Search the Community

Can anyone tell me what's the difference between ASA Daily and ASA Patriot and ASA Velvet? They all look similar, all have 3 in 1 filling mechanism, and... Daily has a #5 nib whereas the other two have #6 nibs (I guess). Any other differences?

Hey All, I have a number of other hobbies that exist due to small-scale makers and sellers who're all having a heck of a time over the requirements of the new VAT Import Tax Laws introduced by the British. A good number of them are having to refuse to ship to buyers in the U.K. from now on due to the difficulties imposed by the new laws. I was wondering if anyone had any knowledgeable insights into how this will effect the purchasing of fountain pens from the likes of Ratnamson, ASA and Ranga from now on? Perhaps even, being proactive about it, is there anyone in this community of pen aficionados who has the required expertise and generosity of time to perhaps advise Indian pen makers on the new demands of trading with the British and how to best deal with them? Hope everyone is keeping well, 'Rewpert. P.S. - If we could all stay polite and keep politics out of this thread, that would be kind. The FPN is proving to be a quite safe haven from the discourse. There's plenty of room elsewhere on the internet where we can all each other 'Mopheads', 'Brexiteers', and 'Remoaners'.

Hey folks! A few days ago, I posted a nice baakulized Wality 71JT. Here's the other thing. Three ASA Demonstrators that usually come with the baakul finish, now polished to a mirror like gloss. The interiors were also polished on the caps. I plan to offer aftermarket finishing services soon, once the pandemic has died down. Do let me know how you like them.

I'm still finding pens for long writing sessions, and I've discovered that I like large grip sections. Not being in the income bracket for a KOP, I'm looking into something like the Nauka or Maya. My understanding is that the standard pen (with the stock ASA nib) comes with a friction-fit feed. If ordered with a Jowo housing, it's a screw-in. If I plan to eyedropper the pen either way, is there any real advantage to getting the Jowo housing? It's around 28 USD more, which is more than the cost of a nib. If I buy the stock pen, couldn't I swap out the nib anyway if I didn't like ASA's? If anyone has a preference between these pens (or other similar pens! Gama?) I'm all ears. I understand the owner of ASA is recovering from surgery as well — I hope he's back on his feet soon.

INTRODUCTION: Greetings everyone. I'm back after quite some time and this review is long overdue. The ASA Maya was a pen that I fell in love with on the first sight. I read about this pen in Sagar da's review and wanted one of my own. I get how this is Mr Subramanium's design of a dream pen. So I got one Maya from Mr Subramanium and a kind pen friend from Saudi Arabia, gifted me another one. So without further ado, I'll get straight into details. DESIGN & COMFORT: The pen has a nice classic design to it. With a straight cap, and a barrel that first bulges and then tapers towards the ends, both subtly, the pen has a nice aesthetic flair to it. It seems to have a few curves borrowed from Kaweco's Dia 2, while still maintaining the original Indian charm. The section is simple business. Straight, with a touch of taper and ending with a thick block towards the nib. The trim on one of my Maya is chrome coated and on the other, I have sanded this chrome coating to bare brass. I have also given a baakul finish to the section on this Maya. The pen is quite comfortable in the hand. It has ample length and girth for my hands, that I consider to be larger than usual. The material it is made of, i.e. ebonite, is very nice to the touch. Especially on the Maya with the baakul section. Since it is made of ebonite, it is very light in the hand. Here lies my only gripe. I wish it was slightly heavier. A brass ring or two towards the end of the barrel might solve this. CONSTRUCTION & QUALITY: As far as I could find, there are no flaws with the construction of this pen. The threads are slightly rough, but I do know how to smoothen them using some Novus polish. The quality of ebonite is acceptable at this price. The brass trimmed Maya had a lot of pits, spots and discoloring. I used a gel-pen and touched these up. The baakul finish is beautifully done on the chrome trimmed Maya, whereas on the brass one, I had to redo it since the lines were kind of tilted. I can understand that the baakul finish is done by hand, but would appreciate a little more attention over there. NIB & WRITING EXPERIENCE: The chrome trimmed Maya has a Schmidt Fine nib and is a beautiful writer. Depending on the ink, the nib writes from a Japanese fine to a Japanese Fine Medium, which was quite a surprise since this is a nib from the west. It is smooth, with a lot of feedback. its great for controlled writing and handwriting practice. The brass trimmed Maya has a Jowo 1.1 Stub (that I've hand torched to an antique finish that should go well with the brass as it ages). This nib is fun to write with. As most of my Jowo nibs, I found it a bit dry. Its very smooth with a whisper of feedback, which I've smoothed out. It has ample line variation while still being usable for daily writing. (Please ignore wherever I wrote polished ebonite. That was a failed project ) WRAPPING UP: The Mayas are my go to pens for school and I've written 3-hour exams with these without any fatigue. I highly recommend these to anyone who needs a well priced pen for daily, long writing. Mr Subramanium of ASA pens is flexible to work with, and can do customizations without much hesitation. That said, I hope this review was useful to someone out there. Any comments, either here or on PM, are always welcome. I hope do to more reviews in the future

