Franklin-Christoph's Covered Pen Tray in "Boot Black" Leather

Pen Storage Options: Franklin-Christoph Covered Pen Tray

July 6, 2016

Back in February I discussed various pen storage options, and how I store my own personal collection. All of that still holds true, though since then I've added a Franklin-Christoph Covered Pen Tray in "boot black" leather. This is a product I can easily recommend, especially if you're looking for a storage option that looks really nice on a desk or display shelf.

Franklin-Christoph

I've reviewed several Franklin-Christoph products in the past, and I've never had a bad experience. The company, which has a long history, is based in North Carolina, and manufactures pens, inks, and related accessories. I'm generally a fan of their pens, and I especially like the fact that you can purchase a pre-ground nib from Mike Masuyama in various standard customizations such as italic, cursive italic, needlepoint, etc. What doesn't get enough attention, in my opinion, is their line of pen cases, which includes your standard pen sleeves, holsters, and zippered album-style pen cases, as well as more unique products like the "penvelopes" and the Covered Pen Tray.

The Covered Pen Tray

The Franklin-Christoph Covered Pen Tray in "Slotter Box" Mode

The Covered Pen Tray is based on the traditional "slotter box" that many pen dealers use to transport pens to and from pen shows, and was originally conceived as a means to both carry pens to shows and easily display them upon arrival. The tray (or "CPT", as it's referred to on the Franklin-Christoph website), is made from leather, lined with durable textured cloth, and comes configured to hold either 12 pens or 7 pens plus accessories (converters, cartridges, spare nibs, etc.).

The Franklin-Christoph Covered Pen Tray in "Display Stand" Mode

If you want to display your pens, whether at a show or in your home, the double-hinged lid of the Covered Pen Tray folds under to create a display stand that sits at an angle. When you want to put them away, the lid closes securely using a magnetic front flap. The intention is to allow you to use the box to transport pens, though the Covered Pen Tray shouldn't be used as a daily carry or travel case for inked pens because there's still some room in the slots for the pens to slide around. You might end up with a mess on your hands.

The red cloth inserts on the Covered Pen Tray look like they are durable and will stand up to heavy use.

The Covered Pen Tray is available in the same maroon, black, and brown color options as Franklin-Christoph's other leather goods. Recently, Franklin-Christoph changed their leather, so instead of the matte "boot leather" pictured in this review, the new Covered Pen Trays are made from "FxCel oil tanned leather," which the company says offers a "smoother high quality finish". I haven't seen the new leather in person, but will definitely be checking it out next month at the Washington, D.C. Pen Show.

I love the matte look of the "boot black" leather. It's embossed with the Franklin-Christoph logo on two places: the top of the lid and the foldover hinge.

Franklin-Christoph has created a unique product. Other "display boxes" or pen stands aren't portable, like Levenger's Point of View Pen Case or the various model of boxes and stands offered by Lanier Pens. Personally, I'm partial to leather over wood, so I'll gladly pay the extra premium. The leather has a good feel to it (as in, not plasticky like some leather used to make inexpensive pen cases), the stitching is flawless, and the burgundy cloth used to line the interior is both attractive and durable. One note about the interior and the slots themselves: the Covered Pen Tray doesn't use "pre-made" slot inserts that you see in a lot of other pen boxes (and that I used to make my cigar box pen case). I suspect these are handmade, and the result is a much more high-quality piece than other products I've seen on the market around this price point.

A close up look at the textured burgundy cloth used to line the Covered Pen Tray.  It's durable while still being soft enough not to scratch your pens. — A close up look at the textured burgundy cloth used to line the Covered Pen Tray. It's durable while still being soft enough not to scratch your pens.

Where to Buy

The Covered Pen Tray can be purchased directly from Franklin-Christoph for $149.50. This is not an inexpensive storage option, though once you get into pen cases, trays, and boxes that are meant to be displayed and not simply to store pens out of sight in a drawer or a bag, you're going to be paying more money, especially for quality leather goods. This one occupies prime real estate on my desk in my home office.

DISCLAIMER: I purchased the product featured in this review with my own funds, for my own collection. This post also contains affiliate links.

I won't even go into how many pens you can cram into this case, if you're not squeamish about them touching.

