Fountain Pen Stores In Seoul?

[JLukeW]

I recently moved to Seoul (actually Yongin-Si, south of Bundang) to teach English, and I've found a number of stationary stores scattered around but none selling fountain pens.

 

Is anyone familiar with any FP stores in or around Seoul? Also, any fellow FPNers in the area?

[Hex]

I checked with SWMBO and she suggested maybe the bigger Department stores. Then she cut me to the quick by saying that fountain pens were "old style".

[noodlesinabag]

No, that's not where you want to go. Usually Kyobo bookstores will have a fpn section. I think there was a good one in uljiro-3-ga that you can walk to from the subway station that I remember having a good fpn section. There's also bestpen in gangnam that has a good selection (you can even pick up a lamy lime while you're there). I remember seeing a small fpn store near lotte world in jamsil but I think they ony carried the more expensive stuff. Some department stores will have a DuPont or montblanc store that will carry the roller balls and fpns for about twice what you pay for in the US. I think I picked up some rotrings in the Kyobo hot tracks in bundang.... Have you figured out the bus system yet? The subway is great but from yongin to gangnam is like 1hr by subway plus a billion transfers or 30 mins via a bus. I think there's a red bus that goes directly to jamsil station from yongin... Sorry cant be of much help... You can try calling bestpen or get a coworker to show you how to get there. Their website is bestpen.co.kr

 

Also take advantage of the fact that Japan is right across the pond.i think I must have gone to Kyoto like 3 times the year I lived there. Go to one of their sailor clinics.... I'm so envious of you right now.....

[leaflet]

You can find Kyobo, Young Poong, and a Pilot Korea store around Gwanghwamoon station and Jong-Gak station. All three stores carry fountain pens.

I like Lotte department store Jamsil, and bestpen, too.

[JLukeW]

Thank you all so much! I found a Kyobo near Seohyeon station in Bundang and bought a 1.5mm stub Pelikan Script with a cartridge converter to play with. I also disocvered that Goulet Pens will ship to Korea, so I ordered an italic Twsbi (540). Super excited about both!

 

Kyobo's selection of Fountain Pens is actually surprisingly good. They have the full lineup of Pelikan pens (they'll let you ink and try an M805, though I wasn't interested). They have almost all the Lamy pens (from Safari's to the 2000), and a few of the other big brands. Prices are maybe 1.7x what you'd pay online, but it's a B&M store in South Korea, so I can't really fault them for the prices.

 

Anyway, success! Thanks again.

[Captain Ahab]

Be ready to pay almost twice the going US price for pens in most Korean locations.

 

All the Kyobo stores in Seoul have newly expanded fountain pen sections, with especially reasonable prices on ink. The largest of these is the flagship store at Kwanghwameun station, or just a short walk from Jonggak station if you prefer Line 1. Kyobo also sells Claire Fontaine and Rhodia products.

 

The fountain pen area manager at Yangpoon bookstore at Jonggak station is very friendly and speaks English well. He deals in Mont Blanc, Lamy, Platinum, Rotring and some others. The Yangpoon bookstore at the Express Bus Terminal has recently stopped selling fountain pens.

 

The Pilot shop on the edge of Namdaemoon market has a nice selection of various brands of pens, including Sailor 1911, Sheaffer, and others. This is located very close to the construction site of the restored Namdaemoon Gate and is easy to find.

 

Linko, in Koex Mall, at Samsong station on line 2, has a small selection of fountain pens. This week I got a Kaweco sport there for the equivalent of the US price. Linko also sells Claire Fontaine, Rhodia, and Habana.

 

Boheme.co.kr is a good place to order online. They also have a shop that is about the size of three phone booths put together in the underground shopping arcade between Hoehyeon Station and Myoung Dong, under the Shinsegae Department Store. Take exit 7 from Hoehyeon Station and walk about a block to the front entrance of the department store, you will find the entrance to the underground shops there as well. The price of a TWSBI there is about $7 more than the price of a TWSBI with shipping from the US. They have Noodlers ink, very very expensive, J. herbin and a bunch of other stuff not listed on the web site. When shopping in the store, ask the prices before they total your bill, or you could end up with a nasty surprise. If you need something in a hurry and can't wait for Goulet, this is the place to go. If you do go there, tell him the professor with the Ahab pens sent you. Ask for the cash discount, 5% off in the store, and when shopping on the Internet.

 

That said, Goulet packs their stuff really well and it usually arrives in about 7 days, although once a package inexplicably took 4 weeks. I have also ordered from TWSBI and hisnibs.com with great results. The prices from these dealers are generally a better deal than department store prices In Korea. You don't owe customs duties until the value of the package, including shipping and insurance costs reaches 200,000 Won. Any package opened by customs is clearly labeled as such. I've never had a package of pen stuff detained.

 

Have a good time in Yong In! If you want to form Korea's first pen posse, PM me sometime.

