Pens Shops in Philadelphia

[Philly Rider]

Hello. Is anyone aware of FP shops in and around the Philadelphia, Pa. area? Thanks.

[ProfMike]

Hi!

 

I'm in Delaware and am wondering the same thing. The only thing I know of that might qualify is Paradise Pen at the King of Prussia Mall. It's not my idea of a great pen shop, but at least you can see a pen up-close-and-personal and try it out... before nipping out and getting it at a much better price from one of our trusted, reliable online stores or a nibmeister.

 

Hopefully there are some more Philly people that can give us some insider info. Not that I have anything against Philadelphia, but everytime I go up there, I manage to get horribly lost! Yeah, I did get to the Philly Pen Show a few weeks ago, but I had to drag along another couple that I used as spotters. Even with three of us (all relatively-intelligent professors ) it took four tries to finally reach the Sheraton. :ltcapd: I can glide through Manhattan, I've flawlessly navegated London, I even managed to survive in Buenos Aires, but Philly...

 

Then again, I may have to risk it if I know there's a good pen shop to tempt me...

 

Take care,

Mike

[RonB]

The only store I know of in downtown Philadelphia that has a nice pen selection is Holts Cigars. They are on Walnut between 15th and 16th I think. The front of the store has a very nice selection of pens, but they are all at list price, if I recall correctly. Nice place to try one out, though.

 

Ron

 

PS There is also a store in the Liberty Place Shops on the first floor that has some pens, but not a huge selection.

[russz]

Hi Mike,

Russ here from the Bear/Glasgow area. Nice to see another Delaware voice here on FPN. IM or PM me to let me know your intrests, maybe we can get together and start a Delaware Pen Group sometimes.

Later

Russ

[Tom L]

Not much in the way of pen shopping in Philly that I know of.

 

Holts is there but I have not indulged. There was a stationery store called Office Cents that's gone. One called Clark's Stationers at 1326 Walnut St that didn't have much when I was in there a few years ago but they still bother to list themselves in the Yellow Book under Pens & Pencils-Retail.

 

There was also a decent store in terminal F at the airport. That closed but I heard they might have been opening in another location in the airport - don't know if they did.

 

There's also a store in Montgomeryville called Lizell that, when I was there a few years ago, was a local version of Levengers and had a decent selection.

 

Hope this helps. Will check my palm pilot later and see if there are places that I forgot that are still in business.

 

 

If you're reading this thread you might also be interested to know that there is a Philadelphia Pen Collectors Group. Meeting coming up on the 11th.

 

Philadelphia Pen Collectors Group

 

Also a more informal group of collectors that gets together for dinner in Bucks County sometimes. Let me know if you want to get an email when that group is meeting.

[blueiris]

King of Prussia:

-Paradise Pen: an okay pen shop that has a decent selection of pens (Aurora, MB, Lamy, Pelikan, Cross, Waterman, etc.) to see in person. They also carry Private Reserve ink, the only local place I know that does, along with MB, Waterman, and others.

 

-Crane's Stationery: they have more pens than I would have expected. I noticed Visconti, Waterman, Lamy, MB, Conklin, and Acme, etc. They also have some calligraphy supplies, nibs and inks.

 

Philadelphia:

-Holts Cigars on Walnut in Center City: it's a decent selection that includes Visconti, Parker, Pelikan, and others. I bought my Pelikan Athens pen there, long after I thought they were long sold out, so I can't speak ill of them!

 

-I haven't been to the place in Liberty Place or that Clark's place, but they're there.

[Jeff E]

Pretty much everything in Philadelphia has been mentioned. The only other place I know of is the Black Cat Cigar Company. It is located on Sansom Street between 15th and 16th Streets. They have a fairly small selection, but do discount about 25-30% off MSRP, primarily Waterman, Parker, and Aurora pens.

[Philly Rider]

Thanks to all for the replies. I work in Center City Philly. I was aware of the shop inside Liberty Place. They actually have a sale going on right on - 10-20% off certain brands, but with a very limited selection. Otherwise they have an OK selection - all at full MSRP.

 

I did not know that Holts or Black Cat stocked pens. Not being a cigar smoker I can't say that I have ever been inside either store. I will also check out Clarks.

 

Unfortunately, I was not able to make the Pen Show at the Sheraton last week.

