Carrying a pen when you have no shirt pocket

[Titivillus]

I have a feeling real men would stick their pen behind the ear, but it takes a lot of ear training to store your Aurora there safely. My personal solution is ALWAYS to wear a jacket: I need it not only for my pens, but also for my glasses, wallet, passport, calender, notebook, credit cards, pocket knife, cigars, LED light etc. etc.

 

My dearest pen I keep in a small box of my own design. It’s in a heavy bag I take to work every day.

 

There are pens on a leash that are meant to be carried around the neck. I guess any regular pen could be used that way if you fix its clip to a band or cord.

Oh to live in a climate where wearing a jacket was reasonable for more than 45 days a year. It's 96 F right now with about 80% humidity and it is suppose to get warmer! :blink:

 

I finally had to give away all of my sweaters since I've not worn one in about 10 years.

 

I still have 3 winter coats and a raincoat that I can possibly wear during some times of the 'winter'. I won't even say when the last time I had a blazer on.

 

Kurt H

 

too far South for comfort

 

 

And just to bring this around to the topic- get a Kaweco sport and one of their leather holders. Compact and suprisingly nice nib. They also make an art sport of different neat resins with a gold nib. seen them for $140

[KCat]

Don't discount the KawecoSport because of its size - posted it is certainly usable, and it's size capped makes it a great toss in the pocket who cares what happens. Nibs are wonderfully smooth, and the price is great.

i wouldn't characterize the sport as "tiny" - short, yes. Posted it's comfortable for me but I do love my M200s so there is some bias there as it's about M200 size when posted.

 

however, the section area is thicker than an M200 - significantly, IMO. and this helps it feel more like a medium-sized pen when posted.

 

Tiny to me is more along the lines of a Bantam or a purse pen and i don't think the Kaweco qualifies for that.

 

one thing about the Kaweco that makes it a superior pocket pen (IMO of course) is that because it is so compact when capped, it will stay securely in a pocket and not poke out or feel like it is being strained to breaking point of if you sit or bend.

 

not the prettiest pen in the world and if you go with the ED version you might be at more risk for leaks in a pants pocket. But definitely sturdy.

[custar]

Just a suggestion; try a Snorkel. With the slim profile, it may not be uncomfortable clipped to the neck of your t-shirt compared to thicker pens. I clip mine to the side of the collar and angle it toward the center of my chest parallel and next to my collar bone. The clip on the Snorkel is spring-activated, so it has the grip necessary to hold it there. If that is still uncomfortable, slip it into your pocket. I carry my car key and sometimes a pen in one pocket and change, etc in the other. I haven't had any problems yet (and my car key is quite a bit more valuable than the pens). If none of this helps, send me your Snorkel and I will give it a good home.

 

custar

[wimg]

Hi Beaker,

 

I always carry at least 3 (fountain) pens with me, in a pen case. Now, that pen case always resides in my man purse, and I'll take that thing anywhere. I don't particulalrly like wearing jewelry, or sticking things into trouser or jacket pockets, so it is the perfect solution to me.

 

I carry my passsort, driving licence, pocket knife, wallet, 3 or 4 cell phones, PDA, a mini-PDA, spectacle case and spare spectacles, password generator, nail clipper, some small electronic gadgets, etc. in there (yes, I used to be with the scouts long time ago ). My pens rest comfortably towards the top, in their pen case. Occasionally I stick another, two-pen pen case in there too.

 

At home I always have plenty of pens around, so that never is a problem, and at work I normally have a carry-all with me too (apart from the man purse), with a 20-pen pen case, and occasionally an additional 12-pen pen case. And when I don't feel like carrying a pen case to a meeting, I stick anywhere from 3 to 7 pens in my shirt pocket. And no, I don't consider that heavy.

 

So, for me, no place, no time, with at least three pens...

 

Warm regards, WIm

[ednerdtheonly]

Whenever I wear a collared shirt with buttons, I clip the pen at the gap between the top two buttons. With t-shirts, I try to keep the pen in my pants (t-shirts=informal dress=jeans/khakis with side or front pockets) or clip it inside the collar of the shirt. I find that with clipping it to the collar, you always know whether the pen is there, and it's easier to realize its absence whenver it's lost. (btw custar, ditto with the Snorkel; I've clipped one to my collars many times, and it works great)

 

On some of my pants, there is a 2" by 7", vertical pocket place above the knee. The opening is slanted just so, that pens do not slip out if I'm sitting down. I prefer using it instead of pants' front pockets.

 

Edward T.

