Great Pen Stores in the USA
We all search for that great pen store, the one that has a good selection of pens, creates a environment to encourage trying various pens, and knows that it may be a few visits before you are quite sure of the right pen. When you come across a Great Pen Store please E-Mail Glenn Marcus with the information and I will include it on a the next update.
Great Pen Stores:
Canada | USA | Mexico | Europe | Other Countries
Great Stores in the USA:
Stores in States A-H | Stores in States I-P | Stores in States T-Z
El Paso, Texas
Airline
International
8701 Montana Avenue
Tel: (915) 778-1234
El Paso, Texas
Tel: (915) 833-9960
Airline International is a family-owned operation, in business since 1978. Although not a dedicated pen store, over the years I have received positive comments about the staff that warrant noting the store on this page. "Eddie Kallman and all his people are very knowledgeable." (Thanks: J. Wilhite)
Houston, Texas
Dromgoole's
2515 Rice Boulevard
Houston, Texas
Tel: 800-322-2038
Located in Rice Village, near Rice University. The owners, Larry and Christine both love pens and enjoy talking with other pen lovers. They have a good selection of pens, inks and writing products. They are always helpful and encourage you to try different pens and nibs before buying. The store carries Aurora, Cross, Montblanc, Parker, Pelikan, Scheaffer, Sensa, Tombow, Rotring, Visconti, Waterford and Waterman. Prices are fair and shoppers report it is a pleasure to do business with them. I get ongoing good reviews about this store. The store has a very good selection of inkis. They carry Noodler and Private Reserve.
Laredo, Texas
Patria Stationary
A nice friend place, office products and of course a good selection of fountain pens. (Thanks: G. Rodriguez)
Hampton, Virginia
Hampton Stationary
108 East Queen Street
Tel: (757) 722-7712
A full-line stationary and office supply store with an extensive line of new pens in all price ranges. You will find the prices to be list but a good selection of pens and inks from which to choose. They have an extensive stock of inks, converters, cartridges and will ink up a pen to let you test drive it without obligation. They are in the same storefront location since 1932, and the place seems older than that, but it is always a pleasant visit to see what's new on the pen market. [Thanks - A. Harmantas]
Weyers Cave, Virginia
Ann's Pens and Buttons
( located in Rocky and Brenda's Antique Mall,
Exit 235 off I-81, South
on US 11)
Weyers Cave, VA
Telephone: (540) 234-8935
Here is a pen store you just can't miss. The owner has a Big Red painted on the window. It is a classic-packed shop. Ann has about a thousand vintage pens, most in "as found" condition, boxes of parts, and hundreds of vintage ink wells, bottles. Steve Frazier says to plan to spend about two hours just looking at the pens! Ann has a great deal of historical pen knowledge and knows her business. She also has books, spare parts, tools and is very likely to have the one exact item you must have. Absolutely worth a visit when you are in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. The shop is open from Thursday through Monday, 9 to 5.
Williamsburg, Virginia
Parlett's
4655 - 205 Monticello Avenue
Williamsburg, Virginia 23188
A "thumbs-up" on this little stationary store where there are excellent staff with lots of patience to let customers try out pens before making any decision. The store has a selection of Cross pens as well as a few other makes. (Ed)
Seattle, Washington
World Lux
1208 Fourth Avenue
Seattle, Washington
Located in the Fairmont Olympic Hotel
Hours: Monday to Friday 10 to 6; Saturdays 10 to 5:30
A great pen counter. A speciality display of Montegrappa Pens and an area for Montblanc make up the impressive selection of pens. |
I have been doing business with Worldlux for some time. Although Seattle is close to Vancouver, it seems years can go by before I get the change to return to Seattle and visit the World Lux store.
In 2009 I returned and it was a pleasure to meet owner Todd Caver. Like old friends through email or web-site transactions (www.worldlux.com), it was great to finally meet him.
Todd has owned the company since 1986 and his experience and enthusiasm for pens come across in our conversation. |
A wall of fine leather assessories. Check out the pen rolls. I have a number of them and they are great. |
In 2005 the store relocated to be adjacent to the Fairmont Hotel in downtown Seattle. Originally half the current size, the store expanded as soon as the opportunity arose.
The store today is a large spacious store a pleasure to spend some time in while looking at the broad selection of pens as well as watches.
Although half of the store displays watches, pens represent a substantial part of their business.
There is a good selection of fountain pens, representing the major lines. Todd indicated the lines allow for personal choice and that sales are fairly consistent across the various lines.
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After looking at the various lines, I was very impressed with the large Opera Demonstrator by Visconti. Got to get one of those! What a pen. It really is of substantial size, with soft browns in a translucent body that shows the internal ink filling mechanism. The pen has a unique double-capacity ink system which allows for a considerable amount of ink to be held in the pen.
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| When in Seattle, this is one of the “musts” for the pen person. Good selection of pens coupled with a good knowledge and professional sales approach. | |
Silberman Brown
1322 Fifth Avenue
Seattle, WA 99101
206.292.9404
www.silbermanbrown.com
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Silberman Brown is a stationary store that also has a good pen counter. The store sells a good range of pens that includes: Waterman, Faber Castel, Parker and Retro. I met with Jennifer, daughter of one of the owners, Sue Silberman and Carol Brown, and enjoyed a short visit at the Seattle Store.
Silberman Brown has been in business for 33 years with stores in Bellevue and Seattle.
The store originally started as a stationary store and fairly shortly after opening they added pens to their offerings as it seemed such a natural inclusion for the writing experience. The store is one of those oh-so-interesting stores to walk about. In addition to pens, there is stationary, desk accessories as well antique ink wells. Sue and Connie, the owners, travel to England and hand pick the items to have sent back to the store. They had a couple of very nice looking crystal inkwells on the day that I visited the store.
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So selling pens, paper, the store also stocks a good selection of writing inks that include Waterman, Parker, Private Reserve. DuPont and Private Reserve.
Both of their stores will be moving to new locations. The Bellevue Store will move into a new retail development anchored by retailer Marcus Neiman. The Seattle store will move a few blocks to be part of the Fairmont Hotel |
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Milwaukee Wisconsin
Daly's Pen Shop
275 W Wisconsin Avenue
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53203
(414) 276-8900
Website: www.dalyspenshop.com
Daly's Pen Shop, a long standing pen store in Milwaukee is one of those classic pen stores that deserves a visit. The cabinetry located along the west wall where pens, ink cartridges, accessories are kept is old world Milwaukee craftsmen ship (probably German) at its best.
Even though the downtown mall where this store is located has seen its
ups and downs, Dalys remains and maintains a very clean and distinguished
standing. It ranks as one of the top stores in appearance, consistency
and standing, in the Midwest.
While the store does not carry some of the more exclusive
offerings they have a good stock. The store is always clean, sparkly and
efficient. (Thanks C. Day)
Recently the positive comments about Daly's were again reinforced. Brian Shah who remembered visisting this store some 25 years earlier still finds this a location of great service. Roxann O'Rourke-Sherrodd notes that the store is "beautiful and always a treat to visit."
