A family-run shop for fountain pens, ink, paper, art supplies and the gift you didn't know you needed. At Timberlyne in Chapel Hill for over 25 years.
For more than a quarter century, Chapel Hill has come to this corner of Timberlyne for the pen that writes just right.
Alan Cohen spent about twenty years behind the counter, building one of the deepest pen selections you'll find anywhere. In September 2023 he handed the keys to John Sullivan and Michele Kowal, who call buying the shop "the best decision of their lives."
The shelves still lean crazy: fountain pens next to puzzles, sealing wax beside microwavable stuffed animals. Hand-lettered signs point the way. And Alan still drops by to hold court at our pen shows.
In the shop there's an ink testing station where you can try a colour on paper before you take a bottle home. Here's a small version. Write something, pick an ink and a nib.
Hello from Timberlyne
the quick brown fox
Every so often the shop fills with nib grinders, ink makers and pen people. Our last one marked two years of the new Crazy Alan's, on September 6 and 7, 2025.
Want to hear about the next one first? Get the shop letter.
Crazy Alan's is a small, family-owned team of people who love art and stationery, and love helping you find the perfect gift, even if it's a card for your aunt.
John and Michele are building the shop so that everyone who works here earns a living wage with health benefits. Every pen you buy here helps get there.
John Sullivan & Michele KowalOwners, since September 2023
New and restocked products, sales and discounts, product reviews and the next pen show. About once a week, never four times a day, and we never share your address.
Crazy Alan's Emporium
1129 Weaver Dairy Rd, Unit QChapel Hill, NC 27514
Mon–Sat 10–7, Sun 1–6
919-929-8595 Say helloTimberlyne Shopping Center, at the corner of Martin Luther King Jr Blvd and Weaver Dairy Road.
Holidays: closed Thanksgiving, Christmas Day, New Year's Day, Easter, Memorial Day and July 4th. Open 10–4 on Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve.