Hand-Made Desktop Pen Chest For 75 Pens..!

November 28, 2012

Hello all. I have been searching for a pen chest for a long time. My pens have been living in various drawers, pen cases and on my desktop for some time. I realised that while they were all around me, I was 'encouraged' to keep buying more and more......! However since my beautiful little pen chest arrived, I am pleased to say 'ah am cuwered!' Ok really, I don't know what has happened, but I have not bought a pen for about 4 weeks, prior to that it was getting a little crazy with anything from 1-5 pens a day......

So to the little piece of loveliness that is my pen chest that I really do love and appreciate. I was trawling on ebay for something to house my babies, and I came across a pen chest for art pens. It wasn't quite what I was after, so I contacted Rod (who makes them) who was very gracious in exploring my needs and who liaised with me with regards to what I wanted. After a number of emails, he sent me a picture of an adaptation he made as I asked for felt lining. I was delighted. I also wanted to get rid of the original gap in the drawer that enabled one to push the art pen up through the bottom of the drawer. I was informed that this might be very difficult involving changing machinery etc, however, it was done!

We agreed to leave the chest unfinished in terms of varnish etc as I was going to paint it black to match my writing desk, however, when it arrived, I was so enamoured by the beautiful finish that I have left it exactly as Rod posted it. I wanted to applaud Rod's help, patience and courtesy with my many, many questions and suggestions. I am grateful that he was able to adapt this for me as I understand he is incredibly busy fulfilling orders from across the country.

The chest itself is stunning, simple and made with love and care. It holds a whopping 75 pens; from my tiny Parker 15 to the monster Jinhao 149 and everything in between with no problem. The felt lining is beautifully done and looks stunning, not to mention protecting my babies from rolling about. There are 5 drawers, each with 15 bespoke slots for the pens. I was expecting something twice the size and have worried about where it might be located in my office. When the package arrived (the next day by courier - I was kept informed from dispatch to delivery), my initial shock turned to great joy as I realised the little pen chest can sit happily on top of my beautiful desk with all my pens tucked in safely. I noticed a crack on the base and contacted Rod who came to a mutually agreeable decision. Overall, I am very delighted both with the chest, and grateful for the time that Rod took to patiently consider my request and create a gem just for me. I wanted to share this with my fellow FP lovers because it is a treasure that has brought me such joy! http://www.creations-by-rod.co.uk/

November 28, 2012

Very nice. I would like to see it with a little stain, to accent the

wood grain. I don't know about black. I don't see a very slender

Reform 1745, though.

Only 75 ? Anything that stops you from buying another "must-have" pen

is probably bad. :ltcapd:

November 28, 2012

Very nice. I would like to see it with a little stain, to accent the
wood grain. I don't know about black. I don't see a very slender
Reform 1745, though.

Only 75 ? Anything that stops you from buying another "must-have" pen
is probably bad. :ltcapd:

LOL this may well be 'one' of a series... I agree about a stain - I am just sitting with it at the moment to see what would be best suited.

November 28, 2012

I'd go with tung oil to protect the wood without changing the color much. It looks great. I would see it as a challenge and need to fill it.

November 28, 2012

I'd go with tung oil to protect the wood without changing the color much. It looks great. I would see it as a challenge and need to fill it.

Thank you for the suggestion! As for seeing it as a challenge... it is 95% full and I am resisting filling it.....! My attention has shifted to collecting gallons of ink...! :roflmho:

November 29, 2012

I'll second the need to protect it with something, unless you like the used look. It will soon start to look smudged. The challenge is that almost anything you do will alter the appearance somehow. Tung oil is a very good suggestion. An alternative is to use something like a neutral Bri-wax. It would protect it and only alter the current look by giving it a low-lustre. It's also easy to apply. There are lots and lots of options for finishing. You could ask Rod for his thoughts also. Whatever you choose I strongly suggest you try it on a hidden spot first, to see if you like it.

Oh, nice chest, to me it looks like the perfect pen chest. Too bad it's not available over here!

November 30, 2012

I'll second the need to protect it with something, unless you like the used look. It will soon start to look smudged. The challenge is that almost anything you do will alter the appearance somehow. Tung oil is a very good suggestion. An alternative is to use something like a neutral Bri-wax. It would protect it and only alter the current look by giving it a low-lustre. It's also easy to apply. There are lots and lots of options for finishing. You could ask Rod for his thoughts also. Whatever you choose I strongly suggest you try it on a hidden spot first, to see if you like it.

Oh, nice chest, to me it looks like the perfect pen chest. Too bad it's not available over here!

Thank you, I certainly will get a wax of the tung oil to protect the wood. I am glad you like he chest, it is so very lovely! I wonder if you might be able to get one shipped over?!

November 30, 2012

That's a very nicely designed and compact case for so many pens. I could use a couple of them and am hoping shipping can be arranged to the US.

November 30, 2012

There are many types of finishes you can apply that will offer some protection. You may need to do some serious finish sanding if you're going to paint it, though, as the preparation for spray painting will raise tiny fibers and those need to be sanded off.

You have a wonderful chest but I wonder if it might not be better for your pens if there were fewer slots in each drawer. Seems they are a bit crowded in the photo of the open and full drawer.

November 30, 2012

Beautiful chest! I would recommend a wipe on varnish- a relatively thin form of varnish that you wipe on with a rag, and wipe off whatever isn't absorbed by the wood after 10 minutes or so - basically foolproof and very easy to apply. It will bring out the natural beauty of the wood and protect it from dirt, oils from your hands and such. It will add a bit of a warm tone to the wood, without affecting it's basic character. I don't like stains, especially on pine, which this appears to be, robs the wood of all of it's subtlety.

Dan

Edited November 30, 2012 by DanF

December 1, 2012

That's a very nicely designed and compact case for so many pens. I could use a couple of them and am hoping shipping can be arranged to the US.

It really is just incredible, I sat and stared at it for a long time when it arrived, more so when my pens went in! It is lovely, perfect, compact and very useful. I hope you can get yours shipped!!

December 1, 2012

There are many types of finishes you can apply that will offer some protection. You may need to do some serious finish sanding if you're going to paint it, though, as the preparation for spray painting will raise tiny fibers and those need to be sanded off.

You have a wonderful chest but I wonder if it might not be better for your pens if there were fewer slots in each drawer. Seems they are a bit crowded in the photo of the open and full drawer.

I think I am going to go for a liquid varnish finish in maybe a cherry colour - but that you for the heads up about the spray finish! As for size, the pens do look crowded but shockingly there is enough room between each to sit them comfortable without banging into each other. Also, I put all my big pens in the same drawer to check exactly that - the fit. I am delighted. I am glad you like the chest!

December 1, 2012

Beautiful chest! I would recommend a wipe on varnish- a relatively thin form of varnish that you wipe on with a rag, and wipe off whatever isn't absorbed by the wood after 10 minutes or so - basically foolproof and very easy to apply. It will bring out the natural beauty of the wood and protect it from dirt, oils from your hands and such. It will add a bit of a warm tone to the wood, without affecting it's basic character. I don't like stains, especially on pine, which this appears to be, robs the wood of all of it's subtlety.

Dan

Hi Dan, thank you for that and for the idea about the wipe on varnish - that is what I am going for in a deep cherry colour (if I can find it!) to give it warmth and hopefully a little lustre. I am so excited and grateful to my lovely FPNers for kind and valued comments and suggestions, thank you!