Prof Y Pitkar, revered as the “Travelling Inkpot”, is a polymath, a man of many distinctions. He is an architect, a teacher, a writer of books, a seeker of fountain pen and ink knowledge, apart from being a collector – the fraternity’s respected aficionado, par excellence.
Naturally, when he delivers a talk, it becomes an event for pen and ink lovers to hang on to, to eat, mull over, regurgitate and digest. His chosen topic is the design history of fountain pens – their efficacy and evolution, felt with the warmth of a fountain pen fanatic, explained by the cold logic of preciseness by a professor of architecture. The result? Always eclectic!
As the lucky few who had attended the “strictly by invitation” event organised by William Penn at their flagship store in Koramangala, Bangalore, earlier this day did. The occasion was the formal launch of the Sailor Fika Collection, which incidentally is Sailor’s first pen in its new Tea Time series, meant to celebrate different tea time traditions across the globe. The pen takes its particular inspiration from Fika, a Swedish afternoon coffee break, and the blue colour of the pen is modelled after the hues used in traditional Swedish porcelain.
Needless to say, in keeping with Sailor’s tradition of excellence, going much beyond its striking appearance, the instrument is a superb everyday fountain pen with all the quality and versatility Sailor is known for. The pen can be filled with any bottled fountain pen ink, when using the provided converter, or can also use the convenient Sailor branded disposable ink cartridges, which are currently available in more than twenty different colours. The Sailor Pro gear Slim Fika Hallongrotta, inspired by the colours of traditional Swedish cookies with a transparent and pearlescent red body matched with a raspberry cap and ivory top resplendent with a 14 KT gold nib, was also launched at the event.
Bangalore’s own, calligraphy’s Maestro, Prof K C Janardhan who is also a raconteur capable of matching Sailor with his perfectionism was the guest of honour and regaled the audience with witty pen and ink anecdotes collected from around the world. His talk not only added to what Prof Pitkar highlighted, but also helped mesmerise the audience of pen lovers, as the rare jugal-bandi of the two acknowledged masters, played out to their obvious delight.
Nikhil Ranjan, the man behind the William Penn and Lapis Bard brands, who had painstakingly planned and got his team of achievers at William Penn execute the programme to perfection, was naturally ecstatic, “we had originally planned the event to coincide with the fountain pen day, in a much bigger format. However, because of the constraints imposed by the circumstances, we were forced to scale it down, which actually added a new dimension to the whole thing – making it as personal and personalised as one’s intimate relationship with one’s favourite fountain pen is. I must thank both the speakers and the audience for making the event attain the heights of cerebral interaction that it did”.
“I have attended many pen-meets in many places” said the usually reticent Prof Pitkar, “but the one that I just attended will always be remembered as a special one, thanks not only to the lengths to which the organisers at William Penn went to, to ensure its success, but also the spirited and knowledgeable participation of those who attended.”
Prof K C Janardhan was also all praises. “My association with William Penn in general and the Koramangala store in particular is now almost two decades old and I not only have some very fond memories but always find it a pleasure to be here, to browse through objects that we all desire. Given a chance, I can spend days at an end ogling at, caressing and testing the pens that are on display here, or by simply talking to the very knowledgeable people at the store whose professionalism and eagerness to help is simply amazing.”
Sutirtha De, an up-and-coming handwriting expert from Bangalore, who is slated to conduct an in-store Calligraphy session tomorrow, was also ga-ga about the event, “it is a wonderful initiative and I must thank William Penn for the initiative. I learnt so much from the masters. My sincere wish is that such events are held more often and are gradually spread across all the William Penn Stores.”
We like that!
For More information visit: https://www.williampenn.net/