A visit to the Airmail Pen Company, Mumbai, India

[hari317]

Yes please. With a full pictorial report, if that's not too much to ask...

I was not planning on another report however, let us see. I would not like to risk my welcome by insisting on taking pictures.

 

Great report. The fact of having no picture is really not a problem as your description is so good that I can imagine the scene ....... I now love my Airmail fountain pens more than before ........

that's wonderful to hear, thanks!

 

Dear Hari, thank you for a great post! I was anticipating more pictures since many of your posts are wonderful pieces of photo journalism in themselves- but I guess they would object to photography inside the company premises which is totally understandable.

I have an Airmail pen of the same size as the larger one in the photo, and I keep wondering (and I am taking this opportunity to subtly ask you...) if the factory fitted nib could be swapped with some gold nib.

Hi A, I hope you are doing well. yes some or the other Sheaffer vintage nib should be an idea fit.

[Revolution]

Wality/Airmail FPs are totally over priced.

Even thought its manufactured in Mumbai I have to pay three to four times more than its actual price I guess.....

Only Camlin FPs are available all over India @fair price.

Edited November 11, 2014 by Revolution

[twduffy58]

Several years ago I purchased a 'sampler' of Indian pens. The only one that I can readily find is a red/ burgundy ED with ink windows rather like vertical slits just behind the section and threads for the cap. IT has a gold toned nib that has been writing in the EF to F range. I had forgotten how nice this pen was in hand. I'll have to look into purchasing more. The only thing that is difficult for me is waiting for shipping to the U.S.A.

Tim

[deepak23]

Wality/Airmail FPs are totally over priced.

Even thought its manufactured in Mumbai I have to pay three to four times more than its actual price I guess.....

Only Camlin FPs are available all over India @fair price.

Overpriced? For the quality, these pens are totally worth the money. Only the Camlin Elegante and the SD matches the quality of Airmails and the SD is definitely overpriced...

[hari317]

Overpriced? For the quality, these pens are totally worth the money.

+1. The quality of internal polishing on the transparent hand turned acrylic barrels of Wality 69T and 71JT is unmatched on any other Indian transparent pen and the Wality sells for a fraction of what is charged for the other pens.

 

Overpriced has become a much abused word nowadays.

[subbu68]

+1

 

Not just for finish but also for the writing. My Airmail 69T wrote much better than Camlin SD 'out of the box' (no box for Airmail). Had to smoothen SD a bit to remove the scratchiness. For Rs. 250 I do not think you can get a better pen.

[abkudva]

Hari - Many many thanks for this excellent report. It has been several years since you wrote this but still invaluable - especially for new comers to the world of Fountain Pens like me.

A quick question - I stay in Mumbai, in fact very close to Airmail's office in Andheri. Can I buy their pens directly at their Vile Parle address? Or would you reccommend some specific shop in Mumbai where I can buy them?

many thanks!

[hari317]

Hari - Many many thanks for this excellent report. It has been several years since you wrote this but still invaluable - especially for new comers to the world of Fountain Pens like me.

A quick question - I stay in Mumbai, in fact very close to Airmail's office in Andheri. Can I buy their pens directly at their Vile Parle address? Or would you reccommend some specific shop in Mumbai where I can buy them?

many thanks!

Thanks! I am glad you found this report useful even several years after it was written. They might sell you a pen or two. But, their dealer is P. Vrajlal & Co, on AR street. You can read about them here:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/60720-mumbai-pen-shops/

[deepak23]

Nirmal Mirchandani was kind enough to let me buy a dozen + when I visited last year, albeit a bit reluctantly.

[subbu68]

I wrote to Mirchandani if he would send pens abroad. A blunt reply NO. then I asked who is the dealer who can send me. No reply till now. That's the norm it seems with them.

[hari317]

I wrote to Mirchandani if he would send pens abroad. A blunt reply NO. then I asked who is the dealer who can send me. No reply till now. That's the norm it seems with them.

 

Great! next pose the same question to Camlin, Bril and many other companies who cater to only the domestic market in India and ask them these questions about export, which dealer etc, and that too for small retail quantities.

 

Just because the contact information of the manufacturer is available, there is no need to sit on their heads and then come and bad mouth them here.

[subbu68]

 

Great! next pose the same question to Camlin, Bril and many other companies who cater to only the domestic market in India and ask them these questions about export, which dealer etc, and that too for small retail quantities.

 

Just because the contact information of the manufacturer is available, there is no need to sit on their heads and then come and bad mouth them here.

I believe any forum member is free to write his or her experience here. Is there any such condition that bad experiences should not be posted?

[hari317]

I believe any forum member is free to write his or her experience here. Is there any such condition that bad experiences should not be posted?

of course, there is no such condition. In the same vein, other members can express their reactions as well.

[Ahmad Kareem]

Hi Hari,

Would you happen to know a place near Kanpur where I can buy the Airmail or Wality pen. I would love to pick some up when I visit next.

Thanks



[amarjit]

+1. The quality of internal polishing on the transparent hand turned acrylic barrels of Wality 69T and 71JT is unmatched on any other Indian transparent pen and the Wality sells for a fraction of what is charged for the other pens.

 

Overpriced has become a much abused word nowadays.

I bought one wality 71 JT and thw pen's nib is not upto mark. Any suggestions for its replacement nib?

[subbucal]

Would suggest replace it with another Wality nib, preferably dual tone in M. Those are good.

 

Alternatively, you can fix an Ambitious #6 nib, really set it in deep... Vaibhav, has successfully done this and is happy with outcome.

[subbucal]

Also, hope you have tried aligning nib/feed and trines to your existing nib. Also in case if its flow a run of blade through trines carefully will help.

 

Wality nibs are usually modifiable to ones liking..

[amarjit]

Would suggest replace it with another Wality nib, preferably dual tone in M. Those are good.

 

Alternatively, you can fix an Ambitious #6 nib, really set it in deep... Vaibhav, has successfully done this and is happy with outcome.

where can i get Ambitious #6 nib in mumbai any idea and what is the cost of such nibs?

[hari317]

I bought one wality 71 JT and thw pen's nib is not upto mark. Any suggestions for its replacement nib?

Take it back to the shop and discuss with dealer. The nibs might need some tuneup/replacement which they will do.

[hari317]

Hi Hari,

Would you happen to know a place near Kanpur where I can buy the Airmail or Wality pen. I would love to pick some up when I visit next.

Thanks



I have no idea about where in Kanpur.