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Flax Art & Design

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Local(415) 552-2355

1699 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94103

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Flax Art & Design
Local(415) 552-2355

1699 Market St
San Francisco, CA 94103

http://www.flaxart.com

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Expert Reviews of Flax Art & Design

Citysearch | Creative types will find a mesmerizing array of materials housed within this upscale art store's sprawling interiors.

For anyone even remotely interested in arts and crafts, this is one dangerous store. Traditional supplies like woodworking tools, easels, sketch books and professional quality paints, brushes and canvases...
citysearch.com - expert review - 07/13/2007
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User Reviews of Flax Art & Design

Yelp.com Review - by brian k.

5.0 of 5 stars. I have been going to FLAX for over 14 years now......WOW I am old!!!!! -- I started to seriously collection artworks about 8 years ago and ever since I have gotten all them framed/reframed all at…
yelp.com - user review - 07/05/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Michael H.

4.0 of 5 stars. Huge! This place is gi-normous. I don't know why I've never been here. Every section is broken down fairly well. There are some unconventional organizational choices, like pairing together the…
yelp.com - user review - 06/19/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Tedster H.

3.0 of 5 stars. I like this place, but it is a little pricy, and I was once looking for a scoop coater for silk screening, and the person in the paint department, which carries the silk screening supply's asked me…
yelp.com - user review - 06/17/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by lazslo t.

4.0 of 5 stars. I don't think most working artists are going to do all of their shopping here but it's good in a pinch. I've been adding to my studio for over a decade and its done by piecemeal. You get a little bit…
yelp.com - user review - 06/16/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by sara a.

5.0 of 5 stars. Love this place! Free parking close to my home and a great selection on paper. Me and PaperPill can spend hours inside. Lock your credit card and go shop now at Flax.
yelp.com - user review - 05/16/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by madam e.

5.0 of 5 stars. Been there, done that. This place is great! I'm here all the day and I wouldn't consider myself an artist. Oh, free PARKING!!!
yelp.com - user review - 05/16/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Amy L.

4.0 of 5 stars. I'm sure there are tons of reviews for Flax worth reading, so I'll keep it simple and to the point! Here's what I LOVE about Flax:
yelp.com - user review - 05/06/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by stephy s.

5.0 of 5 stars. One of my bestests friends on this mass we exist on is an arteeest. His name is Jason Adkins and if you don't know him yet, you will! I absolutely adore his work and am lucky enough to own 3 of his…
yelp.com - user review - 04/28/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Becky M.

5.0 of 5 stars. They recently added a new student discount (yay). This place is overwhelmingly awesome, so much selection with staff that really knows what they're talking about. Its also a cool place to go for…
yelp.com - user review - 04/28/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Sean O.

5.0 of 5 stars. They have everything you need here for all your artistic needs. They have an amazing selection of paper and pens, which are my two weaknesses. I always walk out with more than I should have. I love…
yelp.com - user review - 04/22/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by John S.

5.0 of 5 stars. When you're the son of an architect who spent three days a week doing his own architectural work while simultaneously babysitting you at one of his many Whittier offices, you learn how to occupy…
yelp.com - user review - 04/22/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by abes ..

5.0 of 5 stars. Flax is your one stop shop for every creative thing you'd wanna do. Super nice staff. Eric is the Dalai Lama of the customer service world. Ask about his custom Silver work. The ring he showed me was…
yelp.com - user review - 04/16/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Cathy H.

5.0 of 5 stars. When I wanted a perfectly tiered wrapped gift for my friend's baby shower, I was perfectly fine going all out with the gift wrap, and so I went to Flax. I know, I know, the gift wrap gets shredded and…
yelp.com - user review - 04/05/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by elise h.

4.0 of 5 stars. Excellent fine art paper selection!! A room chock full of organized, touchable paper for watercolor, printmaking, and art projects. They're also a good stationery source for DIY invitations. Not the…
yelp.com - user review - 04/02/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by ray e.

5.0 of 5 stars. from the gigantic whimsical letters greeting passersby and patrons to the shelves and shelves and shelves of fancy and not-so-fancy papers, flax makes my artsy heart a flutter with joy. i always like…
yelp.com - user review - 04/01/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Nina W.

