Appointments

If you like pens and other related things and if you like nice and helpful proprietors to talk to about them, then come here. Nice as can be. Super helpful. Happy to purchase from their store.

I always love coming to Appointments. Great service and knowledgable staff, combines with a huge selection of pens of varying prices and brands mean I usually leave with something.

I love this pen store… it’s full of knowledgeable pen experts and an array of ornate and detailed pens, not to mention there’s some good ol’ fashion Pilot pens to toot.
If you haven’t been here yet… get in your car and experience their store!

ou’ve likely to never been into this shop, or even see it at all, unless you are an extreme pen enthusiast. Or, like me, they were offering free handwriting analysis during the Carew Tower open house and you thought, hey, why not?
I’m pleased to say that I got my handwriting analyzed and so much more. As I waited for my turn to meet with the expert, I struck up a conversation with one of the shop keepers — a delightful gentleman with an infectious enthusiasm for writing and literature. Not only did he let me try out of some the pens in the store, but he showed me how to use a felt-​tip (basically, a feather pen). He took the time to show off some of the prized antique pen collection within the store and I truly enjoyed speaking with him. There was no pressure to make a purchase and he encouraged me and other customers to come to the store just to hang out. Not only was he an expert in his field, but he was a wonderful host. If I ever get the craving for a high-​society pen, I will know exactly who to turn to.

Fantastic and knowledgeable sale staff. As the other reviewers noted, the employees are phenomenally informative and there is ZERO pressure. I was considering a relativity expensive fountain pen, but my salesperson recommended that I enter the world of fountain pens with a more economical model. Their prices are fair. Do not buy your fine writing instruments on the internet, just to save ten bucks, when you can benefit from the years experience that these professionals have to offer.

Appointments, also known as «the Business Store,» is another good shop in the Carew Tower. Its name is both creative and appropriate as the store specializes in «fine writing instruments» (and refills and inks), as well as other executive gift items and accessories.
Appointments offers a lot, although they are most well known for their fancy pens. Some of the other aforementioned corporate gifts include globes, timepieces, day planners, chess sets, stationery, picture frames, and other desk items such as paper weights. They also sell wall maps and many Johnston & Murphy products, plus they have a large bear in the store (see photo), which I am not entirely sure of its purpose. Is it a gift, or is it just meant to attract customers in?
Overall, Appointments is a pretty nice store and the staff is friendly and helpful. Personally, I’m a big «clicky» pen fan, but there comes a time and place where you need stylish, more elegant writing «instruments.» Plus they have all of their nice gift items, many of which can really enhance the appearance of one’s office and desk.
A side note, the «Appointments» lettering/​signage on the outside of the store is the exact typeface (font) as Morton’s The Steakhouse. No, that doesn’t mean anything, but perhaps you can draw some correlation to the nice items in the store.

A great place to get a decent pen, and learn about pens. I bought my wife a pen as a gift, and the owner helped me find it. We bounced all over the store and he was patient and didn’t push the $ 400 pen any harder than the $ 25 pen — he just wanted me to find «the right pen» for this gift. Also they set me up with refills for my Mont Blanc fountain pen — the ink is better than Mont Blanc’s — flows nicely, quick dry, and doesn’t fade. Prices are reasonable, but this is not a place to look for bargains. Great service, selection and fair prices.

I tend to think that I like pens. I use them often and enjoy having some good quality ones that make me feel important. But I feel like a Bic user when I talk to the guys at Appointments. They use jargon that I never knew existed. For instance, writing with the cap attached to the top of the pen is called «posting». Who knew? Now I’m aware that I’ve been a poster child all my life. (Tee hee hee!)
But they aren’t elitists who will scorn your need for a quality instrument at a reasonable price. They understand the concept of a budget and that not everyone needs a limited edition fountain pen that costs more than a computer. So if you just want an upgrade over disposables, they’ve got that. If you want something fit to sign an international peace accord, they’ve got that, too. Being such enthusiasts of inscription, they can generally understand what you want and what is available, even if not immediately present in their small Tower Place store.
And what they don’t have they’re usually able to order. Refills are the most common special request, but they are also willing to acquire different styles of pens if you see a design you like but colors you don’t.
Also a great place to find quirky, refined gifts: chess boards, nice notebooks, and other erudite knickknacks fill the space that isn’t devoted to writing utensils. But don’t go looking for bargains.