Pen Trays and Accessories: Toyooka Craft and the Beauty of Simplicity

September 6, 2023

I would venture that the most popular draw at both the D.C. and San Francisco Pen Shows was the Toyooka Craft table. Toyooka Craft Co. is a family-run woodworking company founded in Hamamatsu, Japan, and while their business extends beyond desk accessories and stationery products, they are known in the pen community for their simple - yet beautiful - pen trays, chests, pen rests, and other items. I really can’t overstate the popularity of their products. In San Francisco, for example, a long line formed on both Friday and Saturday mornings, and persisted until at least midday. For those who have seen videos of the Friday morning attendees lining up and racing to the back of the show in San Francisco, many of these people headed directly to the Toyooka Craft table.

Toyooka Craft Hinoki Blue Covered Pen Tray

Toyooka Craft uses the "kumi-ki" metal-free construction method, discussed in more detail on their website. Woods used include a combination of Alder and plywood, with liners made from soft rayon that won't scratch your pens. I went into the month of August with zero Toyooka Craft products in my personal collection and began September with three: two of the small stackable pen trays in a black/burgundy combination, and one larger covered pen tray in Hinoki Blue, a color I didn't expect to love as much as I did when I saw it in person.

Toyooka Craft Hinoki Blue Covered Tray with lid — My Hinoki Blue Tray holds 15 pens and features a non-attached, removable lid. I like this because it means I can stack the tray with others should I (or, “when I”) purchase more in the future.

Toyooka Craft Joints and Blue Lacquer — The seams/joints are nearly invisible, and I love how the blue lacquer still allows the wood grain to show through.

Toyooka Craft Small Pen Tray — I keep one of these small six-pen trays at each of my workstations. Partitions in the small pen trays are raised enough to keep the pens separated without destroying the sleek aesthetic. In other words, these trays look flat, and there's no fumbling with "slots" whenever you need to pick up a pen to write. While extremely lightweight, the trays also have rubber pads on the bottom so they will remain stationary and not slide around.

Takeaways and Where to Buy

I find that many "traditional" pen chests and trays sold in the U.S. lack a sense of subtlety - they’re either too large for my taste or overly ornate. These Toyooka Craft trays are so sleek that they essentially disappear on your desk, despite my having chosen relatively loud design choices such as the blue lacquer and red lining.

TGS Pen Show Table Display — I’ve been using Toyooka Craft Pen Trays as part of my pen show table display. They really look great with demonstrator fountain pens like the Pilot Custom 74.

Unless you plan on waiting until next year's D.C. or San Francisco Pen Show, the best way to obtain a Toyooka Craft product is by direct order through their website. While some products are likely ready to ship, depending on stock, there may be a slightly delay in the event the item you order needs to be made.

I find Toyooka Craft products reasonably priced given the quality. The small pen trays shown here list at 4,500 Yen (roughly $30), and the larger pen tray with the separated lid at 1200 Yen ($80), though adding the Hinoki Blue lacquer will increase the cost. Pen show pricing was roughly double what is listed on the website, presumably to reflect freight, import duties, and the expense of attending the show. Some, but not all, of these costs will need to be added to your online order as well, so don't expect the website price to be inclusive.

The Gentleman Stationer is supported entirely by purchases through the T.G.S. Curated Shop and pledges via the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain paid advertising or third-party affiliate links. I purchased the products featured in this review with my own funds for my own use.

Pen Problems: How Do You Organize Your Pen Collection?

July 20, 2022

I’ve done a decent job of not accumulating an excessive number of pens over the years. (“Decent” and “excessive” should be construed liberally, in the context of community of enthusiasts. Normal people would would - and should - still consider me certifiable.) That said, despite reviewing and writing about fine writing instruments for nearly a decade, I don’t have hundreds of pens, and possibly not even 100. I regularly give pens away to friends, family members, and those just getting into the hobby. I sell off pens that I can’t afford to just give away, sending them on to new homes where hopefully, they’ll be used and loved and won’t just sit in the case. But still, at the end of the day, there are pens. Lots of them.

Lots of pens that need to get moved around.

And while this isn’t an article about pen storage, it’s impossible to touch on “organization” without briefly mentioning it. I mostly use a combination of pen boxes/cases/folders to store my pens. I have one primary 36-pen “display” box where my most prized pens live, and the rest are kept in various folios and covered pen trays. I know some people who pick one storage medium and roll with the same case or box, so they have a uniform storage system. I’m not one of those people, and generally use a combination of different cases that fit into different locations in my office. This article from 2019 remains my most up-to-date discussion of my favorite ways to store pens.

Montblanc Leonardo Reorganization — Montblancs and Leonardos, after this morning’s reorganization.

What I want to talk about today is how to “best” organize those pens that are in storage. I currently have my pens loosely grouped by brand, but not consistently. My 36-pen display case contains most of my favorite writers, and those are grouped by brand within that case. For example, my Auroras and Pelikans sit next to one another on the top level, but I also have other Auroras and Pelikans that don’t “make the cut” for the “favorites” box, and those are separately stored together in a different folio. While I enjoy having my favorites in one place for easy access and reference, I have other pens that I know go unused due to simple disorganization and the fact that I don’t regularly lay eyes on them. I recently had to move my office, and I can’t tell you how many times I came across something that I hadn’t seen in years because it was inadvertently tucked into storage I had forgotten about.

