Hi, Regain is curation of everything I am interested in. I am Kurumbur Ashok Anand, aka K.A.Anand, aka, KAA. It started off as a blog about 12 years ago. Recently I have put an online store which also sells many things I am involved in. Many of these things have been createThese things could be as diverse as a vintage fountain pen and a kitchen knife. But all of them have something to do with restoration, recycling or reviving old techniques and traditions. I use natural sustainable materials as far as possible and never drop ship.
After getting tired of the corporate race and its twin sibling rampant consumerism. I decided to quit full time job. Initially I used to take freelance projects for income, while trying to figure out a better lifestyle. Work-travelled before it became fashionable. First the famous touristy places and then the not famous ‘real’ places. It was on a workshop in Ahmedabad on Earthen House Construction, that I realized how much I liked to work with my hands and body. Went gradually blue collar with time, first restarting drawing and painting which I used to do in childhood. Then found about Kenji Matsumoto who took me as apprentice for woodworking in Auroville. Stayed there for two six month stints, soaking in his wisdom. All this while meeting interesting people, exploring yoga, meditation and a healthy lifestyle.
I discovered that I liked the low paced, but more aware style of working with handtools. Started collecting old, quality tools at flea markets. The new ones were either too badly made or too expensive. Discovered that there is a thriving market for good quality old hand tools. Here is how I discovered my joy in restoring and collecting old things. Before ‘planned obsolence’ was so common, things were made with much more care and love, to last. Frequent flea market visits became common, both Ravivari/Gujri bajaar in Ahmedabad and Shukravari in Vadodara. How people give old unwanted stuff to junk kabadi hawkers not knowing there true worth. Training my eyes to see the rust covered German steel or a piece of fine grained rosewood covered in dust, amidst a pile of miscellaneous things is an ongoing process. Discovered indian miniatures through vintage prints from the flea market. I may list collectible vintage lithographs and other artifacts for sale here as well.
Apart from this site I also sell on Etsy and Ebay.please use etsy or ebay if you are an international customer. The shipping cost for international orders are far different, hence the prices there and on this site are different.