What Pens Are You Traveling With?

[XYZZY]

@bongo47 is that the Pilot leather pen roll? Regardless, it makes a nice backdrop for some already great looking pens.

[ethernautrix]

I'm at the airport now, heading back to the Land of PO.

[bongo47]

@bongo47 is that the Pilot leather pen roll? Regardless, it makes a nice backdrop for some already great looking pens.

Sorry to have missed the question before, yes, it’s a pilot pen roll, and I really like it. The leather is very soft. Only problem is it fits five, and I just seem to feel it needs to be filled, meaning I take way more pens then I really need.

[bongo47]

I'm at the airport now, heading back to the Land of PO.

How’d the little eye dropper pen do. I got one as a gift from my daughter, and haven’t tried to fly with it yet.

[ethernautrix]

Howd the little eye dropper pen do. I got one as a gift from my daughter, and havent tried to fly with it yet.

I had no problem with any of my pens; none leaked.

[sharonspens]

Over the weekend, I flew with a Parker 51 (Blackstone Sidney Harbour Blue), and a Franklin Christoph Model 45 (with Franklin Christoph Black Cherry). i didn't open the pens during the flight to DC on Friday; in fact, i didn't open them for 24 hours. The P51 had leaked into the cap, as I learned when I finally opened it (that is unusual for the pen, I think). The F-C wasn't quite in the mood to write and the converter had to be coaxed bit, but no leakage.

 

The leakage from either pen on the return trip.

 

Sharon in Indiana

[kmcmichael]

I have not traveled with fountain pens to any extent. I will be flying from Texas to Europe and am being very conservative. I will carry two large pens, likely Jinhao 159 with nibs I have modified or replaced using cartridges. I might carry a similarly modified Laban Mento. These will be for use in class and in my room. In the field I will carry a small notebook with a smaller pen that uses the international cartridges. I am open to suggestions on this but I would like something with a #6 nib.

[Antenociticus]

In the year since I last posted on this thread, my travelling pen habits have shifted a little. On short trips I now take an unostentatious Sailor Pro Gear Slim, a Kaweco Sport with an EF nib, and maybe one other cartridge pen for backup. On longer excursions I take a TWSBI Vac Mini (with accompanying bottle) instead of the Sailor. I don't love the Vac Mini, but it's practical.

[georges zaslavsky]

My Sheaffer Autographs and my oversized Vac Fill balances

[WalterC]

In April I flew to London for a conference where I needed to take notes. I took pens that can be easily replaced: Pilot Prera, Wing Sung 698, a couple of Pilot Plumix/Pluminix and an Italix Parsons essential (1mm italic). Honestly I only used the Prera and 698. I brought Pilot cartridges in a couple colors, a couple international cartridges and a Pineider pen filler with Diamine Blue Velvet. All of these can be cheaply replaced. Previously I've flown with my Pelikan m205 and a sample or two.

 

I recently went to a tidal island in Maine by car with less worry about loss or theft, and took my Prera, Pelikan m205, Pilot 912FA and FPR Himalaya.

 

On any future plane trip, I'll probably take the Prera, a Plumix and Wing Sung. I have ordered a Wing Sung 699 vac filler, so if I like it I'll take it on future trips, otherwise I'll take my 698.

 

I probably won't carry vintage pens out of my house anymore; of course they all need work .

[OMASsimo]

I don't really change my pen habits when travelling. Maybe I pay a bit more attention to not picking an untested vintage pen for a trip. But besides that, I pick my pens as I feel and as I would for going to my office. Right now I'm on a 2-week work trip and all my pens are favourites I would use at home: Soennecken 105 in green marbled celluloid, Kaweco 582 black/silver crosshatch, Pelikan 400NN green striped, and a matching Pelikan 450 mechanical pencil. And it's always funny if some sales person is handing you a non-working ballpoint to sign a sales slip and then you pull out a 70 year old fountain pen to sign because it actually works every time.

