Pen Hospital

 Situated in a narrow alleyway of Chowringhee Road in Esplanade, this one-of-a-kind hospital has been treating broken nibs and pen pistons since before India gained its independence in 1947. Fountain pen connoisseurs and vintage pen collectors in Kolkata and the surrounding area know where to go if their pen is broken and bleeding blue.

It’s been 77 years since Pen Hospital was established by Imtiaz's grandfather, Mohmmad Samsuddin who had come to start his own business in Kolkata from Bihar in 1945. Along with his brother Mohammad Raiz he inherited the business from their father Mohammad Sultan in the 1980s. After his brother’s death, Imtiaz now runs the show with his nephew and son. The Pen Hospital’s collection boasts pens ranging from 20 to 20,000 Indian Rupees. The iconic shop sells and repairs both Indian and global pen brands like Parker, Mont Blanc, Pilot, Sheaffer, Waterman, Pierre Cardin, Swan, Wilson, Blackbird, and Pelican, to name a few.

The wooden cupboards of this small, almost cramped shop have a display of both old and new pens. A glass table top doubles up as the operation table for the doctors of the house to look into problems of the ailing pen. They have sold vintage pens dating back to the 1930s and 40s. The stock for antique pens sometimes gets sold out quickly.

The Pen Hospital’s clientele includes a long list of noted Bengali writers, filmmakers, politicians, judges, doctors, journalists, college professors, and high-ranking government officials. The shop has repaired the pens of many famous personalities including the pen of Oscar-winning director Satyajit Ray. With the changing time where fountain pens are losing their space and charm, this shop is heavily dependent on pen connoisseurs and collectors who have pens as part of their heirloom and antique collections.