Visit to Fountain Pen Hospital

[PatientType]

Fountain Pen Hospital

 

It's located on a narrow, dusty looking street with dun colored buildings. The block has more warehouses than stores. The first thing to catch your eye from a block away is the blue awning with white letters that read "Fountain Pen Hospital."

 

As you approach the store you will see a display window glowing with Christmas-like splendor. But in this store, every day is Christmas and the toys in the window aren't for little boys and girls. No Legos here. Nothing from Hasbro. Not one miniature train. Instead there is an exquisite Omas fountain pen, black with silver trim. And there above it is a white porcelain Pelican with a collector's edition Pelikan fountain pen protruding from his beak like a tie dyed cigar. I see a Dumas and there is a display from Cartier.

 

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There was no doubt in my mind that this was a place for the serious fountain pen collector. As one enters, the store opens up like the grotto of the Carlsbad Caverns. The shop has dozens of small spotlights illuminating hundreds of pens with sparkling barrels and gleaming gold and silver nibs. The selection is broad and varied. Fountain Pen Hospital, like Art Brown, is international in scope with all the familiar European, Japanese, and American companies represented. The store carries and displays pens that cost five figures as well as some steel nib American-made pens.

 

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As I browsed and examined each pen customers came and left. One opted for a Pelikan Sovereign 600 over the 800 he'd set aside earlier. He nervously glanced my way with a glazed look and speaking more to himself than to me said, "I really like them both. Aren't they something?" He didn't wait for an answer, but turned back to the sales person and said he'd take "that one." Another had questions about the release of a special edition pen. The clerk didn't need to check a reference. "That'll be out in August," he said. The third, flitting in from one of the office buildings a few blocks away, grabbed a bottle of ink.

 

The back of the store had a pen repair shop. The clerk explained that they repair vintage pens. The store also has a nice collection of vintage pens for sale. There seemed to be all varieties but quite a number of American vintage represented. I spent more than a little time staring down into the dozens of pens in a counter back near the ink shelves. It was the Super Special counter and some of the prices were very attractive.

 

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While Fountain Pen Hospital stocks a very good variety of ink, their selection was less than 1/3 that of Art Brown. Not to be out done, Fountain Pen Hospital also has their own, exclusive Noodler's ink. It is Manhattan Blackest Black. It is labeled "eternal" but is sold in 3 oz bottles and at the same price as non-permanent ink. I left with more than one bottle.

 

Fountain Pen Hospital is about 1/2 the size of Art Brown so they don't have as much room for things like calligraphy supplies, notebooks or disposable pens. The shop does carry some nice (and pricey) wooden pen cases, some desktop pen holders, and some books.

 

Staff at the Fountain Pen Hospital are knowledgeable and friendly. The store is open Mondays through Fridays (closed weekends) and located at 10 Warren Street, New York, NY. The location is near City Hall and an easy walk from the World Trade Center site, PATH train and subway stations. I would recommend Fountain Pen Hospital as a do-not-miss for anyone visiting New York City that really loves fountain pens.

[kazoolaw]

What a nice story, with excellent pictures too.

Thank you,

gary

[kaisede]

nice pictures, it is on my list to visit them.

[scutterdav]

I stopped by there earlier today. This is one thing I'll miss about New York City. Their selection of vintage pens is pretty good. They have a ton of vintage stuff tucked away in drawers behind the counter and not on display. Needless to say the vintage section of the store is my favorite. The staff there is friendly too.

[bdanh1989]

I want to ask about some pen in store. But i'm living in other country, not United States. So Please chat for me. tks you.

[jjlax10]

You can contact them directly they ship worldwide.

[bitterwonder]

They certainly have a price point vor every pocket. Thank goodness they are here.

[sd10521]

Dealing with them on line is very pleasant too.

I bought a few pens from them over the last year and one had a skipping problem, They asked for a writing sample and to send it in.

It came back faster than I expected and writes very well.

I really have to take a week day off and visit them.

