Pen, Ink, And Paper Shopping In San Francisco

[DilettanteG]

I'm off to Union Square in San Francisco tomorrow and am hoping to do some shopping. I'd appreciate any suggestions on finding good pen, ink, and paper stores. Both Crane's and Stylo Pens have closed , so I suppose that only leaves Montblanc?

 

I should add that I'll be on foot, so I'll only be able to get to places via walking or public transport.

 

(Apologies if I've got this posted in the wrong forum.)

Edited September 12, 2010 by DilettanteG

[1point1mm]

Maybe try perusing Flax Art & Design on Market Street and Valencia.

 

 

[DilettanteG]

Maybe try perusing Flax Art & Design on Market Street and Valencia.

 

 

 

 

Cool! What exactly do they sell?

 

I'm also thinking about Paper Whirl. Apparently they sell Crane's, but not pens or ink.

 

 

[Bearcat]

Get to Flax...Take a streetcar down Market.

[gregamckinney]

No pens or ink, but for a paper dreamland, check out the Kinokuniya Store in Japan Town.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kinokuniya-stationery-and-gift-san-francisco

 

Check the mnemosyne notebooks. They are fantastic.

 

Regards, greg

[kernando]

Flax Art and Design sells art and design stuff. But for you, that means they have a pen counter, a shelf of ink with a book of color samples, including PR and Diamine, wax and seals, and more paper than you can look at. It's up Market from Union Square.

 

Maido across Market in the formerly Emporium Capwell side of the shopping center and up on the 4th floor under the dome is like Kinokuniya but for grown ups and the guy at the counter knows how to dip pens to try. At Kinokuniya, they (the almost-teenybopper girls) used to keep a Pilot Capless sitting around in a cup of water. Maido carries the big 3. Kinokuniya seems to carry models only from Pilot. They'll sell you Platinum Preppies and ink cartridges from all 3 though.

[voop]

Flax Art and Design sells art and design stuff. But for you, that means they have a pen counter, a shelf of ink with a book of color samples, including PR and Diamine, wax and seals, and more paper than you can look at. It's up Market from Union Square.

 

Paper - yes.

 

Ink - some.

 

Pens - very few.

 

At least, last I was there a couple of months ago, their pen-counter was remarkably empty, and the employee I spoke to confirmed that they were running "low on pens" and she didn't know if it was accidental or intentional.

 

Just FYI - others may have more recent info.

[Jerome Tarshis]

If DilettanteG lives near Fahrney's or Art Brown, then no, alas, there aren't so many pens at Flax. There are, however, incomparably more than she would have found at Crane, and regardless of numbers in stock, it's a far better place for pens than Stylo was. Stylo was an all-round disappointing experience. It is *ink* that Flax is really low on. To judge from her postings, DilettanteG is quite well stocked with ink herself.

 

Paper, more than yes. The paper department at Flax is a fantasyland.

 

There is also, as another member has pointed out, Maido, which offers some Japanese pens not commonly available outside Japan. The company is related to Kinokuniya. Its selection of FPs is skewed toward the higher end, although it does have some moderately-priced pens. Speaking broadly, it isn't a shop that goes in for the cheap-and-fun sector of the fountain pen market. Far from the FP counterpart of Sanrio.

[DilettanteG]

Thanks everyone! Those are certainly two shops I wouldn't have found on my own, and yet close enough that I should be able to get there without too much trouble. I suspect I'll run out of energy well before I run out of pens.

[PatientType]

It's pretty sparse in the SF Bay Area. There's Castle in the Air in Berkeley... They have some Pelikans, and maybe four or five other fountain pen brands ... not entire lines of pens but a fair representation.

 

Frankly, given the thin fountain pen resources in our area, one can get a much better selection of fountain pens and much better prices on line. Literally all of my new pen purchases have been from on line pen stores like Pam Baun, WorldLux, and from FPN vendors like Jim Sanders at Pooh Corner Pens, Dennis Bowden at Parkerville Pen, and some others. When I visit New York I always visit a brick and mortar pen shop. But, not in San Francisco.

Edited September 13, 2010 by PatientType

[Deirdre]

MaiDo is also a good choice, it's on the block cattycorner to the Metreon opposite the 5th and Mission garage.

[DilettanteG]

I've had to post pone my trip, so if there are any additions to the above suggestions I'd love to hear them. I can probably expand my shopping area too, as I'll probably have access to a car next time.It sounds like New York is more of a pen shopping nirvana. I may have to find a way to get over there too.

[rwilsonedn]

While we are on the subject, what ever happened to the wonderful little fountain pen shop that used to be in the office building facing Union Square?

ron

[Jerome Tarshis]

It closed several years ago. Well before the present economic downturn. All kinds of retail businesses are marginal, and a dedicated pen shop is probably more marginal than most. Even without any general contraction of the economy, such as we had in 1981-82 and just now, not to ignore the stock-market disaster in 1987, pen shops aren't easy.

 

There is also the possibility that the woman who operated the shop decided that it wasn't enough fun any more: that's another thing that happens to small businesses. It happens with artists and writers, too: even if one is doing a little better than break even, it can seem that the effort is too great when compared with the rewards.

[kernando]

I only made it into golden Gate Pen Shop once, so these days I wish I had gone back to buy.

 

Dilettante, when? Posse?

 

While I'm at it, I should be in DC at the end of the month, but with only two complete days. I have to find my way to Fahrney's, right? I was in DC in '99, but that was a school trip so I couldn't get away from silly adult supervision.

 

And in Philadelphia, pen people go to the cigar stores?

[Monophoto]

There is a store in the "Santanna Row" shopping center in the nnyvale/Santa Cruz area that has a fairly extensive collection of pens. I don't recall the name of the store - but it's next to Sur le Table (the cookware store).

[Deirdre]

I believe that's also MaiDo.

[rwilsonedn]

Jerome:

Thanks for the information. I thought that Golden Gate was a pretty unique place, and I miss it. I guess I didn't get there often enough to help.

ron

[1point1mm]

There is a store in the "Santanna Row" shopping center

That's a heckt[ar] of a place I must say. We used to hang out there on the weekends!

 

http://www.santanarow.com/

 

And MAIDO

 

http://www.maidostat...tore/index.html

 

Isn't there also a store in SFO called NBC Stationery & Gift?

 

Hope the links works.

Edited September 15, 2010 by 1point1mm

[ethernautrix]

Yeah, DillyG, give us a heads up and we'll Posse up!