Review: The Groove from Dudek Modern Products

The Groove by Dudek Modern Products

For months now, I’ve seen all the pen dudes raving about the Dudek Modern Products The Groove ($55) — this gorgeous solid wood walnut block with holes for pens and a slot for the ubiquitous Field Notes books (or similar) and I thought “Wow, that’s a pretty manly product.” I confess, I thought it was a “Guy Thing”. Then Mr. Mike Dudek kindly sent me one and, holy smokes, was I ever impressed! It is beautifully finished with a smooth satin stain, the edges are ever-so-slightly rounded in a way that makes you want to touch this block, to fill it with your favorite notebooks and writing tools and set it proudly on your desk.

The Groove by Dudek Modern Products

As soon as it arrived, I filled it with a few of my favorite things. My vintage Esterbrooks (and my lone Parker Duofold) look fantastic against the warm wood block. The Field Notes Salesman Edition is almost a perfect match for the color finish on The Groove.

The Groove by Dudek Modern Products

I was able to fit four Field Notes into the “groove” comfortably and Mike sent me The Groove model with 0.5″ holes for pens. Mike also offers a version of The Groove with three 0.675″ holes in the center row for larger diameter pens. All the fountain pens, my Karas Kustoms RETRAKT and Retro 51 all fit easily into the 0.5″ holes. The only pen I had that is large enough to require a larger diameter hole is the Kaweco Student.

If you are not interested in storing pocket notebooks, Mike also makes The Cube ($40) which is just a 9-hole walnut wood cube and is also gorgeous.

I knew The Groove would be well-crafted and perfectly created for its task but I didn’t realize how much I would like it. It really is fabulously beautifully and suitable for any well-appointed desk. Just just for dudes!

Now, for the giveaway! Mike has graciously offered one Groove to a lucky reader here at The Well-Appointed Desk. To enter, leave a comment and tell me which of your pens or pencils are worthy of such a classy home.

FINE PRINT: All entries must be submitted by 10pm CST on Friday, November 1, 2013. All entries must be submitted at wellappointeddesk.com, not Twitter, Tumblr or Facebook, okay? One entry per person, please. Winner will be announced on Saturday. Winner will be selected by random number generator from entries that played by the rules (see above). Please include your email address in the comment form so that I can contact you if you win. I will not save email addresses or sell them to anyone — pinky swear. If winner does not respond within 30 days, I will draw a new giveaway winner. Fulfillment will be handled through Clicky Post/Dudek Modern Goods and this giveaway is open to US and international readers.


DISCLAIMER: This item was sent to me free of charge by Dudek Modern Products AKA Clicky Post for the purpose of review. Please see the About page for more details.

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  1. Hi! I’d love to have one of these on my desk! This would be home to my TWSBI 580, Pilot Vanishing Point, Pelikan m205, Namiki Falcon, Levenger TrueWriter, a vintage Parker 51 and a couple of vintage Sheafer Balances.

  2. I believe all my fountain pens are worthy! It would be nice to place on my small writing desk I recieved from my grandmother. The desk is small so I don’t like to store too many things on/in it. The Grove I think would be excellent for this desk!

  3. My dad and I are in the process of hunting for a fountain pen from his childhood. When we find it, it will need a good, safe home where it will be both on display and usable.

  4. In addition to my few fountain pens, this would be a great display for the collection of Cross ballpoints I’ve received as gifts over the years for graduations and such

  5. Wow, this thing looks great! I definitely want to get my hands on one. So classy! It’s got room for all of the fountain pens I currently own! I especially want to put my TWSBI 580, Edison Beaumont, and Platinum 3776 Century Bourgogne in it. 🙂

  6. I’m somewhat new to fountain pens with only 2 but this giveaway would sure motivate me to obtain more. This is for my future TWSBI 580 and pilot vanishing point. 😉

  7. Excelent review! Mike’s products looks awesome. My Rotring collections deserves a classy home like The Groove. As a lot of people here, I’m also expecting a Vanishing Point and a TWSBI 580 to be here soon.

