There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
- Fountain-pen performance was awful, and
- I couldn't figure out a meaningful way to use them?
FP performance was not an issue as I had made up my mind they would make a great gift for my mom (she prefers ballpoint), provided I could figure out a way to utilize them.Moreover, in an earlier post I lamented the lack of reasonable options for those interested in a B5 cover. And while I am very happy to see Massdrop and AllegoryGoods come through for us,
I needed one three months ago. Again my best option was to have some covers made to order, and since my wife is never wrong, I went shopping on (ehem) Etsy.
I ended up with a paper-on-fabric cover from Bulgaria for my Apica Premium CDs,
Though fabric has its advantages, the blue leather cover is my favorite. Nevertheless, I will still join the the B5 Allegory drop, despite the difference in price. Because, lets face it, I got lucky with the fit and I do want another leather cover for my Apicas.
Would you invest in a custom cover? Do you think it is worth the risk? Or the money?
I would argue, regardless whether you go the more expensive but safer route with local artisans, or a more affordable albeit riskier overseas option, that having a cover made to order is a more rewarding experience, and well worth the money, the risk or the time.
Have you had a cover made to order? Would you care to share your experience with us?