Montblanc Leather

Montblanc Leather is exquisite!  I am a leather snob and the quality of this leather is like none I have ever seen. Made from Southern German full grain calfskin and put through a unique mixed chrome vegetable tanning, semi-aniline dying process, these leather goods stand out above the rest!

The Montblanc line offers a variety of leather pieces including briefcases, backpacks, wallets, portfolios, messenger bags, wheeled luggage and of course pen cases!

I love leather!  My husband often gives me a hard time about my addiction to leather…..handbags,  furniture, coats, seats in my car, wallets, …whenever I have an excuse to buy leather, I do!!!

Did you know leather has a longer life on average, is stronger, more fire resistant, retains its shape, and breathes better than many other fabrics on the market! It’s classic look has stood the test of time and it continues to be conceived as a high-end, quality product that even the fashion industry has grown to love!

Montblanc leather products have a unique deep shine and a beautiful Jacquard lining. The quality craftsmanship and finishing materials used, contribute to the unsurpassed quality and the reputation Montblanc holds as a luxury goods manufacturer!

Take one look at these bags…..their distinction is evident!

2010 Holiday Sales Black Friday & Cyber Monday

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are upon us, check out the great deals and unbelievable pricing at Executive Essentials this holiday season: sales, sales and more sales; coupons; clearance items; free monogramming; and many free gifts with purchase!!

Hundreds of gifts at unbeatable prices including:

• Amazing closeouts on Kenneth Cole Briefcases
• Clearance Waterford, Jaguar, Ducati Pens and many other fine pens!
• Coupons on Visconti, Dupont, Michael Perchin and David Oscarson Pens
• Deals on The North Face, Jansport, and Ivar Backpacks
• Stocking stuffers starting at $15.00
• Johnston-Murphy Briefcases – Free Gifts with Purchase

Fine Pens! Laptop Totes and Briefcases! Leather Duffels! Agendas, Writing Pads, Wallets, Desk Accessories and more…..all on sale at Executive Essentials! Executive Essentials the holiday gift center for all your favorite professionals.

Happy Holidays from Executive Essentials!

Stress Relief in 2011

As 2010 begins to wrap up I’m sure we’re all looking forward to 2011, I know I am!  A fresh start, a clean slate, a new beginning…..right now 2011 has so much potential! Life in the 21st Century can be pretty darn hectic, so when there is a chance to regroup and reevaluate your game plan….. of course you welcome the opportunity!

To begin, there are always New Year’s resolutions, you know: lose weight, get in shape, obtain financial independence, find love, a better job, or maybe just learn something new as you parade through 2011. Haven’t we all attempted these things year after year? In 2011, why not try a different approach….stress reduction! By reducing stress, many of the above mentioned things will simply fall into place……

The best way to de-stress is by getting organized and simplifying your life. How do you do this?…….By purchasing a calendar, a planner or a diary, and never letting it out of your sight! Use a personal agenda to keep track of all your important appointments, phone numbers, birthdays, etc; write everything down in a personal planner; make your lists in a personal planner; carry your personal planner, calendar or agenda with you wherever you go, so you know where, when and how your day is going.

Some people swear by the electronic version, not me.  I want something that I can depend on at all times. Something  I do not have to back up every night, charge every morning or worry where a cell tower is, in order for this device to work! Most importantly I want something that doesn’t act as a vehicle people use to reach me 24 hours a day, 365 days a year! (Another reason we are all so stressed out….we can never escape the madness!)

Now where to find one of these all-purpose, must have organizers!  There are several great options including:  Letts of London, Per Annum, Filofax and Scully.

Carry one of these wonderful little agendas around with you and watch your stress level go down immediately.  You’ll no longer double book, miss all together, or lose important time in your life.  Everything you’ll need to stay organized, will be with you no matter where you’re heading or what you’re doing. For those of you already ahead of the game, these companies offer wonderful 2011 refills as well!

Here’s to a less stressful 2011!  Forget about New Year resolutions, go out and buy a Letts of London, Per Annum, Filofax or Scully personal leather planner today; all available at Executive Essentials at great prices!

College Graduation Gift Ideas : For Him, For Her.

If you’re looking for gift ideas for your soon to be graduated college student then let me be the first to tell you that you have come to the right place. Over the last few weeks, Executive Essentials has gathered some of our favorite pens and talked a little about the unique qualities they contain. We know from years of experience that pens make the best graduation gifts, not only for college graduates but high school graduates as well.  And we will present more pens targeted towards specific majors over the next few weeks. But today I wanted to stray a little outside the pen-box and talk about some unique graduation gifts that Executive Essentials carries.

For those who are new to the world of Executive Essentials (EE), you may not know that we are more than just pen store in Mount Prospect, Illinois. EE carries all sorts of gifts and products that make life enjoyable, easier and stylish. In fact, we have many varieties of luggage, desktop accessories, laptop and tote bags, briefcases, wallets, and purses. An entire selection of fine goods made for the fast paced world of business. With that in mind, I thought it might be a good idea to take a look at some of the non-pen products that freshly graduated students might find useful and fun in their new jobs.

Graduation Gifts For Men:

Acme Blueprint Business Card Case

Acme is a company that loves fun and style and they are experts at bringing this style into the business world without making it goofy and childlike. There are a number of great business card cases made by Acme for both men and women, but this Blueprint Business Card Case is one of my favorites. Paying homage to the profession that Frank Loyd Wright made famous, this sleek, sturdy case is perfect for that young professional in their new career.

Bey Berk Lady Justice Bookends

Bey Berk is one of my new favorite companies. I hadn’t heard of Bey Berk before coming to work at EE, but the more products from them I see, the more I understand how committed they are to quality and design. I was first introduced to them through their great pen boxes and cases. These amazing Lady Justice Bookends and just the thing to hold that newly minted lawyer’s law library in place. These bookends are cast in solid bronze and set upon solid marble, measuring nearly 9 inches tall.

Hartmann Horizontal Prescription Pad

We all know that having a degree to practice medicine is mandatory, but it’s not nearly as important as having completely illegible handwriting. Well, that doctor new to the world might have messing handwriting, but that doesn’t mean he needs to have an unkempt subscription pad. This Horizontal Prescription Pad from Hartmann Briefcases is just the thing to help him keep track of his daily doses. And you might consider a nice pen to go along with it.

TravelPro Executive First Checkpoint Friendly Briefcase

Over the last handful of years that graduate in your life has been lugging around the same messenger bag from class to class. It’s got coffee stains on the bottom, a ripped lanyard with a broken clip, pretzel crumbs mashed into the pencil pockets and some sort of unidentified stain on the back — donut glaze perhaps? Sure, the strap still works, but only because they repaired it with a carabiner. All it’s filled with fond memories (and other unmentionable items) the ratty, old messenger bag just can’t accompany your graduate into the business world. Instead, they need a great briefcase like the one from Travelpro. This amazing bag is made out of ballistic nylon fabric. It has a pocket for your 17-inch laptop, water bottle and is large enough for legal papers. It has locking zippers and is sized to be checkpoint friendly at the airport. Bonus days!

Graduation Gifts For Women:

Hobo International Vintage Leather Rachel Clutch Zinnia

Being organized in the real world takes more than persistence and determination. It takes a good system and the right tools. Not only will this amazing Hobo International Vintage Leather Clutch be a great place to keep your business cards, but its tri-fold frame design has eight credit card slots, an ID window, three bill pockets, a zip security pocket and a detachable cosmetic mirror. It’s basically a graduates best friend wrapped in cowhide and fringed with antique hardware.

Dilana Collection Leather iPad Easel Black

We can argue about this all we want –and people do — but in a handful of years, the Ipad (and the windows version of it when it comes out) will be the replacement for a laptop. The iPad, in general, can make any professionals life much easier on a day to day basis. Not only does it allow you to keep in constant contact with your clients, friends, and family, but the apps available on the Ipad range from insanely fun to hard-to-live-without-once-you’ve-used-it. Once you have something that important in your life (and expensive) you want to protect it. This Dilana Leather Ipad Easel is just the item to keep it safe and make it easier to use.

Winn Slim Ladies Briefcase Black

I mentioned a great briefcase for the men, so I thought I would pull one out of the catalog for the women. There are so many to choose from here at Executive Essentials that it was hard to choose. But I did finally find this Winn Slim Ladies Briefcase.  This great bag has a computer sleeve built in that is good for laptops (and Ipads) up to 15 inches. It comes with a makeup pouch in matching leather, metal feet to protect the bottom of the bag, an adjustable shoulder strap, a full-length zipper and a file folder pocket. She’ll be organized and stylish.