Nock Co. Sinclair: The Most Practical Pen Case

May 25, 2016

It's no secret how much I love the Nock Co. line of pen cases, primarily because of their versatility and functionality. The designs of the various cases lend themselves to many more uses than advertised. The Sinclair is a prime example. While it's billed as a "three pen and a notebook" case, I've used the Sinclair as a "three pens, index cards, and my iPhone 6s-plus" case (yes, it fits), a "how-many-pens-can-I-cram-in-this-thing" case (see picture above), and a general carryall where I throw in some cash, a debit card, a pocket notebook, and a couple pens to go to a coffee shop. It's this ability to use the Sinclair as a zippered pouch for stuff other than pens that makes it particularly useful for me.

The Nock Co. Sinclair comfortably fits three pens (from top, Newton Shinobi, Tactile Turn Gist, and Sailor Pro Gear Realo), my iPhone 6s Plus, and a Field Notes pocket notebook.  You could easily squeeze in another pocket notebook and some busi… — The Nock Co. Sinclair comfortably fits three pens (from top, Newton Shinobi, Tactile Turn Gist, and Sailor Pro Gear Realo), my iPhone 6s Plus, and a Field Notes pocket notebook. You could easily squeeze in another pocket notebook and some business or index cards.

Nock Co. has carved out a niche for themselves in the accessories world. The Sinclair is a unique product: I have not been able to find anything comparable. Lihit Labs makes some nice zippered pen cases, at a lower price point, but the construction isn't as good and the pens generally aren't separated in their own slots--they will touch and, eventually, scratch. I'm not particularly squeamish about that with most of my pens--I use them pretty hard, after all--but I have a handful that I'm protective of. Since the Sinclair has three dedicated single-pen slots, I don't think twice about using this case to carry my nicer pens.

Like all Nock Co. products, the Sinclair is reasonably priced at $35, though prices are set to increase to a still-reasonable $40 in the near future. Given that all of Nock's cases are handmade in the good-ol' USA, I consider that a bargain. The construction is impeccable and the color schemes are classic. Customers seem to agree: Nock can't keep these in stock and they are currently sold out AGAIN, despite just restocking a few days ago. (I managed to snag this one at the 2016 Atlanta Pen Show.) They are in the process of building up their production capacity so keep checking the website, get on their mailing list, follow them on Twitter, etc. if you see something you are interested in.

Back in the day, when I was just starting out in the blogging world, I did a three-part mega review of my Nock Co "All the Cases" Kickstarter Reward. If you missed that review, you can find the parts here:

Part I: The Chimneytops. The smaller Chimneytop has been discontinued, from what I understand. I use these as stuff-sacks for cables, small chargers, lip balm, ink cartridges, etc.

Part II: The Lookout, the Sassafras, and the Maryapple. The Sassafras and the Maryapple have been discontinued, or at least are no longer featured on the Nock Co. site. I use the lookout a lot, but sold the other two cases since the Hightower met all my needs.

Part III: The Hightower and the Brasstown. Two of the most successful Nock cases, and other than the Sinclair, the two that I still use the most. I picked up another special edition Hightower in the 2015 Atlanta Pen Show Kickstarter.

DISCLAIMER: I purchased all items featured in this review for my own collection with my own funds, though I will disclose that I am personal friends with the proprietors of Nock Co., so take that for what it's worth. Many thanks!

My homebrew cigar-box pen chest, made from an old H. Upmann cigar box.

Favorite Pen Cases and Storage Options

February 10, 2016

After you’ve been in this hobby for a while, pen storage becomes an issue, especially if you’ve invested in some valuable writing implements that you care a lot about and want to protect. A wide variety of storage options exists, ranging from the simple single-pen leather sleeve to leather-covered pen trays to 80-pen albums that are reminiscent of those things we old people used to carry our CDs around in (remember those?). I’ll take you through what I consider to be the best options on the market right now, though I’m happy to open up the comments to suggestions of things I missed. (In case you haven’t noticed, I’m also a bit of an organization/storage/productivity nerd.)

One-to-Three Pen Storage

The average person has no need for a pen case that holds more than three pens. The average pen addict is a different story, but even the most ardent pen hoarders among us should have a simple three-pen holster to protect those “daily carry” pens in your briefcase. My personal favorite, and the one I carry everyday, is Nock Co.’s “Lookout” model. I also have one of the leather three-pen cases sold by Anderson Pens, which is a cost-effective and high quality leather option. Finally, I recently picked up some pen wraps from EXB Pens, and I’ve been very happy with this Japanese-style storage option. Look for a review of these at some point in the future.

