I have a couple of interesting pen cases. The first one is a nice wood chopsticks box that I chanced upon in a Hong Kong department store. I haggled with the store to let me buy just the box and I got it for HK$100 (USD 12.80). I lined it with a felt pen tray that I bought from Gary Lehrer at GoPens:



The second is an abalone shell-clad jewelry box which my wife let me have. I gutted the inner dividers and fabricated a second layer using illustration board covered with felt paper. Again, these two layers are lined with the felt pen trays from the same source. The ribbons on the side ease the job of lifting the upper tray:



Both boxes have thin, round cork wads underneath to make them slip-proof.

Not too bad (I must say) for a two-weekend project.

This is my pen case. It's a Husky tool box from Home Depot. Think it cost me $30... There are three drawers so you can hold quite a few pens in there.

Woooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooow. I thought that I had an ink problem.
I have met my match.

Guys, these are some serious improvisations! I'm also o the lookout for a case of sorts that I can modify. The challenge will be the pen trays. Any other materials that can be used?

Siv, I spy your VP collection. Thanks for starting me on the VP road ;-)

Chopstick box eh?

We've got a bundle of them stored in the kitchen! Wish I could use them to store my pens in, but mum would kill me...

I'm small fry compared to others...


I've added a few more since then

Siv,

Great reuse of the Husky! I love metal tool boxes. Might have to steal your idea

Where'd you get the corrugated pen paper?


Soloworx, Yours are nice, too! A repurposed jewelry box seems like just the thing to sit on a desk.

See this thread! Necklace trays from eBay. They may need to be cut to fit a little but they're just cardboard covered in some fake leather you you can easily cut them with a sharp blade.

Excellent. I used to use a fishing tackle box to store my makeup, etc. I'm really liking the Husky idea.
I have to give kudos to Go Pens also. Excellent place to get those pen tray liners.

Hmm... I'm wondering if the trays -- the corrugated material, in your case necklace trays, could also
be fashioned from something also sold at home depot. Maybe the roofing plastic like I used to cover
a deck, cut to size & coated with cloth... Maybe hobby lobby has something.

I sure like the toolbox idea. And the chopsticks box -- looks like a cigar box to me. I have those.

Good work, guys.

-jon

soloworx,

What a great idea in re-purposing the abalone shell-clad jewelry box as a fountain pen case. Just out of curiosity, does the upper tray sit right on top of the pens on the bottom row or were you able to manage some space between the two and, if so, how?

Also, what is the 5th pen starting from the left in the photo above? It looks quite similar to the Montblanc Greta Garbo but with an orange(?) cap.

I created a space between the two layers by installing a 'ledge' around the inner perimeter of the box and the second layer rests on top of this ledge. This ledge is markedly higher than the fattest pen I have so that the top layer won't rub against it. It is made up of illustration board and is also felt covered for a consistent look. The 5th pen is an MB Garbo look alike (but no MB logos) that I picked up in a flea market. It is a rollerball BTW.

Another way of achieving the same effect is by building a tray for the bottom layer with high sides. The high sides will support the upper tray. The card boards are strong enough because they're about 1.5 mm thick, then covered with felt paper. The slathered Elmer's Glue adds a bit more sturdiness to the whole structure.

Thanks for the interest, Moravia!