Should I Buy Kim And Co Small

[iamharshkumar97]

I have an opportunity to buy the pen for around Rs 1000. Should I buy it?

[OCArt]

Only you can decide but here are some FPN member reviews of pens made by that company:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/298632-a-kim-co-pen-via-palakkad/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/304573-a-masterpiece-from-kim-and-co-kerala-india/

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/203865-kim-and-co-pens/

 

 

And a news article from 2015 about this small shop doing hand-made pens https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/kerala-shop-still-makes-fountain-pens-old-way-even-though-it’s-not-profitable-34797

[mhguda]

IIRC, the Kim Small is not a very small pen. I have one, tucked away at the moment, but I did use it a lot when I first got it. It's one of the set of Indian pens I got when I first got interested in hand-made, affordable pens made in India. I bought several more Kims since then, all good writers, very good-looking, and most have that interesting broad clip they use. I may have played around with their nibs, but that was because of personal preferences. All are eyedropper-filled, which suits me fine.

[hari317]

I have an opportunity to buy the pen for around Rs 1000. Should I buy it?

Mr Rafi gave me a quote of around 1200 for the small in the end of January.

 

I can say that the prices have gone through the roof as compared to 2011 when I first bought them.

[iamharshkumar97]

Mr Rafi gave me a quote of around 1200 for the small in the end of January.

 

I can say that the prices have gone through the roof as compared to 2011 when I first bought them.

 

As per your experience, does the quality live up to the price or should I go with something from Gama?

[hari317]

 

As per your experience, does the quality live up to the price or should I go with something from Gama?

You might have to change the nib out. I was unhappy with the stock nib but thd pen was very inexpensive and I was discovering a new to me pen maker. Kim pens made by Mr ACR open and close in roughly two turns. No other Indian pen maker except maybe Fosfor or perhaps lotus offers this. In those days absolutely no one other than ACR offered hand cut multi start threads. They also used to use the nice multifin ebonite feeder that no one else offered. They may still be offering this feeder. I dont know. I have offered you the reasons to go for ACR.

 

Reg Gama, what models are available at the 1000/- mark? What nibs do the pens have?

[iamharshkumar97]

A

 

You might have to change the nib out. I was unhappy with the stock nib but thd pen was very inexpensive and I was discovering a new to me pen maker. Kim pens made by Mr ACR open and close in roughly two turns. No other Indian pen maker except maybe Fosfor or perhaps lotus offers this. In those days absolutely no one other than ACR offered hand cut multi start threads. They also used to use the nice multifin ebonite feeder that no one else offered. They may still be offering this feeder. I dont know. I have offered you the reasons to go for ACR.

Reg Gama, what models are available at the 1000/- mark? What nibs do the pens have?

 

About Gama I was thinking of going with Popular or Supreme as only those two models are available on asapens

[hari317]

A

 

 

About Gama I was thinking of going with Popular or Supreme as only those two models are available on asapens

The supreme is listed at ASA for 1250/- excl tax. Maybe tax gets added? I dont know. I like the supreme very much as you can read from my review here. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/254169-the-gama-supreme/

Find out what nib they use nowadays. I had to switch out the stock nib. I have not used the popular. The supreme is going to be larger and heavier than the kim small.

[K Singh]

The supreme is listed at ASA for 1250/- excl tax. Maybe tax gets added? I dont know. I like the supreme very much as you can read from my review here. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/254169-the-gama-supreme/

Find out what nib they use nowadays. I had to switch out the stock nib. I have not used the popular. The supreme is going to be larger and heavier than the kim small.

Yes they do add about 18% tax to all their pens. So the price comes close to 1500rs.

 

@iamharshkumar97 If you are not looking for anything in particular I would suggest you to try the ASA Daily. It comes for about 1400rs (including taxes) and with a Schmidt nib and converter. Great value for money I would say. Though I should mention that in case you have any problems with your pen you are pretty much on your own. My ASA Daily turned out to be great, but my another ASA pen was a waste of money.

