Pen Accessories Archives - BLAKE'S BROADCAST

Nock Co. Brasstown Zip Roll Pen Case Review

February 4, 2015 by Blake

The Brasstown in Nock Co’s most unique design, combining a pen wrap with a zip pencil case.

The pen slots in the wrap are generously sized and I am able to fill the slots with some relatively fat pens.

When you roll the wrap up into the case you will notice that there is quite a bit of extra room. I am able to fit a number of extra pens as well as a pencil sharpener and a small ruler.

Nock Co Brasstown Zip Roll Pen Case — How not to load the extra item in a Brasstown case.

I have found that the best way to load this case is to put all of the extra items (the ones not in pen slots) underneath the wrap as you will be able to unroll the wrap without any interference.

What makes this case unique is that you can carry and protect six expensive pens along with some cheaper pens. If that appeals to you, you wont find a better case. At the moment I have six pens in slots and another 10 loose in the case.

The steel 1000D nylon exterior looks great with the blue contrast stitching. The interior is done in a blue nylon pack cloth which is great for a pencil case but I think the wrap portion would be better off in a softer organic material like a cotton felt.

Nock Co. cases tend to have a blobby look and the Brasstown in no exception; I do wish that it had a bit more of a structured shape.

The Brasstown is a great case and even though I didn’t know I needed it, I can’t live without it now. The Brasstown retails for $35.00 and is handcrafted in the USA.

Here are some great reviews of the Nock Co. Brasstown:

(Please note I am not affiliated with any of the websites posted below)

Nib Creep – NOCK CO BRASSTOWN & HIGHTOWER REVIEW

Pens! Paper! Pencils! – Nock Co Brasstown pen case review

The Writing Arsenal -Accidental Early Review of the Nock Co. Brasstown

The Gentleman Stationer – NOCK CO. MEGA REVIEW PART III: HIGHTOWER AND BRASSTOWN

Office Supply Geek – Nock Co Pen Case – The Brasstown

The Penventory – The Hightower and the Brasstown: They’ll Nock Your Socks Off

Ed Jelley – NOCK CO. – “THE BRASSTOWN” PEN CASE REVIEW

DOVO 7″ Household Scissors Review

January 23, 2015 by Blake

Would you spend $75.00 on a pair of household scissors? After getting fed up with cheap office store scissors, I did and I am never going back.

Side note: I have been gone for a little while with the Holidays and a three-week trip to Europe. While I have continued to work on quality content for TUW, I have not be able to properly post until now. You can expect regular posts twice a week going forward.

The model I bought is the DOVO 255 706, a 7″ household pair of scissors. DOVO is a 100-year-old company based in Solingen, Germany. They produce all of their products, in-house in Germany.

DOVO Scissors — Everything printed on the blade is etched so you will know these scissors are a DOVO even

The model 255 is made entirely out of hot-forged stainless steel with a matt finish. No plastic handles to break apart on these scissors.

The blades are hand sharpened and very sharp as a result. DOVO also offers a sharpening and repair service should the scissors become dull or damaged.

In hand the scissors feel great and the edge has held up favorably compared with my Fiskars. While most people (including myself) don’t really need scissors this nice, the occasional indulgence can be worthwhile and I will likely be adding a 9″ pair in the near future.

Nock Co. Chimneytop Pen Case Review

July 12, 2014July 11, 2014 by Blake

The Chimneytop is a simple zippered pouch for pens and accessories. They are sold as a set of two, you get one small size and one medium size. They are made out of a 1000D textured nylon that is very much like Cordura. The small size measures about 7″ long and the medium measures about 7.5″ long. I found both of them to be a tight squeeze from my freshly sharpened wooden pencils. This isn’t a big deal as soft cases are not ideal for carrying wooden pencils but I thought it was worth pointing out.

Per the Nock Co. website the small Chimneytop has a capacity of 6 pens and the medium has a 12 pen capacity. I was able to almost double these figures but obviously the size of the pens you carry is an important factor.

Here is the small mandarin Chimneytop with 11 pens:

Nock Co. Chimneytop Pen Case — Not a bad stash for such a small case.

Here is the medium midnight Chimneytop with 21 pens:

Medium Chimneytop with 22 pens. — Medium Chimneytop with 21 pens.

I found that I preferred the smaller size. It’s proportions are a bit more attractive to me and the thick 1000D fabric gives the small Chimneytop more structure than the medium which was more blob like. The set is sold for $12 and for an American-made product constructed out of hardwearing materials the price is a steal.

Here is a great review of the Nock Co. Chimneytop pen case:

(I have no affiliation to the site linked below)

patrickrhone – A Brief Review — The Chimneytop Pop-Up Zip Case by Nock Co.

Jac Zagoory Atlas Pen Holder Review

May 22, 2014 by Blake

I love desk accessories and my Atlas pen holder by Jac Zagoory is one of my favorites. Jac Zagoory Designs is famous for its whimsical pewter desk accessories that are all made in the USA. Jac Zagoory is an avid pen (and watch) collector and he has even written a great little book on the subject called: Pen Passion a Cylindrical Obsession.

The Atlas pen holder is one of his most popular designs and comes in a gold plate finish and a black finish in addition to the bare pewter finish. The pen goes in his hands where the globe normally would be.

The holder measures 5″ wide x 3″ high x 5″ deep. The shortest distance between his hands is just over 4.5″.

There is also a mini version of the Atlas which I have not seen in person but I suspect would be much better at holding smaller pens.

The detailing on the Atlas holder is decent but not as detailed as some of his other designs. The standard pewter model that I have retails for $130 (street price closer to $100) and the black finish and gold plate models retail for $199 and $280, respectively. They aren’t cheap but I do believe you are getting what you pay for with Jac Zagoory products.

