A father and his son’s journey into the world of handwriting
It is such a pleasure to be accosted by complete strangers, you recognise one from the videos and want to talk about fountain pens, inks, and handwriting. It happens often, but more frequently at the different pen meets and pen shows that I attend. I will be honest – more than an ego booster, they act as a vindication, they refurbish my commitment, they tell me that my self-imposed role as a fountain pen and ink evangelist is not a thankless one, after all.
This gentleman confronted me with his notebook at the Chennai Pen Show, and sought my opinion on his son’s (and his) handwriting journey spanning over the last two months – a journey of love, of the strengthening of bonds between a father and his son, a journey into the world of wonders in search of excellence.
It had all started, as the gentleman told me, when his son was ticked off at school for poor handwriting. What is salutary is that the father, when he learnt it, did not dismiss it with the perfunctory instruction to the son to improve his handwriting. Instead, he turned it into a collaborative effort, writing half a page and then encouraging the 12-year-old boy to put in as much effort, setting an unspoken challenge, as it were, to race to the summit. The result, as I could see from their notebook, was palpable. The legibility improved almost dramatically, and what had started as scrawls took the form of beautifully formed letters. Letters that created words, words that conveyed thoughts, thoughts that became coherent communication that drew the eyes in, and compelled the reader’s mind to mull over the content. Practise, indeed, leads to perfection. And beautiful handwriting is an end in itself.
A Pen Show, to almost all of us, is a marketplace where buyers and sellers meet in a transactional orgy of sorts. But to many, it is much more. To some, it is also an opportunity to meet like-minded people in their quest to further their hobbies, their art forms, and an opportunity to stoke their passions. This gentleman, who had passed on his Lamy to his son and had participated in the exercise with a ball-point pen, bought a simple, inexpensive fountain pen at the Show as he wanted to take his writing experience to the next level. Somehow, at that instant, the Chennai Pen Show 2026 achieved its greatest glory, the entry-level purchase pushing the biggest brands and all the expensive pens and inks into insignificance. If there is a God of learning and knowledge, He must have quietly nodded His head in appreciation and contentment.
If you have come this far, don’t just shrug this off as the rantings of an old fool. For there were others at the show like him, many others. Parents who had brought their young ones to introduce them to the beautiful world of handwriting. Professors from IIT Chennai who wanted to further their quest for knowledge. A dentist from Bangalore who uses handwriting as a tool to meditate. Tell me if their journeys fascinate you, and whether you would like me to feature such stories.
And before we end, let me share a thought that I have been trying for a long time now to put forward to the organisers of such shows. Please create a space in the show for newcomers and dedicated users to exchange thoughts. A platform where ideas can be exchanged freely, where knowledge about pens and inks and paper and the art of handwriting can be disseminated. A place where fountain pen lovers and handwriting exponents can go beyond to seek the space beyond the commercial, exchange life experiences in search of sheer bliss.
you can watch the video here:
