The final of the ICC Champions Trophy was on 9th March 2025. And India was playing. Naturally, organisers and participants alike were a bit skeptical, fearing that cricket will keep the crowds glued to their sets at home, affecting footfall at the Chennai Pen Show. Not unjustified, considering that cricket
The 6th Inked Happiness Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented in a solemn ceremony on Saturday, the 27th of July at the Vivekananda Hall of the Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, Kolkata. The Award will be handed over by Swami Suviranandaji Maharaj, General Secretary of the Ramakrishna Math &
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
Those were simple, yet exciting times. Especially if you were a youngster going to school. No, we did not have even a fraction of the toys that young children possess these days, but we were content having the few possessions that we had. Fountain pens, among them. Mind you, in
We are just back from the 1st Chennai Pen Show which was organised by Aditya Bhansali and his team of super-efficient achievers. Well, the platitudes are deliberate – for here was a show that like a pack of trump cards, excelled on all counts. For the habitual nitpickers among us,
The Pelikan Hub is a wonderful initiative. Imagine, fountain pen, ink, and stationery lovers coming together in their respective cities around the world, simultaneously, to celebrate their passion for the pen. Imagine Pelikan sending gifts for all those who go through the process and register to attend the event, no
At one point in time, I used to visit the Pen Hospital with almost religious regularity – spending my Saturday afternoons there in the company of Md Riaz and so often the other pen lovers who would walk in. I have acquired innumerable fountain pens from the establishment just like
An Urushi tree takes about 12 to 15 years to mature for commercial purposes. For only a few months during the year, the sap can be gathered, with every tree producing at best, only about a cupful of sap (about 150 grams), from which the celebrated Urushi lacquer is made.
Where do connoisseurs go to buy their fountain pens and inks and accessories? The question becomes even more important if you are new to the hobby, are discerning enough to be brand conscious, and at the same time do not wish to splurge by paying inordinately hefty sums for your
India-made pens. They fascinate me, for they are my reigning passion, the one end that justifies all means. I have spent so many decades of my life in their search – seeking them out, collecting them, getting the old dilapidated ones restored, compiling their stories, learning about their legacies, and
Mizanur Rahman bhai is a well-known name in the fountain pen and ink user groups in Bangladesh. He runs a very successful shop in Dhaka and can easily be considered among the handful of opinion-makers in the country. As a fountain pen and ink importer, his knowledge about the quality,
Like most fountain pen lovers in India, my first hand turned, India made ebonite pen was a Nauka from ASA pens in Chennai. I had stumbled on to their website and placed an order, which was in due course of time, fulfilled. One order had followed many others and it