4.0 of 5 stars. As far as art stores go, this place is Beautiful! I could spend Hours here (and often do) because it's aisles are so neatly organized by genre- and they cover it all. Calligraphy, scrap booking, a…
yelp.com - user review - 03/31/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Katherine D.

4.0 of 5 stars. A little pricey but they have SO much fun stuff!
yelp.com - user review - 03/30/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Ken B.

4.0 of 5 stars. What a great place to shop. They've got a lot of everything, but it's all at retail prices. I find it best to shop at Flax for ideas, then go six blocks down to Pearl and buy it there for…
yelp.com - user review - 03/29/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by stacey l.

4.0 of 5 stars. I like going to Flax for journals. They have a large selection of journals and you can find some nice ones for a few dollars. Flax is huge! Whenever I brose this place I always find cool things.…
yelp.com - user review - 03/20/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by sarah k.

5.0 of 5 stars. They must be doing something right. They are celebrating their 70th year here in SF this year. That really means something. I have shopped there since my youth and still think fondly of Flax. Thanks…
yelp.com - user review - 03/14/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Berna ..

5.0 of 5 stars. Art stores make me kinda hot. I mean, what's more sexy than all the tools that help you become a goddess of creative energy? The only thing that kinda sucks? Flax may be easy on the eyes...but…
yelp.com - user review - 03/14/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Jenny T.

4.0 of 5 stars. I was taking care of delicate wash in the bathroom sink when he telephoned saying he was already on the way, and here he teased all my panties hanging from a beam then he called me an artist until I…
yelp.com - user review - 03/08/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Max B.

2.0 of 5 stars. I am consistently disappointed in the selection of everything at Flax, and I really don't understand why it is so highly regarded. In fact, I only go there because it is close to my house. I fist…
yelp.com - user review - 03/04/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by David S.

4.0 of 5 stars. I know I can get a package wrapped here, find a frame, or an unusual gift....period....and that's why I like it. It helps I live across the street.
yelp.com - user review - 02/23/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by SF N.

1.0 of 5 stars. Horrible, horrible customer service. You know the grunge wannabe's that you'd see working at Tower Records? They've now all become cashiers at Flax. Ask for your items to be bagged and they hand…
yelp.com - user review - 02/12/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by mrs von ball s.

5.0 of 5 stars. joe: you would love Flax me: the first time i went to Flax
yelp.com - user review - 01/08/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by laila e.

4.0 of 5 stars. yes: it's a bit pricey
yelp.com - user review - 01/06/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Martha Sue H.

2.0 of 5 stars. Flax bugs me and I go there all the time because it's on my way to the studio. They just don't stock the basics. If you are making a scrapbook, you're all set here. But if you need a replacement…
yelp.com - user review - 01/03/2008
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Yelp.com Review - by Madeleine K.

5.0 of 5 stars. After an abysmal experience at Britex the other day, I decided to drag my butt to Flax for replacement blades for my rotary cutter. Honestly, I didn't think they'd have it, I just hadn't been there…
yelp.com - user review - 12/30/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Elisa H.

5.0 of 5 stars. Flax is the best! The folks who work in framing (Stephen helped me when I was there last) are incredibly helpful and offer great advice. They also will help out if, for instance, you drop your newly…
yelp.com - user review - 12/27/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Clifford P.

4.0 of 5 stars. FLAX is perhaps a bay area art institution. It's pricey here, but nothing beats the selection of materials they have. I don't think you can find a better selection of papers anywhere else. They have an…
yelp.com - user review - 12/26/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Ryan S.

4.0 of 5 stars. What a great store for Christmas time, their hours are not that great though.
yelp.com - user review - 12/20/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Arrbecca ..

4.0 of 5 stars. I am only giving this store four stars because I am not sure how the prices compare to other art stores. I happened to find some great deals- this place has super cheap canvasses. Really, though,…
yelp.com - user review - 12/03/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Sea D.

5.0 of 5 stars. I LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS PLACE. I would say that its my temple. Jst be sure to bring an AMX, and be able to spend at least 2 hours in their papersection alone!
yelp.com - user review - 11/30/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Suzanne L.

