Top 5 Best Fountain Pens For Purse or Bag! 

This is the video that makes me wish I could hit the like button a million times! So good to see Helen again and to have a different perspective on carrying pens around. Most channels focus on the clip going over clothing. Many women don't carry their pens on clothing. Thank you for doing this!

Helen is such a great support of your hobby. You are a very lucky guy.

Such a delightful idea. Loved that you showed the name of each purse, and the name/price of each pen. Those are where you go the extra mile in the production of your videos. You are most fortunate to have a wife such as Helen, she is so supportive and open to sharing her thoughts on pens too.

I love that the top 5 is always top "whatever number Tim comes up with"! 🤣

The answer always was TWSBI Eco. I use a backpack for work that I root around in the smaller pocket of all day like a purse, digging for junk. I have a complete different backpack that I do something similar with on the weekends.. it’s a Gucci.. so an ink spill IS a concern. I’ve tried all my pens as a daily carry to just throw in my bags. I trust the TWSBI Eco’s threads to stay tightened. I’m not worried about beating it up, as they’re only 35-75 depending. They're also a great writing pen, extremely practical and dependable.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new RU-vid star!

My wife's sneaking on again... A fountain pen in a purse? Handbag you mean! A pen would just get minced in a purse full of coins! ;) My wife did the opposite, she bought 3 handbags in leather in various sales, just over a year ago, under £100 for all three, nothing crazy, and now houses a different fountain pen in each one, and puts them on rotation, so they all get used. She uses a single pen pouch for each, and each has a dedicated space in a pocket the handbag has, and keeps them upright. As a lifetime fountain pen user, no other ballpoint/gel roller comes close. She says she'd never fling a pen into a handbag to roll around it bare, and not in any protective cover at all. Sure you can with an inexpensive Kaweco Sport but it's still a decent fountain pen, your dear superior writing instrument, and loyal pen-friend, so do have a heart! Give it a little love, treat your pen friend to a little pen pouch, please! I'm never in a situation where I need to 'fast-draw' a fountain pen from my handbag or shoulder bag, cross-body bag or messenger bag. Any fountain pen I love to write with, meets the criteria of being a fit fountain pen to ride along in my handbag. I simply do not own a bag too small to carry a full sized fountain pen in it. But this is how a lifetime fountain pen user sees it - in the case of this video, it was a fun way to get women thinking of carrying a fountain pen with them in life, do! A personal pen goes with you in your life and handbag, it's allowed to leave the house you know! It's also hygienic to use your own pen. Enjoyed the chat, seeing Helen's bag selection, the views on the pens tried, and liked the editing with 'page turn over' effect. Hope many ladies will now think mmm, a nice handbag therefore needs to carry me a nice pen. Do not INSULT your decent handbag by pulling out some scrappy promo plastic ballpoint thing from it, make it proud to be in charge of carrying a nicer quality pen for you. Why make your lovely handbag depressed that you don't give what it carries for you any regard whatsoever, so it may as well just be a plastic supermarket carrier bag used as your handbag, don't you think? Poor handbag, made embarrassed, doesn't really want to be handing its lady some inferior excuse of a writing instrument. It wishes to proffer your lovely pen to you with pride each time✍Best Wishes!

Agree with Helen on the vanishing point ink converter... I have mine on cartridges for that reason.

What a super fun video!!! I agree the Kaweco Sports are so perfect for a purse carry! I also favor my Moonman Mini's eyedroppered usually although I'm carrying one with a cartridge in it today! I slip them into Rickshaw custom sleeves (you can get the sleeves for literally any pen)! No leaks or issues... it's too hot here to carry them in my jeans/shorts in summer so I carry them in my bag! I really enjoyed seeing your beautiful purses Helen!

Hello HJ. Just finished watching this video and I must say, it will be such a treat for your female viewers. It does transcend to the men out there who carry a briefcase or something similar. Very original topic. That is why I watch your videos. You just never know what you're going to get. Brilliant job.

I really enjoyed this video!! It was great to see some of Helen's vintage bags and hear what it was like to carry around different pens in them. Great job!!

Totally agree. I’m loving my kaweco sports right now. 💜

Thank you Helen!! Your comments are very valid and relevant.

