Inevitably, the pen case collection grows along with the pens.
I prefer cloth and leather, lined. Wraps feel cosier than briefcases or zipped folders reminiscent of school binders. My old 40-pen case, after a good run, now rests in a drawer, several elastic loops stretched to unusability.
None of the cloth cases has escaped ink stains. Most of the staining happens when I travel. I have fished out dripping lever fillers from their slots, leaving a trail of ink spots on hotel carpet as I rush to the sink to rinse pen and case clean. (This works for cloth cases, but not for leather.)
My current favorite leather wrap is by Corbo. This is the same wrap Yoshida-san of Nakaya brought with him to the Singapore Nakaya pen clinic. So far, it’s stain-free. We ordered a pair via Rakuten and there was zero hassle involved.
Dark lining helps conceal stains. And flaps are essential. Friction can affect the finish of a pen, over time. The plating on clips can thin. I don’t go all precious on my pens, otherwise I would be too worried about keeping them pristine and end up not using them at all. Much better to give them some protection while they’re in the bag.
New to the collection is the Libelle wrap fresh from the recent Art Brown sale. (Thanks, honey!) The strap secures with velcro.
Longer pens like the Pelikan M800 are about as long as this wrap can handle. I like the nylon inside because it looks like it won’t care if Baystate Blue leaked all over it.
One of the wraps I carry most often is made by Nakaya. It’s beautiful. I hope I am not voiding any warranties by stuffing two to three pens in each slot.
May crocheted this pen wrap. She told me it was a practice piece but my practice pieces never look anything like this. I think she should go into business. There’s nothing better than a pen wrap from a friend.
