Jump to content

Varuna Gajendra


amantadine

Recommended Posts

My second handwritten review! I wanted to talk about this pen which I have owned now for a few weeks (my second ebonite pen), and so have had a chance to use it on a daily basis. I have read several reviews previously of the black version, but I wanted to make use of the fantastic colours and patterns that you get with ebonite, coupled with the texture of the finish applied.

 

I've typed out the handwritten part - was not happy with how it was looking!

 

Nib: #6 Steel two-tone (from Meisternibs)

Ink: Montblanc Sepia initially, Diamine Green-Black for the updated writing sample

Paper: Rhodia 80g/m2

 

Initial Impression

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8249/8463608962_e362929bf0_o.jpg

 

My second Varuna ebonite pen (the first being the Vishal) - my first impression was that I was blown away by the size of this pen! Similar packaging as my previous Varuna pen: safe and simple! I made one fundamental change to this pen: I switched out the fine IPG nib that came with the pen with a #6 steel two-tone fine nib I purchased from Meisternibs (no affiliation).

 

Appearance and Design (8/10)

 

I opted for the rough/textured or "Bakul" finish on this pen. I have seen lots of black "Bakul" pens reviewed previously, but I wanted to choose a colour combination that would work well with a texture. The black and yellow pattern looks outstanding in my opinion and not only suits the black section but also the two-tone nib.

 

The one negative that I have is that the pattern is not continuous between the barrel and the cap. No clip with this pen, which definitely suits the elegant shape; but this pen has almost fallen out of my pocket at work, not to mention almost rolled off my desk!

 

Construction and Quality (9/10)

 

Outstanding build quality! There is no discernible step between cap and barrel. I love the textured finish, something that has been executed very well by Andy's Pens (no affiliation of course).

 

Weight and Dimensions (10/10)

 

Length: 18.1cm (capped), 14.5cm (uncapped)

Diameter: 1.9cm

Weight: 44g (empty), 50g (full)

Capacity: 6mL

 

There is no doubt, this pen is huge! But for me, with large hands, this pen is exceptionally comfortable to use for long sessions (especially as I use my pens unposted).

 

The added length does not noticeably add to the weight/feel when holding this pen. I don't feel tired at all when writing for extended periods - but my Rhodia pads are getting noticeably thinner!

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8513/8462509125_53f64e30ef_o.jpg

 

Nib and Performance (9/10)

 

I have reviewed the Fine IPG nib (that this pen came shipped with) already with the Varuna Vishal. I shall be reviewing the nib I am using for this review. I love smooth nibs (who doesn't?), but along with that I also enjoy nib feedback. This is a lovely stiff (my preference) nib that puts down a reliable, fine, wet line.

 

This nib puts down a line finer than my Lamy Safari (Fine) - not displayed as it is currently not inked. I am definitely a happy customer with this nib: no problems with starting, no skipping during use, and great feedback when writing.

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8108/8462778455_670d80aebc_o.jpg

 

Filling System and Maintenance (8/10)

 

I have voiced my concerns with eyedroppers already. If one does want to use this as an ED there won't be any concerns with limited capacity! I shall be using this with the supplied converter.

 

Cost and Value (8/10)

 

Purchased from Andy's Pens (no affiliation). As before, very prompt response to my questions and excellent delivery. Not an insignificant amount of money (unfortunately), but fair when one takes into account the handmade nature and costs involved with importing from India, as well as the modifications made to the standard pen.

 

Conclusion (final score = 52/60)

 

This pen always gets positive comments from colleagues at work - many who do not believe it is a pen, until I show them the nib! Despite its size, I always finding myself carrying this pen around with me. I find it can turn even the most mundane writing task into a special occasion!

 

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8530/8462509049_b65abb4cb3_o.jpg

 

 

As always,

http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8090/8463877828_d382cbe572_o.jpg

Edited: I wasn't happy with the Montblanc Sepia ink - so switched for some Diamine Green-Black instead!

Edited by amantadine
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 7
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • amantadine

    2

  • PDW

    2

  • markiv

    1

  • watch_art

    1

Top Posters In This Topic

Posted Images

If you got the German nib version, Andy's Pens claims that the nib is a screw-in unit.

