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Guider Pens are hand turned by Guider Pen Works, Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh, India. The company was started in 1946 by Mr. G Subbarao. At present his son Mr. Lakshmana Rao looks after the business. They still turn the pens by hand and the pen materials are acrylic, ebonite and some celluloid which it is claimed is in stock since 1950s. I bought an Emerald and pearl green swirl acrylic medium pen. It is offered in eye dropper filler but Mr. Lakshamana Rao, the gentleman he is, agreed to do a cartridge/convertor version of the pen for me. So my ‘Guider Acrylic Medium’ is a cartridge/convertor filler with a fine nib. Design and Workmanship The pen is in emerald and pearl green swirl with the pearl green having a mother of pearl sheen and white lines rippling through. This gorgeous acrylic makes it very attractive and the high gloss polish adds to the beauty. The golden clip is Parker like Arrow with Guider embossed on it. There are two golden cap rings and a jewel of same acrylic on the cap. The cap is screw type and opens in very convenient 21/2 turns. The barrel is rounded at the end without any end-cap or rings. The barrel threads are generous so that the ink does not leak as the pen can be used as an eye dropper filler too. The Section is made of the same acrylic. It is straight with a flared edge. The pen uses an ebonite comb feed and #3 nib in a nib housing which is screwed into the section. Size of the nib is in perfect resonance with the pen but it is steel coloured, an absolute no-no with a golden trim. 4/5 Dimensions and Weight Weight 25.7 gms Length capped 144 mm Length uncapped 128 mm Length posted 169 mm Section Diameter 12 mm Barrel Diameter 17 mm Cap Diameter 19 mm It is a medium sized pen but due to acrylic, is light weight. The balance is excellent when posted but feels awkward when un-posted. The size and diameter of section and the balance as well as weight is ideal for long hours of writing. 4/5 Nib The nib is steel while rest of the trim is golden causing a clash which takes a lot away from the looks. The nib is not smooth but toothy with a lot of feed back. However the feed and nib combination is good as it lays a wet and uniform line. I had to change the nib with a FPR 2 tone medium nib to make the glaring design flaw go away. The nib leaves a lot to be desired. 3/5 Filling System The cartridge convertor filling system is very handy as it takes any International size cartridges. The twist convertor, very obviously of Chinese origin, holds 1.1 ml of ink and offers you a choice of any ink of your choice. The pen can be used as an eye dropper filler too. 5/5 Price and Value for Money The cartridge/convertor filler version of the pen was supplied for Rs 1,200/- (approximately US$18) excluding shipping. It is a value for money pen for its design, feed, quality of acrylic and finish. The nib malady can be easily treated by a nib switch. Or you can order the more expensive German nib and cartridge/convertor from the manufacturer. 5/5 In my opinion, there are not many hand turned pen makers left in business and each piece they create is an artefact or let us say a sculpture. Guider make their pens in the old fashioned way by hand on machines imported from Germany more than 70 years ago.For serious collectors and even fp lovers it is a must have. Overall Score: 21/25

Mohi pens are hand made by Abhey Pen Agencies, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. They make ebonite and acrylic pens but use nibs from some other manufacturer whose name was not divulged to me. I bought one Mohi Acrylic Tanishq in cracked ice colour. Design Tanishq is an acrylic hand-made fountain pen with chrome trim in cracked ice resin. It is a small sized pen. It has a cylindrical shape with straight cut ends and a the tear drop clip. The cap has a 2mm chrome cap ring and clip has a crisp Mohi inscribed on it. It is an eye-dropper filler and the translucent acrylic resin is very attractive with swirls of mother of pearl luminescence. The pen cap opens in 2 1/2 turns, which is a very welcome feature. The straight stepped section is of a very correct thickness and length making good for tireless writing. The stainless steel nib is small for the size of pen and looks disproportionate, taking some thing away from a beautiful pen. 4/5 Dimensions Weight: 18 gms Length: 126 mm (5.2”) Length of uncapped pen: 113 mm (4.5”) Posted length: 149 mm (5.9”) Diameter of section: 12 mm (0.5”) Barrel diameter: 14 mm (0.6”) It is a small sized pen with nice dimensions, weight and balance when posted. The nib is disproportionately small effecting the overall beauty of an attractive pen. 3/5 Nib & Performance The nib is marked “Mohi” Tipped fine. It is a firm steel nib with a 5mm feed. The nib is wet but scratchy. Yet a quick grind and smoothing on #12000 micro mesh resulted in a buttery smooth performance. The pen is now a smooth, wet writer, much to my liking. 3/5 Filling system The pen is an eye dropper filler and holds about 3 ml of ink due to small size of barrel. The section threads are long and the pen did not leak. Eye dropper fillers are not my choice of filling systems because as the level of ink falls, they tend to burp, Tanishq being no exception. There is also an inconstant ink flow. The full pen was nice and wet but kind of dried up little as the ink level fell below half. It did not end here, as the level headed towards 1/3 the nib became wetter and then burped. 3/5 Value for Money The pen is priced at INRs 300/- plus postage (US$ 4.5 approximately plus postage). The pen looks beautiful and after smoothening, writes very well. At this price, despite its draw backs, it is a must buy pen for the facts that it is hand turned and made out of beautiful acrylic resin. 5/5 End Note No Indian fountain pen collection would be complete with out this pen as there are very few hand made fountain pen available. Most of the manufacturers have closed shop due to “ball pen” onslaught. Some brave hearts Like Abhey Pens are still turning out these beauties and must be helped along in their venture. Total Score: 18/25

