Nib Recommendations For Ranga Pens

[Simius]

This is not meant rudely in any way but I'm curious as to why Ranga Pens don't simply adopt a better quality nib for their pens and charge accordingly. This avoids customer dissatisfaction, customers having to jump through hoops to get the Ranga pens to work properly and would have the added bonu,s I'm sure, of increasing Ranga's customers. The pens themselves are beautifully made - it's just too bad that a poor quality nib can ruin hours of hard work by Ranga and hours of eager anticipation by the customer.

 

I've seen many posts over a period of time about these nib issues and it's those concerns about their nib units that have held me back from acquiring a Ranga pen. I would love to have one but definitely would not appreciate the hassles that accompany the nib.

 

I am not related in any way to Ranga. Just to inform that they already offer their pens with upgraded JoWo nib units as stock configuration. sold as Varuna on this page:

 

http://www.andys-pens.co.uk/varuna.shtml

 

 

Thanks for the link - I had no idea.

 

Having looked at the prices + shipping at andyspens and converting to USD/EUR - I'm not sure the Ranga Bamboo is worth the price. A better solution would be for Ranga to offer better nibs to start with (and of course, charge more than what they do). Or, manufacture the pen in such a way that makes it easy for the customer to replace nibs with standard after-market nibs.

[hari317]

 

Hari,

 

On the Deccan pens, what type of feed and nib do they use? It seems that Ranga could engineer the pens with a different feed and perhaps setup the nibs different. Do you have any ideas how Ranga could improve the pens?

 

Regarding Deccan, what ever I know is as a customer and only what I can see from across the counter . They seem to have a superb inventory of nibs, both made today and made years back in all sizes. They use different nibs on different pens. Right from the small #1 size to the honking big 40mm on the masterpiece etc... Most of their economy offerings today are with steel nibs or gold plated steel nibs. From what I have seen, they fit the nib and after that align the nib and heat set the feed. Most often than not, their setup is OK. They use a good but simple Ebonite feed.

 

Ranga already offer pens with JoWo nibs and Wality nib variants at apparently very different price points, Kandan is on FPN so you can discuss these matters with Kandan directly rather than I but in with unsolicited advise to the company.

 

 

With the cost of imported ebonite rods roughly retailing at 25-30USD per 10 inches, imported JoWo nib units retailing at 20-25 USD per nib, adding to that the prohibitive cost of international shipping and customs for importing into India, adding on top of that the margins for the distributing chain, I really don't think the pricing for their premium stuff is off the mark, but that is my opinion, YMMV.

 

Hari

Edited November 3, 2012 by hari317

[Simius]

 

Hari,

 

On the Deccan pens, what type of feed and nib do they use? It seems that Ranga could engineer the pens with a different feed and perhaps setup the nibs different. Do you have any ideas how Ranga could improve the pens?

 

Regarding Deccan, what ever I know is as a customer and only what I can see from across the counter . They seem to have a superb inventory of nibs, both made today and made years back in all sizes. They use different nibs on different pens. Right from the small #1 size to the honking big 40mm on the masterpiece etc... Most of their economy offerings today are with steel nibs or gold plated steel nibs. From what I have seen, they fit the nib and after that align the nib and heat set the feed. Most often than not, their setup is OK. They use a good but simple Ebonite feed.

 

Ranga already offer pens with JoWo nibs and Wality nib variants at apparently very different price points, Kandan is on FPN so you can discuss these matters with Kandan directly rather than I but in with unsolicited advise to the company.

 

 

With the cost of imported ebonite rods roughly retailing at 25-30USD per 10 inches, imported JoWo nib units retailing at 20-25 USD per nib, adding to that the prohibitive cost of international shipping and customs for importing into India, adding on top of that the margins for the distributing chain, I really don't think the pricing for their premium stuff is off the mark, but that is my opinion, YMMV.

 

Hari

 

Hari, your point is well taken. Based on your numbers, the price indeed doesn't look too bad. I guess what I was really quibbling (rather, moaning) about was the hassle in sending the pen back and forth, etc.

 

Now, having complained, let me also clarify the other side of the picture - Kandan is terrific to deal with, and nib apart, the pen is very well made indeed.

[de_pen_dent]

The Wality nibs arent as bad as people make them out to be. They sometimes need a little bit of adjustment, but more often than not, they work quite well right out of the box. I like my nibs with medium+ wetness and a little bit of consistent tooth, and they provide just that.

[plumista]

I did not regret the Wality nib as much as the eyedropper dropping and unbearable irregular flow. In the end, and in order to use my three pens in a reliable way, I finally bought three JoWo nib units and sent these together with the original three ebonite pens to Mr. Kandan. He made new sections to fit the JoWo units, and sent all back to me. The time and the money spent are ridiculous compared to the joy of at last using the pens without disappointing or even disgusting "surprises".

Plumista.