Article On Ranga Handmade Pens

[mpkandan]

Dear FPN ers,

 

 

We just wanted to share our joy for the Article published on us by Leading Indian Magazine "Times Of India"

Here is the link.

Ranga Handmade Pens-Times Of India Article

 

Here is the Snapshot:

The small room filled with heavy machinery reminds you of a carpenter's shop. But it's an artist's workshop, where MS Pandurangan has been crafting handmade fountain pens for the past several decades.

 

"There were about three or four other handmade pen manufacturing units in Tiruvallur but they closed down around 15 years back," says Pandurangan as he cuts, drills and shapes hard ebonite rubber. Today, he is the only one in the area who still practices this craft.

 

Pandurangan established his company Ranga and Co about 35 years ago when he set up his home unit. The company supplies pens all over India and abroad, mainly to collectors and enthusiasts. "Few people use fountain pens, especially handmade ones, as they are much more expensive than mass-produced ones," he says. "But there is a demand for handcrafted, personalised pens among collectors."

 

With the help of his engineer son, MP Kandan, Pandurangan contacts fountain pen collectors from across the world through Internet discussion forums. "Earlier, publicity was through word-of-mouth and we used to receive orders by post or over phone. We have been using the Internet only in the last four years," he says. "We receive almost a 100 orders a month."

 

Once the order is placed, Pandurangan starts working on the pen, personalising it to the customer's needs from the choice of colour and thickness, to specialised nibs and designs.

 

It is Pandurangan's enthusiasm for his craft that has kept his unit alive even after others shut shop. "I can only finish two or three pens a day as I've to be very careful and ensure that the ink doesn't drip and the pen doesn't leak," he says. The process is a long and tedious one and involves at least 15 steps, from cutting and drilling the ebonite rods to polishing the finished product.

 

"I learnt the process when I was sent to work at one of the pen manufacturing units as a child to earn extra money," says Pandurangan. At that time, he was barely out of school. "My father was a farmer and he couldn't afford to educate me further. So he sent me to work at a factory that used to produce nib feeders," he says.

 

Pandurangan remembers working on foot-operated machines, which had to be pedalled continuously. Later, when he set up his own unit, he shifted to motor-operated machines that make the job much easier but still require precision and skill. "I stuck to this job as it was the only skill I had. Now, fortunately for me, the same skill has become a rarity," he says.

 

Recently, Pandurangan has begun restoring old celluloid pens. These pens, made of a highly inflammable and fragile material called cellulose, are a treasure, he says. "These pens have not been produced for the last 30 years. So we buy old pens from collectors and restore them," he says. They are priced from Rs 1,500 onwards while fountain pens range from Rs 350 to Rs 3,000.

 

"My pens are still much cheaper than those produced by foreign manufacturers and so there is a large demand for them," says Pandurangan. "I am constantly looking for new designs or inspirations and the latest trend is Japanese, bamboo-shaped pens," he says.

 

Here are some of our Products:

 

 

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Pens%20Group%20Photos/CIMG3390.jpg

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Pens%20Group%20Photos/CIMG3668.jpg

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Pens%20Group%20Photos/CIMG3276.jpg

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Pens%20Group%20Photos/CIMG3633.jpg

http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/Colour%20Acrylic%207A/DSC00412-1.jpg

 

Thanks,

Kandan.M.P

Ranga Pen Company

Edited March 18, 2012 by mpkandan

[akrishna59]

dear mr. kandan,

 

what an interesting article and your respected father's words bring back a lot of nostalgia. the article is well written and for those who dont know about Times of India i would like to state here that it has excellent circulation and they publish only articles of significance. your pens remind me of edison pens the way the colours are used. some of those pens are really mouthwatering.

 

rgds.

 

krishna.

[mpkandan]

Dear Mr.Krishna,

 

Thanks for your hearty comments. This Article was published a year back. I feel to post it atleast now rather then never.

 

Thanks,

Kandan.M.P

Ranga Pen Company

[toymachine]

Excellent article! I had just read about Ranga Pens and was quite happy to find this. Thanks for sharing