Taiwan Tsunami

Taiwan Tsunami

The high point of the Chennai Pen Show 2025 was certainly the participating entry from Taiwan. Not only are Taiwanese brands like Opus 88, Penlux, and Laban, to name a few, extremely loved in India, but to connoisseurs, they are near household names. Naturally, the crowd that the Taiwanese table pulled was phenomenal.

What is more, they had gems on offer that had the jaws agape. From eye candies from Taiwan to exquisitely crafted offerings from the Middle East, their spread was a delectable delight, and I could easily have spent all three days of the show just gaping at and testing them. They also had a very fine selection of curated inks and some notebooks, not to mention tons of accessories.

Initially, while approaching their table, I was a bit apprehensive about language barriers. But that proved to be a misplaced concern as our mutual love for pens, inks, and accessories overcame everything as we talked pens and I realised that the 8’s that we scribble and the lines that we draw to test pens are universal.

The young lady and the gentleman who were beyond the counter were extremely helpful, not to mention the fact that they knew what they were talking about.

Taiwan is a relatively small country geographically, but in terms of sheer ingenuity and the writing instruments that they offer, they are huge. Their quality and craftsmanship are impeccable. The pricing is globally competitive, and overall, in terms of ease of use, their products can hold their own against the very best. Naturally, for the pen lovers at the Chennai Pen Show, it was a manna from heaven, and one could not thank Aditya Bhanshali and his team enough for pulling off this coup of sorts.

It is a pity, though, that I could not shoot writing samples and show you the pens in greater detail – the crowd pressure was just too much.