KOCHI: Located at Kochi’s oldest shopping street, Broadway, is a tiny wardrobe-sized shop named Pen House. A painting on the wall adjacent to the shop shows a doctor exclaiming “NEEDS AN OPERATION” as he tends to a pen.
Over the past six decades, Pen House has been a one-stop shop for repair works and sales of a variety of pens, including vintage ones. And the shop owner, Thomas P J, is fondly referred to as ‘Pen Doctor’. Old-timers say his gifted hands can give life to any ‘ailing’ pen.
“I learned the craft from my father, P M Joseph, who established this shop in 1964. He used to work at a pen factory in Kozhikode before that. Pen House was the first-of-its-kind shop in the region. During that period, owning a fountain pen was a matter of pride, social status,” says Thomas.
“I used to spend time at the shop every day during my school days, and marvel at how my father mended broken pens. I started repairing pens under his guidance at the age of 14.” In the age of use-and-throw pens, there are still many people who come to repair pens. When it comes to repairing, Thomas says, old Cross fountain pens have a complex mechanism. “Extreme care and precision are needed to repair such pens,” he adds.
Thomas charges only Rs 10 to Rs 30 for repairing a pen. It’s more about the love for pens, he says.
“Each day brings a new challenge. I cannot put into words the satisfaction I get from fixing pens,” he beams. From his personal collection, Thomas displays a prized possession, ‘Parker 61’ – the ‘magic pen’ of yore. “Launched in the US in 1956, it was the first fountain pen that did not need any mechanical effort to fill ink. It uses capillary action. Later, China produced ‘Hero 340’ by copying the design,” he adds.
“My father bought it for Rs 200. Now, it is valued at Rs 15,000. It is hard to find one.” Next, he shows me the famed Sheaffer Snorkel fountain pen as well. “Made in the 1950s, it has one of the most complex filling mechanisms,” he says. “It has a retractable filling tube that extends well beyond the nib. So no messy fingers.”
Thomas says the shop had a larger collection of vintage beauties. “Many pens were destroyed in a fire that broke out here in 1999,” he adds. Needless to say, the shop has its own bunch of loyal customers, including popular personalities. As Thomas shows me different models on sale, a customer asks for a “good fountain pen”. Thomas shows him some unique pens from Japan and China. “Many pen collectors come here to pick up rare models,” he says.
Before bidding adieu, a small, black pen catches my eye. “It’s a rare Chinese Wingsun pen,” says Thomas. The pen collector in me decided to buy it. As I fill the ink and try it out, the nib’s smoothness brings a smile to my face. I realise why the shop has withstood the test of time.
There & Then
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