Insider's Las Vegas: Best Bets: Write On

The 18 glass display cases fused into the facade of the W.ink boutique are prime real estate for penmakers. Every day numerous passersby outside the Wynn Las Vegas Tower Suites behold limited-edition specimens from such manufacturers as Krone, Faber-Castell, Montblanc, Omas, and David Oscarson. Many of the window-shoppers may not appreciate the display’s contents, but for collectors W.ink is a rare find.

W.ink’s store manager, Nick Barbano, has a loyal following of customers who rely on him to keep their collections current. Barbano cites David Oscarson—who often flies in from St. Louis to train new members of the W.ink sales staff—as his favorite designer. To commemorate the debut of Wynn Las Vegas in April 2005 (when, within the first few hours of opening its doors, the store sold a $42,000 writing instrument to a local collector), Oscarson created 50 new pieces, which make up the Wynn Exclusive Collection. W.ink is the only place in the world (private collections aside) where you can see the pens firsthand.