Yoseka Stationery — Local services in New York

Highlights: Fountain pens, ink, paper, Hobonichi, washi tape, rubber stamps. Phenomenal selection, staff, and service. Honestly, I think that Yoseka Stationery is the best stationery shop in NYC, and I've had a stationery problem for 20+ years.

This is going to sound like a paid review, but I swear it's not. I'm just so excited after finding out about this shop a year ago and have made several online and in-store purchases.

As a fountain pen enthusiast, I'm always looking to find small shops to support. It is so difficult to shop for fountain pens, especially for anyone who's new to the hobby. I wish Yoseka had existed when I first got into fp's over 10 years ago. I remember walking into another well-known fp shop in NY back then and being extremely intimidated. I felt pressured and judged by the salespeople (looking young always works against me when shopping). I ended up walking out without getting any of my questions answered, and feeling almost ashamed to have tried to buy a pen without any knowledge and thinking I could spend less than $30.

Well, not at Yoseka. The shop is super cozy and inviting, and the staff is super kind. They offer a really amazing range of fountain pen (and SO MUCH STATIONERY) products from entry level to more luxury, hard-to-find pieces.

The store is set up so that you can try their entire offering of pens and inks. I can't stress how much of a luxury this is. Shopping for a fountain pen, especially your first one, is a very personal experience. You can't tell from an online photo if you will love a pen or not.

The staff is always ready to answer questions, whether you're looking to spend $15 on your first pen, or $1000+ on your umpteenth pen. There's no judging and they just genuinely want to share the love of pens, inks, and all things stationery.

To add to that, they offer some of the best Asian stationery that you will not find anywhere else. Especially when it comes to Taiwanese goods; they are one of the only places I know that have such a strong tie to Taiwanese vendors.

I can't say enough good things about this shop. And the cherry on top is that their website is actually really up-to-date and easy to navigate. They offer a very low threshold for free domestic shipping, and always ship ultra fast (with very good packaging). I love me a well designed, user-friendly website.

Side note: Can I add that most people these days have been spoiled by the big rainforest retailer's almost instant shipping? It is so expensive for small businesses to compete with, especially with the current pandemic and logistics crisis. Offering any free shipping option at all is a huge gesture, must less to keep it competitive with big corporations.

Just in general, please support your local mom-an-pop shop; support your neighbors. This place is...

I am not normally one to write reviews, but I had an especially great experience here.

I visited Yoseka Stationery on 9/28/24, and I’m from Boston, where we don't really have as many dedicated fountain pen and stationery stores as we used to. I had heard about Yoseka from the very passionate online fountain pen community, so I knew I had to make a point to visit on my next trip to NYC. It was a humid and rainy Saturday, but Yoseka was certainly warm and bustling inside. My girlfriend made a beeline for the center table to try as many different types of pens as she could, to see what would work best for her job.

I looked around, though in the back of my mind, I knew I wanted to ask about some very particular pens, which I had hoped they kept in the back. One of the staff, seemingly reading my intentions as I slowly moved toward the main counter, asked if there was anything they could help with. It escalated rather quickly from there. Initially, I asked for some samples of the Pilot Vanishing Point, and I did quite enjoy the broad nib on that one. But I knew my true wish was to see a different kind of pen altogether, one often spoken of in hushed, reverent whispers—truly a work of art that also functions as a near-perfect writing instrument.

This, of course, was the Namiki Yukari Royale, the brass-bodied sibling to the venerable and outright massive Namiki Emperor. The staff member who helped me, whose name I didn't catch but who had dyed hair, hadn’t seen this pen in person before either. I like to imagine that we were both eagerly awaiting the unveiling of this pen. They helpfully brought out both color finishes: black and vermilion. As the box was opened, I was utterly captivated—no photograph could do the urushi lacquer justice. It is art, most simply put, in the way light interacts with the finish. No fewer than four other people came over to see what the fuss was about, and I’m sure some were as tantalized as I was. Ultimately, the pen’s allure proved irresistible, and I knew that it must be mine.

Overall, exemplary customer service in a welcoming environment—simply the best stationery store I've ever had the pleasure of making a purchase from. I will happily be a customer in the future, and thank you to the staff for providing a wonderful atmosphere for...

If I was rating solely on products in Yoseka I would give this review 5 stars, however as far as customer service goes it was less than stellar. There were two members from the sales staff and very few people in the store which was great. I wanted a new fountain pen and some help with the myriad of inks as a relatively newbie and the staff member who I believe was the more experienced of the two (at least in the inks department) was more concerned with discussing a plan for a new layout for the inks and I honestly felt as if I was a bother to her. She was a bit sharp when she didn’t understand that I was asking for help finding a color as she said “well I didn’t think you needed help finding the swatch as you were pointing right at it”. I was floored but tried to keep it together. She did offer me a bit of feedback but it felt more obligatory and as a means for her to get back to what she was doing. I asked to swatch and even that seemed to be a further annoyance! I kept apologizing for interrupting her flow by being in the ink section while she was in zone! For my new fountain pen, I dealt with the other member who seemed more interested in actual clients in store and not just the merchandising displays and I’m so grateful to her for her patience and assistance today! I don’t know if it was something I was wearing or my physical appearance that caused her to be less than helpful but it wasn’t the greatest experience and I traveled quite a ways, with a hubby sitting patiently in the car just to go here only to feel as if I wasn’t knowledgeable enough prior to stepping into the store to be worth full attention on a slow day. Anyway, I bought most of what I wanted and will stick to looking online. Too...