I've been shopping at Laywine's for thirty years, which is a lot of paper and a lot of ink. I stepped into the shop this afternoon to try out a couple of pens, to pick my next one, as I've had my faithful Waterman for more than a decade. I was helped my Abla, who is a knowledgable and passionate stylophile, as well as a patient and gracious customer service expert. I think I've narrowed it down to a Pelikan Souverain, but will sit with it for a bit longer. The one thing not in question is that I will be purchasing it at Laywine's, and not only because they are one of the jewels of Yorkville, or because shopping there is such a luxurious, sensuous experience, or because they know their product inside and out and can speak their clients' language, but because they are such good, decent folks. I can't recommend Laywine's in enthusiastic enough term. read more

Very knowledgeable and friendly. Ask me lots of questions and preferences. Gave me few recommendations and let me try and test them to make informed decisions. In the end, I got exactly what I wanted. read more

Laywine's - Product - Cards & Stationery Near Me - Toronto, Ontario

From the first moment I stepped into Laywine's, I felt like a kid in a candy store. I couldn't stop smiling, looking at all the cool stuff they have! For as long as I can remember, I've always loved pens and stationery. I could easily spend an hour just looking at the various styles and colours, wishing I could buy anything and everything I liked. Sadly, some of the pens I was drawn to were much too far out of my current price range (over $1k) . But I know that if I ever come into a lot of money, at least one of them will be coming home with me. I like that Laywine's carries a wide range of pens, and I was able to find a couple that were within my budget, along with a beautiful notebook. Call me old-fashioned, but I just love taking notes in a new book, with a new "fancy" pen, especially one with a fun and unusual ink colour. I also like that they have a huge catalogue of ink colours outside of the standard ones you see everywhere. I can see myself owning a variety of fountain pens with ink to match the barrels. Love this!! Staff are extremely knowledgeable about their products and were happy to assist me with all my questions, even when I said I wasn't going to be spending too much that day. I've experienced very poor customer service in some shops the minute I say I'm not looking to spend a lot. I know it's Yorkville, but not everyone who shops there is loaded; some of us are average working peeps on a budget, so it's nice to be treated respectfully, despite not being able to drop a ton of cash. I'll probably be back every time I'm in the area, just to check out the latest styles and to drool over the ones I love most. read more

I have ordered the Rhodia planner from this store for several years. It is the only planner that has the features I need at a size I can carry. This year they did not call me to tell me they were in. When I called to ask if they'd have a shipment coming the person I spoke with told me they were sold out, and that they would not get any more. He told me to look it up on the web, he was sorry he could not help me, and that was that. Over the years I've bought ink, fountain pens, planners, wall calendars, and gifts from this store. Never again. If I must order my planner online, why should I buy anything else from them? The part that disappoints me the most is the man's "you're on your own" attitude. Customer loyalty is not a thing he cared about. read more

+.5 for service Laywine's is a pen store in the Yorkville area, and from the different pen stores I've been to, has probably the widest selection of pens in the city. The store specializes in fountain pens, although they have other pens and craft materials as well. Famous manufacturers such as Lamy, Faber-Castell, and Parker are plentiful in this store, although there are others as well. My dad is a frequent pen buyer here due to the variety available, as well as the excellent service he receives here. The prices are definitely higher than average, but if you're buying fountain pens...do prepare to splurge; they're not cheap after all! We've come back several times already and do highly recommend this place for pen enthusiasts. read more

I always enjoy stopping by Laywine's when in Toronto and this trip was no different. The have an extensive selection of pens, papers, inks and the like, and I never leave without making a purchase. This trip was a Clairefontaine notebook, some Pelikan Edelstein Olivine ink and an innovative Caran d'Arche ball pen which is made from recycled Nespresso cartridges. This actually has me rethinking my Keurig in favor of a Nespresso!! read more