[sgentzen]

I second the murse responses. The murse (man-purse, courier bag if you must...but it's actually a smallish 'healthy back' bag) I currently carry around has an external pocket covered by a small flap. My pens are clipped over the pocket and the flap covers the pens. When I'm carrying the murse around or it's sitting or hanging somewhere, the pens sit upright.

 

I'm currently looking for something to carry that I can call a messenger/courier bag instead of a murse. I have a few good leads, and one of the requirements will be a place to clip my pens upright.

 

I don't like clipping to my collar and I don't clip to my pocket when I have one.

[pearlfox]

I'm with Ednerd on the BDU/cargo type side pockets. Pens clip in, pocket flap secures them further, and less chance of damage from sitting than if they were in front or back pocketses. Cellphone usually goes there too so I'm not constantly knocking it off my hip.

 

Or I could just stick my Rotring in any pocket and worry more about damaging my clothing than my pen. :-)

[freecia]

I'm currently looking for something to carry that I can call a messenger/courier bag instead of a murse. I have a few good leads, and one of the requirements will be a place to clip my pens upright.

Slighty Off topic for a bit since there are so many murse carriers. I have taken it on as my duty as a female in the Software field to rid the field of bad looking man bags. Some are just really purses carried by a man.

 

Three popular messenger bag companies are:

 

http://www.yakpak.com

http://www.timbuk2.com/ (has a pen slot. I can vouch that these are sturdy and the smallest makes a great paperback, pen, and wallet bag)

http://www.manhattanportage.com

 

I can vouch that they're all cool companies suitable for someone beyond their college years. You can always go with black.

 

My favorite grown up but not leather company is roadwired - http://www.roadwired.com/ Any company which can figure out how to stuff over 24 compartments into one bag gets a bookmark in my list.

 

--

Back to topic. Totally understand how you don't want to carry any more and man bags might be a bit of a hassle (hey, I carry a purse, and I can honestly say sometimes I just go out with stuffed pockets because a purse is a hassle)

 

Have you considered going to the craft store and getting some round black leather cording from the bead section? Just cut to size, knot, loop over head, and clip the pen there. Not the most secure but if you choose a pen with a tight clip or even thread it through a clip like Lamy Safari, it may be a viable solution for those lacking pocket space.

 

I just ignored my self imposed pen diet and bought a Sailor pocket pen. These are short pens when closed and long when posted. Not necessarily a knockabout pen, but it would probably fit clipped in a pocket beside a wallet. It is getting mailed soon so I'll see how the pen fits in my small hands.

[Mike]

Whenever I leave the house, I generally have one of two small camera bags with me. An over-the-shoulder LowePro LX 140, or less commonly it's larger brother the MX 200. Plenty of room for a camera or two (1930's Zeiss Nettar in the 140, baby Speed Graphic in the 200), a flash, all the other paraphanalia old camera buffs acquire, a cellphone, and a couple FPs. Basically a murse, but less stylish... and heavier.

 

On the few occasions I don't have a bag with me, I either stick a Rotring Rivette, a truly indestructible FP, in my pocket, or wear a belt with a black nylon Bianchi 2AA flashlight holster on it, which is perfectly sized for a good-sized FP, and has a flap. It'll set you back about $15 at your local (or online) cop shop, but it's probably the best way to carry a medium-to large FP safely, as it's a hard, formed case. Also inconspicuous, unless you're wearing it on a belt with, say, running shorts or something...

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

My pens always go either in my coat pocket, lanyard, or in my pants pocket.

 

Dillon

[Chris]

I also favour the idea of having a 'knockabout' pen that you don't mind too much if it gets a well-used 'patina' of scuffs and dings. I have an old Sheaffer with a sturdy Triumph nib that fits the bill. Cheap enough not to matter too much but sturdy and still recognisable as a proper pen.

 

And it sometimes just goes in the trousers pocket - just don't sit on it.

 

Chris

 

Add edit:

In Europe (that bit over the water from the UK ) many men do carry small handbags - solidly made in very nice leather, often Italian and often very expensive - for their pens, phones, glasses etc. but it is just not the done thing here, old chap. Only ladies carry handbags: we chaps fill jacket pockets.

 

Perhaps that is why you never see a Japanese gentleman without his briefcase.

Edited August 10, 2005 by Chris

[Kees]

In Europe (that bit over the water from the UK ) many men do carry small handbags - solidly made in very nice leather, often Italian and often very expensive - for their pens, phones, glasses etc. but it is just not the done thing here, old chap. Only ladies carry handbags: we chaps fill jacket pockets.

I cannot agree more. Let's be honest: handbags are unmanly!

