Hunting for old FPs in Kolkata, India - ramblings

[mhguda]

Nice pens, but which inks did you get? I see more than four in your photo...

[Anirban4u]

Nice pens, but which inks did you get? I see more than four in your photo...

green,violet,red & turquoise.

[mhguda]

Enjoy!

[pen tom]

I loved your article. I was in India 2 years ago. In the northern part, Delhi and the golden triangle. I have wanted to do the kind of rummaging around cities that you describe. But it rarely fits into the plans. Thanks for the pleasant description

 

Tom

[neelotpals]

The College Pen Forum is Still Selling Vintage Pens, along with Sulekha and Sheaffer's Inks, The Pens Shown in the Picture From Left

Parker 75

Sheaffer's Feelgood (Imperial VIII)

A Pilot Fine with 14k Nib

Pilot 76G3

Lamy Safari

Parker Vacumetic (Junior)

 

Feel Free To Visit!

 

Contact Asish (Milan) Bhattacharjee

8017714279

8902216283

9804786752

[neelotpals]

He Also Sells Camlin, Jinhao, etc...

[hari317]

The College Pen Forum is Still Selling Vintage Pens, along with Sulekha and Sheaffer's Inks, The Pens Shown in the Picture From Left

Parker 75

Sheaffer's Feelgood (Imperial VIII)

A Pilot Fine with 14k Nib

Pilot 76G3

Lamy Safari

Parker Vacumetic (Junior)

 

Feel Free To Visit!

 

Contact Asish (Milan) Bhattacharjee

8017714279

8902216283

9804786752

nice! thanks for showing. The Pilots look superb.

[kb.fpn]

The College Pen Forum is Still Selling Vintage Pens, along with Sulekha and Sheaffer's Inks, The Pens Shown in the Picture From Left

Parker 75

Sheaffer's Feelgood (Imperial VIII)

A Pilot Fine with 14k Nib

Pilot 76G3

Lamy Safari

Parker Vacumetic (Junior)

 

Feel Free To Visit!

 

Contact Asish (Milan) Bhattacharjee

8017714279

8902216283

9804786752

 

Have been there quite a few times and I find the price very reasonable. He has surprised me many times by his finds. And you can talk hours, literally, with him about fountain pens and stuffs. No affiliations, just a happy customer.

[Revolution]

Yes, Asish (Milan babu) Bhattacharjee is really good.

I recently bought Fellowoship FP from CPF.

Way better than CPH where all FPs are overprices than it actual price.....

[Anirban4u]

@neelotpal & kb, you just increased competition

 

Anyone willing to ship me pens from Kolkata ?

Edited November 30, 2014 by Anirban4u

[panna]

Hello everyone!

I went to Sulekha Inks today, in Jadavpur. I've wanted to go here ever since I first read that it was an Indian brand which manufactured lovely shades of ink. I tend to assume that most people who write with fountain pens today are a little quirky with a touch of rebellion in them, so stories of how they don't sell their inks outside of the city amused me.

Once upon a not-so-very-long time ago, Chelpark sold this beautiful shade of ink called 'Turquoise Blue'. Some of you may be familiar with its mysterious lustre; I was captivated. So you can imagine how broken my heart was when I came to know that they had stopped manufacturing it, and all their other interesting colours. To my delight, I saw that Sulekha also manufactures 'Turquoise Blue'. I bought two bottles promptly. No two inks are alike, and I was curious to see the difference between the two turquoises.

I think the proprietor caught me turning the bottle to the light this way and that, trying to imagine what shade it would look like on paper. He asked me if I wrote with fountain pens. I said yes. His next question stumped me: 'Why?'

I couldn't immediately think of an answer. He wondered on my behalf, suggesting that it improved one's handwriting, did it not? I agreed with him, but I said to myself: that's not why I write with a fountain pen. I mumbled something about how fountain pens stayed on for a long, long time. As I write here, I realise that one of the most endearing and humbling things about a fountain pen is that you can make memories with it. It brings grace and a touch of grandeur, perhaps to the commonplace act of writing. It feels special.

I try as much as I can to write my letters and cards with a fountain pen. I feel like writing with one lends dignity to the act of putting down my thoughts. It makes me want to write well, to put in effort, to be honest. I wish I could have told him all of this. He spoke with a certain weariness about how they've had to reduce their ink manufacturing 'due to several pressures'. But he also revealed that they would be bringing out a modest number of several new shades. They're also planning to stock across West Bengal. I'm so excited!

I was almost about to leave when he showed me that Sulekha has now diversified: they've started manufacturing home cleaning and daily use products. Whatever it takes, I say. I asked him if they make inkpens and voila! they do. I bought a black one along with two bottles of Turquoise Blue all for a very reasonable Rs. 200. My student-heart and student-wallet rejoices.

The pen has a nice nib for Rs. 35; a slight roughness but I like a little friction. Its appearance is a rip-off of a popular Indian inkpen which I infuriatingly cannot remember - I'm certain some of you can figure it out in the picture below. Sulekha's Turquoise Blue, well, I am in love with it. It's an intriguing shade of blue which doesn't completely descend into dark Navy Blue or ride on the paper shiny like Royal Blue, but holds its own somewhere in the middle. Below is a picture with some fun splotches. I've tried to capture the colour but of course, it's impossible to do that.

Next stop: Calcutta Pen Hospital (if I can find it!), College Pen Forum and Mr Biswas' Pen Stall. If there's any other place you think I should go, let me know.

[panna]

I can't seem to attach images. Help!

[panna]

The pen and the bottle.

 

 

The bottle.

 

 

An amateur ink sample of Sulekha's Turquoise Blue.

 

[mhguda]

What a nice color ink, and that bottle looks tantalizingly familiar. Like the old Pelikan bottles, maybe? but a nice color, too, and offering some more protection against UV light?

[rwilsonedn]

It is so sad to hear of Indian ink manufacturers struggling and having to take up other product lines when there would be such a healthy international market for their ink. I wonder if someone who already has an international retail site up and working working would be interested in handling Indian inks in addition to pens. ASA, perhaps, or Ranga?

ron

[Sagarb]

Sulekha has started making ink again and they are available now in their outlet in Jadavpur, Kolkata. All inks are now in MRP.Rs 100/-(which was 15 /-to 30/- for each bottle in March,2015) for 60 ml bottle except royal blue and black(they are cost 30/- each). But flaming orange, master brown and moss green are not available. Sulekha is good quality ink but not exceptional, so I don't find any good reason to go for it. Bril is my choice.

Edited December 19, 2015 by Sagarb

[kb.fpn]

Sulekha has started making ink again and they are available now in their outlet in Jadavpur, Kolkata. All inks are now in MRP.Rs 100/-(which was 15 /-to 30/- for each bottle in March,2015) for 60 ml bottle except royal blue and black(they are cost 30/- each). But flaming orange, master brown and moss green are not available. Sulekha is good quality ink but not exceptional, so I don't find any good reason to go for it. Bril is my choice.

 

+1, and Sulekha's Violet ink has a bad reputation of clogging up the pens. At least it did most of the pens I put it into.

[roycalligraphy]

I wish I could go to Kolkata at once, love the town and the people . I guess there are still many shops who sell these vintage pens at a good price .

[drmukherjee]

Where is college pen forum located exactly ,I live in medical college hostel adjacent to college street .. If anyone could provide me with some deatiled direction ..

[BodhisattwaDasGupta]

I am looking for sheaffer imperial 440 or 330 models in kolkata. Please suggest me the places where i can find it. Can anyone tell me about the price of it now?