Dr Sunilkumar Alur (left) with other fountain pen lovers at the first edition of Bangalore Fountain Pen Show.
The second edition of Bangalore Fountain Pen Show will take place this weekend (see box below). The two-day event will be held at a hospital. The unlikely venue is courtesy doctors who mooted the idea of bringing fountain pen users and kids who have never seen the classic writing instrument under one roof.
Metrolife spoke to fountain pen enthusiasts in Bengaluru.
It was gastrointestinal surgeon Dr Sunilkumar Alur who sought the help of banker Vishal Singhi, who was already hosting the ‘India Pen Show’
in other cities, to host the event in Bengaluru. The debut edition, held last year, drew over 1,500 people. He recalls that a Visconti pen made from hardened basaltic lava, upwards of Rs 1 lakh, had sold out in an hour. It also paved the way for the Bangalore Fountain Pen Club, “which will open soon”.
Dr Alur says his patients are awe-struck when he writes prescriptions with a fountain pen. For him, handwriting is the hallmark of personality and the fountain pen allows for “gentle and careful expression of thoughts”.
Dr Alur used to write school exams with a European fountain pen that his mother would lend him. Today, he owns eight fountain pens, each under Rs 10,000. “I use them in a sequence, starting with a Waterman pen. When its ink runs out, I use a Nahvalur pen. The Sheaffer comes at the end,” he says.
His wife Dr Sangeetha Siva’s journey started with the Hero pen in school and progressed to the Parker pen when she started working. Later, a Sheaffer pen came as a gift from her mother and last year, she bought herself a floral Vazir pen. “I use them for journalling and calligraphy,” says the general surgeon.
Industrialist Harsh Makkar’s fixation with fountain pens started eight years ago but today, he owns 300 premium models and over 1,000 budget ones. “Half of the budget pens are from the secondhand goods market,” the 33-year-old shares. A 1920s Waterman pen that “still works” is the oldest in his collection. Made in the USA, it boasts a gold nib and black ebonite body.
For Viswanath Seetharam, the fountain pen is a work of art and a great conversation starter. He has collected a pen from Lindner & Co, a store in Chickpet that’s now shut, a custom-made pen that looks like the Ashoka pillar, and a limited edition pen with sand ripples carved on it. “I like to match the colour of the ink with the colour of the pen. Orange, brown and emerald green inks are my favourites,” says the executive at a tech firm.
2-day show
Fountain pens from 40 brands, in the price range of Rs 100 to over Rs 2 lakh, and 70-80 ink colours will be on sale. Noothan Rao will offer handwriting analysis. S W More and Deepa will teach calligraphy. Kiran Munipalle will showcase his pen collection. Visitors can also write letters and postcards.
November 9-10, 10.30 am-7 pm, at Trustwell Hospitals, J C Road. Entry free. Visit theindiapenshow.com for details