Amar Jyoti Sarma .. An FP_Enthusiast from Assam (The Land of Tea Gardens)

Amar Jyoti, if translated means The Eternal Light. One can feel his energy,his enthusiasm and his love for Fountain pen radiating, just by having conversation with him. A very candid session with him follows. Enjoy

What does the word Fountain Pen mean to you?

Amar Jyoti Sarma: For me, a pen or pencil is an instrument to jot down down thoughts, take notes, scribble on a pad. On the other hand Fountain pens are the classical writing instruments, that has an emotional connect. It may not be perfect at beginning when you first handle it, it may need fine tuning like a musical instrument. This makes them more personal than any other writing instruments. You work on wetness, fineness, smoothness of nibs, feeds till it represents you, becomes an extension of you, your soul. Its starts defining and reflecting your personality.  That is how I feel. 

 I inherited a Wingsung from my father. I first used it in 2010, I instantly liked the feel of ink and the sound of the nib due to friction between nib tip and paper. Though, the nib was not at it's best. I started looking for nibs to replace it, but it was very difficult to find spare nibs for these pens those days. One thing led to another and I started exploring internet for Fountain pens made in India especially handmade Ebonite pens. I ordered two fountain pens that I could afford at that time from ASA website (I didn't want to lose money as online transactions were still very new). The pens were made by Gama. And I got hooked. Subsequently I became fascinated with ebonite pens made by ASA, Gama a. However, i like to believe that I am a user rather than a collector as I buy pens that I believe will give me a better experience than its aesthetic value.

 How and when did you shift to fountain pens from generally used ball pens, gel pens and roller pens?

In In 2011, when I got back home after studies in Pune. I found my father's pen and a few of my old pens. Out of curiosity, I bought a bottle of Ink and started writing and I never stopped.

What drives you towards a pen? Over this 10 years, I have become very particular about my pens. I am a user and therefore, writing experience is my utmost priority. The feel of the nib scratching on the paper and the ink trail giving shape to my thoughts, feel magical. I like my handwriting to be as personal as possible. The wetness of the ink, the color, the fineness everything is personalised for me. This can happen only with a fountain pen. There is no perfect fountain pen. You have to work on it and make it perfect for yourself. You have to get your hands dirty sometimes and when you are done, you have a pen that is an extension of yourself. Many people donot like my settings of a pen but that is me. I like my pen that way.

. Which is your go to pen and why?

AA few pens that I can never do without would be

1. My Kanwrite Desire with a semi flex M nib. 

2. My Pilot 78 G with an F nib.

3. My Deccan Advocate with an F nib.

I like my pen as fine as possible, slightly dry so that it dries quickly on paper and it should have a mid sized section and neither too heavy, nor too light.I am very particular when it comes to my writing experience. Besides those, ASA Maya is also my favourite. I have got few vintage Parkers, Sheaffers, Waterman Expert, Carene and a Pilot Custom 74 too but I dont enjoy them as much. 

I believe one must have wide array of fountain pens in your caskets. 

Can you share their pics and details, how you feel about each one of them?

I have about 300 pens, mostly Indian from Gama, ASA, Guider, Ratnam and Ranga. I have a few Kanwrites. I have about 100 Chinese pens and some vintage Parkers, Sheaffers and Indian vintage too. But i am primarily in Indian handmade ebonites and an occasional acrylic. However, I collect Indian vintage pens as I feel that they need to be preserved for posterity. Nothing beats the feel of ebonite in hand though i like acrylic for its vibrant colors.  

What measures you feel are essential on part of manufacturers and FP dealer/ retailers in India to make it a part of daily routine, writing with FP? 

Japan and Germany had the advantage of starting earlier in a perfect multinational conglomerate way. They have over the period of time, build their brand in such a way that people do not mind buying their products at a premium because they are assured of the quality and after sales service. Indian manufacturers are more or less operating like cottage industries. Further, India still doesn't produce every raw material required to make pens. So, certain compromises has to be made. You may get quality but the price goes high or you may make it affordable but the effect of cost cutting is apparent. We do not have steady supply of clips and rings of good quality or the rods or sheets to make the body. So, without these, our pen makers can only go so far. However, even with this limitations our pens can do much better by investing more time on quality check and creating a network for after sales service. Most people want a good experience out of the box. No body really has time to work on the pen or send it back again for servicing. Consumers will think twice before sending a pen back for servicing and wait for its re arrival. Therefore some kind of network of after sales service is the need of the hour. But quality check before the user uses the pen is the utmost priority.



How active are you on Social media? Would you like to share the URL, handle? 

I am mostly in FB and I am working actively in a new FB group called Pen's and Calligraphers forum. The idea of this group is not just to collect pens but to enjoy creating something with it, even if it's just a scribble. After all, a pen is a writing instrument. You are better of collecting or investing in Gold or something else if you dont use or pen. A pen should help you express yourself. If having a pen is your only way of connecting to the world or your only claim to fame then you are probably into it for all the wrong reasons. Just enjoy your pen.

Well giving messages to all is easy and most common question, but i would like to ask, whats your gut feel? 

I feel that a pen must be enjoyed first. It must be, as my friend HD says, exploited. Get the maximum out of it. Yes, collecting them strategically as investments is also a viable option but beyond that don't ever get into the rat race of buying pens just because somebody else bought it. Ask yourself, do you really need another pen and why do you need another pen? If you are satisfied with your answer then definitely go for it.

Tell me about your profession and hobbies, apart from FP and inks

I am a weird person. Do you know I collect or rather can't throw away the card board boxes of my pens, mobiles, cameras. 😂😂

Besides pen, I love electronic gadgets like mobiles, cameras. I love tinkering with electrical or electronic goods. I have spoiled 3 of my phones trying to repair them myself by YouTube video guides. I love riding motorcycles. I have a Pulsar when I feel sporty and a Enfield Classic 500 when I want a long ride. I do amateur gardening. I love reading about astrophysics. Everything about Origin of the universe, relativity quantum mechanics. I don't understand it like a scientist but I like reading it in its simplified form. Do you know that your time will stand still if you can travel at the speed of light. Unfortunately, that would require infinite energy. The unsolved mysteries of the world really fascinates me. I go to sleep trying to visualise falling into a black hole and its consequences.

Professionally, I am a senior lecturer of law in BRM Govt. Law College at Guwahati