Packaging pens safely to send abroad

[irfan]

I recently sent two pens to Richard Binder for a bit of work on the nibs by airmail from Indonesia. Having read somewhere that placing pens inside PVC pipes was a good way to ensure that they arrived without damage, I did exactly that. Later, I re-read Richard's guidelines, where he specifically asks international customers NOT to do this, because small sections of PVC piping can create security issues - it looks like it might be a bomb or something.

 

When I've received pens from eBay sellers, they arrive in all sorts of different packages - I've had ONE, sent in a simple padded envelope without any other protection, that arrived with a ding in the cap - as it was a cheap, new Hero, I assume that the damage occurred in transit. I'm very glad it didn't happen to my vintage Pelikans or I would have been quite upset.

 

So, any ideas on how to send pens by post securely in a fashion that doesn't excite the boys from Homeland Security or whoever deals with that kind of thing? I'm finding quite a few pens "in the wild" in Indonesia at the moment, and almost all will have to be sent overseas for servicing: in addition to Richard, I may be importuning a few other of the experts for their services, too.

 

Thanks,

 

 

[danielfalgerho]

I recently sent two pens to Richard Binder for a bit of work on the nibs by airmail from Indonesia. Having read somewhere that placing pens inside PVC pipes was a good way to ensure that they arrived without damage, I did exactly that. Later, I re-read Richard's guidelines, where he specifically asks international customers NOT to do this, because small sections of PVC piping can create security issues - it looks like it might be a bomb or something.

 

When I've received pens from eBay sellers, they arrive in all sorts of different packages - I've had ONE, sent in a simple padded envelope without any other protection, that arrived with a ding in the cap - as it was a cheap, new Hero, I assume that the damage occurred in transit. I'm very glad it didn't happen to my vintage Pelikans or I would have been quite upset.

 

So, any ideas on how to send pens by post securely in a fashion that doesn't excite the boys from Homeland Security or whoever deals with that kind of thing? I'm finding quite a few pens "in the wild" in Indonesia at the moment, and almost all will have to be sent overseas for servicing: in addition to Richard, I may be importuning a few other of the experts for their services, too.

 

Thanks,

You can score and fold foam core board into a small open ended box and use about 3 layers or do the same with corrugated carboard, this affords good protection, unless someone drives a truck over it. For something more extreme I cut to 2 small pieces a thin plywood, 3 or 4 pieces of foam core of the same size, cut a rectangle in these to make a cavity for the pen, sandwich pen and foam core between the pieces of plywood, wrap the whole thing with packing tape to taste and you have something pretty safe. You want to protect from damage resulting from the package being dropped, thrown or sujected to pressure that could break the pen. I've had good luck with this method. Could this also be mistaken for a suspicious object? Probably not as these materials are not as dense as PVC pipe and the pen would be more visible to security, but you can't be sure.

Good luck...

[Ernst Bitterman]

I've used the core of a roll of paper towel (gift-wrap would work too)-- cut it so you have one piece somewhat longer than the pen, open the other bit along its spiral and tape it firmly around the first for extra resilience. The pen, wrapped in toilet tissue, goes inside, and the whole affair goes into a slightly larger box and is padded to prevent shifting-- old newspaper in balls works nicely for this. By choosing a box only slightly longer than the tube, the padding at either end of the tube will stay in place without having to be taped. It's not as smash resistant as a PVC tube, but it will stand up to the amount of kicking I've seen any of the pens I've received in the mail take.

[TrevorML]

all suspicious packages go through scanning so the PVC tube would just simply show a pen in a PVC tube... now a lead pipe would be a different matter...

 

I know I prefer receiving the PVC tube option even it it causes a delay while it MAY have to be scanned at the postal service both ends and each step inbetween

Edited January 18, 2008 by TrevorML

[irfan]

all suspicious packages go through scanning so the PVC tube would just simply show a pen in a PVC tube... now a lead pipe would be a different matter...

 

I know I prefer receiving the PVC tube option even it it causes a delay while it MAY have to be scanned at the postal service both ends and each step inbetween

 

Hmm. Just did a bit of lateral thinking: bamboo is readily available where I live. A small section of bamboo would probably work well ...

[danielfalgerho]

all suspicious packages go through scanning so the PVC tube would just simply show a pen in a PVC tube... now a lead pipe would be a different matter...

 

I know I prefer receiving the PVC tube option even it it causes a delay while it MAY have to be scanned at the postal service both ends and each step inbetween

 

Hmm. Just did a bit of lateral thinking: bamboo is readily available where I live. A small section of bamboo would probably work well ...

