Fountain Pen Storage - Dos and Don'ts.

[bayindirh]

Hello all,

 

Since my pen collection has grown to a modest size, I want to organize my lower end pens which doesn't come in a nice box. I prefer to store my higher end pens in the boxes they arrive with (with their relevant paperwork and other wares) however, I have quite a few lower end pens. Hong Dians, Lamy Safaris, Kaweco Sports and such. They are all metal or ABS plastic pens. Also, I have a couple of vintage Pelikan 120s.

 

I just want to ask what's the best way to store them. All of them are currently sitting neatly in a desk pen holder, getting ample air, and not being banged by anything, but I have a couple of Galen Leather pen cases and wondering whether it'd be a better storage solution for them.

 

Some pens I have needs air to preserve their silicon-like coating (otherwise they go bad), but I have no experience with Safaris and other metal pens in leather holders. Any help or pointers to better storage solutions would be greatly appreciated.

 

Cheers.

[Dione]

For me personally expensive pens go in storage cases (not their original boxes) and cheap pens like Jinhao and Lamy Safari stand up in pen pots.

I like to open different drawers of a storage case then pick the pen I want to write with.

[Carguy]

I have bought several leather 36 pen chests off eBay like this one:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/36-Fountain-Pen-Leather-Display-Case-3-Layers-Organizer-Storage-Collector-Box-US-/384212793942?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0
 

They are functional and relatively nice, not too flimsy, but not super high quality given their cost. I have bought 3 in the past few months.

[Mysterious Mose]

1 hour ago, Carguy said:

I have bought several leather 36 pen chests off eBay like this one:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/36-Fountain-Pen-Leather-Display-Case-3-Layers-Organizer-Storage-Collector-Box-US-/384212793942?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0
 

They are functional and relatively nice, not too flimsy, but not super high quality given their cost. I have bought 3 in the past few months.

Let's see now, I have 13 pens and this pen chest holds 36 pens.  So that means I have to get 36 - 13 = 23 more pens.  Right?

[Carguy]

6 minutes ago, Mysterious Mose said:

Let's see now, I have 13 pens and this pen chest holds 36 pens.  So that means I have to get 36 - 13 = 23 more pens.  Right?

Careful there my friend, that’s a slippery slope LOL! I went on a bit of a rampage in 2020 and early 2021….now I have WAY more pens than I need. Need being relative, of course.
 

Now, back to your question. YES, buy the box and then 23 more pens!

[Bristol24]

Proper storage is a concern.  I've read about celluloid deterioration over time and that a celluloid pen that is breaking down should be separated from other celluloid pens to prevent transfer of the process to good celluloid.  The question then becomes one of proximity, out-gassing, and wondering if display cases contribute to issues caused by out-gassing.  Then the question of shrinkage of certain resin/plastics being "contagious" enters as a concern.  Maybe all of this is simply a lot of worry over nothing.  However, I have one vintage Wearever celluloid pen that actually stinks when it is first uncapped.  It is isolated and presently disassembled so that I can determine if the smell is from the barrel, cap, section, or sac.  I may start a thread on this particular issue over in the repair forum.

 

Cliff

[WordyDisneyFan]

I have several attractive pen cups/stands, made of wood, that sit on my desk that resides in an interior room that doesn't get much natural light.  This is where my less expensive pens reside.  The fancy-schmancy pens are in a display case on an end table in my living room, where everybody can enjoy them (but not touch!).  I have a couple of book style pen cases that I use when traveling but my pens are never stored in those.

 

Laurel

[thott]

I think the most important points are for a longer storage time ....
 

- do not continously exposure to broad sunlight
- avoid high temperatures and huminity
- keep it try after cleaning, release the cap for breathing
- take care of outgassing of new plastic housings, synthetics leather, etc.
 

In my humble opinion......😉

 

[bunnspecial]

On 8/18/2021 at 6:16 PM, Carguy said:

I have bought several leather 36 pen chests off eBay like this one:

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/36-Fountain-Pen-Leather-Display-Case-3-Layers-Organizer-Storage-Collector-Box-US-/384212793942?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&_trksid=p2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0
 

They are functional and relatively nice, not too flimsy, but not super high quality given their cost. I have bought 3 in the past few months.

 

I've been eying what I assume is the same product on Amazon. I might have to try one given that you've used it and seem to like it.

 

BTW, for me, I have a couple of zippered pen cases, but I'm looking for more storage now as I'm at capacity. I do use factory boxes on vintage, but things like my modern MBs get their boxes put away and I keep the pens in rotation(not that I have enough to mix them up, but since MBs are serial numbered I can track them back to their original box).

[Carguy]

They look nice and function well. Not super high quality but the leather is fair and they work for what I need.

 

 

[Wahl]

Mine are kept in a bookcase with glass doors, air circulates and there is little sunlight.

 

Pens should not be stored long term in leather cases.

[thott]

45 minutes ago, Wahl said:

Mine are kept in a bookcase with glass doors, air circulates and there is little sunlight.

 

Pens should not be stored long term in leather cases.

 

That looks really nice...and all pens with immediate presentative overview.
 

I store all my pens  in a wooden box with drawers.
In the bottom drawer are some tools...

 

 

Took off the caps for the photo......

 

 

Thomas

[Paul-in-SF]

There have been some threads here on pen storage before that would pay you to search out. They are full of ideas. 

 

That said, the problem I have with display cases like that immediately above (and the leather one further above) is that it is not practical to stack them. Also I like to be able to reach my pens from my chair without getting up, and so I like shallow drawers that I can reach to pull all the way out and go through them on my desk.

