You know what’s really hard to find? A case for more than two pens that keeps each pen in an individual sleeve.

OK, that sounds like the ultimate first-world problem, I admit. Point and laugh for a while and let’s move on.

I know it’s silly, but I hate the idea of my pens jostling against each other and getting scratched up. It defeats the whole point of using a pen case in the first place. Look at these abominations:

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(Apologies to Jetpens).

These kinds of cases are fine for your bunch of two-dollar Signos, but not for my £100+ Lamy 2000, thankyouverymuch.

That’s just one of the many reasons why I love the Nock Sinclair. It has three separate slots, each of which is big enough to hold a full-size pen, like the Pilot 912 or Platinum 3776.

It also has a slot for one or more Field Notes-sized notebooks. And a space between that I use to fit two more pens when I’m feeling indecisive. The three main pen slots keep those two extra pens nicely separated.

Here’s a pic to explain (the Pelikan and the black 3776 are floating free).

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It’s a magic design, really. Everything zips up neatly, into a package that feels completely secure and pretty compact, considering. It slips into my rucksack or a jacket pocket (I’m afraid it’s a bit too big for the back pocket of my jeans).

I’ve had the Sinclair for several months of daily use, and it looks like new. The zips run smoothly, there’s no loose stitching, and it’s not gone floppy.

I choose not to buy leather, which frankly makes buying things like notebook covers and pen cases pretty tricky. So I appreciate that Nock uses Nylon, which is lightweight and water resistant. Mine’s in a fetching grey exterior (“steel”) and bright blue lining (“bluejay”). I think it looks great.

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As you’ll see from the pics, I’ve “enhanced” mine with some home-made paracord and copper toggles to make the zips easier to pull.

Other than that, I can’t think of anything I’d want to change — it’s the rare perfect product. And when I bought it, it was $35 (now $40). A reasonable price, especially for something that’s essentially hand-made, by a small business, in the USA.

I bought a Nock Brasstown too, which is a larger model in a “roll” design. It holds eight pens plus whatever I can stuff in the main compartment. Like the Sinclair, it’s flawlessly engineered and fills a niche in the market — I’ve found no other product with the same features. So I can confidently say that this combination of intelligent design and strong execution is not a one-off.

Consider this one recommended.