Welcome to Glenn's Pens

Through my travels I started collecting names and addresses of stores selling fountain pens. Some of the storesI found to be great places to visit. Since starting "Glenn's Pen Page", others have provided reviews of stores they havew visited. This has all created a reference point on pen stores. The information has expanded to fountain pen ink and the pen companies themselves. I have even had the opportunity to tour some of the great pen company factories in Italy and France.

When you come across a "Great Pen Store" or a great bottle of fountain pen ink or other pen accessory, send me an e-mail with your thoughts. If you can provide address information that would be very helpful. I will include it with the next update.

• Visit to OMAS Pen Factory | OMAS Company page includes update on new stakeholder for OMAS
• Visit to Stipula Pen Factory
• Visit to Aurora Pen Factory
• Visit to Waterman Pen Factory

The site has the following main sections (see menu on left side):

• Great Stores — notes and reviews of great pen stores.
• Stores — listing and address information of pen stores.
• Pen Companies — information for pen companies.
• Ink — comments on fountain pen inks.
• About Pens — about fountain pens, tours of Waterman, Aurora, OMAS and Stipula pen factories.
• Pen Views — from time to time, my views about pens.
• Pens of Note — some of my pens are "pens of note".
• Links — links to pen sites and resources of interest.

You always need a good pen to write in your travel journal.

Often asked: why do I do this?

I have a passion for pens. I enjoy fountain pens, they make my writing experience more personal and expressive.

Buying a fountain pens is very much a personal experience and a great pen store is important. Yes you can always order a pen from a website, but finding the right pen for the hand, with the right nib and the right look — well, that is what selecting a pen is all about.

There are numerous decisions in the process. The appropriate nib is important. No two nibs write the same. Try a few.. The size and weight of the pen determines how it will sit in your hand. The design of the pen, for example, will the cap "post" on the body? The ink filling method? Can I use bottled ink or only cartridges?

In addition to the pen, then there is getting the right fountain pen ink. A bottle that is usable, an ink colour that is appropriate and a chemistry to the ink so that it flows correctly.

Those who enjoy pens live these decisions. In the end, there is a pen that is right for the individual.

Please enjoy the information contained on this site.

Glenn visiting another pen store.

I enjoy writing with my pens, and to fill a need in terms of what to write on I produce a series of art and note cards available at www.marcusmoments.com.

I found myself standing in front of the card selection at most card stores looking at the cards that were not right and in the end buying something so that I could get the process over. In the end, what I most wanted was a blank card, with an image that related to me and my comments, that was on good paper so that I could actually write with one of my fountain pens.

They were not out there so I created the series. Our cards with scenes from Italy and France have been very popular with those "non-pen-types".