«Are you still selling pens? Who buys them nowadays?» Antonella Mazza, owner of the shop, is often asked. Since 1955 Mazza Stilografiche has been trying to answer these questions with passion, joy and professionalism.
A historic shop
Just a stone’s throw from the Duomo and Cordusio, two historic spots in Milan, 70 years ago the Mazza family opened a small shop specializing in fountain pens and stationery products. Through the years the store earned the title of “historic shop”, as confirmed by the plaque awarded by the City on its 50th anniversary. «Nowadays this place focuses entirely on items for manual writing and is still trying to spread the love for this world», Antonella says.
Not only fountain pens
The main products are fountain and ballpoint pens. Inside the shop, there is a wide variety of them. Customers can find both affordable and expensive models (even thousands of euros). The owner, Antonella Mazza, who inherited the store from her father, can boast the only example of a click-style fountain pen: a mix between a fountain and a common ballpoint type. But the shop doesn’t sell only those; it also offers propelling pencils. Some of them are really expensive: the price depends on the quality and on the strength. These are very popular since lots of people nowadays prefer pencils over pens.
There are also about forty different types of ink available in Via Cesare Cantù, ranging from pink and orange to green and light blue. In fact, «classic black and blue are not that common anymore». Antonella admits that Italian brands are the best in this sector: Aurora, Delta, Visconti, and Montegrappa are all known for the high quality of their products. Japanese and German ones are also recommend. In particular, Germany produces a lot of quite inexpensive pens that are still good quality.
Customers’ habits
Recently there hasn’t been a significant change in purchasing habits: generally, more high-end items are sold — very expensive, beautiful and rare pens for example — or entry-level ones. The medium value products are less sold, «but overall, sales remain steady compared to last two decades», tells Antonella.
Since the store first opened, the owners have seen alot of change in what is sold here. Less people are interested in handwriting products. And even for those who still write with pens and not on computers, it doesn’t make any difference which one they use. The result is an almost unavoidable drop of the sales.
David versus Goliath
Not even Amazon, which is a competitor to many small businesses like this one, has been able to undermine the originality of Mazza Stilografiche. This is thanks to the loyalty of some customers who know they can find quality products here, as well as collectors. In fact, there are still people collecting fountain pens as a passion or hobby. For these customers the shop offers limited editions, one of which is just one of 88 models all over the world. It is quite obvious to understand the price gets higher in these cases, but this is generally not an issue.
Those who buy these items don’t do so out of necessity but for the pleasure of owning them. These true enthusiasts have specific needs, including preferences about the nib diameter. That’s why a magnifying glass is available for both the owner and interested customers to examine the pens’ details, qualities, and flaws. Sometimes these collectible pens aren’t even used. But when they are, they must be handled with care due to their uniqueness and the potential repair costs.
A never-ending story
Although this business might be considered niche, Antonella Mazza continues her work with passion and tries to make everyone who visits Mazza Stilografiche feel welcomed. And she answers with a smile to the questions people ask: “I still selling pens because there are people who are still buying them”. Perhaps it’s precisely the rarity of this business that makes those few square meters, filled with pens and pencils, such an intriguing and friendly place.
