These are not necessary, but they are nice to have. They are small portable laptop desks that can hold paper, envelopes, ink, nibs, etc inside and can be carried inside or out for easier writing. You can even take it camping with you for your nature journaling!
I have already started to accumulate a small writing desk for each of my children, and to buy ink (all different colors) and the pens and nibs and stationary so each child will have their own *set* to take with them when they are grown and married. This will be a part of their Hope Chests, and yes even my boys will have a Hope Chest!
Along with the writing desk and all the goodies inside, they will leave home with the ability to write nice legible letters and have the skill to earn some extra money by doing Calligraphy for others. (I have seen several wonderful home businesses set up around Calligraphy, and I will go into that in another article) Birthdays and of course Christmas are wonderful times to add to their collection, and this is actually not expensive if you buy a little at a time, or are able to buy items when on sale and put aside for gifts later.
Nice handwriting may not be something that is really important to many people today, especially in this age of computers and printers. But it's a *hidden gift* that I can send off with my children, and through that *hidden gift* I hope they can bless others someday, if only because their nice, pretty handwriting makes someone smile...
Each writing desk or chest will be different. A writing chest usually holds the ink down inside with a tray that fits over the ink to hold the nibs and pens in. There is no place for paper with these types of chests however, so keep this in mind when you choose your writing desk or chest.
A writing desk is usually a smallish box with a lift up lid. Beneath the lid you can place your full-sized paper, ink, nibs and pens. It is small enough to be portable, sturdy enough to withstand moving from place to place, and it is large enough to place on your lap for writing on. Many writing desks will have a slant to the top lid, for easier writing. Some may have a fold out or fold down writing surface, and you will need to have a tabletop available to use the desk.
Before you purchase or make a writing desk or chest (yes! they are VERY simple to make and most boys who enjoy woodworking can have one finished in an hour or two) consider what you will be using the desk or chest for. If it is only to be used for storing the ink, pens and nibs consider something smaller with a tray or separate compartments inside. If you are interested in storing everything including the paper, you can make your chest larger with possibly a liftout section that the paper sits on and the ink and writing instruments beneath. If you would like a combination of storage and writing surface, an actual writing desk would be to your advantage. Decide whether you would like one that has a slant to the top or one that lays flat. Would you like a fancy one that pulls up and out? Would you like padding inside? Red velvet was the common lining of most writing desks long ago. So take time to consider what your needs are, and what style you would like before taking the plunge. There are online sites where you can purchase writing desks and chests, but they can be very pricey. The other alternative is to find a style you like and either make it yourself or hire a woodworker to make one for you.
Will you personalize the desk or chest? It has always been customary for the owner's to place either their initials or full names on or inside the top of the chest. Even today, antique writing desks and chests surface with more than just the initials or names - often with interesting information written inside as well. There are many writing desks that have belonged to famous military men that are highly prized now because they took the time to place their names, dates of battles and other information beneath the lid of the chest or desk. For your children and grandchildren, you can create a living legacy for them by writing, etching or burning information beneath the lids...