Misak

Misak – the story of a man who “tuned” his name to create a brand Legend has it that there was a stationery shop in Hyderabad (some say in Putli-bowli, though I am not sure) that was known for its inexpensive fountain pens that wrote well. Mind you, nothing fancy – no frill, hand-turned, ebonite eye-dropper-filler fountain pens that were capable of being the main battle tank in the wars that many a common man fought day in and day out in those days. Legend also has it that when the pens needed to be branded, Kasim Hussain, the owner of the business and, in all probability, the turner of the pens, just reversed his name and started calling them Misak. Misak pens were extremely popular in those days – I am talking of a period between the late 1960s and 1980s- and old-timers from Hyderabad still get nostalgic when talking about them. Misak pens are extremely hard to come across these days and are considered highly collectable by the aficionados. However, a word of caution here- I have come across many Misak look-alikes and replicas that try to pass themselves off as originals. Please exercise due diligence before acquiring one. These Misak pens are characteristically, and delightfully, Indian. They are hand-turned from good-quality vintage Indian ebonite, with a custom-made nib and ebonite feed. This artisanal creation process, especially the nib-feed combination, was the secret behind the reputation as excellent writing instruments that the pens enjoyed. Kasim Hussain also added to their popularity by repairing Misak pens (for free; add the ancients in the know). Another point that needs to be mentioned here is that Misak, even in its heyday, boasted of very few models, which may have added to its uniformity in quality. This was a time when fountain pens were a necessity (as opposed to being a mere accessory to be flaunted), and the demand for quality writers was met by innumerable small operations like these around the country. Imported pens, though available, were priced out of the reach of most, and pens like Misak were the most viable option for students and office-goers alike. Writing letters, too, was extremely popular in those days, which added to the demand. Needless to say, for collectors and those wanting to learn more about this time period, such fountain pens are an invaluable source. It is sad, but the art of pen turning as a popular profession is quietly fading out in India, and I shudder at the thought that soon there may not be any master left who can recreate our past glory. Nib turning, especially of the quality the Misak sports (and let me reiterate these were not expensive pens), alas, is already a thing of the past. Even the clip that these pens came with is difficult to find these days. Sad yes. True yes. Are we bothered? Perhaps no. If you enjoyed this video, please subscribe, like, and share. And yes, please write in the comments section where you are watching from. Please comment. Do you have a Misak pen? Have you seen one? Are you interested in knowing more about such lesser-known Indian brands and their stories? Will you prefer one of them over a mass- produced fountain pen imported from a neighbouring country? What can be done to revive our industry, to revitalise the art of pen turning? Please write in. Your comments keep me going.