Careful storage of your handcrafted timber pen will keep your pens in excellent condition and ready to use. We have three top tips to keep your pens in immaculate condition.

1) Avoid extreme temperatures. 

Avoid heat. Sunlight can heat your pen to extreme temperatures, so limit direct exposure to sunlight, especially in hot summer months. For example do not leave your pen unattended near a window where sunlight can directly shine onto a coffee table or desk. Do not leave your pen in a car parked in the sun for long periods of time. Do not place your pen near a fireplace or heater where it will receive direct heat.

Avoid cold. Cold temperatures may cause fountain pen ink to freeze, which expands, and may even crack the pen itself. This in turn can lead to a leakage issue when the pen heats up again. Low temperatures may even cause separation of some fountain pen inks; which in turn can create ink blockages.

2) Store your pens correctly. 

Always keep pens retracted or capped when they are not in use. Ink contains volatile solvents that evaporate if exposed to air and capping and retracting nibs slows this process down.

Fountain pens when in regular use, should usually be stored nib up. Fountain pens not in circulation should be emptied of ink, flushed and allowed to dry completely before storage. It usually does not matter how you store an un-inked fountain pen, nib up, nib down or nib horizontal.

 Gel pens are best stored horizontally, this keeps pressure off of the tip and helps to prevent leaking.

Ballpoint and rollerball pens are best kept vertically with their tip down.

Keeping your pens capped or retracted when not writing with them, also limits damage should your pen encounter incidents such as dropping, rolling off or leakage on something important.

3) Keep pens protected.

Purchase a protective case, pen pouch, pen box, pen roll or pen stand. Limit the chances of accidental damage such as scratches, drops and leakage, by storing your pens well. Don't just throw your pen in a drawer or pencil case unprotected; use pen sleeves or pouches, they are light, durable and protect your treasured writing or drawing implements.