parker - CHARALS Vancouver, Fine Pens, Luggage, Leather Goods, Stationery, Organizers, Desk Accessories, Men's Grooming, and Luxury Lifestyle Products

March 9, 2016

CHARALS turns 30!

editorBlog 30th anniversary, celebration, charals, edwin jagger, faber-castell, history, lamy, luggage, milestone, momentum, montblanc, montegrappa, parker, pens, reputation, rimowa, secrid, wallets, watches, waterman

This year, CHARALS celebrates thirty years in business. In these three decades, Canada has seen CHARALS expanded from carrying simply fine writing instruments to exquisitely crafted leather goods, luxury housewares, and even luggage. Today, CHARALS is truly a purveyor of the best accessories to life one can have.

Over the years CHARALS has built an identity both in Vancouver and across Canada. With it’s humble beginnings as a small shop nestled in the atrium of the Sinclair Centre at 757 West Hastings Street, CHARALS grew its business over time through careful curation of product assortment and providing world-class customer service. One can always count on walking in and finding something truly unique and rare, and be assured that it was expertly crafted and of great quality.

With continued success the store expanded into the adjacent space in 1997, and the product assortment grew. And in 2015, twenty-nine years after it first opened it’s doors, and with a growing demand for quality and luxury goods in Vancouver, CHARALS opened its second location at 171 Robson Street in the heart of the Stadium District. “The Vancouver market is currently demanding stores like ours and the products that we carry, so we felt the timing was right to expand again” says Al Charania of CHARALS.

The new location is an architectural marvel meticulously designed and fitted with custom fixtures and installments. It is also home to the only Montblanc in-store installment in Vancouver, and the only Graf von Faber-Castell Writing Boutique in Canada.

With the celebration of its 30th anniversary, CHARALS, aims to carry-on its success for another thirty years and truly create a lasting legacy not only in Vancouver or Canada, but the world. That will continue to be done by carrying the best goods and providing the best service. Throughout 2016 CHARALS will be holding various events to celebrate this momentous occasion. For details on these events please call 604-974-9497, or email info@charals.com. Of course one can always simply stop by and say hi.

January 2, 2015

171 Robson Street Opening Soon!

editorBlog 171 robson street, bosca, graf von faber-castell, hotel blu, montblanc, montegrappa, parker, rimowa, s.t. dupont, secrid, tumi, visconti, waterman

A new year is upon us and we have some very exciting news for 2015. First and foremost our second location at 171 Robson Street (part of The Shops at Hotel Blu) is nearing completion. The new store will be a true 1,000+ sqft mecca of unique and extraordinary luxury goods and accessories. New additions to CHARALS at 171 Robson Street will be the only Montblanc and Graf von Faber-Castell shop-in-shops in Vancouver, a brand new Filofax installment, and a Rimowa installment. We will still feature the best selection of the finest writing instruments from renowned brands such as Parker, Waterman, Visconti, Lamy, S.T. Dupont, and Montegrappa, as well as exquisite leather goods from Bosca, Secrid, Graphic Image, and Tumi. Stayed tuned for updates and the announcement of our grand opening.

July 12, 2012

The Gentleman’s Essentials

editorBlog bosca, faber-castell, ingersoll, momentum, parker, rimowa, tumi, tw steel

Some would argue that the classic gentleman is dead; that the dapper, courteous, and romantic man died a long time ago when society deemed it appropriate to wear sneakers with dress pants, let the lady pay for dinner, or budge in front of lineups. Well, we find this to be an outrage. Basic guidelines set forth generations ago by the likes of Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Paul Newman, and James Stewart – the icons of sophistication, elegance, and cool – must be preserved in order for society (and quite possibly humanity) to stand a fighting chance at staying, well, normal. Without the most basic of manners and proper gentlemanly conduct, we might as well be moving backwards in evolution and eventually find ourselves back in the cave. Having said all of that, here is what the modern gentleman should have to set themselves apart from the rest; not in a competitive way, but simply a unique way:

Use a real pen, one that is made of something other than clear and cheap plastic, and has a clip so you can carry it with you at all times. It doesn’t have to be super nice or expensive either. A Parker or Faber-Castell would do just fine! Because searching around your general vicinity for one is time consuming, and breaking out your own to sign a credit card receipt at a restaurant is so much cooler than using their house Bic.

Wear a watch, but use your cell phone to tell the time. In this day and age, nobody actually needs to wear a watch anymore because we all have cell phones, they all tell the time, and they’re all probably more accurate than our watches anyway. That’s not the point, however. With the rise of the cell phone, the wrist watch has been reduced to nothing more than an accessory – almost like a bracelet. But a Casio calculator watch is like wearing a hospital tag, and a cheap $40 Carnival you got at Zellers is like a string made of metallic thread wrapped around your wrist. You don’t have to go drop $5,000 on a Rolex either, but a slightly sporty Momentum, elegant Ingersoll, or a truly masculine and authoritative TW Steel won’t break the bank either and will provide you with that perfect gentleman’s accessory for years.

Carry your stuff in a bag, not in your pockets. We all know how it feels and looks when we over stuff our pockets with the things we need to have with us on a daily basis: cell phone, wallet, glasses case, pack of gum, whatever. Sure, there are at least four pockets on your pants, and if you’re wearing a jacket of some sort you can add at least another two, but nobody said you had to use each one! The best thing to do is actually use none of them. That way your clothes fit you the best they can and flatter your body – your legs will look longer and you won’t look like you have a huge tummy in your mid section. Don’t just go and buy yourself a fanny pack, throw everything in it, and hook it up around your waist now, either. No. Get something that suits what you’re wearing. If you’re mostly in jeans and a t-shirt or hoodie, use a tote or a duffel. If you’re a young professional, use a nice Rimowa. And if you’re a corporate guy who ever steps into a meeting to meet people of any level of importance, carry a briefcase; preferably something from Bosca or Tumi. I cannot stress this enough. If you want people to take you seriously, look like you want to be taken seriously. Because that Nike gym bag just says you can’t wait for the meeting to end so you can hit the gym, and that MEC bag says your weekend hike is more important than the task at hand. Enough said.

These are merely accoutrements to make a man stand apart from the boys. How a gentleman conducts themselves is paramount as well. When entering or exiting through a door with a lady, open and hold a door that swings in towards you, and push, step through first, and hold on the other side a door that swings out. Stand up when a lady leaves a dining table even if you’re the only other person there with her. Always make sure you’re presenting the best version of yourself to the world everyday as a sign of respect to the people around you. And always shake hands with a firm grip and smile.

Happy living. Cheers.