These are just a few of the many great graduation gift ideas available here at EE. The catalog is literally bursting with items to suit any taste and need. So take the time to look around and see if anything fits the character and needs of your soon-to-be-graduate.

Montblanc Wallet: Anatomy of Perfection

Above you will find the exact description that Executive Essentials uses for Montblanc Leather Wallets. I’ve seen this description countless times from Montblanc themselves. This makes sense since it accurately describes the product. However, I realized that even though I had read the description dozens of times, I’d never really taken the time to understand what it all meant. Since I wasn’t a leather worker none of the descriptions really made sense to me – although it all sounded very nice. Well, today did some research to see what all these descriptions meant. And here is what I found out.

Southern German Fullgrain Calfskin

It’s obvious that Southern German refers to the country and the region of that country that Montblanc chooses to procure their hides from. The best I can tell from the internet is that Germany has a strong history in leather goods – as evidenced by the German Leather Museum in Offenbach, Hesse. In general, South German seems a popular place for leather. So Montblanc is choosing a widely accepted source of leather.

The Full-grain aspect of the leather means the hide has not had the top-grain removed. The top-grain is the layer that has the fur and skin. Full-grain leather has not been treated in any way that would damage the grain. This gives the leather strength and durability, allows it to breathe and causes it to develop a nice patina with wear. The skin of a calf is used instead of a cow because calves have a softer and tighter grain than their elders.

Mixed Chrome Vegetable Tanning

Before a hide can be used to make leather products it must be treated in order to make it softer, pliable and easier to work with. The process is called tanning and there are a number of different ways to get this job done. It seems Montblanc has chosen a mixture of vegetable tanning and chrome tanning. Vegetable tanning involves the use of tannin, which comes from vegetables and other organic substances. The process is obviously very non-toxic and provides many benefits for the worker. However, the results of the tanned leather do not hold up well to water and extreme heat, which will make the leather lose its color and eventually become brittle.

Chrome-tanned leather, which first appeared in the mid-1800’s uses chromium sulfate — a type of salt –to treat the hide so that it can be worked into leather products. Leather treated with chromium sulfate is softer and doesn’t’ lose its shape when it comes in contact with water and heat like vegetable-tanned leather. Unlike vegetable tanning, chromium sulfate is a hazardous material. This may explain why Montblanc chooses to mix the two – in order to get the best of both worlds, without the worst of either.

 

Montblanc Leather Wallet

Semi-Aniline Dyed

 

Much like the skin of any other creature on this great planet of ours, the skin of a calf or a cow is marked and potted with imperfections and blemishes. A nice patina from wear and use will often time cover up these blemishes, but what really does the trick is dying. In fact, the original purpose of dying leather was to hide imperfections.  Aniline dying is just one of several substances used to not only provide a deep rich color to the leather but to enhance the pliability of the hide. Semi-aniline dyed means that aniline and other chemicals were used to enrich the look and feel of the leather. Another technique is to use only aniline dye.

Jacquard Lining

In the beginning of the 1800’s, Joseph Jacquard created a textile with an intricately woven pattern. He accomplished this by inventing one of the earliest programmable looms. Although the fabric that he created was eventually named after him, it comes in many different styles including Damask and Brocade. In Jacquard’s time, this style of fabric was expensive and much sought after. In modern times Jacquard lining is much more commonplace. However, the look and feel of the jacquard lining is a great touch.

Black & White Resin Star Logo with Palladium-Plated Ring

The black and white resin star logo simply refers to the world famous Montblanc emblem that tops the caps of all pens in their line. The Palladium-plated ring is a part of that logo. Montblanc is known for using a number of different precious metals in their pens. Palladium is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803. Today it is used in the production of catalytic converters and electronic equipment. It’s also used by Montblanc to provide a nice finishing touch to their leather goods.

I hope that was useful in some way to give you a better understanding of what goes into making a finely crafted Montblanc Wallet. Go ahead and take some time to see the great selection of wallets we have here at Executive Essentials.

Back To School: Messenger Bags and Backpacks

Even though it’s only early August, it’s time to start thinking about that special time of year that parents love and kids tend to forget about – back to school. There are still plenty of opportunities to swim, camp, travel, and vacation, but you don’t want to get caught at the end of August with all your back to school shopping to do and all the great sales behind you. Planning ahead can mean the difference between getting the school supplies you want rather the school supplies that are left over. More importantly though, getting an early drop on your back to school shopping means having the time to browse all the new bags, pens, notebooks and other school essentials that you will need in the coming year.

