Fountain pens in Singapore FAQ

Hi! Thanks for dropping by. This FAQ is here mostly as a historical curiosity and is hopelessly outdated. The last major update was in Oct 2011. A lot has happened since 🙂

If you’re in Singapore and have fountain pen-related questions, it’s better and quicker to ask on the Facebook Group – Singapore Fountain Pen Lovers. There’s also a monthly meetup.

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Compiled from threads on Fountain Pen Network, my own little discoveries, and kind contributions from readers of this page. Don’t forget to check out the Comments below for the latest contributions.

There’s a mailing list for fountain pen enthusiasts on Yahoo! Groups –
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/singaporefp

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Feel free to link to or cite this page. If you’d like to reproduce any or all of this content, I’m fine with that but please credit me or link back to this page.

If you’ve any questions or comments, please leave a reply below or PM me on FPN. My nick is Readymade .

Last updated: 25 October 2011

1. Overview
2. What pen shops are there?
3. Where can I find vintage fountain pens?
4. Where can I find cheap fountain pens?
5. Where are the flea markets?
6. Where can I find specific pens / parts?
7. Where can I find specific inks?
8. Where can I find good paper?
9. Where can I find repair tools / equipment?
10. Where can I go for pen repairs?
11. Who brings all these pens in anyway?
12. What are some good links to check out?
13. Pen memories

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1. OVERVIEW

In general, most pen brands aren’t cheaper in Singapore. Most stores sell at full retail. Major department stores and bookshops tend to have pen counters. Common brands represented: Sheaffer, Parker, Waterman, Cross and Lamy.

If you’re looking for deals, it’s better to look online. Pens can be cheaper even after taking shipping into account. Try:

Pen Gallery – http://www.pengallery.com/
(they’ve a great store in brick-and-mortar store in KL too)

Pensinasia – http://www.pensinasia.com/
(Folks on FPN have also reported good dealings with PensinAsia too.)

If you know what you want and you’re in Singapore you can try Mustafa (see Pen Shops), open 24 hours. If you’re a tourist – shopping at Mustafa Centre is an experience in itself 😀

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2. PEN SHOPS

Arthur aka “House Of Pens” maintains a list of current pen shops with photos and a map too!

http://houseofpens.blogspot.com/2009/11/singapore-pen-tour-2009.html

Here’s a selection —

Aesthetic Bay
http://www.aestheticbay.com/

No. 2 Orchard Turn
#04-14, ION Orchard
Singapore 238801
Tel: +65 6735 6788
Fax: +65 6235 6788

Click here for map

Aesthetic Bay also runs Singapore’s only Graf von Faber-Castell boutique, just next door.

Thanks to the efforts of Mr Tan Fong Kum, the owner, we’ve had 2 pen clinics in Singapore so far! YOSHIDA Shinichi from Nakaya in July 2009 and NAGAHARA Yukio in Jan 2010.

Fook Hing Trading Co.
Blk 231 Bain St.
#01-23, Bras Basah Complex
Singapore 180231

Prices for vintage pens are very high relative to what’s online. For modern pens, their prices are comparable with Aesthetic Bay’s.

Prestige Time
Blk 231 Bain St.
#01-23, Bras Basah Complex
Singapore 180231

Elephant & Coral
333A Orchard Road #03-03 Mandarin Gallery Singapore 238897
Telephone: (65)6736-1322 Fax: (65)6734-1992
Email: sales@elephant-coral.com
Website: http://www.elephant-coral.com/

Possibly the most expensive pen shop around, with an extremely posh image.

Lin Kong Watch & Pen
111 North Bridge Rd
#03-53 Peninsula Plaza
Singapore 179098
Telephone: (65)-63383626
http://sseoww.com/

The website is run by the daughter of the owners – herself a businesswoman with her own separate pen business.

Mustafa Centre
145 Syed Alwi Road
Singapore – 207704
Tel: +65-62955855

Not a pen shop, but worth mentioning for its great prices and decent variety. Major pen brands all represented and prices are a little lower. Service is non-existent – no dipping or trying. Best if you know what you want already and are just looking for a deal. Be thick-skinned.