Hello everyone. I went for Guider egg acrylic fountain pen impulsively after reading a review by fellow Indian FPN gold member Prithwijit for ASA Santulan. Interested persons might like to first read through the wonderful introduction about fountain pen shapes, which practically went well above my head. So I concentrated more on the pictures, and immediately knew I needed a pen with "pointed top and end" (well, less technically). Obviously I didn't have the Conway Stuart material, neither the ability to design pens on CAD software and implement it. So I had to look for some ready made pen showing the particular traits in shape, which to burrow Prithijit's language is '...a cigar shaped pen with a torpedo like barrel and a pyramid like cap' and I stumbled across one of the current production models from 'Guider' pens, the Guider Egg. Now one disclaimer - This pen is nothing in front of Prithwijit's ASA Santulan, period. I have the propensity to seek small little joys out of nothing when other routes might be temporarily out of reach ( here it was the CS blanks). So, his review inspired me, gave me immense joy and one day I'll make my own version, till then let me review this little beauty. Guider pen was started by Mr. G. Subbarao in 1946 in a place called Rajahmundry, by the banks of river Godavari in Andhra Pradesh. This is the same place where another patron of Indian made fountain pens, Ratnam and Brothers flourished. This small town became a place with rich tradition and impeccable artistry in making hand made fountain pens, just as India was at the threshold of becoming independent, both politically and economically. Its difficult to envision the extreme hardship, endeavor and dexterity of workers to produce completely hand made pens, without electricity, without Government support, in a shrinking market for fountain pens. There were definitely all those golden years for Indian Fountain pens post independence, with stalwarts from every walks of Indian society supporting the industry, but those were short. What followed was something akin to a dark winter, ball pens taking over the world, these facilities shrinking and getting eliminated with stiff competition from more organised and cheaper Chinese, Japanese and other European fountain pens, in whatever minuscule market that remained for these pens. Today, Subbarao's son, Mr. G. Lakhamana Rao oversees Guider's operations. I can feel his love for these pens. They are like materialized emotions, personifying love, care, sweat, joy, hope and heartbreak of Rajahmundry, a small obscure town at one end of this subcontinent, trying hard to keep at least part of its rich past traditions alive. That's enough ramblingsfor now, but this is to emphasize why I go back to these pens, why I overlook their flaws and fight for them. If loving ones own history and heritage is quirky, then using fountain pen in this age is quirkier enough. I bought Acrylic version first, in brown material with white swirls. Later I was so impressed with the feel of this pen in hand, I searched out and bought the ebonite version in matte black as well. I'll review both together. 1. Appearance & Design: Both pens look beautiful in their own way. Obviously the acrylic swirls are more captivating and feels more costly. But the ebonite matte finish is also very good, for an ebonite lover at least. the Acrylic version is smaller and thinner than the ebonite, but that's expected. The cap on acrylic pen is longer than ebonite cap. It is because the pyramid shaped finial on the acrylic cap is larger. both the pens are cigar shaped with gradual smooth tapering to pointed ends. The clips are typical golden coloured flat clips with Guider written on them, the quality of paint is not very good with some small imperfections exposing the underlying metal at some places. Though I haven't found any rusting after some intensive use at humid conditions. Both clips behaves well and secures the pen in shirt pocket without being tight. There is no other branding on body, which suits the design. The acrylic version has two golden rings at cap end, protecting the cap. Ebonite version doesn't have end rings on cap, but the end surface has been made glossy skillfully, so it looks pretty attractive even without the rings. The pyramidal finials are flushed with the cap, that's a nice feature for the design to work well. Both sections are tapered towards the nib and both have a small step just beneath the nib for easy finger rest. The sections are well designed for long writing sessions, and threads don't pose any problem while gripping. Guider Egg in Brown swirl acrylic and matte black ebonite 2. Construction & Quality : I am no authority about acrylic and ebonite quality as I don't have many world class costly pens to compare with, but they don't feel cheap. The trim quality is not very good and this is one of the big problems plaguing Indian hand made fountain pen market. The finish is very good. the acrylic pen don't show ant imperfections in the body and cap. The ebonite matte finish is smooth and warm to touch. Both the caps closes on respective bodies with about two and half turns, no tightness is felt anywhere. The section secures well in both the pens, there is no leaking problem. The acrylic section is easily screwed over its body. Ebonite section faces some stiffness while turning initially, later it screws on rather smoothly. Both the pens are lightweight and much thinner than similar pens from many other Indian makers. 3. Weight & Dimensions : I don't have exact weight, but both are light weight. The measurements are given in the following picture. It is clear the acrylic version is smaller and thinner, with a larger cap. Both have very good balance, the acrylic one is a bit thin for my choice but holds very well while writing quickly for longer periods. The balance improves further after filling both with ink. Secure posting possible in both of them and neither becomes oversize after posting. I use all my fountain pens without posting. Size measurements From left to right: Kaweco sports, Sheaffer no-nonsense, Pilot Metropolitan, Guider egg acrylic, Guider egg ebonite. 4. Nib & Performance: Guider nibs are unpredictable. I had to change the nib of Acrylic version with a #5 Kanwrite fine nib and after some adjustment, it writes in accordance with the feel of the pen. It appears like a spear in hand, and the kanwrite nib writes with just the appropriate balance of feedback and smoothness, just like a spear would behave in my hand. The nib of the ebonite version is a bit larger, but fortunately it was good. After some smoothing on a nail file, it behaved well for daily use. The nibs are one of the disadvantages of these pens, so if one is not comfortable with nib tuning or nib swapping, better not to go for these pens. Both nibs write fine with adequate flow, flow of ebonite version more than acrylic one, but not much difference. Both have friction fit nib and feed. The feeds are probably made of ebonite. 5. Filling System & Maintenance : Both are eyedropper as default design. But I think if requested Mr. Lakhamana Rao can arrange for other filling mechanisms at some extra price. The maintenance is minimum, at most amounting to periodical application of silicone grease at the threads and occasional flushing after pulling out the friction fit nib and feed. 6. Cost & Value : These are cheap pens. Each of them cost around rs 1000-1200 ( 15 $- 18 $ without customs, shipping etc). Even if one has to replace the nibs with kanwrite or Ambitious nibs (both very good quality cheap Indian nib manufacturer), still the price is quite decent for such pens, in my own idea. 7. Conclusion : I love them. I am posting pics and thorough review for others to judge. I'm no expert when it comes to fountain pens, just a plain user who allots some time from his daily routine to these small ceations. The Guider Egg pens, both acrylic and ebonite make me happy when I use them. Why there is no marks given in any segment : Let's face it, these pens are nothing in front of so called 'good' international fountain pens. Even many Indian fountain pen users are not satisfied with them when compared to the high standards set by some of the big names in this industry. So, I don't want to give the impressions that these are very high ranking pens, but at the same time I cannot belittle my own joy and the struggle of our cottage industry. I wrote candidly about them, its upto the buyer to dive into these pens. Contacts: Mr. Rao is very responsive and cooperative, give him some time and he can customise according to ones wishes. His no. for phone and whatsapp-- +91 9390163779.His website (though no direct buying link) Guider pens.

