How do you carry your fountain pen outside of your home or office?

[Centurion]

Do you use a pen case, in case the FP leaks? Or you take your chances that it could leak and ink stain your shirt or bag? Or perhaps you don't use your FP while out and about because it could give you inky fingers?

[amper]

3 minutes ago, Centurion said:

Do you use a pen case, in case the FP leaks? Or you take your chances that it could leak and ink stain your shirt or bag? Or perhaps you don't use your FP while out and about because it could give you ink fingers?

I do not use a pen case, and I've never had an issue with a pen leaking unless the pen was damaged (my poor old Pelikan MC120 leaks past the piston, so I had to retire it). What are "ink fingers"? 

My main pen is my TWSBI ECO-T Blue EF, which generally lives clipped to the pen loop of my Filofax (because the elastic isn't quite large enough to accommodate the ECO), and that all goes inside a slipcase, so the pen is usually sitting horizontally in my handbag. My other daily use pen is a TWSBI ECO Transparent Blue 1.1 mm stub italic, for signatures and checkwriting, and that goes vertically in a pen pocket inside my handbag.

Currently, my daily use handbag is a Tenba DNA 10 camera/tablet bag with the padded camera insert removed (the padded tablet slot fits my 2022 iPad 9th gen with Brydge keyboard), and my daily use briefcase is a Tenba DNA 13 camera/laptop bag with the padded camera insert removed (the padded slot fits my 2017 model 13" MacBook Pro). If I have a client meeting or whatnot, I'll use my Cole-Haan Village leather handbag and briefcase, and those both have pen pockets, as well. For travel, I have a very lightweight ETA by Rosetti destination handbag (which is also the source of the slipcase for my Filofax).

Before the ECOs, I was using Platinum Preppys converted to eyedropper fill for about 4 years. Both the ECO and the Preppy have inner sealing caps that are very effective, so no issues with leakage. Back when I was still using my Pelikan M800 on a daily basis, before the Preppys, I carried it in a Pelikan 2-pen case inside my handbag or briefcase, but that's not fully-enclosed, so it wouldn't prevent a leak, if one occurred. It never did.

[Centurion]

7 minutes ago, amper said:

I do not use a pen case, and I've never had an issue with a pen leaking unless the pen was damaged (my poor old Pelikan MC120 leaks past the piston, so I had to retire it). What are "ink fingers"? 

My main pen is my TWSBI ECO-T Blue EF, which generally lives clipped to the pen loop of my Filofax (because the elastic isn't quite large enough to accommodate the ECO), and that all goes inside a slipcase, so the pen is usually sitting horizontally in my handbag. My other daily use pen is a TWSBI ECO Transparent Blue 1.1 mm stub italic, for signatures and checkwriting, and that goes vertically in a pen pocket inside my handbag.

Currently, my daily use handbag is a Tenba DNA 10 camera/tablet bag with the padded camera insert removed (the padded tablet slot fits my 2022 iPad 9th gen with Brydge keyboard), and my daily use briefcase is a Tenba DNA 13 camera/laptop bag with the padded camera insert removed (the padded slot fits my 2017 model 13" MacBook Pro). If I have a client meeting or whatnot, I'll use my Cole-Haan Village leather handbag and briefcase, and those both have pen pockets, as well. For travel, I have a very lightweight ETA by Rosetti destination handbag (which is also the source of the slipcase for my Filofax).

Before the ECOs, I was using Platinum Preppys converted to eyedropper fill for about 4 years. Both the ECO and the Preppy have inner sealing caps that are very effective, so no issues with leakage. Back when I was still using my Pelikan M800 on a daily basis, before the Preppys, I carried it in a Pelikan 2-pen case inside my handbag or briefcase, but that's not fully-enclosed, so it wouldn't prevent a leak, if one occurred. It never did.

I meant to write "inky fingers" because sometimes even just using a FP (not filling them etc) I'll get a little ink on my fingers, because I accidentally touched the feed or because I like my FP to be wet and juicy and there's a little ink on the edge of the section. It typically doesn't bother me, but in certain social situations I wouldn't want to draw attention to inky fingers. Perhaps that's why King Charles was upset he got inky fingers.