    BTW, I wish you had a Facebook page, so I could read the blog more often. Do you have any plans on creating one?

  8. OK, forget about the Facebook page. Seems like there’s no Facebook link on the blog, but I found it on your Tumblr.

    🙂

  9. If I were to take this home, it’d hold my Retro 51, Twsbi 580, and Rotring 600 pencil. And my brass Retrack when that arrives.

  10. My Waterman and Italix pens would look great in one of those. Plus, the wood grain looks great and the design is so darn functional.

  11. The nine-hole holder would be the perfect thing, because I’ve got three sets of 3 pens each that differ only in color and nib: three Pilot Plumix, three Pilot 78Gs, and 3 Serwex 101s. They’d look great with each set in a row in the block!

  12. My Parker, my Lamys, and these two unmarked old German pens that write better than anything else I have handled will all look smashing-next to the Field Notes and my Passport Midori TN.

  13. My daily carry of pens for my ongoing project titled USE FIRST would look nice in this. A randomly selected batch of pens.

  14. I think my lamy safari vista and my muji aluminum fountain pen would look awesome in the cube along side some of my fieldnotes.

  15. My last comment didn’t post, I hope it’s ok if I try to post it again. I think my Retrakt and EIMiM Z pen would look great in one of those, along with my rite in the rain notebook that I use for work.

  16. That is awesome. Since the Esterbrook is my fountain pen of choice and I also love Field Notes notebooks, your pics really caught my eye. Might also slip a Banditapple notebook in there as well. Great FP friendly paper.

  17. I’ve got a couple of Conway Stewarts and a Delta that could grace it, but my Watermans and Parkers would get jealous.

  18. It’d be good for my pair of Esterbrooks (an LJ and an SJ) in addition to my Montblanc 22 and my Parker Vacumatic.

    Would probably put my Swan Ringtop in there too, then my Sheaffers.

    Be a pretty attractive block, all filled up.

  19. Great give-away! Thank you and Mike. Id love a Groove for my Parker fountain pen once owned by my grandfather and my Retro51 MOM pen, a gift from my daughter.

  20. The Groove looks like a nice home for my Retro Tornado and a couple of Pilot V7s. And THEN I look forward to adding more and more!

  21. I have a twsbi, a green scented pen, a zebra sarasa, and a couple of other pens, and always at least one notebook. This is so pretty!

  22. Wow, what an awesome product! I would use it for my Doane Utility Journals and variety of gel ink pens. It would also be perfect for my first fountain pen purchase in the very near future. Thanks for the opportunity!

  23. I would love to have this! Right now I only have sub-$40 fountain pens, but am looking to purchase a TWSBI 580. The Lamy 2000 or Pilot Vanishing Point are also tempting…

  24. Been lusting after this for a while… Just starting my pen collection (thanks Pen Addict podcast!) so have a few Lamys, a Parker and a gorgeous Retro51 to go in there so far! Awesome giveaway!

  25. Oh! Nice. Very nice. I think my small Franklin-Christoph collection would look lovely in that: classic understated lines.

  26. What a great looking pen holder! I think my zebrawood fountain pen and Juice pens would look especially fine in a Groove.

  27. I have a Parker Vacumatic from the 40s that would look stunning in a block like that. Of course, my Noodler Ahab and a couple of others would have to join it for posterity sake…

  28. As follows: The Levenger tortoise shell true writer needs such a home. Because it’s sleek and modern, my Midori fountain pen. Additionally, because they get such use, my Ohto F Spirit and Kaweco. As for the slot, that will hold all the plain, blank 3 x 5 cards, as well as a cahier….or probably a Clairefontaine (my favorite because of the awesome paper).

  29. I have a Lamy and a couple of nice Esterbrooks that would look swell in this holder. And once that vintage Pelican is restored it would move to number one on the list. Nice to see a fellow estie fan! (Just found your blog through Gourmet Pens.)