Dear All, We are offering Famous Oliver F27 Model Colour Acrylic Models in 20 Classic colours and Pilot Eyedropper Pens (Made in Japan) for this Christmas and New year'16 at very good prices. I have attached the details and pictures. Thanks for your support. 1. Oliver F-27 Pens: -------------------------- Material: Colour Acrylics Dimension: 137mm Length when capped. Cap Dia : 15mm . Barrel Dia 13mm Nib: Ambitious White Fine Medium nib. It is friction fir nib. German White Bock (Medium or Broad) Nibs are available at 9$ Extra. Feed: Acrylic Feed Filling Mechanism- It comes with Catridge. It also accepts converters. Schmidt K5 Converters costs 4$ extra Clip& Hardwares: White colour Colour: 1. Yellow/Pink/Red 2. Pink/ Dark blue 3. Black/Blue 4. Red Cracked Ice 5.Green/Pink/Black 6. Red/Dark blue 7.Orange/Dark Blue 8.Chocolate Cracked Ice 9.Purple /Dark Blue 10. Bright Green with Dark Green 11. Sea Blue with Red 12. Chocolate with Dark Blue Swirl 13. Yellow with Chocolate Cracked Ice 14. Yellow with Chocolate Swirls 15. Green With Black 16. White/Red 17. Rose with Black 18. Yellow with Green 19. Orange with Black Cracked Ice 20. Yellow /Blue/Saffron Orange. Price: 1 Pen- 29USD 2 Pens -54USD 3 Pens -75USD 4 Pens- 90USD Payment: Payment can be sent to my paypal id mpkandan@gmail.com Shipping: Free Worldwide registered shipping. It takes 2-4 weeks for delivery.Expedited EMS shipping is available at extra price 2. PILOT EYEDROPPER PEN (MADE IN JAPAN): ------------------------------------------------------------------- Material: Brass cap and Plastic Barrel Dimension: 133mm Length when capped. Cap Dia : 11mm Nib: Gold Coloured Fine and Medium nibs. Feed: Plastic Feed Filling Mechanism- Eyedropper Colour: Black , Blue, Red, Green Price: 1 Pen- 19USD 2 Pens -35USD Payment: Payment can be sent to my paypal id mpkandan@gmail.com Shipping: Free Worldwide registered shipping . It takes 2-4 weeks for delivery. Expedited EMS shipping is available at extra price Oliver F-27 Pen Pictures ------------------------------------ http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/Oliver%20F27%20%20Color%20Acrylic/DSC05158-1_zpspludcdmv.jpg http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/Oliver%20F27%20%20Color%20Acrylic/DSC05166-1_zpsxbwqnmpq.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/Oliver%20F27%20%20Color%20Acrylic/DSC05168-1_zpsv9gibjy3.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/Oliver%20F27%20%20Color%20Acrylic/DSC05164-1_zpsy0gmuh7g.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/Oliver%20F27%20%20Color%20Acrylic/DSC05224-1_zpsi6ovgzit.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/Oliver%20F27%20%20Color%20Acrylic/DSC05220-1_zpsf64u4gb6.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/Oliver%20F27%20%20Color%20Acrylic/DSC05221-1_zpsk5z6xrcl.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/Oliver%20F27%20%20Color%20Acrylic/DSC05171-1_zpslgwfhldz.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/Oliver%20F27%20%20Color%20Acrylic/DSC05174-1_zpsotf2rqvg.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/Oliver%20F27%20%20Color%20Acrylic/DSC05178-1_zpsntkfbkkj.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/Oliver%20F27%20%20Color%20Acrylic/DSC05183-1_zps30dh9rqt.jpg PILOT EYEDROPPER PEN PICTURES:----------------------------------------------------- http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/pilot%20pen/DSC05139-1_zps5d8ywhcc.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/pilot%20pen/DSC05140-1_zpshntzvuqn.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/pilot%20pen/DSC05142-1_zpspwdjyz3k.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/pilot%20pen/DSC05146-1_zpssm7gus1w.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/pilot%20pen/DSC05154-1_zpsjnojmd0d.jpg Thanks,Kandan.M.PRanga Pen Company

So its been a while since I did anything on FPN. However its just been 2 days since my last purchase. Yes, I love fountain pens and with asapens.in (Subbu) in the FP community there are a lot of wonderful pens to select from. I shall probably do a more detailed post later for now I shall post a bunch of pics that I took (hastily), while explaining a bit about each of the pens under focus. I sincerely apologize for any shabby pictures. ASA Heritage: [Purchased from http://asapens.in] A few weeks ago my wife placed an order with asapens.in for a large pen. Subbu suggested us to try out his new design. I think this pen will be listed soon on his website. He sent a few pictures over and we decided to go for it with a Jowo-B nib. Below are a few pics of the heritage. As compared to GAMA Hawk. Check out the chunky section of Heritage as compared to the (relatively) puny section of Hawk. I hold the pen just below the threads and I just love the balance I get. However, for the sake of reviewing I tried holding the section close to the nib and found that the pen is a little top heavy, but for that one really has to hold it close to the nib (way down the section). If you're like me and hold the pen higher up, then you'll love the way this pen sits on your hand. This pen is slightly larger than GAMA-Himalaya(? Hope I got the name right). Interestingly, the sections of both these pens weigh the same. However, the barrel of Heritage is more heavier than that of Himalaya. Advantage? It does sit on the webbing between my index and thumb more securely. Disadvantage? It does become a little top heavy if you hold the pen closer (really close) to the nib. Observe that the Jowo-B nib is a few mm longer than the IPG on Hawk. It could be compared to the Lyle Ross Pompei http://www.pensbylyleross.com/pompey-4-cosmic-silver.html, for me just by looks the ASA Heritage wins. Note that they both come with Jowo#6. More perspective. More similarity. My top three ebonite pens (Top to Bottom): GAMA Masterpiece (Purchased from Gem and Co. Chennai), GAMA/ASA Himalaya (Purchased from http://asapens.in) and ASA Heritage (Purchased from http://asapens.in). Uncapped: Check out the ambitious 40mm. You could stab some one with it. This pen is atleast as mighty as a small dagger. Top to Bottom: ASA Galactic, Heritage and I-Can. Personally, I don't like the names but... what is in a name right? Uncapped: I love the concave section of I-can. Personally it is a little skinny for me. But my wife uses this pen and simply adores it. This is her daily user. The I-can and galactic are her daily carry pens (for now). Right now the i-can is inked up. Last week the Galactic was inked up with purple ink. The section of Galactic. Personally, I think the nib is set too deep. I just cannot write with this pen. I fatigue easily. But my wife says exactly the opposite. All said, the bock is just a wonderfully wet writer. I feel the bock is more wetter than the corresponding Jowo. I love 'em both though. The pen is stained purple. But I think it is kind of a cool look. Asa Galactic: [Purchased from http://asapens.in] The Franklin Christoph of India? We certainly believe so. I hope ASA flourishes internationally. This pen looks lovely. (In my wife's opinion) this pen is wonderfully smooth (thanks to the wet bock broad nib), it is well balanced. She feels that the nib is a little skinny for the pen but nevertheless it performs upto her expectations. As compared to the GAMA demonstrator. The Gama is slightly larger than the Galactic. However the section tapers a bit more. ASA I-Can [Purchased from http://asapens.in] Let me get this out of the way. I hate the name, abhor it. The name is not even half as cool as the pen. This pen is an absolute beauty. True, the design is classic from a bygone era (may be). But, we all love it. I don't understand why more pens do not have this section design. This is truly a writer's pen. Enough said, buy it and you won't regret it one bit. Check out the concave section, Deccan Advocate comes to mind does it not: ASA Heritage... just one more picture: ASA Heritage in the fore and I-can at the back: I love the side view of the Jowo nib/feed unit: Top to bottom: ASA I-can, ASA Heritage, GAMA Himalaya and Deccan Advocate. Personally I hate most of the Deccan pens. But the Advocate, is pure bliss to use. If you look closely at the picture you know it is beat. This is the only Deccan pen I won't hesitate to replace if anything were to happen to this one. I know a lot of people love Deccan pens, it just never worked for me (other than the Advocate ofcourse). Peace out. More pics of the same. My Deccan Advocate and GAMA Himalaya are beat, perpetually inked: A few writing samples, these are my wifes handwring: Personally I prefer the Jowo 1.1 when I just scribbling stuff (rough calculations). For me, it feels more stable. Mr. Subbu from http://asapens.in is doing us all a great service by producing these wonderful pens. Me and my wife are supporters and wish him all the best. Sometimes I wish Mr Prataph of Gem&Co. were as enterprising too. Kudos to these wonderful people who keep the art of making fountain pens in India alive. Hmmm... What will be our next purchase.

