Ebonite - Sheaffer Mix

[Cryptos]

Has anyone tried one of the Ranga Ebonite 4cs imperials from Peyton Street Pens?

 

 

[drssalahuddin]

Yes, I have one of those, Ranga Ebonite (i didn't understand 4cs??) fitted with with Eversharp 14K fine flex nib from Peyton Street Pens. Writes wonderful, has good flex but the problem I am facing is "leak". It leaks from the nib joint, though not so much to stain my clothes or hands, but I still have to clean it every now and then. I'm using Pelikan4001 blue ink with. Have to try with some other inks.

[Cryptos]

The version 4cs Imperial has a Sheaffer nib unit attached and is a cartridge/converter fill. I ask because I have Sheaffer Sentinel with a Triumph nib that writes nicely, though the pen is somehow the wrong shape for my hand. And a Sheaffer Compact with the Imperial style inlaid nib that is nice but very short! I thought the Ranga version may be a good marriage of larger body and excellent nib. However, I have seen no reviews of this particular Ranga model anywhere. Hence the question.

[OakIris]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I am curious about this pen as well. There are still no reviews of it, at least none that I could find. Since no one responded to Cardboard-Tube's original request for info - the only response was about a completely different pen and nib - I thought I would give this thread a bump and see if it garners some responses. (If not, I will start another thread with a more informative and compelling thread title. )

 

I am specifically interested in the "Inlaid nib custom fine Italic," nib choice listed - apparently a custom grind Teri or Ranga or ?? puts on the Imperial Sheaffer nib? - but impressions of the pen in general or of the 'normal' Imperial fine nib would be much appreciated as well. I know there have to be some folks here that have this pen and have an opinion about it....right?

 

Holly

Edited February 24, 2015 by OakIris

[Doug C]

I have one, and it is great. No problems over the several months I have had it. It starts everytime. At the time they were offering a fine stub which is what mine is.

 

I would recommend them.

[OakIris]

Nice! It sounds as if you are happy with your purchase, Doug - no problems, no regrets and recommended! Thank you for your reply.

 

Prior to posting in this thread, I sent an email to Teri asking for more details about the italic fine nib offered. I don't even know if it is cursive or crisp Italic grind; couldn't find any info about it on the Peyton Street Pens site. I would want the more forgiving cursive Italic but would love it if the nib was indeed a stub like yours is. No response from Teri as yet, but I am sure she will email me back - maybe even with a writing sample.

 

Holly

Edited February 25, 2015 by OakIris

[NinthSphere]

I have a feeling Doug's fine stub & the italic grind are one & the same. It's been on the drop-down options for a bit. No personal experience with it though.

 

One of the 4CS Imperials in blue green ripple was my gateway drug & the reason I ended up eventually joining FPN. Overall, a good quality ebonite body with a subpar (but removeable) clip & a great nos Sheaffer inlaid. One of the great things about the various Imperial inlaid nib sections is that they're mostly interchangeable, so you can swap out the steel nib section for a gold/plated/etc. I've since bought another body in green ripple for a broad stubbed 14k & swapped out the steel for a Lifetime cartridge pen section. A warning if you go that route, the Lifetime cartridge sections are different on the back end, so there's no room for a converter.

 

http://th09.deviantart.net/fs71/PRE/i/2015/055/d/c/sheaffer_broad_stub_by_voidelemental-d8jev8i.jpg

 

http://fc02.deviantart.net/fs70/f/2015/055/f/c/sheaffer_lifetime_stub_by_voidelemental-d8jev2l.jpg

 

I've actually got another body on my shopping list to put the steel nib back into working order.

[OakIris]

Nice looking pens - and what nice nibs you have, too! Seriously, that photo of the green ripple with the broad stubbed nib made me drool a bit, and the blue green ripple is quite beautiful,too, isn't it?

 

I have a feeling Doug's fine stub & the italic grind are one & the same. It's been on the drop-down options for a bit. No personal experience with it though.

I do hope you are right. I seem to prefer stub nibs, probably because they are so forgiving and yet do add a little zip to my ho hum writing.

 

What about the clip is subpar? As a rule I don't use the clip to secure pens to things - pockets, cases, etc. - but I like the way pens with clips look; somehow most clipless pens look unfinished to me. Plus I like the security of knowing that if I am a bit careless about putting a pen down on my desk or a counter, the clip will prevent the pen from rolling off and diving to the floor. (Yes, my pens are very gymnastic, this behavior has nothing to do with me being just a bit clumsy.) So, if the clip doesn't feel secure when you clip the pen to something, that probably won't be an issue for me.

