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Displaying My Pens

Posted in Fountain Pens

As I’ve said before, I have a lot of pens, too many, really. I can’t use them as much as I’d like, which means they spend far too much time put away in pen cases. Most of my pens are in use for only a week at a time. That means none of them, and especially my special pens, don’t get the appreciation they deserve.

When my pen collection first expanded to include pens that couldn’t go in a standard pen case — mainly urushi pens — I kept them in pen sleeves. After a while, I decided to get a pen box. It didn’t take me long to move the pen box to one of the display cases I’d purchased years before for my Pop Figure collection.

the original pen box, now in my display case
The other tray from this first pen box is on the top shelf (see below).

Over the years, that small box got filled, then overfilled, so I started looking for a larger one. Luckily, a DC Pen Crew member was selling a very nice box for a ridiculously low price. I snagged it and added it to the display case as well.

When Jim purchased the King of Pen version of the Sakura Nagare, I decided to dedicate the entire display case to pens. I wish I had a bit more space, maybe an extra shelf’s worth, but I’ve got our best pens in the case when they’re not in use.

The sakura nagare KOP box and both pens and the tray from the original pen box are both on the top shelf
The KOP Sakura Nagare box is too pretty to not display, and it goes well with the black and white tray from the first pen box.

It’s been really nice to have the pens visible. I often stop to look at them when heading downstairs or out the front door to get the mail. Having them out definitely gives me more opportunity to appreciate the beautiful works of art that they are. It has also inspired numerous discussions with pen, pen-curious, and non-pen friends alike.

The full display case

For those who are curious, the case I have is the IKEA Detolf, which has, unfortunately, been discontinued. But, any display case would likely work just as well. For the best rang of view, I’d suggest looking for a case or cabinet that has glass on at least three sides, rather than only a glass front.

I’d also advise keeping it out of areas with frequent direct sunlight, to avoid fading, temperature fluctuations, and potential damage from sunlight getting amplified by the glass.


How do you feel about displaying panes? Do you have any on display? Let me know in the comments! I’d love to hear from you.

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3 Comments

  1. I’d never thought of displaying pens in glass display cabinets, but that’s a great idea, and I love your display! My fiancé has some fairly inexpensive glass cabinets from IKEA that he displays his LEGO in, so maybe I will have to get one for my pens.

    August 23, 2024
    |Reply
  2. Michael Quitt
    Michael Quitt

    Beautiful display!!

    August 21, 2024
    |Reply

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