Question About P.w. Akkerman In Amsterdam And The Hague

[Susanlouise]

I will be in the Netherlands for a few days next week and I would like to go to P. W. Akkerman. I see that there is a P. W. Akkerman in the Hague, and a P. W. Akkerman in Amsterdam. They have different web sites. They seem to handle different products (e.g., only the one in the Hague advertises the Akkerman ink in the gorgeous bottles). I would just as soon not go to the Hague to get my Akkerman fix, BUT I WILL, if necessary! Does anyone know what the deal is with these two stores - are they related? Can I get the Akkerman ink in Amsterdam?

 

Thank you!

Susan

[Dynamic Viscosity]

Hi Susan,

 

There is definitly a difference between the two.

 

Jan.

[Dynamic Viscosity]

Hi Susan,

 

There is definitly a difference between the two.

 

Jan.

 

 

Susann, sorry not finishing the reply:

Only P.W. Akkermann in the Hague sells those 150 ml bottles.

[olivier78860]

Half an hour ride with the Thalys. You should be able to survive the detour

[Shaughn]

The two shops only share the name and fountain pen trade. In any and all other respects they are separate companies. Akkerman The Hague is the ink seller.

[Wheatflower]

The two shops only share the name and fountain pen trade. In any and all other respects they are separate companies.

 

So is there a story behind this?

[Susanlouise]

Are they both worth a visit?

[Moondust]

The one in The Hague is definitely worth a visit, it's a pen&inklovers pilgrimage.

Besides that, the shop is located in a lovely old passage in the centre of the city, near the old government buildings if you're interested and at walking distance from the station but also easily reached with trams. And if you're really an ink-o-file, it's worth searching the forum for explanations of the names of the Akkerman inks. All of them are named after places in The Hague.

 

So go there, whatever else you do.

 

The shop in Amsterdam sells pens. And some inks.

[peterpen53]

Half an hour ride with the Thalys. You should be able to survive the detour

 

Thalys does no longer call at The Hague, it takes the direct route over the high speed line. However there are regular trains between Amsterdam (I assume you are staying there) and The Hague every 15 minutes and they take barely more than half an hour. Be sure to take one to Central Station, from there it is a 10 minute walk.

If you're going for the Akkerman ink and if you're going for a pen shop where sales staff will go out of their way to help you, go to The Hague.

 

As Moondust said, the store in Amsterdam sells pens and that's it.

[Shaughn]

The two shops only share the name and fountain pen trade. In any and all other respects they are separate companies.

 

So is there a story behind this?

 

Oh yes... A founding father, and at a certain point quarreling and parting heirs as I recall from memory...

[Susanlouise]

Thank you all for the info - I will definitely make the trip to Den Haag. I have been in and out of Den Haag for years (I used to work for Shell) but somehow I never noticed P. W. Akkerman? This was pre-fountain pen obsession days, though. A tragedy that will soon be rectified!

 

Thanks

Susan

[Susanlouise]

I did get to the Hague today and visited P.W. Akkerman - a very nice store! I bought one of the last (apparently) Akkerman Limited Edition Duofolds, and they gave me a bottle of ink to go with - Hopjesbruin (hope I spelled that right). Beautiful day - everyone was out enjoyng the sun.

[peterpen53]

I did get to the Hague today and visited P.W. Akkerman - a very nice store! I bought one of the last (apparently) Akkerman Limited Edition Duofolds, and they gave me a bottle of ink to go with - Hopjesbruin (hope I spelled that right). Beautiful day - everyone was out enjoyng the sun.

 

Yes, you did spell it perfectly. And congratulations on the Duofold, you've got something special there.

[Moondust]

I did get to the Hague today and visited P.W. Akkerman - a very nice store! I bought one of the last (apparently) Akkerman Limited Edition Duofolds, and they gave me a bottle of ink to go with - Hopjesbruin (hope I spelled that right). Beautiful day - everyone was out enjoyng the sun.

 

Yes, you did spell it perfectly. And congratulations on the Duofold, you've got something special there.

 

Can't resist to give you the explanation of the name. Hopjes are caramel-like square (dice-shaped) sweets tasting like coffee. They are folded in paper and the creases of the paper show in the sweets. If you're still around, you could get some (or at Schiphol). Or go to a supermarket and search out hopjesvla, that's something in between pudding and yoghurt (custard?) tasting like hopjes and its colour is hopjesbruin.

[Susanlouise]

Can't resist to give you the explanation of the name. Hopjes are caramel-like square (dice-shaped) sweets tasting like coffee. They are folded in paper and the creases of the paper show in the sweets. If you're still around, you could get some (or at Schiphol). Or go to a supermarket and search out hopjesvla, that's something in between pudding and yoghurt (custard?) tasting like hopjes and its colour is hopjesbruin.

 

Ha ha, yes, the clerk and I had a little laugh about that, I love those candies. The hotel I used to stay in in the Hague would put them on the pillow at night. Now i do have the urge to find some! I have one more day here (leaving for a cruise from here) and I will totally score a bag and thanks for the tip about the hopjesvla! I will try that too!

 

She wrapped the bottle of ink up so well so it would survive the plane trip back to the States, so I will have to wait a few weeks to try it, but it does look like a tantalizing (yum) coffee/milk colored brown.

[laureat]

I bought one of the last (apparently) Akkerman Limited Edition Duofolds

Well done! It's the pen Edition to commemorate the Centenial of the store. Because Akkerman in Den Haag was the first to import the famous Parker Duofold in Nederland Parker allowed them to design a Limited Edition. a rare item. If you could read the 100 years Akkerman-book (in Dutch) you would find the history of the shop. Once they had three stores. (Den Haag, Utrecht en Amsterdam) The Amsterdam shop is no longer connected although it was, in origin, family-based. It still sells pens and ink. But not THE ink, though.....

The shop is housed in a century old Passage it dates from 1885! In a couple of major cities in Europe these beautiful Passages housed the more expensive and exclusive shops. It is glass-roofed and in Den Haag on top of the shops are luxe apartements. Haagse passage

-The Akkermanshop is next to the Applestore in the picture CPS-07, notice the Giant fountainpen-.

[philm]

Susan -

 

The original Akkerman Duofold

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y50/munsonhsr/akkerman%20parker/DSC_0003.jpg

 

and imprint

 

http://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y50/munsonhsr/akkerman%20parker/DSC_0005.jpg

 

and a full write up here

 

Phil Munson

[Susanlouise]

Hi - thanks all for the info - I got the little book about the history of the store with the pen, they also gave me a bigger hardback (all in dutch of course) but great pictures of the history and the people. Very nice to do business with such a venerable institution!