Home › Forums › WSB Reader Recommendations › WS places for fountain pens?
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July 5, 2010 at 7:47 am #595427
sweetandyMemberI stopped into NW Art & Frame on Saturday to see if they might have any fountain pens, but alas, their supply consisted solely of calligraphy pens (which seemed appropriate enough). I’m wondering, does anybody here know of a place in WS where I might be able to shop for a new fountain pen? I hope not to travel too far for it, but I think I may have to. Any suggestions?
July 5, 2010 at 7:56 am #698372
JanSParticipanthave you tried someplace like Russell’s Jewelers? Or an office supply store like Staples? They have disposable fountain pens. I’m betting Office Max down by Sears has them, too.
July 5, 2010 at 2:35 pm #698373
KimberleyParticipantWhat kind of fountain pen are you looking for? Office Max in Sodo (and I assume Staples in Westwood Village) have the bog standard parker pen, but if you’re looking for anything else (lamy, aurora, etc.) your best bet is to go online. I’ve used paradise pen, fountain pen hospital, as well as Fahrney’s in D.C.
Paradise Pen: http://www.paradisepen.com
Fountain Pen Hospital: http://www.fountainpenhospital.com
Fahrney’s: http://www.fahrneyspens.com/
A quick google maps search found: http://www.worldlux.com/
July 5, 2010 at 5:40 pm #698374
charlabobParticipanthttp://www.levengers.com :-) You can order from your home in WS so I think it counts. I am a fountain pen fanatic — I have purple pen with orange ink and orange pen with purple ink and both came from Levengers. Vast range of prices and styles.
July 5, 2010 at 7:24 pm #698375
waterworldParticipantAnother pen enthusiast here. I am reasonably confident that there is no good pen source here in WS. In the old days, the one and only great pen shop in Seattle was Seattle Pen, downtown at 4th and Pike hidden away in an upper-floor suite. They eventually sold out to a company called World Lux, and they are now located mostly online at http://www.worldlux.com. I think they still have a store of some sort downtown, but I don’t know if it’s still there. I avoid using them for service these days because I found them to be unreliable and slow.
I shop now mostly online or in person at a tiny lower Manhattan shop called Fountain Pen Hospital. Very knowledgeable people and extremely trustworthy. Look them up at http://www.fountainpenhospital.com and call them if you have questions about what to buy.
Charlabob recommended Levenger — it’s http://www.levenger.com, no “s.” I like them too. I think there pen selection is not as big as Fountain Pen Hospital and I don’t think they sell used pens. Other than that, they are also a good online retailer.
The downside of buying online is not being able to try the pen out before you buy. If you have used a fountain pen before, you know that it’s totally subjective. A pen that is wonderful for you might be awful for someone else. On the other hand, there are a lot of inexpensive pens now that are very nice. With those, there’s not as much at stake.
There’s also a useful forum at http://www.fountainpennetwork.com. Be careful if you run a search on that site, though, because sometimes all you get is old information that is outdated and unreliable. The network has lots of reviews of pens posted by their owners, and people buy and sell pens there, too. If you post questions about a pen you are thinking of buying you’ll get smart, helpful feedback.
Good luck and have fun!
July 6, 2010 at 4:53 pm #698376
SueParticipantWorldLux’s website says they have a store at the Fairmont Olympic Hotel downtown: http://www.worldlux.com/cgi-bin/navigate.cgi?file=aboutus
July 6, 2010 at 10:54 pm #698377
sweetandyMemberAha! Thank you, all. I think I’m going to go with the online proposal. Come to think of it, now the pieces all fall into place… my dad used to have Levenger magazines lying around everywhere. Thanks a million!
I would have preferred supporting a local business, but this works too. Glad to see there are others out there like me who enjoy writing with quality implements.
July 7, 2010 at 12:10 am #698378
KimberleyParticipantIt depends on your definition of quality sweetandy. Mont Blanc, piece o’crap. Lamy, excellent and so smooooth!
July 7, 2010 at 1:56 am #698379
JayDeeParticipantI’ve been really happy with “Retro 51” pens that I buy at Portage Bay Goods; not WS, but a good place for cards and pens. Near “Waiting for the Interurban”
July 7, 2010 at 8:57 am #698380
KevinParticipantWOW – I’m amazed that folks still use fountain pens. That is SO cool. I would have never imagined but it does sound like a cool retro thing to do.
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One clear advantage that I can see is if anyone ever tries to forge a check or signature of a fountain pen user, it would be quite easy to prove that it was a forgery unless the thief also used a fountain pen :)
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Any fountain pen users out there interested in a possible photo shoot of your hand and pen in action? Could be an interesting photo project.
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