When Sreenath Vishnu, Executive Director of Kerala-based food company Brahmins Group, made a visit to the UK as part of a CII delegation, he explored a couple of British towns and villages in pursuit of finding out more on the making of hand-crafted luxury pens.
The outcome of his meeting with Ronald Caddy of Acron Crafts, popularly known as Ron Caddy, in the English town of Andover, was the diversification project of Brahmins called Hexagon Insights.
The beginning
Mastering the intricacies of pen turning, Vishnu and Hexagon Insights set up manufacturing plants in Jaipur, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Kochi. The one in Hyderabad is in charge of designing while Mumbai and Jaipur units produce jewellery pens in 18 ct gold for metallic parts, and the pen lathe at Kochi shapes barrels and tops.
“At present, we produce three pens a day, from 100 per cent imported materials but create 40 per cent value addition from the unique craftsmanship here,” Vishnu said.
Within a short span of time, Rytol, the joint venture’s handmade luxury pen brands, has already acquired customers among corporates, pen lovers, bureaucrats and professionals and even sold 15 of their pens to Rolls-Royce-India.
Unique designs
“The price of Rytol’s unique creations ranges from ₹5,000 to ₹2.5 lakh. We sold more than 300 pens, at an average price of ₹20,000, at a luxury expo recently held in Kochi,” he said.
“Now, with the launch of www.rytol.shop, an exclusive e-commerce site, we expect to sell more, as the market for luxury pens in India is worth ₹1,500 crore; it has grown at a fast pace from being worth ₹700 crore in 2013-14.”
British themes
More than its precious parts, each and every pen is unique in its barrel and top designs, as they are retained from nature, and cannot be replicated on demand.
The materials used, as per requirement, are premium hardwood, tru-stone, a type of milk protein called casein, a mixture of marble and acrylic, in addition to precious metals like gold, chromium, rhodium, and platinum.
We have already launched an array of models on British themes including Albert Memorial, Alexandra, Canary Wharf, Chairman’s Twist, Westminster and Margret, of which fountain, ballpoint and roller balls models are available on request. For company presidents and heads, Rytol has also launched a President series and for medical doctors, a series titled Arteria, Greek word for artery.
Caddy, who is in India now on a short visit, signed an MoU with Hexagon Insights to conduct further research in the manufacture of handmade pens. Caddy, who has got more than 28 years’ experience in wood turning and 15 years in pen turning, is a member of the International Association of Pen Turners, American Association of Wood Turners, and the Association of Wood Turners of Great Britain among others.
The Hexagon has plans to set up a modern pen lab in Kochi soon, Vishnu said.