This is a must-visit every time we're in the Bay Area. Great building, huge selection of stuff, good staff. As an example, last time I was in I had just started getting into fountain pens. Jane, their 'Fine Pen Manager', was super nice and helpful, taking a bunch of time to ask me about my preferences and to offer some different ideas and suggestions. I left $80 poorer, but with a lovely Nahvalur Original pen, some beautiful Sailor ink, and a great Itoya notebook. I wish we had something like this up in Sacramento. read more

I went in with no intention of buying anything. But knowing I would spend money. I have a compulsion of spending money at craft stores, but can't help myself. I've never been here before, and just wanted to check it out. There was a great selection of pens, markers, pencils, paper. Jelly cats lol I had been wanting a fountain pen for a long time but never bought one. Perfect timing I guess? The JT? TJ? Super knowledgeable about the products on hand, and even the ones they didn't have on hand. I'm excited for the Lamy pen, and sailor ink I purchased. The price of the pen was comparable to what I've seen online, so I'm glad I was able to shop local. I also ended up getting some cute stickers and washi tape. read more

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Got an email that the Oakland location will close soon. Stopped by to get pen refills for my foreign pens. Cruised around the store, picked up a few calligraphy pens and a 2026 calendar. The pen Manager explained the specific refills in detail. Bonus, she wrote down the details of each model on the back of her business card. She was very helpful and detailed oriented and a pleasure to converse with. We'll definitely miss Flax, but in the meantime, we'll make sure all of the items we need, we get 'em here. The staff that we interacted with were friendly, professional and very helpful. Super bonus = off-street parking lot in rear of store read more

Came to the SF/Oakland area to shop for fountain pens, and my experience here was absolutely amazing! They had a great selection, and TJ was extremely helpful in helping me find what I wanted. TJ was super knowledgeable and took the time to talk with me about the different pen brands. Left with a few platinum preppy's and my first TWSBI. Price was also fairly reasonable. Highly recommend!! read more

Flax Art & Design - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Oakland, California

Wanted to try some fountain pens, inks, and buy notebooks with fountain pen friendly paper. Not only did this place have a wonderful collection (I couldn't find another place in east bay that has such a wide range of brands/models), the staff were all friendly, patient, and knowledgeable (especially the fountain pen expert that worked there). The layout and the ambiance of the space is unique, it's lit up with natural light, clean, & organized for ease of discovery. Will return for more paper & ink. There is street parking right in front usually. read more

This review is overdue. I randomly come here to get supplies for the projects that never happen but fill the void to create something. This place has everything for your beginner to fine art projects. I'm also into fountain pens and they seem to keep up with the latest ones. It's fun chatting with the girl at the counter about upcoming ones. There's also travelers notebook refills, rhodia, paper blanks, and other notebooks. I love their paint and brush section. I've never felt I couldn't find what color and brand I was looking for. Easy parking, street and a lot. Cashiers on both sides for convenience. I also like how close it is to the freeway. They are at the same price point as other places but with a more quality variety. read more

Quick Summary: - Parking might be difficult to find because there is only sidewalks - Close to the BART station (12th street); pretty safe walking environment - Best art supply ever? I agree to this 100% - Wide selection of art supplies - Great selection of pen and inks too, there is a journaling section - Attentive and resourceful staff - Flax member, point collecting style I recently purchased a fountain pen and vaguely thought of looking for ink. We planned to visit Oakland for food eats and exploration, but a thought crossed my mind: is there an art store? I used Google and there it was, very close to the BART station. I saw some of the photos, and I noticed there was a corner for pens. That grabbed my interest, so there I went. I have been to different art supply stores and most carry a similar variety: paint, pencils, photo frames, watercolor paper and pigment, papers, brushes, etc. This also had an extra variety of goods: unique markers like Posca (of course Copic was there too), tons of watercolor brands, a corner for children crafting, letter writing. The biggest surprise was the journaling section!! I repeat, a journaling section! Paper supplies for writing letters, traveling notebooks, bullet, line, and blank journals were there to choose. I was beyond shocked, when I discovered there was a section for inks! Ferris Wheel Press, Sailor brands, Diamine, Pelican, Noodler's, there were all there! The staff also supplied a binder, that contains all the inks swatches of their inventory! I was just wondering a day ago, on whether the swatches seen online with digitally printed/scanned images are true to the eye, and I had wished to see the ink swatches in person. This store granted my wish ,and I got to compare the inks with my naked eye. It was the best experience ever. Truly, the best art supply store ever, and I would definitely return to buy new inks. read more

