My Pen chest to beat all pen chests

[Brian Anderson]

During 2004 I realized my storage situation was a bit out of control. When I started collecting I bought a small case to hold my pens, then outgrew that, so I bought another, then another, then another. One year on my summer vacation I found a spool chest which I converted to pen storage - 156 in total, surely that with all my other cases should suffice? Here's where I was until recently:

 

http://www.esterbrook.net/funpics/estiesbefore.jpg

Just one drawer of my Esterbrooks, scarily piled on top of each other

 

http://www.esterbrook.net/funpics/nonestiesbefore.jpg

One drawer of non-esterbrooks also stacked like cord wood

 

All tolled this is what I had to hold my pens, the spool chest, three 40 pen binders, a 56 pen case my grandfather made for me, a 16 pen case, a 24 pen case, and another Sheaffer pen case (not to mention the three original Esterbrook display cases which housed 84 more):

http://www.esterbrook.net/funpics/before.jpg

 

Then one day I was on my way to visit my mother when I stopped off at an antique store to find an old Hamilton printers chest. It was pretty ugly, but the price was just right and I had a lot of time.

 

Some of the before of the Hamilton chest, it was apparently used at a school as there were some obscenities written in the drawers, and there were two distinct sets of holders and label holders. Not to mention the missing drawer.

 

http://www.esterbrook.net/funpics/frontbefore.jpg

http://www.esterbrook.net/funpics/topbefore.jpg

http://www.esterbrook.net/funpics/rightbefore.jpg

 

I managed to find all the matching holders on ebay, cleaned them up, bought new label holders, and added some liners from Gary Leher and here's what I finally finished tonight:

 

http://www.esterbrook.net/funpics/done3tier.jpg

http://www.esterbrook.net/funpics/sideafter.jpg

 

Not bad for an amateur. My basement was basically a chemical war zone for months while I was stripping, sanding, staining, stripping again, staining, sanding, varnishing, etc.

 

I had a luthier friend who also collects pens (Thanks Pete!) make a bottom double high drawer for me to keep all my boxes and other stuff.

 

http://www.esterbrook.net/funpics/bottomdrawer.jpg

 

and rember those earlier pics of esties and nonesties?

 

http://www.esterbrook.net/funpics/esties.jpg

http://www.esterbrook.net/funpics/nonesties.jpg

 

I kept one drawer for ads and such:

 

http://www.esterbrook.net/funpics/ephemera.jpg

 

And left one drawer with dividers to house all my parts:

 

http://www.esterbrook.net/funpics/parts.jpg

 

I not *actually* done, as I miscalculated the number of liners I needed to fill all the drawers, but I have enough right now to house all my pens and then some for a while.

 

Enjoy!

Brian

[Stylo]

Very nice! (and let me add a little scary ) Sanding off the paint from all the nooks and crannies must have been a bear of a job. Btwy, good choice of color for the liner. I don't know if I am way off base here, but I find it surprising that so many pen cases have dark colored liners that do not make the pens stand out.

Edited November 22, 2005 by Stylo

[Ann Finley]

Brian, you did a great job--the chest is absolutely beautiful and a tribute to your creative vision. Don't think I would have envisioned something like that from what that chest looked like to begin with.

 

I know it will contiue to be a great satisfaction look at and to use. Glad you shared the pics with us--and glad we are here to admire it along with you.

 

Best, Ann

[KendallJ]

You dog! That is beautiful Brian.

[Brian Anderson]

Very nice!  (and let me add a little scary )  Sanding off the paint from all the nooks and crannies must have been a bear of a job.  Btwy, good choice of color for the liner.  I don't know if I am way off base here, but I find it surprising that so many pen cases have dark colored liners that do not make the pens stand out.

No, what's scary is the fact I'm always looking for another.

 

I had Gary send me some samples of liners so I could see them in the case once I had it stained. I was originally thinking grey as it makes most colors stand out well, but the tan looked better in the case. The liners were another story in themselves, I got the samples, selected the color, then ordered them, but unfortunately, they ended up at my old apartment address (where previous tenants had actually thrown away two packages with pens in them addressed to me). They eventually found their way back to me and I finally got them installed.

 

Best-

Brian

[Leslie J.]

What an amazing transformation! That beautiful wood was actually underneath the paint? Great job.

[Elaine]

All I can say is Wow! That is beautiful!

 

Elaine

[antoniosz]

Gorgeous.

I need one too

[southpaw]

WOW!!! Very nice job there, Brian. You have much to be proud of with all that hard work paying off. ENJOY!

[Slush99]

Wow! What a transformation! At first glance, I was like, Oh, how ugly. Then I look at the finished product and Wow! It's beautiful!

 

Now you can just sit back and enjoy the finished product. (or maybe not yet...)

 

That is something to be proud of. :bunny1:

[KCat]

Incredible. Beautiful work, Brian.

 

Not only that but I can show this to hubby and make him thankful that I've only outgrown my 20-pen case. so far.

[Blade Runner]

Congratulations on a job well done Brian.

Now you have to fill it up.

What was the total cost factoring in materials may I ask?

 

Regards,

Jeen

[Brian Anderson]

Congratulations on a job well done Brian.

Now you have to fill it up.

What was the total cost  factoring in materials may I ask?

 

Regards,

Jeen

That's a good question. I really ought to have kept better track of expenses, but it wasn't something I was too concerned with as it was a little bit at a time.

 

just a guess, but I probably have $3-400 in strippers, stain, varnish, and other cleaners, then another $200 in tools and supplies (dremel bits, sand paper, waaaayyyy too many rolls of paper towels, etc.), then another $150 in handles and label holders (although I was able to sell my old handles to recoup some of the funds to about $50 or so), and $40 for supplies to the bottom drawer. There's probably a few more expenses I'm not thinking of, so say, under a thousand total.

 

I probably could have a bought one for what I ended up spending, but breaking it up with payments was easier on my budget.

 

Best-

Brian

[dslknight]

Marvelous job. Congratulations!

[chris burton]

What an amazing transformation! That beautiful wood was actually underneath the paint? Great job.

Exactly. Well done Brian!

[Guest JohanO]

Just: WOW!

[Maja]

I don't know if I am way off base here, but I find it surprising that so many pen cases have dark colored liners that do not make the pens stand out.

Maybe the dark colour conceals ink stains better? Just speculating.....

 

Wonderful job, Brian! I never would have guessed the pen chest could have turned out so beautifully from its original condition. Bravo!! <clapping>

Edited November 22, 2005 by Maja

[JimStrutton]

Brian,

 

One Word STUNNING

 

Jim

[Chris]

What they have all said and more - fantastic job of retrieving an old piece of junk and turing it into a work of art

 

As for all those pens I feel a whole lot better now

 

I'm only looking at five today

 

Absolutely beautiful job and thank you for showing it to us.

 

Chris

[grasshopper]

Very, very , Brian!

 

Perhaps you might consider a new endeavour - pen storage maker/restorer.

 

Yours does indeed beat all the pen chests that I've seen.

 

Fantastic work. And the pleasure/satisfaction you get from making it yourself is a million times better than that gained from the simple purchase of a ready-made one.

 

Bravo!

 

 

G.

 

 

(by the way, if any of your pens are not getting the love and attention they deserve, feel free to send them my way!! )