Would you indulge in products from these luxury stationery makers?

E-mail, SMS, Whatsapp, Skype, Snapchat and Face Time have taken over the world of correspondence leaving little or no room for handwritten cards and letters. But while greetings and invitations exchanged over the Internet and through social networking sites are increasing, nothing beats the charm of reading a handwritten note on beautiful handcrafted stationery. 

According to Lauren Marrus, CEO, Dempsey & Carroll, what determines 'luxury' is the quality that goes into the production of stationery, while Mrs John L Strong believes that the level of personal service in designing something that suits the clients' needs and personality along with the quality of the materials and craftsmanship at each phase of the production process are what separate luxury from the average.
 

Chimanlal

Inspired by Indian traditional art and culture, represented in textile weaving, embroidery, khadi printing, ancient architecture, native art, pottery, jewellery and so on, Chimanlals products consist of designed lettersets, greeting cards, notelets, mini-cards, decorative envelopes, gift packaging items, bags, bookmarks, folders, wrapping papers and a whole lot more.

Instrumental in promoting the use of Indian handmade paper since the 1960’s, Chimanlals products are about its Indianness. Chimanlal largely uses 'Silk Screen Printing', which results in a rich and vibrant effect, true to Indian culture. The core ingredient of their handmade paper is cotton waste; its unique texture is lent by jute and wool fibre, silk, threads, straw particles and tea dust in varied proportions to get the desired effect.

The Bombay Paperie 

The Bombay Paperie's handmade paper or products is not mass produced and thus has entered the luxury market. The paper—their most important product—is printed using authentic, hand carved blocks.  

The Bombay Paperie was started in 2001 by Neeta Premchand. She took over an important seventeenth-century mill outside Aurangabad, which was being demolished and the land on which it stood, being sold to cover debts. The paper from this mill was not only famous throughout the world, but Emperor Jehangir also issued a special edict that all the paper at his court should come from this mill. Clearly this restoration was a good idea, considering one of their iconic customers has been Mick Jagger.

Dempsey & Carroll 

What’s special about Dempsey & Carroll is that "we marry the new and the old," says Lauren. Founded in 1878 by engraver John Dempsey and businessman George Carroll, "Dempsey & Carroll is one of few stationers who use the same hand-engraving techniques from the company's earliest days. Using handcrafted steel dies and copper plates, they create customised paper products. Their 100 per cent cotton-fibre, watermarked paper is milled for the company in America, with each envelope tissue-lined by hand. 

With a variety of products—bespoke invitations, leather goods, gift tags and more, "Dempsey & Carroll's engraved  paper has been used by American politicians, movie stars and leaders in fashion in the United States, as well as on a global scale".

Mrs John L Strong

Mrs John L Strong  offers hand-engraved whimsical note cards, place cards, gift tags, bespoke wedding suites, personal/couple stationery, business cards, birth announcements and a whole lot more.
 
With Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Kennedy and Aerin Lauder for customers, they pride themselves on designing and engraving custom motifs used notecards, customised gift tags, handwritten holiday wishes, cocktail napkins and a traditional wedding invitation suite. Their motifs are handcrafted by master engravers who sculpt the images that then become motifs out of a block of steel. A confident hand is vital, because any mistake means the engraver has to start the process again! Every piece with a border or edge is painted by hand and every envelope with a liner is hand applied.

Pettinaroli

From birth announcements and first communion or wedding invitations to business cards and personal or business letterheads, Pettinaroli uses highly refined techniques. Founded in 1881 by Francesco Pettinaroli, the shop also offers greeting cards in Amalfi paper with dried flower compositions. Notebooks and books are meticulously made by hand with original medieval bookbinding techniques. Its hand-sewn inner pages made of Amalfi handmade paper and external-stitching in cord, makes these books—with antique-finish soft leather covers and a wrap-around leather cord—extra special. Pettinaroli also boasts parchment made from tanned goatskin, decorated by hand and written on by expert calligraphers, to record special occasions. As time goes by, the parchment becomes yellow and aged, giving you the desired effect. 

Prantl

Established in 1797, Fr. Ant. Prantl handcrafts stationery and leather accessories in London and Munich. Their retail store in Munich’s Luitpoldblock has a permanent exhibition of printed items—business cards for FC Bayern, stationery of the last Shah of Persia and 200-year-old colour and writing samples of company history—out of the company archives. Prantl’s core business is the production of printed business cards and stationery, invitations to christenings, weddings, as well as engraved and crested stationery. Apart from being the Royal Bavarian court supplier, famous artists such as Richard Strauss, Kandinsky, and Thomas and Heinrich Mann were among their customers. Since 2012 Prantl's office in London also supplies stationery to the Queen of England.