Here at Executive Essentials, we have a wide array of items that every back to school student – from grade school to college — could use. In particular, the Executive Essentials online catalog has a plethora of backpacks and messenger bags, including brands like The North Face, JanSport, Ed Hardy and Timbuk2, just to name a few. These are bags that are sure to inspire the creative side in anyone while exceeding the requirements for function and comfort. Take a look at my top 5 picks for backpacks and messenger bags that will make any student look forward to that first day of school.

Timbuk2 D-lux Messenger Race Stripe in Red and Cement

It’s hard to say enough good things about the Timbuk2 messenger bags. My wife purchased me one when my son was born to use as a ‘cool’ diaper bag. I immediately fell in love and long after the diapers disappeared I still strap it on daily and head off on down the road. In recent years I’ve used this bag for just about anything, including carrying live fish, which is possible because of the rubber-ish interior that holds water well – or keeps it out.

The exterior of these bags is made out of ballistic rubber an extremely durable substance. There are a ton of different sized pockets that accommodate everything from pens and pencils to bicycle helmets. The straps are ultra comfortable and adjustable, so no matter what your body size you can keep the bag tucked to you firmly regardless of how over stuffed you have it with groceries. Perhaps the best aspect of these bags are the colorful and unique designs that they all come it. Truly a unique and wonderful bag that does it all. And right now they are on sale at Executive Essentials.

JanSport SuperBreak Backpack Blinded Blue Block Check

JanSport is a company that has been sending kids to school for decades. It makes sense then that they understand how to make a reliable, comfortable backpack that can make it through a school year and still have use left over for the summer. JanSport backpacks have a great design that screams function. The backpack itself is wide, with a squared bottom to more easily accommodate books. The inside is uncluttered and cavernous, perfect for younger students who often loose items in more complexly designed backpacks. The outside pocket is great for carrying pens and pencils and the padded back-rest gives enough comfort to walk to and from school. And they have many patterns and styles to choose from.

David King Leather Jumbo Backpack

For those older students with a taste for leather, you should take a look at David King Leather Backpacks. These leather backpacks have a great stylistic flair, reminiscent of the Indiana Jones era. These vacuous bags have an astonishing 962 cubic inches of storage capacity, wrapped up into 5 simple compartments for neat organization. The handy oversized flap keeps unwanted weather elements away from what needs to be kept safe. This bag has everything you need for your daily routine. And it comes in 4 great colors to match any mood and taste.

The North Face Borealis Computer Backpack

If your college bound these days your biggest expense is no longer books – it’s your laptop. And in order to keep that laptop safe from the world, you need a well functioning laptop bag that can also double as a backpack for everything else you need to learn. Even though The North Face is well known for their outdoor gear, their more urban equipment holds up just as well to coffee stains and road rash as it does to bear encounters and mountain climbing. This spacious, but light pack has a padded laptop compartment and a secondary compartment to carry additional supplies. The backrest is a breathable mesh to keep you cool on those daily commutes. It also has dual water bottle compartments, a sturdy top handle, and reflectors for when you have to stay late at the library.

Briggs & Riley Verb Go Messenger Bag Moss

I’ll admit, I’m a bit hesitant to even mention other messenger bags when Timbuk2 has all the bases covered. But, after checking out this moss colored Briggs and Riley bag, I have to say there might be room for more than just one messenger bag in the Executive Essentials catalog. Besides having a more elegant, less young-urban look, the Briggs and Riley messenger has a considerable number of features and pockets allowing it to accommodate a number of lifestyle needs. It’s water repellent and scratch resistant, has a buckle clip and magnet front flap closure, an adjustable shoulder strap that can convert to cross body and it fits laptops up to 15 inches. At 2.7 pounds empty this bag is light and just waiting to be filled.

So that’s a quick look at just a small fraction of the backpacks and messenger bags you can find at Executive Essentials. So don’t delay. Back to school will be here before you know it and be prepared for it, is the first step in succeeding.

Unique Mother’s Day Gifts

Hunting on the internet for a unique Mother’s Day gift is the last minute pastime for a lot of folks right now. Spinning around the internet in search of good deals for that one item that is fun and heartfelt. It’s a tough combination to find and it takes a great deal of thought to know what gift is perfect for your mom, but here at Executive Essentials, we have been trying to help out these last few weeks, by outlining some of the great pens and deals we have in the EE Catalog. And there are a bunch, just take a look at our post on Montblanc Mother’s Day Gift Pens and our general Mother’s Day Gift Pens posts.

