Rulers and Rubbers: A Stationery-Laden Childhood

Rulers and Rubbers: A Stationery-Laden Childhood

Natraj honed our tools, sketched our dreams and erased our mistakes. Camel carried our stuff and painted our little worlds. These are not mere brands for us, but a box containing memories of our innocent childhood.

Last week I was at a stationery shop when I saw colourful erasers of different shapes.

“Did you own any of these rubbers in school?” I asked my friend.
“Nopes!” he answered.
“Neither me,” I said. “I used the Natraj rubbers.”

Those were the erasers we used in our early days — with their orange-yellow films that we preserved as long as we could, just to hold on to that "new" feeling. And Natraj pencil sharpeners? We raced them like toy cars. A new Natraj pencil with golden tattoos on its black back brought us joy. Collecting the wooden petals after sharpening? Felt artistic!

I looked through the transparent display at the shop, and noticed — most items were now from Doms. Their packaging is flashy and colorful. Not that we didn’t have variety back then, but it’s definitely fancier today.

The privileged ones in class showed off fancy erasers — strawberries, bananas, rainbow shapes — though many of those would tear the page more than erase it. Some had sharpeners with built-in lids to collect shavings. I was proud of my pencil with a pink eraser on top. And oh — who can forget the Shakalaka Boom Boom pencil? We all fantasized about having a real one, didn’t we?

And those stacking point pencils — remember those? I had a pink one. Fun fact: I’ve never finished a single pencil in my life. I always lost them.

The Geometry Box of Confusion

There was the Natraj geometry box. And then Camlin made an appearance. I remember opening one for the first time and wondering — “What are all these strange-shaped scales for?”

The divider? A multipurpose tool for poking holes in oil bottles or soda cans. Rarely, if ever, used for geometry. Admit it — you too may not know its actual purpose.

Colours of Our Childhood

I think my first crayon set was Camel. But even before that, I had pencil colours — possibly the first in my batch. I even got a small Camel watercolour box — with a transparent lid, maroon tray, and a tiny brush. Till Class II, I wasn’t great at drawing. But in Class III, something clicked. Mickey Mouse and Mahatma Gandhi were my go-to portraits. Though I was painfully slow.

I always preferred pencil sketches. Enter Apsara — the extra dark grey pencils and green ones for varied shading. Apsara erasers were paper-friendly. And their sharpeners actually lasted. Maybe because I had grown up enough to care.

Pen Point Prominence

Pens entered our lives in Class IV. My mom preserved her own maroon fountain pens for my first writings. One even had a transparent ring I thought was its "waist." I didn’t like dark colors back then. But now? I realize how sweet it was of her to preserve those for me. Even my first water bottle was from her collection.

But peer pressure is real. I was embarrassed by my retro pen. Everyone else had newer generation pens and shiny Chelpark ink. Soon, I got a Chinese fountain pen — no leaks, no pouring to refill. I also convinced my parents to get me a bottle of Chelpark Royal Blue.

I vaguely remember using cartridge pens too. Somewhere along the way, they came and went. Some kids brought the Pilot pens (Luxor, I think). A few even dared to sneak in gel pens. Ball pens were criminal. But they were our go-to for writing board exams. They rolled fast!

From Lined to Freeform

We began on four-lined sheets in Nursery. Math was done on boxed paper. By Class II, we switched to two-lined notebooks. Class V meant solving math on plain sheets. By Class VIII, we used unruled sheets for everything.

When I moved to Jharkhand, I was shocked to see higher secondary students still using ruled papers. At first, I hated it — the lines felt like fences. Eventually, I got used to both ruled and plain sheets. Though now, I mostly type instead of write.

How Often Do You Write?

Writing this piece brought so much joy. Memory after memory unfolded — things I didn’t even know I remembered. It’s been nearly two decades since school, yet memories from my first institution still feel fresh.

Did I miss anything?
Well, it’s your turn now. Open your pencil box of memories. Share your favourite stationery tools and tales with me — let’s relive those golden school days together.

Want to read more of Nostalgic Tales?
Read how exams brought me tension and ultimately joy when they ended at Exam Fever: The Joy, The Panic, and The Paper Planes .