Paris Fountain Pen and Fine Stationery Stores
Ah, Paris. It is indeed once of the most romantic cities in the world no matter how much of a skeptic you may be. As Thomas Jefferson once said, “A walk about Paris will provide lessons in history, beauty, and in the point of Life”.
So, it seems fitting that a city filled with beauty would find locals and tourists needing many means to express it.
Thankfully, Paris and its outskirts are filled with shops filled with writing instruments and all the accoutrements that go with them.
Herewith, in no particular order are just some of the independent retailers that you might visit should you find yourself in the city of light and that you can support through their online shops as they wait to reopen their doors.
The Marais area is known for its paper. In fact, the Rue du Pont Louis Phillippe has been dubbed the “Rue du Papier” or the “Street of Paper”. Here you will find the following boutiques:
Paris Pen and Stationery Shops at a Glance
| Shop | Address | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Calligrane | 6 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004 | Artist papers |
| Papier Plus | 9 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004 | Notebooks, albums, boxes |
| Mélodies Graphiques | 10 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004 | Calligraphy, wax seals |
| L'Ecritoire | 26 passage Molière, 75003 | Wax seals, paper goods |
| Papier Tigre | 5 rue des Filles du Calvaire, 75003 | Modern French design |
| Merci | 111 bd Beaumarchais, 75003 | Concept store, gifts |
| Opéra Stylos | 26 bd des Italiens, 75009 | Major pen brands |
| Le Palais du Stylo | 9 rue Auber, 75009 | Vintage, repairs |
| Plume et Bille | 38 rue de l'Arcade, 75008 | Namiki, high end |
| Point Plume | 21 rue Quentin Bauchart, 75008 | Curated luxury pens |
| Stylo City | 56 bd Saint-Michel, 75006 | Trying pens, refills |
| Grim'art | 59-61 rue Saint-André des Arts, 75006 | Leather journals |
| Papeterie du Dôme | 108 bd du Montparnasse, 75014 | Diaries, planners |
| Sennelier | 3 quai Voltaire, 75007 | Art supplies, pigments |
| Delfonics | Carrousel du Louvre, 99 rue de Rivoli, 75001 | Japanese stationery |
How to Plan a Paris Stationery Crawl
Three things will save you a wasted afternoon.
Check hours before every visit. These are small independent shops, and most keep their own schedule rather than standard retail hours. A phone call or a look at the shop's site is worth the two minutes.
Lunch closures are real. Smaller boutiques still shut for an hour or two in the middle of the day. Sennelier and Grim'art both do. Arrive after 2pm rather than at 1pm.
August empties the city. Many family-run shops close for two or three weeks in August. If you are travelling then, check individual shop announcements rather than assuming.
Group your visits by neighbourhood. The sections below are walkable clusters. The Marais one in particular puts three specialist paper shops within about fifty metres of each other.
The Marais: Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe and Around
The Marais is where Paris keeps its paper. A short stretch of the Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe in the 4th has been nicknamed the "Rue du Papier", the Street of Paper, because three specialist shops sit almost side by side. Nearest métro is Pont Marie or Saint-Paul.
Calligrane
6 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004. www.calligrane.fr
First opened in 1979 by Ann Barth, Calligrane has always been an artistic alternative to the classic stationery store. Paper takes centre stage here, exploring its most creative and artistic characteristics. The shop places emphasis on paper artists, both discovering them and devoting gallery space to them. There is still a fair amount of stationery, tools for correspondence and notebooks to be found, and you will be delighted when you find that they are made out of things like vegetables and sumac trees.
Papier Plus
9 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004. www.papierplus.com
A few doors along, Papier Plus has been manufacturing its own products since 1976. Beautiful, handmade, lined envelopes in all sizes and colours are a feast for the eyes and it is difficult not to pull one of each colour, whether you need them or not. Careful consideration has also been paid to a range of linen covered hardback notebooks, again in every shade of the rainbow. Offered in several sizes, these books have incredibly thick, smooth paper, well suited to fountain pens. They also make photo albums, portfolios and archival boxes.
Mélodies Graphiques
10 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe, 75004.