But, now that we are in the final stretch before the big weekend, we thought we would talk about some of the other great gifts that we have here at Executive Essentials. Just a few basic necessities that every mother needs in their day to day life regardless of their occupation or disposition. With that in mind, here are 5 perfect gifts for Mom on Mother’s Day.

Mother’s Day Bags

 

Knomo Tote

Did someone say bags? I don’t know about the Mom you’re shopping for, but my mom loves bags. She has bags for different moods, different occasions and even has certain bags she uses for certain people that she chums around with.  She even has bags that she keeps her bags in! It’s a bag obsession and I don’t think she’s alone in this. This seems to be a running trait in many moms. It makes sense too. Mom’s know that they need to be prepared for anything at any time — and they usually are. And where do they keep the items that keep them prepared? In their bags. Here at Executive Essentials, we have a plethora of unique bags that would work great as Mother’s Day gifts, so take a look and get you Mom one more bag that she’ll love!

 

Mother’s Day Wallets

 

Lodis Clutch

Ok, so your Mom isn’t big on carrying around a tote now that all the kids are out of the nest. Or maybe she likes to travel light at night as she hits the hottest restaurants in town with her friends. At Executive Essentials, we can help with that as well. We have a huge line of women’s wallets that will make heads turn. We have everything from the fun and stylish Alicia Klein to the super chic Pylones brand that minimizes the size of their wallets, without sacrificing functionality. From sophisticated to irreverent, we have a little of everything, so take a look and find the one that fits your mom perfectly.

 

Mother’s Day Wine Carriers

 

Royce Connoisseur Wine Carrier

For the wine connoisseur mom in your life, these wine carriers are to die for! Now, you may be thinking that you can carry your wine in any old bag or tote to the next party, but these wine carriers go beyond just simple totes. Executive Essentials carry’s Royce and Bey-Berk leather carriers that defy the expectations. Many are for single bottles of wine, but some have enough compartments for two bottles at a time. Bring wine to a party or a picnic in one of these and people will automatically expect the wine to taste better — and it probably will. This is a unique Mother’s Day gift. And now you can Monogram it for free.

 

TSA Approved Laptop and Briefcases

 

McKlein USA Leather Briefcase

Is your mom a corporate headhunter, always on the go from point A to point B via plane. Then maybe what you need to do is upgrade her current laptop or briefcase. Executive Essentials has a smorgasbord of briefs to choose from and you are sure to find one that fits perfectly with the tastes and lifestyle of your mom. Be it leather or canvas, large or small, you can find just what you need in our catalog and at the right price!

 

Letter Openers

Do you live leagues away from your mother? Do you have infrequent contact with your mother, saving up your conversations for special holidays and cases of natural disaster and tragedy? You’re not alone if you do. It’s a trend that happens all too often. But, you don’t have to be just another statistic. Give your mom what she really want’s this Mother’s Day — more you! And here’s how you do it. You get your mom a letter opener from Executive Essentials and then you write her a nice letter. You put the letter opener in one box and the letter in another. On the outside of the box with the letter opener you write, “Open First”, in big letters. You can see what happens after that. Add a little snippet about how she’s going to get a lot of use out of that letter opener in the years to come so she had better keep it close. Then, make sure she does get some use out of it. It’s the gift, as they say, that keeps on giving.

Still looking for Gift Ideas?

It’s December. Are you still shopping? I am. There are always last-minute gifts and the people for whom it’s always exceeding hard to find the right item. If you are still searching for gift ideas after reading the Penaholic’s Gift Guide (part one and two), then this post is for you. In this post, I will cover non-pen gifts—gifts for artists, writers, office workers, and more. If you have already finished your holiday shopping, let me draw your attention to the discounts too good to pass up.

