Mine isn't covered, or fancy. But it's a lot cheaper. I'm sure someone else has thought of this, right?

Benefits: Floral frogs, as these holders are called, come in all sizes, and are easily acquired at thrifts and flea markets. Also on ebay, but then the shipping is expensive since they are heavy. The glass or ceramic doesn't mar the pens and they don't touch. Also good for the little plastic nib holders. Pretty for a collection of glass pens.

I wonder if there are ones large enough for the ink Peti-vials? Probably.

N.B.: These aren't "my" pens but rather a few of the ones I acquired which I'm gradually selling. Most of the "good" ones in the terms most FP aficianados would use are now gone and I'm down to ballpoints and the oddballs save for a handful.

Patti

I think Pendemonium sells those too. Their picture doesn't show it in use though. Thanks!

Pendemonium sells them in two sizes, but they are often out of stock. The smaller size didn't fit most of my pens so I returned them. I have two of the larger ones and they fit all my pens.

If you have thinner pens, or pencils, the small ones are just fine, but if you want to fit "standard" size pens, they either don't fit or fall out of the small ones.

Anyone know why they are called "frogs?"

Andy

I have no idea why they are called that. Some floral trade thing, I guess.

There are so many sizes - I have a few of these, gotten for other purposes, at flea markets and thrift stores. One of mine has really large holes, by the way. You can find all kinds, ceramic, large-holed, fancy ones on ebay. I haven't seen the ones at Pendemonium yet. Such a cheap, elegant and simple solution!

Patti

Just found this. People actually collect them. I don't know why that surprises me, but ...

www.flowerfrog.com

Patti

I use a frog I bought many years ago at a flea market. I had kept cheap ball point pens in them before my obsession with Parker 51's. I put my frog inside a piece of VanBriggle pottery and it sits on my dining room table for decoration as well as function.

Discovered this use for a vintage glass frog recently and it works extremely well. I did have to sand the inside rim of the bottoms of three of the holes to prevent the blind caps on my "51"s from getting scratched on some rough edges. I like the fact that the glass does not add any more color to my already colorful desk. That way my pens are the main attraction!

According to A Brief History of Flower Frogs, nobody knows why they are called frogs.

However, in eBay's Reviews & Guides, climbonclimber says: "History says several things but one of the answers I give is that a patent was issued in the 1940s where it listed that this was a holder of flowers and sat in water like a frog. Thus the name stuck. "

Sounds like a winner to me. Assuming the attribution is correct and not made up.

The stud on a sword, long knife or bayonet scabbard have for hundreds of years been called, "frogs". The stud would fit into a hole in a thick leather belt, securing the weapon thereto. I have also seen the term applied to any hole/plug/loop device in medievel/renaissance times. My guess is that it's simply a misnomer predicated on this principle since -- in this case -- it is technically the pen or flower which is, in fact, the "frog".

I have about 5 frogs throughout the house that I use to house my pens. I keep them in all the right spots, the coffee table, kitchen table, desk, nightstand and book cases. That way, when I'm doing something, I can keep my pen or pens of the day safe. The ones on my desk house the collection. You can find some really beautiful carnival glass ones floating around. In fact, I use a marigold carnival glass frog to hold my strictly black pen collection, to give it a little color

eBay Store...

I also use a frog for my writing instruments; though test tube and pipe racks are also nice pen holders, I don't know if there is anything more convenient than a floral frog.

I keep allot of my pens in cases for glasses. This case might be for drawing, that one for Esterbrooks etc.. But to keep them from getting scratched I have some little tubes sewed up by Granny made out of old soft bandanas or pieces of one of my old silk shirts cut up to pen wrap size.

The pen I've used that day I'll stand up in an old fashioned heavy shot glass that's not easy to topple. It works out good as the pen I'll want to get is usually the last one used.

Love them frogs though!