Blog · Everyday Carry
Altoids Tin EDC Kit: A Pen Company Makes a Better Tin
A Kaweco pen tin, a little narrower and longer than an Altoids tin, holds a writing kit better. I built mine as an emergency kit for the car or a backpack, not for daily carry.
The short answer
A pen tin beats an Altoids tin for a writing kit. The tin I used comes with Kaweco's metal pens, so it isn't technically an Altoids tin, but it is a similar size. It's a little narrower and obviously a little longer, which I think suits pens and writing tools better.
I don't see it as my everyday carry. I see it as an emergency kit that lives in my car or one of my backpacks. Here is what I put in it and what I learned.
Why I tried it
I've started to see a lot more of these little Altoids kits, and I haven't really carried these with me, but I thought it was an interesting idea. How compact can I go with my little kit? This doesn't have to be the kit that I use every single day, and it doesn't have to be the only kit I own.
A tin kit has to be compact and still hold the right amount of tools. I already carry a pocket kit with different writing tools that lets me do the creative things I want to do on the go. I wanted to recreate that in something smaller.
The full video shows every item coming out of the tin.
What fits in the tin
Everything nestles in nicely, and everything has a purpose. Here is the full kit:
| Item | What it does | Why it made the cut |
|---|---|---|
| Sticky notes | Notes to myself, marking up books | Mark things and hold pages for later |
| Fisher Bullet Space Pen | Reliable ballpoint | Always ready to write when I need it |
| Traveler's Company Brass Fountain Pen with a Kaweco Perkeo All Black nib | Fountain pen | Gives me flexibility the ballpoint doesn't have |
| Tom's Studio mini fountain pen ink, black | Ink for the fountain pen | Fits in the tin next to the pen |
| STABILO point 88 Mini (green and black) | Fine liner | Writing, sketching, boxes, underlining |
| Midori Join Dots Connecting Marker | Dots, highlighting, underlining | Flexible, from my spares |
| Blackwing pencil (half) | Pencil | Very compact |
| Book Darts Line Markers | Page marking | They take zero space |
| SOG PowerPint Multi-Tool | Scissors, pliers, knives | Tools I otherwise wouldn't have |
| Rubber band | Holds the lid area secure | Useful on its own too |
Best for a writing kit: the Kaweco pen tin, because its extra length suits pens and writing tools.
The picks that surprised me
I was able to fit one of the STABILO minis, and I think that was a great tool to have in the tin because I like fine lines a lot. I use it to create boxes and underline things.
The fountain pen is a Traveler's Company fountain pen with a Kaweco nib. It changes the look of the pen a bit, and it looks really cool. To pair with it, I brought home the tiniest little bottle of ink from Tom's Studio from a trip to the UK.
It fits perfectly in the tin.
The Midori Join Dots are very flexible. You can do dots with them, you can highlight, and you can even underline if you catch the edge.
Best for fine lines: the STABILO point 88 Mini. Best for a tiny fountain pen setup: the Tom's Studio mini ink bottle.
What I left out, on purpose
I don't have any paper in the tin because I usually have a notebook with me. I do have a pen with me a lot of the time, but the tin gives me the flexibility the pen I carry doesn't have.
I used a half Blackwing because it is compact, and this is an emergency kit, not something I carry all the time. The half pencil fit the bill.
The multi-tool goes in last
I wanted something to cut paper. I could have fit a couple of the mini scissors I have lying around my office, but the SOG PowerPint felt like the right tool for the job.
It's compact enough to fit, and it gives me tools in case I don't have my actual multi-tool on my belt, in my pocket, or in my backpack.
The scissors are maybe not as comfortable or premium as dedicated scissors, but they do the job. I also get pliers and knives that I otherwise wouldn't have. It takes quite a bit of space, so it goes in last.
I'm still able to fit everything comfortably.
The noise test
One of the main things I wanted was for the tin to be as quiet as possible. It's a metal tin with metal pens and other tools in it. It still rattles some if I shake it in certain directions, but it's relatively quiet for the tools inside.
That's the honest tradeoff of a metal tin full of metal tools. If silence matters more than anything, use a pouch.
Who should build one
Build it if you want a backup kit that stays in the car or a backpack. Skip it if you need a daily carry, where a pouch is the better fit.
I'd like to know what you think I'm missing. My full carry shows how this fits with the rest of what I carry.
The gear worth a look
- Altoids tin: The tin that inspired the idea, though the longer, narrower Kaweco tin suited pens better.
- STABILO point 88 Mini: A fine liner for boxes, underlining, and sketching, packed in green and black.
- Fisher Bullet Space Pen: The reliable all-around pen that is always ready to write.
- Traveler's Company Brass Fountain Pen: The fountain pen in the kit, fitted with a Kaweco nib.
- Perkeo All Black: Source of the black nib I swapped onto the Traveler's Company fountain pen.
- Tom's Studio mini fountain pen ink, black: The tiniest bottle of ink, and it fits perfectly in the tin next to the pen.
- Midori Join Dots Connecting Marker: Flexible enough to dot, highlight, and underline if you catch the edge.
- Book Darts Line Markers: They mark a page and take zero space.
- SOG PowerPint Multi-Tool: Adds scissors, pliers, and knives for the emergency purpose of the kit.
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Related reading
- What I Actually Carry My EDC Stationery In (And Why)
- Lochby Mini Field Journal vs. Paper Republic Grand Voyageur
- Travel Stationery Pouch: Inside My ALPAKA Tech Case
Frequently Asked Questions
What is better than an Altoids tin for an EDC pen kit?
The tin that comes with Kaweco's metal pens. It is a little narrower and longer than an Altoids tin, which suits pens and writing tools better.
Is an Altoids tin kit good for everyday carry?
For me it works better as an emergency kit than a daily one. It's a kit I can leave in the car or a backpack, while I still carry a separate pocket kit day to day.
Does a metal tin of pens rattle?
A little. Mine still rattles if I shake it in certain directions, but it is relatively quiet for the metal pens and tools inside.
Why include a multi-tool in a pen tin?
The SOG PowerPint Multi-Tool gives me scissors, pliers, and knives when my main multi-tool is not with me. It takes quite a bit of space, so I pack it last.