Hyderabad adventure

[lascosas]

Just about to head to the airport, and in about 30 hours I will arrive in Hyderabad.  We have been there before, but this time it is pure fountain pen time.  Three days to go nuts then off to other places.  Thanks to all of you, I have plenty of things to explore.  Both Deccan Pen stores, J.K. Pens, a visit to the PLP Pen workshop, and of course, Woodex Pens.  The kind owner is meeting me at my hotel to deliver my order...

 

[lascosas]

I will update as my adventure continues.  The Woodex pens are from those already made.  These were the only models available.  As you can see, I love that streamlined, no clip #53.  And isn't it wonderful to see all of the different colors?

[tommym]

Yes, such wonderful colors and a selection of pens!

 

Tommy

[metalhead]

what a treasure! so envious of this, going on a fountain pen trip for 3 days! congratulations and hope you have lots of fun.

[K Singh]

Enjoy the trip. Hope you find some good pens there 👍

[Prof Drew]

Sounds like a fun trip, @lascosas Thanks to @K Singh here on FPN I just learned about the PLP Pen workshop and ordered one pen. It is amazing that one city has so many great fountain pen makers. Enjoy your stay! I'd love to see photos of some of the studios or shops. I dream of making a trip someday and looking for some vintage pens and seeing museums and sites. Pleasant travels!

[K Singh]

@Prof Drew If you haven't seen this one. It's worth checking out. This is Mr.Ramanamurthy from Ratnamson pens making pen body, and then a fully handmade gold nib. He passed away unfortunately a while ago, and along with him also went away this craft of making gold nibs by hand. Now no one in India makes such nibs. 

 

 

[Prof Drew]

Thank you @K Singh for sharing the video. It's new to me. I love this kind of video that shows more about the people and process. It is sad that such a master and craft have passed. Modernity brings many good things, but sadly crafts (both new and modern) often fall to the side as parts of the cost of development in a world economy.

 

I know Japan is also struggling with the same question about how to train and mentor craft people with traditional crafts, whether pen-making or repairing traditional homes. NHK World often features videos about this struggle. I imagine it is the same here in the USA, but with the very important exception of indigenous cultures (which were really suppressed), we don't have nearly as many local traditional crafts or traditions.

 

By the way, I just heard from Mr. Satish Kumar that my https://plppens.com/about/PLP pen is finished and will be en route. Thank you again for the suggestion. He sent a photo and it looks perfect! It will be my first bespoke pen order. 

 

PS I've never tried an Indian pen with a gold nib. I realized that I am often quite happy with steel nibs, especially for my EF nibs for our usual poor quality paper and .6 stubs when I am writing on nice paper.

 

These days steel nibs in India are mostly from Kanwrite or overseas, yes? I've never tried an Ambitious nib. I prefer a converter over ED so I suppose my choices are more limited since most Indian pens are ED, I think. 

Edited January 31, 2024 by Prof Drew
Added a PS

[K Singh]

8 hours ago, Prof Drew said:

Thank you @K Singh for sharing the video. It's new to me. I love this kind of video that shows more about the people and process. It is sad that such a master and craft have passed. Modernity brings many good things, but sadly crafts (both new and modern) often fall to the side as parts of the cost of development in a world economy.

 

I know Japan is also struggling with the same question about how to train and mentor craft people with traditional crafts, whether pen-making or repairing traditional homes. NHK World often features videos about this struggle. I imagine it is the same here in the USA, but with the very important exception of indigenous cultures (which were really suppressed), we don't have nearly as many local traditional crafts or traditions.

 

By the way, I just heard from Mr. Satish Kumar that my https://plppens.com/about/PLP pen is finished and will be en route. Thank you again for the suggestion. He sent a photo and it looks perfect! It will be my first bespoke pen order. 

 

PS I've never tried an Indian pen with a gold nib. I realized that I am often quite happy with steel nibs, especially for my EF nibs for our usual poor quality paper and .6 stubs when I am writing on nice paper.

 

These days steel nibs in India are mostly from Kanwrite or overseas, yes? I've never tried an Ambitious nib. I prefer a converter over ED so I suppose my choices are more limited since most Indian pens are ED, I think. 

Welcome. Yes have seen some NHK videos before. There is also series called 'masters of fountain pens' on YouTube based on Japanese penmakers/sellers. One by Mr.Kiyoshi Kato is a very good one.

 

Hope the PLP one turns out as per your liking 👍 Kanwrite, ambitious offer gold nibs, but among these ambitious gold nibs are hard to get since they don't sell directly to individual customers I have heard.

