Get Nock-ed up!
The pen addiction has been pretty insane as of late. I feel compelled to take more and more pens with me to work these days – but how to do so properly? There are a lot of leather options out there but I’m personally not a fan – I wanted something more interesting and colorful, and honestly less expensive.
I saw a lot of posts on Twitter and Instagram as well as several mentions on Goulet Pens periscope videos about Nock cases. Nock is out of Atlanta, and is run by Brad Dowdy of The Pen Addict and Jeffrey Bruckwicki of J. Bruckwicki P+D. Their combined love of pens and product design yielded Nock Co. which has a full line of high quality Pen and Pad case options in a variety of colors.
The company assembles everything in-house (‘Murica) using high quality (1000D) durable water repellent Nylon on the outside and a lighter Nylon Pack Cloth on the inside. They are well designed and hide most stitching on the interior, keeping the possibility of fraying to a minimum. Spots where more stress is encountered are reinforced with bartack stitches for added strength. All of these elements show that each design was well thought out to keep the visual look clean and functionally solid at the same time.
Nock has seven models currently available that hold just pens or pens and a pocket notebook. My first order consisted of three Lookouts (3-pen holder) , a Sassafras (5 to 7 pen holder) and a Brasstown (6-pen holder+case).
The Lookout
These padded 3-pen cases are perfect to tag along with you on meetings as they are small and light, with a simple flap giving you easy access to your trio. The design, as mentioned, keeps all the seam stitching hidden on both the edges and where the loop meets the case, giving it a very clean look. The pens are kept apart with a full length stitch reinforced at the top – so repeated use will not lead to fraying. Where you do see the stitching it’s done in a matching color to the inside nylon which is a nice touch and really lends to the overall design.
The Sassafras
If you need a little more room, or want to take along some bulky items (folding knife, wider markers or highlighters) then the Sassafras is perfect. The left side has 3 standard size pen slots while the right has 2 wider slots for wider items or you can slip 2 pens in each slot giving you a 7-pen capacity. Each side has a flap so that the pens don’t touch when folded closed. The edges are trimmed in a heavy Nylon to reinforce the case while it’s banging around in your pack.
The Brasstown
This is for when you like to bring along everything including the kitchen sink. The Brasstown combines a heavy duty double-zippered pen case with a 6-pen roll-up, giving you room to pack in plenty of extras. The design is very well thought out, with an extra bit of material on the right that protects the first pen from the second when you roll it up. Again you see reinforced stitches between each pen and the same heavy Nylon edging keeping the roll-up protected. Rolled up and tucked away still leaves enough room in the case for a pile of pencils, erasers or other items. Stitching on the main case is all kept inside and reinforced giving the case a clean look and strength in the process.
I have been using these cases for a while now and Nock has a real winner here. The design quality and function are both top notch and the price is excellent. The 1000D Nylon is Their lineup has a host of color options, so finding something to match your tastes is easy. Overall a great product and highly recommended–already placing a second order as my collection has grown yet again.
