Fountain Pen Made in India : LOTUS PENS

PART-III

Hi FP Enthusiasts and FP lovers. How is your weekend?

We meet once again with our next interaction in this series with Mr Arun Singhi of LOTUS pens, Made in India

“Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter.”– Mark Twain

“Forty is the old age of youth; fifty the youth of old age.” – Victor Hugo

And I say:

Age is not just a number, its the measure of your experiences, relations, learning along the paths you traversed during journey called LIFE, till now.

 Look no further for the inspiration from our latest contributor, be it  in the world of pen turners or in Fountain Pen Enthusiasts community, especially in India. They are in fact just a three year old company, but their products have really made inroads in the hearts of all, be it a newbie or a seasoned fountain pen collector and user.

Welcome Mr Arun Singhi , proud owner, turner and designers of brand LOTUS pens.

The brand recently celebrated their three successful year of journey on 27 June 2020.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY LOTUS

One can just bow to the dedication of this Entrapreneur in Sweet Sixties and admire his Josh. Lets just start with his video message on third anniversary.

Lets Start

Tell us about different products of your Brand pens 
We have a versatile range, I believe in, and want to work, with every material possible, be it ebonite or buffalo horn, Indian Acrylic or Imported acrylic. Lotus Shikhar that has a niche in the industry, is made in all  sorts of material, mostly on request.

TACTONA INDEPENDENCE DAY SPECIAL(INDIA)

CHINTU

HIDE AND SEEK

MAHARAJA

Chintu model is the smallest fountain pen in our range with Maharaja being the tallest till date. I can say with pride that models like Hide & Seek and Techtona are close to my heart and are one of their kind pens, that are only made by me, in Ebonite with wood-finish.


We also have  tried out hand-carving on ebonite, hand-turned brass fountain pen, Fountain pen in Sandalwood and many more.

Tell us about your passion. At the age, when one thinks of enjoying  a retiree's  life, you seem to have rekindled you hobby and turned it into a passion, a brand that  has carved a niche for itself. How do you ensure quality control?

Each pen is taken care of as we customize every order that has  been placed by our patrons (an interesting term  for those customers ordering pens 😊) in order for them to be fully satisfied. Right from suggesting the best material, hand turning, and then to polish each and every pen- which is  done by me personally-to give the final touch. No writing instrument is passes without being  inspected  for several parameters to ensure that strict quality control is followed.

How did it all start?

About three years ago, on Facebook, I came across hand-painted pens and they caught my imagination.  I was driven by the  strong urge to try and  create something on those lines. So, I bought some ready made pens from the market and  hand-painted them. I gave out these hand-painted pens to some of the Fountain Pen collectors like Mr. Sanjeev Prakash and Mr. Rodrigues. They gave me the feedback that while the painting on these pens is beautiful, the material of these pens wasn't of good quality. They suggested that I should start manufacturing my own pens using materials like Ebonite. I had no clue then, what  it was. I started my research on Ebonite. This took me sometime to figure out about ebonite, its availability and process of making pen, turning them etc.Then, I sourced the raw-material locally. I  hand turned one pen at first to test the waters, but the material quality wasn’t up to the mark and end product was not to my satisfaction. I decided to import Japanese raw-material to make my next batch of about 4-5 pens. They turned out to be outstanding and to my delight, they got sold out quickly. Subsequently, I met Mr. Yusuf Mansoor (who doesn't know him in FP community, especially in India) an avid pen collector.

Mr Mansoor and Mr. Sanjeev Prakash mentored my art, craft and science of Fountain pen manufacturing - things like balance, design.

Their guidance made me confident enough to start my own manufacturing unit. And that is how I started! I researched designs on pintrest, imported raw-materials from Japan and the journey of LOTUS pens began!

What is your customer base?

We have Customers spread across the globe - in about 71 countries.  We are slowly reaching out to  fountain pen lovers - winning their hearts.

Tell us about your future plans?

We want that our products should become part of collection of every fountain pen lover, and be more accessible to the new generation, who are forgetting the essence of writing with fountain pens. I am optimistic about it.
  
Your message to FP community.

My message to the fountain pen lovers out there is to keep their love for fountain pen alive and kicking, and let it strengthen every passing day. Fountain pens are the tangible element of writing as an art. They carry legacy. They are present, are a part of history and they have a beautiful future. Let us keep the love for writing and pens alive.
 
What was your job/profession before you thought of turning to LOTUS?
 I was working with a known pen manufacturing company as the  Production Manager for more than four decades.

At what age did you start your brand Lotus?What was the reaction from family and friends when you informed them about your idea of making pens?
 I started Lotus at the  young age of 65 years. Everyone in my family was very happy when they come to know about this. I started from hand painted pens.

How did the brand name Lotus originate? What is your emotional connect with it? Reason behind naming brand as LOTUS.
 I am a staunch devotee  of Ma Lakshmi (Hindu Goddess Lakshmi). I perform Pooja and Aarti (prayers) everyday. All my friends know this. On my 50th birthday one of them gifted me a statue of Ma Lakshmi I was really mesmerized by it. One day, while offering my prayers, I heard a voice that I should name my pens as LOTUS.  That is how it came into being.

Any interesting incident you want to share.                                                                                       During my early days of making fountain pens, I made a FP in Deep Blue Acrylic and took it to Sudhir ji to get his opinion and expert advice. It was my first meeting with him. I offered him that pen. He just looked at it and then examined it with magnifying glass. He pointed out lathe marks on the section in torch light. That was an altogether new experience for me in workmanship. Ever since, I examin each and every of my pens minutely to ensure flawless piece is delivered to the patron. Sudhirji also guided me about balancing the pen, tuning nibs. Most interestingly, this blue pen I took for his advice was named by him as "Lotus COBALTUM".