 

Hey ProfMike - I work right across the Street from the Sheraton - its not that hard to find!

[Ron Z]

Unfortunately, I was not able to make the Pen Show at the Sheraton last week.

 

Hey ProfMike - I work right across the Street from the Sheraton - its not that hard to find!

It's a good thing that you couldn't make it to the pen show last week. The pen show was two weeks ago. :blink:

 

(Ron, who grew up in Bucks County, and still laments the sale and loss of WFLN)

[RonB]

Pretty much everything in Philadelphia has been mentioned. The only other place I know of is the Black Cat Cigar Company. It is located on Sansom Street between 15th and 16th Streets. They have a fairly small selection, but do discount about 25-30% off MSRP, primarily Waterman, Parker, and Aurora pens.

Jeff, do they still sell pens? About a year or two ago, I was in there and they had discontinued them, but maybe they are back.

 

Ron

[Titivillus]

King of Prussia:

-Paradise Pen: an okay pen shop that has a decent selection of pens (Aurora, MB, Lamy, Pelikan, Cross, Waterman, etc.) to see in person. They also carry Private Reserve ink, the only local place I know that does, along with MB, Waterman, and others.

 

-Crane's Stationery: they have more pens than I would have expected. I noticed Visconti, Waterman, Lamy, MB, Conklin, and Acme, etc. They also have some calligraphy supplies, nibs and inks.

 

Philadelphia:

-Holts Cigars on Walnut in Center City: it's a decent selection that includes Visconti, Parker, Pelikan, and others. I bought my Pelikan Athens pen there, long after I thought they were long sold out, so I can't speak ill of them!

 

-I haven't been to the place in Liberty Place or that Clark's place, but they're there.

I had 4 seperate weeks of training and looks like I hit all of the pen stores in Philly. The Crane store I got paper at Holt I got ink and at Paridise pens I got hte rudest salesperson whom I have ever had to deal with.

 

so hit or miss from me.

 

K

[Jeff E]

RonB,

 

I last stopped at Black Cat in early September. They still had pens then. Not a very big selection. The Watermans in stock did seem to be recent. :ltcapd:

[ProfMike]

Hey ProfMike - I work right across the Street from the Sheraton - its not that hard to find!

It would have been easier if my directions were better. I got in that circle and had the darndest time trying to figure out which - of about 50!! - little streets was the right one...

 

Then again, once we figured it out, it was quite a moment!

 

Take care,

Mike

[ProfMike]

Hi Mike,

Russ here from the Bear/Glasgow area. Nice to see another Delaware voice here on FPN. IM or PM me to let me know your intrests, maybe we can get together and start a Delaware Pen Group sometimes.

Later

Russ

Hi Russ,

 

It's nice to hear from you - especially considering you're so local. I was begnning to think I was the only FPN guy here! I haven't gotten the hang of PMs yet, so I thought I'd say hi here just in case it took me a while to get back to you the other way.

 

Take care,

Mike

[coolpenz]

HI, all

This is a bit late, as I was out all day. I"m another Philly person, and I think all the pen sellers have been mentioned. Black Cat does indeed still sell pens, but at not-that-great prices. Taws Art Aupply used to carry a limited but interesting selection; don't know if it still does. Ditto Utrecht. There used to be a place further up on Sansom that had a small but interesting selection....

 

 

oh well, maybe one day...

[FrankB]

Thanks for this thread. I live in the Harrisburg area and there is nothing here. A drive to Philly, especially this time of year, would be major and I knew of little in the Philly area. Although I am aware of the Paradise Pen shop in K of P, I delt with them when I lived in Austin, Texas, and I will never do busines with them again in this lifetime. I guess Tytyvyllus and I had somewhat similar experiences. I have written down the other options, so, if I get to Philly, I will have some destinations fo consider.

 

I missed the Philly Pen Show, too. Dang it! I had some really important business come up and I had to address it. There is always next year.

[coolpenz]

Frank:

Out of curiousity, there isn't anything at all in the H-burg area? I ask because I"m out there about once evey 2 months and never thought to look for pens...

[FrankB]

coolpenz, if there is anything here I have not yet found it, and I have tried. There are some minor calligraphy pens in some local hobby stores, but nothing of any serious note. Even the local antique marts are devoid of pens, except for very occasional pieces of overpriced junk. It is a wasteland.