Diloro Double Pen Case On Amazon.com.au For A$17

[A Smug Dill]

DiLoro Italy double pen cases in full-grain nappa leather discounted to A$17 (approximately, but fluctuates due exchange rates) each, for five out of ten available colours, on Amazon.com.au.

These are sold and shipped by Amazon US, and if you have Amazon Prime membership, buying three of these on a single order would put it just past the A$49 threshold amount for free shipping to Australia. (Of course, alternatively you could just buy one or two, and make up the A$49 minimum with other Prime-eligible international product not limited to what is sold by Amazon US.)

I bought ten of these pen cases 24 months ago on a punt from Amazon.com, just before the changes in GST rules on low-value imports came into effect; to which Amazon adopted a new policy not to accept orders with Australian delivery addresses except through its Amazon.com.au regional presence, which had very few products listed back then.

At the time, this product only came in black, brown and red — but black wasn't available — and the list price was US$19.95 (as it is today). A strangely structured promotional campaign "forced my hand" to purchase exactly ten in a single lot to achieve a 50% discount on the item price; but shipping added about 10% to my total spend.

I was so delighted by the quality of the product, that not only did I not regret buying so many (albeit only in brown and red) in one go, but when the black one came back in stock without any applicable discounts or promotion campaign, I bought at full price anyway. I think it easily outshines any leather double pen case for up to US$45 bearing the name of well-known German pen brands, and that of other (American?) leather goods brands too; and my opinion has not after using the DiLoro cases for two years.

I've given up on being able to buy the new colours, after they were introduced maybe a year ago, at a comparably good price (after tax, shipping and all). Until recently, that is. On 15/5/2020 I saw some of the new colours being offered for A$17.14 each — effectively at US$9.95 each, plus GST but with 'free' shipping to Australia — so I leapt and order three of them. I received my order (shipped from the US by DHL, curiously in three separate shipments) late this week, and the new cases are every bit as good as my old ones.

I can't promise that it's either Italian leather or made in Italy, because neither the product page nor anything inside the retail packaging (nor on the item itself) states that as a fact; only that "DILORO ITALY" is debossed on the keeper strap, and (in spite of) the product page stating that it was "Designed in Switzerland". All I would say is that the leather quality is excellent and the workmanship is top-notch.

I just placed another order for three more. (They make lovely presents; and my wife already 'requisitioned' for herself two of the three in my recently received order.)

If you aren't in Australia, you could order those same discounted colours on Amazon.com for US$9.95 apiece.