Hello From past few days I was reading the ASA Nauka Series review by our learned fellow members like Aditkamath26 (Very Good Pics), dinuraj - Marvellous info rich review, Sagarb - Superb Handwriting and Vaibhav (as always very detailed review with sharp pics) and after reading again and again I had decided to go for "ASA Aqua Blue Translucent Acrylic Nauka" . And let me tell you gentleman that though above mentioned people's review tempted me to buy this but I am enjoying this pen completely. Not only me, but my colleague at workplace are as well enjoying the beauty and writing of this pen. From last couple of days this ASA demonstrator is demonstrating itself very well. I believe, all the specs and details are already given in previous reviews, so, I thought that I will write some gibberish for sample and clicked few pics for your viewing pleasure.

Hi All, Sharing some group pictures from the recent Maya Group Buy, specially for Members Fountain Pen Lovers Group, India. I request all those who participated to also share their pictures here.

Introduction: It was not long before that I had bought my first ASA fountain pen that had served as the stepping stone into the vast world of handmade Indian fountain pens. Now, I’m the proud owner of two ASA Naukas- one in Tangerine, and one in the clear acrylic, TransNauka. I’m not known for my patience, so the wait time was really quite a period of impatience, but in the end, the pen makes up for everything. Now, lets get to my first review here .... Aesthetics and design: The pen’s design is reminiscent of a boat, hence the name Nauka (meaning boat in Hindi). The cap is almost cylindrical that has a bulbous dome at the top, which literally glows in my Tangerine Nauka in the right lighting, a bit less so with the TransNauka. The barrel has a significant taper towards the nib, but also has a slightly smaller taper near the end that ends in a point. The section is cylindrical with no taper at all, which really suits my hand. The cap to section threads are located on the top of the section, so that gives the pen almost a Lamy 2000 zeppelin-ish look. The looks of the pens really connect with me. The acrylics are brushed with abrasives. Some people compare this finish to a Franklin-Christoph but that is like comparing apples to oranges, since the F-C is polished on the outside, and rough on the inside, rather than brushed. I would compare it to a Lamy 2000, but slightly subtle. I imagine a Lamy 2000 demonstrator to be like this. In the right lighting, the Naukas glow. The Tangerine feels like a lava lamp. Both my Naukas are clipless and it just looks fantastic without a clip. But, that’s not going to be the case forever. I want to get some snake roll-stoppers for these Naukas, then they will be perfect for me. Construction and Quality: I’m not kidding here, but my TransNauka is flawless, almost to the point of believing that its not handmade, but it really is. My Tangerine on the other hand has a few scuffs here and there, but nothing intolerable. The quality of acrylic used is also quite nice. One issue however has crept in with the TransNauka. The engraving on the cap looks like it was done hurriedly. It isn’t really crisp and clear but has a blurred look. Other than that, I’m more than satisfied. Filling system: The Nauka comes in two variants: a simple eyedropper system, and a 3-in-1 system. Both of mine are the latter. A 3-in-1 system means the pen can be filled with a cartridge, converter or via eyedropper. In case you decide to eyedropper it, do remember to grease the section threads to avoid leakage. As a note, Mr. Subramanium will provide a small box of silicone grease with your pen. If you order the 3-in-1 system, you also receive a Schmidt converter. I don’t like using the converter since during filling, the cap threads are covered in ink and is difficult to remove. However, due to aesthetic reasons, I use a converter in my Tangerine Nauka. Writing comfort: The section of the TransNauka is cylindrical and has a diameter of 12mm. It makes for a comfortable grip for me, because I have unnaturally large hands for a 15 year old. It becomes slightly uncomfortable during really long writing sessions, however, it’s the most comfortable pen I own. This is true for both my Naukas. The pen can be used without posting and is really comfortable that way. The cap isn’t postable at all. Writing experience: The Nauka comes with three kinds of nibs: one are the ASA branded nibs in fine, medium, and broad, and these come with the simple eyedropper variant, two are the Schmidt nib units in fine, medium and broad, three are the JoWo nib units in fine, medium and broad, both available with the 3-in-1 system. Mine are the #6 JoWo nibs. The TransNauka has a fine nib in steel with no plating. It writes really well. It has a distinct feel of feedback, that’s not as unpleasant as my Platinum 14k medium nib. The fine JoWo nib is not really quite a fine. Its almost a fine-medium, that edges more towards the medium. Its wider than my Platinum 14k medium. But it’s a remarkable nib. The Tangerine has a 1.1 stub in steel, with a two-tone finish. This nib is really fun to write. It also has some feedback, but I quite like it. The line variation is also excellent and for me, the nib can be used for daily writing. But both nibs were dry out of the box, which was an easy fix. I have also tried the medium, but it feels characterless to me, so I ground it into a stub and that nib resides in one of my Deccan Advocates. Pricing: The Naukas are priced well. The regular TransNauka cost me 2400 INR without GST. The Tangerine commands a slight premium, at 3200 INR including GST. The international buyers will haver to pay more for many reasons involved, which I am unaware of. In my opinion, the pen is well worth the price, considering its handmade, has a JoWo nib, and is really comfortable. Final Thoughts: In the end, you get a really nice pen, with nice looks, great comfort, and reliable writing at a great price. If it was not for my Platinum 3776 Century Chartres blue, with that medium nib and mind-blowing resin, this would have been my favorite pen. The Naukas are a close second, I look forward to owning two more in the Aqua Blue acrylic and a brushed black ebonite. Only I happen to not have the funds for that. I hope my reviews are helpful to someone, and if they are, then mission accomplished. P.S. The photos were taken with a Nikkon D5300 and edited using Polarr Photo Editor for Windows. And in case you are wondering about the surface that my pens are on in the photos, that is a Pearl Jingle Cajon with an awesome rough finish.