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My boyfriend has an obsession with pens. Every time he talks about pens, my eyes glaze over, I play on my phone/check the weather/check instagram/think about what I want to eat/pick at my nail polish/etc, and I answer "uh huh, that's nice" to pretty much everything he says. So imagine my delight when he wanted to visit *drum roll, please* a PEN SHOP. During our vacation to Toronto. However, I KNEW, after my visit to Laywines, that it was so worthy of a 5-star yelp review. Why? 1. There's enough stuff for me to browse...bc even though I'm not into pens, I looooooove organizing. Enough organization toys to last me a good 30 mins!!! 2. They have an ink book. So you can look at all the pretty little ink colors they carry. 3. The workers here are nice. 4. They know what they're talking about. 5. The owner. Yes, the owner. I've never met anybody before who was SO PASSIONATE about what he does and sells. He was so knowledgeable and well-versed in everything, answered our questions in full detail, and even started talking about the history of certain pens and his shop. It was the first time EVER that I was actually really interested in looking at pens and hearing about the subtle (to me...maybe not so subtle to pen aficiandos) differences between pens. FOR EXAMPLE!!! Did you know that German nibs are generally wider than Japanese nibs? Yea, I didn't. But now I do, thanks to Mr. Laywines! I seriously am so impressed with Laywines and now know why Janet S. claims that "a visit to Laywine's...is an experience". ps: tip to all my girls - feed your bf espresso (Zaza and Lettieri are conveniently located on the same block), give him 90 mins to explore Laywines and buy a pen & notebook, and explore Bloor Street to your heart's content as he waits patiently in every single store and plays with his new pen. Works like a charm! ;) read more

Laywine's is my ultimate go-to for stationery. Not only are the products unique and top-notch quality, their staff treat the customers like friends and family. A visit to Laywine's is not a shopping trip, it's an experience. The staff won't rush you, and will encourage you to try many of their pens. They only sell products that they are proud to stand behind, and are constantly updating and culling their inventory to meet demand and quality standards. Their items aren't all super expensive, you can get (disposable) fountain pens for as little as $4. They also have a lot of other cool "doo-dads" in the less-than-$10 range. Funky silicone wallets, paper clips, paper soap (so you can take it in your carry-on!), a cool ceramic envelope opener, and lots of other stuff. Don't be intimidated by the $$$ designation. They don't pressure us to buy. If they don't have quite what you need, Peter (proprietor) will even disassemble pens and reassemble them with different refills to create what you need. They also provide a repair service; it takes about one week. LOVE. THIS. STORE. read more

I appreciate the selection of fine pens, papers, cool selection of cards (bday, etc). Gentleman at cash was polite, helpful. read more

This place is so adorable! I found it looking for places that sell Filofax accessories. They had a good selection of inventory of pretty much anything stationary related but all on the higher end. Everything looked to be great quality. They had everything from funky, hip notebooks to very classy pens. They have the cutest card section I have ever seen. I plan to buy some birthday cards here. The staff was very friendly & not judgmental. I came in looking a bit of a hot mess after a doctors appointment. A lot of places in the neighbourhood would not really served me wearing sweats & my hair in bun. They didn't treat me any different then the person next to me. I love that. The service was great, the staff was so knowledgeable. I will definitely be coming back. read more

Re my Yardoled Viceroy fountain pen: a massive customer service appreciation shoutout to Peter. I had ordered a bigger B nib and was willing to wait for Peter's Christmas order, which is coming in soon; I'm keeping the old M nib also [I have had the pen at least 5 years]. While visiting Yardoled in Birmingham UK he checked on his order. He asked after my nib. Rather than wait, with which I was OK, he brought the new nib back to Toronto. I have been going to Peter for 27+ years. He and his staff bowl me over again and again. read more

I'm a man who appreciates carrying around a quality pen. There's nothing like taking it out of your breast pocket for someone to use (especially for a phone number)! I came in with no idea what I wanted, but a sad heart having recently lost my go-to pen of 4 years. I described that I alternate between working in a warehouse to the boardroom, and the staff at Laywine's pulled out 6 choices that fit my price range and usage. They even told me where I may find difficulty with each one, which is an art that is often lost in retailing. Overall, such a great experience. My new pen has lived up to and beyond expectation, and it is refreshing to find such a down to earth, helpful staff and store in Yorkville. I look forward to exploring more of the stationary items on offer, as there was a whole lot of selection to choose from! read more

A very neat and cozy place to find paper artifacts, pens and inks. I just love the visiting experience. The location is convenient, just steps from Bloor St. Definitely my go-to place for writing artifacts. Highly recommended! read more

My previous review was a response to my first purchase at Laywine's. I was not at all impressed but have since turned around and am in love with this store. I started dealing exclusively with Peter, the store owner, and would recommend this place to anyone. I believe they have the best offering of brands and pens in the city and their ink offering is on par with my needs and wants. Peter has taken a good amount of money from me but has also earned my trust as a reputable salesperson, business owner, and team leader. I am very happy to say that my past dozen or so visits to his shop have been exceptional and they've gone out of their way to support me in my esoteric asks. Now that I've moved cities I won't be by as often as I'd like but I intend on making regular visits to Laywine's whenever I'm back in Ontario, if not just to visit and say hello. read more

