Not too long ago, I had a look at the Penwell from Good Made Better: a small wood or metal -nondescript- object that sits on your desk and turns any capped pen into a desk pen (find my review HERE). The idea is so simple that it makes you wonder why nobody had thought of this before. As Mike Dudek from The Clicky Post puts it:
"It is something unique and something most pen lovers wouldn't think they'd need, but could probably use and enjoy."
But Dan's quest for making capped pens more user-friendly didn't end there! Enter: the Penwell Traveler!
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| Traveler or Original, which one would you choose? |
The Traveler is a more modern-looking -almost futuristic- iteration of the same concept: A suction pad base clings to your desk surface, and a foam tube on the inside nestles your pens and holds the cap in place while you write. the design is made of two pieces that swivel around a brass pivot screw, so you can adjust the angle at which it holds your pen, and it also folds closed when not in use.
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| L to R: Snow White Cerakote, tumbled aluminium and Storm Gray Cerakote |
Three finishes are available: tumbled aluminium with silver screw, Snow White cerakote with brass screw, and Storm Gray cerakote with silver screw. The two cerakote finishes are available in limited quantities, and the Gray version is already sold out, unfortunately. Cerakote is a durable ceramic coating, and it has a nice matte finish that is soft to the touch. Although my favourite is actually the tumbled raw aluminium version.
The Traveler really is quite the logical next step for the Penwell, and it actually bridges an issue that I had with the original. The originall Penwell was pretty great when you're at your desk, but you're not ALWAYS at your desk when you write. Portability was close to non-existent, because even if you'd be willing to take the relatively large (it's not huge, but it's a clunky shape) Penwell with you in its' tin case, you'd still be left with the suction pad getting all messed up and grimy during transport. The Penwell Traveler -as the name suggests- is made to travel with you wherever you go.
It's more portable for two reasons: The first one is simply that it is a good bit smaller when closed, and the rectangular form factor makes it easy to pack in your bag. The second reason is the carrying case and protective cover that come along with it. I have early production samples of the Traveler, so I don't actually have the cover and case. But the idea is simple: the protective cover slips over the suction pad to protect it and keep it clean during transport, and the entire penwell can be tucked into the zippered case to keep it safe in transit.
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| The Traveler accomodates a wide variety of pens: (L to R) Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000, Pentel Sign Pen, Pilot Vpen, Montblanc Meisterstuck 149. |
The foam sleeve on the Penwell Traveler is a new design, and is more of a 'one size fits all' shape that is tapered on one end, and narrower on the other end. Flipping it around gives some latitude in terms of what pen size will fit. It's definitely aimed at medium-sized pens, but larger pens -Even up to a Montblanc 149!- can fit too (though rather snugly.
Just like the original Penwell, the Traveler is an excellent accessory for your desk. It's not something you NEED, but you'll appreciate having it when you need to do a lot of writing. The fact that this new iteration of the Penwell is made to take with you, makes it a more versatile tool, perfect to take with you to the office or when out and about!
The Kickstarter for the Penwell (LINK) Traveler has only about a week left on the clock, and is already funded way past the goal. Pricing starts at 37$ (32 EUR) for the tumbled Al finish, and 43$ (38EUR) for the Cerakote colorways (only the Snow White version is still available). That's a good bit lower than the regular Penwell, and I feel like it's a comfortable price point for an accesory like this.
This product was sent to me by Good Made Better so I could write this review. I was in no way influenced in the making of this review, the opinions shared in this review are completely my own! This post does not contain affilate links.
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