Artist Sets

 

Caran d’Ache Graphite Line Gift Box

Earlier this year, I reviewed Caran d’Ache’s Supracolor Soft Aquarelle set. In my head-to-head testing against Prismacolor and Daler-Rowney, Supracolor Softs gave a superior performance. Their colors were bright, the lay-down of the wax was creamy, and the pencils had good lightfastness. Caran d’Ache offers more than just watercolor pencil sets; they have sketching pencil sets, professional pastels, and artist crayons. One of the most impressive sets is the Caran d’Ache Graphite Line gift box. It not only has pencils in all hardness grades between 9B and 4H, it also has 6 Grafcubes. Caran d’Ache grafcubes lay down superlatively smooth lines—they don’t even feel like graphite. Caran d’Ache artist sets are professional quality materials and thus not inexpensive. But most artists will agree that their quality is unmatched.  For art students or people who are dabbling in sketching, the smaller Caran d’Ache Graphite Line Book is a good buy. The set is a portable set of 5 pencils (HB, 2B, 4B, 6B, 9B), 3 natural soft charcoals, and a white pastel pencil that comes in their own carrying case. Caran d’Ache sets are discounted between 15-17% for the holidays.

 

Writing

Andrew Phillips Leather Writing Pad Holder

 

Though I used to recommend journals or agendas as gifts (and they are always good buys for people who aren’t fountain pen fanatics), I have recently discovered that writing pad holders are a much more versatile gift. Not only can the recipient use whatever brand of paper/pad that they like the most with a writing pad holder, the holder can carry (and protect) the pens with their pen-loops. The trick is finding a color/style combination that your recipient will treasure. Writing pads tend to fall into a narrow aesthetic style, relying on the rich leather of exterior to impress. If a rich leather look is what you are looking for, Jack Georges has a lush elements pad in a mahogany leather finish.  Andrew Philips offers a more contemporary take on the writing pad with up-to-date colors available (ocean and petal are fairly trendy, while the black and burgundy are classic choices). As an added bonus, you could fill the pad with a truly excellent writing paper, like Rhodia or Clairefontaine.

If a writing pad seems too old-fashioned, the Gilt Edge Journal may be the better gift. The Gilt Edge journal pairs a calendar/planner section in the front with lined pages in its main section, making it a nice hybrid between a focused agenda and a journal.

Bags

Leather is back in a big way. A good leather bag can make a stellar gift. Bags are often expensive enough to be wished-for but can present a unique challenge to a gift-giver. Choosing the perfect bag is about as easy as (or, if you’re finicky like I am, hard as) finding a good shirt. Two of the most popular styles are body messenger bags and wheeled briefcases. The across-the-body messenger bags are appealing to those who don’t have much to carry with them on their daily commute. My favorite of the messenger bag line is David King’s distressed leather line. The distressed leather gives the bag character that it usually takes leather years to develop. David King’s Messenger bags fit small form-factor laptops in the 10”-13” range. My Samsung Series 7 tablet fits comfortably inside a messenger with room to spare. The messengers have a compartment for the laptop and can fit papers, cords, and other peripherals in the second large compartment.

 

David King Distressed Leather North South Messenger Bag 

When a messenger bag won’t hack it, briefcases and their wheeled brethren are a better choice. Kenneth Cole’s leather flapover briefcase is a gorgeous example of tastefully distressed leather for laptops up to 15.4”.  In the wheeled flavor, McKlein’s Lakewood leather briefcase has a detachable wheelbase, making them flexible enough to give to someone who may or may not want the capability to pull their case.

 

There are some fantastic discounts for bags running right now. Kenneth Cole has a 65-73% discount on most of their bags, McKlein has a 33-60% discount on a range of their bags and wheeled briefcases, and David King has 55-58% off retail. There are some truly gorgeous leather bags to be had for under 100 dollars.

Desk Accessories

 

Dalvey Voyager Clock

A desk is more than just a place to hold work; it’s about creating a professional frame of mind whenever you sit down at it. Though desk accessories may not jump out in your mind as typical gifts, this year I’ve seen four of my friends start up independent/freelance ventures. With all of their start-up expenses, quality desk accessories haven’t been at the top of their list. A quality desk piece can make the day that much more professional–especially in a home office. The Mosaic Desk Set is an excellent gift to outfit a desk that’s otherwise been slapped together with holders and trays. For those inclined towards a more traditional wood finish, Bey Berk’s four-piece desk set is attractive on most wood desks that are in a cherry or mahogany finish.

 

In my last gift guide, I covered pen stands and pen cases that would befit a pen lover. Two stands that I left out (as they already come with pens) are the Retro 51 pen stand and the Delta Dolcevita Desk set. Depending on your budget, and their tastes, the Retro 51 stand complements black & white settings nicely. The Delta Dolcevita, on the other hand, is a pure luxury piece. Delta’s pens are second to none, and in its distinctive orange resin and black appointments, an eye-catcher whether it ends up at a home office, or not.