Directly across the street from Papier Plus, Mélodies Graphiques is now housed in two shopfronts. The shop dates back to 1986 and remains the anchor of the street. It is a treasure trove of calligraphy nibs and holders, quills, inks, sealing wax, gilt-edged cards, notebooks, old engravings and ephemera, arranged in a way that feels as old as it is new. The shop also runs calligraphy workshops, and if you are lucky you will catch someone at work on a project and see just how skilled they are.
L'Ecritoire Paris
26 passage Molière, 75003. Nearest métro Rambuteau. www.lecritoireparis.com
Founded in 1975 and tucked into a covered passage in the 3rd, L'Ecritoire brings tradition and heritage together with an inventive streak. The shop concentrates mostly on European writing instruments and paper, including its own proprietary line, and stocks a wide range of sealing wax and wax seal stamps in colours you will not find elsewhere. Worth going out of your way for if you write letters.
Papier Tigre
5 rue des Filles du Calvaire, 75003. www.papiertigre.fr
Since 2012, Papier Tigre has been manufacturing in their own space, creating some of the most inventive prints, notebooks and desk accessories on the market. The brand focuses on sustainability, transparency and producing locally, and much of the range is made in France. You can also have a spiral notebook customised in store.
Merci
111 bd Beaumarchais, 75003. www.merci-merci.com
Founded in 2009 by Bernard and Marie France Cohen, this lifestyle store is a cornerstone of the northern Marais and buzzes with energy. Merci changes themes and merchandise regularly, so the stationery and pen selection varies. You can always pick up a Merci branded planner or a Merci BIC Cristal at the till as a souvenir. Go for the displays as much as the shopping.
Right Bank Pen Specialists
If you are specifically after fountain pens rather than paper, these four are where the serious selections live. All are in the 8th and 9th, within a short walk of Opéra or the Champs-Élysées. Two of them keep unusually restricted hours, so call first.
Opéra Stylos
26 bd des Italiens, 75009. Nearest métro Richelieu-Drouot. www.opera-stylos.com
Trading since 1947 with a workshop on site, Opéra Stylos carries a broad range across price points, from entry level Lamy, Cross, Waterman and Parker up through Montblanc, S.T. Dupont and Caran d'Ache. Gift wrapping is done properly, with wax and seal. This is the shop for someone who wants a recognised brand and a straightforward buying experience rather than vintage hunting.
Le Palais du Stylo
9 rue Auber, 75009. Nearest métro Opéra. www.stylosprestige.com
With retro décor, you feel you are walking back in time when you visit the Palais du Stylo. Owned by the Renard family, the shop represents major fine writing brands and engraves in house. It is also one of the few places in central Paris where someone will look at a misbehaving nib and fix it while you wait. Customers report flow and alignment problems sorted out on the spot, and old refills improvised from parts. Opening is minimal, so treat a visit as something to arrange rather than stumble into.
Plume et Bille
38 rue de l'Arcade, 75008. Nearest métro Saint-Augustin. www.plumeetbille.com
Pen and Ball in English, this is a small shop carrying the biggest European names alongside what may be the deepest Namiki selection in the city. There is a desk for testing, which matters more than any photograph when you are choosing a nib. Owner Brigitte is the reason people come back.
Point Plume
21 rue Quentin Bauchart, 75008. Nearest métro George V. www.pointplume.com
The granddaughter of a painter in the Rouen School and the daughter of two entrepreneurs, Laura Ridel pays tribute to those who came before her with a boutique where artistic expression and innovation are paramount. Alongside the most luxurious world-renowned brands, the Ridel name is making its mark with their own line of extravagant pens and leather accessories. Visitors describe it as closer to a gallery than a shop. Public opening is restricted, so contact them to arrange a visit.
Left Bank: Saint-Germain, the Latin Quarter and Montparnasse
Stylo City
56 bd Saint-Michel, 75006. Nearest métro Cluny-La Sorbonne. www.stylocity.fr
In 1924, Mr Colombain opened his store in the Latin Quarter, where it still remains. That year matters in the pen world: it was when Montblanc introduced the Meisterstück and when Caran d'Ache was founded. Thirty years later the store passed to Louis Laurent and his wife, who ran it until handing it to their son in 1977. Small and jewel-box like, with pens starting around 30 euros and a proprietor who tests refills before selling them. They let you try before you buy, which is the whole point.