Hem is at his most charming under the watchful eye of Helen! Lovely video.

Fave bag pen, my schon DSGN pocket six. Philly represent. I also like my Pilot Elites. I have that very Kaweco Sport and like it but I go right back to my Schon. Props to the Gucci bag, the vintage Coach, Judith Leiber, Mulberry and LV.

I quite agree with Helen on the Kaweco Sport as a great purse pen. I have carried mine for at least 3 years and can’t imagine any of my other pens being as perfect to carry and use with a small purse. (My handbags are all on the small side.) My Kaweco Sport is a lovely deep green color that I fell in love with when Goulet Pens did a green pens promo for St. Patrick’s Day a number of years ago. First off, it writes really well. I generally prefer stubs and broad nibs, but bought the Sport in a fine. Thus it can be used to make quick notes on any quality of paper and it can write small to jot notes in my purse notebook. Perhaps because it has a fine nib, the small cartridge of ink lasts quite awhile - granted I use it for making notes, not for journaling or writing a novel … Just as important for a purse pen, it never, ever leaks! No ink in the cap despite the usual purse jostling. And, as a quick draw pen, it is put in my purses, mixed in with a lipstick, phone, key fob, card case etc. It has a nice patina, but no scratches or cracks. The cap screws on which is great for not worrying about leaks, but it is still quick and easy to uncap and post. I can also use it easily enough unposted and I often do. Love it! Mary Kerr

Fantastic Video HJ and hello Helen. You two are great together and make for an interesting and informative video. Thanks for all you do.

I think Hellen needs a Pelikan M200 in pink, or the new Copper and Rosegold LOL I think she would adore it as much as her Kaweco Sport. Awesome video! Always love Helen's input on things.

Thanks for another top 5+ video. My wife loves the video too and wants a similar top pen for her purse!

Watching Mrs Jones has renewed my bucket list item of trying Afternoon Tea

After watching this video, I purchased the Kaweco Sport Pearl. Love it!

I love Helen giving her ratings that seem to stress the ever magnanimous HJ. Stay strong Helen! :)

I'm sure it won't just be my observation, but the Platinum 'Glamour' looks like something that might be carried in one's purse, but with a totally different function!

I think if I tried them all, I'd agree with Helen. She makes such valid thoughtful points. Love these vids with the beautiful Mrs. ❤

Welcome back, Helen - good to see you again! This is from someone who moved from England to the US when very young - came back years later with an American accent & had it beaten out of me by "friends" at school.... Lived in Wales for many years since, but have kept my English accent. And I love fountain pens! ☺️

I love it when you two make videos together. That was fun!

This was a lot of fun, thank you. I don’t really carry handbags, but I can agree on the Kaweco Sport taking the prize. I carry the bronze with me most days.

This was "Such Fun" 😉🇬🇧

I have the Gravitas quark pen in titanium, with a flex finenib. It has it's own plastic tube for carrying in your bag, so itfeels really safe to carry around. The nib is so smooth and pleasant to write with, wouldn't be without it.

I think Helen needs a Birkin Bag (she’ll know what that is!) She’s a ⭐️

You said we would be seeing the ‘pink thing’ again and you weren’t kidding! even Helen couldn’t make it look glamorous for me. After you showcased the Q1 I seriously considered a cheeky purchase but soon came to my senses and realized I don’t do stubby! PS I have the Scriveiner EDC in blue and love it, very smooth, my current EDC is the Kaweco PF which I’m really enjoying. Great video HJ thanks.

I absolutely love this video! Always good to see Helen, and the concept is perfect. I never clip my pen on my clothing 🤣 But in purses… yes! This was fun 🎉😊

What a delightful video. If your Helen is half as sweet as she seems you are a blessed man. I love pens but liked a few of those purses too! ALL thumbs UP.

Lovely couple and a great video. I almost wish I had a purse.

Great taste in purses and pens! The Kaweco Sport was also my edc pen for a very long time, though I often lost it at the bottom of my larger bags. These days I use a vintage Montblanc 144. It's slim enough to slip into my smaller handbags, elegant, and has a lovely nib to write with.