 

Do you, amantadine, know if this is a fitting compatible with other new (or old) screw-in nib units?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

If you got the German nib version, Andy's Pens claims that the nib is a screw-in unit.

 

Do you, amantadine, know if this is a fitting compatible with other new (or old) screw-in nib units?

 

I'm not sure about old screw-in nib units, but I purchased a couple of steel nib units from meisternibs - they screw in perfectly. I was also interested to know whether other nib units were compatible, could anyone else shed any light on this?

 

Thank you!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Meisternibs are made by JoWo, so their #6 units should be compatible with other #6 Jowo nibs. I don't know whether or not they're compatible with Schmidt #6 nib units. They are not compatible with Bock nib units.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 year later...

This red/blue/white Varuna Gajendra just arrived today. It looks very... traditional, with its cigar design without clip. Certainly Mr. Padurangan did a good job. The FP is huge (for good reason its name is 'Gajendra' = 'King of Elephants') but not as huge as I expected. The length capped is 175 mm, not 181 mm as it was specified. Uncapped the FP measures 146 mm. The section is between 12 mm in the diameter (the lower end) and 14 mm (the upper end), and 22 mm in length - permitting a very comfortable gripping. Maybe for a hand-made FP the tolerances could be accepted.

 

post-109852-0-73522900-1403888382_thumb.jpg

 

Just for a comparison, here is Varuna Gajendra next to Danitrio Genkai and MB 149.

 

post-109852-0-59022800-1403886705_thumb.jpg

 

The ebonite is well polished and very pleasant to the touch. Yes, it smells a bit. Unfortunately, the pattern on the cap does not match the pattern of the barrel, which is evident. But what is really amazing is the nib. It's a dream! The German (JoWo) fine nib duo-tone writes very smooth. I appreciate its down-stroke width to be 0.45 mm, which is usual for an European F nib, with a little variation with pressure. The nib is medium to heavy wet with the included converter. I did not try yet the FP as an ED.

 

post-109852-0-51441000-1403888143_thumb.jpg

 

This is my first Indian FP. More precisely, a Tamil one. But it already stirred my interest.

Edited by Alex2014
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now


  • Most Contributions

    1. amberleadavis
      amberleadavis
      43844
    2. PAKMAN
      PAKMAN
      33494
    3. Ghost Plane
      Ghost Plane
      28220
    4. inkstainedruth
      inkstainedruth
      26624
    5. jar
      jar
      26101
  • Upcoming Events

  • Blog Comments

    • Shanghai Knife Dude
      I have the Sailor Naginata and some fancy blade nibs coming after 2022 by a number of new workshop from China.  With all my respect, IMHO, they are all (bleep) in doing chinese characters.  Go use a bush, or at least a bush pen. 
    • A Smug Dill
      It is the reason why I'm so keen on the idea of a personal library — of pens, nibs, inks, paper products, etc. — and spent so much money, as well as time and effort, to “build” it for myself (because I can't simply remember everything, especially as I'm getting older fast) and my wife, so that we can “know”; and, instead of just disposing of what displeased us, or even just not good enough to be “given the time of day” against competition from >500 other pens and >500 other inks for our at
    • adamselene
      Agreed.  And I think it’s good to be aware of this early on and think about at the point of buying rather than rationalizing a purchase..
    • A Smug Dill
      Alas, one cannot know “good” without some idea of “bad” against which to contrast; and, as one of my former bosses (back when I was in my twenties) used to say, “on the scale of good to bad…”, it's a spectrum, not a dichotomy. Whereas subjectively acceptable (or tolerable) and unacceptable may well be a dichotomy to someone, and finding whether the threshold or cusp between them lies takes experiencing many degrees of less-than-ideal, especially if the decision is somehow influenced by factors o
    • adamselene
      I got my first real fountain pen on my 60th birthday and many hundreds of pens later I’ve often thought of what I should’ve known in the beginning. I have many pens, the majority of which have some objectionable feature. If they are too delicate, or can’t be posted, or they are too precious to face losing , still they are users, but only in very limited environments..  I have a big disliking for pens that have the cap jump into the air and fly off. I object to Pens that dry out, or leave blobs o
  • Chatbox

    You don't have permission to chat.
    Load More
  • Files






×
×
  • Create New...