Starmark is undoubtedly a “go-to” destination for bibliophiles, stationery lovers, and increasingly, fountain pen and ink aficionados in Kolkata. Naturally, when Starmark celebrates its 25th year, the city sits up to take note. As someone who has spent half my life browsing and buying from the different Starmark outlets, I
Is there a sudden spurt in religious-themed fountain pens in India? Are most major boutique manufacturers draping their holy cloaks around them in an act of reverence and presenting the image of one popular incarnation after the other because of some sacred compulsion? Has flaunting one’s faith somehow become the
There are broadly four kinds of people who buy fountain pens. I know that I am about to commit an unpardonable sin by writing what I have set out to write in this piece, for I will be generalising things to a point where it will be rankling at the
Onoto, everything good that the Empire stood for, ever, in a fountain pen that defies time and continues to evoke glories past! The year 1905 was an interesting one. Arthur Conan Doyle, bowing to public sentiment, was scripting the Return of Sherlock Holmes. Mata Hari was giving her first dance
Jamini Roy line of inks – a one of its kind tribute to the master and his art is being created by Sulekha. The yearning to reflect the voice of the people, to discover the “idiom of its own” has been a constant struggle for Sulekha, since its inception as
Croxley Pens from Dickinson – as pucca as a sahib can be, stiff upper lip, understated elegance et all. British fountainpens do not, in general, stir the kind of excitement in stylophiles that German, Italian or even Japanese pens do. A pity, actually, considering the glorious legacy that British pens
Tamenuri reaches its apogee in fountain pens created by AP Limited Editions – stark in their simplicity, numinous as the ultimate truth. Literally, the Japanese term “Kintsugi” translates to mean “golden joinery”. It is also, often, uttered as “Kintsukuroi”, which means “golden repairs”. On a very basic level, the art
Football, despite its universal appeal and immersive magic, has, by snobbish and opinionated casual commentators, never been seen as an academic pursuit. They somehow overlook the fact that intellectuals and creators like Pasolini, Gramsci, Camus and Galeano have thought about the game at length. There are thousands of books that
Nikko Ebonite – is often considered, in India at least, to be the best that there can be, as far as hand turned fountain pens go. Yoshiko Endo looks after the orders and logistics side of the business in Nikko Ebonite Manufacturing Company – which, with the motto “ebonize your
Lotus participates in the Singapore Pen Show, sells out in record time. Arun Singhi of Lotus Pens has every reason to be proud. The pen turner from Mumbai, often called the “most gifted among all those who make hand made fountain pens in India”, had a déjà vu moment in
The Moonman Wancai Mini has many things going for it. For one its size, which is puny in comparison but when posted – it has threads at the rear which allows the cap to be attached to the main body, giving it a decent size. Threaded in thus, the pen
The world of fountain lovers who are “out of the closet” is a small one. Here, most aficionados know each other, as do the companies and other service providers catering to their inky whims. We follow the influencers, like, comment and share their blog posts, shower insane smileys on their