4.0 of 5 stars. I love this place, but it is expensive. Great place for gifts, especially for the hard-to-buy-for. Plan to be here for at least an hour to check out everything, including the HUGE selection of…
yelp.com - user review - 11/25/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by jeremiah w.

4.0 of 5 stars. walking into flax reminded me of my art school days. everything was present: craft-types who tape and glue things together, snooty fine-art types who never make eye contact, supplies for any and every…
yelp.com - user review - 11/12/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Cynthia B.

4.0 of 5 stars. Prices are too high. Lots of cool stuff. NOT a one stop shop for artists.
yelp.com - user review - 11/12/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by gwynnie p.

4.0 of 5 stars. Flax flax flax flax flax. Oh, how I wish I were crafty. I am so *inspired* by your beautiful offerings, especially the most incredible selection of paper in the entire world. But it comes home and…
yelp.com - user review - 11/04/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Alanna H.

5.0 of 5 stars. Flax is huge, and has a great selection and tons of gorgeous paper. I love walking around a looking at all the stuff. The prices are generally higher than competitors such as Utrecht, but it's a much…
yelp.com - user review - 10/23/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Randy F.

4.0 of 5 stars. Flax has a lotta cool shit. I like wandering around and letting the materials inspire me. The staff is knowledgeable as well, which is incredibly helpful. The prices are high. Not low.......high.…
yelp.com - user review - 10/22/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Pink ..

5.0 of 5 stars. **Bathroom Review Flax has the best non-intrusive/semi-public bathroom in this area of Market St/between Van Ness and Octavia.
yelp.com - user review - 10/20/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Gregg G.

4.0 of 5 stars. When I walked into this place, my thought process went like this: Oooh! That's cool! I wonder what I could do with that? Oh, it's kind of expensive.
yelp.com - user review - 10/06/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by kate r.

4.0 of 5 stars. I like this store a lot. A LOT. BUT NOT BECAUSE I BUY EVERYTHING HERE...
yelp.com - user review - 09/12/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Susan C.

4.0 of 5 stars. This place is a little painful in the price department but they have a large selection of fountain pens. Not that I collect anything...but pretending that I did, it would be fountain pens and…
yelp.com - user review - 09/11/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by andy r.

4.0 of 5 stars. Say what you will about their bloated inventory of gifty items (unique). Go on about the short selection of overpriced printmaking papers while there are hundreds of flat drawers of truly exotic…
yelp.com - user review - 08/30/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Kristina s.

2.0 of 5 stars. I like art and i like Flax ..............But not flax art supplies ASAP for my painting class tomorrow. Thought I'd go to flax because of the high rating it has on yelp. ( and I trust all you yelper).…
yelp.com - user review - 08/28/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by aim c.

5.0 of 5 stars. i thought i died and went to art/design supply heaven. love!
yelp.com - user review - 08/27/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Debbie K.

5.0 of 5 stars. If I had to die in a retail establishment, I would want it to be in the back paper room at Flax. Perhaps I could faint and receive a fatal blow from one of the massive metal paper files under the…
yelp.com - user review - 08/21/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Erin G.

4.0 of 5 stars. I didn't have a bad experience in here, everyone seemed friendly and approachable. They have a lot of things that aren't for what other yelpers are calling "true artists", like photo albums and home…
yelp.com - user review - 08/20/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by NICKI P.

5.0 of 5 stars. I totally rock this place, as much as I hate saying, I spend far more here then I do on food.
yelp.com - user review - 08/03/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by cyndi L.

4.0 of 5 stars. This place, this place. I can go broke here. The paper selection alone just kills me. I'm a paper whore. I don't even use most of what I buy because I just can't bring myself to cut up the paper. I…
yelp.com - user review - 08/01/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Jackson P.

1.0 of 5 stars. Overpriced and designed for retarded yuppies. The only people who shop at FLAX are people who are too stupid to shop online, or who have no concept of how much things ought to cost. Sure, it's a really…
yelp.com - user review - 08/01/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Fallopian Swim Team D.

5.0 of 5 stars. It is not cheap. It is not edgy. It is not crafty. This is a slick, well packaged business. You will not see too many students, crafty mommies, or starving artists in paint covered overalls. They…
yelp.com - user review - 07/31/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by prior O.

3.0 of 5 stars. I used to love going here but their selection has really gone downhill. They always had a great pen selection but alas, no more. I still go in every once in a while to look around, but other places…
yelp.com - user review - 07/23/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by traveler Y.

5.0 of 5 stars. This store is amazing. We got most of our wedding invitation supplies here. The staff at the paper department were very helpful, friendly, and patient. We ordered our pocket folder envelopes here.…
yelp.com - user review - 07/21/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by michelle s.

4.0 of 5 stars. Framing Review After four years of collecting dust on a very special print, I go to Flax for custom framing. Sean, the manager, provides excellent service: knowledgeable, personal and patient while…
yelp.com - user review - 07/01/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Nanette L.

5.0 of 5 stars. This art supply store is an artists' dream. I've just stepped into paradise and found so much artist supplies here. There is a room full of just paper; handmade, textures, and just about every…
yelp.com - user review - 06/23/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Jenn R.

4.0 of 5 stars. It's greatest down fall is of course the price. I haven't done an indepth side by side comparison between them and the other major art supply stores, but it seems that anything i want is always a buck…
yelp.com - user review - 06/21/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Mstar P.

4.0 of 5 stars. It's overpriced but so much fun anyway. Huge selection of paper - a whole 1000 sq. ft. room devoted just to paper, floor to ceiling! Ok not quite to ceiling. I felt that at least half the store was…
yelp.com - user review - 06/16/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by gerard l.

4.0 of 5 stars. yes i agree with overprice, but amazing selection of paper and book binding materials...i'm sure there other things i've missed....too bad its a long ass way from me. had to drive about 45 minutes and…
yelp.com - user review - 06/16/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Sophia C.

4.0 of 5 stars. Whether you're forging artworks for eBay or tagging your way into the community college of your choice, the home of the Giant Pencil has it. I came for a pen, but left with an aluminum portfolio, an…
yelp.com - user review - 06/09/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Mariangela S.

4.0 of 5 stars. I need a personal shopper every time I go to Flax. I become bewildered, staggering from section to section, creatively knocked over the head to the point I have lost all my own innate creativeness. I…
yelp.com - user review - 06/07/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by dj z.

4.0 of 5 stars. Oh god Flax how I love thee - from your full display of Moleskines to your rows of other journals like Miquelrius, to your bulk vellum sheets and cards, to antique reproductions of maps as gift wrap!…
yelp.com - user review - 06/05/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Eric B.

4.0 of 5 stars. I have been coming here for years for stationary, etc. that I need and I don't. Looking around is half the fun in this place. Don't forget the bargain "closet". And it IS a step above PEARL and…
yelp.com - user review - 05/27/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Nick P.

2.0 of 5 stars. If you are looking for art supplies and plan on using them again and again and replacing them and continuing to use them, then I would reccomend not shopping at Flax. If you are a housewife with a…
yelp.com - user review - 05/25/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Emma H.

5.0 of 5 stars. Oh man, i wish I could give this place 6 stars, simply because their canvases are ALWAYS on sale, and I go through a lot of canvases. A great place to stock up!!!
yelp.com - user review - 05/20/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Sabrina B.

5.0 of 5 stars. LOVE this place. ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you could ever want in an art and supply store (except, I think faux flowers) is in this store! This beats ghetto PEARL and Dick Blick on Van Ness combined,…
yelp.com - user review - 05/19/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by ellyk E.

4.0 of 5 stars. I am not an artist, so I can review this place sans pent-up, cranky angst. I wish I were an artist though because there are many tools and mediums at this warehouse of a store to play with. I almost…
yelp.com - user review - 05/17/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Alyssa R.

4.0 of 5 stars. Don't you hate it when people are all, "I'm SPEECHLESS!" and then proceed to ramble on and on about the awe or amazement or wonder they feel? Me too.
yelp.com - user review - 05/10/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by kelly m.