I know, having read several threads here on FPN, that one needed to be patient in waiting for ones pen to be shipped. Sometimes even twice the given time. I ordered a Maya from ASA April 15 and was told the pen would ship in four weeks. Today, exactly four weeks later, the pen has been posted. I thought you who are expecting a pen might like to know. Thank you Mr Subramaniam!

Hi All, Recently, we did an India Exclusive Group Buy, for ASA Azaadi. A model which was designed after Conway Stewart Churchill model. Here I am producing a Group Picture of the pens made with Conway Stewart, Omas and Cocktail Blanks, for some of our customers. Thanks for looking. Subramaniam

The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games start in a few days, which is a good time to write about a pen that celebrates the last city to host the Olympics, Rio de Janeiro. In August 2016, I led an award-winning program in digital storytelling to Rio, for 25 students from the United States, Brazil, Germany, and Italy. The students, mostly journalism majors, collaborated on multimedia stories about the impact of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on the host city. To commemorate this adventure, I asked several people for ideas on a Rio-themed pen. Among them were Prithwijit Chaki, Ian Roberts, Lakshminarayanan Subramaniam, and a half-dozen moderators from the Fountain Pen Network. A design emerged that incorporated iconic elements of Rio: the green of Guanabara Bay, where Olympic sailing events took place, the color of sunsets at Ipanema and the Red Beach near Botafogo, where our program was headquartered, and a clip based on Christ the Redeemer, the monument overlooking the city. We decided on a Conway-Stewart material called pistachio for the pen, which was based on Prithwijit Chaki's Halwa design. L. Subramaniam, who runs ASA Pens in Chennai, India, created it. The pistachio acrylic supplies lush versions of green and red, but I havent completely followed through on the clip. I found a lovely silver demitasse spoon based on the monument, called Cristo Redentor in Portuguese, but havent had the heart to have the spoon cut, twisted, and soldered into place. Instead, a silver peacock serves as a roll-stopper, inspired by the peacock headdresses of carnival in Rio which is taking place as I write this review. The pens 1.9 mm music nib from Franklin-Christoph, headquartered in my home state of North Carolina, supplies a Sailor ink called tokiwa matsu in exuberant quantities. The ink is evergreen, but sheens in the color of brownish-red pine cones. The nib's "FC" imprint mirrors a statue of the composer Frederic Chopin at Red Beach -- Praia Verhelma -- created by the Polish community of Brazil during World War II, after a statue of Chopin was torn down in the invasion of Warsaw. The Rio pen is delightful to write with, and bears the craftsmanship of ASAs custom projects, which are remarkable, understated, and attentive to detail. It's large, about the diameter of a TWSBI Vac 700, but a little longer. Dimensions are on Prithwijit Chaki's account of making the Halwa. The barrel contains a cartridge-converter and bears an imprint to celebrate the city where the Olympic project took place, the date, the pens maker, and the city where the pen was made. Imprints document the creation of a pen for this generation and the next. Imprints are underrated, and I love them. One of the key lessons our students learned in Rio was that an event like the Olympic Games makes a permanent impact on both the topography and the