OLD SCHOOL, NEW COOL

Augustman speaks to six local artisans who've perfected their own unique crafts

- ALISON LOH, STUART DANKER

IN AN AGE WHERE SCREENS DOMINATE OUR LIVES, the allure of analogue mediums has never been stronger. Sure, we love our gadgets, but who wouldn’t appreciate the warm touch of handmade artistry? This month’s analogue-themed issue is your ticket to a time machine, taking you through the world of six Malaysian artisans who are totally rocking their crafts.

MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD 

Lai Kim Hoong has been in the pen game for over 20 years now, and with that experience, he’s built the fountain pen empire that is PenGallery. What started as a pen store now includes a host of products and services, one of that being fountain pen customisation and repair.

“It was a natural progression,” Lai said. “When you have fountain pens, you’ll need inks. Then paper. Then you learn to customise and repair pens. And that’s how I got into the craft.”

As someone who’s cut his teeth in the fountain pen trade for this long, Lai has watched the interest wane over the decades, only to find a resurgence in recent years.

“Nowadays it’s the younger crowd that enjoys this hobby,” Lai says. “Fountain pens used to be the domain of the older demographic, but that’s changed today.” These younger customers can be pretty particular about how their instruments write too, which is where Lai comes in.