[Calabria]

I aim to take only one pen on trips. This year to Berlin it was an Aurora 88 with a good M nib. I also took a Lamy Safari just in case. The Lamy was filled with a bit of Fritzrot and I put it in a Muji plastic pen case - kind of like Tupperware.

 

On the way back I had added a Pelikan M205 blue marble, which I took out at 36,000 feet over Greenland to write in my journal. No problem whatsoever.

[mulrich]

I temporarily misplaced a pen case on an airplane a couple years ago, which included an out of production pen with a phenomenal customized nib. Fortunately, when I came back to the airport a few days later, the airline had the pen case (and pens) in their lost and found. After that experience I avoid bringing hard to replace pens (i.e., out of production and rare) when I travel. Otherwise I bring whatever pens I would normally use at work. Depending on the length and purpose of the trip, I also give priority to c/c pens or pens with huge ink capacity so I don't have to bring extra ink.

[bemon]

This will be boring for most, but I only travel with my weekend pocket pen: A matte black Fisher Bullet. I have traveled with fountain pens in the past when I knew I'd have a lot of writing to do, but more often than not I seek convenience more than anything else when I travel.

 

The pen has been with me to the US, Italy, Cuba and Colombia. I used it to sign my daughter's baptismal certificate in Bogota. I like it because it doesn't require the same airplane prep that a fountain pen does, and it folds up nicely into pocket size. It's great for filling out customs forms on the plane and never hesitates to write.

 

It's the same pen I drop in my pocket any time I'm not dressed for work and has developed a nice patina and some character building chipping where the brass is showing though the matte finish.

[chemgeek]

A Pilot Custom 823 is ideal for flying to a long business trip. Enough ink for many days with its large capacity, and leak resistant with its sealing mechanism. For a longer trip, I can add a TWSBI 580AL and/or Pelikan M600 for more ink capacity. With M or F nibs, they should last a month on the road without refills.

[silverlifter]

Conid Minimalistica with a Sailor nib - Iroshizuku Asa-Gao

Parker Duovac Senior - Edelstein Tanzanite

 

 

Only a short flight an overnight stay, but these two will be excellent company...

[bongo47]

Maybe my travel will start up again in a few months, who knows. Anyone out there traveling with some road warrior pens? Bringing your own pen, especially one that intimidates others from borrowing, would be a good virus prevention strategy.

[Helen350]

On my last trip I lost my deep red Natami fountain pen somewhere between Philly and

Nashville. On my next trip I will take my Jinhao Shark pens and be content. Nothing

which will tempt someone to "borrow" my pen will be part of my future trips. I do not

own any high-end pens, but what I do own always tempts someone to want to try

writing with it. "Ooo, that looks nice (as they reach for the pen). Can I see it?

What kind of pen is it? I sure would like to have one (as I'm reaching to recover it

from their grasp). There are those time I am able to convince an individual to

purchase a FP, making recommendations based on what they have shared with me.

[bongo47]

When I first asked this question, I was in the midst of a lot of travel, and really curious how others approach their travel-buddy pens.   It sounds like a few considerations are being offered: loss experience/fears (sad to hear those), ink burping, ink capacity, fashion/setting match, and writing experience.  

 

I'm now booking travel again having been grounded since March 2020. During the hiatus I've acquired 3 Platinums (3776, Prefounte, Curidas), 2 Sailors (ProGear Slim, Realo) and two Viscontis (Bronze Age, and Lava Red).  Basically adding 3 brands and 6 models new to me.  In that light, I'll add a couple personal choice considerations to the list: curiosity, novelty, and current favorites.  I am really curious how they do, and also since several represent my most expensive pens, most trepidation.  

 

So I'm looking forward to reporting back what I fill my pen roll with, and how they do.

[ENewton]

I recently took my favorite, least easily replaceable fountain pen--my Parker 51 plum demi--on a road trip.  It was a trip I had been wanting to take for most of my adult life, and I think using my favorite pen to record my daily observations enhanced the experience for me.

 

I have never traveled with multiple pens.