Pen Rest/tray Suggestions

[Scriptorium Pens]

If you keep the boxes that come with your pens, take a look to see if any of them have little slide-out trays for literature. You could pull the tray all the way out and use it as a desk tray. I've done that with several of mine. The Visconti boxes with the fake alligator hide have very nice little trays. All I had to do was trim off some of the excess material wrapped and glued underneath them. They make a good home for my pens and a secure place to put the cap when I don't post a pen. Another option is to use the box itself as a quick-access holder.

[Lorna Reed]

hisnibs.com has some clear acrylic stands called Whimsey stands. For one or two pens. they are very simple in design and being clear acrylic they are very unobtrusive.

[khsmith007]

  On 7/5/2010 at 6:52 AM, Tortoise said:

If you keep the boxes that come with your pens, take a look to see if any of them have little slide-out trays for literature. You could pull the tray all the way out and use it as a desk tray. I've done that with several of mine. The Visconti boxes with the fake alligator hide have very nice little trays. All I had to do was trim off some of the excess material wrapped and glued underneath them. They make a good home for my pens and a secure place to put the cap when I don't post a pen. Another option is to use the box itself as a quick-access holder.

 

 

Great idea. Thanks. The Visconti and Montegrappa trays slide right out and make great looking desk trays.

[kwisatz]

This guy from Germany has tablets for 7 or 10 pens for sale that are simple and effective :

 

http://cgi.ebay.de/Rillentablett-f%FCr-7-Schreibger%E4te-NEU-ideal-f%FCr-Sammler_W0QQitemZ110562936524QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=&rvr_id=&cguid=920115421290a0aad354d1d4fffbeb8b#ht_3110wt_1053

 

They should not be too hard to copy.

[fuchsiaprincess]

  On 7/4/2010 at 9:14 PM, froby said:

Hello sombrueil,

 

Like you I find some of my pens dry more quickly when held upright, anyway you can admire them better in a horizontal holder.

 

I bought a couple of old glass pen rests on eBay but they have inkwells which I don't need so I made a couple of wooden pen rests. See photo below.

 

The wood is solid bubinga (see: http://www.google.co...ved=0CD8QsAQwBQ )

 

The inlays are ebony and brass.

 

If you want to make one you probably need a router (or a very sharp chisel and lots of patience )

Don't forget to make the central depression perpendicular to the pen grooves so you can easily pick out the pen you want.

Let me know if you need more info. dimensions etc...

 

Cheers, Froby.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wow, Froby!!! They are absolutely gorgeous! Would you consider making them for other members, or to sell?

 

Regards,

Soki

[froby]

Thank you Soki.

 

I hadn't thought of making other pen rests and would not want to get into "mass production" but if anyone reading this post is interested in a similar "one-off" pen rest, (a copy of mine or a customized design), by all means let me know. I will calculate a cost. The materials are few but they are not cheap and there's a fair amount of work (hours) involved.

 

I have worked with wood as a hobby for over 40 years - reproducing and restoring antiques mostly. I still like the work but restrain myself to small stuff now - hence the pen rests!

 

Martin Frobisher, Montréal. (Froby)

Edited July 25, 2010 by froby

[Mr.Wote]

  On 7/3/2010 at 4:59 PM, sombrueil said:

Chopstick holders are usually designed for keeping the working end of the sticks off the table, and I wanted something that holds a pen off the table (supports both ends or the whole pen)

 

How about taking two of them and gluing them to another piece of wood? Or just setting them free-standing on your desk, either way.

[silicon]

Can I suggest you look at the New Pen Rest.

 

This is a modular stackable Pen Rest that you could easily put a thin material on.

 

You can see it here www.thepenrest.co.uk

[glennalvia]

A simple pen rest from wood scraps.

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3829/9302071057_53baf518ca.jpg