Problem With Pen Cases

[Horseknitter]

Unlike most of my friends here I limit myself to a maximum of 3 pens inked at one time and most often have only 2 in rotation. I, therefore, use the ink more quickly allowing more frequent changes of pen and/or ink. This works best for me - blame it on my short attention span.

 

Therefore, I have my pens stored horizontally on my desk when at home and in elastic loops in notebooks when enroute. My pens change positions readily and I have no problem with seepage or slow starting pens. Most efficient system for my purposes, YMMV.

[RMN]

 

Yes,, my question is about filled pens only. I have seen some vertical pen displays, but they all seemed to be shown with rollerballs, point down, which made me wonder if the bottom detent would be big enough for some larger body fountain pens.

 

I would be interested to hear more about venting the case one night per week—this is not something I have heard of before.

 

Finally, I wondered if when you said "our cases" if you meant cases you own, or cases you make and/or sell?

 

Best,

 

Ben

It has been some time since I read a topic about this here on the forum.

Some types of penmaterial give off certain fumes which other type materials are not happy about.

 

Especially Hard Rubber/Ebonite and Celluloid pens are know to give off certain fumes (HR gives sulphite (or was it sulphide?)). Never store them together for longer times in the same box.

 

 

D.ick

[Unky]

Nib up if traveling with inked pens. Uninked pens can rest horizontally without issue. I have a 121 pen storage chest, all but 10 slots filled, all pens empty waiting to go into rotation.

[Koyote]

I store most of my pens horizontal. Never had any problems.

 

+1

[aardvarkbark]

I store inked pens nib up. I get less ink accumulating on the backside of the feed; they just stay tidier. In doing a search for pen stands, I found references to a turner in Utah who made a very nice wood one in a couple of sizes, but he didn't respond to PMs or emails, and a gallery where he used to show said they haven't heard from him in a year. So I started searching for a pipe holder that didn't have too large of a foot print and would work for pens. Found this one on Etsy...

 

[Blade Runner]

My inked pens do fine horizontally, but I like to be able to look at the case to select a pen, and a horizontal case makes that difficult. So I place a leather paper weight, sort of like a bean bag, under the case to create an angle.

[sexauerw]

I store my inked pens either horizontally or vertically, wherever there is room on my desk. I have an eight-pen and a six pen holder on the desktop, both for vertical storage, and three horizontal trays with a total of eight slots. Mind you, there are usually a ballpoint and a couple of pencils taking up some of the spaces.

 

Inked fountain pens in the vertical holders generally go nib up unless they are hard starters. Those pens always go nib down so that they will start more easily, although I'm more likely to just store the hard starters horizontally. (Pens can only go nib down in the wooden holder. They might get stuck in the foam in the leather case.)

 

http://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/NzuMiwEAOMD1Uw/3621942.0/org/p/Pen_Lazy_Susan.jpg http://bulk-share.slickpic.com/album/share/NzuMiwEAOMD1Uw/3621971.0/org/p/Square_Leather_Cup.jpg

[Inkling13]

I suppose one needs to differentiate cold storage vs warm storage, as in pens that are uninked, vs pens inked and currently in use. I'd store uninked pens however, but unless i was using a pen actively, i would not store it with ink in it, as sometimes, as I have experienced, can corrode sections. I would like to store my pens nib up, but, seeing as how I only have 3 inked at any 1 time, they usually sit in a pen pouch, and that can be any which way, and they are fine.

[jakson]

Nice pen stands, such a nice way to keep our pens safe and secure.

 

Thanks

[SteveE]

I may be the "outlier" here, but I just don't worry about it. I have been abusing pens for decades, and I store them mostly horizontally in a leather pen case on my desk. This case is usually horizontal - even when it is in my briefcase in the car trunk. Yes, even in the trunk during a Chicago winter. I just don't worry about it. The only time I have had ink exit the pen without permission was when I tried to insert a new cartridge into a DuoFold Centennial while in a commercial airliner. The pen spit Penman Sapphire into my coffee cup from about a foot away. Spectacular!

 

My reference to the wintertime is to also acknowledge that I don't panic that the ink will freeze - as long as the pen is only out in the cold for an hour or so. If the ink were to freeze and expand (as water does), I expect that there would be enough air space in the filler to allow expansion. If it is a sac pen, then the sac would expand. If a c/c, then maybe it would damage a converter. I just don't think it would damage a nib or feed. Of course, I don't do this with any piston fillers or exotic pens, just to be sure.

 

I find that any of my modern pens hold their inks well enough to be stored in any convenient manner, be it vertically or horizontally. My vintage pens are of the "Golden Age" vintage (1910-1940), so they have decent feeds as well, and give no trouble. If I had pens from the earlier times, then I might be worried.

[radconsta]

I have a "starter" collection of pens, and I would like to keep the ones that are off-rotation and empty as safe as possible. I read on FPN that the leather is out, especially the chrome treated - therefore I shouldn't use my hard, two cigar, case as probably the leather is hardened with chromium.

I bought a Pelican wateproof case, as I am in Alabama and the humidity here is terrible. I saw only one post here that praised a similar case. What is the general opinion about these air-tight cases? Do I need to aerate the pens, use a dehumidifier, leave the lid ajar...

Thank you.

Oh, I don't have any celluloid pens, so far - a bunch of Montblancs, the oldest from 1991, Expert Watermans, 2 Pilots and a bronze Homo Sapiens.

Edited April 26, 2015 by radconsta

[Runnin_Ute]

Levenger has a nice display case - holds pens at an angle, not flat.

 

http://levenger.com/PENS---REFILLS-8/PEN-CASES---STANDS-92/Point-of-View-Pen-Case-961.aspx

[Dickkooty2]

I still store my pens nib up (see illustration) as we were shown in the Army.

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj157/dick168/article-2534706-0510E23D0000044D-93_306x319_zpswtctdbnh.jpg

 

There may be a problem if the pen is inked, or as the Army insisted on saying "armed". Well, the whosis is mightier than the whatever.

 

That Dick in Hood River (Sp-4/Retired)

[PS104]

Thanks to all who added their opinions. Of all the forums I read, this one and one on straight razors are more active than all the rest put together. It's outstanding.

What is the link to the straight razors forum? Another recent 'area of interest' to me. Thanks

[Intellidepth]

I don't have any problem with modern inked pens stored horizontally but my vintage do express their discomfort in their feeds if they are not used for several days. Might try vertical inked storage for them.