dfo
November 5th, 2017, 09:20 PM
Review: Van der Spek 3 Pen Case Black Leather
35758
This Van der Spek 3 pen case arrived a few days ago from La Couronne du Comte. This is my third order from the small store across the pond and I am quite pleased. Last year, I purchased a brown (reddish brown) 4 pen case from the same company, but I found myself wanting a black leather case for my Lamy 2000s (fountain pen, rollerball, and mechanical pencil). Please see my previous review (https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/20534-A-Brief-Review-of-a-Pen-Sleeve-and-Pen-Pouches-Cases) on FPGeeks if you are interested in my journey discovering pen cases. Here is a handwritten review of the VdS pen case followed by a typed review. The review was written with a Pelikan M805 (.85 stub by MikeItWork), Diamine Asa Blue, on a Maruman Mnemosyne notebook.
35756
General Consensus:
Simply put, Van der Spek's leather goods have become my favorite pen cases in regard to quality, style, and value.
3575735760
Likes:
The pen case is stylish yet conservative in appearance. My Lamy 2000s finally found their home and this case/pen combo comes with me to work as part of my EDC.
I love the general feel of the case. The case is compact in comparison to other 3 pen cases by Lamy, Nock, Wancher, and Aston Leather. It fits well in my dress shirt pocket. I found the Lamy 3 pen case to be too long, allowing the pens to slide around due to the design of the case, with a magnetic clasp, which does not permit the case flap to be adjusted to shorter pens like the Lamy 2000. The Aston case and its numerous knockoffs are simply too wide for me and made of stiff leather. While some readers might like thick leather, I find them cumbersome for quick deployment at work.
The leather is of high quality stock with no imperfections. The case is made of three different types of leather. Two pieces are stitched together for the outer part and suede-like-material is used for the inner dividers. This allows for a swath of color options and leather types for customization. This construction technique also keeps the case quite pliable. I often fold the outer flap behind the case while carrying the case in my dress shirt pocket or while placing it on a desk. I prefer the leather on the VdS than the puffy leather on the Lamy and Pelikan pen cases.
The stitching is perfect to my eyes.
The internal dividers effectively keep the pens from coming in contact with each other.
The price is a killer deal. I paid around $42, though I grouped the order with other items to help cover shipping costs. Shipping costs €11.50 to the U.S. if the pen alone. I found similar prices from other sellers. If ordered directly from the manufacturer, you can have the pen case custom made and choose the colors and types of leather for the inner and outer parts along with the stitching.
35759
Dislikes:
I found only one issue with these cases, though I consider it minor. After a year’s usage, I noticed that the internal dividers seem to be made of plastic dividers with suede applied over the dividers. The suede is stitched to the dividers. This picture is of the 4 pen case I purchased last year.
35761
Other ponderings:
V.d.S. is a small family-owned leather company in Puttershoek, Netherlands.
If you have not noticed, I hate pen cases made of thick leather. I find them to be bulky and disgusting.
I am also interested in pen cases made by Caran d’ache, because of their compact design, and Montblanc, because it is Montblanc. However, both cases are twice the price of Van der Spek cases and the internal dividers in Montblanc cases are very short.
35758
This Van der Spek 3 pen case arrived a few days ago from La Couronne du Comte. This is my third order from the small store across the pond and I am quite pleased. Last year, I purchased a brown (reddish brown) 4 pen case from the same company, but I found myself wanting a black leather case for my Lamy 2000s (fountain pen, rollerball, and mechanical pencil). Please see my previous review (https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread.php/20534-A-Brief-Review-of-a-Pen-Sleeve-and-Pen-Pouches-Cases) on FPGeeks if you are interested in my journey discovering pen cases. Here is a handwritten review of the VdS pen case followed by a typed review. The review was written with a Pelikan M805 (.85 stub by MikeItWork), Diamine Asa Blue, on a Maruman Mnemosyne notebook.
35756
General Consensus:
Simply put, Van der Spek's leather goods have become my favorite pen cases in regard to quality, style, and value.
3575735760
Likes:
The pen case is stylish yet conservative in appearance. My Lamy 2000s finally found their home and this case/pen combo comes with me to work as part of my EDC.
I love the general feel of the case. The case is compact in comparison to other 3 pen cases by Lamy, Nock, Wancher, and Aston Leather. It fits well in my dress shirt pocket. I found the Lamy 3 pen case to be too long, allowing the pens to slide around due to the design of the case, with a magnetic clasp, which does not permit the case flap to be adjusted to shorter pens like the Lamy 2000. The Aston case and its numerous knockoffs are simply too wide for me and made of stiff leather. While some readers might like thick leather, I find them cumbersome for quick deployment at work.
The leather is of high quality stock with no imperfections. The case is made of three different types of leather. Two pieces are stitched together for the outer part and suede-like-material is used for the inner dividers. This allows for a swath of color options and leather types for customization. This construction technique also keeps the case quite pliable. I often fold the outer flap behind the case while carrying the case in my dress shirt pocket or while placing it on a desk. I prefer the leather on the VdS than the puffy leather on the Lamy and Pelikan pen cases.
The stitching is perfect to my eyes.
The internal dividers effectively keep the pens from coming in contact with each other.
The price is a killer deal. I paid around $42, though I grouped the order with other items to help cover shipping costs. Shipping costs €11.50 to the U.S. if the pen alone. I found similar prices from other sellers. If ordered directly from the manufacturer, you can have the pen case custom made and choose the colors and types of leather for the inner and outer parts along with the stitching.
35759
Dislikes:
I found only one issue with these cases, though I consider it minor. After a year’s usage, I noticed that the internal dividers seem to be made of plastic dividers with suede applied over the dividers. The suede is stitched to the dividers. This picture is of the 4 pen case I purchased last year.
35761
Other ponderings:
V.d.S. is a small family-owned leather company in Puttershoek, Netherlands.
If you have not noticed, I hate pen cases made of thick leather. I find them to be bulky and disgusting.
I am also interested in pen cases made by Caran d’ache, because of their compact design, and Montblanc, because it is Montblanc. However, both cases are twice the price of Van der Spek cases and the internal dividers in Montblanc cases are very short.