 

I now always assume I will end up with more pens than whatever storage case I am currently buying will hold, and my horizontal space is limited, so I buy things I can stack. The first one was an old tool chest, the kind that has only drawers and no lid, which I renovated and fitted up with pen slots. The most recent one is a wooden case made specifically for pens, which I got for a good price because some of the glue joints have failed (and I assume I can fix them). Drawers only, no lid, once again. 

 

Finally, I can also recommend these wooden cases made for art supplies: https://smile.amazon.com/US-Art-Supply-3-Drawer-Storage/dp/B00L5QB99E/ref=pd_bxgy_img_2/145-0058991-2539668?pd_rd_w=ywyqD&pf_rd_p=c64372fa-c41c-422e-990d-9e034f73989b&pf_rd_r=H8TFV9DMY28FNPZDX9TS&pd_rd_r=45f37fde-7edb-4ce5-86fe-7a5751717340&pd_rd_wg=CiHe4&pd_rd_i=B00L5QB99E&psc=1. The shallower drawers will fit regular and inexpensive pens when fitted up with gopens.com pen slots; the deeper drawer can hold even the largest pens. These are also stackable, and come in various numbers of drawers from 2 to 6. 

[FountainNewbie]

I did the same as Paul-in-SF and converted and old chest into a pen box. Although it has no lid, I like it because is very robust and sturdy.

Thott mentioned very important points sunlight, breathing, outgassing and humidity. I made the trays using paulownia which is supposed to absorb humidity and be mold resistant, and I keep the drawers slightly open to allow breathing.

 

Do any of you guys place microchamber paper inside the pen box?... I have a couple of celluloid pens and I'm thinking to put a piece of microchamber paper on top of them "just in case"... but might be an overkill?

 

 

[Paul-in-SF]

For those who don't know (like me before I looked it up) "MicroChamber Paper ... contains dispersed molecular traps that remove and neutralize acids, pollutants and the harmful by-products of deterioration. Also eliminates odors such as smoke, mold, and mildew." 

 

Since this stuff is made to remedy deterioration of paper products, it might not be strong enough to handle the off-gassing from deteriorating celluloid. But it (probably) couldn't hurt, for any pens that aren't visibly deteriorating. For anything with visible deterioration or crystallization, I think the common wisdom is to just keep them in the open air and away from any other celluloid pens. 

[Mercian]

On 8/20/2021 at 10:58 PM, thott said:

I think the most important points are for a longer storage time ....
 

- do not continously exposure to broad sunlight
- avoid high temperatures and huminity
- keep it try after cleaning, release the cap for breathing
- take care of outgassing of new plastic housings, synthetics leather, etc.
 

In my humble opinion......😉

 

The clean-out-&-allow-to-dry before storage part is something that I’ve always done, and so too is the avoidance of high temperatures & high humidity, but I did have to learn one of your other parts the ‘hard way’….
 

I used to keep my out-of-rotation pens in a plastic cup on a shelf in a west-facing room. With a mature tree just west of it.

The shelf is about 2m from the room’s window, and I live in England - 53 degrees north of the equator, and almost always overcast.

Over several years the exposure to the ‘terrifyingly intense’ English daylight has caused the plastic of my LAMY Vista to acquire a yellowish tinge 😞 For all I know it has weakened it too.

 

So it’s definitely a ‘+1’ from me on the need to avoid exposing one’s pens to daylight while they are not in-use!

 

After I have cleaned them out and allowed them to dry, I now keep my out-of-rotation inexpensive pens in a cardboard box, in order to shield them from the ‘blazing’ English sun.

 

 

[FountainNewbie]

Thanks Paul-in-SF, yes that's kind of what I think too... I've read before on FP forums some advices about wrapping each pen in microchamber paper. But that would be too impractical for me.

 

Once I kept a vintage pen in a plastic container and noticed the strong smell of camphor. It hasn't happen on the toolbox so I guess/hope keeping the drawers a bit open allows enough air circulation.

 

I mostly collect vintage pens so it's difficult to keep them apart/away from each other. But I think what I'll do is try placing the celluloid pens in every other slot (within the same tray).

[seoulseeker]

Be very careful that leather cases are vegetable tanned, not chrome tanned.

 

Chrome tanned leather can and will irreparably tarnish gold plating. And quickly too.

 

Found out the hard way with a pen wrap.

[thott]

6 hours ago, seoulseeker said:

Be very careful that leather cases are vegetable tanned, not chrome tanned.

 

Chrome tanned leather can and will irreparably tarnish gold plating. And quickly too.

 

Found out the hard way with a pen wrap.

You are right!

I would never store pens in leather cases…….also not in artificial leather cases. 
They always fumigate chemicals…minor amounts, but over the time it could be harmful. 
 

I use it only for transportation…..

 

 

[FountainNewbie]

15 hours ago, seoulseeker said:

Be very careful that leather cases are vegetable tanned, not chrome tanned.

 

Chrome tanned leather can and will irreparably tarnish gold plating. And quickly too.

 

Found out the hard way with a pen wrap.

Thanks Seoulseeker, Thott... I didn't know about the effects of leather on the plating. 

 

Seoulseeker, you mentioned the plating tarnished somehow quickly. Could you please let me know about how long it took for you to notice it (years, months, weeks?). I'll keep a close inspection on my pens to see if any change.

 

Mine have been for about 5 months but I haven't notice any tarnishing (not yet). Worth mentioning the pens are waxed... maybe it protects them a bit more?