Grim'art
59-61 rue Saint-André des Arts, inside the passage, 75006. Nearest métro Odéon. www.grimart.fr
Shelves of leather journals in rich colours just beg to be taken home and filled, many of them refillable and made with paper that handles fountain pen ink without complaint. Leather bags, wood accessories, fine writing paper and ink round out the offerings at this intimate shop, hidden in a passage off one of the oldest streets on the Left Bank. Staff will swap a blank refill for a lined one if you ask.
Papeterie du Dôme
108 bd du Montparnasse, 75014. Nearest métro Vavin. www.papeteriedudome.com
Since 1951 the Papeterie du Dôme has been nestled in the heart of Montparnasse, home to the workshops and studios of artists, cafés and brasseries. Intellectuals and artists have long made their homes here, and the Papeterie has supplied many of them with writing instruments, diaries and writing paper. It remains the strongest planner and diary shop in the city, with Filofax, leather agenda covers and a good range of inserts. Buy something, then take it around the corner and use it over a drink.
Sennelier
3 quai Voltaire, 75007. Closes for lunch. Nearest métro Rue du Bac. www.sennelier-colors.com
Not a stationery shop as such, but no list of Parisian stores for paper lovers is complete without Sennelier. Founded in 1887, it faces the Seine across from the Louvre and sits around the corner from the École des Beaux-Arts. Gustave Sennelier manufactured oil paint, pastels and other fine art supplies that became a reference for brands worldwide.
On any given day this tiny space is as jammed with people as it is with artists' supplies. Alongside the pigments and pastels you will find inks, specialty pens and a serious paper selection. A must for any artist visiting the city, and a place where the traditions of the old masters can be felt while modern work is being made.
Japanese Stationery in Paris
Paris has fewer dedicated Japanese stationery shops than London or New York, but the ones it has are good.
Delfonics
Carrousel du Louvre, 99 rue de Rivoli, 75001. Nearest métro Palais-Royal Musée du Louvre. www.delfonics.fr
Founded in Japan in 1987, the Paris branch of Delfonics is under the Louvre. It is true. Beneath the museum is a shopping centre, and just before the underground entrance to the galleries you will find Delfonics. Originally a maker of diaries and photo albums, the brand now offers a full range of stationery, accessories and pens, including the Rollbahn notebooks it is best known for. It is colourful and playful, practical and fanciful. A good stop after a morning of looking at other people's masterpieces.
Papier Tigre in the Marais also carries a small selection of Japanese lines alongside its own French-made range, if you want to combine the two in one trip.
French Pen, Ink and Paper Brands Worth Buying in Paris
Half the pleasure of shopping here is coming home with something you cannot easily get elsewhere. These are the French names to look for on the shelves.
Herbin. Founded in 1670, Herbin is the oldest ink maker in the world. Jacques Herbin was a sailor who brought sealing wax formulas back from voyages to India, and the company launched its own writing ink line in 1798. It has supplied ink to Victor Hugo, among others. The 1670 and 1798 anniversary ranges are the collectible ones. Herbin has sat under the Clairefontaine Rhodia group since January 2021, and the inks are still made in France.
Clairefontaine. Founded in 1858 at Étival-Clairefontaine in the Vosges, and still making paper, envelopes and notebooks on site. The paper is smooth, heavily sized and forgiving of wet nibs.
Rhodia. The orange and black pads are the ones everyone recognises. Rhodia was acquired by Clairefontaine in 1997, and the two now trade as a single group. The dot grid pads are a fountain pen staple.
S.T. Dupont and Waterman. Both are French-headquartered and both are widely stocked in the pen shops above. Opéra Stylos and Stylo City are the easiest places to compare them side by side.
Oldwin. The house brand of Mora Stylos, and hard to find outside France. Worth knowing about if you are hunting for something genuinely unusual.
Sennelier. Better known for pastels and pigments, but the inks are excellent and make a distinctive gift.
A note on Caran d'Ache: it turns up constantly in Paris pen shops and is often assumed to be French. It is Swiss, based in Geneva.
For more on who makes what worldwide, see our guide to fountain pen brands.
