Nock Co 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

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.

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