Archive for Retailer Spotlights
Fahrney’s Vendor Day
Fahrney’s Pens retail store hosts a different vendor the first Wednesday of the month. This month, Rhodia & Clairefontaine will be the featured vendors. I will be on hand with the area sales rep to meet customers and answer questions. I’m bringing some products from Exaclair for people to test with their pens, including a bottle of Herbin’s new 1670 ink. 
Fahrney’s Vendor Day & Sale is scheduled for Wednesday, August 4th (tomorrow) from 10 AM to 5 PM. They are offering an extra 10% off Rhodia and Clairefontaine’s everyday prices. Fahrney’s offers a wide selection of Rhodia and Clairefontaine pads and notebooks.
The store is located at 1317 F Street, N.W., Washington, DC 2002. Tel. – 202-628-9525. They are located two blocks from the Metro Center.
Farhney’s is a storied name for fountain pens. In 1929 Earl Fahrney founded Fahrney’s Pens as a fountain pen repair shop. The business thrived. He slowly expanded and decided to sell new writing intruments, including the “revolutionary” ballpoint pen. The tagline “The Write Place” was acquired when Mr. Fahrney moved the business in 1950 to the historic Willard Hotel on F Street.
In 1961 Mr. Fahrney hired Odell Chappell who was the store’s first female employee. “The Pen Lady” as she became known, is now retired but remembered for her tireless dedication to Fahrney’s and her customers.
In 1972 Mr. Fahrney sold Fahrney’s Pens to Jon and Corinne Sullivan. The Sullivans shared his passion for fountain pens, and deep commitment to customers and employees. Their son, Chris, has taken over day-to-day operations. 80 years after its founding Fahrney’s remains a family-owned business.
Visit the website here. I hope to see you tomorrow!
Retailer Spotlight: Australia’s NoteMaker.com
NoteMaker has a love of stationery at the core of what we do. We are a small, young company of people who established our online store as a result of our passion for design, and how it can influence and enhance every day home and office essentials. Our range is unique because we only choose items that really impress and excite us and hope that others feel the same. Rhodia is therefore a definite match! We love to travel, and have sourced labels from Korea, the UK, Japan and of course, France. Many of our labels are not available in Australia from anywhere else. Continue Readering »
Retailer Spotlight: The Pear Tree Pen Company
Tell me Ryan, how did The Pear Tree get started?
The answer is almost so comical that you’ll think I made it up…but I swear that it’s the truth. James Partridge, the company’s founder, was on a mission to find “the perfect blue ink” for his personal collection of fountain pens. After messing around with as many different blues as he could get his hands on, it dawned on him that perhaps he could help other people who were on the same mission…and thus, The Pear Tree was planted! Continue Readering »
Retailer Spotlight: Fahrney’s Pens in Washington, DC
In our retailer spotlight position for the month of March, is Fahrney’s Pens of Washington, DC. Fahrney’s carries Exaclair products from Clairefontaine, G Lalo, Rhodia, and Exacompta.
The History of Fahrney’s Pens
“The year was 1929, the stock market had crashed and America had fallen into the Great Depression. But one man, determined to beat the odds, decided to start a business despite the lackluster economy of the time. This was the year Earl Fahrney founded Fahrney’s Pens as a fountain pen repair shop in Washington, DC. With discretionary spending in a lull, Mr. Fahrney’s repair business thrived. He slowly expanded and ultimately decided to sell new writing instruments, including the “revolutionary” ballpoint pen. Continue Readering »
Retailer Spotlight: Goulet Pen Company
For this month’s retailer spotlight position, I’d like to welcome Goulet Pens – a relative newcomer to the Exaclair family who not only sells his own hand crafted pens, but also a splendid selection of Rhodia, Clairefontaine, Quo Vadis, G Lalo & J. Herbin products. And speaking of family newcomers, I’d also like to welcome Brian & Rachel’s new baby, Joseph Brian Goulet, born 8:08pm Monday January 25th. A strong, healthy boy at 8lb 2oz, 21″! Congratulations guys! Continue Readering »
Retailer Spotlight: Dan’s Camera City in Allentown, PA
We are proud to welcome Dan’s Camera City of Allentown, PA as a new Exaclair retailer. An iconic specialty store in Northeast Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley, Dan’s has been serving the Valley’s photographic needs for over 30 years. Continue Readering »
Retailer Spotlight: JournalingArts
JournalingArts is a small family business literally run from several computers and dozens of cabinets in a two-room office. The online shop offers a wide range of notebooks, pens and office supplies from a variety of makers. Continue Readering »
Online Retailer Spotlight: JetPens
JetPens founders: Adrian Mak, Lily Kim, and Shu Yao, in front of Stanford University’s main quad arch.
I’d like to take a moment to welcome JetPens into the Rhodia Drive Retailer Spotlight. JetPens specializes in hard to find Japanese pens and stationery supplies. (They also carry products from Exacompta, J. Herbin and Rhodia- including the new Webnotebook.) I, like many of my friends, have spent plenty of drool time (and cash!) poring over their glorious selections of brush pens, fountain pens, and gel pens- oh my!
When we selected JetPens for the latest Retailer Spotlight, I had a few questions for Shu Yao, one of the founders of JetPens: Continue Readering »
Retailer Spotlight: Art Brown International Pen Shop Find them online and in NYC
For me, Art Brown’s retail store located at 2 West 45th Street in New York City is a paper, pen, and ink lover’s dream come true. “One of America’s leading Fine Writing Instrument Dealers. In business more than 83 years.”
The most Rhodia I have ever seen in one place – and there was yet another free standing rack filled with the new planners and smaller tablets.
Clairefontaine journals in every size, shape and color.
Miquelrius and Moleskine journals as well as several brands that I wasn’t familiar with. (I spy a Quo Vadis red Habana in the upper left of this picture…)
Every color of J. Herbin ink right at your fingertips!
Diamine inks…. and there were loads of other ink brands as well- some not as familiar to me as these three. I purchased a bottle of the hard to find Sailor Nano Black ink.
And my oh my, does Art Brown sell pens! We were in the store the day the new Sailor Realo was introduced in America- and were also quite fortunate to have our Sailor pen nibs tweaked by Mr. Nagahara from the Sailor Pen Company.
I regret not having spent more time in the store, but I was actually afraid to look at the pens because I would have been there for days and I needed to get back to Port Authority to catch my bus. I can’t WAIT to go back. Next time, I’m buying a pen for sure!
Retail store located at 2 West 45th Street, New York NY 10036.
Hours: Mon-Fri 9:00am-6:15pm Sat 10:am-6:00pm
You can also visit Art Brown on the web at http://www.artbrown.com
