Sure, you could put your files on any old thumb drive, but maybe you’d like something a little bit nicer, a little bit faster, and a little bit smaller. The brinell Stick Single Action USB 3.0 flash drive fits that bill — plus it’s got a lovely design.
The brinell stick comes in a solid black presentation box that contains the drive, a jewelry polishing cloth, a leather carrying pouch and a users guide.
There are four versions available, carbon fiber, leather, crystal, and the Makassar ebony wood I was sent. Each is available in 64GB or 240GB.
The brinell Stick is tiny, yet it has a substantial feel to it. Measuring just 2.2″ long by .87″ wide x 0.31″ thick; it weighs 0.085 ounces.
Composed of a metal frame that has been wrapped with striped ebony wood, the brinell Stick looks like it could be a piece of jewelry, were a loop attached.
The USB plug is exposed by pressing the button on the side of the drive; once exposed it locks into place until you press the button again and push the USB plug back into the metal body.
Good looks aside, the thing that really matters in a flash drive is how it performs. The brinell Stick uses SuperSpeed USB 3.0 to achieve data transfer rates of up to 220 MB/s when reading and 140 MB/s when writing. According to brinell, “it works economically as its low electricity consumption conserves the battery life of notebooks and Ultrabooks.”
To check those speed claims, I used the Mac app Black Magic Disk Speed Test set to the 5GB stress test; these were the results, and they are in line with the estimates.
The brinell Stick is a beautiful piece of art that happens to also be a functional memory device. It is pricier than most similarly sized drives … but! If you need to keep a thumb drive handy for work, school, or personal reasons, and you prefer peripherals that deliver a little something extra, then this is your drive.
The brinell Stick Single Action Wood USB 3.0 Flash Drive comes in 64GB and 240GB capacities, with prices starting at $113.30; it is available directly from the manufacturer.
Source: Manufacturer supplied review sample
What I Like: Beautiful wood wrapped metal drive; Feels substantial, yet it is small and light; fast read and write speeds
What Needs Improvement: Expensive