Shahsons
Shahsons (Private) Limited is a family-owned Pakistani manufacturer founded in 1953 that produces pencils, ball point pens, markers, crayons, and stationery under the Goldfish and Picasso brands, selling to school, office, and art consumers domestically and across four continents.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1953
- HeadquartersKarachi, Pakistan
- Headcount501–1,000
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Shahsons does
Shahsons (Private) Limited is a Pakistani family-owned manufacturer of writing instruments, headquartered and operating from a manufacturing facility at D-88, Manghopir Road, S.I.T.E, Karachi. Founded in 1953 by Mr. Shah Saeed and currently led by his grandson, CEO Mr. Sheheryar Shah, the company produces a broad range of stationery products under two sub-brands, Goldfish and Picasso, including graphite pencils, colour pencils, charcoal and water-colour pencils, ball point pens, gel pens, permanent and whiteboard markers, wax crayons, sharpeners, and erasers. The facility runs two principal production lines with annual nameplate capacity of 1.8 million gross of pencils and 130 million ball point pens, and the company positions itself as the pioneer and largest pencil manufacturer in Pakistan with the widest ball point pen range in the country.
The business model is straightforward B2C/B2B2C physical goods sales. Shahsons distributes through three channels: a company-owned e-commerce storefront at shahsons.com, the Daraz.pk marketplace (to which online orders are redirected for payment and fulfillment), and physical retail stores in Pakistan, with additional international shipments reaching Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Americas. Products are unit-priced at modest retail points (for example, PKR 554 for a 12-piece highlighter pack and PKR 205 for a 12-pack of HB pencils), reflecting a high-volume, low-ticket consumer stationery model.
Shahsons targets two primary customer segments: school children and educational buyers (colour pencils, erasers, learning materials) and office/corporate buyers (pens, markers, organizational stationery), with a secondary artist and creative-prosumer segment served by the art-supply SKUs. The company operates no app, no API surface, no disclosed patents or trademarks, and no institutional funding; it is a multi-generational private enterprise with concentrated family ownership. Marketing is conducted organically through Goldfish and Picasso brand pages on Facebook and Instagram, supplemented by creative contests and a downloadable PDF catalogue.
Shahsons firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Shahsons
- Legal name
- Shahsons (Private) Limited
- Website
- https://shahsons.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1953
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 501–1,000 employees
- Short description
- Shahsons (Private) Limited is a family-owned Pakistani manufacturer founded in 1953 that produces pencils, ball point pens, markers, crayons, and stationery under the Goldfish and Picasso brands, selling to school, office, and art consumers domestically and across four continents.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Shahsons industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Stationery Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Stationery Product Manufacturing (32223)
- SIC
- Pens, Pencils & Other Artists' Materials (3950)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms) (IMAMAHAG)
Keywords
Where Shahsons is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Karachi
- HQ country
- Pakistan
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Shahsons business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Writing Instruments Sales: Direct sales of manufactured writing instruments including pencils, ball point pens, markers, highlighters, crayons, sharpeners, erasers, and other stationery products through own website and marketplace partners.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Various writing instrument products with individual pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels4 records
Shahsons product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Shahsons (Private) Limited manufactures and markets quality writing instruments including graphite pencils, colour pencils, ball point pens, gel pens, permanent markers, whiteboard markers, highlighters, wax crayons, pencil sharpeners, and erasers. The company produces under two sub-brands — Goldfish (pencils, sharpeners, erasers, and stationery) and Picasso (highlighters, markers, pens, and art supplies) — and sells direct to consumers in Pakistan and through international distribution.