Flax Art & Design - A whole shelf of inks! There is also a binder, that have pages of inks swatches - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Oakland, California

I have missed having Flax in Los Angeles! While in Oakland my niece told me that I was close to the store so I went over to find what they had! I found quite a few things that I wanted and wound up going back a second time before I left! Thank you for your great service and products! read more

Fountain pen curious? Or an old hand? This is your spot. Place has at least one fountain pen nerd who will guide you to the right pens, inks, nibs, what have you. Sure you can read all about this online and watch plenty of videos. But still there's nothing like talking to a real human being about what inks work best with which fountain pens. They have a notebook of all their inks, and what they look like. Great place for stationary, so many other kinds of writing and art supplies, games and kits for little people and adults alike. read more

Broad selection of quality supplies. Service staff is knowledgeable and helpful. Prices are reasonable.

I love this store! It has all the best stuff and great staff. Tons of journals, pens, markers and art supplies. Support local!

The best selection, the most knowledgeable customer service, competitive prices, and locally owned. I bring all my business here. As a professional artist, it is invaluable to have resource like Flax that helps me to get the right tools and materials for my clients right when needed. Plus, lots of really unusual toys and gifts. read more

Beautiful selection of art supplies for artists. Especially high quality pens, highlighters, markers and papers in which to write and draw. Easy to get to. Friendly staff. read more

This place is 5 stars in customer service! When you walk in, you feel like you're in a small town's art supply store. Everyone is super happy to help, super happy to accommodate, and totally in tuned with their customers. I'm not an artist; more of a crafter. This place seems to carry a lot of great supplies that for the most part I don't use, but man if they did, I'd be here ALL the time. Wish they carried vinyl, paper, and the like. We picked up a cute journal for a gift and one of the employees even helped us affix a tag onto the cover for my daughter. read more

Flax Art & Design - Cute journal - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Oakland, California

My husband and I became aware that they had a presence in Oakland, when we saw their table at the Book Faire in Oakland at Frank Ogawa Plaza some years ago. At that time, they had taken over the space previously occupied by Blicks on College Ave, across from California College of the Arts. My hubby is an artist, and was very excited by this. I'd never been. I don't know why we were coming by this location, but it's a nice one. They have a lot of supplies, so I walked around and snapped pictures inside and outside, as he perused the aisles looking for goodies. I saw that they have an art space for artists. The space also isn't jam packed with materials. It's possible to walk around leisurely, something that is hard to do in some stores. I realized that they have a good use of space for their items and that walking through - two people can fit in an aisle comfortably. At the old Blicks at the bottom of University Ave, I often waited in the car because the store was cramped. I didn't want to be in there. Here, I felt like I could relax and not take up too much space. It also meant that I felt like I could take my time. Which is what we did and when we left, I had a list of things I wanted to come back for. I'm glad that at a time when we saw the closure of so many good, independent art supply stores that they are still around and doing their thing in a space that feels comfortable. The only issue is parking. Getting to the parking lot, with all of the one way streets took a try, but they don't lose a star for that. The app on my phone that gave me directions does, however, lol. But bottom line, go to Flax, enjoy the environment and fantastic staff (very nice people) and support a wonderful local arts store. read more

Flax Art & Design - Museum boxes. - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Oakland, California

These guys got me totally hooked on fountain pens. If you're interested in fountain pens, this is the only place in the East Bay to go to. Don't bother w/ anywhere else. Ask for Jane. She knows everything about fountain pens. read more

How can you not love Flax? It's an artist's oasis! Lucky us that they moved from San Francisco to Oakland. Like so many of the artists they serve... Love the large, bright warehouse space. Smaller than the old SF space, but easier to navigate. They have paint, paper, canvas, stationary, drawing supplies, easels, notebooks and so many pens. Plus, they have books on how to make art and various crafts. There's a special kids area at the center of the store. Cute gifty items for friends (or yourself!) at the counter. The birthday, thank you and holiday cards are a bonus. Lots of staff and they were friendly and helpful. There's even a parking lot in the back. Not to mention a badazz, classic, black Cadillac convertible out front. I almost forgot to mention there's free coffee to enjoy while you shop. Prices vary from reasonable to expensive, otherwise I'd throw five stars. read more

