Pen Shopping, Germany And Austria

[PAKMAN]

So it looks like I will be spending about 10-12 days in Germany and Austria starting next week. We'll be for sure visiting the following cities, Frankfurt, Glessen, Mainz, Leipzig, Wittenberg, Berlin, Vienna. (Berlin may only be the train station and Airport) Could you guys give me some ideas about pen shops that I should try to visit for new and maybe vintage pens. Not looking for Montblanc Boutiques, more like general pen stores. I want to pick up a nice German pen while I'm there. I already have loads of Pelikan, Montblanc, and Lamy pens. What are some other brand and model suggestions that I should be on the look out for? Say in the $100-$600 range. Also, what about VAT how do I keep from paying that for a pen bound back for US? Or do I have to get a form to try to get it back?

 

Thanks in advance for any help

[fabri00]

There are not many secondary brands in Germany and Austria, as far as I know.

Online, Senator and not more than that as far as I know. And also Faber Castell which is not on your list.

[senzen]

 

What are some other brand and model suggestions that I should be on the look out for?

 

 

 

You'd probably do better asking in the europe section, haven't got one myself but from what I've read, including the former DDR:

 

Geha.

Soennecken.

Osmia.

Matador.

Greif.

Böhler.

Brause.

Ero.

Garant.

Markant.

Heiko.

[fabri00]

You'd probably do better asking in the europe section, haven't got one myself but from what I've read, including the former DDR:

 

Geha.

Soennecken.

Osmia.

Matador.

Greif.

Böhler.

Brause.

Ero.

Garant.

Markant.

Heiko.

ok, those are vintage brands.

I understood he was looking for modern pens of small manufacturers.

Sorry for having misunderstood.

[OMASsimo]

The formerly very broad German pen industry had narrowed down to just a few major players long time ago like in almost all other countries. The only current first tier maker not on your list is Graf von Faber-Castell. Kaweco was relaunched a while ago and seems to gain popularity. They aim at a considerably lower price point and probably are not comparable in quality with the other four top brands. This used to be different and vintage Kawecos are often a treat and a steal.

 

I can't give you specific addresses of shops in those cities you plan to visit. But typically you can find the one solitary fancy stationary shop in the downtown shopping district of most major towns in Germany. This will be the shop to find the four big names and probably a good assortment of pens for the younger and less affluent folks. The less fancy shops are often hard to find because they hide themselves in the side streets.

 

You also mention vintage pens. They are much harder to find in B&M stores and you have a good chance to deal with people who have no clue. The only vintage pens I've seen in stationary shops were for decoration only (of course I don't know that many B&M stores in Germany). You could try antique shops but it may be a rather depressing hunt. Most of the time there is nothing really worth to look at. And if you find something, be prepared to be asked a ridiculous price. I have the feeling that the vast majority of vintage pens are traded on auction sites nowadays.

 

 

 

You'd probably do better asking in the europe section, haven't got one myself but from what I've read, including the former DDR:

 

Geha.

Soennecken.

Osmia.

Matador.

Greif.

Böhler.

Brause.

Ero.

Garant.

Markant.

Heiko.

 

This is an interesting list of German makers of the past and it looks a little random (no offense). Top brands were Osmia, Kaweco, and Soennecken (partially). They are well renowned for their outstanding nibs. Soennecken are extremely hard to find unless you're willing to pay an arm and a leg. This refers to their top models like the lizzard skin Extra 111, 222, 333, 444 piston fillers. But a huge part of their production were simple school pens I wouldn't hunt for. Osmia for a long time was considered to make the best nibs. They were the first ones in Germany to offer a lifetime warranty for nib and tipping. Like the vast majority of German production, they usually come in simple black and gold understatement. Same with Kaweco, only a little less exclusive. Osmia was very expensive in their days, competing with Montblanc and bringing them in trouble financially. They eventually were bought up by Faber-Castell. So, 1950s/60s (Osmia)/Faber-Castell pens are also excellent and more abundant than 1930s Osmias. Böhler was a spin-off from Osmia in the 1930s and probably as good but even harder to find. Lamy indirectly came from Osmia as well, just as a side note. Of these top brands, you have the highest chance to find 1950s/60s Kawecos or Osmia/Faber-Castells.

 

Matador and Greif were excellent brands from about the 1930s-1950s but less widespread. They often come as button fillers and can have interesting design elements. You'd be lucky to find one of those in the wild. I absolutely love my Greif Gold button filler and its big semi-flex gold nib. There are quite a number of other producers in this category of small but excellent makers. Often it's not so easy to find good information on those.

 

Back to the above list. Geha had a lot in common with Pelikan, even located in the same city (Hannover). But they took up the production of fountain pens much later after the war and became the major competitor of Pelikan in the field of school pens. They made some really cool pens (760, 790) but those are rare. And in my experience, the material Geha used is prone to cracking.

