Indian Pen Manufactures, names, brand etc.

[JulT]

One thing that would be of interest is if the nibs have anything stamped on them. In other words, are they Wality nibs or IPG (Iridium Point Germany) nibs? I hope they write as good as they look.

 

Dave

...............

 

When I got the Schriebers, I disassembled one of the pens to check. The nib is silver color stainless steel. Dimensions: 2.6cm Length; 7mm at the widest part. Engraved on the nib are these words: CLIMAX, then a circle with a letter A enclosed whose horizontal bar is the pictograph of a nib, and finally "Duranium Tipped Nib". The name brand "Climax...Duranium" is awfully hilarious. Maybe that is why this line is called Sleek <lol>. In cosmetic appearance, the Schriber Sleek is rather elegant and refined.

 

I haven't had a Wality so can't comment but this Schrieber nib writes much more smoothly than the Guider's. It writes more like vintage American stainless steel with iridium point or Japanese fine nibs from Pilot, Sailor, Platinum. Certaintly, this is not an IPG either of the European flavor like JOWOL and Schmidt (due to the hint of flex and its narrower true Fine, true Medium) or the Chinese IPG. Swisher's description mentions that the nibs and the ink feeds are Taiwan made.

[hari317]

The nib is silver color stainless steel. Dimensions: 2.6cm Length; 7mm at the widest part. Engraved on the nib are these words: CLIMAX, then a circle with a letter A enclosed whose horizontal bar is the pictograph of a nib, and finally "Duranium Tipped Nib". The name brand "Climax...Duranium" is awfully hilarious.

 

Climax is one of the brands under which nibs are made in India by a company called Ambitious. The circled A is their logo.

 

http://www.ambitiousindia.com/about-us.htm

 

Is the feeder plastic or ebonite, if ebonite it would be Indian made as well.

 

Best,

Hari

[JulT]

Climax is one of the brands under which nibs are made in India by a company called Ambitious. The circled A is their logo.

 

http://www.ambitiousindia.com/about-us.htm

 

Is the feeder plastic or ebonite, if ebonite it would be Indian made as well.

 

Best,

Hari

.......................

 

Thank you Hari for the info on the Ambitious Company.

 

The finned ink feed is ebonite with a wide ink channel. There is also a long breathing tube connected to the ink feed. the Schrieber Sleek's ink filler is of the aerometric type. The chrome metal sleeve (covering the ink sac) has two engraved Chinese characters. Since the nib assembly is threaded, this pen can be easily converted to an eyedropper should one prefer that way.

[hari317]

The finned ink feed is ebonite with a wide ink channel. There is also a long breathing tube connected to the ink feed. the Schrieber Sleek's ink filler is of the aerometric type. The chrome metal sleeve (covering the ink sac) has two engraved Chinese characters. Since the nib assembly is threaded, this pen can be easily converted to an eyedropper should one prefer that way.

 

Some of the small scale ebonite pen makers here make aerofillers using parts from the Chinese companies like Hero, the sleeve with pressbar and sac will be typically from Hero, if you remove the metal sleeve, you might find that the sac is sometimes attached by means of a thread/twine. I am interested in having a look at the removable nib unit, if possible can you take some photos?

 

Thanks!

Hari

[yaminisridhar]

Hi Friends,

I am Yamini Sridhar Kosuri,

Been looking into this thread,

Looks like many people are intrested in Ratnam Fountain pens,

 

i am the family member of the Ratnam Pen Works (Fortgate, Rajahmundry),

My Great Grand father (Brahmam kosuri)started this Ink Pens Factory and now also this tradition of manufacturing Customized pens are continuing as of today.

This Pens Factory started by my Great Grand father has a good will in writing recieved from Mahatma Gandhi.

 

Refer to this link about complete details: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=83118

 

I showed up in this thread to let you guys know that you guys can coordinate with me regarding your intrests i will be more than happy to help you.

 

you can contact me at this Email Id: sridhar.yamini@gmail.com with all your Question/Concerns i will respond as i read them.

 

I am currently residing in Newjersey, USA travelling back and forth to New hampshire.

 

Thanks

Yamini Sridhar Kosuri

[mpkandan]

Hi All,

This is Kandan.M.P from Ranga pen company. I'm adding my company to this list. We are the manufacturers of Varuna Pens marketed by my partner

Mr.Steve in North America. We are making pens for the last 50 years. All the pens are handmade by my father M.S.Pandurangan.

 

 

Thanks,

Kandan.M.P

[markiv]

I never realized this thread existed. Thank you everyone for contributing.

 

This reply serves me if I have to find this thread for reference again.

[yogendra]

Hi all...allow me to put in my two bits of information here...as usual the hobby started innocently, and before I knew I had this overriding passion to collect all possible Indian brands, at least one of them from both the traditional handmade manufacturers and the factory made ones...Hari is my friend and guide in this mad caper...and I think, between us, we have managed to chronicle all the major ones that we have come across and bought and since we dont have a separate Indian pens section, we made do with different forums...especially the photography forum, and also the review as well as this forum...and all these posts are scattered across these forums...so, from this experience, we can put together the various brands as below:

 

Ratnam and Ratnamson - Rajahmundry (Andhra Pradesh)(appears first because this was the brand that I first bought)

Deccan (brand Onyx) - Hyderabad (Hari and I have documented almost all the models)

Brahmam (brand Leader)- Vijayawada (now appears to be closed, though a couple of lovely pens do pop up once in a while...) (I have posted on the Brahmam celluloids)

Guider - Rajahmundry (my post on Guider celluloids; Hari's post on Guider Jumbo))

Prasad - Tenali (my post in photography forum)

Misak - Hyderabad (now closed) (I have a couple as samples)

Swarna - (somewhere in Andhra Pradesh)

Sultan Pens - Hyderabad (still active..)(a post on my visit to their shop in Hyderabad)

Ashoka Pens - Tenali (now closed)

 

From outside AP, we have:

Gama pens - Chennai (Hari has an excellent post on this)

Chennai ebonites (Hari would be able to throw a lot of light on this particular brand...)

