If You Own An Expensive Pen, Do You Avoid Using It In Public Places In Fear Of People Stealing It?

[cirrostratus]

I'm curious to know how people feel about this. Examples of public places include classrooms, meetings, conferences, seminars, ... any place where there may be people noticing that you're wielding a pen costing upwards of hundreds of dollars or even more.

[jar]

Nope. Cannot even imagine worrying about such things.

[Barkingpig]

Having lost a pair of sunglasses I have used for more than 15 years last week I would worry more that I would lose the pen rather than the chance of it being stolen. I do not however "leave the house" with an expensive pen but carry a Kaweco Sport if I believe I might need a fountain pen. ( I am however no longer employed but cannot imagine I would have felt the need to carry it to the office when I was working.) I would probably worry more about my damaging the pen because of carelessness from my misuse in a setting different from my "norm."

[gerigo]

Most regular people I encounter daily would not even be able to recognize the pens I carry, with the exception of the Meisterstuck Montblancs. I rarely have any Meisterstuck pens with me primarily because it's not a pen design I like. My currently carry has 2 quite expensive Viscontis and both are over 1K each. They are mixed in with cheaper pens like the Platinum 3776s and an Online Calligraphy pen that's about $50. So, no I don't worry about the value of pens I bring with me. Besides there are ways to protect yourself, such as taking out an insurance rider for your pens?

[Tojusi]

No - as already stated, most of the general population does not know what fountain pens can cost. And, being ignorant, the assume all pens either cost a dollar or two / an euro or two, or that pens appear free as if by magic. This latter thought being generated by all corporate advertisement ball points and the like.

 

And further: No - because I do not leave my fountain pens lying around for others to grab, whether they are expensive pens or the simplest plastic Kaweco Sport. Especially in an office environment people tend to grab whatever pen is closest to them, thinking they are company property or free for all somehow. This annoys me to no end. I always have two of the company ad ball points on my desk. When a colleague comes in, grabs one to jot a quick note, and then tries to leave with the pen, I call them on it. Even though the are company pens, I went to the minor trouble to get them from the office supply room: I do not want to run there just because my colleagues are doofuses. (Final side note: a colleague has four (!) pen cups jammed full of mostly company pens on her desk, yet never seems to carry a pen. She seems to grab a new one at every meeting from the meeting rooms, or from other people's desks... Terrible.)

 

So I am mainly concerned of grabby hands no matter what my pen cost, but I am not really worried as I know how to take precautions.

[thygreyt]

For the most part, i dont worry about it. My wallet might be pick pocketed, but my pen? Most dont even notice such things.

[Ghost Plane]

I'm careful to pick them up and take them with me, though. Too many assume the ugly habit of free pens entitles them to ANY pen left unattended. So I treat them as I do my wallet or laptop.

[penmanila]

i carry my EDC, an agatha christie, with me almost everyday, nearly everywhere, because i like writing with it and it makes me feel good. i take reasonable care and always make sure that my pen is firmly clipped to my pocket, but i don't worry about it otherwise--most people out there have no idea what it is. i do carry a rollerball or ballpoint for when people ask for a pen to borrow.

[sharonspens]

Ditto what most others have said. Sometimes I marvel at the amount of money I have spent on items I am carrying (e.g., pens, jewelry, bags), but in the vast majority of cases, no one really knows what this stuff costs - nor would they believe me if I told them. My worry is for someone picking up one of my pens because it is pretty, or me stupidly dropping one or forgetting to pick it up. I am not worried about theft.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[FOUR X FOUR]

It's fun to sign in at the Doctors office with a 3 thousand dollar pen.

[ISW_Kaputnik]

I bought my pens to use them. I assume that the danger of theft is generally low unless it's going to be a situation where keeping track of my stuff and taking care of it would be too much of a distraction. I think that most actual thieves would not be able to distinguish between my most expensive pens (still a little under $200) and many of the nicer looking "cheap" ones, but even a cheap pen can walk off if left unattended. So I don't just lay them down and walk away, but I still bring the nicest and most expensive ones with me. I've run across people who don't quite get the idea that a pen is not communal property, but a few strong words generally suffice.

 

There are pens at price levels that I won't pay (as well, of course, as ones that I couldn't pay). If I were to revise my upper limit and buy one of these luxury pens, though, it would be with the idea of using it, and using it means taking it wherever I need a pen.

[Freddy]

If You Own An Expensive Pen, Do You Avoid Using It In Public Places In Fear Of People Stealing It?

Welcome Aboard! Enjoy your time here...................................

Never..No..Nope....I see no reason....as Mr. T once said..I pity the poor sucker....

Redacting: iirclearly..he said the poor fool....both work for me............

Fred

As my dear old grandfather Litvak said {just before they swung the trap}

"You can't cheat an honest man. Never give a sucker an even break or

smarten up a chump." ~ Larsen E. Whipsnade

Edited December 28, 2015 by Freddy

[DrDebG]

Well, most of my pens are under the $100 value. But, depending upon where I am going, I may take one of my more expensive pens. For example, if I going to meetings, I will take one of my favorite writers. If I am going to a remote location for work, I will likely take my lesser expensive pens.

[scratchofapen]

I'm careful to pick them up and take them with me, though. Too many assume the ugly habit of free pens entitles them to ANY pen left unattended. So I treat them as I do my wallet or laptop.

Thats the way to go if you don't war to think about loosing a pen. Get used to have you pen "at the person" and everything is ok.

[Shaggy]

no, I don't worry about this at all. People notice that I have a fountain pen because they are unusual, but they have no idea how expensive they are. And I never set down a fountain pen or leave one lying around. They come with me in my bag which I also don't leave lying around.

 

I worry far more about my jewelry, which cost much more than my collection of pens.

[corgicoupe]

It's fun to sign in at the Doctors office with a 3 thousand dollar pen.

I enjoy signing in with a $35 Esterbrook! Or $90 Sheaffer.

[ac12]

YES

In my early years I had a gold Cross pen stolen from my desk, during the day.

After that theft, I never brought an expensive pen to the office, I used the pens out of the supply cabinet.

Edited December 28, 2015 by ac12

[vjones]

"Expensive" is relative, of course. I use pens like the Pilot 78G, Lamy Safari, or a Noodler's Konrad for general day-to-day stuff. I'm fine taking those anywhere, and I maintain awareness of them because they are still more valuable than a bic pen or whatever. I have three pens that are worth more than $100 and I tend to leave them at home.

[Water Ouzel]

Nope. Just have to keep them close to hand at all times.

[Arkanabar]

The pens I am less willing to take out of the house are the ones given to me. These are my Dad's "51" that my mom dug out for the first family Christmas I was able to attend in seven years, though not before discovering other legacies of his which she could gift to their other children, and a PFM-II that my brother in law bought for me NOS just because he knew I though that fountain pens are really neat.

 

I have never fretted about carrying around my Pelikan M200 or M400, though they'd probably be a bit costlier to replace, especially new. Of course, they're also a lot cheaper to repair.

Edited December 28, 2015 by Arkanabar