Any Recommendations For "penwell" Product?

[neverforget]

Has anyone used products from https://goodmadebetter.com/collections/penwells? It is interesting to me (i'd love to have a desk stand where I can safely rest an uncapped pen between note taking) but the pricing IMO is absurd.

[dumaresq]

It's brilliant, totally worth the money if you ask me. I have the Classic Walnut.

[DonM]

Has anyone used products from https://goodmadebetter.com/collections/penwells? It is interesting to me (i'd love to have a desk stand where I can safely rest an uncapped pen between note taking) but the pricing IMO is absurd.

I've been looking at these for a while but haven't bought yet. I think the pricing is fair for a hand made product that uses some pricey materials.

[OCArt]

You should consider an Esterbrook 444 desk set. If you watch carefully you should be able to get one from eBay for around $25. Interchangeable nibs so they can be tailored to your desires.

 

[BDarchitect]

I have the white ceramic Penwell on my desk at the office and I also have the folding aluminum traveling Penwell, and have given the walnut version to several pen enthusiast friends. It is a small company that makes a unique product by hand, and I don't think the small premium one pays over whatever one might think is a reasonable price is worth complaining about. They are fabulous accessories that do a great job holding a wide ranges of pen sizes, and allow me to grab mine with one hand while I answer the phone. I love them!

[neverforget]

I have the white ceramic Penwell on my desk at the office and I also have the folding aluminum traveling Penwell, and have given the walnut version to several pen enthusiast friends. It is a small company that makes a unique product by hand, and I don't think the small premium one pays over whatever one might think is a reasonable price is worth complaining about. They are fabulous accessories that do a great job holding a wide ranges of pen sizes, and allow me to grab mine with one hand while I answer the phone. I love them!

 

What is the difference between the travel and regular version? Also, what size did you buy?

[eciton]

Just to chip in my perspective, I had a few issues:

* I found that the pad didn't stick hugely well to my desk over long periods, despite following the instructions as best I could.

 

* As an inveterate pen swapper (I normally have half a dozen pens scattered across my desk and pick and choose on a whim) it didn't suit me particularly well to have one pen in the Penwell.

 

* I couldn't break the habit of liking to cap my pens between short bursts of sentences and holding the cap when actually writing. When using a pen from the Penwell I kept feeling like someone had stolen my cap, when of course it was buried inside the Penwell...

 

* Pens that take a bit of effort to uncap, like the Karas Starliner or Vertex, for example, tend to come shooting out, because you can't really control the force you're exerting as you would when you're holding both pen and cap in hand.

 

* I was never that comfortable storing pens nib-down in the Penwell.

 

So for that reason I didn't get on with the Penwell and it's currently in a drawer. Nicely produced though and I found the company and its communications (newsletters etc) gracious and admirable in all its actions.

[BDarchitect]

 

What is the difference between the travel and regular version? Also, what size did you buy?

You can see on the website that the travel version is smaller and the base folds up against the rectangular body, and it comes with its own little zipper case/pouch. The fixed desktop penwells are all the same shape, round and tapered on a diagonal (different from the straight up stand he is also making). I haven't had any problems keeping it stuck in place on my white lacquered desk surface, so that may be a variable based on the desktop material. It is mounted just above my daily planner and next to the phone. I have a TWSBI 580ALR I keep in it for daily notes and pull it out at the end of the day, so the feed has a chance to re-balance overnight. They aren't ideal for some pens, as Eciton has noted, but I love the convenience and design. I have both the white ceramic angled version and the aluminum travel one. The white one gets used all the time, the travel one was good in theory but hasn't been used as much as I had imagined. Like almost never.

Edited September 8, 2019 by BDarchitect