I’ve been recycling the very few pre-roll tubes I’ve resentfully collected over the year as my primary joint-case for stashing my home-rolls when out and about.
But those were kind of big and bulky in my pocket since they’re usually a one-size fits-all size (accommodating king sizers) while I usually travel with <1g doinks.
So I ended up repurposing one of those little plastic vials used to keep fresh flowers fresher as it was the perfect size for holding one of my potent little pins.
But there’s no lid on those, just a flexible rubber top with an “X” cut into it to allow for quick and easy stem insertion.
This is great if you’re a rose but not so great at containing the powerful aroma of my dank which, while I personally enjoy the scent of, can sometimes attract more attention than I’d care to have.
Lastly I have an old Highland Provisions kief-infused pre-roll altoid-style tin from probably 4+ years ago that had a crimped metal leaf inside that allows it to hold 3 little cones perfectly.
In this review we explore:
The only issue with it is that if I’m packing multiple doobs I really like having multiple different strains, so I’m prepared for any situation.
For example, lately I’ve been rocking Blue God, Ice Cream Cake, and Guava CBD.
These are three very different genetics with very different flavor profiles and smoking characteristics, allowing me maximum flexibility in aligning my stoning experience with whatever moment I find myself in.
The repurposed Highland Provisions tin is completely open inside and so if I put three different joins in there the smells are all going to marry over time.
So eventually I see this beautiful metallic looking joint case, probably on Instagram, that looked like it would be the perfect solution for my particular style of consumption so for a special occasion, I purchased a shiny new Holk joint case.
Who Are Holk?
Holk is a Stockholm-based design brand, specifically a brand that designs things for “people who love weed”.
As a relatively minimalist midwesterner who loves ganj, I think that’s pretty fuckin rad.
As a dude who seems to have outgrown the stoner bro mom’s basement type of blazing culture that still seems to dominant in much of America finding a subtly Scandinavian joint case was a welcome surprise.
Sweden isn’t a legal country which is pretty lame but hopefully the destigmatization that brands like Holk bring to the world will help chip away at those anachronic laws a bit.
Outside of their beautiful metallic cases that look like pieces of jewelry, Holk also offer rolling paper and some pretty rad apparel featuring their rather succinct “Altered States Set You Free” motto, which couldn’t be more fitting when it comes to the net mental effect cannabis can have on a thinking man’s (or woman’s) mind.
Why I Chose Holk
There’s no getting around it, these cases aren’t particularly cheap at $129.00 a pop BUT they generously offer a 10% discount if you give them your already well-whored email address so you can get your blingy new case for just a hair over $116.
But damn these things are pretty. Cannabis isn’t just a party trick for me, it has become an integral part of my regular life.
Mary Jane is my best friend, she’s my pal. She’s my home-girl, my rotten soldier. She’s my sweet cheese, my good-time girleh.
As such I seek to pamper her. To keep her protected from the bumps and bruises this hard world all too eagerly imparts upon something as delicate as perfectly packed organic hemp OCB cone of Oregon’s finest living soil dankness.
The fact of the matter is I’ve found myself in situations where my single-tube just isn’t enough.
Sharing is caring after all and I’ve become determined to always keep a couple joints on me when I’m out and about so that I’m always equipped to hand out a stanky little olive leaf should the occasion to do so arise.
The Holk cases has space for 4 doobs that will fit up to king-sized lengths and diameters but will easily hold anything under those sizes as well.
This alotts me plenty of flexibility for what I want to roll with, whether that be a couple of precisely dosed half-gram pins of 1:1 flower for maximum balance or wither that be 4 fully packed kief-injected cones of good times for hanging at a cabin in the woods with the boys.
Sure, there are other options out there that will get the job done. Etsy in particular has a wide variety of beautifully crafted wood offerings, which I may end up adding to my collection at some point as well, but the Holk’s Scandinavian minimalist elegance called to me the strongest, so here I am.
