What Was The Fountain Pen Industry In India Pre-1947?

[Dickkooty2]

As I anxiously await a hand-turned ebonite fountain pen from Krishna Pens and having read the excellent posts on the hay-day of pen manufacturing in Callicut, I wonder what the pen industry was like in India under the Raj, pre 1947?

 

Does anyone have any history/recollections?

[Dickkooty2]

A friend passed along this very interesting reminiscence of the pen business in India since the 30s.

 

http://www.indianmemoryproject.com/tag/fountain-pens/

“My family made the pen that wrote the Constitution of India”

 

This article and the two wonderful posts on pen making in Callicut by Mohan present the problems facing the individual small entrepreneur to be in the writing instrument business. Both companies, however, did have periods of great success during which they made money, turned out nice products, and most importantly in the Indian economy, employed people.

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/253458-some-untold-stories-about-calicut-pens/

 

Mr Mohan has over the years, posted a series of stories on Indian pens by brand and location. I should do my research and present a reading list …a project for a rainy day (which will not come until the fall in to small town edging the desert area of Oregon.

 

The story in the India Project describes the pen with which the Constitution was writen .. fat, big, and orange and labeled "Wilson" … a story in itself. And without Tom Hanks.

 

I am bidding on this Wilson:

http://s271.photobucket.com/user/dick168/media/_57_zps35e26158.jpg.html?sort=3&o=1

 

I am finding my interest in I ndian pena is developing along the representation of vintage brand and its' story. I like the feel of history rather more than the usual issues of QC, nibs, and the availability of filling methods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Florida Blue]

 

The story in the India Project describes the pen with which the Constitution was writen .. fat, big, and orange and labeled "Wilson" … a story in itself. And without Tom Hanks.

 

If you search around in the Parker sub-forum you will find several threads on the Wilson pen company. They were famous for their Parker knock-offs, especially of Vacumatics.

 

Here is a great article on Wilson and their Vacumatic "imitations:"

https://munsonpens.wordpress.com/category/wilson-pen-company/

 

Parker did have an official distributer in India, which (along with the fakes) makes sense as Parker was a major and well-recognized brand in Great Britain and probably had a lot of prestige in British India.

Edited July 26, 2014 by Florida Blue

[kaushla]

Parker did have an official distributer in India, which (along with the fakes) makes sense as Parker was a major and well-recognized brand in Great Britain and probably had a lot of prestige in British India.

Swan, Onoto and Conway Stewart were the leading exporters of fountain pens to India before 1947. India was a substantial market for British pens because of the burgeoning civil service and the gradual increase in literacy after the Great War.

 

To circumvent the tariff barriers of the Imperial Preference system, some US pen companies used the product of their Canadian factories to sell to the Empire.

[Florida Blue]

 

To circumvent the tariff barriers of the Imperial Preference system, some US pen companies used the product of their Canadian factories to sell to the Empire.

 

That's a very good point. Parker opened a factory in Toronto in 1923 for that very reason. They didn't start producing 51s in England until 1950, so any 51s in India would have to have been Canadian-made or US-made if purchased elsewhere.

 

Thanks for the other info too!

[S-K]

Dick sir,

I have answered this question here

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/272267-a-brief-history-of-indian-writing-materials-and-instruments/

Sree

Edited August 17, 2014 by S-K