Women: How Do You Carry Your Pens?

[Ally]

Anyone using a lanyard/neck chain in a health profession has to have some method of it coming apart when pulled (i've seen beaded chains with magnets and the rayon ones have a plastic clip that opens with a good tug). It's a regulation at the hospitals I've worked at to reduce strangulation risk (from patients or accidental in equipment). The ones they hand out are pretty ugly, so if someone was working on a prettier option with a key ring at the end that an ID could be put on there'd probably be a market there. I think some businesses use swipe access cards and IDs as well that could broaden the market.

 

 

Ally

[wisteriax]

For transport to & from work, I either pack my pens in a 3 pen case in a pocket of my shoulder bag, or pack 1 or 2 in an internal pocket of my purse.

 

At work, if I am wearing a blazer with pockets, I'll clip the pens on the inside breast pocket or in an outside pocket if there isn't one inside. If not wearing a blazer, I'll just choose one pen for the day, and carry it in my hand. I never put them in skirt or pants pockets for fear of damaging one by sitting on it. Not to mention a potentially embarrassing ink stain, lol.

 

I used to wear my Conklin ringtop on a ribbon around my neck. But I stopped because the pen was too petite to use comfortably without the cap posted. And posting the cap would require taking off my 'necklace' and trailing a length of ribbon from the cap. A little too awkward. But I should have thought of a lanyard with the ability to remove the pen from the ribbon - like in the posts above...now that would be clever! I'd have several different colors, to match my outfits. How grand!

Edited February 2, 2011 by wisteriax

[cubic archon]

Clearly a Parker Lady Duofold is needed!

 

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/263190/Parker-Lady-Duofold.jpg

http://www.fastcompany.com/pics/paths-innovation-fountain-pens#6

 

Apparently the pen was $5, and the ribbon $1. That's an expensive ribbon.

 

Note how the text generously grants that women might be wearing sports, classroom, business or street clothes, but the ladies pictured appear to be engaging in some sort of re-enactment.

Edited February 3, 2011 by cubic archon

[D Armstrong]

I should have thought of a lanyard with the ability to remove the pen from the ribbon - like in the posts above...now that would be clever! I'd have several different colors, to match my outfits. How grand!

 

Oho now there's a thought: different colors! It does seem that the spring clip was pretty universal, as well.

 

Keep up the flow, folks; I love the original advertising.

[xiewadu]

I have an old eyeglasses case that holds three pens which I keep in a minimally filled purse. Easier to grab than digging around for an individual pen.

- Jen

[PacificCoastPen]

I carry my pens in the cell phone pocket of my messenger bag.

The cell phone, eh...it goes wherever.

[MicheleB]

For any in the armed forces, I recommend the thigh pocket on the BDUs as the most stable, least likely to incur damage, but still used a metal bodied pen such as the Carene for those occasions when everything was subject to damage/impact.

 

I wear ODU's so same thing. While I agree with, you my caution is those pockets are so dang big pens get lost and forgotten - you can't feel them. When it comes laundry time I have left a pen or two in there and DOH! With my ODU's blouse there is a breast pocket with a hole cut in the flap just so a pen can stick out the top all legal and such. Don't need the military clip ;-) but I don't put a big top in there either. I think that is a fabulous invention by a very bright designer - quite a change for uniforms. ;-)

[Akishira]

Anyone using a lanyard/neck chain in a health profession has to have some method of it coming apart when pulled (i've seen beaded chains with magnets and the rayon ones have a plastic clip that opens with a good tug). It's a regulation at the hospitals I've worked at to reduce strangulation risk (from patients or accidental in equipment). The ones they hand out are pretty ugly, so if someone was working on a prettier option with a key ring at the end that an ID could be put on there'd probably be a market there. I think some businesses use swipe access cards and IDs as well that could broaden the market.

 

 

Ally

 

Hear, hear. ;_;

 

Mine is a regulation lanyard that was passed down to me upon commencement, it must be about 15 years old. It certainly looks like that, with the frizz and frays to match. What I'd like though, is a lanyard with the anti-strangulation clasp, but without any rings or metal bits to catch, so it's just a loop of material (maybe with an adjustment buckle to lengthen or shorten it though). Then I could hang all my pens around my neck (I carry a FP, gel ink and ballpoint, all in purple) without looking lopsided.

[vickiehof]

I use a micro-fiber bag with a drawstring that came with a pair of sunglasses. I sewed two lines to divide it into 3 rows for 3 fountain pens. Before I put in the pens, I loop the drawstring around my purse handle, put in the pens, and they're kept upright and easy to find. This even works with a zippered top purse, just attach it to the purse strap at the zipper opening side.

[funkypeanut]

I don't carry pens in my pockets because I'm notorious for forgetting to empty my pockets before putting the clothes in the laundry. Also, I change bags frequently because my non-pen obsession is, well, bags, so I decided that I had to have a good pen case/holder that I could just move from bag to bag. I started out with a nice black leather one that I received as a gift, and I love it, but I have trouble finding it in the bottom of larger bags with dark linings. So I got this from JetPens. The website say's it's yellow, but it's really orange. It's not the most professional-looking pen case, but I can find it instantly in a bag, and it holds way more than it looks like it will. I keep the nice black leather one for when I'm going to meetings or conferences, and the day-glo orange one for daily use.

[caligatia]

Funkypeanut, I was looking at that exact same case a couple of days ago. Hmmm.

[Ghost Plane]

For any in the armed forces, I recommend the thigh pocket on the BDUs as the most stable, least likely to incur damage, but still used a metal bodied pen such as the Carene for those occasions when everything was subject to damage/impact.

