10 June 2017

Sudipta Chattaraj will be very proud of me!!

A couple of months back, when I had posted my fountain pen collection, my friend from elementary school days – Sudipta Chattaraj – had reminded me of the WingSung Hero pens that we used to use in our childhood.

I still remember how I got my first WingSung pen. I was in Narendrapur in 11th grade. I had gone to one of my seniors Sanku Mallik (who was the topper in our previous batch) to get one particularly tough trigonometry problem solved and noticed his very nice pen (later found out to be a WingSung pen). I also noticed that he, rather undramatically, solved the problem like he had been having trigonometry problems for breakfast from right about the time he was three and a half years old or thereabouts.

Thoroughly convinced that having a Wing Sung pen and doing trigonometry easily could not just be a matter of correlation – that there must have been a cause and effect relationship – I made it my life’s mission to get myself one such pen. That Sunday, armed with a gate pass, I slipped out of the residential campus and a short bus ride later started hunting for a WingSung pen in the shops of Garia. And finally got one!! A red-brown colored one!!

Not terribly sure it ever improved my trigonometry but I do remember going back later and getting a blue colored one too. Calculus was also particularly tough that semester!!

I used to cherish those two pens. Many a letter had been written with those two pens. Many a test paper saw me getting stuck with those two pens between my fingers!!

Sudipta had suddenly reminded me of those two pens. Like I search the world over for my old friends, a similar search started for those Wing Sung pens. Unfortunately for me, Wing Sung pens do not have Facebook accounts. Nevertheless, I was able to finally contact a guy in remote China who said he could get me one. I insisted that it had to be the model 233 (that was the only model that had that orange color window to check on the ink level).

What do you know? For the price of a cup of Starbucks coffee, I am a proud owner of a brand new WingSung Model 233 pen!!! Exactly the same color as the very first one I possessed – back in 1983!!

Previous owners of a WingSung pen probably remember the unique nib shape that is integrated into the body, that small orange window to check ink level, the small hole in the back to even out the pressure to keep the ink flowing and above all – the unique press clip cartridge system to fill in ink. Absolutely the cleanest way of refilling ink from an ink pot I have ever found.

I can also tell you that the pen is writing even better than most pens I have at hundred times that price!! But that might have to do with the priceless nostalgia too!!



Posted June 10, 2017 by Rajib Roy in category "Fountain Pens

5 COMMENTS :

  1. By Rishiraj Bayerd on

    I want to buy this type of Wing Sung pen. Can you please help me to find out the same. Thanking You.

    Reply
  2. By Kirti on

    Hey would love to have this pen, any idea from where can i get one in india ?

    Reply
  3. By rajibroy (Post author) on

    Kirti, are you near Kolkata? There is a small shop called Pen Hospital near the Metro station.

    Reply
  4. By kuldeep Singh chawla on

    Sir
    Where I can get wing sung pen in kolkata
    &now what will cost Pl reply me
    Kuldeep Singh Chawla age 63 years
    I had used this pen in my chidhood

    Reply
  5. By Rajib Roy (Post author) on

    Kuldeep, I hope you and your family are safe in Kolkata.

    There is a small shop called Pen Hospital owned by Reyaz. When you come out of Metro station in Esplanade Gate 4, immediately on your right will be a lane of shops that go in (perpendicular to the main road). Tell him the pen collector from Atlanta sent you.

    He should be able to get you one such pen. His might be old.

    If you want a new one, best bet is to get from eBay. There are parts of China where they still make these. I am not sure how long it will take to deliver to Kolkata. Make sure you ask for model 233. Here is an example link… https://www.ebay.com/itm/Bobby-Polished-Barrel-Wing-Sung-233-Blue-Fountain-Pen-With-Ink-Window-Gold-Cap/233060696017?hash=item36437fffd1:g:jW0AAOSwHGJcHS0I

    Reply

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