The act of writing by hand has quietly slipped into the background. What was once an intimate experience, when the sound or scratch of a nib on paper used to carry memories, intention, and mindfulness, is now reduced to taps on a screen.
What this story explores is a place tucked away in Lahore’s Anarkali Bazaar that refuses to let this art fade. Life Pen Company, formerly known as Parker House, was established in 1948 by a family that migrated from Delhi to Lahore after the Partition of India. More than seven decades later, the shop continues to operate with the same dedication, craftsmanship, and respect for writing instruments.
According to the owner, Zaheer Hassan, “Bano Qudsia and Ashfaq Ahmed would come sit with my father, sip chai, eat paan, and leave after conversations.”
The owner also showed us a collection of writing tools from antique Z-nib pens to brands like Cross and Mont Blanc, worth lakhs. The shop also houses a living history of writing tools: nearly 100-year-old English dip pens that required ink to be dipped manually.
Fountain pens, once symbols of education and professionalism, lost their everyday relevance by the mid-20th century as ballpoint pens that are cheaper, cleaner, and more convenient took over.
Convenience, however, came at a cost. The owner reflected upon this and said, “This is, perhaps, the greatest injustice done to children in this day and age by denying them the experience of writing with fountain pens, replacing them with ballpoints and markers that require little care or connection.”
Today, the visitors who still seek out these pens, like doctors, lawyers, bankers, and calligraphers, prove that writing has not vanished entirely. The sound of a nib touching paper still resonates with those who remember.
Life Pen Company stands as a quiet reminder that while the world may move faster, some legacies are worth holding onto, and that is the story of the oldest pen shop in Lahore.
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