Where to buy fountain pens, ink and paper in San Diego (2026 guide)

The best places to buy fountain pens and bottled ink in San Diego are Warwick's in La Jolla and Strenger Studio in Old Town. For notebooks and letter paper, add Paper Source in La Jolla or Encinitas, Blick in Point Loma and Seaside Papery in Coronado. Montblanc fans have two stops: Fashion Valley and Rancho Bernardo.

We checked every shop below in September 2026 against its own website or a current listing. Stock changes fast, so tap through to the shop's site before you drive over for one specific pen or color. We don't list hours here; the shop sites have them.

San Diego pen and paper shops by neighborhood

La Jolla: Warwick's for pens and bottled ink, Paper Source for notebooks
Old Town: Strenger Studio for starter pens, bottled ink and calligraphy supplies
Mission Valley: Montblanc at Fashion Valley
Rancho Bernardo: Unicorn Jewelry & Watch Boutique for Montblanc
Point Loma: Blick Art Materials for dip pens and art paper
Coronado: Seaside Papery for letter writing
Encinitas: Paper Source for notebooks and journals

Fountain pen stores in San Diego

Warwick's, La Jolla

Warwick's is a bookstore first. It calls itself the oldest continuously family owned and operated bookstore in the United States, and it has been at 7812 Girard Avenue since 1952.

Its pen department page says Warwick's has the best selection of fountain pens, rollerballs, ballpoints and mechanical pencils in San Diego. The brands it names include Lamy, Kaweco, Pilot, Pelikan, Sailor, Visconti, Parker and Waterman, plus what the store calls a huge selection of refills and bottled ink. There is also an aisle of inexpensive everyday pens you can try before you buy.

Good for: seeing a lot of brands side by side, gifts, and restocking ink.

Strenger Studio, Old Town

Strenger Studio is a calligraphy and stationery studio that opened in Old Town in 2022. It teaches classes and workshops in calligraphy, lettering and book arts, and its supply shelf is a friendly place to start with fountain pens.

As of September 2026 the online shop lists a Pilot Kakuno for around $15, a Herbin demonstrator fountain pen for around $24, Ferris Wheel Press Carousel fountain pens for around $28 and the Lamy Al Star for around $47.

For ink, as of September 2026 there are J. Herbin scented inks in 30 ml bottles for around $17 and Ferris Wheel Press inks in 38 ml bottles for around $22, though several Ferris Wheel Press colors showed as sold out online when we checked. Glass dip pens, dip pen nibs and sumi ink are on the same shelf.

Good for: a first fountain pen, J. Herbin and Ferris Wheel Press ink, and anyone curious about calligraphy. They also host a monthly open studio called Creative Fridays; details are on their site.

Montblanc, Fashion Valley

The Montblanc boutique at Fashion Valley is on the lower level near Center Court, across from Macy's. Fashion Valley is an open air mall in Mission Valley. The mall directory describes Montblanc as a longtime maker of writing instruments that has since added watches, leather goods and jewelry.

Good for: seeing Montblanc pens in person and gift shopping.

Unicorn Jewelry & Watch Boutique, Rancho Bernardo

Unicorn Jewelry has been a Rancho Bernardo jeweler since 1981. Its store on Bernardo Center Drive has a writing instruments section that is all Montblanc: fountain pens, rollerballs, ballpoints and refills.

Good for: Montblanc shopping without a trip to the mall.

Where to buy fountain pen ink in San Diego

For bottled fountain pen ink, start with Warwick's, which stocks bottled ink next to its pens, and Strenger Studio, which lists J. Herbin and Ferris Wheel Press inks. Colors come and go at both, so check the shop's site or call before you go.

If you also do calligraphy, the San Diego Pen Club's local resources list points to Blick in Point Loma for dip pen supplies. Blick notes on its store page that selection may vary between its website and its stores, so call before you go hunting for one particular bottle.

Want to try a color before you commit to a full bottle? Ink samples are the answer, and we cover those in the online section below.

Stationery stores in San Diego for paper and notebooks

Fountain pen ink behaves differently on every paper, so the best test is your own pen. Bring the one you use most and ask if you can try a page before you buy.

Paper Source, La Jolla and Encinitas

Paper Source has two stores in the county: Villa La Jolla Drive in La Jolla and El Camino Real in Encinitas. Its online catalog lists dozens of Leuchtturm1917 notebooks, with medium hardcovers around $25 to $29 as of September 2026. It also carries a few fountain pens, such as the LAMY safari at around $37 and the disposable Pilot Varsity at around $5.50. Store stock varies, so check with your location. The La Jolla store page also lists upcoming in store events.

Good for: notebooks, journals and planners.

Blick Art Materials, Point Loma

Blick moved from Little Italy to the former Joann Fabrics space on Midway Drive in 2025, and its store page lists that Point Loma address today. It is an art supply store with a wide assortment of art and craft supplies, so think dip pens and art paper rather than a fountain pen counter.

Good for: dip pens, calligraphy supplies and art paper.

Seaside Papery, Coronado

Seaside Papery has been on Orange Avenue since 2004. It is a proper paper shop, with boxed stationery, notecards and journals from brands like Crane & Co. and Rifle Paper Co., plus Blackwing pencils. The San Diego Pen Club's resources list notes occasional fountain pens such as Kaweco.

Good for: letter writing supplies and cards to pair with your inks.