 

I’m so uncontinental that, even in hot weather, I’d rather walk around in my jacket than carry a handbag. Why not? Doing so may have smelly results but, on the other hand, that just accentuates our manliness...

[zxc]

As sad as I am to say it I have to agree with the last two posts

[pvdiamon]

Do people find fountain pens that versatile, that they can carry it anywhere, and use it exclusively? I find that some paper I may have to write on is so lousy the ink bleeds, etc. Hence I've hesitated to use my pens this way. I would be interested to hear how others are using them "everywhere." thanks.

 

John

[beaker606]

Do people find fountain pens that versatile, that they can carry it anywhere, and use it exclusively? I find that some paper I may have to write on is so lousy the ink bleeds, etc. Hence I've hesitated to use my pens this way. I would be interested to hear how others are using them "everywhere." thanks.

 

John

Hi John,

 

I certainly try to use my FPs exclusively, though, in truth, it isn't the perfect solution for each and every situation. I use Noodler's Black and it is truely non-feathering. I read somewhere that Nathan developed in part to use on newsprint to do crosswords and it is great! For the most part, the only thing I dislike using my FP for is that shiney thermal paper used for credit card slips, but the merchant will always have ball point to use in those situations. Some greeting cards have a coating which repels fountain pen ink too. But, yeah, I try to use my FP as much as I can, mostly because most people don't and I like to be different.

 

 

Warm regards,

Kevin

[Mike]

The only problems I've ever run into since carrying fountain pens is greeting cards with their stupid plastic coatings... and my amateur-radio license exam; even with decent pressure on the medium "nail" in my Rotring, I wasn't able to impress on all three copies, and I actually made it out the door and into the parking lot before one of the examiners noticed that "their" copy of the license form didn't appear to have anything written on it at all...

 

Other than that, though, it hasn't been a problem.

[Dillo]

Hi,

 

For shiny stuff, I just use my Sensa Classic which has a pressurized cartridge in it.

 

Dillon

[M4R1N4]

Seems like the men are dominating the conversation here, which would make sense given the "women carry purses and men don't" argument, but I also haev this "where to put the pen" problem.

 

Even though I do usually carry a shoulder bag that holds about as many pens as I want, I like to have one or two pens on me while I am walking around at work all day. (I work in the music department at the huge bookstore chain that is NOT Borders and its initials are B & N ) Since I cannot carry by purse around all day, I have to have a place to put my pens that *isn't* on the counter or cash register where anybody can pick them up! I have two answers to my problem: since I am almost always wearing pants of some kind, and 90% of the time they have back pockets, I just keep my pens clipped there for when I want them. I have never had one fall out yet. Also, we are required to wear nametags around our necks on lanyards. Sometimes I clip my pen onto one side of the lanyard. If women's clothing designers would make shirts with chest pockets like men's this might help also, but it is harder to find these. Just one other point of view

 

Marina.

[freecia]

If women's clothing designers would make shirts with chest pockets like men's this might help also, but it is harder to find these. Just one other point of view

Oh, wouldn't that be nice, usable pockets on women's clothing. Sometimes in extreme desperation, I will clip the pen inside my placket since I like fitted polo shirts. Other times I'll stick it in a pocket (which, on me at least, are smaller than the normal men's pockets) and be very careful not to sit down. My ears have also been trained to hold a slim pen and I've also been tempted to stuff the pen into my hair as a "hair stick".

 

I usually stick to a jacket pocket, inner if possible. The rotring telescopic ballpoint is a perfect size from a front pocket and I have an ion clipped to my keys.

 

But honestly, if it were me working in a bookstore, I'd just knit up a pen cozy with a belt loop and wear a belt or string it onto a lanyard. Guess I'm crafty/weird like that.

[Dillo]

If women's clothing designers would make shirts with chest pockets like men's this might help also, but it is harder to find these. Just one other point of view

Oh, wouldn't that be nice, usable pockets on women's clothing. Sometimes in extreme desperation, I will clip the pen inside my placket since I like fitted polo shirts. Other times I'll stick it in a pocket (which, on me at least, are smaller than the normal men's pockets) and be very careful not to sit down. My ears have also been trained to hold a slim pen and I've also been tempted to stuff the pen into my hair as a "hair stick".

 

I usually stick to a jacket pocket, inner if possible. The rotring telescopic ballpoint is a perfect size from a front pocket and I have an ion clipped to my keys.

 

But honestly, if it were me working in a bookstore, I'd just knit up a pen cozy with a belt loop and wear a belt or string it onto a lanyard. Guess I'm crafty/weird like that.

Hi,

 

But that is what I do too. Almost all of it. Pens come out of my pocket when I sit down.

 

Dillon