Hi everyone, this is my first post. So I just recieved a Parker 51 that I'm in thenprocess of restoring. The first thing I did was to make it fulky functional, and now it works great. However, there is a gauge in the seam between the barrel and the blind cap. It's not that deep, and it blends in but it still bugs me. Anyone have any ideas on how I can fix it? Preferably using common household items? Would black nail polish, then a layer of car wax work? Thanks folks! This is my first vintage pen and I love it! It's almost sentient compared to my Lamy 2000.

All, Over the last two years I finally expanded my collection and found what feels like the ultimate pen in my hand - and Omas Special Edition Paragon in the Arco Brown Celluloid. I also have some Omas Arte de Italiana (?) a Pelikan, and several Pilot Fountain pens including a two Custom 912's. My issue is: the Omas Celluloid feels different in my hands. The plastic feels plastic. The Omas Arte de Italiana pens have metal in the grip section and get slick after a bit. The plastic gets a little slick but also just feels plasticy (new word). The celluloid never gets slick, isn't cold, always grips well, and just feels good after writing for over an hour straight. Am I just imagining this? Is this a placebo effect in that I love the pen for other reasons as well? Do others feel this way or is just me? Regards, Chris

I have seen a couple of posts comparing materials but color is usually a big factor in choice in those discussions. I am interested in getting a solid black pen made with a satin - matte finish (Edison Morgan). A deep inky black color with the matte finish is important. But handle or feel is for me even more important. A velvety, silky feel that provides a secure purchase when held. Is there a big difference in feel and color between matte black ebonite and acrylic? I have also seen Torlon on the Edison site but I'm not sure it's still available. Anyone have experience with different satin / matte finish materials?