These cases feature a hand-polished anodized outer shell made from 100% recycled aluminum which is pretty rad, a magnetic lid enclosure for secure yet effortless access, and a cool little base compartment for holding half-smoked joints.
I particularly like the little half-joint holder because I do indeed often only smoke about a half a joint when out and about and being able to store that separately from my unsmoked herb as to not taint the fresh herb flavor with that ashy smell that half-smoked joints create is a godsend.
My Experience Using Holk
On the whole my experience using Holk in real-world stoner situations has been pretty good. The feel in the hand is a premium one and every time I flip up the magnetic lid I feel like some roaring twenties Jazz club manager.
The magnetic lid snaps shut with a satisfying action and stays shut so you don’t have to sweat tossing your Holk into your bag, your precious joints will stay secure and protected.
Not that I would haphazardly just toss my case into a bag full of other hard materials as the mirror-like finish of the case could get scuffed up pretty easily if it came in contact with the right (or wrong) hard materials.
Thankfully the long, flat, smooth profile lends itself PERFECTLY to being stashed unobtrusively in the inner coat pocket of a jacket, which is where I generally keep mine.
Holk has served me well. It’s been great being able to bring four distinctly different pre-rolls with me when I’m out and about, equipping me for any situation that may arise, from contemplative solo sessions immersed in nature to more social situations where I’m able to share my favorite herb with new friends.
How I Think Holk Could Evolve
While the lids of the Holk do close shut with conviction this is not a “smell proof” joint case. It’s therefore much more practical for “on the ground” use within legal states than it is a stealth container for transporting herb in situations where utter secrecy is required.
This is due to the Holk not containing any sort of gasket or seal system to prevent those particularly skunky notes from escaping its beautifully anodized walls.
I didn’t buy it with the intention of it being smell-proof and I don’t believe it was designed to be that type of travel-friendly container anyways but I just wanted to call it out here in case you were thinking this was going to be your new interstate travel companion.
This is where I insert a quick little legal disclaimer wherein I advise you to follow local laws where you live and never transport cannabis across any borders wherein such activities are not legally permitted. Be smart friends, live to fight another day.
This brings me to what I could see Holk evolving into. See, I think the minimalist metallic aesthetic is already perfect but I can’t help but wonder what a case CNC’d from a solid block of aluminum would look and feel like.
If instead of holding a plastic liner the Holk’s core was pure aluminum with four little joint tubes drilled out, now that would add a rad brutalist component to this whole equation which would be just the most kickass thing, IMHO.
If Holk went with an entirely milled case I think keeping the magnetic lids but adding a quality oval-shaped rubber gasket would be a nice touch as well, giving smokers a way to go smell-proof without looking like a complete dork about it.
Now would anyone be able to sell such an accessory for $129? Probably not. But if this was available I’d happily pay more for it, with $199 not being unreasonable in my opinion, for a case carved out of billet aluminum.
I could see dropping the V1.0 down to $99 and then selling a billet version for $199 being a logical offering, and when I say “logical” that is from a suburban stoners perspective, not a machinist or product design perspective, of which I have zero expertise.
Summary: Holk Elevates Casual Toking Experiences
On the whole I think Holk executes perfectly what their whole brand ethos seems to be, which is a more modernist yet elegant take on a future world wherein cannabis isn’t just celebrated, it’s pampered.
As a self-identified member of the cult of craft cannabis lovers I do indeed see the market eventually moving this way.
There’s already a plethora of “legacy” cannabis culture in the market but a bit of a dearth of more refined products that speak more to sophistication than they do sensationalism.
If you’ve been looking for a joint case for around town usage, one that you won’t be embarrassed to whip out and events where you’ve actually dressed up a bit, then look no further than Holk.
Who doesn’t want to be the guy/gal who whips out their mirror polished joint case to hook up the party with three of your favorite strains rolled especially for the occasion, secured and protected by what is essentially a piece of art itself in your smooth, shiny Holk joint case.
Ordered mine last week