[amper]

1 minute ago, Centurion said:

I meant to write "inky fingers" because sometimes even just using a FP (not filling them etc) I'll get a little ink on my fingers, because I accidentally touched the feed or because I like my FP to be wet and juicy and there's a little ink on the edge of the section. It typically doesn't bother me, but in certain social situations I wouldn't want to draw attention to inky fingers. Perhaps that's why King Charles was upset he got inky fingers.

Oh, well, the ink I use for my daily use pens is more or less waterproof on paper, but washes easily off of hands, because it's a pigmented ink, rather than a dye-based ink. 

[Centurion]

1 minute ago, amper said:

Oh, well, the ink I use for my daily use pens is more or less waterproof on paper, but washes easily off of hands, because it's a pigmented ink, rather than a dye-based ink. 

Oh, that's interesting and unexpected, that dye-based (water based inks) are more staining on fingers than waterproof inks.

[ajoe]

In my shirt pocket. Pen has never leaked.

[A Smug Dill]

It depends on the pen and the context.

 

I carry a (fountain) pen with me on a small proportion of occasions when I've gone out running (usually around the Sydney Opera House and Royal Botanic Garden). In those cases, my Moonman 80mini-e is placed sideways at the bottom of an external pocket on my running belt.

 

I've carried the same pen clipped vertically onto and held inside an internal pocket on my cargo shorts, and sometimes clipped to the lower-sitting end of a front pocket on my shorts or my denim jeans. I'm not big on just throwing a pen into a pocket in my shorts, jeans, or trousers, without clipping it onto something, although I've done that before (without incident). If I'm wearing a (running, rain-, or puffy and warm) jacket, sometimes I'd throw a ‘pocket’ pen — said Moonman 80mini-e, or a Pilot Elite 95S, Sailor Professional Gear Slim Mini, Kaweco Supra sans the extension section, etc. — into a jacket pocket, either on its own or with a small notepad/notebook, and allow it to rest in whichever orientation; but never with any object more solid than a face mask (in a bag) or a blister-pack sheet of paracetamol in the same pocket.

 

If I'm bringing more than one pen, I use a leather pen case with individual slots, and either put the filled pen case in a (large) jacket pocket or in a small compartment knapsack.

 

Back when I was working in an office, I was happy to clip a pen vertically inside a breast pocket on my shirt (if I was wearing that kind of top), or an inside pocket on my suit jacket or leather jacket, during my commute or when moving from one physical location to the next. My ‘EDC’ pens — primarily a Pilot Capless, substituted or supported by a Sailor Professional Gear sometimes — were not prone to leaking, especially with the inks I always used in those pens; there wasn't going to be any unexpected burping, nib creep, or whatever symptoms of overly wet-flowing inks, etc.

[Penguincollector]

I usually just have pens clipped to the base of a v-neck shirt, or the inside breast pocket of my overcoat with a memo pad. If it’s a nicer pen and I have to take it out, I have a couple of leather or tapestry cases that I can put them in. I also have a favorite Polo flannel  that has a pen pocket. 

[OMASsimo]

I carry a pen in my shirt pocket essentially every day. Most of my pens are vintage back to the 1920s/1930s. There are very few pens I cannot trust to leak when they are closed. The more common problem is ink on the section, particularly with button and lever fillers.

[rafizip]

I always kept a couple pens with me in a soft leather case.  When flying I use a plastic cigar case with tissue at both ends to absorb any leakage, which with the pressure differentials on flights is common.

[Marioferu]

My EDC is a Vacumatic Wing Sung 601 in acrylic translucent body, which is relatively cheap but writes more than good with its Asian fine size nib. That pen I use into my cangaroo bag without case. My favourite to carry is my 

Pilot Capless Urushi Minamu (the “waves” model) which I carry into a single leather pen case. 

