Bas & Lokes "Reynolds" Handmade Leather Pen Case

There are a couple of things that I get really, really excited about.  Pens (obviously) and leather goods.  In the pen category, primarily pens with a machined metal barrel or that bare the name rOtring. 

With leather goods, I love handmade wares of artisans that make their livelihood from the trade.  Although I myself make handmade goods, mine are more of a hobby to help pay for new items to review on the blog (thank you all!), but there are others that do it for a living.  I've said it before; I love small business.

I was given the privilege and opportunity of making an exchange with a talented artist that calls Australia home; Bas from Bas & Lokes.  Outside of making beautiful leather goods, Bas is such an approachable and kind person that seems to really love what she does as well as the people she does it for.  Even in simply exchanging emails with her, I can honestly say that I doubt I've ever felt more appreciated as a person than in "speaking" with her.  She says some of her greatest joys are making people happy through her work.  Such an outstanding artist and person to boot!    

I received my package from Bas and she had her wares all bundled up nicely; classy! 

Such posh packaging! (recent Instagram post)

Such posh packaging! (recent Instagram post)

Bas was kind enough to send me a few of her wares and I wanted to talk specifically about her "Reynolds" single pen case.  I requested the Saddle Tan finish which has a rich reddish brown dye and is simply stunning.  The case just looks and feels so great!  

Really, I wonder if there is a more stylish way to carry a single pen.  You've invested in a beautiful pen that you want to protect; an incredible handmade leather case for it is definitely appropriate and recommended! 

Now, you can buy a cheaper leather case on Amazon or eBay for sure, but expect to get something made with a thinner material that carries a much lower quality than these. 

One thing I really love about her work is how thick the leather is.  She doesn't skimp and hand selects the best pieces for her wares.  This case feels so hearty, sturdy and well made (and smells amazing).  The case has a nice broad flap that tucks into a ring of leather about a third of the way down to keep your pen covered, secured, and protected when carrying in your bag, purse, or pocket.  

Bas herself is extremely fond of her Karas Kustoms Render K (and new Bolt) and even graces her product images with it.  The case has a large enough sleeve to fit a Render K of course, but I've tested mine with a variety of other pens for size: Lamy 2000 rollerball, Lamy Safari fountain pen, rOtring 600 fountain pen, and a Retro 51 Tornado.  I don't yet own anything on the super high end, but know that it will cradle your Pelikans, Montblancs, Edisons, or other precious beauties just fine.  If you have anything that is REALLY large, you might run into trouble.  

I've been oogling Bas' work for awhile and again feel so privileged to have been able to share my works with her and to receive some of her beautiful pieces.  Please, give her wares a look if you're in need of some quality leather goods. 

Karas Kustoms "Special" Render K - GIVEAWAY!

Boy, oh boy is this going to be fun. 

Since I laid eyes on my first Karas Kustoms pen, I knew I was going to be hooked; big time.  Being local to the shop, I get to hang out and spend time with the fellas and often get to see (and receive) some pretty special stuff.  In talking to Bill Karas recently we discussed doing a giveaway on the blog and he was more than happy to oblige, so thanks, Bill, for sponsoring the giveaway!  

Up for grabs this time is something a bit unique and special.  Let's just say it is more of a "one of a kind" type pen that will likely never see the light of day any other time. 

What we have is a Render K, but not quite how you normally know it.  This Render K has a smooth cap (although you know how much I love knurling) which gives it a sleek finish that I absolutely love.  They only made a few of these caps so this is a pretty neat piece.  

It also has hex head bolts instead of the standard slotted screws, and we opted to make it a two-tone silver and blue to give it more of that vintage look.  Let's just say nobody else in the world is going to have a Render K quite like this one... 

This Render K takes the Hi Tec C or the Parker style refills, and I'll be throwing in a Schmidt EasyFlow 9000 to go with it as it is my go-to ballpoint refill these days. 

The Fine Print (sort of):

This giveaway is open to US and International readers (woohoo!) and will run through this coming Sunday, October 20th, until 11:59pm PST (Arizona). 

To enter, complete the form below with your name and email address.  

I will arrange the names in order as received and use a random number generator to pick the winner.  

Upon picking the winner, I will announce it on the blog, email them, and they will have one week to reply with their address information.  After a week goes by if there is no response, I'll pick a new winner. 

Good luck! 

Mike

Lamy Econ Ballpoint - Pen Review

There are just sometimes that a pen seems to draw you into wanting to buy it.  Ok, this happens a lot, but with the Lamy Econ this was the case nonetheless. 

The sleek stainless steel barrel design, subtle clip with the nicely stamped LAMY logo, and the metal tip and knock look great.  Its a sharp looking pen and is pleasant aesthetically.  Fits in really well if you like minimalist styles and design. 

The Econ isn't a crazy expensive pen coming in at around $30 or so.  Is it worth $30?  Meh.  And that is really my honest opinion.  It is a Lamy which adds a bit of price to it, but the pen is nothing overly amazing in my eyes.  

It feels good and is weighty enough (although a bit more front heavy) to be considered a nice enough pen.  The stainless steel barrel and metal hardware make it shiny and more standout-ish. 

Now, about the barrel.  It isn't really "all metal".  From the knock section you can even see that some of the guts of the pen are actually a black plastic.  The tip section is the heaviest part of the pen which brings the weight forward, but it doesn't seem overly unbalanced.  

What is kind of unfortunate is that I would probably put the build quality and feel of this thing on par with the Zebra F-701.  The Zebra is $7 (at most) and the Lamy is retailed at $30+.  Granted, its a Lamy and does have some unique design and maybe a bit of a name brand upcharge as mentioned before.  I like Lamy as a brand enough to be ok with that I suppose.  Their Safari line probably costs them like $3 per pen particularly in the ABS plastic designs, but they are phenomenal pens with a cool design that is worth every bit of $30.   I'm probably totally off, but you get what I mean.

One thing that I really love about the Econ is how tight the tip of the pen is in the barrel.  There are some pens that the tip just wobbles all over the place and is super distracting to use.  This pen holds the refill so nicely and it doesn't even move a stitch.  It feels incredibly solid while writing, and if anything, this is a reason to buy it.  Overall, even with the plastic guts, the pen feels really substantial and coupled with the sturdy tip makes it a comfortable writer. 

The knock isn't really a clicker, but what I would more describe as a squisher.  It is smooth, but just kind of mushes into place and stays.  No "click" like the mechanism is engaging with some other moving parts.  There is kind of a thwack sort of sound.  I wouldn't say it is a "fun" clicker.  

I don't know, its weird trying to describe a pen knock sometimes.  For me, the audible aspect of the knock is almost as important as the feel.  Anyone else in this camp with me? 

Part of the design are three slits just below the tip that are sort of out of place I think.  I'm not sure if these are so you know where to put your fingers and thumb while writing?  This is kind of a Lamy think after all with the three sided grip on the Safari to train how to properly hold a pen.  They provide grip as your fingers and thumb press into the space just enough to not slip around.  Clever...

Lamy ballpoints take their proprietary M16 refill which gets mixed reviews.  Mary Collis over at From the Pen Cup did a nice write up of her Lamy 2000 ballpoint recently that takes this refill and she gives it pretty high marks.  She used to hate the M16 and nearly swore off using her Lamy ballpoints unless it had a Monteverde, but was pleasantly surprised.  Give her review a read if you haven't already.  I hope to review my Lamy 2000 ballpoint sometime soon and hope I can do it justice in comparison to hers!   

Synopsis on the Econ; a good pen but maybe a bit over priced.  Not like an out of the park home run I'd say, but still a solid and good writer that is as sleek as it is functional.