 

Yes most penmakers use Kanwrite, ambitious or German steel nibs for their pens here. These days most of them offer converter based pens, and eyedropper is on a decline. Once it used to be opposite of this. Even those who do pure eyedroppers are sometimes willing to give jowo-threaded pen section. No harm in asking them about it.

[lascosas]

We arrived in Hyderabad this morning.  Checked in, had some breakfast and a shower and then off to the branch of Deccan Pen Stores.  I chose this one to start with because it is close to our hotel. 

[lascosas]

There was only one person working, plus an assistant who brought tea.  His name is Salman, and he manages the branch.  Salman explained that his father and six brothers started the business, which is now largely in the hands of the next generation.  Salman and his eleven cousins. 

 

I was there for over an hour, and during that time there was a steady stream of customers purchasing minor office supply items.  When it was my turn I explained that I had just arrived from California and wanted to see his ebonite fountain pens.  "You should have told me you were coming and we could have made some pens for you."  Oh.  Well, I still wanted to see the collection he had available, and here it is...

[lascosas]

Yes, one pen!!!!

 

I patiently asked if he could maybe look around and see if there were any more pens...please.  He pulled up an old back back that have tons of pockets.  He would pull a plastic bag from one pocket...ballpoints.  Another pocket, an ebonite!  another pocket, two more!  This went on for some time until he finally laid them out on the counter, saying this is definitely all of them.  Eleven. 

 

Turns out the only ebonite pens they sell are Deccan, and it is more custom ordering than people walking in to buy the pens.  I bought nine of the eleven.  First photo is an Advocate (1,850) and two Advocate Juniors (1,350 each).  Second photo is 3 cigars (2,200 each) and the third photo is two Bullets (1,250 each) and a Cigar Slim (2,000).  These are the only models currently in production.  The last photo is of the various models uncapped, and you can see that I accidentally bought a ball point.  Well, on the up side I can say I finally own an ebonite ballpoint. 

[lascosas]

I return to Hyderabad Feb 22 late in the afternoon and head back to California the morning of Feb 24.  So I am available on Feb 23rd to pick up any pens I order these three days.  Salman sent me a photo of all of the models that people can order.  Those include models not currently being made.  Below is the photo he sent me, and the model names:

1. Bullet

2. Pelikan

3. Author

4. Bullet Senior (1,350)

5. Advocate Junior

6. Diplomat

7. Advocate steel cap

8. Advocate

9. [acrylic model so I wasn't interested]

10. Masterpiece (6,500)

He didn't have an available price for pens 2,3,6 & 7.  If I want to order any of those he would provide a price at the time I placed the order.  I am waiting for him to send me photos of the colors available for the various models and then I will place the order.

 

[lascosas]

All of the pens came with gold colored Kanwrite medium nibs (well, except the ball point).  I also bought a bottle of Camlin blue and Daytone Carulean Blue, Purple & Coral.  Each 60 ml bottle was 60 rupees, $0.72 USD.  Time to get some sleep.  Tomorrow is  PLP and Woodex.

[K Singh]

Loved reading this 👍 Happy to see you were able to get so many pens from them.

[Prof Drew]

Thanks @K Singh for the info. Yes, I love those videos of Japanese and Indian pen craftsmen at work.

 

@lascosas Thanks for sharing your wonderful treasures. I dream of visiting India someday and looking for vintage pens and seeing some studios. Was it possible to get around by public transit or are you braving driving there? Even if from SoCal, the traffic seems like quite a challenge. Although perhaps sidewalks between bus stops and destinations might also be challenges. Maybe I shouldn't have watched the Netflix show "Delhi Crime"

 

Thanks for sharing the information and virtual tour. Hope you are enjoying good food and comradeship too.

[lascosas]

Too tired to say much, but I spent three hours at PLP Pens and then in late afternoon Woodex Pens people came to the hotel.  PLP Pens, with light traffic, is 45 minutes by car (and driver) from my hotel.  The first photo is of Satish and his father Mr. Laxmipathi from PLP Pens.  The second is of Narasimha and his uncle Mr. Prabhakar.  The elder gentlemen make all of the pens for their respective companies.

[lascosas]

To say that this was a monumental day for my fountain pen collecting is to sound trite.  I was honored to meet these gentlemen, and to realize that when we talk about these "companies" we are talking about elderly gentlemen who have worked for decades making fountain pens, and for how much longer?

[tommym]

23 minutes ago, lascosas said:

....we are talking about elderly gentlemen who have worked for decades making fountain pens, and for how much longer?

 

This is the main reason why I have been on an India fountain pen buying spree over the last year or so. 

 

Tommy

[Misfit]

Thank you for sharing your adventures at pen stores in India. It’s nice to see the pens, the pen makers, and the next generation.