NFP Block 11 Pen Case Review: Craftsmanship From Turkey's New Stationery Wave

Introduction

One of the more interesting fountain pen trends of the last couple of years has been the number of companies based in Turkey entering the pen and stationery market. Galen Leather has become a prominent fixture in the community, kilk does impressive pen work, and Studio AGaKaCan has recently drawn attention as well. At this year’s DC Pen Show, another Turkish company made its first foray into the US market: NFP Design.

The name NFP stands for Needs For Pens. The company was founded by an architect who has collected pens for over 35 years, and the idea for its storage products emerged when he was struggling to find more room at home for his own collection. The result was a case he calls the Block, and the 11-pen version is the piece that stood out most when passing the company’s table.

A New Name in Turkish Pen Storage

NFP Design offers a wider range of storage than just the Block. The lineup includes a 40-pen case, a 10-pen case with additional material on top for storage, and smaller boxes such as a six-pen model. The company has also recently introduced versions incorporating traditional Turkish tile art.

Those options make the brand worth browsing beyond the case reviewed here, but the 11-pen Block was the item that immediately caught attention, both for its color and for the way it presented the pens inside.

Build Quality and Craftsmanship

The orange color of the Block really pops, and the first thing noticeable on picking it up is the sense of quality craftsmanship. Sometimes you pick something up and can tell right away that it is well built, and that was the impression here from the start.

The details support that impression. There are grooves along the sides, the lines are crisp, clean, and tight, and everything is extremely well put together. Small plastic pieces on the ends keep the case from scraping on surfaces. Inside, the soft padded lid and overall construction feel genuinely luxurious. With newer products you can often spot little bits here and there where things could be done better, but there was not a single element of this case’s craftsmanship that seemed out of line.

The review unit is a creamy white interior paired with an orange exterior, and the combination works especially well, though the case is available in a wide variety of colors.

The Interior and Pen Fit

The Block includes a solid tray that cannot be lifted out, and it accommodates 11 pens. To test what fits, a selection of larger pens from a personal collection went in first, and the results were reassuring.

The Danitrio Genkai, one of the largest pens in that collection, fits nicely with plenty of clearance at the top when the lid closes. The Namiki Emperor fits perfectly well, and the Yukari Royale, the Emperor’s smaller cousin, looks particularly good sitting next to it against the creamy white background. An Omas 360, which is somewhat flat, sits nicely both upright and on its side.

Smaller and more colorful pens show off well here too, including a kilk Celestial with a purple and Turkish tile design, a pen from Studio AGaKaCan made from Jonathan Brooks material, and pieces from Studio 18111 in blue and pink Night Sky Sakura finishes. Other tested pens included an Edison Collier Grande in PM4 material, a Mr. Cypress Eggshell 09, and a Montblanc Alfred Hitchcock model with its Vertigo-inspired spiral barrel. The case not only holds all of them but does a good job of showing them off, which makes it a strong candidate for a “top 11 favorites” case.

Buying Advice

The 11-pen case is approximately $90 depending on the exchange rate between the dollar and the Turkish lira. There is also a six-pen Block at around $75. Shipping to the US tested out at only around $20, which is pleasantly reasonable for an item purchased from a manufacturer abroad, and reasonable shipping costs are definitely a plus.

If you keep a ranked shortlist of favorite pens, the Block’s clean presentation and generous capacity for large pens make it easy to recommend. Given how encouraging this first piece is, it is unlikely to be the last NFP Design item added to a collection.

Conclusion

The NFP Block 11 pen case delivers exceptionally tight craftsmanship, a luxurious padded interior, and a design that presents pens beautifully, all at a fair price with sensible international shipping. For collectors who want dedicated storage for their best pens, it is an easy pick among the new wave of Turkish stationery makers.