I recently wrote a review about my favorite iPad case, the Marware Eco-Vue. Up until about a week ago, I carried my iPad everywhere in my Marware Eco-Vue case. That is until I had an opportunity to try out “The Case, Vol. 1″ a terrific iPad case by a small family company out of Minneapolis called Pad and Quill.

Pad and Quill states on their website that their mission is to “deliver the most beautiful hand made bookbindery cases for touch enabled devices at a fair price” and that is exactly what they have done with their first iPad case.

The Case by Pad and Quill is a folio style case like the Eco-Vue case meaning it opens and closes like a book, but that is pretty much where the similarities between the two cases ends. While the Eco-Vue case uses a suede enclosure to keep the iPad secure, Pad and Quill has taken a very different and unique approach.

Pad and Quill uses a precision-engineered baltic birch frame that is router cut to within 1/20,000 of an inch to snugly cradle your iPad. Sound impressive? It is. Rubber bumpers are then added to the frame to keep your iPad nice and secure. Finally the handsome looking frame is “bound” by local Minneapolis book binderies with a hand made, artisan quality, simulated leather hard cover. The result is an iPad case that looks nothing like an iPad case, but more like an old world book or journal.

If you are someone who is not looking to draw attention to the fact you are carrying an iPad, The Case from Pad and Quill is the case for you. Most people assume I am carrying around a hard cover book when I carry my iPad in The Case and seem surprised when I open the case to expose my iPad. To further disguise the fact that an iPad is hiding inside The Case, Pad and Quill has “Vol. 1″ embossed on the spine of the case. You could literally leave your iPad in The Case sitting on a book shelf and nobody would be the wiser.

Pad and Quill has provided the typical cut outs in their iPad case for all the iPad buttons, switches, etc. but rather than just give their case a pedestrian cut out for the iPad speaker, Pad and Quill has created a patent-pending “sound channel”. This sound channel is an angled cut out so that audio coming from the iPad speaker is deflected outward toward the iPad user. This ingenious design decision magnifies the audio coming out of the iPad, making this a great iPad case for listening to music.

The front cover of The Case can be flipped back so that it rests underneath the iPad frame to lift the iPad up to a comfortable angle for typing. The front cover can also be used to prop the iPad up on a table when in landscape mode. The Case has a button snap closure to keep the front cover from opening when you want it closed, but it also serves a double purpose as the button snap closure can be used when The Case is propped up in landscape mode to prevent the iPad from falling over.

If the official Apple iPad case is the supermodel of iPad cases with its slim looks, The Case by Pad and Quill is the fat kid who loves cake. The Case from Pad and Quill is very thick and heavy and seems like it would provide better protection in the event of an accidental drop than the Apple case. While Pad and Quill does not recommend you drop your iPad while using their case and offers no protection against drops, if I did accidentally drop my iPad I would want it to be in this case as it is built like a tank and provides full 360 degree protection when closed.

Some will love the big and bulky nature of this case, while others will undoubtedly think it is it too big. I personally like the oversized, substantial nature of this case. The Case measures approximately 10.5″ tall x 8.5″ wide x 1″ thick.

If I did have one gripe about The Case it would be the difficulty I had removing my iPad from it. It was easy to get my iPad into The Case but took a bit of work getting it out. Pad and Quill provides a red bookmark that sits underneath the iPad to make it easy to remove the iPad, which helps but it still requires a bit more effort than I would have liked to get the iPad out. This could be a good thing for people who leave their iPads in their cases because you do not need to worry about the iPad ever accidentally falling out of The Case, but for those who frequently take their iPad out of its case it could be frustrating.

The Case is available from Pad and Quill at an introductory price of $55. While not the cheapest iPad case on the market, it is a steal for what you are getting which is a beautiful handmade case that will separate you from the masses. If you appreciate fine craftsmanship and want a unique stylish iPad case, The Case from Pad and Quill is highly recommended.