 

The nib sections they sell with the pens are the chrome/steel Imperial nibs; they show some of the pens with the gold clip and the silver colored nib section; I don't really like the looks of that so would get the silver clip.

 

You now have me really interested in this pen, Doug and NinthSphere! I think I would like one - nice Ranga Ebonite body with a Sheaffer inlaid nib - yum! (I have a couple of Targa's, so do have some experience with similar nibs; very smooth....)

 

Holly

 

[NinthSphere]

Thanks.

 

I tend to be somewhat picky, but the clip just comes off as cheap. The top ring where it sits under the screw-off dome of the cap was punched slightly off center & is of large enough diameter that it doesn't sit perfectly centered, so you've got visibly uneven spacing. In some pictures, the clips are even somewhat crooked. It probably works perfectly fine for securing the pen to something, but I don't use them for that either. As a roll stop, it's fine. Either way, the clip doesn't cost you anything extra, so it's not a big deal.

[OakIris]

Too bad they cheapened out with the clip; maybe the silver ones are made better. I hope to find out at some point.

 

Still waiting for Teri or someone else at Peyton Street to get back to me about the nib. Or perhaps Doug will chime back in and let us know if the stub nib he received was in fact listed as a custom Italic, as you surmise, NinthSphere.

 

Holly

[OakIris]

For those who might be interested, Teri let me know that the fine custom Italics are considered cursive Italics, but they are on the sharp side in order to get the best line variation from such a narrow nib. They are definitely Italics, they are not stubs, which is what I was hoping for.

 

I need a more forgiving nib than this one sounds as if it would be, as I think this would have a bit more scratch than I like. Teri was kind enough to offer me a medium nib instead of the fine nibs - she has a limited supply of Imperial sections with medium nibs - so I have ordered a blue-green ripple Ranga 4CS with a medium Imperial nib.

 

I am pretty sure I am going to like this pen and may even write a short review of it, even though it won't have the stock nib size on it, since there seems to be little information about it here.

 

Holly

[Doug C]

Mine is indeed a less crisp italic and I am like you; I want it for normal writing. There is nothing fussy about this nib at all. It might be that they have changed it to a sharper cut.

Edited February 27, 2015 by Doug C

[OakIris]

Mine is indeed a less crisp italic and I am like you; I want it for normal writing. There is nothing fussy about this nib at all. It might be that they have changed it to a sharper cut.

It could well be that they changed the grind on these nibs; do you remember whether or not it was advertised as a custom Italic when you purchased it or if it was a stub instead? As I have said, I was really hoping for a stub, not for a semi-crisp cursive Italic nib.

 

I have read good things about the smoothness of the stock fine nib, but also that the fine Imperial nibs are closer in width to Japanese fine nibs than to Western, if not close to EF nibs, and I was afraid it might be too fine for me. I am hoping the medium nib will be just right.

 

Guess I will find out soon! According to USPS, I will receive the pen tomorrow.

 

Holly

Edited February 27, 2015 by OakIris

[Doug C]

You might talk to Terri. When I got it she said the person grinding them was just starting to learn how to do it, and I made a point of complimenting the work. She would probably remember when this was.

Edited February 27, 2015 by Doug C

[OakIris]

I was just curious if you remembered, Doug. Maybe your nib was supposed to be a crisper Italic than it turned out to be, but the nib grinder was still learning and ended up making a stub instead - lucky for you, since that is your preference! I think the medium nib will suit me, and I can always send it off to be stubbed if I decide that would be even better.

 

When I get the pen, I plan to take a photo or two and jot down some first impressions after I get to play with it a bit and the I will start another thread. I will probably put it in the First Stop forum since the 4CS is basically a Frankenpen, neither a pen from India nor a "true" Sheaffer, and I am not planning to do a formal review so the review forum is out. There seems to be very little information about this pen here on FPN, and all the pictures on the Peyton St. site show the pen with the gold clips instead of the silver, so the thread might be useful to someone else that is intrigued by this pen.

 

Holly

Edited February 27, 2015 by OakIris

[OakIris]

Just a quick follow up to let you know that I bought the pen and really like it. I wrote a mini review of the pen and ended up posting it in the Pen review section after all, should anyone be interested. Here's a link: First Impressions of a Frankenpen

 

Holly