Dromgooles

This is a family-owned store that has a huge selection with none of the arrogance one often encounters in stores selling high-end goods. Larry is a true pen guy(evidenced by his permanently ink-stained fingers) whose priority is customer satisfaction. The first time I walked into his store, I was a mechanical watch guy who knew nothing about pens. He has taken the time to educate me, and has let me sample every pen I found interesting, ranging from cheap disposable fountains to ones in the 4-5k range(and beyond)--despite knowing that I have no intention of buying many of them. Service is impeccable, even going so far as refunding for pens well beyond the 'break-in' period simply because I wasn't satisfied with them. Certainly pens that need to be returned to the company are done so very quickly. While not the most flashy store, it definitely has the most substance among pen stores in the Houston area. Also has a great selection of inks(Noodler's, Private Reserve, some more obscure Japanese inks, as well as Montblanc, Quink, etc). Prices are great, at least competitive with online retailers.

In Houston, there are very few pen stores with the same inventory. The only true competitor in that regard is Paradise pen, which is more geared toward the random mall customer/tourist set. Situated in the Galleria, Paradise pen has a good selection/beautiful store space but tends to be more snobbish and has a 'take it or leave it' attitude with respect to price(usually retail).