Tag Archives: pen case

REVIEW: Franklin-Christoph 80 Pen Master Case

Posted on by
Reply
80-Pen Master Case from Franklin-Christoph

I have, use, and love several items from Franklin-Christoph. There’s the Penvelope and the Command Center Folio. I also have the Model 2 Intrinsic fountain pen (haven’t reviewed it yet here, but love it), and the terrible (for me) Black Magic Ink.  Overall, I’m a fan of Franklin-Christoph – they are a small company doing really great things.

When I spotted this case at the LA Pen Show in January, I was definitely interested. Unfortunately, by the time I was ready to buy, they were sold out. Blech.  (This is truly the nature of pen shows – if you see something you want and the price is right, you better jump on it before someone else does.)

I waited forever for these to come back into stock – and when they did, I ordered two. At $200 each, they’re a pretty big spend for storage of pens. Before the cases, I used black velvet jewelry trays in drawers to keep my pens (mostly) all in one place.  The jewelry trays worked for a number of years, but it wasn’t a perfect solution and the pens weren’t at all portable.

Some nuts and bolts . . .

  • Each case holds 80 pens
  • All 80 pens can be displayed at the same time with the fancy unzip, flip-flop, lay-flat design
  • Fancy “briefcase” look
  • Each pen is held in place with two elastic bands for added security
  • Dual zipper tabs on both sides
  • Handles can be pushed down to conceal

Once the pens are in the case, they are in the case and I don’t think anyone should be concerned about  smaller pens flopping around in there. In fact, if there’s a concern, it may be that the elastics are too tight. They are definitely snug and I’ve had some trouble getting some of my bigger pens into the case (difficult, not impossible).

Will being too snug damage a pen over time? I don’t know.  My kinda sorta guess is that if you take pens out of case a zillion time, that there will be some wear on the finish of the pen.

The craftsmanship of these cases is excellent. I’ve been using them for around five months at this point and they seem to be sturdy and functional. I am sure they will last a lifetime – or two.

I know that the cost will be a roadblock for some people. My thought is that if you have you 80+ pens and need a storage solution, you have probably spent a good amount of money on those pens and want a case that will protect them.

The Franklin-Christoph 80 Pen Master Case will definitely do the job.

PEN ACCESSORIES REVIEW: Monteverde 36 Slot Pen Case

Posted on by
8
Monteverde 36 Slot Pen Case Review



Let’s dive right in . . .

  • holds 36 pens (18 on each side)
  • padded nylon cover with faux leather accents
  • velour interior
  • stiff partition to keep the pens on either side of the case from rubbing together
  • zipper close (single pull)

There are some good things about this case . . .

  • padded nylon cover seems durable
  • rounded corners help prevent wear and tear
  • exterior looks good – nice even, tight stitching, and I like the half-moon “grip” area of the case 
  • velour interior is super-soft
Before we get to the rest of this review, I should let you know that I received this item from Goulet Pens in exchange for my honest review of it.

There is one ungood (it’s a word, autocorrect!) thing about this Monteverde Pen Case . . .

The elastic seems a bit too loose for slimmer pens, and most better cases have two pieces of elastic holding each pen.
Here are some more pictures . . . 
See how the pens above lean against each other? It just took a tiny nudge.
If you think I’m showing off my Lamy collection, you’re right.

At just $40, this case is a good deal. If they exist, I couldn’t find other pen cases that hold as many pens in this same price range. Because of the situation with the elastics, I wouldn’t use this for my best and most expensive pens – call me paranoid – but I would use it for every day pens. In fact, after I took these photos, I loaded it right up with a bunch of my vintage pens and feel that they are well-protected.

Your turn – how do you store your pens? And..uh…exactly how many pens do you have to store? (I should do a nib count here someday!)

xoxo

PS..after I had this review written, but not yet published, Brian Goulet took a quick look at this Monteverde Case. He shakes the heck out that thing and says he uses this case himself. Check it out.