Great video. The pens I’ve seen, the purses I have not. Beautiful collection of purses. Ha, I see this video as a first in a future series. In the next one it would cool if we could catch a glimpse inside the purses (empty of course) to see how the interior is arranged. Great collaboration you two, I am looking forward to more. BTW I have forwarded this one on to my wife, though I haven’t yet checked yet to see her favs.

I love the kaweco sport for my purse. But, like Helen, I change my pens with my bags. Loving my Montblanc Baby in my purse if it has a zippered compartment and my Schon Dsgn pocket six is so great too.

First, it is lovely to see Helen again, more such videos please with her valuable input! I'll add a slightly different perspective here as to which pens I carry in my purse. For everyday use I place my Parker Fougere Mistral that looks gorgeous and is a conversation starter. Although sturdy and in guilloche barleycorn pattern it is always placed in a pen case. If for entertainment such as an outing to the theatre then I place my vintage Sheaffer ballpoint in a clutch purse. This is because I am concerned, not because of the pen itself but because of any foolish act of mine, the ink might stain my silk shirt.

Always nice to view these Thursday interludes. Repeat!

I agree with the Kaweco pearl but I really love the Kaweco AL also for a purse pen!

Nice video, thanks. Helen is gorgeous!

Lovely collection of bags and pens! I carry a lot of unlined leather bags, so I am always worried about leaking and scratching, so I always carry them in a sleeve or pen case and only bring pens with very secure caps! I like the Platinum Plaisirs and Kaweco sports for purse pens since they are inexpensive. I am also a huge fan of mini pens (just because I love tiny things) so I have a bit of a collection of those, including some mini Opus 88s, that are quite chubby like the Majohn and great conversation starters!

For an EDC in purse or bag, I would nominate the Platinum Plaisir, as it comes in bright colours, and it won't dry out because of the slip and seal mechanism for the cap. For an aluminum pen, it is surprisingly light. Definitely 8/10.

Enjoyed this video and that Helen could join you this time! I think Helen has convinced me to buy the Kaweco for my purse!

Adored this video. Loved seeing Helen and her wonderful handbags!! It was fun seeing her perspectives on the different pens. Am thinking she deserves to hang on to that Kaweco Sport Iridescent Pearl pen, it is definitely a Helen pen!

Love how you and your channel champion the expensive and the high value pens alike. So many channels give the impression that only the expensive pens are worthwhile and so many criticize the expensive pens as a waste of money. I love how you champion all of them. There is lots of room in this hobby for all sorts of different tastes. Thank you for championing them all.

kaweco Sport! Great pocket (or purse) pen! Perfect size. Perfect weight. Always writes beautifully. And for around $25 an exceptional value.

An alternative to the basic Vanishing Point is the Pilot Fermo diffentiated with a twist mechanism instead of a click mechanism. I absolutely adore mine as a great "carry about" option.

Hi Friends! Very interesting an objective video on pens for carrying! Have but to agree you cannot hardly beat the Kaweco Sport for any kind of carry, and the clip is optional on those pens. I own an E95S also, and it is such a nice pen, i don't think I would carry it around unless in a pen sleeve or the like, but they do write very well. The ink capacity is a problem if you have to do a lot of writing with it. Thanks again for the nice video!

Thanks Helen. This was interesting! Blessings

Yes!! The Kaweco pearl!! I have it and I feel like having a treasure in my purse!

Very lively, funny video! Great job HG, as usual ;-) I agree with you: the best pocket fountain pen is definitely the kaweco sport (although i prefer the kaweco AL sport, i have to say that the plastic sport is the best for our pocket/purse/bag).

Interesting choices. For me it's depend the size of the bag. If it's a regular bag, then even my fattest pen can accompany me, but if it's like a small purse for opera, which is basically barely larger than a wallet, then only a Parker Sonnet can come. No matter the size, I always put my pens in pouch or case, even the cheap Chinese ones. Kind of have this "OCD" to not have my pens scratched.