Lamy Collection Organization — All those Lamys line up pretty, especially the “propeller” clips on the Studio. It’s been WAY too long since I’ve inked them up, and I need to pick up a Lamy Glacier.

So what do I plan to do? As of this morning, I’ve started the process of overhauling my current system of organization, grouping all pens I have together strictly by brand. Most of my favorites will remain in the 36-pen chest, and certainly those higher-value pens that I want to give maximum protection, like my Montblancs (some of which are uncommon) and Leonardos (some of which are very uncommon). But others might get moved to, say, the “Pilot” section of another binder, so that when I find myself wanting to use, say, my Vanishing Point, I’ll also come across my Harvest Gold Decimo and remind myself to ink that one up instead.

How Do You Organize Your Pen Collection Instagram Poll — My very unscientific Instagram poll.

How do you organize your pen collection? I’m interested to hear. I polled Instagram yesterday, and while most people organize by brand, many organize by color, and a few by material and model. I also received several messages in which people suggested “country of origin” and simply “favorites” as options. Those who use or collect a single brand will certainly have their own strategy, as will vintage collectors who likely organize by model and date. To be clear, there is no “wrong” answer here. I’m merely satisfying my own curiosity, as I think through this “pen problem” to make sure all of my favorites get rotated regularly!

The Gentleman Stationer is supported by purchases from the T.G.S. Curated Shop (currently running an automatic 10% off sale on most pens, pencils, and paper!), and pledges through the T.G.S. Patreon Program. This post does not contain paid advertising or affiliate links.

The Franklin-Christoph Covered Pen Tray is my overall favorite storage system, with an excellent combination of looks and functionality.

Top 5 Pen Storage Solutions: Pen Boxes and Folios

May 22, 2019

As you might imagine, pen storage becomes an issue around the TGS office. Between my own personal collection and the archive of pens that I keep on hand for review and comparison purposes, space is at a premium, and I’m constantly on the lookout for ways to upgrade my storage game. Back in 2016, when I first wrote about storage options and ways to organize your pen collection, I relied heavily on multiple three-to-five pen “daily carry” style cases and wraps, which quickly became unmanageable as my collection grew. Over the years, I’ve moved towards pen boxes and “album-style” folios that not only protect my pens a bit better but allow me to organize things while taking up less space overall. So what do I use? Let’s take a look.

Pen Chalet Pen Display Cases (via Pen Chalet). If you’re looking for a classic padded pen display box with a glass top, you can’t beat these relatively inexpensive wood-veneer pen boxes. Available in 10, 20, 30, and 60-pen sizes, Pen Chalet’s “house brand” cases feature sturdy construction with lined padded inserts. The only drawback to these boxes is that the slots in the drawers on the larger-capacity models might be a bit tight for larger pens such as Montblanc 149s, Pelikan M800s and M1000s, etc. I personally own the 10-pen case, which sits on my desk, as well as the 30-pen model, which I have on my bookshelves.
Franklin-Christoph Covered Pen Tray (via Franklin-Christoph). For a premium, ultra-classy look, you can’t go wrong with the Covered Pen Tray. I acquired my black leather model nearly three years ago, and it’s held my “currently inked” pens ever since. One advantage to the Covered Pen Tray over a wooden box is portability - Franklin-Christoph created this display box as a way to transport pens to shows and display them without having to remove them from their travel case. It’s perfect for a pen meetup or smaller gathering of friends where you don’t want to bring your entire collection.
Monteverde 36-Pen Zippered Case (via Pen Chalet). Most of my more expensive pens live in the Pen Chalet Display Cases or the Covered Pen Tray, what about the rest? To conserve storage space, I have these pens “archived” in album-style cases on my bookshelves. By far, the most cost-effect means of storing pens in this way is Monteverde’s spacious 36-pen zippered case. The quality is excellent for the price point, and if you need high-volume, low-cost storage, this is definitely the way to go. As the pics below show, it’s not the most visually appealing storage option, but it won’t kill your wallet.
Galen Leather Zippered 40-Pen Leather Case (via Galen Leather). Zeynep at Galen Leather reached out recently and asked whether I would be interested in reviewing one of their 40 pen leather cases. Though I only recently received this item, I have a lot of experience with Galen Leather products and have always enjoyed their work. This zippered pen case is no exception, and while it’s more expensive than the Monteverde option, it’s also more compact, holds a few more pens, and will look quite nice as the leather ages.
Aston Leather 10 Pen Carrying Cases (via Pen Chalet). While my pens don’t live permanently in these cases, the Aston Leather 10 Pen cases are my choice for transporting pens to pen shows. The leather has held up well over time - the one pictured here is nearly ten years old - and the soft insert protects your pens well. I’ve also been able to get up to 14 pens into one of these cases, as there is extra elastic that can hold 4 more pens as long as they’re not too big.

You won’t go wrong with any of these options, and you should pick one that matches up with your needs. If you carry pens around frequently to shows and meetups, an album-style case will likely be the best option. But if you want to spruce up your workspace or display your pens openly, I’ve been very happy with both the Pen Chalet pen boxes and the Franklin-Christoph Covered Pen Tray.

Disclaimer: The only product featured here that I received free for review purposes is the Galen Leather Zippered 40-Pen Case, though I may have used store credit to purchase some of these items over the years. (I’ve had most of them for some time - I can’t remember.)