Certain of the major pen brands such as Visconti and Pelikan also make leather pen cases, but they are more expensive and you will pay a premium. I personally have not felt the need to spend a lot of money when there are high quality storage options available at lower price points. I would note, however, that a lot of people seem to be very happy with the Visconti cases.

Nock Co. Lookout with Field Notes Pocket Notebook for scale.

If you’re into carrying pocket notebooks or notecards alongside your pens, then check out Nock Co.’s Fodderstack, Hightower, and Sinclair models.

Five-to-Twelve Pen Storage

Still portable, but large enough to handle the entire collection of most “normal” people. To get a quality pen case this large, you probably will be looking at spending more money, but if you have a collection that is larger than you can carry at any given time, it’s worth the investment. On the smaller (and less expensive) side, the Nock Co. Brasstown is a combination pen case/pen roll, that has room for six pens in the “roll” portion and some room for additional pens and accessories on the side. Anderson Pens again offers some cost-effective leather options, including 6-12 pen envelopes and zippered “portfolio-style” cases. Finally, for those of you that also like to carry around a lot of gel pens, pencils, sharpeners, and office accessories, people really like the Lihit Labs series of cases.

On the higher-end, I highly recommend both Franklin-Christoph and Aston Leather products. I do not own the Franklin-Christoph “Penvelope” or one of their covered pen trays, but I have seen these items in person at pen shows and they are gorgeous. Both have been added to “the list”. Currently, my vintage and celluloid pens not in use are stored in two Aston Leather 10-Pen cases that I purchased from Goulet Pens years ago. The leather is exceptionally high quality and these cases age really well. I also use these cases to transport pens to shows or meet-ups.

Aston leather 10-pen folio (though I've found you can easily get 14 pens into this case).

Mass Storage Options

Here is where you may have to get creative. If you’re a true collector (or you just own a LOT of pens), you really do need a convenient way to organize and archive them. The default storage option for most people is one of the large “album-style” pen cases that can hold anywhere from 24-80 pens. These cases are a fixture at pen shows, as they offer an easy way for dealers to protect and transport their inventory. Multiple options exist. Check out these offerings from Anderson Pens and Franklin-Christoph.

I haven’t gone this route (at least not yet). The 10-pen Aston Leather cases hold the majority of my pens, but for my overflow, I built my own storage solution out of an old cigar humidor and some faux velvet-lined plastic pen trays. The result is a two-tiered wooden pen chest that I’m extremely pleased with. While you can purchase cigar box pen cases pre-assembled, like these from Bama Pens, you might find it fun to make your own. Cigar stores usually sell empty boxes for a nominal price, and you can source the inserts online. (I purchased mine from Pendora Pens.)

My cigar box pen chest (personalized with stickers, of course).

Now, ink storage is another issue entirely. I’ve pretty much sworn off all non-sample ink purchases until I burn off some of my stock. Ask me how that’s going in about 10 years.

Nock Co. Mega Review Part III: Hightower and Brasstown

May 23, 2014

Save the best for last, they say (here, it's more like "the best of the best"). In this final installment of the three-part "all the cases" Nock Co. review, I'll be taking a look at my two personal favorites: the Hightower and the Brasstown.

The Hightower

From what I can tell, there really is nothing else like the Hightower out there on the market. It's a bifold case that holds "three" pens on the left (see my photos below and you'll see why I put "three" in quotation marks"), and "one" notebook on the right (same caveat). Needless to say, this is an incredibly versatile pen case. The construction is similar to the Sassafras and the Maryapple in materials, design, and quality, meaning that all are excellent. I chose the Kickstarter limited-edition color scheme with Peacock Blue Exterior and Midnight Interior. Sorry folks! From what I hear this one's not coming back!

Open and Loaded Up!

Packed to the Gills!

Limited Edition Peacock Blue

The Brasstown

The Brasstown is the "big boy" of the Nock Co. crew: a six-pen wrap that folds into a larger Chimneytop-style case and still leaves room to store a handful of loose pens, pencils, erasers, etc. on the sides. The interior pen roll uses enough fabric to ensure that your pens don't touch one another, and the clip from one pen won't scratch the body of its neighbor. As others have remarked, I have zero concern about storing high-dollar pens in this case.

