In June 2025, US and Israeli forces targeted Iran’s military (read alleged nuclear facilities) before a unilateral cessation of hostilities, after the declaration of mission accomplished. Then, the exchange rate of the INR to the US Dollar averaged around 85.92. Brent crude oil prices had averaged approximately in the range
What begins in jest often ends in joy, and the story of The Chowmein Guerrilla is exactly that. A pen lover with a name born of mischief — “Chowmein” for his unabashed love of the humble noodle, and “Guerrilla” because, funnily enough, people would often label him as doing
It was never easy being a scribe. Imagine carrying your quill (and a penknife to sharpen it at regular intervals) along with a pot of ink to work. Dank. It was only a little better when the holders with their metal nibs were introduced. Well, it did do away with
Old money is inheritance passed down generations, a class of people who have maintained their wealth over time. These are people, as opposed to the nouveau riche: those that have most likely come into money within their own generation. Old money reeks of class, a subtle refinement that quietly frowns
We are just back from the 1st Chennai Pen Show which was organised by Aditya Bhansali and his team of super-efficient achievers. Well, the platitudes are deliberate – for here was a show that like a pack of trump cards, excelled on all counts. For the habitual nitpickers among us,
Like most fountain pen lovers in India, my first hand turned, India made ebonite pen was a Nauka from ASA pens in Chennai. I had stumbled on to their website and placed an order, which was in due course of time, fulfilled. One order had followed many others and it
Indian Fountain pens are my dope. The never cease to give me a high. Especially if they are of a certain vintage, hand turned, eye-dropper fillers, made of ebonite and sport pure, “desi” nibs. The ones that give me mind-altering experiences are naturally the type that immediately transport me to
Visconti Opera demo Red “Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth”, we were taught as kids, our teachers alluding to the fact that one should desist from evaluating a gift critically. They had also taught us that “a true lover values not so much the gift of the lover,
I am Muhammad Ilyas Khan. I belong to Southern part of Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa province (Distt. Lakki Marwat). I am a retired bureaucrat and am now settled in Pak Capital – Islamabad. I speak, read and write in more than seven languages including English, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Punjabi, Dari and
The Superite fountain pen is an enigma of sorts. For starters, there is so little information in the public domain about the brand or the pens they made. Surprising, a pity even, considering the fact that the fountain pens in question were of excellent quality, and their vintage is just
For many years now I have presented myself a fountain pen on my birthday. How or why this practise came into being, I do not remember, though I can rest assured, vouch for the fact that I love it. And like the person that I am, I do not look
Silver filigree work on a fountain pen. Interesting subject, made more so by a near complete lack of knowledge about the same. When did the practise begin? Who were the artisans who perfected the art? Where can one get one, if one so desired? The background din, is near deafening.
