Fountain pens may have moved out of everyday school bags, but at the recent pen show held in the city, the ink was very much flowing. Held at FTCCI over the weekend, the Hyderabad Pen Show brought together collectors, first-time buyers, makers and enthusiasts, bringing a scattered community into one room. “We knew there was a fountain pen community in Hyderabad, but we did not expect this kind of response. A lot of people who came were already using or collecting fountain pens, while others were discovering them for the first time. It showed us that there is still considerable interest in the city,” says Navin Sigamany, organiser and member of Hyderabad Fountain Pen Club.
The three-day show drew visitors across generations, with children and students browsing the displays and discovering an instrument that many of their parents and grandparents once usedPic: Sanjana Pulugurtha
Pic: Sanjana Pulugurtha
‘The fountain pen has gone from everyday essential to niche object’
Pic: Sanjana Pulugurtha
Fountain pen collector, S Jayasrinivasa Rao says the instrument still has a place in a world increasingly shaped by screens and speed. “We are living in a very fast world now, with everything becoming digital, but fountain pens give you a small pause. You choose a pen, sit down and write, and there is a certain rhythm to it. That is why I hope fountain pens continue and a lot more people get to experience them.”That sense of rediscovery was also evident among younger visitors. Hyderabad-based exhibitor and pen manufacturer Poona Satish Kumar says the show gave people who had grown up with ball pens an opportunity to understand an instrument that was once far more familiar. “Our older generations know fountain pens because they used them during their education. But when our generation was growing up, there was a change and people started moving to ball pens, so younger people have less knowledge about them. This show gave them a chance to understand the different types of pens, materials, nibs and filling systems, and why there can be such a difference in prices. We saw people of all age groups, from five-year-olds and students to those who have just started working.”‘Some pens carry more than ink’
“I want to demystify fountain pens and make them accessible,” says FaheemPic: Sanjana Pulugurtha
For Faheem Mohammed, a nibmeister who worked on dozens of pens at the show, repairs were not always about restoring a writing instrument. Some visitors arrived with pens that had been sitting unused for years, often inherited from parents or grandparents. “Some people come with no idea about fountain pens, while others bring something that has been in their family for years. It could be their grandfather’s pen, and they may have a lot of sentimental and emotional value attached to it. Seeing them bring it back and leave satisfied is what gives me the most satisfaction,” he says.When the fountain pen becomes an art tool
Pic: Shreya Varanasi
For some enthusiasts, the fountain pen is also an entry point into calligraphy and other forms of creative expression. At one of the stalls, Dr Jella Vishnu Durga Prasad, a doctor by profession and calligrapher by passion, was writing names on cards and engraving them on pens for visitors. “Calligraphy is not just handwriting; it is an art. There are different forms, from modern and ornamental calligraphy to italic, Gothic and brush calligraphy. People are exploring these forms as a hobby and as a special skill. With calligraphy, the fountain pen is not just something you write with — the nib, the ink and the movement of the hand all become part of the work,” he says.How to keep your fountain pen in good shape
- Clean it when changing ink — Rinse the pen with water before switching to a different ink.
- Don’t let ink dry inside — Empty and clean the pen if you won’t be using it for a while.
- Use fountain-pen ink — Other inks may clog or damage the pen.
- Keep it capped — This prevents the nib from drying out and getting damaged.
- Don’t force the nib — If it isn’t writing properly, have it checked rather than trying to fix it yourself.
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