New York... Fountain Pen Hospital Visit

[tandaina]

So I've had a bucket list item for years (probably since I was a little girl) to do Christmas in New York. But Episcopal priests don't get to have Christmas off, we sorta have to be there so instead we took a long weekend last weekend and just pretended it was the 25th. ;) New York didn't mind, it was already all dressed up.

Had a grand time. One of the things I wanted to do was step foot in the Fountain Pen Hospital, so my husband (who doesn't give a fig about pens of any sort) indulged me and we found our way there via the subway and a short walk (really very convenient location.)

The shop is tucked into a little store front, but winds its way deep into the building, so is bigger on the inside. ;) There were really more pens to see than we could really absorb and I'm sure I missed a lot of them. I was a little disappointed though, no one so much as looked at us, certainly didn't offer to help us look at or try anything the whole time. :jaw: Now they were obviously busy, but there was only one other person in the store and you'd think at least a "hello, grab me if you want to see something out of the case" would have been offered. Alas, it wasn't, despite me hovering around the Pelikan case making eyes at a couple lovely pens.

So I grabbed a bottle of Pelikan Amber (been wanting that a long time) from the back and waited at the cash register... It still took about five minutes for someone to ask if I wanted to buy the ink in my hot little hands. We paid and left. So less than stellar customer experience, my husband is a photo buff and we also stopped at B&H and despite the store being packed to the gills we were constantly being offered help there, so he was a little unimpressed to say the least.

Maybe they could telephonically tell that I wasn't going to buy a pen, I'm on a self imposed pen buying hiatus until I find a saddle for the horse we just bought me.

It was lovely to see that many pens in person, a number that I'd been drooling over are now off the list as I've seen in person how HUGE they are (I dislike big pens, a Pelikan M400 is about perfect sized). So mixed visit, but I ADORE this ink, just love it. Finally found my gold/honey colored ink!

Writing sample is with a 50s 400 size OBB nib in my white tortoise M400. Cause, well they were made for each other!

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7427/11354994466_5d861240bd_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/84377112@N05/11354994466/)
photo (http://www.flickr.com/photos/84377112@N05/11354994466/) by JoAndRoses (http://www.flickr.com/people/84377112@N05/), on Flickr

[hamag]

Just a week ago I thought I would like to explore the world of brownish inks.
I intend to wash up my new Kaweco Sport (white with golden clip) and try some brownish ink cartridge.
But your photo makes me think of trying to get that Pelikan Amber, it looks beautiful.
I've got 3 M400 but after using my M600, my M800 and my M100 I find the M400 a bit small for my hand.
I flushed them 3 and gave them some indefinite rest.
Your Pelikan is really a jewel. Congrats.
Horacio (from Buenos Aires)

[tandaina]

The amber really is lovely, I'm a fan of brownish inks, I've collected a few of them now and I think this is now my favorite. It is just so warm and inviting. And it shakes beautifully.

[KrazyIvan]

That ink has been on my wish list for a while along with MB Toffee Brown. Too bad about your experience at FPH.

[cwent2]

Congratulations on the Horse. I read your blog where you speak of your riding - Pictures of the Horse?

Cw

[AndyT]

That Amber ink just keeps on cropping up lately ... I may as well just order a bottle and stop kidding myself that I can resist. Surprised and sorry to hear about your offhand treatment at a quiet time, it's very poor form.

[tandaina]

Tim has yet to come out and take good pictures of horse, or I on the horse. So all I have atm are pretty crappy cell phone shots, especially since miss pony is rather affectionate and doesn't like to stand far enough away for real pictures. ;)

For those not interested, skip. ;)

She's an American warmblood sport pony, (I guess really do like small things, pens and horses), has Secretariat as a great grand-sire. Roughly half thoroughbred half arab, all sassy and very sweet. She's currently out of shape, dirty, and fuzzy from her winter coat. Trained hunter and dressage, but I no longer bounce so I don't jump, so we'll just be doing dressage. So I'm excited to see how she fills in as she gets back into shape and when she's maybe clean and shiny someday. ;)

Soft eye
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7325/11358696066_7810bf3411.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/84377112@N05/11358696066/)
1394276_10151743080588316_1738682014_n (http://www.flickr.com/photos/84377112@N05/11358696066/) by JoAndRoses (http://www.flickr.com/people/84377112@N05/), on Flickr

Greys get dirtier than any other horse, they just adore the mud.
http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3823/11358729624_35e8b6a084_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/84377112@N05/11358729624/)
1392775_10151744544938316_2000739698_n (http://www.flickr.com/photos/84377112@N05/11358729624/) by JoAndRoses (http://www.flickr.com/people/84377112@N05/), on Flickr

