The Roost - Where Do You Keep Them?

[DrCodfish]

Great seeing all the pics of your Pelikan collections and individual stars but a recent post got me to thinking about where we keep all these pens. I have a small collection of pen cases and chests (each one larger than the last) where I store my pens. It qualifies as a form or organized storage, just as shoe boxes qualify as a form of organized storage for bills. I am not the most organized person but this current 'system' isn't really doing it for me. My idea has been to try to keep all my pens in one place, the challenge of course is keeping up with the new arrivals, the multiplication effect so many have alluded to. I've been grappling with this dilemma for the last year or so, several ideas are coming together in my mind.

 

I am a hobby wood worker and so have plans to construct a 'bigger' pen chest in my wood working hobby. So far I have not started building as I have revised the planned size of that chest, ... twice (they keep multiplying - right?). Recently I concluded that it might be smart to build this in such a way that I could just add on additional layers of trays in the future should the need arise. Still working out that design.

 

And since I am thinking long term the idea of a small cabinet, with space for paper, inks, ephemera etc. in drawers or cubbies (below) upon which the pen chest would sit is dancing around in my heard. I have paper and correspondence files (pen pals) up on that shelf, and ink and samples over there, and pen cleaning/maintenance/repair items in a couple cigar boxes down there. In short I feel a need to get my sh-t together.

 

I won't start this project probably until winter. I have another desk top pen box half finished on the work bench in the shop, and I have started work on a mission style writing desk which will go a long way toward helping with the organization issues, I do have a dedicated home office but it is a classic example of cramming vs organizing.

 

Enough about me, I am also looking for inspiration and support (Hi, my name's Paul and I have a Pelikan 'problem') so would be happy to hear and or see what you are doing to take care of your prized little possessions.

[pajaro]

I would like to clear all the rubbish out of one of my secretary desks, lay some nice fabric and trays in the drawers, and move the pens into the drawers. There are upper cabinets with glass fronts. These desks have nice writing surfaces. Possibilities.

[Newjelan]

Hi Paul, my solution is by no means innovative. I keep mine in leather storage "wallets" that I bought from Franklin-Christoph and keep in a wardrobe in my study. I also have a few of my most precious pens (including my Pelikan M400 White Tortoise & M800 Brown Tortoise) in a small roll top burl wood unit made by Visconti. It sits on my desk.

[Bo Bo Olson]

In my three pen cups....one of which is for the to be cleaned pens. I'm not going to say how many of my Pelikans are in that cup.

Yesterday, I did a check to see how much turn my caps needed to get loose, and I was shocked at how many Pelikans I had out. 6...inked & a Geha.....7 needing cleaning .3 Gehas too.

I often have 17 pens inked.

 

Some of my top of the line all have a little jewelry bracelet cases. 4 of them...but they are 'out of sight' they don't get counted much. If I take the best out of the glassed case, they end up in one of the bracelet boxes.

 

I strive very hard to stay away from Inky Thoughts.

 

I seldom fill my piston pens full, 1/3 to 1/4th allows me to change inks often enough. I do have three cartridge pens out too.I'm testing Kaweco inks in them. The cartridges were affordable....something I never say about cartridges. But I didn't want to buy 4-5 bottles of ink 'blind'.

 

I do have a cherry wood, glass top, two drawer display case, a large walnut cigar humidor that I've never gotten around to buy and mount the felt covered rill's. A neat little burl cigar humidor is more or less full of cases of one kind or another....more a old ball point in a case place, than fountain pens any more.

 

I'd been given a Mercant 810....a DDR pen....and I'd not been impressed...the nib was a spade nib and no real tine spread................still no real tine spread, but a hell of a lot of tine bend!

It is a "Springy" nib, like a Falcon, or a modern MB. In fact a bit more spring than a modern MB.

I needed to continue testing Kawaco gray ink, in it ran uneven in my Celebry, sometimes dark, sometimes too dry.

It's as long as a Celebry or 381; a tad thinner but very, very lightly posts, almost no hold at all.

Sigh, just inked another pen.

 

The 215 I'm writing with just this second has MB orange ink in it. Not bad, but I have to get some of that Herbin Orange....been saying that for years.

[Parker51]

I have a suggestion for storage based upon what I have, a free standing oak mission style multi-drawer unit with cabinet doors for the door section. This is for pens and it makes for a nice side table while holding several hundred pens.

