Digital rubber stamps put analogue craftsmen to pasture

Rubber stamps will never go out of fashion, says John Mungai, a veteran rubber stamp maker who has been in the business for over 20 years.

And he would know; he has seen the business move from the days when rubber stamps had to be carved out with a razor, to its current state where everything is digital.

“To be able to operate this business today, you must be computer literate,” Mungai says. “I had to enroll for computer classes myself, because today it’s all about learning to create a template, then using that to edit the stamp. You don’t have to sketch and then design the stamp on a computer every time.”

John, like many others, learned the business from pioneers on River Road. He has evolved his craft as the years have gone by, but the onset of technology means the business isn’t what it once was.

“Technology has made things easier for us,” he says. “We don’t use our hands to make rubber stamps like we used to, where you had to ‘chonga’ the stamp from tyres. But that same technology has also affected our business, so we don’t make good money like before. There are many stamps such as date stamps, wooden stamps, paid stamp, and collect stamp. We charge Sh1,800 to Sh2,000 not like before when we charged depending on the letters. Our main customers are lawyers, schools, companies and business people but due to the rising cases of forgery one is required to come with a letter of authorisation. Most people fear forging stamps from banks, law firms and government institutions because they fear landing into trouble,” he says.

Anthony Muchiri, another rubber stamp maker who uses analogue methods, says things are so bad that you can go for a week without getting a client.

“Nowadays we don’t get clients because many people want digital stamps. You can go for a week without getting a client. For those of us who are still analogue and operate in the streets  we are having a hard time because customers says that computerized ones are smart and it only takes a few minutes to produce one. I have been in this business for the past 10 years and things are no longer the same because customers say that the old ones are not clear and sometimes they get angry saying that you have done shoddy and refuse to pay. This has forced us to become brokers because we don’t have the facilities and knowledge of producing computerized ones.

“Oval and round shaped stamps are the most demanding but the business has gone down because most people no longer do documentation. We buy wooden shapes at Gikomba market and make our own shapes and size.

According to Peter Gachie a rubber stamp maker operating along Luthuli Avenue rubber stamp business used to boom in the 90’s .

“We used to make a lot of money in the 90’s and early 2000. I had an office but when the competition became stiff, business took a downward spiral and I was forced to operate in the street because I could not afford rent. When I started, I used to make rubber stamps using a razor blade. Selling stamps nowadays has become problematic because of high competition. I pay Sh2,500 to Kanjo annually so that I can operate in the streets. Most of my clients are men. Women are difficult to deal with because they bargain a lot,” he says.

— Kelvin Kamau