I love Helen’s purses! This is a really relevant topic for me. I’m always trying to figure out which pens will work as EDC in my handbags. The VP is one I return to frequently, but the ink capacity is annoying. I also like the E95s, but the complaint is the same. An eyedropper-converted Kaweco Sport is a better bet for ink capacity. I’m also enjoying the Carousel pens by Ferris Wheel Press, which are similar. Pilot Kakunos are also good purse pens, but they don’t look as classy as the ones Helen was trying out. She’s far too lovely for tacky pens.

Great video! Purse pens are a good category to review!

Never heard of the platinum glamour! And I have seen a lot of pens.

I love these videos with you both. Helen has very good and well reasoned arguments to justify her scores. I wonder if she would like the Travelers Co. Brass fountain pen for a purse pen?

Great job Helen!

This was such an interesting exercise though I don't have the same constraints. I love my E95s, but I could argue a vintage Pilot Stella 90s would be a better choice. I also have a Q1, but my alternative would be the Majohn Q2. That one is such a diminutive pen, but might get lost if the color doesn't make it stand out. Best of all, I haven't written with mine in weeks, and just now trying it, it just wrote as normal.

I think I starting to realize the purse pen logic: basically it needs to have a generous ink reservoir, relatively lightweight, quick to uncap, and of course good looking. I think posible candidates could be a Pilot 823, Visconti Homo sapiens, Moonman C2, an Opus 88, and maybe a Namiki Emperor?! Thank you for the video.

I also have the kaweco pearl as a purse pen and I love it as such. I may have to start wearing my pearls with it too!

Very much fun. Loved seeing Helen again and hearing about her purse experiences.

Agree. Kaweco is the best!

Great fun - Helen is a star! Enjoyed the topic, as I have yet to settle on a purse pen. I won't carry one that costs much to replace if I lose it, so right now it's an estate sale ($5) Safari. Not a pocket pen, but lightweight and cheap. I've also carried a Preppy for the same reason. Before I retired, I carried nicer pens to work and to meetings - a 3 or 5 pen case with 2-3 ink colors - in my brief case, usually full size pens.

Fun video,! Good to see Helen. You both did an excellent job.

Now top 5 pens for men's tool bag :)

A thumbs up for you and the video and the choice of pens! and a million thumbs up for for Helen and her bag collection so jealous!

A beautiful video H.J. love that Helen is giving a pocket pen review.

Fun video! Very valid considerations for a purse pen! Kawecko Sport in pearl is an excellent choice! I prefer to carry my pens in a small side pocket of a purse or bag rather than loose in a larger bag. Less digging and quicker access. Also quicker than using a pen case, which adds to access time. I love the Pilot Vanishing Points and Pilot E95s for quick open-and-write. They do have a smaller ink capacity, but I rarely do long writing sessions with a purse pen. - Pam

This was great fun! Even better than cool or not cool, maybe. Helen is lovely, I enjoyed seeing and hearing more of her. And I agree on the Kaweko sport. I recently got the apricot, it's a bit iridescent too. Really love that little pen. Thanks HJ and Helen ❤️

Very fun video, and a very useful review. I had a feeling that the Benu and the iridescent Kaweco would come out well!

Btw one of the best pen videos I've seen in awhile

Lovely video as always Tim!

I love this video! You guys are so cute together in this video

My purse pen is the kaweco liliput, but mine is aluminum with a green finish (so it is much more light weight). I find myself wishing that it didn't take me so long to take the cap on and off. I would ideally want a vanishing point in the future. I think I would kill for the capless decimo in peridot. It is such a nice color.

I would worry about those flowers on the Benu getting broken if I just tossed it in a bag. I would definitely want to keep it in its own pocket or a case.

Pelikano jr in any bag for the win.

Very enjoyable video, thank you both. P.S. HJ I think this video may have been single-handedly responsible for the Benu Brown Orchid selling out on their site today. I bought one as soon as I saw it this morning, Sydney time. All nib sizes were available at the time. Fast forward a few hours later and all are out of stock 😃

I've got to say I dig the Pilot VP, and, since getting a Majohn A1, I totally get the ready availability. But a Kaweco Sport would be (is) my choice every time!

