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honeybunny · 05-20-2008, 09:14 AM

Yesterday I received my handmade Kindle Case from FrankN. I paid $30 for it, including shipping.

Shipping was very prompt. The item was as described and pictured.

I will illustrate my review with pictures tonight after I take them.

First Impressions
--------------------
The case reminds me of a cloth book-cover, such as you see people putting their Bibles in. It's not frilly or quilted or anything like that, I just don't see that many other cloth-covered books. The material is cotton.

The front and rear cover both appear to be heavy cardboard covered with several layers of the cotton (or there might be a really thin poly-fill underneath the cotton) for padding. The cloth is continuous along the outside of the cover, like a book. The spine is backed with leather, suede-side toward the Kindle. At least I think it's leather, it smells like leather.

The spin has a lot of flexibility which allows the front of the cover to be folded behind the Kindle very easily with no bulk.

There is a pocket about 2" deep on the inside of the front cover. My iPod Nano fits in there easily, but doesn't stay very well. I think the pocket is meant for paper or something else that is really thin. You wouldn't want to put pens in there unless they would fit side-ways, because the part that stuck up above the pocket would come into contact with the screen of the Kindle.

The Kindle is secured into the case by two corner holders, on the left-hand side. They appear to be some sort of plastic with a layer of rubber laminated to them. The rubber part is what comes into contact with the Kindle, and is grippy enough that it doesn't slip at all. The corner holders are sized perfectly for the Kindle.

There is also a Velcro dot positioned at the center of the right side. The other half of the Velcro is attached, with an adhesive backing so you can put it on your Kindle if desired.

The case has a Velcro closure. To me, the closure feels like it's on backward, because the Velcro part is at the back of the case instead of the front. But that's not a big deal. I also feel like the closure is a little bit on the long side and could have been made about 1/2" shorter.

When you look at the back of the case, you see three brass rivets. They attach the corner braces inside the case, which anchor the Kindle. The brass is a nice finishing detail. I wish the closure had used a brass rivet as well, instead of Velcro.

The back of the Kindle does not seem to lie flush with the back of the case. It seems like the corner clips hold it up a little. That may be alleviated by actually using the Velcro dot as well.

Overall the case is very nice, very well constructed. It is at least as protective as the original Kindle case, and much more stylish. All of the stitching is done very neatly, and I appreciate the leather and brass details.

Conclusion: Well worth $30. Beautiful craftsmanship. He could ask a bit more for this case if he tweaked some of the details (Snaps instead of Velcro, making the corner clips a little more elegant looking).

05-20-2008, 09:14 AM	#1
honeybunny Connoisseur Posts: 96 Karma: 76 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Brisbane, AU Device: Kindle 2 GSM	Review of FrankN's Handmade Kindle Case Yesterday I received my handmade Kindle Case from FrankN. I paid $30 for it, including shipping. Shipping was very prompt. The item was as described and pictured. I will illustrate my review with pictures tonight after I take them. First Impressions -------------------- The case reminds me of a cloth book-cover, such as you see people putting their Bibles in. It's not frilly or quilted or anything like that, I just don't see that many other cloth-covered books. The material is cotton. The front and rear cover both appear to be heavy cardboard covered with several layers of the cotton (or there might be a really thin poly-fill underneath the cotton) for padding. The cloth is continuous along the outside of the cover, like a book. The spine is backed with leather, suede-side toward the Kindle. At least I think it's leather, it smells like leather. The spin has a lot of flexibility which allows the front of the cover to be folded behind the Kindle very easily with no bulk. There is a pocket about 2" deep on the inside of the front cover. My iPod Nano fits in there easily, but doesn't stay very well. I think the pocket is meant for paper or something else that is really thin. You wouldn't want to put pens in there unless they would fit side-ways, because the part that stuck up above the pocket would come into contact with the screen of the Kindle. The Kindle is secured into the case by two corner holders, on the left-hand side. They appear to be some sort of plastic with a layer of rubber laminated to them. The rubber part is what comes into contact with the Kindle, and is grippy enough that it doesn't slip at all. The corner holders are sized perfectly for the Kindle. There is also a Velcro dot positioned at the center of the right side. The other half of the Velcro is attached, with an adhesive backing so you can put it on your Kindle if desired. The case has a Velcro closure. To me, the closure feels like it's on backward, because the Velcro part is at the back of the case instead of the front. But that's not a big deal. I also feel like the closure is a little bit on the long side and could have been made about 1/2" shorter. When you look at the back of the case, you see three brass rivets. They attach the corner braces inside the case, which anchor the Kindle. The brass is a nice finishing detail. I wish the closure had used a brass rivet as well, instead of Velcro. The back of the Kindle does not seem to lie flush with the back of the case. It seems like the corner clips hold it up a little. That may be alleviated by actually using the Velcro dot as well. Overall the case is very nice, very well constructed. It is at least as protective as the original Kindle case, and much more stylish. All of the stitching is done very neatly, and I appreciate the leather and brass details. Conclusion: Well worth $30. Beautiful craftsmanship. He could ask a bit more for this case if he tweaked some of the details (Snaps instead of Velcro, making the corner clips a little more elegant looking). Last edited by honeybunny; 05-20-2008 at 09:31 AM.