Fourth Generation of Stationers

We were rummaging through some old photographs and discovered this iconic shot of my wife's Grandfather in 1981, who sadly passed away in December 2023. He was the owner of a large stationery company in Hong Kong which was handed down from his father before him who first started the business in 1951.

At just 27 years of age, his father became well-renowned for his Chinese calligraphy brushes which were made using advanced manufacturing techniques he had picked up while travelling to the mainland. This was at a time when Hong Kong was still under British rule. Thirty years later the company was handed down to his son who achieved continued success through the expansion of their product offering to include board games and printed goods.

 A photo of the foil blocking machine from the second gen factory, when it was at the height of production.

One of the items that was left in our care was an Italian leather briefcase from his business travels back in the day. It contained an old colonial passport, original business cards & company letterheads, as well as product samples, drawings and packaging mockups plus an invoice for 250,000 units of calligraphy pen nibs!

This incredibly well kept time capsule gives a clear indication of the scale and influence of the brand at that time.

Sadly after 50 years of trading, the new millennium gave rise to a growing number of internet companies whose competition forced them to eventually close.

In a roundabout way this would make us the Fourth generation of stationers, and even though our company is not a direct continuation of the original family business it's nice to know that there is a common stationery thread that runs throughout the history of the family for nearly 75 years!

This is our Co-Founder on the left when she was 2 years old posing in her grandfather's warehouse vs. Our own daughter at 2 years old helping out with order fulfilment at Stamptitude

Here's hoping we can continue the legacy and pass down traditions for future generations to come.