4 essential tips for not losing your favourite pens

We’ve all had that moment in life where we need a pen; we pat down our pockets, empty our bags out, then realise that we no longer own the pen we’re hunting for! As our heart sinks, we have to ask to borrow someone else’s pen.

For me, this stationery-loss scenario began at primary school, with fun eraser-topped pencils and crazily-shaped pencil sharpeners. However, back then it wasn’t you forking out for the stationery, and it was often cheap and replaceable.

As we get older we begin to realise the importance of looking after our belongings – usually the hard way, after a theft of an item we paid an eye-watering amount for. If you love pens, the chances are you started out your pen-buying life with cheap biros, which, much like kids’ stationery, could be easily replaced. Personally I have lost more cheapo biros in my lifetime than I care to admit!

But, now you have a passion for quality pens, how can you keep them safe? If you’ve spent £15 or £1500 on a pen, the chances are you’re not going to want it to go missing. Also, money aside, many people have precious memories attached to their writing tools; maybe your pen was a gift from a loved one, or perhaps you used it to write the first draft of a short story you’re hoping to get published.

So, just how can you keep your pens safe? Follow our 4 helpful tips below:

Establish a Pattern/Routine

If your favourite writing tool stays at home, make sure you get into a habit of replacing it where you store it after every use; leaving it lying around will only end in disaster. If you take it to work with you, don’t leave it there unless you have a locked drawer or similar; create a routine of where you put it when you get home, and where you pick it up from in a morning (with your phone and car keys is a good option). If you stick to a pattern, you are less likely to forget where you put your pen, and it should be easier to retrace your steps too.

Use a Storage Device

Be it a pen case, pen roll, lanyard or desk tidy; use a storage device. A pen by itself is small, and therefore easier to lose. If there’s a hole in your pocket or bag, your pen could slip through it and you might not even realise! A lanyard would mean the pen is always with you, whereas a desk tidy would keep it in one allotted place; a pen case or roll on the other hand would keep your tool safe whilst also keeping it portable. I can’t recommend these options highly enough, as not only do they help avoid loss, but they also protect your pen from damage.

Don’t Lend Your Favourite Pen

Keep your favourite pen for your use only, and use decoys for lending to others. If you are in a work environment where pens go missing all the time, just leave some cheap pens from the stationery cupboard lying around for colleagues to swipe as and when. If someone does borrow your precious pen, make sure you keep the cap if it has one, as this will remind you to ask for the pen back if it doesn’t get returned automatically.

Personalise Your Pen

If your pen is loved but not expensive, why not get creative and personalise it with stickers, gems, ribbon etc.? If that’s not your thing, or you simply don’t want to attach anything to your pen, why not get it engraved? The engraving of pens is classic and timeless, and more importantly, it permanently marks the pen as YOURS! It won’t cost much either; losing your beloved pen would cost more.

Do you have any tips to add to the list? Let us know in the comments below, or via Social Media