pen stand

Jac Zagoory Atlas Pen Holder Review

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with Montblanc 149
with Montblanc 149

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.

with Montblanc 149
with Montblanc 149

Jac Zagoory Atlas Pen Holder

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.

Jac Zagoory Atlas Pen Holder

 

with Aurora Optima
with Aurora Optima

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

 

with Pilot Vanishing Point
with Pilot Vanishing Point

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 Kaweco Sport is almost too small.
The Kaweco Sport is almost too small.

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.

Nakaya Desk Pen Stand Review

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Nakaya Desk Pen Stand with Nakaya Naka-ai Cigar Negoro Shiro-tamenuri
Nakaya Desk Pen Stand with Nakaya Naka-ai Cigar Negoro Shiro-tamenuri

Last year I purchased my first Nakaya, a Naka-ai Cigar Negoro in Shiro-tameuri.  I tried using the Naka-ai at work and found that it was a complete pain to use for a number of reasons.  Being a cigar model it has no clip; I would have to use the pen with a Nakaya pillow so that it wouldn’t roll off the desk.  That was annoying.  The second issue is the threading on the Naka-ai; because this pen is designed to be finished with complex paintings and designs there is a lot of threading so that you cannot accidentally misalign the artwork (or in the case of the Negoro model, the scars).

These two “annoyances” make the Naka-ai unusable for quick notes.  To remedy this issue I purchased a Nakaya desk pen stand and now my Naka-ai is a pleasure to use at work.

Nakaya Desk Pen Stand

I had read that Nakaya desk pen stand is compatible with a lot of other common non-Nakaya pens so I opted for the basic plain black Urushi lacquer finish with gold trim as I thought this would work well with more of my pens.

with 1950s Montblanc 146
with 1950s Montblanc 146
with OMAS Paragon
with OMAS Paragon

I have found that the stand works very well with my Montblanc 146, my Aurora Optima, my OMAS Paragon, my OMAS Ogiva, and my Visconti Van Gogh (original model with the K locking cap. It may not work with the smaller more recent models).  Nibs.com (no affiliation) lists many more compatible pens that I have not had the chance to try with the stand.  Sadly it does not fit a Montblanc 149.

with Aurora Optima
with Aurora Optima
with Visconti Van Gogh
with Visconti Van Gogh

The fit and finish is as good as any other Nakaya product.  The lacquer is gorgeous.  The stand is sturdy and will hold your pen at any angle you choose.

Nakaya Desk Pen Stand

The base is made of wood and the bottom is not finished in lacquer as the top is; this prevents the base from sliding around.

Nakaya Desk Pen Stand

Overall, I am really happy with the desk stand as it has made a number of my favorite pens more usable.  The utility it provides makes the $140 price tag well worth it for me.  I definitely recommend this stand to Nakaya Cigar owners as well as anyone that gets tried of uncapping their pens.