Pen Repair and Vintage Pens Near Paris
Two options if you have a pen that needs attention rather than a pen to buy.
Le Palais du Stylo (9 rue Auber, 75009) handles nib alignment, flow problems and refill improvisation, and has decades of parts behind the counter. Phone ahead.
Mora Stylos is the specialist name for vintage pens, repairs, collection appraisal and buy-back. Trading since 1930, it built its reputation in central Paris, but the shop is now at Acep 77, 113 avenue du Général Leclerc, 77400 Lagny-sur-Marne, roughly 30 km east of the city and reachable by RER. Boris Mora left Odessa at 18 to escape the Bolshevik Revolution, trained as a jeweller in Paris and opened his shop in 1930. He fought with the French in the Second World War, spent five years as a prisoner in Germany, and returned to selling and repairing pens until 1978 when his son took over. Andre Mora expanded the business into antique and vintage expertise. You will find fine European brands in house and, if you are lucky, a vintage Oldwin. Confirm opening times before making the trip.
Beyond Paris
Two shops outside the capital that are worth a detour if your travels take you south.
Makaire Écriture, Aix-en-Provence
Once a stationery shop and bookstore, the current incarnation of Jean-Michel Vadon's Makaire Écriture is housed in a 17th century mansion where spaces are dedicated to the world's top luxury brands. For leather goods and writing instruments, this is Provence's most prestigious shop.
Creatz & Fils, Nice
Since 1896 Creatz and Sons has been Nice's premier destination for fine writing instruments. With 1900s stained glass windows and large cupboards housing their wares, it is currently owned by Janine Forestier, known for pairing people with the pen that suits them. A grand store on the corner of the Rue du Lycée, and a resource for repairs and spare parts, some of them more than a century old.
Paris Pen and Stationery Shopping Questions
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The main fountain pen specialists are Opéra Stylos at 26 boulevard des Italiens in the 9th, Plume et Bille at 38 rue de l'Arcade in the 8th, Stylo City at 56 boulevard Saint-Michel in the 6th, and Point Plume at 21 rue Quentin Bauchart in the 8th.
For a first visit, Stylo City and Opéra Stylos are the most straightforward: central, well stocked across price ranges, and happy to let you test. Plume et Bille is the one to prioritise if you want Japanese brands, particularly Namiki. Point Plume and Le Palais du Stylo both keep restricted hours and are better arranged in advance than dropped into.
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Rue du Pont Louis-Philippe in the 4th arrondissement, nicknamed the Rue du Papier or Street of Paper. Calligrane at number 6, Papier Plus at number 9 and Mélodies Graphiques at number 10 sit within a few doors of each other, covering artist papers, handmade notebooks and calligraphy supplies respectively.
The street runs down towards the Seine from the Marais, with Pont Marie and Saint-Paul the closest métro stations. You can cover all three in under an hour, which makes it the single most efficient stop in the city for anyone who cares about paper.
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It depends what kind. For handmade and artist papers, Calligrane at 6 rue du Pont Louis-Philippe. For linen-covered hardback notebooks made in house, Papier Plus a few doors up at number 9. For modern French design and customisable spiral notebooks, Papier Tigre at 5 rue des Filles du Calvaire.
For diaries, planners and agenda covers, Papeterie du Dôme at 108 boulevard du Montparnasse has the deepest selection in the city. For leather journals with fountain pen friendly paper, Grim'art on rue Saint-André des Arts. And for Japanese notebooks, Delfonics under the Louvre.
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Yes, though the options are few and their hours are awkward. Le Palais du Stylo at 9 rue Auber in the 9th handles nib alignment, flow problems and refills, with a deep stock of old parts. Opéra Stylos has a workshop on site.
For vintage restoration, appraisal or buy-back, Mora Stylos is the established name, though it now trades from Lagny-sur-Marne rather than central Paris. Phone or email ahead in every case. None of these are walk-in repair counters and turnaround depends on the work.
2 Responses
George Hill
This is exactly what we need in the UK, a map of places that specialise in pens and writing accoutrements. Do you have a list?
Youyu Shaikh
Oh, gosh! I wish this article were written before I visited Paris last September! Well, definitely saving it for my next visit. Thank you for sharing!
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