What is the best pen shop online?

[Bisquitlips]

What do you think is the very best pen shop online? Please take into consideration price, website design, service, content, and inventory.

 

Also please give us a reason why you think it is the best and give us the link and not just a name or acronym. If you would like you can give us a site that deals in modern issues and a site that deals in vintage pens or both.

 

Ebay doesn't count as a pen shop.

 

I personally have to vote for Richard's Pens. www.richardspens.com. Both as a site that sells new and vintage, but more than anything else it is a great resource of knowledge, especially to someone like me that is rather new to serious pen collecting.

 

 

[Fountainbass]

My favorite site, simply due to the amount of useful information, is Richard's site. I visit it at least once a day! I've never seen a site that has so much wonderful information; it seems to answer just about any question I may have.

[JimCouch]

My favorite is http://www.nibs.com/, John Mottishaw's website. Great folks, great service, and great pens - what's not to love!

 

Jim Couch

[greencobra]

Swisher's for me. Light'n fast service, they answer e-mail within a couple of hours, jump through hoops to get what you want, prices not too out of line, you can find some bargains in the clearance section if you have the patience to wade through the many pages there, and the web site is pretty user friendly.

 

Fountain Pen Hospital runs a decent web site and they offer quick turn around of purchases. What I like most is the instant e-mailing of requested prices. No waiting around for days for someone to answer the mail and reply.

[PelikanPenman]

I would vote for Pam Braun's site (www.oscarbraunpens.com) for the simple reason of customer service

Edited October 14, 2007 by PelikanPenman

[tnt]

World-Lux, mainly because I can visit in person as well. It's not exactly next door but close enough I visit relatively often. I bought a Visconti Van Gosh there for less than I could find even on ebay, a beautiful blue midi with a fine NIB. For those that haven't had experience with the Van Gosh each pen is very unique and I was able to choose a pen that inspires me each time I pick it up and admire it. I'm getting off the subject here. The fact is it isn't a place I would look for insight or advice, and certainly no place for my vintage pen needs. They do have good prices and fast shipping, often free. Assuming a rating system of Broad to xfine, I would give it a fine rating. Of course, there is no bad NIB size, so whos to say what is the high and the low. Actually I think a rating system wouoldn't be a bad idea as many pens, inks, paper and various things are reviewed here.

[AndreaDuni]

My favourite shop online is not only one but a lot, depending on what I am buying.

If I am buying inks my favourite is The Writing Desk. They also have a good collection of papers, journals, pens, and other things.

If I am buying pens, I have two places: ebay shops and privates the whole europe, or Giardino Italiano for High Quality italian pens.

Edited October 14, 2007 by Netnemo

[joeycoleman]

Personally, I'm torn between The Writing Desk and Richard's Pens. The former I like because it's selection of ink is simply excellent (and, with my budget at the moment, all I can afford to look at ), and the selection of modern pens is good (and always improving). The latter, well, it's Richard's store: more information than you can shake a stick at, and the better-than-a-warranty knowledge that any pen you buy from there will have been checked by a nibmeister.

 

[Col]

I would vote for Pam Braun's site (www.oscarbraunspens.com) for the simple reason of customer service

Price and service maybe, but not web design, content or inventory.

 

[AndreaDuni]

I would vote for Pam Braun's site (www.oscarbraunspens.com) for the simple reason of customer service

 

I checked but the right url is http://www.oscarbraunpens.com. You have entered a s between braun and pens.

 

Anyway, the shop list is too simple...

[Ink Stained Wretch]

What do you think is the very best pen shop online?

I do almost all of my purchasing on line, the only exceptions have been what I've bought at the NY/NJ Pen Shows and one time at Art Brown's.

 

I have to say that some of my best experiences come from buying from individuals here in The Marketplace on FPN! Also the Zoss list.

 

I've had good experiences with Swisher's Pens, Pendemonium and Pear Tree Pens. And it's still possible that I'm leaving someone out.

[SamCapote]

In terms of buying: Pendemonium first, Swisher Pens second, Pear Tree third.