I will add, per my earlier suggestions in Part I of this series, that the Brasstown is definitely long enough to store woodcase pencils on the side. My only concerns would be lead breakage and graphite dust, both of which would be solved by capping your pencils. I've not tried this yet. For the Brasstown, I chose the Orange/Mango color scheme, which looks awesome, though sometimes at work I wish that I'd chosen something a bit more subdued.

Brasstown Open/Empty

Brasstown Full

Brasstown Rolled Up w/ Side Storage

Brasstown Closed

Brasstown / Maryapple Comparison

Conclusions

Of these two, I think the Hightower works best for me as a daily carry case to and from work. The Brasstown, however, is always full, given that it holds a wide variety of pens, as shown, and the extra storage inside the case makes it extremely handy. I took this case to the Atlanta Pen Show last month, simply because of the capacity.

In terms of overall conclusions, it's hard to believe that Nock Co. is just a startup. While I had relatively high expectations from this Kickstarter, the fact that I received seven cases of this quality for $75 blew me away. These are polished products that reflect a high level of sophistication in terms of both manufacturing tolerances and an understanding of their customer base. I have not seen any pen storage options on the market right now that will give you equally well-built cases at this price point. From my understanding, it was Brad and Jeffrey's goal to fill this niche, and they've more than accomplished that.

So what would I personally like to see from Nock Co. in the future? A dedicated pencil option, certainly, which I understand may be on the way. Given the durability of the nylon used to construct these cases, it would also be great to have a folio option that fits Rhodia pads, or a notebook cover that would fit those A4/A5/B5 notebooks with the flimsy paper or cardboard covers that simply don't hold up to being carted around in a bag.

Something tells me we won't have to wait long to see more great stuff on the way. . . .

Nock Co. Mega Review: All The Cases, Part II

May 21, 2014

Part two of the Nock Co. "All the Cases" review: the Lookout, the Sassafras, and the Maryapple.

The Lookout

The Lookout is your basic three-pen holster. I chose the Midnight/Foliage color scheme. Like the other Nock Co. products, it's a great looking case, and it has enough padding to give comfort that your pens are being protected. It fits all pens well. Pictured are an Omas 360, Ti Pen, and a Sheaffer Legacy Heritage. If I had to recommend one pen case to someone who needed basic pen storage for high quality pens, I would recommend this case. It provides the same--if not better--protection than my more expensive leather cases, at a fraction of the price.

Lookout Closed

Lookout Open

The Sassafras

The Sassafras is the "all pen" bifold case (as opposed to the Maryapple, the "all notebook" bifold, and the Hightower, the "pens + notebook" bifold). This is another great storage option, and once again, I chose the Midnight Blue/Foliage combination. The case holds three pens on the left in slots that are intended for one pen each (although with certain slender pens, you may be able to fit in two). On the right, the slots are bigger, presumably intended to hold multiple cheaper pens that you don't mind bumping into one another. I've been using the Sassafras to store my Karas Kustoms pens (Retrakt, Bolt and Render K), my Kuru Toga, and any inked up fountain pens that I'm not actually carrying with me at the time. If I were taking an extended trip, and wanted to carry three nice pens, plus some pencils and markers, the Sassafras would be my chosen companion. This case will get some heavy use this summer and fall, as I've got some good "writing trips" lined up.

Sassafras Loaded Up!

Sassafras Closed, Compared with Hightower on the Left

The Maryapple

I'm carrying this case right now in combination with the Brasstown, and I've got it loaded with two notebooks and my Exacompta index cards. It makes sense at the moment because I am at the point where I'm close enough to filling up a Field Notes that I need to carry a spare with me. Otherwise, however, I'm not sure that the Maryapple is the most practical case for my daily carry, especially since I have the Hightower, which holds pens and writing material together. I absolutely love this color scheme, though.

Maryapple and Brasstown Side-by-Side

Maryapple Loaded

Maryapple Closed

I have nothing remotely negative to say about any of these three cases. The construction is superb, they fit a wide variety of different needs, and I will likely turn to all of them at one time or another. Well done Nock Co.! Keep it coming!