Has everything and more! Truly the place to go no matter what type of art supplies you are seeking. A plus

This place has THE BEST pen department. There are TWO staff members who will happily give you a detailed crash course on fountain pens. They will listen to your needs and they will respect your budget. These people are experts and will call you when a product on back order comes in. Better than Palmer's on Solano Ave. and WAY better than Blick in Berkeley. I stared with a $6 Platinum Preppy fountain pen, and today I moved up a $30 Twisbi. I'm a watercolorist and I prefer heavily textured paper than destroys the tips of most disposable pens within a few months. read more

I absolutely love this store and their inventory! They have a great selection of pens, paints, stencils, brushes, stationary products, screen printing materials, clay, etc... Docking a star because they aren't the cheapest in town and sometimes the staff can give off a "holier than thou" attitude that has been really off putting on a few occasions. Most other times the staff is really helpful and great . read more

Excellent selection of art supplies, including a fantastic selection of hand made papers.

Remind me of Blicks art supplies in the Detroit area. It's more of an upscale type of place for the professional artist but I'm sure you could get something out of it as a beginner too. Although the price with it may prohibit you. but if you're a specialist looking for pants, this is the perfect place for you. They also have a community board that sometimes has events listed on it. they do not have jewelry making supplies. The staff there is super super nice and the bathrooms are very clean. If you're looking for something that isn't at Michael's, look for it here. if something is at Michael's it may be cheaper here and it's local :) read more

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I love this art shop! They are not as popular as Michael's but their inventory's nice. The owners or it could be the managers they both (him and her) are really sweet. Really kid friendly. They cater more towards artsy projects and materials and their prices are very fair. You can always find good items on sale. My dad is an artist and sometimes I pick him up new acrylic paints. I also love their variety of color pencils. If you are looking for a gift for kids, especially one who is into art then Flax is the place you should try. They keep up with all the latest trending art, like tye-dying for instance; it's back by popular demand and my little sister has been raving about doing her own tye-dye. I went to other art supply stores they only had one box brand available. At Flax they not only had different options on sizes but the prices varied also. They also have a parking lot which is much appreciated because parking in the located area is a hassle. read more

Flax Art & Design - Cool painting - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Oakland, California

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I love this store. It has great variety of art supplies. They also have parking on the back of the store. You have to go around the block to get to the park but the park is huge. The service is also great. read more

My favorite place on earth. Like there's no store near me, nearly as good as Flax. I drive from Antioch, just to stock up on the quality materials I need. The staff is so friendly and informative. They can handle just about any question you have about products. The T-Rex mural outside is honestly an even bigger PLUS in my book! Thank you Flax! See you soon! read more

Walking into this store is like walking into a candy shop. Except the candy is art supplies. And there is an amazing selection so it's so hard to make it to the section that you're there for without losing focus. After many detours, especially to the watercolor section, I finally made it to the fine pens section. Loved that no one hovered over me while I browsed, but as soon as I was ready, someone was ready to help. Jane, the fine pens manager, was hands-down what made this experience that was already good become great. Jane let me try so many fountain pens and aswered my never-ending questions. She gave me her undivided attention. Her subject-matter expertise was undebatable, and I loved that she listened to what I was looking for and what I would use it for, and showed me all of the options. She even knew the paper I'd be using the pen with and gave me great tips. What I loved the most was that she was unbiased. She mentioned other stores where I could possibly find pens along what I'd be looking for. She and her caring personalized service was a prime example of why shopping local is still unparalleled. It's people like Jane that make all of the difference. Been to the SF branch a few times but it was the first time I've been to the Oakland location. The experience is vastly different in both stores. I liked the vibe in Oakland much better. read more

Good selection of curated art materials. They offer some events, either free or low cost. Very knowledgeable staff, many of them are art students or hobbyists. They even deliver locally. read more