Introduction The cigar shape has been an all-time fountain pen classic. Whether it is the Sheaffer Balance of 1920s or modern Meisterstruck or KOP, the shape has an enduring appeal and is often the signature design for top of the line pens from their respective pen marques. The shape and form have morphed into being a hallmark of quality exemplified by such storied models such as MB 149, Sailor KOP, Namiki Emperor or even the platinum president line. Not all cigar shapes however are created equal and there are many variations within the broader design. Intrigued, I dug a bit deeper and this source provided an enlightening education on the topic. To summarize, there are two basic cigar shapes: "parejo" and "figurado." A parejo is a cigar that has straight sides and a rounded head.A figurado is any shape other than a parejo.http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/ASA%20Santulan%20Review/Parejo_zpsulicy0zv.jpg We can further classify figurados into Belicoso: A figurado shaped cigar that tapers sharply at the head like some kind of munition.Pyramid: A pyramid starts tapering right at the foot of the cigar.Torpedo: A torpedo has a longer and more gradual taper than other figurado designs. http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/ASA%20Santulan%20Review/Torp-Beli-Pyra_zpskt0vci95.jpg There are many torpedo shaped fountain pens. These tend to be cylindrical in shape with smooth tapering towards rounded ends. Nothing exemplifies the genesis of this shape than the classic torpedo shaped Sheaffer’s pens such as the Balance and the Sovereign series. There are many contemporary pen makers who are churning out excellent torpedo shaped pens. From top of the mind recall, a few like Ranga, Edison and Guider come to mind. I wanted a few such pens to be made from different materials and requested Mr. Subramaniam of ASApens to make a variant of the torpedo shape. This was the genesis of the pen I am about to review. Fellow FPNers Kapil (@springrainbow) and Pradeep (@pdg84) christened the pen “Santulan” which means “Balance” in Hindi and is an obvious homage to the pioneering model of this design language. Design In case my rather lengthy and rambling introduction doesn’t make it clear enough, the Santulan is a cigar shaped pen. To be a bit more pedantic it is a cigar shaped pen with a torpedo like barrel and a pyramid like cap. There is a discernible step between the barrel and the section with a fairly large area where you have the threading for the cap. The section itself is long and comfortable. It is a new design by ASA and is mildly concave with the diameter at the barrel side being just a tad larger than the diameter near the nib, thus allowing for a gentle inward slope. The material used is the Conway Stewart Red Whirl acrylic. It’s a beautiful shade of emerald green with hues of pearlescent effect. The red swirly patterns add to the mystique and brilliantly complement the Stahl Rot (“Red Steel”) nib that has been used with this pen. The entire pen has been buffed smooth and gives off a nice shine. Trims have been kept deliberately to a minimum and there is just a clip for utility purposes. It’s a beautiful regular sized, light and robust pen that is meant to be used daily. http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/ASA%20Santulan%20Review/IMGP2037_zpsbikd6ct5.jpg http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/ASA%20Santulan%20Review/IMGP2042_zpsvft7oudt.jpg http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/ASA%20Santulan%20Review/IMGP2040_zpsmxrptdar.jpg http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/ASA%20Santulan%20Review/IMGP2041_zpsy69fe6hc.jpg http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/ASA%20Santulan%20Review/IMGP2048_zpsbjvqy8k4.jpg Size and Balance At 153mm capped, the specifications may indicate that this is a heavy oversized pen. Nothing can be further from the truth. This is one of the lightest, slimmest and most comfortable ASA pen that I have ever used. Partly the reason for it’s lengths is the inherent length required of torpedo and missile like shape at the two finials. But a very slim barrel width of 10mm and section width of 8mm should leave no doubt about the fact that this is firmly an EDC (Every Day Carry) pen. This is the slimmest section in an ASA pen that I have ever used and should put to rest any concerns that anyone might have with regards to the thicker than normal girth of Indian handmade pens. Not only the thickness, but also the shape of the section is meant to accentuate the feeling of comfort. Nothing beats the feeling in hand once you start writing with it and realise feather-light weight and the comfort. Needless to say, the pen is well balanced and provides comfortable writing for extended periods. http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/ASA%20Santulan%20Review/IMGP2051_zpsoexo6bjv.jpg http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/ASA%20Santulan%20Review/IMGP2049_zpsjnj5vh21.jpg Nib Lately I have developed a fascination for experiencing nibs made of different materials. Given that The Bock 250 triple system seems to have the widest range of conceivable material options, its hardly surprising that I have embarked on developing a collection of different Bock 250 nibs. For the Santulan I had opted to use the “Bock 250 Stahl Rot” unit in medium width. This is essentially a steel nib with an anodized red coating. The coating process gives the nib a matte red outer appearance. The nib colour brilliantly complements the red whirl finish of the material. A big thank goes out to fellow FPNer Tervinder (@romee_win) and his brother Rajdilawar who took great pains and got it for me from Germany. Filling Mechanism Like most pens that I order, the Santulan too comes in a Cartridge-Converter system and accepts standard international cartridges and compatible convertors. In my opinion this provides the the optimum combination of value, system longevity, convenience and widespread compatibility. The pen comes with a Schmidt K5 convertor out of the box. Build Quality The Santulan exhibits the standard ASA quality attributes. As usual, the fit, finish and the tolerances are excellent and the joints are seamless. A lot of attention and care has been put into polishing and buffing to ensure a very high quality of the finish. However one has to keep in mind that it is an entirely hand-made pen and there is likely to be some fine trace marks under minute inspections. Writing Experience Bock is one of the most (if not the most) renowned independent manufacturer of nibs in Europe and worldwide. Their clientele include who’s who of leading pen brands in the world. Naturally expectations were very high from the nib. Unfortunately, out of the box the nib was extremely dry and maybe even a bit scratchy. While the initial experience was underwhelming, Mr. Subramaniam assured me that once properly tuned, this nib would be a joy to use. True to his words, he has done magic with this nib. Post tuning, the nib is smooth and glides over the paper. There is just a hint of feedback and that too the sort that is usually so enjoyable and adds character to the writing experience. I am very happy with how the pen writes now and can heartily recommend a tuned Bock to all. The only additional ask if I may add would be a slightly increased ink flow which would make things perfect. The nib does not have any softness or flexing characteristics and can be considered a nail. Overall, a great nib and a wonderful writing experience. There has been one major drawback of the tuning process which I feel compelled to highlight. While flossing the nib and adjusting it, the nib started to loose its red anodized coating and some flakes of paint have chipped off revealing the steel nib underneath. This is a big disappointment and severely undermines the aesthetics of the finished pen. http://i1097.photobucket.com/albums/g346/prithwijitchakiPrithwijit/Fountain%20Pen%20Reviews/ASA%20Santulan%20Review/IMGP2050_zps0rtjibja.jpg Price and Value The Santulan was a limited run based on orders given by myself and a few other group members. While we each paid a premium for our pens, much of that premium went towards the special material and the nibs that we had ordered. ASA however made it easy thanks to the affordable pricing for making the pens. The price reflects the price of components and the effort that goes into making each pen. To summarize, the pen represents good value at an affordable price point. Specifications The measurements shared below have been taken with a simple ruler and my bare eyes. While they may lack precision, they should still be adequate to give you an overall picture of the size of the instrument. Length (capped) – 153 mm Length (uncapped) – 137 mm Length (cap) – 71.5 mm Length (section) – 23 mm Maximum width (cap) – 11 mm Maximum width (barrel) – 10 mm Maximum section width – 8 mm Minimum section width – 7 mm Conclusion Mr Subramaniam of ASA pens has been very gracious in entertaining the Santulan order even though it is not part of the standard line. The very few who have owned or used this pen, have appreciated it’s balance, comfort and overall writing experience. It is an elegant pen oversized pen this is still lightweight. The design lends itself to using most #6 nibs that are available. With the risk of inherent bias clouding my judgement, I would still have little hesitation in recommending this pen to others. I am sure all of you would enjoy it too. The only caveat I would add is to opt for other standard Bock or Jowo nibs and not the Stahl Rot colour due to the fact that it’s a poor performer out of the box and while tuning it is likely to suffer flaking or loss of coating during tuning. Useful Links Conway Stewart Red Whirl blanks from www.theturnersworkshop.co.uk Bock 250 Stahl Rot nib from www.starbond-europa.de Bock nibs are also available at www.beaufortink.co.uk Pen made by www.asapens.in

This is my first topic in FPN and first fountain pen review. https://inkpensblog.wordpress.com/2016/02/24/guider-large-acrylic-in-brown/ Planning to review some more pens in the future. Some pictures of the pen below. thanks, Dinuraj

