Battala – printing, publication, pornography … and penmanship. The “Gora Sahibs” were concentrated in their White Town around Fort William – down Chowringhee, all the way to Park Street. The natives were huddled in the squalor, as the river flowed, both up and down, in what was variously, contemptuously called
Satikanta Guha (1st June, 1910 to January 8th 1991) founded a school that went on to become the largest in the world according to the Guinness Book of World Records. But that is hardly enough of a measure of the greatness of the man. For he was a true polymath,
Imagine an army of scribes going to war. Steady, Consistent, Unwavering… Marching in unison. All wearing the same army fatigues. Carrying the same weapons. Armed with imported, functional nibs. XXX But uniformity suppresses creativity, compelling one to conform. And, You had once unfurled the banner of protest. You
Where do connoisseurs go to buy their fountain pens and inks and accessories? The question becomes even more important if you are new to the hobby, are discerning enough to be brand conscious, and at the same time do not wish to splurge by paying inordinately hefty sums for your
Dhar Brothers and the story of Calcutta’s brush with fountain pen making excellence – fact, fiction or folklore? Imagine that you are so well known for your skills that the Commissioner of Calcutta Police sends his prized fountain pen to you for some repair work. Mind you, this is a
Urushi. When the Portuguese sailors had first introduced Europe to the treasures of Japanese lacquer art in the 16th century, the result was one of stunned disbelief. As a matter of fact, such was the obsession of European nobility with this intricate art form of Japan, with its subtle luminance,
Nib Manufacturing in India – the past Knowing of my interest in fountain pens, several acquaintances have drawn my attention to a recent story done by BBC, on how India’s artisanal fountain pens are making a mark. It is a natural Indian proclivity to recognize something only when the West
Yusuf Mansoor giving final touches to his line of boutique FP cases in finest leather, fit to encase your treasured possessions! Every once in a while, life delivers one of those “unplayable” deliveries and all one can do, is look at the dishevelled stumps in disbelief, before walking back to
An average Indian Fountain Pen (any pen for that matter) comprises of ten different parts: The Cap: Finial, Cap body & Lip, Clip, Insert (inner cap), Center band The Barrel: Body & Finial, Trim ring The Nib The Feed The Section The Converter Yes, I know that I am over
