Pen storage sparks almost as much debate as the pens themselves. Once you’ve accumulated more than a handful of pens, the questions multiply: How do you store/protect your pens when they’re not in use? How do you carry your pens when you travel? Should pens ever be allowed to “touch” in the case? Not helping the matter is the recent proliferation of pen cases, wraps, rolls, albums, briefcases, display boxes, and more. This topic can be confusing, so I figured it might be helpful to talk a bit about the various categories of storage solutions and how I personally store my pens, both longer-term and day-to-day.
My Nagasawa Kip Leather 5-Pen Case that I picked up in California. I wonder why I chose this particular one? A five pen zippered case with soft interior is a great way to protect more valuable pens when traveling.
Pen Cases
The most represented form of pen storage in my personal collection is by far the classic zippered pen case. I have cases ranging from 40-pen albums to three-pen wallets. Because my needs aren’t limited to personal pen storage - I own a pen store and maintain a large archive of product samples, prototypes, photo props, and other “business” assets - I likely use far more large pen cases than the average enthusiast and I’m certainly not recommending that everyone needs to own this much storage capacity. That said, I’m in a unique position to compare various brands. My current favorites for high-capacity storage are the Galen Leather 40 slot pen cases (sturdy, secure storage in a relatively compact format) and KACO 40-pen albums (less sturdy but very inexpensive for less valuable pens).
This isn’t all of them….
I’ve sold off most of my pen boxes, since they take up too much room, but I do keep one three-drawer display in my home office. My Toyooka Craft Trays are being used as shop displays in-store.
On the more compact side, for everyday transport and work use, I favor Rickshaw Bagworks Fillmore and Sinclair cases, as well as smaller leather cases like those from Galen Leather and Nagasawa. The Rickshaws are sturdy and feature a wide range of fun designs (we even have our own series!), while leather cases age well and lend a classic look to your everyday carry. Personally, I like cases that can double as trays on your desk, which nudges the Rickshaw Fillmore and Galen Leather Magnum Opus to the top of rotation.
The large Galen Leather Magnum Opus case/tray, which currently houses our shop testing station, along side my Rickshaw Fillmore, which is my EDC Pen Case du jour.
Pen Rolls
I tend to use pen rolls for situations like meetups or pen shows. You can carry a surprisingly large number of pens in many roll-style cases, and some even include room for accessories. Roll-style cases can also be a better fit for longer pens or when you want to mix in different tools like brushes, dip pens, or calligraphy pens such as the Pilot Parallel. Best of all, when rolled up, you can fit multiple pen rolls in a relatively compact bag like a Rickshaw Banzai bag, which is important at a show or meetup because you don’t want to be the one with the giant backpack knocking into tables and displays (or other people).
Certain pen rolls like the Lochby Tool Roll shown here are more “utility” cases, in that they’re designed to be able to hold more than just nice pens. This one has pockets in the back where I keep things like gel pens and fineliners.
Pen Sleeves
For more casual sessions where I am bringing two pens to work or to a coffee shop for a journaling session, I sometimes opt for a simple pen sleeve. Rickshaw has even designed its "Coozy" case system to fit one, two, or three-pen sleeves inside the zippered case, allowing you to expand the storage capacity of your case beyond the built-in slots while still protecting pens from scratches. (See the pictures below.)
Pen/Pencil Pouches
I think of stationery pouches as separate and apart from the cases that house my nice pens, since I sometimes don’t even use them for stationery but rather chargers, cords, etc. All of my gel pens, ballpoints, multipens, and even less expensive mechanical pencils are typically carried in a zippered pouch, together in a single compartment. I usually have some book darts, document flags or sticky notes, mechanical pencil leads, and erasers thrown in for good measure. Lately I’ve been opting for something fairly minimal. Shown below is a slim Japanese leather pen/pencil pouch by Craft Design Technology, which I brought with me to the CA Pen Show, and which is starting to patina nicely after only two weeks or so!
Current Everyday Setup and Final Thoughts
If I had to pick one case that I’ve been carrying more frequently than any other, it would be the Rickshaw Fillmore in a 3+3 layout (3 pens on each side). Because I value versatility above all else, I love that I can use it as a zippered case, a pen tray when the case is fully unzipped, and even a zippered pouch. While I have many different rolls and cases that I rotate in and out regularly, the Fillmore has replaced the Rickshaw Sinclair as my everyday driver for fountain pens and I can see it becoming my “case of the year”. Because I also have a soft spot for leather, I’ve really enjoyed discovering Nagasawa’s line of kip leather pen cases, as well as the Craft Design Technology and Superior Labor leather products.
The Nagasawa Kip Leather Pen Cases come in two sizes: 5-pen and 10-pen.
In short, storage is highly personal, and dependent on (1) how many pens you own; (2) how many pens you need to carry with you at any given time; (3) how hard you are on pens and how much protection you think you need; and countless other factors that will vary among users. I’ve cycled through dozens of cases over the years and tend to return to the more classic styles, though there’s an endless number of fun designs and experimental concepts out there. It’s what makes this hobby so great - chances are that no matter how specific your needs, there is a case for you!
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