is still on my bucket list. I have visited Roland-Garros multiple times, but Wimbledon is something different, and this little trophy is a nice reminder.

Final thoughts on my EDC

There you have it — the contents of my bag of tricks, also known as my EDC. The list of items is a pretty accurate reflection of my personality and passions. It gives a good glimpse of the things that I care about and the practical stuff I use daily. It also brings the Fratello EDC series to a close. We hope that you enjoyed getting a glimpse into our bags and seeing the items we all use!