It’s also the only place in Singapore that sells Hero 336s (for S$1.20 each!), the Pilot eyedropper that graceaj loves so much 🙂 (S$7), and more.

There’re 3 pen counters: 2 on the first floor of either building, and another in the stationery section on the fourth floor.

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3. VINTAGE / OLDER PENS

Also see the FLEA MARKETS section.

Pek Kay Lee
Blk 34 Upper Cross St
#02-132
Singapore 050034

From tankahn: “The elderly store owner has Parker 51s. Also Sheaffer PFMs with weak rubber sacs which needs restoration. Do not go to the next shop.”

Fook Hing Trading Co
(see Pen Shops)

Some Singaporeans sell their vintage pens online:

Yong
http://fp-writings.blogspot.com/

The prices on his site are in US$ btw.

From Richard Fan: “bought b4 – but pls note if you go to “green-board” you will his prices slashed by further +30%, so check there before buying asking price – i discovered this after i paid original asking price . . he’s friendly & best thing is you can test the pen before buying”

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4. CHEAP FOUNTAIN PENS

Cheapies have their charms too!

– Hero 336 – S$1.20 at Mustafa
– Pilot V-pen / Varsity – around S$2.50 at most Popular bookstores, stationery stores
– Platinum Preppy – S$3.30 at Kinokuniya (Ngee Ann City) and Isetan Scotts 3F
– Pilot “Tank pen” eyedropper. Japanese M / Western F nib only – S$7 at Mustafa
– Pilot – (Model 2A clone?) – with squeeze filler. Japanese M / Western F nib only – S$7 at Mustafa
– Platinum Riviere – S$2 at Daiso (from tankahn)
– Daiso house brand fountain pen – S$2 from, er, Daiso. (see below)

Daiso
Japan’s largest franchise of 100 yen shops has stores in Singapore too. Every item is priced at S$2 each.

(Also see tankahn’s FPN post.)

Hero and other China brands

From tt32003: “Also found a stationary shop at second floor Punggol Plaza selling cheap Heros and other brand Chinese fountain pens. These are not the 336 type but with new designs and finishings. Around $5 each. Art friend at Taka has many cheap German made [My comment: Berlitz or Diplomat] fountain pens, around $10 or less.”

(Guess you never know where those Chinese pens will turn up.)

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5. FLEA MARKETS

Cash Converters
This is a chain of thrift stores in Singapore, with stores around the island. Click for their website.

From tt32003: “Lastly sometimes at cash converter can find good used pen but really depens on your luck.”

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6. SPECIFIC PENS AND PARTS

(Also see 4. Where can I find cheap fountain pens?)

Lamy nibs
For Lamy nibs, try Lin Kong, Prestige Time or Fook Hing (thanks Nic!) (see Pen Shops above)

How do you change a Lamy nib? Instructions here.

Pilot Prera
Kinokuniya stationery branches (see Paper section).

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7. INK

You can fill most of your ink needs at the major pen shops here or at pen counters in department stores. (see Pen Shops).

Noodler’s Singapore colors
Only Aesthetic Bay (see Pen Shops) stocks Noodler’s Ink. The owner commissioned the Singapore colors line from Nathan Tardiff. But they don’t seem to sell online anymore…

Fortunately, Pensinasia offers them online. Also check out the relevant FPN thread.

Pilot Iroshizuku
Also stocked by Aesthetic Bay (see Pen Shops).

Pelikan 4001
Available just about everywhere, including Mustafa – 4th floor, stationery section.

J Herbin
At last! NBC Marketing now stocks J Herbin inks – bottles and cartridges – and J Herbin accessories in their new store at Ngee Ann City. (see Pen Shops)

8. PAPER

tankahn recommends: “For papers, I am using Giant Hypermarket store branded superior multi-purpose paper (70gsm) which I found to be FP friendly. Once you find papers you like best, buy them in A4 size pads and get them hand stitched. The society for physically disabled http://www.spd.org.sg provides book binding service. I got my Rhodia pads made into Moleskine size journals.”

Japanese brands

Kinokuniya (Main Store)
391 Orchard Road Ngee Ann City
#03-10/15 Takashimaya Shopping Centre
Singapore 238872
Tel: (65)6737-5021
(Opening hours: Sun to Fri – 10am to 9.30pm & Sat – 10am to 10pm)

Kinokuniya (Liang Court)
177 River Valley Road
#03-50 Liang Court
Singapore 179036
Tel: (65)6337-1300
(Opening hours: Daily – 10.30am to 9.30pm)

The stationery sections are actually managed by another company called NBC Marketing. They have their own stores as well.

The Raffles City one is well-stocked too. It’s in the basement, next to the escalator down to Esplanade MRT:

NBC Marketing
252 North Bridge Rd
Raffles City

The Stationery Superstore in Funan the IT Mall stocks Kokuyo and Maruman notebooks and paper.

Stationery Superstore
#02-23/29 Funan Digitalife Mall
109 North Bridge Rd
Tel: 63323870

Grandluxe / Paperluxe
A good alternative to Moleskines. Better paper, but fewer pages. Available at most bookstores.

Miquelrius
Stocked at NBC and Kinokuniya.

Moleskine
Moleskine paper tends to be too thin for fountain pens, but they’re available in almost every bookstore.

Nightingale
Available at Mustafa and Kinokuniya (see Pen Shops)

From graceaj: “There are also the Nightingale notebooks recommended by tankahn at Mustafa. The 3-section notebooks use a paper similar to those in the Handbook, just 10gsm lighter. These come in hardbound and spiral versions in a few sizes. Only thing is the book is divided into 3 sections with ruled, blank and gridded pages, which not everyone may like.”

9. PEN REPAIR TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

None since Chan Kwong Kee in South Bridge Road closed

10. REPAIRS

Other than returning your poor pen to the distributor (see Distributors), you can try Pek Kay Lee. (see Vintage Pens)

As far as I know, there’re no active nibmeisters in Singapore.

11. MAJOR PEN BRANDS / DISTRIBUTORS / SALES AGENTS

Note that distributors are mostly located in hard-to-reach industrial estates.

Pelikan Singapore Pte Ltd
18 Tannery Lane
#01-03 Lian Tong Building
Singapore 347780
Tel: 6258 5231 / 6846 7896

Beste
Handles Parker and Waterman. They also manage pen counters in most department stores and bookshops.

Duralink (S) Pte. Ltd.
Handles Lamy.

102F Pasir Panjang Road #04-11
Singapore 118530
Call + 65 63760881
Fax + 65 63760883
sales@duralink.com.sg

BIC Singapore
Handles Sheaffer.

BIC Product (Singapore) Pte Ltd
60 Alexandra Terrace The Comtech
#05-05 Singapore 118502
Phone: 6227 3066
Fax: 6227 3421
Email: Sheaffer.Singapore@bicworld.com

12. LINKS AND REFERENCES

Join us Singapore fountain pen enthusiasts on Yahoo! Groups –
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/singaporefp

We’re also on Facebook – Singapore Fountain Pen Lovers

Check out the “Fountain Pens in Singapore” thread on Fountain Pen Network.

Fountain Pen Network (FPN) also has an extremely extensive FAQ that’s worth plowing through. If you have a question, chances are someone’s already answered it here. Multiple times.

13. PEN MEMORIES

A little section dedicated to pen shops that have closed, pen repairers that have vanished, and even a few… “interesting” characters.

Sin Ghee
Bras Basah Complex
231 Bain Street #01-45
Singapore 180231
Tel: 63370732
Opening hours: about 3 – 7pm, Mon – Sat.

Shop is still there, but has been shuttered since 10 Oct 2008 😦 Was the first place to check out if you’re looking for restored Parker “51”s.

Uncle Goh at China Square Central Flea Market

A seller who had a table at China Square Central some Sundays. No apparent regular schedule. He’s polite and it’s always a pleasure browsing. But not all his pens are in working condition or have accurate parts. Buyer beware.

From Richard Fan: “level 2 next to secondary escalator – not main one -, after 12pm, has plenty of old pens – bought quite a few – hit & miss, always caveat emptor – for me flexy nib is important so i need to see & test b4 buying, thats why online for me is discouraging – but after the missus here, online is next step for me cos i am onto a certain brand & nib . . .but go check it out, you will bump into other collectors”

Thieves’ Market at Sungei Road
Wikipedia has more info. This page has directions.