The Chennai Pen Show 2026 – a trip to Gama
The journey of Gem & Co, makers of the now-revered Gama Pens, “officially” started in 1928, in Parry’s Corner, Madras. However, if one considers the fact that the late M. C. Cunnan, the founder, had started making pens almost a decade earlier, the entity is already a hundred years old and counting. Pratap Kumar, the grandson of the founder, runs the entity from his shop opposite the Chennai High Court – a place that has earned the status of a pilgrimage, a “holy” site for fountain pen lovers.
Gama does not participate in Pen Shows, as Pratap Kumar is wary of leaving his shop unattended, and we all know that if the mountain does not go to the prophet, the prophet must go to the mountain. That is why it has become an annual ritual for me to visit Gem & Co., exchange pleasantries, and add to my ever-expanding collection of Gama pens.
Gama is one of the few old-school Indian fountain pen-making houses that still turn pens the traditional, old-fashioned way. Pens that are overwhelmingly made of ebonite (though acrylic and celluloid models are also available), hand turned, and personally tuned by the master to suit the hand (read grip) of the buyer. BTW, Gama mostly uses proprietary nibs, but can, on request, fit Kanwrite, Jowo or Schmidt nibs / nib units. The same is true for converters, though their custom pens are mostly eye-dropper fillers. Gama’s claim to fame is its ability to consistently produce high-quality writing instruments that are both functional and beautiful. Gama Pens are known for their intricate designs and attention to detail, the result of skilled craftsmanship and a strict adherence to quality norms.
While at the top end, Gama has a series of silver filigreed fountain pens that are craftsmanship incarnate, it also has “the” rare ebonite piece capable of enriching the collection of any connoisseur. However, it is their regular models – the Sangam, the Eagle, or the Clarity – that continue to fly off the shelf. Not a mean feat considering its age of a hundred years and the fact that it continues to peddle a product – the fountain pen – that was long given up on by the hoi polloi. Yes, successive Chief Ministers of Tamil Nadu have patronised the entity, still.
For Pratap Kumar, it is not about the fountain pen alone. To him, traditional art forms, such as crafting handcrafted fountain pens, serve as a bridge between the past and present, connecting us with our history and culture. He looks at it as his duty to preserve his art form so that future generations can continue to appreciate and ensure the continuity of a priceless intangible heritage.
Would you like to see our haul from Gama during this trip? Would you like to know about any particular pen from Gama, or learn more about the affable master craftsman behind the brand? Just write your questions in the comments section, and it will be my pleasure to respond.
For more information, check out the video:
