Protection

[sammy]

What is the best way to protect a pen when sending by post. Is a jiffy bag good enough or are there any tubes available at a decent price. I should hate to send a pen out only to have it snapped in half by poor handling. I would be interested to know what experienced pen turners use to pack their pens for posting.
Regards
George

 

[Walter]

It all comes down to how careful (or not) the courier/postie is with your package.

At very least it needs to withstand falling from a letterbox onto a hard floor so for me a jiffy bag on its own is not enough.

My pens are all sent out in a cardboard box with padding inside which is then packed into a jiffy bag. A cheap plastic tube like these from Vince at Turner's workshop would provide extra protection inside a jiffy bag:

10 X Crystal Clear Display Tube - TTW Pen Display Range - Pen Display Range - Shop

Another idea would be to use a small postal tube with the pen wrapped in bubble wrap:

Cardboard Postal Tubes - Buy Poster Tubes from Kite Packaging

Others may have better ideas.

 

[fortress]

I use small Jiffy bags George, the pens are inside string velvet bags inside Jiffy bags.
I normally send one pen at a time, sometimes two, they are very light weight. But of course, it's up to you what you yourself use.

 

[sammy]

Thanks Walter, cardboard tube in a jiffy bag looks promising.
George

 

[sammy]

Hi John, Do I take it that you have had no problems with damage despite only using a jiffy bag. It would be nice if that was the case, have you posted many. Perhaps I'm over thinking it.
Thanks
George

 

[Walter]

99% of the time a jiffy bag on its own will probably be OK, but I have had pens posted to me that have arrived poking out of the jiffy bag and in one case an empty jiffy bag that had once held a pen. I have also had acrylic blanks arrive broken because the single layer of bubble wrap in a jiffy bag was not enough to provide protection.

John's idea of using velvet bags will provide a bit more protection but I would be tempted to look at something stronger if you want to be "belt and braces" sure that your pen will arive intact.

 

[fortress]

I have had no issues whatsoever (up to now ) and yes I have posted many pens this way. check it out, post one to yourself.

 

[fortress]

But for your own peace of mind George, if in doubt, Walter's way is prudent.

 

[Walter]

99% of the time a jiffy bag on its own will probably be OK

I have had no issues whatsoever (up to now ) and yes I have posted many pens this way.

But for your own peace of mind George, if in doubt, Walter's way is prudent.

It's all down to how sure you want to be. Just adding extra bubble wrap inside the jiffy bag would double the protecton.

 

[sammy]

Thank you both for your comments. Because I'm a bit of an old worry guts I will use a jiffy bag and some extra bubble wrap.
Regards and thanks
George

 

[Phil Dart]

I think a lot of it depends on how much you've paid for the jiffy bag in the first place. Jiffy is a trade name as I'm sure you know, but very few padded bags bags I see are actually made made by them, which have a shredded fibre padding as opposed to a bubble wrap. Bubble wrap lined bags are made by people like Sealed Air, Bubble Lined, Air Pro, - there are loads of them. But I always buy the "plus" versions which have a much thicker "outer" to them. A lot of the problem is not necessarily to do with the padding on the inside, its to do with the envelope that holds it together on the outside.

If the pen I'm sending is in a hard case of the sort that holds the pen securely, I'm perfectly happy to send it in a "plus" grade of bag, even overseas, without any extra protection at all. If the pen is not in a case, I have lengths foam edge protectors for furniture. It's an L shaped profile, which I cut to length. Pop the pen in a sleeve and then inside the foam protector and squeeze the two arms of the L together. Put a rubber band around it, then put the whole thing in the bag. Job done.

 

[Penpal]

Anyone who receives a pen sent by post has a task to unwrap it on arrival. A most satisfying method I use is gaffer tape and the semi hard foam that weighs a feather used by campers as an underlay. I have used this for years with 100% success. It is weight that costs this is saving and strong as. The last big mat I am currently using is a super light weight one sold to put on floors.

Peter.

 

[wm460]

I put the pen in the pouch or case, then wrap it in this foam the put it in the padded bag.

EPE Foam Roll - Expanded Polyethylene

 

[GSteer]

After a few bad experiences receiving vintage pens in the post that have literally been thrown into a padded bag and crushed/damaged in transit I won't be taking the risk. Rigid cardboard box or nothing, either inside a padded bag or as the outside container. Postal services simply don't care and you have to expect the package to be treated in the roughest manner you can imagine.

 

[sammy]

Thank you all for your input. It is now clear that there isn't a bag, box or tube that is used by the majority of pen turnovers. I will now probably use a good quality jiffy type bag with a couple of pieces of foam and a bit of extra bubble wrap. That should foil even the most dastardly of delivery folk.
Regards
George

 

[Bill Mooney]

I wraps my pens in bubble wrap &I put inside a Jiffy bag & & if the Jiffy bag is big enough I fold the bag over leaving enough room for the address & postage label. This gives a bit more protection.