Introduction Halwa / Halva (Bengali: হালুয়া‎) is a famous and traditional sweet of India which is slightly gelatinous and made from grain flour, typically semolina. The primary ingredients are clarified butter, flour, and sugar. So why would anyone name a pen after a confectionary item? The story behind this is really funny. It starts with me acquiring my first set of acrylic pen blanks called “Seasons” and sending a photograph of them to Mr. Subramaniam of ASA pens. Image: Seasons acrylic pen blanks Imagine my shock when he replied that the picture reminded him of Halwa. At first I was a bit miffed but then he shared a picture of a pack of Halwa and I found out more pictures of Halwa’s ready to be devoured. Image: Box pack of Halwa’s Image: Halwa’s ready to be devoured I couldn’t help but notice a certain degree of similarity in the colour themes and was amazed at the connection between the two. Ever since then, we kept on referring to these blanks as Halwa blanks and the pen that was made naturally inherited the title. Design The design brief I gave ASA for the Halwa was quite simple. I wanted it to be based on the ASA Popsicle but having ASA Daily size with an ASA I-Can section. For those of you who may not be familiar with the ASA catalogue, this essentially means that I wanted a simple and classic cigar shaped pen with the external dimensions of an ASA daily white still taking #6 nibs like that of ASA Popsicle (a larger cigar shaped pen in the ASA line up) with a section that is designed like ASA I-Can / I-Will which in my experience is extremely comfortable. The section gradually tapers from the barrel towards the nib before starting to flare out about 7mm to 8mm before it ends. As the images will stand testament to, ASA managed in delivering to me exactly what I wanted. The shape of the pen is a classic cigar shape with gradual tapering of the barrel and the cap towards the end filial. The entire pen is beautifully polished smooth and shines brilliantly. The pen comes with a chrome plated teardrop shaped clip which is similar to the one used in the ASA Daily. I wanted to see the impact of the beautiful material and contrasting colours and thus deliberately kept the design simple. As you can see, the colour combination has indeed come out very nicely. Whether posted or unposted, the interplay of the colours comes out clearly. The only fly in the ointment is the slight mismatch in colours between the cap filial and the cap itself. I reckon it has happened due to paucity of material of similar colour being available, but nevertheless wish this could be avoided somehow. Size and Balance The Halwa is a full sized pen comparable in length to the ASA Daily, MB 149, Sailor 1911 L, etc. Despite being a full sized pen, the Halwa is quite light has an amazing weight distribution making it extremely well balanced. The writing comfort is incredible and it promises hours of stress free writing experience. The light material and the cigar shape both contribute to the comfort negating any apprehensions that might be there due to the length and the diameter of the barrel. Nib The pen was paired with a Jowo/WIN #6 steel nib with Ruthenium plated finish with a medium tip. The nib is smooth and lays down a consistent medium width line on the paper. Filling Mechanism I prefer pens that accept standard international cartridges and compatible convertors. I find them to provide the best proposition around value, system longevity, convenience and widespread compatibility. The Halwa has the aforesaid filling mechanism and comes with a Schmidt K5 convertor out of the box. Build Quality As is usually the case with ASA, the fit and finish of the pen was superlative. The final polish and the attention to detail in obtaining the desired finish is impressive. It is however a hand-made pen, so there is likely to be some fine traces or quirks if one inspects very minutely. They are not visible to me with naked eye. The only area where there is still some likely room for improvement is where the cap filial meets the rest of the cap. Apart from the slight colour coordination issues I mentioned earlier, the clip ring is not flush fitting with the rest of the cap (About 0.5mm difference in diameter) and ASA can look into bettering this aspect of the design. Writing Experience The combination of the Jowo nib with WIN feeds and sleeves is very well known within the community and is usually considered a winner. The pen is smooth laying down an acceptable line of medium width. Where I found this nib a bit lacking was on the flow and it seems a bit dry to me. This is quite surprising since I have a lot of other Jowo/WIN nibs and I have generally found them to be excellent wet writers out of the box. I haven’t done any tweaking or tuning yet, but might do some simple stuff to try and increase the flow just a bit. Price and Value The Halwa was not sold as such to me like a commercial sale. Rather Mr. Subramaniam took a modest remuneration akin to cost of any pen in the ASA Stellar collection towards getting the pen made. Nib and blank costs were obviously extra. This is a great value because I am not aware of anyone else giving one off custom pens at regular pen prices and that too at the value end of the spectrum. Specifications I will put in my usual disclaimers here. I don’t have access to precision measurement instruments such as Vernier calliper and you would have to settle for the approximate measurements I made using a normal ruler and my eyes which means there might be a little bit of deviation due to parallax effect. However, given these pens are handmade and there are small piece to piece variations anyway, the measurements I am providing should give you a clear indication of what to expect from the pen. Length (capped) – 157 mm Length (uncapped) – 140 mm Length (cap) – 75 mm Length (section) – 25 mm Maximum width (Cap) – 15.5 mm Minimum width (Barrel) – 14 mm Maximum section width – 13 mm Minimum section width – 10 mm Conclusion This is the first pen I should have reviewed given that this was my first custom / semi-custom commissioned pen done from ASA. Needless to say that I am thrilled with it. Both as a writing instrument as well as a visual object or art it is superlative. Friends who have got a chance to play with my pen have commented positively on its balance, comfort and overall writing experience. Postscript Ever since getting this pen made, I have been pestering Mr. Subramaniam to release it as a regular product. I am happy to let you all know that he has finally agreed to make a small set of limited edition pens (approx. 10 to 15 pieces) using similar rainbow themed acrylic blanks. The design will be an updated/modified version of Halwa and the product is getting a proper name called “Santulan”. Let’s hope he can releases it before Christmas.

Mr Manoj Deshmukh is an artist who sculpts incredible pens. The acrylic resins he sculpted for me were cast to my request. His pens are large pens with beautiful asthetics and balance. The nibs and filling systems are as desired by you as he offers a very large amount of customisation. I bought three pens from him. All pens have Schmidt B or M nibs. lava and Tikona are Cartridge -Converter fillers. The first was black, red, yellow and gold resin which resembles a lava flow hence the name Lava... The second was Tikona (triangular in Hindi) in blue acrylic.. And the latest is this green and gold acrylic button filler with sterling silver trim... All these pens have cost between US$75 to 80. They are not only a pleasure to write with but also head turners. Here is a pictoral review of these pens. They can be bought at www.fosforpens.com ... The pens come in a beautiful wooden box shaped like a book with lid held down by an elastic band... The Lava... The Fosfor Tikona...a symphony in blue! The latest is this green and gold Button Filler, reminiscent of the 1930s Duofolds and other button fillers...it comes with sterling silver cap rings and clip... These pens are absolutely wonderful and genuine peaces of art since each is a bespoke pen and no 2 are alike perhaps.

Enjoy.

The ASA popsicle is the first non-eye dropper Indian handmade pen in my collection. Made in Chennai! It is a lot of fun, as the name suggests! [A copy of this here: https://fpensnme.wordpress.com/2016/02/14/the-asa-popsicle/]

I had gone dormant from the forum for a variety of reasons. Back in action now, and no reason why I should not keep going steadily from now. Here is a brief, one-page, hand-written review of my brand new Gama eyedropper fountain pen in red and black acrylic. Excuse the low quality photos of the pen and the scan, all taken with a low end tab camera. A copy of this is up on my fountain pen blog: https://fpensnme.wordpress.com/2016/02/06/a-one-page-review-of-an-acrylic-gama/; and a travelogue on my visit to Gem and Co this morning: https://viewwide.wordpress.com/2016/02/06/a-tradition-of-fountain-pens-in-chennai/

ASA – Galactic Jumbo Demonstrator ASA – Galactic was my first demonstrator. I never liked the demonstrators but i decided to go ahead with the purchase and amazingly I was the first one to buy this. Following is my review of the pen. Design & Build: My first demonstrator is a jumbo sized pen which has a fogged finish. The pen looks like what it is named “Galactic” The real beauty comes out when you ink up this pen. Aaaaah so beautiful. I have suddenly started liking the demonstrators. The pen is beautifully engraved with company logo on the barrel and also my name is engraved on the cap (Special thanks to Mr. Subramaniam). Made out of acrylic the barrel is in fog finish with crystal clear bottom and screw in crystal top at the cap. Filled with ink. Uncapped Pen with my Name engraved on Cap The grip section is again made of acrylic resin and i love the way the it shows ink spread out unevenly. It has a big nib which complements the pen perfectly. Clear Crystal Top and Bottom Built wise i believe it needs certain care as this is a acrylic pen. For further details and handwritten samples and review please click ASA GALACTIC

I am very new here. Recently, I tried cleaning the inside wall of the barrel (only on the top part) of my Sailor 1911 demonstrator with a cotton bud dipped in ethyl alcohol 70% to remove some waterproof black ink stain. At first, the stain was removed quite easily. But as I left the barrel to dry, I noticed that the once clear barrel turned cloudy on the area that was affected by the alcohol solution. I have tried washing away the layer of cloudiness with water a few times, but it did not work. I have not idea what exactly is the material of the barrel, could it be plastic or acrylic, that reacts to alcohol solution this way? So, is there anything I could do to restore the barrel to its original transparency again? Please advise, anyone?

