Mumbai Pen Shops

[1nkulus]

  On 5/2/2019 at 1:58 PM, hari317 said:

the mbs are genuine but grey market. You will get them much lower than discounted retail. You have Mb authorised outlets but you can buy cheaper than them in USA.

Do you have pricing for any brands/models, as a rough idea?

Edited May 2, 2019 by 1nkulus

[Yohaanrods]

Hari sir, my budget was on the lower side so I bought a sheaffer imperial and an Imperial touchdown. The prices were pretty good compared to other online sources. They had a good collection of P45s that day that too at good prices. When I enquired about the celluloid pens they said they did not have stock. Unfortunately I'm not a Mumbaikar so I don't have the luxury of going to the fort area every week. Apsara was selling the NNS for 800rs. Isn't this on the higher side given their usual prices or is this fair??

[Yohaanrods]

I must say that the condition of the pens were good and that the filling system were perfectly allright

[antarmukhee]

Do any of these dealers send pens to India by post by taking order through phone?

[hari317]

No harm in calling and finding out. Most of them might be on WhatsApp now.

[Abhishek Walwaikar]

I am Abhishek Walwaikar, a Mumbai based lawyer and this is my first post on this forum. 

I have been collecting and actively using fountain pens for past few years after a senior collogue gifted me a fountain and kind of re-introduced me to magical world of fountain pens. 

I have to thank @hari317and @amk their detailed post on shops in Mumbai are kind of " official guide "  for me and many others.  I will post a detailed field report of the lil adventure I had using their maps and information.

[hari317]

  On 4/14/2021 at 8:26 AM, Abhishek Walwaikar said:

I am Abhishek Walwaikar, a Mumbai based lawyer and this is my first post on this forum. 

I have been collecting and actively using fountain pens for past few years after a senior collogue gifted me a fountain and kind of re-introduced me to magical world of fountain pens. 

I have to thank @hari317and @amk their detailed post on shops in Mumbai are kind of " official guide "  for me and many others.  I will post a detailed field report of the lil adventure I had using their maps and information.

Expand  

I look forward to your report. Unfortunately some shops have closed or changed hands since my original post was put up more than a decade back. 

[Abhishek Walwaikar]

  On 4/14/2021 at 8:30 AM, hari317 said:

I look forward to your report. Unfortunately some shops have closed or changed hands since my original post was put up more than a decade back. 

Expand  

Yes ! that is a sad part that a realized. what  was heartbreaking was that one of them has stopped selling fountain pens ..... its just ball pens, rollers and gel pens now.  

[Abhishek Walwaikar]

THE  PEN HUNTING ADVENTURE - 2021 : Abdul Rehman Street    After over 13 years since the original post was written by @hari317 and the Indian Pen Odyssey -Mumbai by @amk in 2013, I decided to walk on their footsteps. The day was full of adventure, I found some beautiful old gems but was also hit by hard reality that Fountains are slowing fading away....   It was  February 2021, the corona pandemic had reasonably subsided at that time and it looked like things were heading towards normalcy. People were out on street and trains were running back ... packed as ever. While people were still wearing masks, a reminder of the looming danger but the mood in the air was jovial and hopeful that " we have overcome it " . During the lockdown I came across this forum and had read posts by both hari and amk and was excited to try the trail shown by them. On one such Saturday after having finished by work at Court by noon, I decided to head hunting for fountains......  Some of these shops were already known to me  like Apsara ( have bought and Elysse and Parker 21 earlier) and Mitha Pens (from whom I got my first Vintage - Blue Diamond Clip Parker 51 with OB Nib), even Manoj and Shukla Pen. Others were unknown lands to sail for. I called a cab and headed to Crawford Market ( never drive to  the place) and walked towards the Famous Abdul Rehman Street.  First on my list,  Pen Point Gift center on Sutar Chawl  now does not sell fountain pens .  It was now a  Indianized Archies type shop. I was little disappointed to have started with bump.    Enayatali & Co.  Its a small shop with a Indian sitting style arrangement. I walked up to its owner Mohammad Bhai and asked him if there were any fountains, he should be some Chinese. But after I asked him of some vintage models by namimg them, he quickly took out a box from behind (loved how it was kept hidden). The Treasure Trove consisted of a few Parkers 45s, two 21s, a senator, a Parker 25, two 51s... I selected one Senator (had been wanting this for long) and Parker 25. While testing the pens had a good chat with him over a cup of tea.  We had a good chat on Indian pens from Mhatre Writer, Plato, Wilson and few others and how they have now become history.  After some pen buying and a good cup elachi chai, I headed further to Vrijlal.   Vrijlal   Vrijlal, this was one time the National distributor of Wality / Airmail. The shop has past its prime. You see a glass display at entrance of shop where all models of Airmail are displayed. But Pens is now a small part of business for them. They are now more into some other stationary products and adhesive tapes it appears. Met its owner, old happy septuagenarian man. Kaka was happy to see me and when I asked him for 69A he said excellent choice. I told him that I believe they are the most beautiful acrylic pens that exist. we did chat a while, he told me that now the demand has shrunk and business is poor. he told me of the golden days when he joined this shop as 17 years old helping his father and how people would line-up to get their Airmails. Purchased 3 beautiful Airmail 69A from him. Picture is attached below.    By now it was about 1:30 and I could feel the hunger, but love for pens got better of me. I went around looking for vintage or " Purana Fountain" at various shops. Lucky, Laxmi, Thakker, Reliable, Liberty were few of my quick stops.  Many have now stopped keeping stocks of vintage.  Reliable was undergoing renovation  and was told that they have stopped dealing in fountain. By the end of my 2.5 hour trail I had looted the street ! The Plunder was valuable - A 1980 Rotring P2 S Pencil (W Germany) 2 mm, Sheaffer Student - Burgundy, Sheaffer 440 - Blue , Mebson - Beautiful Red, Blue Sheaffer NOS, Green-Blue Maywadi, Parker 45 Dark Blue (XF), Platinum (Indian) and Pilot Birdie (nib broken). Pictures are attached below.   As I left, I was happy to have found a good collection but was also sad to note that these are last few watering holes left. Some known have already dried up. It makes it necessary for us, those who loves these pens to ensure that we protect, treasure and ensure the survival of Fountains. That we owe to them.

