In this video I’m talking about flying with fountain pens—specifically, how I do it and the five tips I stick to so I don’t end up with an inky mess in my bag. I get asked this a lot (both on the channel and in the stationery shop where I often work): “Can I fly with my fountain pens?” My answer is yes… as long as you take a few simple precautions and accept that none of this is gospel. My first two tips are the basics: if you can, travel with empty pens (especially if you don’t want to risk it), and if you are travelling with inked pens, keep them as full as possible so there’s less air to expand at altitude. After that, I get into what actually works for me in practice: using pens with shut-off valves (think Pilot Custom 823 / Opus 88 style setups), keeping pens in hand luggage (not checked), and storing them upright during the flight. Finally, I add the extra layer that’s made travel stress-free for me: a simple ziplock bag. I’ll put my pens in the bag, squeeze the air out, seal it, roll it up, and then keep it upright in a pen case in the seat pocket. I flew a lot (close to 50 flights in 2025) and I’ve basically had no leaks—maybe a drop on a nib once or twice—so for me, this is entirely plausible.