4.0 of 5 stars. Flax makes me wish I was an artist. It makes me wish I had enough $$$ to buy individual pieces of handmade wrapping paper to wrap all the gifts I should buy for people but rarely remember to. It…
yelp.com - user review - 04/20/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by le v.

5.0 of 5 stars. I want to live at Flax. I want to quit school, rent out a corner of the paper room for myself, and work behind the counter. I will gladly throw myself into a cycle of working for them and giving them…
yelp.com - user review - 04/18/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Nadja M.

5.0 of 5 stars. My experience at Flax was very much like an orgasm. When I entered Flax I was taken by surprise.
yelp.com - user review - 04/16/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Elizabeth G.

4.0 of 5 stars. I hate Flax' hours, and the way they're not open on Sundays, and the prices. On the other hand, they're the only place I've found in SF proper to buy the Miquelrius graph paper notebooks that I so…
yelp.com - user review - 04/08/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by sheri n.

4.0 of 5 stars. cool art store... although it is pricey. great stationary and paper! cool notebooks and albums.
yelp.com - user review - 04/08/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by YT T.

4.0 of 5 stars. Big enough to find whatever I want or like. If you are seeking something that you have not found yet, you may find in Flax.
yelp.com - user review - 03/25/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Veronica C.

2.0 of 5 stars. as much a i want to love flax, and i really really do, i can't warm up to them. they have a ton of really great stuff. pricey and affordable. and carry some things that no one else does.....BUT.....…
yelp.com - user review - 03/11/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Alfonso E.

4.0 of 5 stars. Being the kind of guy who's always shopped for creative goods and raw materials on the cheap, I involuntarily *gasp* at the sight of price tags on half the store's merchandise. But I still love…
yelp.com - user review - 03/02/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Spratt M.

4.0 of 5 stars. Update, 3/07: I got a very kind note from a manager at Flax after this review, so I'm adding back a star. He acknowledged that it's time to update that whole "drafting" section and let me know that…
yelp.com - user review - 02/27/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Olma M.

4.0 of 5 stars. Oh my crazy! I have to write a more thorough review when I've come back down from this Flax high. A Paper "Room"!? Are you kiddin' me - paper paper paper paper - everywhere. I came here to look for…
yelp.com - user review - 02/25/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by xelyn d.

3.0 of 5 stars. Yes please may I have another. Beware, much more pricey than Arch or Pearl.
yelp.com - user review - 02/02/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Liz S.

5.0 of 5 stars. Ah, Flax - it brings to mind my favorite all-time art store, Lee's Art on 57th St in NYC. Hi Lee's! Miss you! Thinking of you! Flax has every kind of supply for the artist OR the art-appreciateur…
yelp.com - user review - 01/30/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by niki m.

5.0 of 5 stars. Today was the first day, in my entire memorable life, that I did not walk out of Flax with a purchase. Although some things are overpriced I can usually not resist. It's almost as bad as my shoe…
yelp.com - user review - 01/30/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Shannon R.

5.0 of 5 stars. I love Flax...as they say, it's "where creative people like to shop." So... that must mean that I'm creative! Seriously though, creative or not, Flax just screams quality. They don't carry any crap up…
yelp.com - user review - 01/29/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Marz W.

5.0 of 5 stars. I love this store. Even though its really overpriced in a lot of areas. I love it because they have some really unique things and they, much to my surprise, are a privately owned 'mom & pop' place! So…
yelp.com - user review - 01/28/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Shayna C.

4.0 of 5 stars. This is definitely one of my favorite art supply stores in the city. Every time I step over the threshold I hear a choir of angels singing in harmony in my head. It's huge, clean, well lit,…
yelp.com - user review - 01/24/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by rien d.

5.0 of 5 stars. i love this place HUGE selection of paper. plus they have envelopements...i went here many many times while i was brainstorming on wedding invite ideas.
yelp.com - user review - 01/19/2007
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Yelp.com Review - by Rachel B.

4.0 of 5 stars. I really love this place. It's beautiful with a huge selection, but I can't give it a 5th star because Pearl is right down the street offering lower prices, albeit in a dimmer, seedier kind of way.
yelp.com - user review - 12