School teacher makes a collection of more than 200 fountain pens

SALEM: K Muthu Kannan, a chemistry teacher in a government-aided school in Salem, says he has never used a ballpoint pen in his life. Kannan points out three reasons for not using ballpoint pens –- firstly, they would affect one’s handwriting; secondly, they can cause pain to one’s fingers and arms within a few minutes of starting to write; and thirdly, they pollute the environment as the used refills are thrown into waste bins.
Kannan, 53, is an ardent lover of fountain pens and uses them always. Also, he wants his students to use fountain pens. Kannan has a collection of more than 200 ink pens, starting with those worth ₹10 to those worth ₹10,000. They include Parker varieties, Pilot pens (including Indian and Japan), Wality-Airmail, TWSBI-Japan variety, Oliver, Platinum, Sheaffer and Pelikan, to name a few.
According to Kannan, Wality-Airmail pens became very popular in Tamil Nadu as late chief minister M Karunanidhi used them.
Wooden pens are bigger than other ‘ink’ pens, he says. “Sheaffer and Pelikan pens have 'gold' nibs which would be costing up to ₹2 lakh,” he says. Muthu Kannan collects different colours of inks, as well. “I have three shades of brown inks and various shades of green inks including parrot green, light green, dark green and others,” he added.