First Visit to Bob Slate Stationers - Cambridge, Mass.

[Inky_Ben]

It may seem like I am on a pilgrimage to visit brick and mortar pen stores; after all, earlier this week I was at the Fountain Pen Hospital in New York City.    Yesterday it was Bob Slate Stationers in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and I assure you that these visits are crimes of opportunity. I don’t exactly live off the grid, but I do live in a state (Vermont) without a good pen store.  Closest would probably be in Montreal, and I have never looked for one on my visits there.  So being in a town with a nicely stocked pen counter is something of a treat.  I happen to be in the Boston area visiting friends the latter part of this week and so, as I said, the opportunity presented itself.  

Bob Slate Stationers is just a stone’s throw from Harvard Square – close enough that there you’d better take public transportation or find a parking lot before planning to go. The Square itself is bustling year-round with students, tour groups, etc.  You won't find street parking.    The store, though, is a half-story up off the street (30 Brattle Street) with a door on the left (pens) and a door on the right (paper).

 

It is a comfortable place, with friendly staff, and well-lit by big north-facing pane glass windows.  True to its name fountain pens are not the only offering.  There are paper, notebooks and pads of every description, dip pens and inks, ball pens of various kinds, notebooks, protractors, rulers, guides and so on.  And there is a generous corner of the shop near the windows with a display case full of fountain pens.

 

I believe the woman I was talking to was Laura, the owner.  You can tell that she likes pens and likes the pens she sells; her enthusiasm for a particular pen’s quality comes through clearly.  As I described what I was looking for, she and an associate brought out an array of pens from the well-stocked case.  There were all the brands that you’d expect in new fountain pens – the Sailors and Pelikans caught my eye (and tugged unavailingly at my wallet).  There were also examples of limited runs of certain Japanese brands.  I did ask Laura about used pens as I am particularly interested in nibs with a bit of flex to them (good for my drawing as well as writing); she told me that Bob Slate Stationers doesn’t sell used pens, but she did have a line on a local pens show that she was happy to share (the Commonwealth Pen Show, September 14& 15 – snapshot of the flyer below).

 

 

 

I did find a nice Pilot Falcon with a pretty flexible nib and a Pilot Prera (very cute – not a word that I often use for pens, although I am learning).  They have a nice selection of inks and I wound up with a variety of blues: Sargasso Sea and Sapphire Sea from Diamine, Faber Castell’s Midnight Blue (currently in the Falcon) and a bottle of Sailors New York Blue (which Laura says sells less well locally as it is the New York Yankee blue, which faces an uphill battle in Red Sox-mad Boston).  Yankee fans, give Laura a call, I think she has some ink to sell you.  I myself was a Mets fan back in the (Willie Mays) days, but despite that youthful allegiance, Mets blue doesn’t move me.   I digress.  The Prera may wind up as gift to my daughter.  Or >ahem< one like it.  I may like this one too much to give it away.

 

In short, my time there was an hour well spent.  I came away knowing more than when I went in (not hard) and enjoyed myself immensely.  Here's the poster for that Mass. pen show:

No connection to either the show or the store, except as a satisfied customer of the latter.  It does occur to me to note that if we like stores like this open, we have to patronize them.  This is just me on my soapbox, but stores like this are out in the community offering something in a brick and mortar way that has moved off main street and onto the internet for the most part.  Me, I like stores and I value the knowledge and experience of those who work there.  Just my two cents, of course.

 

Ben

[inkstainedruth]

I was in Bob Slate's one time a few years ago on a trip up to the Boston area (after going to the -- now sadly closed -- Bromfield's).  Then, on the way back from Bob Slate's to the T station, I stuck my nose in some other store (sorry, don't remember the name, but as you're head to the T from Bob Slate's it was on the left) and poked around a bit in that place as well (I think they may have sold mostly luggage, but did also seem to have stationery products).

Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Gloucesterman]

Another B&M pen store (not as large or diverse as Slates) is the Paper Mouse in (West?) Newton.

It's not quite as convenient but parking is readily available. And, it is well tended with friendly and knowledgeable staff.

No used pens here either.

Also, check out the Boston Pen People for our bimonthly meeting held around greater Boston.

Come by my tables at the CPS for pens w/ some flex if you are there in September.

[Misfit]

Thank you for sharing this. It was fun to look at the photos to see what was in stock. 
 

The Prera is a great smaller pen. I highly recommend them, and can back it up with the number of Preras I own.