Displaying your personal pens at home

[Brandy]

I'm sure a lot of you can understand my problem. There are pens all over my house. I open a drawer/clean out the closet/look under the couch and find a pen. My favorites are kept in a box on the coffee table and I would like to find a way to display them and make them more accessible. How do you store and/or display your personal pens? (I'm leaning towards a drawer under the coffee table or end table)

 

[SteveJ]

I've got too many to display them all!

 

[MRDucks2]

I bought a lower end Wooten Desk and use it to display them in various cubby holes, on shelves and in rows in some of the drawers. Now you need to look up what a Wooten Desk is.

 

[jttheclockman]

I have thought about this a long time ago and I started a display cabinet some 5 or 6 years ago but never got around to finishing it. But have all parts cut for it and will get around to finishing now that I have just about finished my entire house remodel. I have the Den almost finished and this is where I will hang it. When I do finish I will post photos. But having done so many pens and my pens are basically one of a kind, I will have to choose some of my finest ones I want to forever display. That will be the toughest part. Probably room for only about 30 of them. Maybe over time they will need to be rotated. I am sure I will also get a display box to keep some too and have on my desk. Right now I am in the process of making many pens of different styles and they too will be added to the collection. Again all one of a kind pens.

 

[Kenny Durrant]

I use cigar boxes. Go to a cigar shop and most of them will have empty boxes for a few bucks. If they have too many they may fit just give them to you. I look for a fancy wooden box and if it still has the dividers for the cigars I'll grab it.

 

[egnald]

I have made a couple of display boxes, one for pens and one for a knife collection.

I purchased 11x14 Picture Frames with thin black wooden frames. I also purchased some 1/2-inch by 2-inch poplar boards from the wood moulding section of our local Menards. For the back, I used some 3/4-inch rigid foam insulation that I cut down to the appropriate size and covered with a black velvet-like fabric.

Using these materials along with a couple of small hinges, a couple of screws, and a small neodymium magnet, I painted the boards and used glue and brads to build a kind of shadow box, attaching the picture frame with the hinges and a closure using the magnet and a small steel screw.

The knives and pens are arranged and suspended using small head sewing type pins that are simply pushed into the foam backing.

Sorry I don't have better pictures but at the moment both the pen and knife displays are packed up in moving boxes. Here is a snapshot that I took of the knife display as a reference before packing it up.

All in all it was fairly inexpensive and didn't require a lot of tools or time to complete.

Regards,
Dave

PS I also use some relatively inexpensive (about $40 bucks) Faux Rosewood Pen Display Cases that I bought from eBay. They are essentially a hinged top glass covered space and two drawers with slots made to hold pens. Not bad for something inexpensive.

 

[derekdd]

I have made a couple of display boxes, one for pens and one for a knife collection.

I purchased 11x14 Picture Frames with thin black wooden frames. I also purchased some 1/2-inch by 2-inch poplar boards from the wood moulding section of our local Menards. For the back, I used some 3/4-inch rigid foam insulation that I cut down to the appropriate size and covered with a black velvet-like fabric.

Using these materials along with a couple of small hinges, a couple of screws, and a small neodymium magnet, I painted the boards and used glue and brads to build a kind of shadow box, attaching the picture frame with the hinges and a closure using the magnet and a small steel screw.

The knives and pens are arranged and suspended using small head sewing type pins that are simply pushed into the foam backing.

Sorry I don't have better pictures but at the moment both the pen and knife displays are packed up in moving boxes. Here is a snapshot that I took of the knife display as a reference before packing it up.

All in all it was fairly inexpensive and didn't require a lot of tools or time to complete.

Regards,
Dave

PS I also use some relatively inexpensive (about $40 bucks) Faux Rosewood Pen Display Cases that I bought from eBay. They are essentially a hinged top glass covered space and two drawers with slots made to hold pens. Not bad for something inexpensive.

View attachment 353695

View attachment 353696

I've seen pen display cases like this one on Amazon, Dave.

I'm pretty sure I couldn't make one for what they are asking.

 

[bsshog40]

I had thought about this just recently trying to set up my shop. I plan on looking at a couple old junk shops. There's one I used to go to that is a large warehouse and the guy buys "lots" of old retired stuff from businesses. I have seen old watch display cases that I think would work well.

 

[egnald]

I've seen pen display cases like this one on Amazon, Dave.

I'm pretty sure I couldn't make one for what they are asking.

Actually, I was a little surprised at the quality - I didn't expect much for $40, but they actually don't look too bad even with the faux rosewood finish on the wood. I have 4 of them all together. The interior slots are kind of a beige or tan color and feel soft, like some kind of flocking would feel. The top row has 12 slots and each of the drawers have 11. The faux finish is a reddish brown rosewood color with some "burl-ish" looking eyes on it. I'm pretty happy with them anyway.