  30. I have to say the my Kaweco Special mechanical pencil side by side with my Kara’s Render K would be a beautiful sight in the groove.

  31. My Parker 51, my Lamy Safari, my Parker Vac, my Parker 100, my Sheaffer Touchdown, and my Nemosine Singularity will all be up there on the list.

  32. A Render-K, Bolt and Retrakt from Karas Kustons. A Lamy Safari, Rotring Ballpoint and Prometheus Writes. Finally the three Hi-Tec-C (red, blue, navy) for interface design.

  33. I just received a random and unexpected gift from my Mum who knows that I am into fountain pens. She had a bunch of pens and pen parts from an elderly gentleman that she visited and wondered whether I could make use of any of them. Most of it was junk in terrible condition, but the one useable piece turned out to be a Parker 51 in great condition. It has cleaned up beautifully and would look great in this block.

  34. Hello!although it really looks solid and “manly” I couldn’t help thinking that it would serve perfectly as an air freshener, once (or twice) sprayed with my favourite fragnance!of course, my PILOT 78G along with my girlish styled Midori (not so stylish like Lisa’s http://livingwithliisa.wordpress.com/2013/07/24/midori-travelers-notebook/ but I am getting there) would make a perfect couple in such a safe nest! keeping my fingers crossed and waiting…

  35. Perfect for my 3 sets of 3:
    Lamy Vista,Safari,&ALstar,
    Pilot Prera, Metropolitan,& Vanishing Point, and
    Retro 51 black matte, Jefferson, stainless…
    And 3 Field Notes: County Fair, Night Sky, Drink local

  36. I’m not sure what should go in there, but I’m sure that I have the pens to fill it up. Probably with whatever I’m writing with most that week. Right now it’s a Wahl Skyliner in mint green and a Rotring 600 in black.

  37. Which pens are worthy? All are. But if I have to choose…my Pilot Falcon, Parker Vacumatic and 51, Platinum Cool and Century, TWSBI Micarta and Vac700, Mabie and Todd Swan, and Waterman 52. That’s nine right? Beautiful stand!

  38. I’ve got a beautiful blue Recife pen that would look great in Mr. Dudek’s Groove. Now, choosing which 4 Field Notes books would go in there is another matter entirely!

  39. that would Absolutely stunning on my mission style desk with a couple of Mont Blancs, Pelikans, Namikis, Cross and Lamy’s tucked nicely inside.

  40. I have a lovely green vintage Sheaffer Prelude that would look, well lovely and would fit perfectly. (A pen that proves not everything made in the 70s was bad.) My slightly less lovely, non-vintage pens would also get to stay as well.

  41. Good question! I would have to go with my Lamy Safari, two Pilot Metropolitans, a Pentel Energel, a Pilot Acroball, and a General’s Cedar Pointe. I’d keep the rest of the slots open to whatever I’m feeling for the week. Awesome giveaway!

  42. I don’t have a gigantic collection but have out grown my tray. I think that a couple of non-ring Conklins and an Aurora would be a good start.

  43. I would put a Lamy Safari, a Lamy Vista, a Lamy Al-Star, a TWSBI Diamond 580, a Pelikan M200, a Kaweco Ica-Sport, a Scrikss Peak, a Pilot 78G and a Hero 616 Jumbo.

    Thanks for the giveaway…

  44. I’d definitely store my Tombow Zoom 101 and Sharbo X carbon fiber pens in it. I think that the contrast of more traditional material (wood) and more modern material (carbon fiber) would look sharp.

  45. Very handsome product. If I win I would use it to store my vintage pens: Sheaffer snorkels, Esterbrooks, …

  46. I would put my pelikan m600 ruby red, platinum, bourgogne, edison pearl (in wine acrylic), lamy al star in ruby and turn it into a “red” themed pen block!

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