My normal view, this translates to: rub my forehead, rub my forehead!
http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5481/11358640395_3c09b1ef65_b.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/84377112@N05/11358640395/)
1466023_10151807664538316_680652805_n (http://www.flickr.com/photos/84377112@N05/11358640395/) by JoAndRoses (http://www.flickr.com/people/84377112@N05/), on Flickr

There's currently an argument at the barn whether she's a flea bitten grey, or a red roan who is greying out. Also my favorite picture:
http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2814/11358729724_b2e984e1f8.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/84377112@N05/11358729724/)
969226_10151786866498316_662414286_n (http://www.flickr.com/photos/84377112@N05/11358729724/) by JoAndRoses (http://www.flickr.com/people/84377112@N05/), on Flickr

[cwent2]

Thank you for sharing those photos - She looks good. I used to ride in a younger time - western.

Congrats and good luck!

Regards

Carl

[kaisnowbird]

She's a beauty! And impressive lineage.

[Tracy Lee]

Beautiful horse, thanks for sharing great pictures!

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[stevekolt]

Beautiful horse! We lived in NJ for 23 years, and sadly, the treatment by the folks at FPH does not surprise in the least....

[Tracy Lee]

Very sad. From an online ordering perspective I have had some outstanding, above the call of duty interactions with them. Maybe I'll keep it that way.

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[writingrav]

Exactly opposite the experience my sons and I had. Might have been a bad day.

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[caribbean_skye]

Sorry to hear about your experiences with FPH. One would think with the way that some of the more established B&M stores are closing that they'd try and make each person feel welcomed and cared about, even if they didn't buy anything. Sometimes ones experiences when you're not wanting to buy anything can be the determining factor of where to shop when you do want to buy something.

Lovely photos of the horse, thanks for sharing.

[Adhizen]

That ink has been on my wish list for a while along with MB Toffee Brown. Too bad about your experience at FPH.

I have the MB toffee brown its quite nice so is Noodler's Polar Brown.

[welch]

Sorry, Tandaina, that the FPH staff didn't seem as interested. One trick is to say, "I want to speak to Marilyn", which would bring he attention of the sparkling Marilyn, former owner of Art Bown's, and a human being who should be marked-out for sight-seeing tours. Marilyn is about the greatest person selling pens...and the staff at Art Brown's used to follow her lead.

Another trick is to say, "I want to speak with Terry". That's Terry Wiederlight, co-owner of FPH, and another person who grew up in the pen-selling business. Wonderful...offhandedly pours pen knowledge every direction.

Example: as we were talking, Terry got a call from another pen store asking for advice. Their long-time repair expert had retired, so who would Terry recommend? Without a blink, Terry suggested [I won't name them, but someone who is among the three or four best repair/restoration people], and added, "Just call, say I sent you, the number is..." Did not have to look up the number...had it memorized.

[kia]

969226_10151786866498316_662414286_n (http://www.flickr.com/photos/84377112@N05/11358729724/)

Lovely horse!

And, I see a definite pattern here from your pictures in this thread from pen to ink to horse...

All beautiful!

[shudaizi]

Sorry to hear about your experience Tandiana. I can see how that would make one feel a bit sour and mystified.

On the flip side of the coin, I was in there twice in the last week and both times had excellent experiences: helpful service without undue hovering or pestering. The second time the fella helping me even went into the stock room to check if they had any of the old IG formula of MB Midnight Blue. (Fortunately, they did -- just eight bottles -- and he brought it out for me. They now have a mere six left. :D )

Nice horse photos!

[inkstainedruth]