They have a good range of papers, pads, organizes, pens, portfolios.. you really can't go wrong if you want stationery. Their prices are also very good, a pen I was looking at here was $41 CAD but at Midoco was selling for $62!! Just because it's in Yorkville it doesn't mean it has jacked up prices. I am only taking ONE star off because while I find the staff knowledgeable, I find them a bit brusque on the phone (but not in person). I am asking questions over the phone because I either can't make it in easily (it's out of my way), or I want to be sure I am not wasting my time, so they should really think about that when they answer the phone. I get that you can't really understand a ton about pens or papers over the phone, but I wasn't on the phone for more than 2 minutes before I was told to come in-person to see the pens and the paper... albeit rather brusquely. Still it is a great place to find pens of all kinds, notepads, papers and things of quality that are NOT made in China. read more

I have been dealing with Laywines for years back in the day when I used a paper based system with the excellent Filofax product (Then I got the Palm Pilot and that was it for paper). Then Moleskine created the 2.0 version of a notepad and then meant we needed better pens beyond a BIC pen. Somewhere down the line the Hipsters realized that having the right diary or notepad with the right pen became cool again. I have been trying to track down the discontinued Moleskine City Guide for Tokyo. These guides are perfect for extended trips to major cities with maps and areas to put planning details, jot notes, tourist details and restaurant info. I called and left a voice mail and they returned it with a follow up to let me know they were out of stock and although they had other city guides, I was out of luck. I called 3 other sellers of Moleskine and they never called back. Success in business is more about retaining your existing customers and having them buy more stuff from you and it is all about customer service. Drop by and get a new pen, a new notepad and maybe some analog pencils and erasers Highly recommended read more

Just beware, if you are a student like me don't go there too often or you can use up a month's meal money. Wonderful place with wonderful stuff, but the price tag can be steep compared to say online stores. I would see those price tags as the necessary compromise for their shipping and store-holding expenses. If you buy a pen from Gouletpen you still have to pay shipping. read more

What can I say? Laywine's feeds my addictions. I love stationary a bit too much and have a penchant for spending an absurd amount on fountain pens and nice paper. Laywine's is my guilty pleasure in Yorkville. I used to come to this store every Wednesday after class on Bloor St. just to feel the paper and admire my favourite German and Swiss fountains. For fountain pen aficionados out there, this store has a great stock of ink- Swiss, French, British, Japanese, you name it. The selection of fountain pens is a bit limited but they have all the standard ones. They unfortunately do not have that many vintage pens, but that's expected of any small stationary store. Great store for a quick birthday present or if you have peculiar predelictions like mine, somewhere to splurge your money. read more

The staff is very kind, pleasant and well mannered. And their product brands are diverse with many of the high-end top brand names in the stationery field. But nonetheless I found them to be over-priced. Most of their items were a $10 more than the average market price. It's a very nice store, but only for things that no one else provides. read more

Very helpful salesman. He spent time telling us the various features of the fountain pens we were considering.

Amazing informed staff, lovely selection, a stationery lover's dream! I always recommend Laywine's to people I know who are in town and who love stationery. It's impossible to go in there and not buy anything! And always a pleasure to chat with the staff. read more

i bought a Lamy Safari pen from Laywine a few weeks back. Excellent service. Encourage you to try out things before you buy, and do their best to accommodate your request. On my trip, I tried all the nib sizes for Lamy that they have. They patiently followed me, provided paper and dipping the inks. I didn't buy from that day. I looked at my writing samples, narrow my options, then came back another day, and tried 3 different nibs. Same excellent service both times. Even though I know their prices are higher (but not by a whole lot) compared to online stores, I decided to give them my business, since the service is so good, and I don't want to treat them as showrooms for online merchants. Other than everyday pens (like the Lamy), they also have high end and bespoke pen. And paper, and organizer. Most are made in Europe, only some of the Japanese pencils are made in China. All in all, a nice escape from big box retail store with excellent service, knowledgeable staffs and cozy settings. Highly recommended. read more

Brilliant little pen shop, just around the corner from a very fancy part of town with lots of luxury goods stores. They seem to have everything - not only a good variety of pens (all the brands you would expect and then some - testers of a bunch of Platinum 3776 nibs for example!) but lots of notebooks (including many I don't usually see as an American), inks (examples: P.W. Akkerman inks, the new Pilot 100th anniversary ink, as well as their own Laywine's ink line!), and general accessories (pencils? rulers? carrying cases? erasers?). The people there were very friendly and helpful to me, even though I wasn't looking at any big-budget pen purchases for this trip. I would absolutely recommend visiting this store if you're in the Toronto area. read more