Dear FPN'ers, We are introducing our RANGA Acrylic Model 4CS Pens with German Schmidt Screw in nibs and Converters. in 20 Beautiful colours. These are Eyedropper Pens. These pens are completely handmade and Visual mesmerizers. Please see our handmade Pen making Video Which is very unique in the world and needs Extensive skills https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08pUuLREZR4&feature=youtu.be The length of the capped pen is 5.75 inches. The thickness is 13.5mm Dia app. Flat shape (Both ends), Rounded shapes(Both ends) are available. Nib: The Pen uses German White Schmidt Screw in (FH341) nib . It is available in Fine / Medium/ Broad points. It comes with German Schmidt K5 Converter. The pen is 3 in 1 Filling Mechanism. Clip: Both Thin clip and Broad clips are available in Gold colour and White colour. Clipless Option is also available. The colours are 1. Grey/ White 2. Purple/Pink/Dark blue 3. Yellow/ Orange /Dark Green 4. Purple with Black 5. Bright Green With Thin Green Swirl 6. Orange With Black Swirl 7. White with Black 8. Pink With Black Swirl 9. Sea Blue With Red 10. Red with Black Swirl 11. Orange With Dark Blue 12. Blue with Black Swirl 13. Yellow with Dark Green/Red/Black 14. Pink With Dark Blue 15. Yellow with Dark Green 16. Purple with Dark Blue 17. Light Green with Blue Swirl 18. Orange With Blackish Green 19. Bright Green with Green Swirl 20. Pink/Green/Black Price: 50$ Shipping: Free worldwide Registered Post shipping Payment can be done to my paypal id mpkandan@gmail.com http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04750-1_zps0i2di68w.jpg http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04675-1_zpsjpgvehqv.jpg http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04714-1_zpszfqpp6nq.jpg http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04672-1_zpsaitglvsv.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04676-1_zpshq567geg.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04713-1_zpss4kmqc1r.jpg http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS%20Converter/DSC05121-1_zpskubcq6ka.jpg http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS%20Converter/DSC05113-1_zpsw1cubfdm.jpg http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS%20Converter/DSC05115-1_zpsupzoyxs3.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS%20Converter/DSC05111-1_zpsn4ztdubf.jpg http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS%20Converter/DSC05108-1_zpspfa3lhhi.jpg http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS%20Converter/DSC05106-1_zpskpzmwodj.jpg http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS%20Converter/DSC05122-1_zpsvsn9wkyd.jpg Thanks for viewing and support Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Dear All This is a dedicated thread for group buys of ASA pens. Currently we are pitching in for the ASA hooded pen prototype. Would request all to submit their names who all are in here for the customized hooded ASA pen either in acrylic or ebonite..

Hi, I need help to choose from the bewildering range of Ranga pens on their eBay page. What models have you purchased and can recommend based on the following: * Durability - no cheap plasticky junk * Ebonite and Acrylic based models - preferably latter * Smooth wet nib * Not too heavy after posting - good feel in the hand for long hours of writing * 50 USD budget Thanks, Ravi

Dear FPN'ers, We are introducing our RANGA Acrylic Model 4CS Pens in 20 Beautiful colours. These are Eyedropper Pens. These pens are completely handmade and Visual mesmerizers. Please see our handmade Pen making Video Which is very unique in the world and needs Extensive skills https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08pUuLREZR4&feature=youtu.be (Thanks to Hari) The length of the capped pen is 5.75 inches. The thickness is 13.5mm Dia app. Flat shape (Both ends), Rounded shapes(Both ends) are available. Nib: Wality Fine nib. Medium nib is also available. 35mm White Bock Broad or Medium nib is also available at 9$ extra Feeder: Ebonite Clip: Both Thin clip and Broad clips are available in Gold colour and White colour. Clipless Option is also available. The colours are 1. Grey/ White 2. Purple/Pink/Dark blue 3. Yellow/ Orange /Dark Green 4. Purple with Black 5. Bright Green With Thin Green Swirl 6. Orange With Black Swirl 7. White with Black 8. Pink With Black Swirl 9. Sea Blue With Red 10. Red with Black Swirl 11. Orange With Dark Blue 12. Blue with Black Swirl 13. Yellow with Dark Green/Red/Black 14. Pink With Dark Blue 15. Yellow with Dark Green 16. Purple with Dark Blue 17. Light Green with Blue Swirl 18. Orange With Blackish Green 19. Bright Green with Green Swirl 20. Pink/Green/Black Price: 40$ Shipping: Free worldwide Registered Post shipping Payment can be done to my paypal id mpkandan@gmail.com http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04750-1_zps0i2di68w.jpg http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04675-1_zpsjpgvehqv.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04714-1_zpszfqpp6nq.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04672-1_zpsaitglvsv.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04676-1_zpshq567geg.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04713-1_zpss4kmqc1r.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04716-1_zpsffb8mf31.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04726-1_zpsjpa2imaq.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04728-1_zps7t8axosm.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04722-1_zpssusq85z1.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04688-1_zpss0n0tk05.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04678-1_zpsjfnrxwe6.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04700-1_zpso2g8wwhd.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04697-1_zpskedbs25c.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04695-1_zpswkiiby0c.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04691-1_zpsopgvliv7.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04706-1_zpsto03rjxz.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04703-1_zps9gbisnao.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04710-1_zpsp7du5rp9.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04701-1_zpshx2gtrmp.jpg http://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04734-1_zpswalmke41.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04737-1_zpsyta9qnr6.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04738-1_zpsfxis0uj2.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04740-1_zpsqt4mhmxs.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04729-1_zpsk8jd3nri.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04698-1_zpsw4ecmpww.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04742-1_zpsowrpaane.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04741-1_zpsybkmdyti.jpghttp://i1189.photobucket.com/albums/z437/mpkandan/CRod%20Ebonite%20Gajendra/C%20Rod%20Acrylic%20Model%204CS/DSC04744-1_zps5caksjwo.jpgThanks for viewing and support Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