The first time I went to FPH, it was specifically to try and find the blue-black ink of my dreams (well, to try and match what came out of the Esterbrook SJ I'd found a couple of months before in an antiques mall, anyway). The guy I dealt with initially said I could only try a few, but then some other guy sent him to lunch and didn't blink an eye about what else I tried (other than I couldn't try the Montblanc ink, it was sealed). I couldn't find what I wanted and felt bad, so I bought a bottle of Noodler's Old Manhattan Blackest Black, just because. Oh, and last year they had those inexpensive 3 pen leather cases advertised, so I asked about those. All they had left at that point (it was Christmas Eve) was the black leather, and for that price ($20) I said "Black works...." And I also picked up a copy of "Da Book" ($20 vs. $60 for the other repair book...). I did walk around a bit without managing to attract anyone's notice at first, which wasn't so good -- especially since the store was mostly empty of customers. On the plus side, I *did* get to dip-test a bunch of inks. Got better treatment at Art Brown's that day, but couldn't test inks (just looked at their swab book -- and then got sent to "talk to Marilyn..." :hail:). I should note that I brought samples, in the form of the then current journal, with the page marked as to what I was trying to match.
Went back this year the day after Thanksgiving, mostly to get a backup bottle of Noodler's Manhattan Blue (now that Art Brown's is gone -- that's what Marilyn Brown suggested to match what came out of the SJ, and at that time I also picked up a bottle of Diamine Denim, which matched the color but not the shading). There seemed to be a lot more foot traffic this time around. I poked around a bit (window-shopped at the case of vintage pens, for instance) but mostly I was just there to buy the ink. Not really dealing with the employees one way or the other.
I think you get better results if you actually approach someone and say "Could you help me with X" (because once I *did* get someone's attention -- the first time they seemed to be avoiding eye contact for some reason -- I did get reasonable service. Don't know if I don't look like the *typical* high-end pen buyer (but then, I'm not) or just looked like I didn't need help.
I'd almost rather have that than what I ran into a local Jo-Ann Fabrics a few years ago -- the store manager was annoying/pushy when I was looking at different colors of the linen/rayon blend fabric, trying to decide what color(s) I wanted, and how much was left on each bolt and writing down the SKU numbers (I used to work at a different Jo-Ann's a few years before that, and *do* know things -- amongst others, how to estimate yardage...). The guy was a total jerk. Later on, he was bawling out an employee on the floor (yes, in front of customers); a couple of other employees were just cringing and I said "What is he, like the assistant manager or something?" and was told "No -- he's the *manager*!" I said "Not for long...." Left, went home, and looked up contact info for their corporate headquarters online to complain about the guy's behavior. Next time I was in that store, he wasn't. Next time after that, a woman I had worked with at the other location was the manager.... Like I said -- I worked for the company and we told people that complained (mostly about how there weren't enough salespeople on the floor) to contact Corporate about it, because otherwise *nothing* would change (they set unrealistic projections about foot traffic, and when those projections weren't met, the first thing that happened was that payroll got cut -- meaning my hours in the short run, and not enough salespeople in the long run, and it was out of the store manager's hands...). So in the case of the jerk manager, I took my own advice....
Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

[Sinistral1]

Definitely flea bitten grey. There just isn't anything better than the soft, muscular, kissable, twitchy end of a horses' nose. Did I miss her (?) name?

[tandaina]

Her name is Blossom, I didn't name her, she came that way, I'd have chosen something with a little more zip given her personality.

[betweenthelens]

Thank you for sharing your experience, Tandaina. I've heard similar complaints from others and it really is off-putting. I probably wouldn't even go if our next Big Apple Pen Club meeting wasn't slated for there. Beautiful pen and penmanship, lovely ink, and gorgeous pony, though!

[jde]

Four or five years ago, I went to FPH with the intention of buying a Pelikan. I was treated with great indifference. I didn't drop any dough there, as it felt like they didn't want it. For some, this is how they do business. I'm too... I don't know, something different to care for such behavior myself.

My experience at the Art Brown store was the opposite: friendly, and helpful. Loved going there. Sad they are gone. Although I gather a couple of the employees went to work at FPH. So who knows, I might find myself back there to give them another try.

For those who might like a Japanese pen, in Midtown West there's the Kinokuniya Bookstore. They've got a great supply of Platinum, Pilot and Sailor fountain pens there. Here's a Yelp link to it. (http://www.yelp.com/biz/kinokuniya-bookstores-new-york-2)

[anaximander]

Not to excuse FPH for their inattentiveness, but I think this might be a general Manhattan thing. A lot of the stores there pay no attention to the customer unless he or she asks a question or stands at the register coughing conspicuously.

[betweenthelens]

I love Kinokuniya and they've always been very attentive. I won't patronize a shop that is indifferent to my presence or a place of business with salespeople with attitudes. I'll take my business elsewhere and give the sale to a shop that cares about its customers. Brick and mortar establishments are already on shaky ground with the exponential growth of online sales. One would think they'd realize this and step up their customer service.

[tandaina]

Not to excuse FPH for their inattentiveness, but I think this might be a general Manhattan thing. A lot of the stores there pay no attention to the customer unless he or she asks a question or stands at the register coughing conspicuously.

Except that every other store we went into we were constantly asked "Can I help you find anything?" Constantly. Even very, very busy stores. so...