I'm new to pen collecting and I found Laywine's early in my new hobby. In the last 2 months, I've spend a significant amount of money with them and they have worked hard to get my business. Until today. I went looking for a pen, ink and supplies. While I was there, I wanted to exchange 2 lined notebooks I bought previously for identical notebooks without lines. Because I was outside the 30 day exchange, they said no. It is, of course, their choice but with a customer that has shown the loyalty I have and spent the money I have, I was very disappointed with this decision. For a pen, this policy makes sense but for a notebook that is still sealed and saleable, this seems to be a bad business decision for an organization that is competing with the Internet based on customer service. I also not question what service I would get if I had a issue with a pen. These are not inexpensive items. I'm very disappointed that my loyalty meant so little to these people. read more

This store...I had the pleasure of meeting the owner as a Scriptus prize winner. He is an absolute sweetheart and totally made my day. The selection of items in the store is truly special, from reasonably priced to just-look-and-can't-touch products (Karl Lagerfeld's black box). It's such a treat to visit and wander around. I think that my favourite part is seeing the lovely pens behind the counter and beautiful inks. I do love a beautiful blue ink and laywine is the place to go for that! Picked up two bottles and a new gel ink pen from retro51 while I was there. read more

Laywines has an excellent selection of pens, organizers, agenda inserts and other related items. Once you hit the register you immediately know you are subsidizing the expensive Yorkville rent. Prices seem to be higher than expected for simple things like paper or agenda inserts. I suspect if you purchased similar items down the street at Grand & Toy they would be noticeably less. read more

Went here to pick up a small, hard to fine item. They couldn't have been friendlier or more helpful. I would definitely recommend this place for your pen supplies. read more

This place is great if you are into stationary, the only thing that infuriates me about it is their policy for marking down calendars.... they mark them down after the new year proportionally month by month.... so you end up paying full price for each month.... so there is really no discount, this is really stuck up. read more

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.... #1. SERVICE - I wanted a new fountain pen and I now have a lovely one that I can't put down. It is the Yard-o-Led Victorian - so feminine and chic. Thank you for the time spent explaining the pens, their specific features, and understanding my writing style. I was asked to demonstrate my pen holding style before a pen was suggested. How cool is that? #2 PRODUCT - Pen & PAPER - They have lovely Verge de France writing paper that I am using and also gifting to my mother. Have pen...will travel...need paper! Don't settle for not-so-crisp, imperfect in colour. See...write on these products and be amazed. #3. AU COURANT - Tin Tin- The best selection of Tin Tin products in Canada, if not North America! Definitely one of my top five places to visit in Toronto. Cecily read more

This store is really great. The owner is super friendly, and loves stationery. And paper. And pens, etc etc. They carry a really good diverse collection of products and related items. I found some imported items from Korea that I have only been able to previously locate in Montreal. Don't think any other store in Toronto carries it. Service is top notch! I agree with many of the other positive comments on here too. Definitely worth checking out. read more

I collect fountain pens, and was so looking forward to going here despite the lack of website to pre-shop on. So today, I left home early to meet a friend for lunch, and headed over. It might be my own fault for asking for a moment to browse when asked if I needed help, but then, while standing at the case waiting for staff to finish with other customers, I felt the fool as they jumped to assist those who had just walked in the door. I don't usually take up the time of staff until I know what I want to see, but once I've stood there waiting for a while, some service would be nice. I walked away having spent no money, tomorrow, I'll head to another shop to purchase my nibs and inks and likely a new pen or two, it's unfortunate, they had several pens I would have loved to have owned. read more

Went there today to buy a pen. What a rare treat to find a store nowadays where the staff take pride in what they do and the high quality products they sell! Great service, beautiful things. read more

I own way too many pens, inks, notebooks that I never catch up and need to buy anymore but I must. You see, I am an addict and this is the store for me. I am not sure what I like more - the note books or the pens. And they have lovely leather things. I have to hold myself back - no one could possible use some many pens or write in so many notebooks. Life is grand. read more

Yes, Laywines is more expensive. But you are paying for a relatively unique selection and a lot of expertise. If you are looking for Wal-Mart, that's where you should go. You can always wait for the semi-annual sales. read more

went to Laywines today to buy some refill cartridges for my Cartier Diabolo fountain .... great service! not the biggest fountain pen selection, many brands not represented, but the owner definetly knew his stuff. refills were reasonable in price, but organizers and paper supplies were very expensive. I use Moleskins pretty exclusively and pay around $15USD for them at home - Laywines wanted $24! .... any ways great store, good service and decent selection. read more