Pen fashion police?

[HDoug]

Doug, just do what I do when I have a larger pen (won't fit the pocket): clip it to the placket of your shirt. When wearing a tie, the pen isn't even seen. Nah, it really doesn't look "geeky." However, I find I need to remove the pen when climbing into my car because the seatbelt goes across the pen. I'm fearful that in a sudden stop I'd snap the pen in half.

Uhhh... tie? And I had to look "placket" up in a dictionary. Actually, images.google.com. Still I have usually don't have a tie to cover my placket. I do sometimes wear a pen enplacket and I also remove the pen when buckling up in the car. But my reason is that a sudden stop may plunge the pen through my heart. The article head would read, "Pen as Mighty as Sword." Kind of a poetic way to go, though...

 

Doug

[Garageboy]

Well..for the "tactically" inclined mall ninja, we always have the kydex pocket protector

[WillAdams]

randy, I got one of the Levenger leather pocket protectors when they first came out and returned it 'cause it wouldn't fit in any of my shirt pockets ('cept for the ones I'd had tailor-made to accommodate my Newton).

 

I've been considering making one myself --- part of the problem was the Levenger model was sewn at the bottom of two pieces of leather --- folding that seam instead should help cut down on the bulk and making the whole thing on a diagonal to better accommodate larger pens should work. Just need to track down some vegetable tanned leather, or I'll pick up some buckskin the next time I'm visiting my father in Virginia (there're still some Native Americans who tan the old way)

 

William

[Greg]

A 'fashionable' use of a pen. Certainly an interesting thought. Unfortunately in this materal day of 'names' its likely that a recognised 'name' will render a pen fashionable regardless of its looks. (Do you get those dreadful BMW scooters with a roof in the US? If they were made by anyone else they would have died a long time ago.) If this is the case can anything other than a MB be considered fashoinable?

 

There must be a statment attached to pens otherwise our political leaders would publicly sign their agreements with a biro as opposed to a specially prepared unique edition of some sort.

 

It's never crossed my mind to wear a pen as a dress item, but why not? If vintage jewelry adds a statement of 'quality' then a vintage pen may be seen in the same way, if only it is seen. In the UK most would consider any pen with large blobs of gold as ostentatious (or 'bling') and probably cheap. Understatement, black, etc would be the order of the day. Black being the new and old black.

 

However we're thinking society dos here, for normal everyday, such as business meetings etc, I'm afraid my snootiness causes me to look down on biros and roller balls and admire almost anything with a nib.

 

In general though FPs are un-fashionable as few people use them.

[Sparks]

I have never been so glad as when reading this thread that no one thinks twice about a woman carrying a bag.

 

In casual situations, I have my satchel with me (which has a pocket specifically dedicated to my fountain pen carrying case, which contains my Parker Inflection and one of the two Cross ATX pens). In more formal situations, I have a small purse I carry; it actually has a fountain pen pocket. The second Cross ATX lives there.

[WillAdams]

Actually, it's not so bad for a guy --- I've got:

 

front left pants pocket - a small leather note holder which also holds a Fisher bullet space pen (also a Kingston flash drive --- used to be a Leatherman, but flying made me switch) black ink.

 

left shirt pocket - Esterbrook SJ (this is replacing an old Platignum calligraphy pen w/ a fine italic nib --- still would like to find a 9312 nib, looking forward to trying an Osmiroid nib which should be arriving today) brown ink

 

also a Rotring Quattro multi-function pen w/ orange underliner (left over from my MIA Levenger Quattro) blue and red ink and 0.5mm mechanical pencil)

 

and in my vertical laptop bag I've an old Radio Shack Pocket Computer 1 slip case w/ small steel ruler, folding mini stapler, Staedtler plastic eraser, x-acto pen knife, a no-name no-name twist dual-pen w/ a stylus insert and black), two Sakura Callipens (brown and black), Sakura Pigma brush pen (brown) and a Faber-Castell #2 pencil w/ a nifty cap which includes a pencil sharpener --- wish the latter had a ``military clip'' so that I could carry it in my shirt pocket (one thing sticking out is one too many).

 

William

[Half Sigma]

do recall that the book explicitly stated a fine gentleman's shirt would have no pockets in it

 

Important executives presumably didn't have to take notes because they had secretaries to do it for them.

 

Or perhaps, important executives always wore a jacket so they didn't need to keep a pen in their shirt pocket.

 

Unfortunately, neither of the above applies to most office workers these days. The shirt pocket is the best place to stick a pen.

 

Still, nothing screams "NERD! NERD! NERD!" more than having a bunch of pens in your shirt pocket. Please try to limit yourself to only a single pen.

[Slush99]

I usually have three in my pocket, if I do have a pocket...

[JeffTL]

I'm not sorry to say that I am guilty as charged on the offense of carrying multiple writing instruments in the shirt pocket; sometimes two fountain pens (with different nib widths) and a mechanical pencil to boot.

 

But that's okay. Nothing wrong with being a bit of a nerd.

[Slush99]

Today I had 3 fountain pens and one ballpoint.

 

If I had remembered my pencil... <_<

[Glenn-SC]

Since I also consider pens as a form of art, I have no problems with carrying FPs in my shirt pocket.

They make ass much if not more sense as a necklace or a tie.

 

I usually carry two FPs, one with a dark ink and one with a highlight color, in my shirt pocket.

[HDoug]

Since I also consider pens as a form of art, I have no problems with carrying FPs in my shirt pocket.

They make as much if not more sense as a necklace or a tie.

But necklaces and ties don't make any sense at all!

 

Doug

[Bigfella]

Two fountain pens and a ball point for those still forsaken to the dark side . All in my shirt pocket......

[Half Sigma]

Fashion isn't supposed to make sense.

 

Fashion is about copying what other people are doing. Unless you are important enough to be different.

 

Paris Hilton could put a bunch of pens in her pocket and then everyone would think it's the fashion and all the trendy people would be doing it.

 

But if you, a regular person, does it, you're just a nerd who's too stupid to know that walking around with pens in yoru pocket isn't cool.

Edited May 16, 2006 by Half Sigma

[saintsimon]

Most talk here is about men. But there seems to be an old unwritten rule for women NOT to wear a pen (at least visibly), maybe except some ringtops or similar pens on necklaces - but those never really made it into visible use/fashion, did they?

 

A woman can have any kind of pen (so not necessarily a lady's pen - unlike watches), as long as she carries it in the bag or similar gear.

 

Obviously pens also never made it into the body jewelry category which consists of earrings, brooches, necklaces and all the other, impractical/useless stuff.

 

 

Oh, and let's not I forget the instruction leaflet: before any of the pc watchdogs start to bark, these are observations and not positions ...

Edited May 17, 2006 by saintsimon