how do you store your pens?

​Once you start collecting pens of any vintage you will be face with storing them when not in use.  Given that we spend our hard-earned money on these pens we want to store them in such a way that they are protected from potential damage.  How to store our treasures?   One way would be to keep them in their original boxes.  That works for new pens, however, vintage pens and gently used modern pens often do not come with a box other than what they were shipped in when purchased.   I have seen some beautiful wooden boxes built especially for storage of pens.  Some have glass so you can easily see what’s inside.  I have seen old wooden cases with drawers which were used to store maps or prints fitted with slotted pen trays.  I have such a piece of furniture fitted with slotted pen trays I purchased from Gary Lehrer at gopens.com.  I used Elmer’s glue to secure them into the drawers.  I have pens organized by manufacturer such as Parker, Sheaffer’s and so forth.  In this way if I want to write with a Parker 51 I go to the third drawer from the top, for example.  Regardless of how you store your pens be sure to flush thoroughly with water if you plan on putting a pen away for an extended period.
Happy Holidays and Happy Collecting!