Hi everyone,
I am leaving for spring break tomorrow and will be traveling with my family to Charleston, SC. We've been there numerous times, but have never taken the time to look for pen shops. I know there is a Mont Blanc store there (I bought my first FP there) but I am wondering if there are any other shops. I've been saving up my money and would like to commemorate the trip, as well as switching my academic major, by buying a new FP. Any suggestions would be helpful.
Cheers,
Thornton

Thornton;

Have a great time in one of my favorite places. Don't know about pen shops... but I've never had a bad time at 82 Queen or Garibaldis'..........of course I was with about 8-12 golfing friends...with which a trailer and a couple of bottles of scotch would make for a perfectly wonderful evening

fyi...the last time I was at 82 Queen, I asked the bartender why SC still had the "airplane bottles" of liquor..... he smiled and said "5 cent tax on the bottle no matter what size". May have changed in the last few years, but really......ENJOY!!! Great Place!!

Peter

Mmmm I'm sure I'll be visiting Garibaldis'. I've never stayed at 82 Queen, but I've been inside and it's beautiful. I'm glad there's another fan of the city here.

Used to live there...
There was a small shop in Charletson Place that carried new pens and of course, the antique shops down King St. (and an art supply shop on King as well). Maybe an MB store somewhere downtown as well, if I remember correctly.

Hey Thornton -

Charleston is one of the quintessential Southern cities - graceful, mannered, cultured - and the town has a young social scene. It's like New Orleans without that fourth cocktail. I like the Market Pavillion Hotel.

What's your budget, and what's your new major?

My budget is $300 (takes a long time for a college student to save up that much ). My new major is Arts Administration with a concentration in Theatre. Basically, I will be learning the business side of the performing arts and hope to get a job at a theatre after graduation.

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My budget is $300 ... My new major is Arts Administration with a concentration in Theatre.
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Hey Thornton -

I really can't think of a good themed fountain pen that would commemorate a trip to Charleston. There are a couple of Classic Pens based on silver guilloche modified Sheaffer designs that are named for Civil War capitals like Washington and Richmond - but not for Charleston. The Citadel does not have a commemorative fountain pen (you really should tour the campus and watch a full dress parade of cadets - schedule here - http://pao.citadel.edu/parade ).

David Oscarson makes a theatre themed pen - the Pierrot & Pierrette pen - but for that you need to have won your first Tony Award.

If your new college colors fall within the range on Conklin's Jockey Club Series (blue/white, green/white, black/white, yellow/brown) then you could buy one of their striking fountain pens. The Conklins are within your college budget too.

With all of Charleston's great antique shops, why not look for an old inkwell in one of the stores on King Street? I think the Montblanc Boutique is on King Street as well - maybe a pen case or one of Montblanc's small pocket notepads.

Have fun in Charleston.

I will keep the Conklins in mind. My parents are go to all the antique shops on King Street so I will be sure to be on the lookout for vintage pens/inkwells. I have been to the Citadel and the parade and I was amazed. Thanks again everyone for your advice. Hope to get some more opinions.

Are you a native Hoosier, or in Indiana for college?

My parents (from Indiana) and my two sisters' families (from Indiana and Ohio) came down and we all spent Thanksgiving week in the Charleston area. When we used to live in Columbia, my wife and I would often spend the weekend in Charleston. So, I have many fond memories of the city.

I have only seen the Mont Blanc boutique, as far as pen shops go, but I am not usually looking for pens or pen stuff when I am there. I hope you have a great time!

Hey, even if you don't find a pen while you are there, you can still pick something up later that will still be thematically tied to the trip and your major change. For something this special you don't want to settle on something just to make a purchase.

Yes, I definitely want this to be a special purchase so I will be taking my time. I'm a Hoosier through and through but Charleston is like a second home. Glad to hear so many people have enjoyed their time there.

Well my trip to Charleston proved to be a success. I didn't think I was going to find a pen, but I stumbled upon an art supply store that carried Lamys. I wound up buying a Logo in stainless steel and black with a fine nib, and a Tri-Pen in matte black. I had planned on purchasing a Twin, but I decided to get the Tri-Pen because it was in stock. I really enjoyed the trip, ate too much, and got some pens to commemorate the experience.