[PelikanPenman]

I would vote for Pam Braun's site (www.oscarbraunspens.com) for the simple reason of customer service

Price and service maybe, but not web design, content or inventory.

 

 

Dang Col, you sure are fiesty today. I do believe I said for the simple reason of customer service, did I say anything about web design, content or inventory? Geez some people just have to nitpick everything.

 

Netnemo - whoops, thanks for catching that error, fingers got away.

[guy]

Only need two sites for me... Richard's Pens and The Writing Desk.

 

[goodguy]

These site are recommended from personal experience.

Their service is excellent

The list is in no particulare order:

 

1.Avalon pens

http://www.avapen.com/

2.Specialize in Parker 51 but sells many other pens too

http://parker51.com/

3.MK pens from England

http://www.mkpens.co.uk/

4.I sell pens

http://www.isellpens.com/

5.Pam Brown

http://www.oscarbraunpens.com/

[CharlieB]

I've had great experiences from nearly every internet dealer that I've purchased from: Swisher, Binder, Mottishaw, Braun, Fountain Pen Hospital, Joon, World Lux, Parkville, Internet Pens, Ink Flow, and a few others who don't immediately come to mind.

 

What makes an internet pen dealer a good one? Here are some of my criteria...

1. Low prices. Nobody will argue with this being the most important.

2. An informative website with good photos and lots of information about the pens and available options. For example, if selling a Dupont Orpheo, state if it is the large size or the small size. If selling a Conway Stewart, state whether it is the cartridge/converter model or the button fill model.

3. Complete selection of available nibs, even if it means special ordering the less popular ones. Aurora, for example, sells a wide array of nibs for its pens, yet most online stores only offer the standard fine, medium, and broad nibs.

4. Easy checkout.

5. Fast shipping (which includes having the pen in stock unless it states explicitly on the site that the retailer will obtain the pen from the distributor AFTER the order is placed).

6. Friendly and helpful attitude.

7. Prompt resolution of problems (i.e., not simply pointing the customer to the manufacturer for problem solving).

Edited October 14, 2007 by CharlieB

[Col]

Price and service maybe, but not web design, content or inventory.

Dang Col, you sure are fiesty today.

Eh? I'm at a complete loss to see how you arrived at that conclusion, based on one simple, innocuous sentance.

 

I do believe I said for the simple reason of customer service, did I say anything about web design, content or inventory?

No, but Bisquitlip's question did: "Please take into consideration price, website design, service, content, and inventory."

 

Geez some people just have to nitpick everything.

That's quite uncalled for, I think.

[tamburlaine]

I've not used any nibmeisters so I can't choose any of them, but for me it's between two British websites:

 

The Writing Desk. Nice people, decent website and prices - and the place where I got my first ever 'expensive' pen. Also very good for inks. Anna and Martin always respond to emails quickly.

 

CyberPens.co.uk. Richie is a pure gent and his prices are very competitive (especially considering he is dealing in 'Rip-Off Britain! ) also very happy to answer emails quickly and politely.

 

I am a very satisfied customer of both sites.

 

Edited October 14, 2007 by patrick1314

[Ghost Plane]

The list narrows if you're a B nib lover. Many of the sites listed above rarely, if ever, have B nibs.

Pam the Pen Goddess Braun at the Oscar Braun site already listed - price, service and making "the Precious" aka my Yard O Led Grand possible

Fountain Pen Hospital for breadth of inventory and phenomenal sales prices, plus just about every ink and refill I could ever look for

JM Lewertoswki aka Pen Seller in France for a lot of my Carenes

Pear Tree Pens for the best prices I've ever found on Herbin ink

Pen Gallery for Marlens with a B nib and going the extra mile to work around my xenophobic ISP who regularly tries to block them from sending FedEx tracking info

[Bisquitlips]

I need to add one site as I am very partial to the Parker Vacumatics in the vintage category. www.(bleep).com

 

Mr. Issacson has fantastic descriptions on his pens and is a great resource for all around and verbose knowledge on great vintage pens. When I grow up, I wanna be Dave!

 

I enjoy going through his archives and just soaking it all in. Lots more on his site than just Vacumatics also. Just good stuff!