 

Though they are billed as desk accessories, my book ends are generally deployed on bookshelves or end tables. For a giftee that has more than their fair share of books (or are building their own small library), bookends are always an attractive option. Best of all, as knick-knacks, there are one of the easiest gifts to give with confidence. The Architectural Leaf and Bey Berk Black Marble bookends are especially sleek and would look good on any shelf.

Best Father’s Day Gifts

In Germany, Father’s Day, which they refer to as Vatertag, has a whole different type of style than here in the United States. Their Father’s Day celebration happens forty days after Easter on Ascension Day –which is a federal holiday and therefore a really good day to celebrate since everyone has off. But, their version of Father’s Day isn’t only about fathers, but about men –gentlemen to be specific.

Montblanc Limited Edition Ludovico Sforza Fountain Pen

They call the day Mannertag or gentlemen’s day. It’s a day where males, teenaged or older, gather together and go on a day long hike. With them, they bring several small wagons, Bollerwagen, which they all take turns pulling. The wagons are filled with the alcoholic beverages of choice as well as some favorite foods. They then spend the day walking the trails and countryside of their area drinking and eating. As you can imagine, these days don’t end well for many of the participants. But, tradition is tradition.

If you don’t feel like adopting a German Father’s Day tradition, mostly because you know dad is going to make you pull the wagon, you can still give him a German gift this Father’s Day with a Montblanc Pen. As a manufacturer of fine writing instruments, jewelry, leather goods and watches, Montblanc has much to offer in the way of Father’s Day gifts. Here are just a few examples of what you can find at Executive Essentials.

Montblanc Limited Edition Ludovico Sforza Fountain Pen

If your dad is an art lover in either practice or appreciation, then the Montblanc Limited Edition Ludovico Sforza Fountain Pen is just the writing instrument for him. Sforza was revered as one of the most prominent patrons of the Italian Renaissance during his time as the Duke of Milan in 1494. During this period he supported many famous artists and many famous paintings. Among the most famous is Leonardo da Vinci’s, “The Last Supper” painting.

The pen that Montblanc has put together to commemorate this patron of the arts is limited to 4,810 pens. Each pen is Rhodium-plated engraved with Sforza’s coat of arms. The gleaming black lacquer is accented with silver inlays and the entire pen is modeled on the castle in which the Duke lived as evidenced by the cap top. As one package this pen is a masterpiece in craftsmanship, with subtle curves and bold lines.

 

Montblanc Albert Einstein – Great Characters Limited Edition Fountain Pen

If your father spends his time with his nose buried in scientific journals and can’t get all the way through the first, “Back To The Future” movie without arguing about the problems inherent in time travel, then the Montblanc Albert Einstein Fountain Pen is the perfect gift. A commemoration of the man who studied and posited theories on light, matter, gravity, space and time, this limited edition pen is both fun and functional. Montblanc Albert Einstein – Great Characters Limited Edition Fountain Pen

 

On the barrel of the pen, you will find engraved, many of Einstein’s famous formulas include E=mc2. The barrel itself is made of platinum as well are the fittings. The cap is lacquered in a deep, dark, blue meant to capture the essence of an endless universe. A true pen for a fan of science fact.

 

Montblanc Westside Leather Wallet 8cc Black

Made of European full-grain cowhide with a Jacquard lining this wallet has 8 pockets for credit cards, 2 compartments for banknotes, and 4 additional pockets for pictures and other random items you might need to carry with you on any given day.than the Montblanc Westside Leather Wallet is perfect for this Father’s Day occasion.

 

Montblanc Westside Double Gusset Briefcase Black

Everyone dreams of having a nice leather briefcase to carry all their important materials around in. And if that briefcase just happens to have a double gusset, then all the better. Montblanc’s Westside Double Gusset Briefcase in black is made of Southern German full-grain calfskin with a Jacquard lining and Montblanc branding throughout. Ruthenium-plated metal fittings with satin finish, black & white resin star logo adorn the outside. It contains 2 main compartments, large zipped inner pocket, large back pocket, pockets for your mobile phone, 2 writing instruments, 1 medium and 6 small documents. The detachable branded shoulder strap is black and strong.

These are just some of the many great items we have at Executive Essentials, perfect for a Father’s Day gift. So take some time and look around and find a gift that will make your Dad smile on his special day.