(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 her latest book, Root Rot, is now available for pre-order!)
Keeping pens handy and ready to write is important--and so is showing off pretty pens. This Bello Leathers two-pen holder is a great way to do both.
The pen holder is made of sturdy leather with a thick double-layer base that lays flat on the desk. A thinner piece of leather curves like a wave over it, with two holes cut for the pens to sit in. On the inside of the base, two cut-out circles lined with velvet make a soft spot for the pen's end to rest on. The end rests are set back against the far wall of the base, so that the pen stays at the perfect angle to be removed for use. The seams are hand-stitched with thick cord and all leather edges are smoothed and sealed.
All of the elements of the holder are hand-made, with no machines involved. The quality of this work is evident in the neatness of the finish. It looks very polished and perfect.
The shape and simplicity of the design are elegant and effective, and the holder looks great on the desk. The holder comes in several colors and textures of vegetable tanned leather, and models are available that hold anywhere from one to ten pens. They also offer an engraving service, if you want the holder to be personalized.
Overall, this piece is attractive, works well, and is well-made with excellent materials. All of that factors into the price, which is a bit on the steep side. Stands start at $49, and go up to $186 for a 10-pen model. While that is more than I'd typically want to spend for a pen holder, the fact that the pieces are entirely handmade justifies that price, in my opinion. Given the quality of the work, that's a low hourly rate.
This lovely bit of functional desk art lives on my work desk, now, where it holds my pens handy for an abundance of note taking. I also found it useful for holding eyedropper pens steady while they're being filled. It would be a secure spot to place pen parts while doing maintenance or cleaning, as well. No more pens rolling off the desk! Instead you can feel like King Arthur pulling the sword from the stone.
(Brad bought this from Bello Leathers at the 2023 Orlando Pen Show.)
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