You sure have a lot of purses there, Helen. Do you match with them with the shoes you wear? Is that still a fashion thing? It used to be a while ago. If it is I might suggest matching the pen to the purse. Silver trimming on the bag, silver clip on the pen. Brown leather bag, a similar color in pen. One pen/pencil set I have in my collection came in a rather fancy plastic box. It looked like a tiny overnight bag. It even had a mirror on the top half of the hinged box. Only when I looked at the original price sticker did I realize that there were three things priced, the pen, the pencil and the “evening bag”, meaning the actual box (for one dollar). The box (purse) was turquoise plastic with brushed gold stars and trim. I wonder what the matching shoes looked like. I’ll send Hemingway a picture of the set. It cracks me up whenever I see it.

Helen, beautiful vintage handbag collection! I agree with you, the Kaweco is the perfect purse pen. Great top choice. 🎉

One of the best things about carrying a Benu Briolette in your purse; when you pull it out other people almost always thought you pulled out a fancy mascara. Then they go wide eyed when they see it’s your pen!

I love my Benu Earl Grey from Goulet Pens…my favorite tea 😊

Great video!!,

Such an adorable couple made for each other! LOVED THIS VIDEO!!! My E95S has finally shipped but I don’t have it yet to consider, but I agree with Helen’s thoughtful opinions. I love my Kaweco Sports and now want that luscious Pearl! Love Helen’s bags, too. QUESTION: does Helen ever use a pen case or pouch in her bags, ensure the pen is in a separate pocket, or always tosses a fountain pen in wherever it lands? I have some nice purses and would NEVER want any leakage or ink splats in them so I’m quite paranoid about carrying a fountain pen. Even when I used the Galen Leather 2-Kaweco Sport case it turned sideways and my pen burped a bit when I went to use it!. That being said, I have an admiration for little pens and have used the excuse to purchase “cute pens for my purse” on several occasions even though I don’t actually put them in my purse! Oops! Anyway, great job you two and the perfect subject for Helen’s input. She is a joy! P.S. I also love TWSBI Minis! Helen needs to test one of those!

Apparently you can fire blue pens yourself! I found a guide on how to do it on reddit, I think.

I would love to see Helen rate the best pens for a man to carry on a first date 😊

fun video, thanks for sharing

I carry my Benu, Brown Orchid … No scratches so it holds up well. I can always find it. I do have to check the ink every now and then but as long as it has the necessary ink I’m good..🥰 Always love seeing Helen and her great input, she brings so much to your videos.

Great video! I find myself with the opposite need - the right bag to carry pens and stuff in. The perfect setup would be a ballistic nylon messenger attache. I'd like exterior pockets for a large cell phone and quick-access EDC, and magnetic closure pockets would be perfect. Zipper would be OK, but velcro bugs me. Nothing says "marginalize me" quite like the flatulent rip of velcro in a board meeting. Got any recommendations for a good attache or briefcase?

I had a feeling she would choose that Kaweco also. The color just says Helen all over it.

A believe that purses and murses have a bit in common. Hongdian M2 for my pocket pen. Pilot metro for a goto anything pen. What is her take on journals/notepads? Pleased to meet you Mrs Jones.

I am afraid of taking my Glamour out in public! Especially to alternative school! The comments would be lewd and crude! Love my Lilliput fire ! I don't find it heavy and I added a clip to find it easier. I dont carry a "purse". I carry a teachery tote bag with a bag organizer shell inside. So any pen will do, however working with kids who have ankle monitors causes me to carry very inexpensive Chinese fountain pens such as the Shark. The rest are for home.

A cheap pen wins again! Yay!

Cool matches.

Loving the Tommy reference at the top.

I have a pencil (yes a pencil!), made from a bullet (like a contemporary Traveler's Company Pocket pencil), so perhaps the perfect purse pen would be shaped, or at least based upon, a lipstick!? 🙃

Hemingway gets so low-key triggered by her reviews, I can't watch enough of this video. You MUST film more with your wife!!! :)

Hey there, can you tell me which pen is featured in the video thumbnail? (The lever pen.) 😊 Thanks!

I dropped my E95S, soon after I bought it at the Scriptus pen show. I still need to send it off to a nibmeister. It was so beautiful to use and now the nib is bent! :'( Do you not use pen sleeves in your purse/bag?