The shelves
Everything on the shelves.
24 things on 6 shelves, as they sit in the shop. Point at anything to see its price, click to look closer.Tap anything to look closer. Reserve it for collection, or ask us to post it.
( 1 ). Shelf
Paper and envelopes
How heavy, how smooth, and whether it has a deckle.
-
![Laid writing paper, photographed on the counter]()
Hold a sheet to the window and you can see the chain lines left by the wires of the mould.
- size.
- A5, 148 × 210 mm
- made of.
- 100gsm cream laid, deckle on one edge
- comes as.
- 50 sheets
- price.
- £14
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Wove writing paper, photographed on the counter]()
Smooth enough for an extra-fine nib; the ink stays the width of the line.
- size.
- A4, 210 × 297 mm
- made of.
- 120gsm white wove, well sized
- comes as.
- 50 sheets
- price.
- £16
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Laid envelopes, photographed on the counter]()
Fits an A6 card, or A5 paper folded once.
- size.
- C6, 114 × 162 mm
- made of.
- 100gsm cream laid, gummed
- comes as.
- 25
- price.
- £6.50
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Blotting paper, photographed on the counter]()
It has no sizing, so it drinks ink instead of holding it. Blotters were pink because red rags were hard to bleach.
- size.
- A5, 148 × 210 mm
- made of.
- unsized cotton, the old pink
- comes as.
- 4 sheets
- price.
- £3
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
( 2 ). Shelf
Notebooks
Sewn in the back room, or made to go in a pocket.
-
![Askew notebook, plain, photographed on the counter]()
Sewn by Ruth with linen thread, so it opens flat on the counter.
- size.
- A5
- made of.
- 100gsm laid, 4 sewn signatures, 128 pages
- comes as.
- navy bookcloth
- price.
- £24
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Askew notebook, dotted, photographed on the counter]()
The same binding, small enough for a coat pocket.
- size.
- A6
- made of.
- 100gsm wove, 5 mm dots, 96 pages
- comes as.
- moss bookcloth
- price.
- £16
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Survey book, photographed on the counter]()
For the walk up Latrigg: light, cheap, and fine with a pencil in the rain.
- size.
- 90 × 140 mm
- made of.
- 80gsm, squared, 48 pages, stapled
- comes as.
- card cover
- price.
- £7
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Sketchbook, photographed on the counter]()
Takes a wash of watercolour without cockling much.
- size.
- A4 landscape
- made of.
- 160gsm cartridge, 64 pages
- comes as.
- rust bookcloth
- price.
- £22
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
( 3 ). Shelf
Pencils
Keswick’s own trade: graphite, cedar and lacquer.
-
![Foolscap pencil, HB, photographed on the counter]()
The grade for writing: dark enough to read, hard enough to keep a point.
- size.
- 175 mm
- made of.
- cedar, blue lacquer, gold foil
- comes as.
- each
- price.
- £1.20
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Foolscap pencil, 2B, with rubber, photographed on the counter]()
Softer and darker, for sketching, with a rubber on the end for second thoughts.
- size.
- 175 mm
- made of.
- cedar, vermilion lacquer, brass ferrule
- comes as.
- each
- price.
- £1.40
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Drawing set, photographed on the counter]()
From a hard grey 4H for guidelines to a soft black 6B for shading.
- size.
- 6 grades, 4H to 6B
- made of.
- natural cedar, dipped ends
- comes as.
- in a card box
- price.
- £9
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Brass sharpener, photographed on the counter]()
Heavy enough to stay put on the counter while you turn the pencil.
- size.
- 25 mm
- made of.
- solid brass, steel blade
- comes as.
- each
- price.
- £6
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
( 4 ). Shelf
Pens and ink
Every pen filled and on the counter to try.
-
![Fountain pen, steel nib, photographed on the counter]()
A first fountain pen that takes bottled ink. Try it on all three papers before you choose.
- size.
- F nib, 142 mm capped
- made of.
- navy resin, converter included
- comes as.
- each
- price.
- £34
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Ebonite fountain pen, photographed on the counter]()
Ebonite is hard rubber: warm in the hand and it takes a polish with age.
- size.
- M nib, 142 mm capped
- made of.
- red and black ripple ebonite
- comes as.
- each
- price.
- £120
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Iron gall ink, blue-black, photographed on the counter]()
Goes on blue and darkens as it dries, as iron gall ink has for centuries. Rinse the pen every few weeks.
- size.
- 50 ml
- made of.
- glass bottle
- comes as.
- each
- price.
- £14
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Dip pen and two nibs, photographed on the counter]()
Dip, write a few words, dip again. Good for practising letters.
- size.
- beech holder
- made of.
- two steel nibs, fine and broad
- comes as.
- set
- price.
- £12
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
( 5 ). Shelf
Desk and post
For sealing, folding and tying things up.
-
![Sealing wax, photographed on the counter]()
Melt the end over a flame without letting it blacken, drop it on the flap, press while warm.
- size.
- 2 sticks, 118 mm
- made of.
- shellac wax, oxblood
- comes as.
- pair
- price.
- £8
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Brass seal, initial, photographed on the counter]()
Any initial; F is on the counter to try with the wax.
- size.
- 20 mm face
- made of.
- brass, turned beech handle
- comes as.
- A to Z
- price.
- £22
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Bone folder, photographed on the counter]()
For a sharp crease in a card or a folded signature without marking the paper.
- size.
- 150 mm
- made of.
- polished bone
- comes as.
- each
- price.
- £9
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Jute twine, photographed on the counter]()
The twine every parcel leaves the shop in.
- size.
- 50 m
- made of.
- natural jute, 2 ply
- comes as.
- ball
- price.
- £5
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
( 6 ). Shelf
Cards and wrapping
Letterpress cards, and the paper we wrap in.
-
![Letterpress card, With thanks, photographed on the counter]()
Pressed hard enough that you can feel the words with your thumb.
- size.
- A6, with envelope
- made of.
- 600gsm cotton board, blue-black ink
- comes as.
- each
- price.
- £4
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Map wrapping paper, photographed on the counter]()
The 1952 Ordnance Survey sheet of Keswick and Derwentwater. Everything we sell is wrapped in it.
- size.
- 500 × 700 mm
- made of.
- cream, printed in blue-black
- comes as.
- 2 sheets
- price.
- £5
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Gift tags, photographed on the counter]()
The same tags as our prices, so you can write on one before you buy it.
- size.
- 30 × 52 mm
- made of.
- manila card, reinforced hole
- comes as.
- 10
- price.
- £3
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
-
![Letterpress card, Keswick 1276, photographed on the counter]()
The year Edward I granted Keswick its market charter.
- size.
- A6, with envelope
- made of.
- 600gsm cotton board
- comes as.
- each
- price.
- £4
Reserve thisWe keep it under the counter for 7 days.