The ones I have all have 2 drawers, plus the top = 34 pen slots. I have also seen the same design with just the top glass part (12 slots) and with one drawer (23 slots). - Dave

 

[jttheclockman]

Actually, I was a little surprised at the quality - I didn't expect much for $40, but they actually don't look too bad even with the faux rosewood finish on the wood. I have 4 of them all together. The interior slots are kind of a beige or tan color and feel soft, like some kind of flocking would feel. The top row has 12 slots and each of the drawers have 11. The faux finish is a reddish brown rosewood color with some "burl-ish" looking eyes on it. I'm pretty happy with them anyway.

The ones I have all have 2 drawers, plus the top = 34 pen slots. I have also seen the same design with just the top glass part (12 slots) and with one drawer (23 slots). - Dave

Do you remember the link? Do they sell these?

Thanks I found the links and man there is a ton of them. Need to look through this. Question for you, do you say that a full sized Majestic rollerball pen would fit nicely in those slots?? Tough to tell the size of the slots from photos. Thanks.

 

[egnald]

Do you remember the link? Do they sell these?

Thanks I found the links and man there is a ton of them. Need to look through this. Question for you, do you say that a full sized Majestic rollerball pen would fit nicely in those slots?? Tough to tell the size of the slots from photos. Thanks.

I haven't made a full sized Majestic before, but I just stuck in a round pen blank that is 3/4-inches in diameter and a little over 6-inches long in one of the drawers in mine and it fit - just barely, but it did fit and the drawer did close. So, my guess is yes, a full sized Majestic should fit. - Dave

 

[MPVic]

TRAYS -
Does anyone know where to obtain the tray that holds the pens?

 

[egnald]

TRAYS -
Does anyone know where to obtain the tray that holds the pens?

Peachtree Woodworking Supply has or at least used to carry Pen Trays (basically the flocked insert material for holding pens). It came in 12 inch by 16 inch sheets that could be cut down to fit into drawers, etc. - Dave

PS I think PSI sells pretty much the same thing. They call it a Slotted Flexible Pen Display.

 

[MPVic]

Peachtree Woodworking Supply has or at least used to carry Pen Trays (basically the flocked insert material for holding pens). It came in 12 inch by 16 inch sheets that could be cut down to fit into drawers, etc. - Dave

PS I think PSI sells pretty much the same thing. They call it a Slotted Flexible Pen Display.

Thanks David.

 

[MedWoodWorx]

I have made a couple of display boxes, one for pens and one for a knife collection.

I purchased 11x14 Picture Frames with thin black wooden frames. I also purchased some 1/2-inch by 2-inch poplar boards from the wood moulding section of our local Menards. For the back, I used some 3/4-inch rigid foam insulation that I cut down to the appropriate size and covered with a black velvet-like fabric.

Using these materials along with a couple of small hinges, a couple of screws, and a small neodymium magnet, I painted the boards and used glue and brads to build a kind of shadow box, attaching the picture frame with the hinges and a closure using the magnet and a small steel screw.

The knives and pens are arranged and suspended using small head sewing type pins that are simply pushed into the foam backing.

Sorry I don't have better pictures but at the moment both the pen and knife displays are packed up in moving boxes. Here is a snapshot that I took of the knife display as a reference before packing it up.

All in all it was fairly inexpensive and didn't require a lot of tools or time to complete.

Regards,
Dave

PS I also use some relatively inexpensive (about $40 bucks) Faux Rosewood Pen Display Cases that I bought from eBay. They are essentially a hinged top glass covered space and two drawers with slots made to hold pens. Not bad for something inexpensive.

View attachment 353695

View attachment 353696

Love your Buck knives collection, you inspired me to make a similar case to display them. Its a pity to keep them away in the closet.

 

[egnald]

Love your Buck knives collection, you inspired me to make a similar case to display them. Its a pity to keep them away in the closet.

Thanks, I just wish more of them were USA manufactured, but they were pretty hard to come by when I started collecting. - Dave

 

[KMCloonan]

A friend of mine gave me an old Tap & Die display case from the 1960s - I removed the inserts that were in the case, and made a pen insert using foam that you cut out the profile on. This is where I store my favorite pens. Most of my other pens are stored out of sight in a carry case that can double as a display.

 

[MedWoodWorx]

Thanks, I just wish more of them were USA manufactured, but they were pretty hard to come by when I started collecting. - Dave

I bought most of my knives at the 90's when buck was a high quality brand. I remember i was working during summer to raise money to buy a buckmaster; i haven't use it since but i still love it. Maybe a nice handmade case is in order.

 

[derekdd]

A friend of mine gave me an old Tap & Die display case from the 1960s - I removed the inserts that were in the case, and made a pen insert using foam that you cut out the profile on. This is where I store my favorite pens. Most of my other pens are stored out of sight in a carry case that can double as a display.
View attachment 353742View attachment 353743

What a cool display case.

 

[Muddydogs]

I just got this stand off Etsy for about $50 with shipping and tax. It's not perfect but I don't think I could make it myself for the price not to mention the time it would take to drill all them holes.
Now to round up the writing sticks.