Jac Zagoory Atlas Pen Holder — felt bottom and imprint

Overall, I really like the Atlas pen holder it is a real conversation starter and a nice place to rest your pen.

Nock Co The Lookout Pen Case Review

April 19, 2014 by Blake

I finally got my hands on some Nock Co cases and while I haven’t had a chance to use all of them yet I have been carrying around the Lookout case the last few days.

The Lookout is a 3 pen case made out of a soft but heavy duty nylon exterior and a smooth pack cloth interior. I choose the steel exterior and the blue jay interior. The color combo looks great; I especially love the blue stitching on the grey exterior.

Left to right: Montblanc 149, Nakaya Naka-ai Negoro, Aurora Optima

The exterior nylon feels somewhat similar to a Cordura nylon, that is to say it is a textured nylon which gives it a more organic and less technical feel. The interior packcloth actually reminds me of the nylon material on Nakaya’s Kimono cases.

When I backed the Nock Co Kickstarter I was not certain that I would want to use the cases with some of my more expensive pens. After handling the cases I believe them to be pretty safe. Being a soft case the Lookout may not provide as much external protection as the Pelikan 3 slot pen case, which has a more rigid structure; that said, the Lookout separates the pens better so I am much less worried about my pens coming in contact with each other.

Unlike the Pelikan case, the Lookout can hold three large pens comfortably. I was able to fit my Nakaya Naka-ai, Montblanc 149 and OMAS Paragon into the lookout without problem.

So how is the build quality? The Lookout, like all Nock Co cases, are made by hand in Georgia, USA. The stitching is tight; I measured a consistent 9 stitches per inch which means the seams should be very strong. I noticed that the band that holds the flap isn’t perfectly aligned; the right side seems to be a bit lower. The stitching while, tight is not perfectly straight in some areas but being a handmade item there is always going to be a bit of variation and that’s part of the charm.

I am not certain what the price will be when the Lookout becomes available for sale on the Nock Co website but in the $15-$25 range, this pen case is a great buy.

Here are some great reviews of the Lookout:

(I have no affiliation with the sites linked below)

Alt. Haven – Review: Nock Co – The Lookout

Ed Jelley – NOCK CO. – “THE LOOKOUT” PEN CASE KICKSTARTER LAUNCH

The Well-Appointed Desk – Review: Nock Co Lookout 3-Pen Holster

Pelikan Fine Leather Black Triple Pen Pouch Review

December 17, 2013 by Blake

Up until now I have been carrying my larger and more expensive pens in single pen pouches. I would carry two to three pouches at a time which was cumbersome; I finally broke down and bought a Pelikan 3 pen pouch. I have been using a Pelikan Fine Leather Black Triple Pen Pouch every day for about a month now and I quite like it. I spent a good amount of time looking for a quality case that really protects pens. I had originally wanted a Montblanc pen pouch but after looking at it, I knew that it wasn’t right. The main issue I found with the Montblanc case (apart from the $180 price tag) was the fact that the dividers stopped about halfway down the case; this in my opinion is a design flaw that would allow the bottom of the pens to knock into each other. So after doing a bit more research I found that the Pelikan case would accommodate larger pens and had dividers that run the length of the case.

The Pelikan pouch is made out of a soft leather (softer than the Montblanc case) and comes in black with a green strap or black with a black strap. Each case has the Pelikan logo embossed on the strap. The leather is of good quality, however, it is not as nice as the leather Montblanc uses but for $35 the Pelikan case is of excellent quality. I don’t know where the case is made but I cannot find any flaws in its construction; every thing is cleanly cut and sewn. It’s clear that this case was carefully made. The interior of the flap is leather and the inside of the case seems to be some sort of felt sort of felt.

Top to bottom: OMAS Ogiva, Montblanc 149, Aurora Optima

Compared to the Montblanc case pens do fit a bit more snugly. I can easily fit my Montblanc 149, 146, and Aurora Optima into the case but it is a tight fit. If you want to fit three 149s the Pelikan case is not for you. Also the top of the pens that the flap covers are not protected much on the side. I carry my case in a backpack or briefcase without issue.

When the case has more normal sized pens in it the flap comes down further.

Overall I am really satisfied with this case and highly recommend it.

Sula Jane & Earl Pen Wrap Review

November 27, 2013 by Blake

The Sula Jane & Earl pen wrap is hand made in Los Angeles out of genuine leather. I have been using mine daily for over a year now and as you can see from the pictures it has held up quite well. The Kelly green leather quite thick and protects my pens well. My OMAS Paragon and Montblanc 146 fit quite nicely but larger pens like a Montblanc 149 or a Pelikan M1000 will not fit. At $42 this wrap is a pretty decent deal considering the quality of the construction and materials. It should be noted that leather is not good for long term pen storage as it can cause metal to corrode.

Left to right: Visconti Van Gogh, Conway Stewart 58, OMAS Paragon, Parker P51

Here is a great of the Sula Jane & Earl pen wrap:

(I have no affiliation with the site linked below)

Gourmet Pens – Review: @SulaJaneandEarl 4 Pen Wrap – Kelly Green

Inky Fingers? ReDuRan Is A Must Have For All Fountain Pen Users

December 31, 2013November 21, 2013 by Blake

If you use a fountain pen you need ReDuRan.

Before I discovered ReDuRan I was using dishwasher detergent powder to remove fountain pen ink from my hands. Using a powder to clean your hands can be cumbersome and messy. ReDuRan is a product specifically designed for getting ink and dye off of your hands. The cleanser actually feels very gritty like dry dishwasher detergent but in a cream form. To use you simply apply a small amount (I usually use a pea sized amount) and rub the affected areas without water. Next, add a little bit of water and rub some more, rinse thoroughly and marvel in your new ink free hands.