“Fine pens and paper?”

We hear the phrase dozens of times every day as passersby read the sign above our boutique’s door; it’s the three words (and ampersand) beneath “The Pleasure of Writing.”

And while a lot of people find us through their penthusiasm, whether via search or having heard of our fabulous store in Carmel-by-the-Sea, many of our customers are walking into a fine writing space for the very first time.

Besides a welcome from us, they’re also greeted immediately by a display of lovely notecards with designs featuring hot-air balloons, Pinocchio, and typewriters, among others. Many squeal with delight when they see The Little Prince design and gleefully announce that it was among their favorite books as a child.

We’re always excited to hear their stories and whether they are interested in cards, journals, or other stationery. From embossed cards to cotton-rag infused pages, our stationery is the finest you can find.

Amatruda

This cotton-rag infused paper is crafted on the Amalfi coast and feels so much like fine linen the running joke is that you could sew it together and use it for bedding. It’s just that soft to the touch, and is available in small note cards, larger folding cards with envelopes, and of course a generous large letter size that features a lovely watermark and is perfect for meaningful correspondence.

The Printery

Engraving is the pinnacle of all printing techniques. One of the oldest printing techniques in the world, it is considered a beautiful and unique decorative technique. The process works by forcing ink out of the die and onto paper under very high pressure. The distinguishing mark of engraving is that the image and type is raised on the paper. Each color is printed one at a time. Sometimes an embossing run is added to bring a three dimensional feel to the image by pressing the edges of the image in the opposite direction of the raised engraving. The paper is hand fed and each piece is printed one at a time with up to 6 tons of pressure, creating an engraved and embossed image with startling clarity, color purity and depth.

Crane

Most famous as the printer of American currency, Crane and Company also manufacture fine paper perfect for thank you cards and personal notes. Made from warm, white, all-cotton paper, these gorgeous cards have engraved typography pressed expertly into the cover, and often feature colorful envelope designs.

Conclusion

These are just a few examples of the lovely stationery we feature in our boutique. We always say that when it comes to The Pleasure of Writing, the paper one uses is the final piece of the three-fold pillar that includes ink and nib as the essential pieces that overall make up the experience, and it’s worth writing on the finest paper you can find. We are always happy to send some your way!