 

I have no affiliation with any of these stores or dealers, just passing along my experience.

Edited June 9, 2012 by Captain Ahab

[JLukeW]

A gentleman and a scholar! Thank you indeed - what a wonderful country to explore! Thank you for some places to start.

[Dianne47]

Captain Ahab - Thank you for your detailed guide to buying pens in Seoul. I'm visiting there in the fall and thought I might check out a pen store or two. Given the prices, that might not be a very good use of time, but I'm going to take along your suggestions and if I'm in any of the neighborhoods you mention I might make a stop. I love FPN, such useful information here. Thanks again!

[Simius]

Captain Ahab's guide is indeed very useful, I can testify from my experience looking for pens in April. One additional source - the Lotte Department store next to the Lotte hotel had a small selection of pens - Pilot, Parker and the like. The prices were good in April - because there was a sale.

[MKIM97]

Be ready to pay almost twice the going US price for pens in most Korean locations.

 

When my dad went back to Korea, he came back with a steel Parker Vector for me. Apparently it set him back around 70 USD!

[Don.K]

Good information I live by the electronics mart. Shipping and handling fees are killing me, So I went on line to fined stores and as of 10 minuets ago am a new member of the Fountain Pen network. Many thanks

[hariharan]

Thanks for the useful info. I'm staying in Pohang (5 hrs from Seoul).. The lack of FP in korea only increased my passion for them. As many has mentioned above, the pens are quite expensive in Korea. In addition to the above, i saw gmarket.co.kr has also Lamy and Parker FPs.

 

Its better to depend upon Goulet. It took 2 weeks to receive my lamy studio from Goulet.

[Don.K]

I just received my Lamy safari from Amazon it only took a week, but Goulet has free shipping to APO so I think I will gave them a try.

[Jadie]

Near the bottom levels of Lotte World, by the underground parking lot and a convenience store, there's this tiny place called Pen Cafe.

 

http://pencafe.co.kr/

 

Good selection of pens and inks (I remember seeing MB, J. Herbin, Iroshizuku?), just kind of pricey. Everything seems to be retail price there. I think I remember seeing some cool urushi/maki-e pens too?

 

The highlight of their display cases was a Parker Duofold Maki-e Panda pen and a Waterman Serenite LE Crane. It's also rather depressing, because these two pens have been unsold for so long that they're literally just collecting layers and layers of dust....somebody buy them and save them!

 

I have some brief pictures below, though I didn't get to take a lot because the owners seemed rather distant. Maybe I should have dressed up before I went inside. =p

 

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7374/9634260821_050f723857_c.jpg

P1050390 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

Display on outside of store

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3827/9634260443_465bd39e41_c.jpg

P1050384 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

Funny Parker display cabinet with a giant Aurora nib on top

http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3695/9637501778_055fb85a03_c.jpg

P1050391 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

The dusty Parker Duofold

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5330/9634261457_39828609f0_c.jpg

P1050393 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

Panda says: "Hey, want to take me home?"

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5325/9637502406_1666d7d426_c.jpg

P1050394 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

Parker Penman ink! Probably black, though...still cool.

 

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7438/9634263273_e2440f706f_c.jpg

P1050388 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

Lovely Serenite at an unlovely price

http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5550/9637506610_9eb4d4a9a8_c.jpg

P1050386 by Jiadepix, on Flickr

Look at all that dust...sigh...what this pen needs is a good inking!

 

Hope that helps. If you do visit, take pictures and tell me if the dusty LEs are still there! =D

[fabri00]

While in Seoul for business, I went today to find Pen Cafè at Lotte World.

I found the shop, but it look to be closed from a while:

 

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/59/p6a2.jpg

 

I checked on his web site, and it still exist, but I cannot read Korean, and therefore I cannot read if there is a new adress.

[fabri00]

Yesterday while I was in the bus from Gangnam to Incheon Airport, I saw a pen-shop on the road with the url displayed as www.bestpen.co.kr :

 

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/800x600q90/844/pbpa.jpg

 

It is few minuts from Gangnam, but as I co not know well Seoul, I'm not able to give further infos about the location.

 

Next time I'll be in Seoul, I'll visit that place.

[b8amack]

The pen cafe site says the address is still in the basement (B1) of Lotte Hotel (where Lotte World is, iirc). Haven't been down there, myself. Maybe they just haven't taken their site down.

Edited February 20, 2014 by b8amack

[fabri00]

The pen cafe site says the address is still in the basement (B1) of Lotte Hotel (where Lotte World is, iirc). Haven't been down there, myself. Maybe they just haven't taken their site down.

For sure the shop was not existing anymore on that place.

[Tenkai]

I'm going Korea in April! Are the prices worth a bother compared to what can be found online?

[fabri00]

I'm going Korea in April! Are the prices worth a bother compared to what can be found online?

Definitively more expansive in korea.