Do you know about Dudek Modern Goods and Mr. Mike Dudek?
Not only is Mike into pens and pencils, he's also into woodworking and made The Cube shown above. I originally bought it for Mr. Pentulant (it's true!), but my greed for all things pen-related took over and The Cube ended up living on my desk. Oops :)
I had a Major Pen Organization Issue. Pens everywhere + very little organization. I realize this is a problem many people would love to have - so many pens that they aren't staying organized - but it's still a problem and it was driving me cRazY.
And then I had an idea and sent Mike a message that went something like the following:
Hey Mr. Mike. I have an idea and I think you can help. I need a pen holder. A BIG pen holder - something like The Groove so I can use it to hold small notebooks, but bigger. Way bigger. Like - big.
Within a few hours, I had a sketch. Within a few weeks, I had this . . .
Like. Whoa. Right?
It originally had a second Groove on the other end, but the post office seriously manhandled the package (ugggg) and it had to go back to Mr. Mike for a little fix-it revision. No big deal and the repair is perfect - if I didn't tell you, you'd never know. Perfect!
So perfect so that I wanted another. Yes, another.
And then Mr. Mike had an idea that went something like this:
Hey Mrs. Darling, (we're so formal) I have an idea. What if we put the grooves further into the design to give you pen holders on either side of the notebooks.
Yes! And that's when I ended up with this . . .
And as much as I love the first. OMG, this one? Yes x 1000. I love that the end sections look like the original Cube.
And here are all three of them . . .
Wait. What? Four?! Mr. Mike tossed in the Cube on the bottom for Mr. Darling. Of course, I've claimed it as my own! (Just kidding - Mr.
A few more pictures . . .
Here's what I love about Mike Dudek and Dudek Modern Goods . . .
..amazing quality - I saw a competing product at the LA Pen Show, but there was really no comparison. Mr. Mike's items are solid walnut - they are weighty. The finish is stunning and smooth and allows the natural grain of the wood to take center stage. I love that the "groove" is actually grooved, too. Not only does it add a bit of texture to the design, it also helps keep the notebooks upright. The quality is 100%.
..Mr. Mike - I love entrepreneurship. Small businesses grown organically from love. Go find what you love and freakin' do it. That's what Mr. Mike is doing and he's doing a fantastic job. Quality products, good prices, and outstanding service. (And he's into, "Hey, I have an idea!")
..my pens are organized! The small openings the perfect size for Lamy Safari and the larger openings easily hold the Al-Star and larger pens. Mike can do all small openings or a mix of small/large. I like a mix.
Even after really really thinking about it, I have nothing negative to say about Dudek Modern Goods. The pens aren't as well protected in these holders as they would be in a velvet-lined drawer. How's that?
In the end, I sent Mr. Mike a note, thanking him for working so hard on my projects, telling him how wonderful they are, and closed with something like the following:
"Hey, Mr. Mike, I have one more idea . . ."
He said yes to that, too! I'll be back later today to share that with you.
Great pictures of Mike fine work. He's a super nice guy and a joy to share ideas with. Thanks Mike for all you do for the pen community
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