How Many Pens do you carry outside the house?

[Blade Runner]

I would say I actually "need" one, because I do most of my fp writing at home,

but lately have been carrying two for the fun factor.

Now I'm considering the purchase of a pen case to carry even more.

 

How many do you carry outside the house on a typical day (not an extended trip)?

If it's more than a few, is it just for fun, or can you

can you give other reasons for carrying that many?

I'd be very interested to hear.

 

Regards,

Jeen

[davyr]

i carry just one. i don't have a permanent desk or workspace, so i don't have space to keep extra pens or ink bottles. i figure if my pen doesn't work (which hasn't happened yet) i'll just use one of the many ballpoints laying around.

 

i'm intrigued in carrying more around, but scared that i could lose three or more pens if i lost the case or if it were stolen - unfortunately not uncommon these days

Edited December 20, 2005 by davyr

[philm]

Five, in a Paquadro three pen case, with two extra in the seams.

[John Cullen]

HI Usually two, and usually they are medium priced pens. I am sure some will find it stupid but I do not take my Omas or MB 149 to work.

 

Once I stopped in my wife's office and say her Platinum Cobalt blue fountain pen sticking up in the cup of Bics on the receptionist's desk. The receptionist had stopped into the main office and picked the pen up off the desk, used it and then popped it in the cup with all the other pens.

 

So I take the user pens to work and leave the others at home, which is actually where I do most of my handwritten work anyway. jc

[Macuser]

I carry 3 or 4 in my briefcase, but maybe I should rethink that??

[handlebar]

I usually carry two. Instead of buying a dedicated pen carrying case ,i purchased a nice leather double cigar case. It is only a fraction larger than a pen case and was considerably less expensive.

I try to take my more inexpensive pens with me and leave the nice ones at home.

 

Handlebar

[JeffTL]

I generally carry one to school -- usually a Parker Reflex, but today I carried a 51. I was only going in to conduct some post-semester business, and I wound up writing a note on some very bleed-prone paper, so the fine nib was a good thing to have.

[Blade Runner]

I carry 3 or 4 in my briefcase, but maybe I should rethink that??

I now fully envision carrying at least a half a dozen in a really nice case, and when the opportunity arises (with an audience preferably), to slowly open the case , take a leisurely moment to decide on the right pen for the job, look at it lovingly, take another leisurely moment to uncap the pen, make my mark with a flourish and look pleased as punch about it!

We've all got to have some fun, haven't we? :bunny1:

 

Jeen

[Goodwhiskers]

I carry four FPs in the tools pocket of my bookbag: one with blue-ish ink, one with black ink, one with reddish ink and one with green ink.

 

I carry another FP with black ink in my junior-pad portfolio which I store in my bookbag but carry out by itself too.

 

None of my carry-out FPs are expensive.

 

I do use all four colors: the green and reddish (Levenger) for variety in marking on students' work, the blue-ish (a mostly-waterproof Noodler's) for recordkeeping and the black (Noodler's bulletproof) for financial matters and addresses on postal items.

[JimStrutton]

Hi Jeen,

 

I always carry two "51"s, one in fine and one medium, my collection is balanced at the moment in that I have 5 each of fine and medium/broad nibs.

 

I either use a Parker two pen leather case bought from our friend in France or if I take a third open nib pen like a Sonnet for example I use a three pen case from an eBsay seller in Germany, eBay name PFG, but he does not seem to have any of the leather cases on sale at present, which is a pity as I wanted a couple for gifts.

 

Jim

[Kees]

I always carry three FPs around, all with medium nibs and filled with the same ink. From a rational point of view, this is because I want to be able to change pens without a filling pause if one has gone empty. But, Jeen, I know I can confess it to you: in reality, it is the feel-good factor which makes me do it ... I simply ain’t happy if I don’t have them with me.

[OldGriz]

Usually 3 pens... my Namiki VP and two of my custom made wood pens... let's face it, it pays to advertise my work by carrying my pens and showing them off.

Funny thing is that for quick writing when no one is looking I reach for the VP, that click mechanism is neat...

[PaulK]

I carry one in my shirt pocket (or jacket). Otherwise, I have a Conway Stewart and Shaeffer I keep in my office. I keep an assortment of ballpoints in my desk drawer for visitors asking to use a pen.

 

Once I stopped in my wife's office and say her Platinum Cobalt blue fountain pen sticking up in the cup of Bics on the receptionist's desk. The receptionist had stopped into the main office and picked the pen up off the desk, used it and then popped it in the cup with all the other pens.

 

Fortunately(?), I only had one "walk-off" many years ago (Rotring ballpoint). While I didn't think it was intentional, I do lock my door when I depart for lunch or for the day. When someone asks to handle/view a pen, they normally comment on it's looks (Parker Mosaic esp.).

 

It seems that pens don't demand the same inquiries on price ("how much you pay?") like jewelry items.

 

My best,

 

Paul

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

I need four in different nib sizes and ink because of what I do.

 

Dillon

[beaker606]

For workdays, I carry three: a Parker "51" with Noodler's Black, a Parker 45 with Noodler's Red and a second Parker 45 with Noodler's Brahmin Blue. Ninety nine times out of a hundred I wear a button down dress shirt so I just carry them in my shirt pocket.

 

For off work hours I usually carry either the "51" or the Brahmin filled 45.

 

Oh, I guess I have three Pilot disposable FPs in the briefcase as my backup. My colleagues have stopped asking me for spare pens.

 

Kevin

Beaker606

[Velma]

Six or seven, including my most valuable one (the Sheaffer Legacy Heritage, which has sentimental value as well), but when I'm not using the pens, or showing them off, they go back in the leather cases in my bag. I change color and nib size depending upon what I do.

[Nikolaos]

I carry two, one of them 99% of the times is a Lamy Safari Vista, one of the most reliable writers i have. I also carry a fancier pen, in a cigar case, usually a MB 146, Lamy persona, MB 149, Parker dufold etc. I am not using FPs too much, since most of my work consists of note taking.

[randyholhut]

For work, a fountain pen out of the rotation, with the FP and MP to match. The FP/BP/MP is my standard carry -- FP for writing, BP as backup and for non-smeary and/or carbon writing, MP with colored lead for correcting proofs.

 

Off duty, usually a BP with a gel refill, especially if I know the pens are going to get knocked around.

[Johnny Appleseed]

to slowly open the case , take a leisurely moment to decide on the right pen for the job, look at it lovingly, take another leisurely moment to uncap the pen, make my mark with a flourish and look pleased as punch about it!

We've all got to have some fun, haven't we?

 

Where's Wim - this is a perfect segway for one of his office meeting stories. .

 

At work I usually have 6-8 pens with me. Two or three in the pocket, 4-6 in a 4 pen case in my bag, another 2 in a 2 pen case. There are a few that I always have with me (Paker 51 with Legal Lapis, Sheaffer Vac-filler with Iraqi Indigo, big Wality with Gulf Stream Blue) for backup/waterproof writing, and then usually a few that I have either just restored and need to field-test, or I am trying to use up the ink so I can give them a good flush. I often like to make sure I have at least one really flexy nib.

 

John

[southpaw]

Usually one, unless I'm going somewhere that I know I'll do quite a bit of writing.