residents of the host city. These individuals take pride in the celebration, and they pay for it. A corollary is that city residents make an unforgettable mark on Olympic history and on everyone who takes part in the games. Its like a positive version of the Locard exchange principle, the basis of forensic science. Every contact leaves a trace. L. Subramaniam shipped this pen to me in May 2017, which means this review is long overdue. I have been thinking about the excitement and anticipation of creating the pen, of the emails, drawings, and photographs exchanged in the spring of 2016, and of the ideas and contributions of Ian Roberts, in particular. Ian, who passed away recently, was an enthusiastic participant in the Rio pens creation. Known on FPN as Ian the Jock, he was Scottish, hilarious, articulate, irreverent, joyous, and generous. Ian teased me about my affection for green pens, which he disliked. But he loved red, and he enjoyed pens with nautical and ocean themes. Ian brightened this little pen community much like the people in cities who host the Olympics, or like the students who trained hard for month after month in the spring and summer of 2016, and then made a success of our adventure in Rio. Every contact leaves a trace.

After purchasing several of the Fountain Pen Revolution Himalayas, my appetite is whetted for more Indian pens. I've read a lot and have narrowed down the selection to these. I'd love customers to weigh in with their recommendations: ASA Translucent Acrylic Nauka Fountain Pen -- because I like, no love, demonstrators. (Did anyone say, "group buy?")http://asapens.in/eshop/fountain-pen/asa-pens-india/asa-translucent-acrylic-nauka-fountain-pen-online Guider Acrylic Fountain Pen (Schmidt Upgrade) -- because I like the greenhttps://fprevolutionusa.com/collections/guider-fountain-pens/products/guider-acrylic-fountain-pen-schmidt-upgrade Either a Ranga acrylic or ebonite swirl -- because I love purple! https://www.ebay.com/itm/RANGA-HANDMADE-COLOUR-ACRYLIC-FOUNTAIN-PEN-MODEL-4CS-20-BEAUTIFUL-COLOURS/132362483655?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20140725133649%26meid%3Ddd039b2639d84e5d9306f66572ce7c20%26pid%3D100276%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D152688117461&_trksid=p2060778.c100276.m3476 https://www.ebay.com/itm/RANGA-GIANT-EBONITE-RIPPLE-FOUNTAIN-PEN-MODEL-5-13-SPECIAL-NEW-COLOURS-RARE/132362483754?_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIM.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D41376%26meid%3D08dca296596e49329a8fe81120f3f555%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D2%26rkt%3D6%26sd%3D132362483726&_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851 Things to consider: While my hands are medium-sized for a woman, I have arthritis/grip issues and prefer thicker pens, at least .44 cm in the grip section. (The Himalayas are the most comfortable pen I own.) I don't want threads that will get in the way of a good grip. In addition, I don't like much metal, as that tends to be heavy. (My idea of hell is being stuck in the afterlife with just Jinhaos. Or cranky Lamys.) I love stub/calligraphy nibs. I write in huge letters (I do not have fine control to write small) and I enjoy the panache of a nice 1.1. Points then to Ranga and ASA, which will fit pens with Jowo stubs. I'm a writer. The more ink in there, the better. I'm not a tinkerer. I want the damn thing to work well from the get go (and so I will never again buy a Noodler's pen). Looking forward to your wisdom, everyone. Happy New Year!