[PAKMAN]

If a pen goes out with me it is generally in my Shirt pocket. If I am bring multiple pens like to a pen club meeting I carry them in a case.

[vicpen123]

In a shirt pocket. Isn't that the reason shirts have pockets?

 

Easy to find, access and replace after writing.

[chromantic]

48 minutes ago, vicpen123 said:

In a shirt pocket. Isn't that the reason shirts have pockets?

 

Easy to find, access and replace after writing.

 

Same here. I usually carry two, a crew-sap and a snap-cap, only had a leak into the fabric once, iirc, though I have had some screw-caps come unscrewed without staining. I've also had some leak onto my fingers when I took them from the pocket and uncapped them.

[sandy101]

I have a 2 pen case - so usually 1 with a ballpoint/rollerball for when an FP won't do. The pen case is essential for larger pens. They can unclip themselves from shirt pockets. And you should never underestimate the ability of a pen to unscrew itself when floating about in a pocket.

[ruby.monkey]

In the pen pocket of whatever Billingham I happen to be carrying. It's OK for a man to carry a handbag if it's for his camera and pens.

[Arkanabar]

Nearly always clipped in a breast pocket.  I very much prefer to avoid shirts that lack an adequate breast pocket.  But there are some pens that just have to be desk denizens.

 

I also have several Jinhao 51A XF pens with hooded nibs that I will clip to a shirt collar, outside the shirt.  I've never had one just drop out of the cap, which stays clipped to my collar while the pen is in use.  I used to do the same thing with Hero 616s.  Both use the 6 leaf spring and clutch ring closure pioneered by the Parker "51".  And these pens are cheap enough to be just about consumable, like a Preppy.

[Mangrove Jack]

Clipped in my shirt pocket.

If the shirt does not have a pocket it is clipped on to the shirt just below the top or 2nd button - I do this only with pens with screw caps since I once had the cap come off and the pen falling down the inside of my shirt on to the ground with a friction fit pen cap (Parker 45, Parker 61 type cap).

 

[Centurion]

Wow, surprised nobody uses a pen case of some sort, either a big pen case that holds many pens or a dedicated pen case for one fountain pen. I just got a pen case that holds just one pen so it can be carried in a shirt pocket, but naturally the pen can't be clipped on my shirt pocket for the secure feeling that it wouldn't drop on the floor or ground.

 

I used to keep my pen clipped to my breast pocket on a shirt, but some of of my shirts don't have a pocket and worst some people without asking would just take the pen out of my shirt pocket. After King Charles' incident when his pen oozed out ink onto the grip section and one of my pens doing the same, probably because it's set up to be wet and juicy and there's was too much of a temperature change throughout the day, I'm looking for new ideas on how to carry. Sometimes I just wear a t-shirt and that's not stiff enough to support a pen even if I don't have this fear of ink leasing out and ruining my clothes. Great to hear though that many on here do carry the pens in the shirt pockets and nothing has happened, or nothing bad enough to change the way they carry.

[XYZZY]

I'm not one to carry a pen in a shirt pocket.  I use a Pilot Pensemble leather pen wrap that my wife bought for me about four Christmas' ago.  Excellent leather craftsmanship.  Nice thin supply leather on the outside, suede on inside.  Thinner than I expected from leather, so adds less bulk.  The one I have holds five pens.  I can put a KoP, Custom Urushi, 149, M1000 or other large pens in it, although I don't think I have tried putting five in there: i suspect there isn't enough space between slots to be able to comfortably wrap it up if stuffed that way.

 

Four years ago these were pretty easy to find in the U.S., now less so.  I think my wife purchased it from Amazon, but back then these were carried some of the better known U.S. fountain pen retailers.

 

I have had no problem with leaky pens.  If a ton leaked out I this wouldn't protect whatever the bag was in.

 

ETA: Here's basically the same roll that I'm describing.  I have a different color, but this is it.  Note that the "Pensemble" comes with different numbers of slots/pockets.  https://goldspot.com/products/pilot-pensemble-5-piece-roll-pen-case-in-black.  The price has roughly doubled over four years.