For the ink and stationary, an artists file cabinet.

Both of these pieces I have are repurposed, with the file cabinet actually being vintage.

The pen cabinet was originally a multi-drawer game cabinet.

Since you will be constructing your pen cabinet, you can choose the dimensions of the drawers, and the number of them. A modest sized cabinet could be made in the mission style that holds a hundred pens per drawer and has four to five drawers. The cabinet I have is on legs which balance it visually and puts the pens high enough so as to allow easy access without getting on the floor to access the pens.

[inkstainedruth]

I have several 24 pen zipper cases, and pens are sorted by brand (so all the Pelikans not in rotation are together). The cases live either on a small antique writing desk, or on a small bookcase next to the desk. Pens that ARE inked up are either in a metal canister on a shelf (the cannister used to contain hot chocolate mix), or in my purse or in a smaller pen holder, sleeve, or or pen wrap.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[ThomasB]

DELETED...Photobucket holding my images hostage until I upgrade

Edited August 20, 2017 by tbickiii

[inkstainedruth]

Uh, sorry -- your images have apparently been kidnapped and are being held for ransom by Photobucket....

We'll assume that the boxes themselves are really spiff.

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[BillH]

My wife showed me this...

 

https://www.rejuvenation.com/catalog/products/f9554

 

They have a bunch of Very.Nice.Things.

[inkstainedruth]

My wife showed me this...

 

https://www.rejuvenation.com/catalog/products/f9554

 

They have a bunch of Very.Nice.Things.

 

Wow.

I buy one of those, and my husband would freak....

Of course, I'm assuming that, like the cabinet in the link, that they have a bunch of Very.Expensive.Things.....

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Lam1]

My wife showed me this...

 

https://www.rejuvenation.com/catalog/products/f9554

 

They have a bunch of Very.Nice.Things.

 

So... is your collection already that big that she is suggesting something like that? .

And you're a very lucky one! Instead of putting an end to the buying, she actually finds a (hopefully) long term solution!

[BillH]

 

So... is your collection already that big that she is suggesting something like that? .

And you're a very lucky one! Instead of putting an end to the buying, she actually finds a (hopefully) long term solution!

 

 

As sweet and wonderful as my bride is, I secretly think she was teasing me when she showed me that.

 

Shucks, who am I kidding? I KNOW she was kidding me

 

Or bribing me... shortly after that she asked what I thought about getting a large custom Tuff Shed for her to convert into a sewing room in the backyard

 

I offered to park one of the cars on the drive and convert part of the garage for her... nah, too garage-y.

Edited August 20, 2017 by BillH

[sargetalon]

Nothing special for my roost. I keep an IKEA cabinet in my closet that holds all of my pen supplies. The birds are kept in a small Gerstner chest which holds my M1xx/M2xx collection. I have two of Pelikan's storage chest for the M8xx/M1xxx pens and any silver and gold models. Finally, a small pen chest houses the M4xx/M6xx collection. Not the most elegant but it works.

[Penman222]

I keep my Pelikan (singular) in a cigar box I modified to hold five pens in a nice felt lined tray. I have another cigar box with plastic trays I use to keep the Lamy Safari's and the like.

 

 

[ca49reber]

I have my 12 Pelikan pens in a Visconti 12-pen zippered case. It is really nice but I am now eyeing a 13th pen.

[Pjay]

My little flock perches in this class topped pen case.

[ThomasB]

Trying Imgur to host this time

 

A map chest and Agresti

 

 

A drawer for some of my birds (Pelikan and Swan)

 

Another one where some of the birds flock

 

And a place for the 800s (they prefer to be alone

 

And a closeup while they are sleeping

[BillH]

Wonderful Thomas! Thanks so much for sharing. Is that case you have M800's in a custom or ..?

[ThomasB]

Wonderful Thomas! Thanks so much for sharing. Is that case you have M800's in a custom or ..?

The last case is an Agresti as well...And I just realized its next to my copy of "Lonesome Dove"

[BillH]

Cathy just showed me this one.

 

https://www.potterybarn.com/products/shelby-accessory-tower-dresser/?pkey=cwarehouse-sale-4&isx=0.0.9989

 

(we're not associated with PB in any way)