 

I wear ODU's so same thing. While I agree with, you my caution is those pockets are so dang big pens get lost and forgotten - you can't feel them. When it comes laundry time I have left a pen or two in there and DOH! With my ODU's blouse there is a breast pocket with a hole cut in the flap just so a pen can stick out the top all legal and such. Don't need the military clip ;-) but I don't put a big top in there either. I think that is a fabulous invention by a very bright designer - quite a change for uniforms. ;-)

Due to the size of top I need for my height, that can get uncomfortable given my metal pens, not to mention give a weird profile depending on my sports bra! Quick grab locale, I concur, tho' it's a good redesign. Thigh pocket will accommodate a 2 pen zipper case that gives a little extra padding.

[funkypeanut]

Funkypeanut, I was looking at that exact same case a couple of days ago. Hmmm.

 

I can honestly recommend it for daily use. It's durable and roomy and has lots of slash and zip pockets to hold things. And if the orange offends your eyes, it comes in more subdued colors, although it seems that JetPens doesn't always have all the colors.

[LuckyDog10]

I still haven't made my darn pen roll, so for now it's a small zippered case in my bag. I never manage to carry one of those dainty little girly purses, so I always have the space for it.

 

For short distances around campus, I have been known to do the pen-clipped-to-the-neckline trick. I think I got cured of that, though. A few weeks ago, I grabbed my aluminum Lamy Al-Star and tucked it down the front of my V-neck shirt. Did I mention it had been sitting in a VERY cold car for about an hour? Eeeeeeaaaaaaghhhh! I nearly ended up with a variation of the old "tongue-on-a-flagpole" that I do NOT want to think about.

[CatBookMom]

Just a quick photo of my home made pen pouch. It is so simple, even people who hate sewing could make it. My belt goes through the loop at the top, and the pouch goes in my trouser pocket with the pen inside. It stops the pen from getting scratched by other things in the pocket, and keeps the pen safe. Its the best, and definitely the cheapest solution I've found so far.

 

 

 

 

That's a very clever, simple idea! well done!

[ShortNCuddlyAm]

At the moment they live clipped on one of the inside pockets of my bag. I'm thinking about doing a heavy duty canvas version of Maxpedition's pocket organiser, which is a great case for a few pens and two pocket notebooks but I don't much like heavy-duty nylon. I'd probably do it more as a roll than a zip pouch though. At work I shove one through the elastic loop on my notebook cover, but I'm thinking about doing a beaded belt pouch for my pass, so I might make it big enough to have a pen in it, too.

[sharonspens]

I keep one in in a single pen case in my purse most of the time (and several in a pen case in my messenger bag; I rarely travel with less than five pens of various sorts). I have a Monteverde on a chain that I sometime wear on campus. Most of the time, though, I carry one in my folio pad during the day.

 

As the Christmas gift for my female graduate students this year I purchased woven eyeglass/cell phone cases that have an outside pocket, perfect for a pen (or three). They hang around the body, or could be tucked into a purse or messenger bag. They are perfect for this purpose. You could look for something along that vein.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[paige]

I dislike hanging things around my neck, but sometimes I'll stick a pen behind my right ear. (I'm surprised no one's mentioned this particular pen storage method yet - I thought it was universal!) The only problem happens when I forget there's a pen there already, and I'll try to put a second pen on top of it, but my ears just aren't that big.

 

I'll also put pens in my pants pocket - when I'm shopping for new pants, they absolutely must have a front right pocket that's deep enough for me to clip a pen into, otherwise I won't know what to do with myself at work. I need to have a pen on my person when I'm at work; I'm on my feet walking around all day, so keeping my pens at my desk won't cut it.

 

 

As far as carrying pens in my bag, I just clip them all to an inside pocket. I always put them in the same place, so I never have trouble finding them. I don't have a nice carrying case, but then again, none of my pens are so nice (or so expensive) that I'd mind if they got scratched up a bit.

[eversharpness]

I have an orange leather Cross single pouch with the popper fastenings. Handily it stands upright inside my main handbag. I got it on eBay for £16 brand new rather than the £25 rrp. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Cross-Orange-Leather-Single-Pen-Case-New-RRP-25-00-/260712985445?pt=UK_Home_Garden_PensPencils_WritingEquipment_SM&hash=item3cb3b47365 There is one left cos I bought the other I've seen them on eBay in pink, black and brown. I have to admit I feel swish taking it out of my bag :embarrassed_smile:

[hollyuk]

My expensive pens all live in leather pen cases - I don't take them out very much to be honest - I tend to work from home mostly so I don't need to.

 

My take out pens tend to be Lamy Safari or Al-stars. Firstly my most used bag has special pen loops for pens so they live in there. Also I have a couple of the drop in pursekets which are great for containing things in a bag, and you can just lift them out and drop them into another bag if you change bags. You can get them from purseket.com in the US or from http://prettypinktoes.co.uk/purseket.aspx in the UK. Thse hold pens quite nicely - you can hook them over the side without straining the pen loops.

 

I also use a filofax for most of my diary/notes/todo etc which I generally take into meetings. These have pen loops, but tend not to take fatter pens. Sometimes I just pop a Lamy Safari into the ring mechanism, but I wouldn't do this with my Montblancs.

 

I've also seen pictures on amazon of pen loops that you can attach to notebooks so they may be worth a try. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ryman-Pen-Clip/dp/B003HIG614/ref=wl_it_dp_o?ie=UTF8&coliid=I1VRZ5XPXM2ULA&colid=2FW698LMU7YGY

 

I really couldn't wear mine around my neck as it would drive me insane, and I rarely wear belts so that would not work for me either.