Review of FrankN's Handmade Kindle Case

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).

igorsk · 05-20-2008, 09:26 AM

Tsk, tsk, I don't see any pictures!

honeybunny · 05-20-2008, 09:31 AM

"I will illustrate with pictures tonight after I take them." I'll put it in bold. :P

igorsk · 05-20-2008, 09:35 AM

Ah, great.

KlondikeGeoff · 05-20-2008, 12:22 PM

Interesting. How do you access the two switches on the back? An opening in the cover, or can the corner be pulled away easily enough to get to them?

honeybunny · 05-20-2008, 12:24 PM

You just un-stick the Velcro button and it's easy enough to reach back behind teh cover and get to the switches. Even easier if you remember which one is which and don't have to look. But not a big deal.

honeybunny · 05-21-2008, 09:31 PM

Pictures here: http://flickr.com/photos/farmfoto/tags/kindle/

kkd · 06-05-2008, 10:56 PM

How did u contact FrankN regarding his homemade kindle cover? i searched but could not find his website. I'd appreciate any help in locating him. thanks

honeybunny · 06-06-2008, 10:09 AM

I PM'd him. His website is linked from his profile. Also if you search eBay for 'Kindle Cover' his work really stands out. I don't want to out his eBay ID without his permission. though.

JSWolf · 06-16-2008, 03:25 AM

The cover you linked to looks quite nice.

honeybunny · 06-16-2008, 06:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JSWolf

The cover you linked to looks quite nice.

Thanks.

Those are my pics of my cover. I enjoy it!

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.

06-05-2008, 10:56 PM	#8
kkd Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2008 Device: kindle	contacting FrankN How did u contact FrankN regarding his homemade kindle cover? i searched but could not find his website. I'd appreciate any help in locating him. thanks

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05-20-2008, 09:26 AM	#2
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	Tsk, tsk, I don't see any pictures!

05-20-2008, 09:31 AM	#3
honeybunny Connoisseur Posts: 96 Karma: 76 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Brisbane, AU Device: Kindle 2 GSM	"I will illustrate with pictures tonight after I take them." I'll put it in bold. :P

05-20-2008, 09:35 AM	#4
igorsk Wizard Posts: 3,442 Karma: 300001 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Belgium Device: PRS-500/505/700, Kindle, Cybook Gen3, Words Gear	Ah, great.

05-20-2008, 12:22 PM	#5
KlondikeGeoff Wombat Aficionado Posts: 481 Karma: 733 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Arizona Device: Fire, Kindle1, Sony PRS-500 Reader, Rocket 1100 eBook	Interesting. How do you access the two switches on the back? An opening in the cover, or can the corner be pulled away easily enough to get to them?

05-20-2008, 12:24 PM	#6
honeybunny Connoisseur Posts: 96 Karma: 76 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Brisbane, AU Device: Kindle 2 GSM	You just un-stick the Velcro button and it's easy enough to reach back behind teh cover and get to the switches. Even easier if you remember which one is which and don't have to look. But not a big deal.

05-21-2008, 09:31 PM	#7
honeybunny Connoisseur Posts: 96 Karma: 76 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Brisbane, AU Device: Kindle 2 GSM	Pictures here: http://flickr.com/photos/farmfoto/tags/kindle/

06-06-2008, 10:09 AM	#9
honeybunny Connoisseur Posts: 96 Karma: 76 Join Date: May 2008 Location: Brisbane, AU Device: Kindle 2 GSM	I PM'd him. His website is linked from his profile. Also if you search eBay for 'Kindle Cover' his work really stands out. I don't want to out his eBay ID without his permission. though.

06-16-2008, 03:25 AM	#10
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 73,983 Karma: 128903378 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The cover you linked to looks quite nice.

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