 

There are some brands in North India. Ashish Wakhlu had reviewed a couple of them. Can't recall the names now...

 

Then we have the manufacturers:

Camlin (Hari and I have some posts on some of their models)

Wality (Hari is the resident expert on Wality pens, with posts and offers...)

Chelpark - Hari and I have documented some of their models

Wilson - I found some Wilsons accidentally while visiting Gaya, a town in North India; have posted with pics

 

And of course, we have some surprising Indian Watermans and Indian Pilots with gold nibs that are very rare now...and now we have Parkers (only some models...) being made in India too...

 

I typed this out just out of memory...In case I recall some brands that I have missed, will have a supplementary to this...

 

And I am sure there are many many more brands out there waiting to be discovered...

 

Till then...

 

Sincerely yours,

 

Jayasrinivasa Rao (Shrujaya)

 

Hi JS Rao, wonderful listing [btw, I'm from Bangalore too]

 

Just to add to your list, I found 3 more in Bangalore only. I am not so sure if they are product names or brand names. I suppose they are brand names.

 

Butterfly

Status

Ambika

 

Among these, Ambika is surely Indian. Looking at the vanity & variety of Status pens, I can daresay that it was thriving at least in the surroundings Bangalore when 'pen' meant only fountain pen. I shall post the pics soon.

 

Regards,

Yogi

[harshgagwani]

next

Edited October 28, 2010 by harshgagwani

[harshgagwani]

Hi Mr Rao

 

There are many Fountain Pen Brands In India they are

 

Oliver

Fellowship

Gama

Chelpark

Airmail

Arihant

FLAIR

Camlin

 

Actually I am a Manufacturer from indore I am into fountain pen since 50 yrs we are the suppliers to GAMA,OLIVER,FELLOWSHIP,ARIHANT,FLAIR,PIERRE CARDIN also we export the fountain pens to USA

 

Harsh

[freewheelingvagabond]

Thanks everyone. This thread is most helpful.

[lensist]

A couple more indian FP brands: Champion and College.

[Beechwood]

Any information please on a Premier Admiral?

 

Small pen with a Vac-like plastic

[akrishna59]

what an interesting thread. sorry that i joined the party late.

 

friends in india will certainly know about the ink manufacturer bril. it is much preferred in south india and during my school / college days i was a die hard fan of their ink.

 

they have started making pens also. both bp and fp.

 

i have always found indian nibs to be much better than chinese nibs. On the whole when compared to imported pens with heavy import duty (i have heard from premium sales outlets that it can go upto 60%) indian pens from selected manufacturers are also good, in my experience.

 

tks.

 

krishna.

[nicholasyeo]

How curious... I had almost thought that there weren't any pens made in India...

An intriguing topic indeed!

[bbbiswas]

Hi Mr Rao

 

There are many Fountain Pen Brands In India they are

 

Oliver

Fellowship

Gama

Chelpark

Airmail

Arihant

FLAIR

Camlin

 

Actually I am a Manufacturer from indore I am into fountain pen since 50 yrs we are the suppliers to GAMA,OLIVER,FELLOWSHIP,ARIHANT,FLAIR,PIERRE CARDIN also we export the fountain pens to USA

 

Harsh

 

The notable omisions are:

 

Ratnam/Ratnamson (the best and most famous Indian brand)

 

Ranga

 

Wality

 

Vishal pens marketed in USA and UK are actually made by Ranga Pens of Thiruvallur, Tamil Nadu, India. But they use Wality nibs in their pens.

[Aman Syed]

Reynolds Grippy, Hero Pen, Flair Ink......

[Giuseppe53]

interesting topic

I would add as a brand GUIDER .... and SERWEX

Edited September 7, 2012 by Giuseppe53

[ahab]

Recently picked up two 'unknown' Indian fps. One of them is called SYEDNA. No info available about manufactures. A good workhorse pen. Also came across a range of FPs called Bluesky. The DELUX is quite good for the unbelievable price one pays (Rs. 32/). Bluesky is manufactured by a Madurai-based company called Suresh Pen House. Any other brands made in Tamilnadu? Please inform.

[Sasha Royale]

On a whim----

 

I read in a post that there is a fountain pen, made in India, that sells for 30 rupees.

Unless I am mistaken, the price is equivalent to $0.60 USD. I generally expect to pay

$8 to $10 for a lower tier fountain pen.

 

Does anyone reading happen to have one of these pens to sell, trade, or barter ? I am

not seeking a bargain. Rather, I am fascinated to experience such a pen. Can someone

specify the brand name, if known ? If you have a "clean" (undamaged, un-chewed, etc)

one, I might trade a spare Reform 1745. --just for the fun of it--

 

My curiosity: My Pelikan M215 was $120. What did I get for the additional $119.40 ?

B) B) My Sheaffer No-nonsense was $12. What did I get for the additional $11.40 ?