[JDV]

I've found them a bit pricey over the years. Good selection and knowledgeable staff, no question. But no bargains.

[fountainpenlady]

Thank You. One more reason to visit home. I had forgotten. Still miss Joon, but Fountain Pen Hospital seems very much worth the return. On my short list. I seem to remember they perhaps were not always in this location. Perhaps my imagination, but I recall them being near Bloomingdale's upstairs. I recall you could leave Joon and you could also visit the FPH in less than two minutes if you got the light, as it was located across the street. Thanks for the virtual experience. Much enjoyed.

Edited April 18, 2015 by fountainpenlady

[Freddy]

After visiting...we mosey on over to Chatham Square..and decide where to eat....

 

Original address...iirclearly..141 Fulton St.......

 

For anyone interested..on New York Originals.. with host Jamie McDonald

Fountain Pen Hospital...url to follow..................................................................

 

Fred

[ink-syringe]

My hometown. I miss it. I visit and often shop there when I get home. Last time I was there (last summer) there was a lot of construction blocking their entrance.

 

I have a coupon I am holding onto for the next trip.

[nibbling]

Thank you for this! It looks amazing.

[EAOrlando]

Always great place to visit, and even greater now with the addition of Marilyn and one or two others from the late, great, Art Brown shop holding court there regularly, I stop in once every month or so to see what's new in the "Back Room" and "Vintage Pen" sections. Just a few blocks from the new World Trade Center site and its Memorial, it should be on every pen lovers 'bucket list'!

[inkstainedruth]

For the last two-three years, I try to make it there when I'm in NYC visiting the in-laws over Thanksgiving or Christmas. Last time I was there I picked up three bottles of ink (like I really needed more ink... ). I got three bottles: Noodler's Henry Hudson Blue (which is exclusive to them), Noodler's Walnut, and Montblanc Lavender Purple. I also looked at a few pens while I was there, (but found they weren't quite to my liking -- the Mabie Todd Grammercy in particular was too heavy a pen for its girth, sadly).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

 

ETA: It just occurred to me now, but I wonder if the addition of Marilyn Brown to their staff is partly the reason that FPH now carries some of the former Art Brown exclusive Noodler's inks, including Manhattan Blue (which is one of my most favorite blue inks on the entire planet ). It certainly is a relief to me that NMB is still available!

Edited April 21, 2015 by inkstainedruth

[JDV]

Now that Joon is gone, and that other place in Midtown (a few blocks down from the diamond district, Art Browns?), is the FPH the only game left in town?

Or are there any others?

[Parker51]

It is sadly the only store, not only in Manhattan, but in the entire New York metropolitan area. At this point it appears that no U.S. city can support more than one Pen Store, and some cities not one, or at least not a full service store.

[JDV]

It is sadly the only store, not only in Manhattan, but in the entire New York metropolitan area. At this point it appears that no U.S. city can support more than one Pen Store, and some cities not one, or at least not a full service store.

Now that,truly, is a shame. Or is it an opportunity for someone in ny?

[EstelleS]

Unfortunately, probably not. Rent costs in Manhattan are just too high. I can think of at least five stores in Manhattan that had significant pen inventory which over the last decade have had to close because of rent issues. Joon and Art Brown were the most significant but there were also several stationers on Madison Avenue that have been forced out of business or had to move to much smaller locations when leases came up for renewal. FPH has been able to survive because the owners of the store also own the building that the store is located in. Hopefully, they will still be there for some time to come.

[stevesurf]

Nice thread here started in 2009; I love visiting FPH and ironically I did yesterday. The nice gent there that I had ironically spoken to two weeks ago during the "Frenzy" also found a Platinum Fujin Raijin (The Wind God and the Thunder God) in F nib that would always sell out. Great price and I am thankful he showed me as I would not have known about it by just browsing web stores.

 

They also got in the new Herbin 1670 Bleu Ocean and MB JFK ink as well.

 

Their shop is really big for a speciality store in Manhattan, and they keep a Nice inventory. Highly recommended!