asapens recently launched a new pen, called the rainbow. This pen is available in a bunch of colours and is made of acrylic. These pens are c/c and eyedropper convertible and have Schmidt nib units. It is available in fine, medium and broad. I ordered their 'flaming orange' (quite a fancy name if you ask me!) version with broad nib and rounded ends. I must say that the pen sure does look stunning and writes equally well! BODY The pen's body is made of acrylic and looks quite nice. The quality of the acrylic is pretty good. The pen is completely hand-made. The surface has a bit of imperfections but since it is hand made, I have no problems. The acrylic has a lot of 'depth' which I could not capture well in the picture. The ASA logo is not clearly visible and one has to squint a bit to see it clearly. The cap is screw on type and takes 1 1/3 turns to fully unscrew. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AknkfXg_Qnw/VjNIUa8Z4zI/AAAAAAAAAG0/PwoUO4PcLLw/s640/DSC_0006.JPG http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ynzKza8U4Qw/VjNIPlR-33I/AAAAAAAAAGo/SqtgmwBwkjE/s640/DSC_0005.JPGNIB The nib is a Schmidt Broad which writes more like a medium. It is quite smooth and has a bit of flex but it is almost negligible. It is a stainless steel nib. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-inIaxNypaNw/VjNIQFONgNI/AAAAAAAAAGs/V2cfyPRSyHo/s640/DSC_0007.JPG This is actually a whole unit with a schmidt converter (optional). SECTIONThe section is shaped like the section of the ASA I can. It is extremely comfortable to hold and is well suited for long writing sessions. It too is made of the same Acrylic as the rest of the pen. The section can be seen in the above pic. MEASUREMENTS I compared the measurements with those on the ASA site and they seem pretty much the same. Pen Length (Capped)135mmPen Length (Un-capped)100 mm (Excl Nib)Pen Length (Un-capped)120 mm (Incl Nib)Section Length25 mmCap Length65 mmCap Dia16 mmBarrel Dia14 mmSection Dia12 mm avg. WRITING SAMPLEThe pen writes quite wet. I would rate the wetness to be 8/10. It is pretty smooth as well. In terms of smoothness, it will easily score 9/10. The ink used in this sample is parker quink blue and the paper was 70gsm century A4 sheet.http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xchZpwmK6jk/VjNHk3AOZII/AAAAAAAAAGc/-X1FSTQ9B7A/s640/DSC_0004.JPG SUMMARYI am quite pleased with the pen. The finish is quite nice and it writes pretty well also. I have no complains with this pen and it is currently my favorite! (They are not paying me to say all this, all the opinions are my own.)http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OQFuRaYTYmk/VjNHhgyDSHI/AAAAAAAAAGU/GQwDGiAe7Ok/s640/DSC_0003.JPG http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CeRVxFvznMQ/VjNJP_0ejbI/AAAAAAAAAHU/uNh3XbV09vk/s640/DSC_0011.JPG http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-R9zCckjuQ64/VjNJC9syrKI/AAAAAAAAAHM/Un36nrVVPZg/s640/DSC_0010.JPG

ASA – Galactic Jumbo Demonstrator ASA – Galactic was my first demonstrator. I never liked the demonstrators but i decided to go ahead with the purchase and amazingly I was the first one to buy this. Following is my review of the pen. Design & Build: My first demonstrator is a jumbo sized pen which has a fogged finish. The pen looks like what it is named “Galactic” The real beauty comes out when you ink up this pen. Aaaaah so beautiful. I have suddenly started liking the demonstrators. The pen is beautifully engraved with company logo on the barrel and also my name is engraved on the cap (Special thanks to Mr. Subramaniam). Made out of acrylic the barrel is in fog finish with crystal clear bottom and screw in crystal top at the cap. Filled with ink. Uncapped Pen with my Name engraved on Cap The grip section is again made of acrylic resin and i love the way the it shows ink spread out unevenly. It has a big nib which complements the pen perfectly. Clear Crystal Top and Bottom Built wise i believe it needs certain care as this is a acrylic pen. For further details and handwritten samples and review please click ASA GALACTIC

Hello fellow FPNers, So it was a lazy Sunday afternoon and i was in front of my laptop with a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Beside my laptop was lying the Oliver Karma demonstrator. I had bought it quite a while ago and used it quite a lot. As a result. The clear acrylic barrel had developed scratches that scratched the eyes of the viewer. Also, it had not been factory polished from inside the barrel when i had bought it. It had the marks of lathe machine in it. As i sipped my coffee, an idea struck me like a bolt. Perhaps the result of my strong brew! I thought, why not try and give it the "frosted" finish that has recently gained quite some popularity. And off i went to convert my thought into action. The pen itself is an eyedropper as evident. Nothing complicated. Just unscrew the Barrel (Huge 20 turns to open it up!) and ink it up and you are good to go. Initially it burped sometimes. I found out it was due to loose fitting nib and feed. Fixed it up by tightening the nib and feed into the section. The issue was resolved. The nib is okay in writing. Nothing to write home about but not bad either. Just average. Then again, its a 150 Rs pen. Quite decent for the price seeing that you get a hand turned clear acrylic barrel. The original finish. This how it came out after i used a bit of varied degree of sandpapering. The writing sample. My Instagram post (chintan_pandya)

A few weeks ago ASA's Mr. Subramaniam [NAYY] sent me and few other FPN members a picture of a pen that was made of acrylic. Upon seeing those pictures, a land grab style blood bath ensued with fellow fountain pen lovers trying to get their ink stained fingers on as many pens as possible. I came away with 4 pieces which I want to share with you today. I got these a few days ago and so I am still in the process of reviewing them, I will be updating this review in the coming weeks. Every fountain pen user has that one pen that he/she wants, that one pen which is their 'grail'. An acrylic of this type was on my list but I had given up any hopes of acquiring it given their prices. Finally ASA has come up with these beautiful models which were affordable. The pens are a joy to hold. I haven't inked them up yet as I've been busy admiring their looks. Watching them glisten in sunlight. The acrylic is of the highest quality and has very beautiful swirls!!! I wanted to bust out the callipers and come with detailed measurements and other nerdy details... but heck!!! look at these pictures, this is by far the most beautiful fountain pen I've ever laid my eyes on. The pen fits snuggly in my large hands, is very nicely balanced. The nib is Ambitious 35mm chrome. There were couple other colors I couldn't get my hands on - yellow and red. These were grabbed by other FPN members.