Newest Acquisitions (Virtual "Show & Tell") ~ part 331

A few months ago, I did some online searching for a slightly-larger zippered leather case that could safely hold an assortment of writing instruments. I came across some lovely examples made by Sonnenleder, a German manufacturer, for sale at Fendrihan.ca (a Canadian online seller located in Ancaster, Ontario). I did some research and found only positive reviews for the exact case I wanted, so I placed an order for it with Fendrihan. A few days later, it arrived, safe and sound. 

Meet my new Sonnenleder 'Nietzsche' pen and pencil case...

(~please click on images to enlarge~)

According to Sonnenleder, the case is made of "leather from South German cowhides, tanned with purely plant-based substances, traditionally tanned in pits." Each piece is unique and will develop an attractive patina over time with exposure to sunlight, moisture and the natural oils on your hands.

The case measures 19 x 10 x 2.5 cm and is available in black, mocha brown and the one I chose - natural. I paid $105 CAD for my case (in four equal, interest-free installments of $26.25 each, via Sezzle ;) and I am very happy with it - it's so well made, it's exactly the size I was looking for ... and I think it looks fantastic!

"Sonnenleder" roughly translates to "sun leather" in English. The Sonnenleder logo (a stylized sun with an "S' in the middle) is neatly embossed on the front of the case. The workmanship is excellent throughout.

 

The left-hand side has one leather compartment for a ruler (17 cm or shorter) or geometry set, stamps, Post It notes, etc.

 The right-hand side of the case has a total of 10 loops-- one larger loop for a fountain pen of medium girth (see bottom of blog post for details), seven smaller loops for slimmer pens or accessories (with a max. length of 17 cm), and two wide loops for erasers or pencil sharpeners.

 (above: "premium polished metal" zipper pull - the obverse side has the Sonnenleder logo on it) The zipper pull is slightly curved for comfort and ease of use, and the zipper works very smoothly.

The largest loop (far left) currently has a Sheaffer '100' ballpoint in it, but it can also hold fountain pens the diameter of a TWSBI 'Diamond 580', Cross 'Townsend' or Pilot 'Metropolitan' (I tried all three in my case and they fit). The smaller loops can hold slimmer fountain pens (such as the Parker '95' next to my Sheaffer '100'), ballpoints (e.g. my two Parker 'Jotters' above) or wooden pencils or pencil crayons. The items on the far right: white Staedtler mini eraser, Blackwing Point Guard, and dust-free black eraser by Faber-Castell.

All of the pens above are actually new(ish) acquisitions, so I'll talk a bit about them in Thursday's blog post :)

(photos and review by Maja)