NFP Design Block 6 Pen Box Review

I met the team from NFP Design at this year’s Washington D.C. Pen Show, and came away impressed. Not only are they great people who took the time to share their story with me, I have been in love with the products I came home with.

One of those products, the 2-pen Tile, was too cool to keep for myself, so I added it to the recent Raffle for St. Jude. It features beautiful traditional Turkish artwork on the exterior, and would be a stylish addition to any workspace.

The product I hung on to for my own desk, and for this review, is the awesomely Orange 6-pen Block. It does come in other great colors - such as Purple, Green, Yellow, Blue, and Grey - but Orange! I wasn’t going to pass this one up.

Given the architecture background of the founder of NFP, you can bet the technical aspects of the Block are completely dialed in and refined. The square shape of the Block 6 features slightly beveled edges and rounded corners. There are two notches on each side near the opening to assist with opening. Once open, the brass hinges allow for the lid to be open fully, and stay in place. The 6 interior slots are lined, and sturdy - not pliable to the touch - and fixed in place. The exterior finish is spotless.

When you see a collection of design decisions made this well, you can’t help but be impressed with the end result.

That’s where I am with the Block 6. It’s as impressive to use as it is to look at. And priced fairly, too. This model is around $73 given the current conversion rates of the Turkish Lira to the US Dollar, and, even with another $40-ish dollars for shipping, puts it in a good spot. There is also a Block 11 model (around $91) available if you need more storage. Why not both?

Pen shows offer a great opportunity to meet new makers from around the world, especially shows as large and well-attended as Washington D.C.. I’m fortunate to be able to make these trips, and love sharing stories about the people I meet. Huge thanks to NFP Design for their time, and for sending me home with some great products.

(NFP Design provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Nakabayashi Lifestyle Tool Wall Box Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

You know those sweet antique steamer trunks that fancy travelers always had, where they opened up to be an entire wardrobe with drawers and compartments and hangers and everything? This is like a mini one of those for your stationery. How clever is that?

The Nakabayashi Lifestyle Tool Wall Box is made of firm cardboard, reinforced with steel, with a textured paper surface. The box can be decorated, but also looks good with its plain minimalistic design. The interior is also lined with strong magnets, so the box can stick to metal surfaces or a fridge, which is a feature I didn't think I needed until I tried it. Once I tried it, I realized that is probably where mine will stay. Partly because it's extremely useful and partly because the magnets are so strong it's actually really hard to get it off the fridge.

The box folds open lengthwise, and inside are a series of small compartments for all your desk necessities. The left side has one larger compartment that is perfect for scissors or a handful of pens, or both. The top flap of the box folds up on that side, so if you're using it as a pen stand or on your fridge, you can fit even taller items on that side. On the right are three smaller shelves--two like pockets, and the bottom one like a shallow tray. There is also one tall, narrow pen slot toward the middle. These pockets are great for washi tapes, sticky notes, clips, pencil sharpeners, or other wee sundries.

At $18, it's expensive for a cardboard box. But it really is well constructed and cleverly designed--more so than some similarly priced fabric pen pouches. When closed, the box is held shut by its magnets and fits well on shelves or in bags, and the hard cardboard keeps your items safe. They're ready for a jaunt across campus or a steamship across the Atlantic, whichever.

(JetPens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

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The Pen Rest by Walden Woodworkers: A Review

(Susan M. Pigott is a fountain pen collector, pen and paperholic, photographer, and professor. You can find more from Susan on her blog Scribalishess.)

Galen Leather sent me several wonderful pen items after I encountered problems with my six-pen case (reviewed here). One of those items was “The Pen Rest” by Walden Woodworkers.

The Pen Rest is made out of a single piece of mahogany wood. It has an aged brass plate on the front with “Walden Woodworkers Istanbul” inscribed in it.

The holder is carved with three slots for pens to rest lengthwise. I really like the design with its subtle curves and simplicity.

The Pen Holder accommodates small and medium-sized pens well. I tried it with a Platinum, Sailor 1911L, and Pilot Vanishing Point, and all the pens fit and were accessible.

However, oversized pens overwhelm the holder. You can fit two comfortably, but three is definitely a crowd.

I definitely prefer a pen holder that allows my pens to be in a horizontal position. In vertical holders, the ink sinks to the bottom, and that can lead to hard starts. That said, detail that would make this pen rest even better is felt on the bottom to protect other surfaces.

You can purchase the Walden Woodworkers Pen Rest from Galen Leather for a very reasonable $16.00.

(Galen Leather sent me this pen rest as a gift. I did not request it for review nor did they ask me to review the product.)

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Enjoy reading The Pen Addict? Then consider becoming a member to receive additional weekly content, giveaways, and discounts in The Pen Addict shop. Plus, you support me and the site directly, for which I am very grateful.

Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!