Phew..what an experience. Thank you Mr Arun Singhi forletting us all know about your wonderful brand LOTUS. I wish you a bright and sparkling future.

So that was our jurney with Arunji in his making of LOTUS.  He  can be contacted via his website  LOTUS PENS

Picture Gallery

Textured LOTUS SHIKHAR..Arriving soon

TITANIUM

VIRAT IN NIKKO EBONITE

SHIKHAR IN MATT BLACK NIKKO EBONITE

SHIKHAR IN SEM BLACK WAVE

LOTUS IN SANDALWOOD

DORSAL GOLD

GOLD CRIME

Hand Painted Pens

HIDE AND SEEK HANDPAINTED FLOWERS

VIDEO OF MADHUBANI HANDPAINTED PEN

#Happyhunting, #FPManiac, #Acrylic, #Ebonite, #FPClubIndia, #FPCommunity, #Fountain pens, IndianFP, #Lotus, #Titanium, #Sandalwood, #Shikhar, #ArunSinghi, #Handturned, #Age #IndependenceDay #MadeInIndia, #BeVocalForLocal #josh #Madhubani, #Hand #Painted #BrassPens #Brass #Nibs #balance #Nib #Tuning #MADHUBANI #HANDPAINTED

Dislaimer : 

• All views expressed in this post are of the owner of brand.
• The copyright of all pictures and images is of brand owner
• The details on website of product owner are subject to change as per per requirements of owners of brands
• In no uncertain terms I claim this as final or exhaustive list. there are many I would have missed out but these are some that I own and use their pens.
• This is just  suggestive post and I donot endorse any product.
• The author cannot be responsible legally or otherwise, for Any loss or damage or injury by use of any product.
• Respective Brand owners and manufacturers have their copyright of their brands and warranty on products.
• Respective Brands and owners are responsible for promotion of their products and maintianing information and catalogues. 
• Kindly keep yourself updated with latest offers and models.

FOUNTAIN PENS MADE IN INDIA : BELOW INR 3000 (USD 40)

Part-I

Hi all Fountain Pen Enthusiasts and FP Lovers.

Guider and Oliver

I have been getting regular posts seeking suggestions for Made in India Fountain Pens (FP).I am compiling this suggested list of FP from my personal experience and purchases with Indian manufacturers and brands.

I am sure you all have already made up your mind to purchase a FP for your budget upto INR 3k.

1. First of all I would mention Kanwrite brand of pens  owned by Sandeep Awasthi, their Desire and Heritage model are very popular and falls well below INR 3K.

2. Second option that I could suggest is going for Lotus Student  from Lotus Pens, Owner Arun Singhi.

3. Click pens for Unique Pen industries is another brand that offers good option in less than  INR 3000. Latest catalogue contains dashing colors in acrylic. Harsh Gagwani is the owner of this brand and Click Aristrocrat is their most sought after Brand.

4. V'Sign/ Beena Pens are a surprisingly cute (also a model made by them), well made and though limited in variety but worth owning one from them. Flora and Cute are affordable models.

5. ASA pens by Subramaniam Laxminarayan also called as "Anna" fondly in FP communities are a treat in iteself. Azadi, Nauka are two most sought after brands and they are well within the range to order more than one  FP :) . Moreover his groupbuys of different models are also very popular.

6. Vivek Kulkarni of Urushi Studio is a latest addition in this segment who otherwise makes premium urushi lacqured handmade and handpainted pens on order. he has marketed a new brand under GM Industries.

7. Guider, Gama, Deccan Pens,  Ranga pens, Ratnamsons,  Ratnam Pens, Diya Vadodaria brands Acriv and just launched EboWrite(neither one owned presently) and many more are offering pens in this range and one can always be proud owner of these brands.

8. Vazir pens are youngest to join this bandwagon with a bang.They are in mid range about INR 2 k.

9. Wality/ Airmail is a trusted  brand for many decades in budget fountain pens. Its popular in FP communities world over. You can buy almost a dozen pens in 3k INR if aiming for least priced models. ASApens can be contacted for online purchases(edited after multiple comments on missing out on this Brand)

 * Biggest advantage of these pen turners and manufacturers is that they are all approachable and one can have their guidance to customisation of nibs, pens and that may be at additional cost, depending on your requirements.

Dislaimer:

• In no uncertain terms I claim this as final or exhaustive list. there are many I would have missed out but these are some that I own and use their pens.
• This is just  suggestive post and I donot endorse any product.
• The author cannot be responsible legally or otherwise, for Any loss or damage or injury by use of any product.
• Respective Brand owners and manufacturers have their copyright of their brands and warranty on products.
• Respective Brands and owners are responsible for promotion of their products and maintianing information and catalogues. 
• Kindly keep yourself updated with latest offers and models.

#FountainPenManiac #Asapens, #Click_pens, #Acriv, #Guider #Pens, #Kanwrite, #Lotus, #Ranga_Pens, #Brand #ASA #Ratnampens, #THE_DECCAN_PEN_STORES, #V'Sign / BEENA PENS, #Vazir,     #Airmail/Wality

#Happyhunting #MadeInIndia #Made_in_India

#FPLovers #swadeshi, #Vocal4local, #aatmnirbhar, #bharat