Traveling with pens can be tricky, and it's hard to know which ones will give you grief. In this post, I answer the question you've been asking: "Can I take my fountain pen on a plane?" I will also tell you my other stationery travel tips to keep your trip stress free!

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16 Comments

  1. I’m thinking about bringing my nib pen and a small bottle of ink with me on my carry on. Do you think that would be alright?

    1. As long as the ink is sealed up tight, it should be fine! If you want to be extra sure, though, you could put it in a ziplock bag.

  2. I have had many issues with fountain pens leaking and I solved the problem with a short piece of PVC pipe that has a cap glued on one end and a tight fitting cap on the other end. I carry my pens in these and have never had an issue since – since = 30 years and lots of air miles.

  3. This post was incredibly useful!! Thank you so much.

    1. Little Coffee Fox Team says:

      I’m so glad it was helpful for you Tara! Better than finding out the hard way, right?

  4. Will I have problems with my Aurora Sole 88 and Sheaffer PFM pens when I am traveling on a plane? Thanks.

    1. Hello Norman! I’m afraid that I have never used those particular pens before, so I don’t have any firsthand knowledge of how they behave in flight. However, I think it’s always a good idea to be cautious with all fountain pens since the ink is more liquidy than typical pens! I would suggest you either carry your pens in a plastic bag or empty them of ink completely before the flight and fill them again when you arrive at your destination. I hope that helps!

  5. Nathalie S says:

    My TOMBOW FUDENOSUKE BRUSH PENS did not do so hot on my plane ride. The ink bubbled out and still was leaking afterwards. It it worth noting that I was traveling to Peru (high altitude). I was thinking about taking my pens to Scotland this May & your post gave some great advice. Thanks!

    1. Little Coffee Fox Team says:

      Oh no Nathalie! Sorry to hear about your Tombows 🙁

  6. Hi! I was wondering if you had all of your pens in the hand luggage or the checked-in bag? And aren’t liquids supposed to be in a separate ziploc (like cosmetics)? I always worry about what I should put in the liquids’ bag.

    1. Hey there, Alex! I kept my pens in my carry-on bag. Liquids are supposed to be in a separate bag like you said, but I figured something so small as a pen barrel would go unnoticed. And I was right! I suppose a TSA agent could technically seize it, but it would have to be a pretty persnickety agent to get in a huff over something as small as that. I hope that helps!

  7. Sorry my comment is so far after your original post but I just found your blog last month. As someone who doesn’t fly much but lives at a mile high in Denver, CO I often face pen troubles of all kinds from leaking to goopy clogging due to altitude changes. Even a day trip to the foothills for an outdoor art session can be enough to make an inky mess in my bag. Thank for your care in preparing this article. I always recommend the plastic baggie just to be safe.

    1. Little Coffee Fox Team says:

      Thanks for reading Jamie! It’s amazing how a little change in altitude makes a mess of them, isn’t it?

  8. I just wanted to add that I once brought Pigma Microns onto a very high altitude flight, and they ended up leaking quite a bit. It was only one of the pens for some reason – the 0.3 – but I felt it worthy of mentioning just in case.

    1. Thank you so much for sharing that Sarah. It’s really good to know that even though I didn’t have any problems with the microns, you may still want to reconsidering bringing them on a plane!

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