I have never experienced an art supply store with a more helpful and intelligent staff. Everyone here is so smart and knowledgeable and helpful that I can't say enough good things. Flax makes Dick Blick look like a Dollar Store In Riverside... I recently became interested in fountain pens and calligraphy and and there is so many layers to this art form and they have books with samples of all the different fountain pen inks looks on different paper and testers of the pens to try out. They also have a really great selection of different paper with best prices that I have found as I am now a paper connoisseur In addition to fountain pen lover/enthusiast. I love that you can try anything out from the pens to the paper The store is huge and has parking! They also have a great selection of spray paint and markers for the graffiti fine artist. That is in addition to their huge selection of everything else art related. Go to Flax before you go anywhere else! read more

I had a problem with a Lamy fountain pen and found Jane, who was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. So was TJ, whom I first spoke to on the phone. On top of that, the store is practically an artist's playground and fun to browse. It's also easy to get to being right near a BART station and having a parking lot in the back. read more

My favorite art supply store in the Bay Area! Not that this is saying much because I've only been to a few including Michaels, but shopping at Flax is a true experience. They have every art supply imaginable and more paper products than I've ever seen. I use some of the larger sheets for product photography backdrops and love their uniqueness! I bought a bunch of last-minute Christmas gifts here and appreciate their selection of random-but-useful products like socks and enamel pins and puzzles. Also, one of the employees recommended a writing pen and it is already a blessing to my life. That Paper Mate Ink Joy Gel 0.7 is a true game changer and I will be back for more. Thank you for existing, Flax! read more

Flax is the best art supply, fine pen, stationary store in the Bay Area. Both locations are good but the Oakland store has a larger selection. The fine writing department has one of the widest selection of fountain pens I've ever seen. A fantasy land for those who like to write, make art or just care how things look. Staff is always super helpful and are obviously also people who use the same art supplies they are selling. read more

OMG....soooo glad they moved to Oakland from SF....definitely a lot easier for me without having to cross the bridge and fight for parking....i've been going to FLAX for at least 15 years when back in the day i had craft A.D.D and rapidograph (every size!) and italian pen (murano glass) envy... This place has oodles of papers, pens, pencils, art portfolios, paints (water color, oils, acrylics), canvas, creative toys/games for the kiddies, specialty papers, handmade ones...and a variety of unique gift items. I see this as the Costco of art supplies so if you're looking for something in particular, this place will probably have it! Fun place to peruse and get your creativity on! read more

This place has the most rude staff. My family and I live close by and have come here a couple times pre-covid to support the small business instead of spending else where (like Target). I've never been thrilled with their cold and distant staff but as it's a small business in downtown Oakland I've looked past it and have made a few purchases. Today, my husband and my 2 year old daughter went in to grab art supplies. The staff stares at them and do not speak as the walk in and go about the store. My husband who wears a mask, and my daughter who is 2 doesnt (she won't keep it on) as does any typical 2 year old. Without saying anything the 10 minutes they had already been in the store, gathered their items to purchase a staff member approaches and asked them to leave as my daughter does not have a mask. Again-- she is 2 years old. If they were not welcome in there due to her not having a mask, why would you at least not kindly approach or mention that as soon as they walked in? And again SHE IS A BABY. They tried to tell us only infants are allowed in the store without a mask. Our business was taken to Blick Art Materials. Do better FLAX Art read more

I love this Flax store! It's simply the best place to shop for quality art supplies and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful. I generally loathe shopping but this store is my "happy place". A big plus is the parking lot in the back. read more

Hands down the best customer service experience of my life. I needed something pretty specific and they went above and beyond to get it back in stock and even sent it over to the other store closer to my house. I'd give 100 stars if I could. read more

Love Flax, great customer service and very reasonable prices. Forget Michael's, goto Flax. read more

Flax Art & Design - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Oakland, California

Oakland Flax Best place to buy art supplies, Asian man was very helpful and knowledgeable !!!

Best place on earth....you know for art! I always come here for my Benu pen collection! read more

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I was in the store recently looking for a pen. I was quite impressed with Jane and her knowledge of pens. I was initially looking for a decent ballpoint pen but ended up buying a rollerball. If you're in the market for a fountain,ball point, or rollerball this isn't a bad place to start. read more

Last time I went, I was on a quest to buy materials to stretch an art canvas. Unfortunately, I struck out on 75% of my shopping list. So I really wish they would have had more in stock. But what they do have is good quality and makes for lovely gifts. I especially love my Flax logo shopping bag; it was a good price (7 or 8 bucks), looks gorgeous, and is very sturdy and spacious. read more