A few tips before you shop

Call ahead for anything specific. A single ink color or nib size can sell out, and several of these shops are small.
Test paper with your own pen. Same ink, different paper, very different result.
Start cheap. A Pilot Kakuno, around $15 as of September 2026 at Strenger Studio, is a low risk way to find out if you like writing with a fountain pen.
Keep a swatch card. Write a line with every ink you own on one index card and bring it along. It makes the "do I already have this blue?" question much easier at the counter.
Make a day of it. Warwick's and Paper Source are both in La Jolla, so one trip can cover pens, ink and notebooks.

San Diego pen clubs and meetups

The San Diego Pen Club is the longer running pen group in town, and we're fans. They meet twice a month, with Central San Diego and North County locations, and all are welcome with no fee to join. Their events page currently lists meetups on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays, and their local resources page is a great list of shops and local pen makers. You can follow them at @sandiegopenclub.

SD Pen Club (that's us) meets the 3rd Saturday of every month in San Diego. Bring whatever you write with, a notebook, and an ink you'd like to share. Between the two clubs, there's a pen meetup on three Saturdays most months.

Meetups are also the easiest way to try a pen before you buy one. Most people are happy to hand you theirs for a few lines.

Buying fountain pens and ink online when you can't find it locally

Some things, like one exact ink color or a Japanese notebook, are simply easier to order. Three well known online shops:

Goulet Pens is based near Richmond, Virginia, and was founded in 2009. It sells fountain pens, ink and paper, and its ink samples come in 2 ml vials, most for around $2.25 to $3.50 each as of September 2026. That is a cheap way to test colors before buying a bottle.
JetPens is an online stationery store with pens, paper and art supplies from Japan and beyond.
Vanness is a third generation, family owned store based in Arkansas that has supplied analog writing instruments since 1938, with fountain pens, ink and paper online.

Know a San Diego shop we missed, or one that has changed? Tell us at a meetup. For meetup updates, check sdpenclub.com or follow @sdpenclub.

Common questions

Where can I buy fountain pens in San Diego?

Warwick's in La Jolla says it has the best pen selection in San Diego, with brands like Lamy, Kaweco, Pilot, Pelikan, Sailor and Visconti. Strenger Studio in Old Town is a friendly spot for starter pens like the Pilot Kakuno. For Montblanc, there is a boutique at Fashion Valley and Unicorn Jewelry & Watch Boutique in Rancho Bernardo. Paper Source in La Jolla and Encinitas also carries a few fountain pens, such as the LAMY safari.

Where can I buy bottled fountain pen ink in San Diego?

Warwick's in La Jolla stocks bottled ink and refills alongside its pens, and Strenger Studio in Old Town lists J. Herbin and Ferris Wheel Press inks. Stock changes, so check the shop's site or call before you go. To try a color first, online shops like Goulet Pens sell 2 ml ink samples.

Where can I find fountain pen friendly notebooks and paper in San Diego?

Paper Source has stores in La Jolla and Encinitas, and its catalog includes Leuchtturm1917 notebooks. Blick Art Materials in Point Loma covers art paper and dip pen supplies, and Seaside Papery in Coronado is great for letter writing stationery. Bring your own pen and ask to test a page before you buy.

Is there a fountain pen club in San Diego?

Yes, two. The longer running San Diego Pen Club meets twice a month at Central San Diego and North County locations, and its events page currently lists meetups on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays. SD Pen Club meets the 3rd Saturday of every month in San Diego; for updates, check sdpenclub.com or follow @sdpenclub.

Sources

We opened every page below while checking this post in September 2026. Prices and stock change, so check with the shop before you buy.

Warwick's, Pens (warwicks.com)
Warwick's, Our history (warwicks.com)
Strenger Studio, home page (strengerstudio.com)
Strenger Studio, Calligraphy and art supplies (strengerstudio.com)
Strenger Studio, Pilot Kakuno fountain pen (strengerstudio.com)
Strenger Studio, Herbin demonstrator fountain pen (strengerstudio.com)
Strenger Studio, Ferris Wheel Press Carousel fountain pen (strengerstudio.com)
Strenger Studio, Lamy Al Star fountain pen (strengerstudio.com)
Strenger Studio, J. Herbin scented inks, 30 ml (strengerstudio.com)
Strenger Studio, Ferris Wheel Press fountain pen ink, 38 ml (strengerstudio.com)
Fashion Valley store directory, Montblanc (simon.com)
Wikipedia, Fashion Valley (shopping mall) (en.wikipedia.org)
Unicorn Jewelry, home page (unicornjewelry.com)
Unicorn Jewelry, Writing instruments (unicornjewelry.com)
San Diego Pen Club, San Diego pen resources (sandiegopenclub.wixsite.com)
Blick Art Materials, San Diego store (dickblick.com)
OB Rag, Blick Art Materials moving to Point Loma (May 2025) (obrag.org)
Paper Source, Store locator (papersource.com)
Paper Source, La Jolla store (papersource.com)
Paper Source, Leuchtturm1917 search results (papersource.com)
Paper Source, LAMY safari fountain pen (papersource.com)
Paper Source, Pilot Varsity disposable fountain pen (papersource.com)
Seaside Papery, home page (seasidepapery.com)
San Diego Pen Club, home page (sandiegopenclub.wixsite.com)
San Diego Pen Club, Events (sandiegopenclub.wixsite.com)
San Diego Pen Club on Instagram (instagram.com)
Goulet Pens, About us (gouletpens.com)
Goulet Pens, Ink samples (gouletpens.com)
JetPens, home page (jetpens.com)
Vanness, home page (vanness1938.com)