 

Brause is one of the oldest makers of nibs in Germany and is located in Iserlohn. But I'm not aware that they made anything beyond school pens. It's not too likely you'd enjoy them.

 

Ero I know only by name but know nothing about them. The remaining three on the list are productions of the former GDR (Eastern Germany). Markant and Heiko are well-known and fairly abundant. Garant is rather obscure and was produced only for a few years in Leipzig. I have a few of them (Nilor and Alkor) and was blown away by the wonderful nibs. But the material is a bit weird and you can't tell what nib you get just from the model name. And it seems they were mostly exported to South-East Europe and thus hard to find in Germany.

 

Have a great trip and happy hunting.

[Holon]

Diplomat has some nice fountain pens, vintage and new. And there are plenty of very inexpensive NOS piston fillers from Reform available in Germany.

[PAKMAN]

I don't have a Faber Castell so may zero in on that brand! Now I have to find a shop!

[Lam1]

For modern pens, there is also Cleo Skribent.

Their nibs (the ones I tried anyway) are wonderfully soft.

I bought one in Leipzig.

[peterg]

Two shops in Vienna.

Mayr & Fessler

Kärntner Str. 37/8

+43 1 5122888

who sell new pens and

Vienna (Wien), Austria

Wiener Füllfeder Werkstatt
Lerchenfelderstrasse 29
1070 Wien, Vienna, Austria

Tel: +43 (1) 513 81 50

 

Who sells vintage pens, including many lesser known Austro German pens. It looks like a second hand clothes shop but the pens are kept in large cabinets at the back of the shop (reduces the UV light damage). Personally I would say it is a 'must visit shop' if you have any interest in vintage pens

[Pentasy]

Graf von Faber Castell has my vote. I own a Classic Macassar and love the looks and feel of it. Also Kaweco, but they are outside of the mentioned price range... on the lower end, being that Kaweco produces mostly pocket pens. You could try to pick up a Kaweco ART Sport, though, but they aren't easy to find in B&M Stores. Cleo Skribent gets good reviews, too.

Then there are brands like Otto Hutt or Waldmann, which are really not widely known, but well reputet as far as I know.

 

If you are going to miss the Berlin Shops (which is a pity), maybe try Leipzigs Mädlerpassage, it's a nice place to shop, e.g.:

 

Schreib & Stil
Grimmaische Str. 2-4/
Mädlerpassage 25
04109 Leipzig

 

It's not for bargain hunting, mind. But they'll have all or most of the secondary modern German brands mentioned here.

 

I wish you much fun over here!

[Darth_Roo]

Graf and Diplomat are the lesser talked of manufacturers that are very high quality

 

In that part of Europe Caran D'Ache obviously make exceptional pens

[sansenri]

Weidler is also a nice shop in Vienna, Im Graben 26, the pedestrian mainstreet downtown.

The shop keeper is a woman, she seemed very competent to me, and she let me try any pen I asked about with ink.

They have a nice choice of GvFC, but I also saw some Italian pens there (Montegrappa).

I bought a Grenadilla Intuition Platinum from her.

Happy shopping!

Edited May 11, 2019 by sansenri

[sansenri]

btw, for Vienna, check this out

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/158460-pen-shops-in-vienna/?hl=%2Bwhen+%2Bvienna&do=findComment&comment=2981431

[AldusPageMaker]

I wish you pleasant time in this country. I am a bit out of touch with recent developments in regard to B&M stores here and also not too familiar with the cities you mentioned.
Hamburg would be different.

In the past, I found some very good deals in unlikely places – such as those high-end tobacconists that carry ST Dupont lighters. Chances are that they have a selection of ST Dupont writing instruments as well, often reduced. I even saw Dunhill pens – made by Montblanc I believe. I am not suggesting to go out of your way for those shops – but if you pass by, it is sure worth a try, but only for ST Dupont and perhaps Dunhill/Montblanc.

Edited May 12, 2019 by AldusPageMaker

[Bill]

 

Vienna (Wien), Austria

Wiener Füllfeder Werkstatt

Lerchenfelderstrasse 29

1070 Wien, Vienna, Austria

Tel: +43 (1) 513 81 50

 

 

 

+1

 

A bit offbeat but my absolute favorite shop in one of my favorite cities.

 

See the first two paragraphs of my review of the Goldfullfederkonig Elite to get a flavor of the store.

 

 

[PAKMAN]

Thanks for the suggestions! I found a Shop in Minez, the suggested store in Vienna and one in Frankfurt! Ended up getting a GvFC Black Striped Tamitio in Fine point. Also when in Minez I went to the Guttenberg Museum and bought a bottle of Guttenberg Kings Blue ink! What a fabulous trip, went to so many beautiful places and enjoyed the people so very much!