Product overview
Shahsons is a Pakistani manufacturer of writing instruments operating since 1953. The company produces a wide range of stationery products under two main brands: Goldfish and Picasso. Its product portfolio includes graphite pencils, color pencils, ball point pens, gel pens, markers, wax crayons, and sharpeners, catering to both school and office segments. The company operates with a manufacturing capacity of 1.8 million gross of pencils per annum and 130 million ball point pieces annually.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Goldfish: Brand of pencils, sharpeners, erasers, and other stationery products
- Picasso
Products and services
- Goldfish HB Graphite Pencils
Companies that use Shahsons
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Shahsons technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Shahsons partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Daraz.pkprimaryDaraz.pk serves as the primary marketplace channel partner for Shahsons. The company redirects customers to Daraz.pk to place orders. Payment processing and order fulfillment are handled through Daraz.pk's platform. Shahsons is not liable for any issues arising from Daraz.pk transactions.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Shahsons competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- BIC: French multinational mass-market manufacturer of pens, pencils, lighters, and razors. Comparable as a high-volume, cost-competitive producer of ball point pens and pencils targeting school and office consumers worldwide.
- Crayola: American manufacturer of crayons, markers, colored pencils, and art supplies. Comparable as an established brand manufacturer of writing and art instruments serving the school/children and creative segments globally.
- Faber-Castell: Global German pencil and writing instrument manufacturer, the world's largest wooden pencil producer. Directly comparable as a large-scale manufacturer of pencils, pens, markers and art supplies operating across consumer and professional segments globally.
- Staedtler: German manufacturer of pencils, pens, and markers with a 180+ year heritage. Comparable as a long-established, internationally-distributed manufacturer of writing instruments serving both school/children and professional/art segments.
Direct peers
- Doms Industries: Indian manufacturer of writing instruments including pens, pencils, markers, and stationery products under the DOMS and Cello brands. Closely comparable as a South Asian mass-market pencil and pen manufacturer with strong domestic market leadership seeking international expansion.
- Pilot Corporation: Japanese writing instrument manufacturer producing ball point pens, gel pens, markers, and pencils with global distribution. Comparable as a manufacturer of mass-market and premium writing instruments with established international brands serving consumer and office segments.
- Mitsubishi Pencil (uni): Japanese manufacturer of writing instruments including pencils (uni Mitsubishi), ball point pens, and markers under the uni brand. Comparable as a vertically integrated manufacturer with significant production scale and strong brand presence in school and office segments across Asia and globally.
- Flair Writing Instruments: Indian writing instrument manufacturer producing pens, pencils, and stationery products. Comparable as a South Asian competitor in mass-market writing instruments with manufacturing scale and emerging international distribution.
- Pentel: Japanese manufacturer of writing instruments including pens, pencils, and markers. Comparable as a manufacturer of high-quality ball point pens, mechanical pencils, and art supplies with global distribution.
Emerging players
- Luxor International: Indian writing instrument manufacturer producing pens, markers, and stationery products for domestic and export markets. Comparable as an emerging manufacturer in the same writing instrument category serving school and office consumers with expanding international reach.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Shahsons social profiles
Digital presenceShahsons financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Shahsons leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Shahsons funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Shahsons M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Shahsons
What does Shahsons do?
Shahsons (Private) Limited manufactures and markets quality writing instruments including graphite pencils, colour pencils, ball point pens, gel pens, permanent markers, whiteboard markers, highlighters, wax crayons, pencil sharpeners, and erasers. The company produces under two sub-brands — Goldfish (pencils, sharpeners, erasers, and stationery) and Picasso (highlighters, markers, pens, and art supplies) — and sells direct to consumers in Pakistan and through international distribution.
Is Shahsons a public or private company?
Shahsons is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Shahsons founded?
Shahsons was founded in 1953. It employs 501 to 1,000 people.
Where is Shahsons based?
Shahsons is headquartered in Karachi, Pakistan, in the Asia region.
How does Shahsons make money?
One revenue line is on record: writing Instruments Sales.
Who are Shahsons's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are BIC, Crayola, Faber-Castell and Staedtler. Direct peers are Doms Industries, Pilot Corporation, Mitsubishi Pencil (uni), Flair Writing Instruments and Pentel. Luxor International is listed as an emerging player.
Does Shahsons have an API?
No public API is recorded for Shahsons.
What industry is Shahsons in?
Shahsons's product category is Stationery Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAMAHAG, Stationery & Office Paper Products (notebooks, pads, forms). Its NAICS code is 32223 and its SIC code is 3950.