Writing on the wall for pen repair work
Print Edition
Xun Baolian, 82, humorously calls himself Dr Pen. He has been repairing fountain pens — from the cheapest to gold luxury brands — for almost 70 years.
Nowadays, with computers taking over most of our writing tasks, pens no longer enjoy the status they once did.
“There was such pride in carrying a pen in your breast pocket back then,” Xun says. “It was often a sign that you were rich and well-educated.”
Xun has been living in Guangfuli by Suzhou Creek since he was a little boy. Today, it’s an urban redevelopment area, with old houses being steadily demolished. Xun’s two-room home stubbornly remains.
In the 10-square-meter home, a decrepit dining table with a rice cooker and dishes to one side serves as Xun’s work desk. His tweezers and pincers lie next to several broken pens to be fixed.
In the other room, there is a small metal lathe.
Xun and his father were once known in the area as the “kings of pen repair,” he says. In 1949, the young Xun quit school to work in his father’s business.
“My teacher was angry with my father and told me I would come to regret the decision to leave school,” he recalls.
Father and son set up a pen-repair booth at the entrance of the lane near a primary school. From there, they repaired the writing instruments of students, teachers and other locals.
In 1958, Xun began working as a fitter in the Shanghai No. 8 Steel Factory, where he learned to operate machines and lathes. The skill helped hone his talent for pen repair.
“I never stop repairing pens,” Xun says. “That was how I earned some pocket money.”
Xun says he has no idea how many fountain pens he has repaired over the years. He has worked on famous brands from Japan, England and the US, such as Parker, Conklin, Eversharp, Pelikan, Waterman, Hero and Pilot.
In his free time, Xun practices writing both Chinese and English. His English penmanship looks almost hand-printed.
“Not many people use pens today,” he says. “They have been replaced by throwaway ballpoints and computers.”
Even famous brand pen makers don’t do repairs anymore. They simply exchange faulty pens for new ones.
“For some people, it’s not a matter of money,” Xun says. “They simply like a pen they have been using for a long time and they want to keep it.”
Sentimentality is perhaps the biggest reason people turn to Xun for help. He can repair bent pen nibs and faulty refillable reservoirs.
He recalls a man who sent him a broken gold pen worth of 20,000 yuan (US$3,224). After Xun repaired it and sent it back, the customer called to thank Xun.
“It was a wedding gift from his wife,” Xun explains.
Xun’s reputation has spread beyond Shanghai. Many clients come from other areas of China. Five years ago, a man came from Jiangxi Province to Shanghai to seek Xun’s help. His Parker pen’s nib was broken. The company wanted to charge him 700 yuan for a new one. Xun repaired it for 100 yuan.
“He insisted upon giving me more money, but I refused,” Xun says.
After his retirement from factory work, Xun was invited by colleges to repair pens for students. Xun operated a pen-repair stall at the entrance of the canteen at East China Normal University on Wednesdays and Fridays, and at the back gate of East China University of Political Science and Law on Thursdays.
During summer holidays, he repaired pens at the entertainment center at the junction of Wuning and Dongxin roads.
“Students liked me very much, and they even had fights with security officers who wanted to drive me away,” he says.
Some students even took pictures of him and helped him advertise on the Internet.
In recent years, Xun has been more homebound. It’s hard for him to walk far, and he has to care for his wife, who suffered a stroke.
Two years ago, when he repaired pens for two students from Taiwan, he was asked, “Why do children on the mainland seldom use pens anymore? It makes your writing more beautiful.”
“The question got me,” Xun recalls. “I think the government should encourage students to write with ink and pens.”
Xun says he is passing on his repair skills to his son and grandson, though he’s not sure whether they will want to succeed him.
Still, “it’s the tradition we should carry on,” he says.
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