[smruthib]

A

 

 

About Gama I was thinking of going with Popular or Supreme as only those two models are available on asapens

 

I own the Gama Popular and have been using it almost everyday for a few weeks. It's a fine nib pen, writes pretty smooth. Got it for a little over Rs. 800 on asapens. It's a great writer, large but not overwhelmingly large for my small hands. I haven't used the supreme but can vouch that the Popular is a good choice.

[Seele]

I have a Kim Small in green and black I got through Doc Sree, not small at all, but very well-made and nice to use.

 

About a year or so ago I was looking into getting a new car, as mine at the time was more than old enough to vote. At a dealer's I pulled it out of my pocket to take a few notes, and the well-dressed salesman's eyes popped out of their sockets: he asked about it as he had never seen anything that beautiful. Then he confessed that he was thinking of getting a Montblanc 149 but there and then he changed his mind.

[J English Smith]

Does anyone here know of a seller or representative who could source a Kim & Co pen for a buyer in the US? I have one I purchased many years ago, a standard brown ebonite cigar shape with the stock nib, and I was thinking about adding a Kim Small to my eyedropper assortment.

 

I like and also use the Gama Eyas and Gama Raja pens that I got from ASA a few years back. They are both great pens too; the Eyas is a smoother starter, the Raja has a wider (M) nib but I have had some issues with it (sealing the threads to prevent ink seepage, occasional hard starts if the pen's not used for a couple of days). Overall, though, I am using the eyedroppers more and more. I wish ASA stocked the Kim & Co pens, but I don't believe they ever have.

 

Any info appreciated!

[J English Smith]

Say, also, does anyone know what's up with the availability of the Gama pens on ASA's site? Looks like all but one or two of the models is sold out, including the popular Eyas, Kyuil and Raja moels. Is Mr. Sub shifting to more emphasis on the ASA-produced pens, or is there a supply issue with Gama on their standard pens?

[mehandiratta]

Well focus is more on ASA pens...

And he is has his hands pretty full...

If you want Gama pens ... Email him... He might revert

 

There is no supply issue on Gama pens though

[J English Smith]

That's good to know, thanks. Do you think he can also source Kim & Co pens, or is there a better current supplier for them who could ship overseas?

[gillum51]

you might try kiwipens.com. I think Kim pens are sold there and they ship to the US.

[discoversam]

I have Kim small in green and black swirl pattern. I am generally very happy with it. Actually it happens to be the smoothest writing pen in probably western Extra fine size. Only issue I face is ink burping but that is mainly because being an airline pilot, in the aircraft an eye dropper type pen is not a very bright idea any way. Bought it from store directly for ₹1300/- about 5months back.

 

Actually I will be happy to know if anyone can throw some light on the brands of nibs they use on these pens and if any Indian nib manufacturers use any standard numbering system for nib sizes e.g. #6 or #5 size nibs which are generally advertised by western nib makers.

[hari317]

I have Kim small in green and black swirl pattern. I am generally very happy with it. Actually it happens to be the smoothest writing pen in probably western Extra fine size. Only issue I face is ink burping but that is mainly because being an airline pilot, in the aircraft an eye dropper type pen is not a very bright idea any way. Bought it from store directly for ₹1300/- about 5months back.

 

Actually I will be happy to know if anyone can throw some light on the brands of nibs they use on these pens and if any Indian nib manufacturers use any standard numbering system for nib sizes e.g. #6 or #5 size nibs which are generally advertised by western nib makers.

they use a 28mm long nib on a 6.35mm diameter feed. If you contact Kanpur writers or ambitious(who are the main Indian nib manufacturers), this nib is called no 8 on their catalog.

 

Pfa screenshot.

 

Edited April 14, 2019 by hari317

[discoversam]

Thank you Mr. Hari!

[Eusorph]

Is there a way to buy directly from Kim and Co.? I read somewhere to contact them through WhatsApp. Does anyone has their number? Otherwise, what options are available to buy from them from abroad?

Edited June 22, 2019 by Eusorph