[hari317]

Great haul. Congrats. 

[kazoolaw]

Thank you for taking us along on your shopping journey.  Though the shops carrying pens are fewer you are fortunate that there are that many within walking distance.  There are no penshops anywhere near where I live or work.

 

I also appreciate the photos allowing me to see another culture, and travel in these COVID times.  You'll have to share a bit about Court there, and maybe we can compare experiences.

 

Best wishes.

[Abhishek Walwaikar]

  On 4/16/2021 at 5:39 PM, kazoolaw said:

Thank you for taking us along on your shopping journey.  Though the shops carrying pens are fewer you are fortunate that there are that many within walking distance.  There are no penshops anywhere near where I live or work.

 

I also appreciate the photos allowing me to see another culture, and travel in these COVID times.  You'll have to share a bit about Court there, and maybe we can compare experiences.

 

Best wishes.

Expand  

Sure. Where do you practice ? Next time a lil about Courts in Mumbai

[kazoolaw]

I practice in the USA, in the state of Michigan.  There are both Michigan courts and US courts  in Kalamazoo, Michigan where my office has been since 1978,  I've had the chance to talk with lawyers from the country of Georgia and hear of their efforts to set up independent courts.  My oldest daughter practiced law for a period of time in New York City, and I had the chance to see and hear about practice there.  

 

To bring us back to a fountain pen theme, there are a few FP users among lawyers and judges.  It's like an underground network with some bit of excitement when another FP fan is found.  Of course, everyone else present during those discussions wonders what it's all about.

 

gary

[Yohaanrods]

I don't think Shukla sell vintage pens anymore. 

[Abhishek Walwaikar]

  On 4/24/2021 at 6:17 PM, Yohaanrods said:

I don't think Shukla sell vintage pens anymore. 

Expand  

Occasionally he still does. Before lockdown he had few vintage MBs 

[1nkulus]

  On 4/14/2021 at 8:26 AM, Abhishek Walwaikar said:

I am Abhishek Walwaikar, a Mumbai based lawyer and this is my first post on this forum. 

I have been collecting and actively using fountain pens for past few years after a senior collogue gifted me a fountain and kind of re-introduced me to magical world of fountain pens. 

I have to thank @hari317and @amk their detailed post on shops in Mumbai are kind of " official guide "  for me and many others.  I will post a detailed field report of the lil adventure I had using their maps and information.

Expand  

Thank you for updating the thread and a warm welcome.   

It has dwindled over the decade.

 

Congrats on your purchases. 

 

Sadly, I lost an elderly friend to the pandemic.

A Parsi gentleman residing in Colaba, who was happy to go on pen hunts in Mumbai and Delhi (when visiting his nephew).

AFAIK, he had procured a few pens for me before his untimely demise. I will always treasure them, whenever I do receive them.

 

 

[Yohaanrods]

Sorry to hear about that. 

[1nkulus]

  On 8/12/2021 at 3:12 AM, Yohaanrods said:

Sorry to hear about that. 

Expand  

Thank you. It was a shock as he was in fairly good health, but such is life and I will miss him. 

As fate would have it, he went to visit his nephew in Delhi after the initial lock down and succumbed to the pandemic.

 

I hope you are keeping well?

[Yohaanrods]

So far so good. Though cases are on a rise once again. 

Hope you are doing fine too

[1nkulus]

I am well but have, sadly, lost a few friends and acquaintances to the pandemic.