 

I like it! It would be more elegant than PVC pipe but would probably look very similar when scanned as bamboo is very dense.

I would not go with a carboard tube as it would have enough rigidity to prevent breakage under excessive stress (these things do happen)

[Deirdre]

Bamboo's a good idea!

 

I just sent one in a boatload of bubble wrap, lacking a better international option at the time.

[Richard]

all suspicious packages go through scanning so the PVC tube would just simply show a pen in a PVC tube...

I'd like to believe that, but an experience with a Snorkel desk pen shipped with the taper dismounted, in two tubes, suggests otherwise. The package came from a Spanish client, and it never reached me. Instead, it went back to the client, slathered with yellow OPENED BY U.S. CUSTOMS tape, with the pen destroyed. I mean destroyed. My client described explicitly what it looked like: the body of the pen appeared to have been held upright, nib downward, and smashed onto the surface of a table or desk. It is clear that some customs goon opened the package, thought it looked suspicious, like maybe a top-secret bomb fuze or a new kind of drug delivery device, and destroyed it. No questions asked, no explanation, no apology, just a dead pen. Bottom line: don't tempt fate.

Edited January 20, 2008 by Richard

[danielfalgerho]

all suspicious packages go through scanning so the PVC tube would just simply show a pen in a PVC tube...

I'd like to believe that, but an experience with a Snorkel desk pen shipped with the taper dismounted, in two tubes, suggests otherwise. The package came from a Spanish client, and it never reached me. Instead, it went back to the client, slathered with yellow OPENED BY U.S. CUSTOMS tape, with the pen destroyed. I mean destroyed. My client described explicitly what it looked like: the body of the pen appeared to have been held upright, nib downward, and smashed onto the surface of a table or desk. It is clear that some customs goon opened the package, thought it looked suspicious, like maybe a top-secret bomb fuze or a new kind of drug delivery device, and destroyed it. No questions asked, no explanation, no apology, just a dead pen. Bottom line: don't tempt fate.

Someone must have been bored that day...

 

[Ernst Bitterman]

One worries that it wasn't the tubes but the mysteriously gizmonic nature of the filler that drew the attention. "Hey, pens don't have STUFF inside them! That's a super-secret spy wassis!"

[PTO]

Some devices I have used or received:

 

-Empty Cigar Tube

-Metal or Plastic Pen Case from a cheap pen

-Empty 35mm Film Containers

-Stiff Cardboard Hand Made square or triangle tubes

-The Twist Tubes or Shove Tubes made for pens

-PVC Tube

 

Some certainly better than others, all better than nothing! Whatever I use, I like to make sure the chosen container is given a final cover of bubble wrap or put in a bubble wrap package, and then add extra padding to the package! More is better imho....

 

 

 

[badrsj]

Another idea is to use a rectangular toothbrush holder - fairly common - not dense - not easily mistakable, but I have to say - may not sustain ignorance from customs here or abroad.

[Pens123]

All of the "rigid" ideas...bamboo being the most interesting, but including PVC, toothbrush travel cases, etc. are good ones. Don't discount the amount of stupidity at play in the world at any one time--there's always more than you would estimate. But don't let that stupidity, which fortunately occurs in random amounts and in random places, discourage a good idea. What one stupid person does, once, should not discourage sensible people from doing sensible things. I will continue to pack pens inside 6" lengths of 3/4" PVC because that is a very cost-effective method of providing a high degree of protection to pens. So far, so good. If one stupid person intervenes and causes an unfortunate occurance, will I stop doing a sensible thing? No.

 

 

 

 

[jthole]

all suspicious packages go through scanning so the PVC tube would just simply show a pen in a PVC tube...

I'd like to believe that, but an experience with a Snorkel desk pen shipped with the taper dismounted, in two tubes, suggests otherwise. The package came from a Spanish client, and it never reached me. Instead, it went back to the client, slathered with yellow OPENED BY U.S. CUSTOMS tape, with the pen destroyed. I mean destroyed. My client described explicitly what it looked like: the body of the pen appeared to have been held upright, nib downward, and smashed onto the surface of a table or desk. It is clear that some customs goon opened the package, thought it looked suspicious, like maybe a top-secret bomb fuze or a new kind of drug delivery device, and destroyed it. No questions asked, no explanation, no apology, just a dead pen. Bottom line: don't tempt fate.

 

IF something like that happens, does US Customs offer the possibility to file a claim, so that you can get a refund? I mean, they cannot simply destroy things that aren't theirs, can they?