Hello fellow FPN members I have slowly been building up my collection of Indian pens: ASA, Camlin, FPR. Like many other FPN members I am full of praise for them. For Christmas 2016 I persuaded my daughter to buy me an ASA Sniper. When it arrived there was a problem - the screw thread snapped off the nib section. I returned the pen to Mr Subramaniam at UNIK Services. He apologised and promised to resolve the matter quickly. But this correspondence has been going on for almost nine months. I appreciate that these are not mass produced pens, so I've already said that I'm open to discussing an alternative model as a substitute but still no action from UNIK. Should I accept that the money was wasted and just give up on the matter as a hopeless case? Your recommendations? What advice would fellow members offer please? JG

Hello Everyone, Today I am going to review another creation from Mr. Subramanium of ASA pens, named ASA 'Azzadi' . This pen have been reviewed before, but never formally launched by ASA pens in their website, which in my opinion is a big mistake. This is one of the best models created by ASA along with their Nauka model. You can say the beauty of the product compelled me to do a full review and urge Mr. Subramanium from the FPN board to launch this pen and give the world a chance to use this product. now, kindly read the following line carefully: It is comparatively easy to attain and perform at a certain level in any sphere of life, but even minute improvements after that common platform require huge amount of extra efforts. This is true for sports, academics, politics, management, business and obviously pen making. We'll refer back to this line throughout the course of the review. As these pens can be fitted with #6 standard JoWo or Schimdt or Bock nib units, the selling point becomes the design, appearence and materials. We would focus on these parts more than the nibs. 1. Appearance and design: Its a medium sized pen. The pen is a homage to CS Churchill model. It was designed by a few Indian fountain pen enthusiasts, lead by FPN member Prithwijit (@Prithwijit). He successfully created a pen design which gave the feel of a CS pen, but at fraction of the price of original one. I have one piece made of stock blue- dark blue swirl acrylic offered by ASA and another pen made from CS blank. Both looks beautiful and elegant. Its a duofold like design with almost cylindrical appearance. The cap has straight lines with a black coloured ebonite finial. This finial has five concentric circular grooves inspired from the finial of Churchill pens. At the other end there are two metal rings to protect the cap lip. the clip is a simple ball end clip without a clip ring. The golden trims are vintage brass made trims that in my opinion compliments the design better. The body gently tapers both towards the section above and towards the bottom below. At the bottom of the body there is a black ebonite lower finial separated by another golden ring. There is a step down from the body towards section, followed by cap threads on the acrylic material. The section proper is made of black ebonite and starts after the threads, tapers slightly towards nib, and then flares up 5 mm below the margin, creating a nice notch to grip the pen. Both the top and bottom surface of the pen are well polished flat end. Overall the design is rich, attractive and very easy to use. Though this design is inspired, it has its own flair and originality as well. 2. Construction and Quality: The most important part. Here my above statement comes into play. You get what you pay for. I am not going to describe the CS blank in much detail as its a known material in fountain pen community and any user who have commissioned pens with that material can vouch for the quality. The stock acrylic material offered by ASA comes in four colours till now. Blue-dark blue, Red-black, Orange-black and white-black. the dark portion creates swirling patterns on the body. The material has opalescent glow when direct light reflects off it. Its fascinating to look at the depth of the material while turning the pen in hand. I have the blue-dark blue swirl acrylic and its slightly transparent. The polish and finish is very good on both pens. I had expected good finish on CS material as its a common norm and ASA did superb job in turning a very well finished custom product keeping up with their reputation. But, the finish on stock acrylic pen is superb as well, going as far as the material allowed. I have two beautiful pens as far as finish and making is concerned. The construction is good. The pen feels sturdy and well built. I have been using the pens for 2 months now and there is no problem yet. The trims are also made of quality material. The cap secures on the body with slightly more than two turns. The section is secured tightly with body by ten turns. If we consider the clip as 12 o' clock, the ASA Azzadi branding is there on the top of the body at 9 o' clock position. Now the negative points. The cap threads are a bit tight at the end in both the pens, so it might be due to the tools used to create such threads. I would request Mr. Subramanium to look into this. It might not be a big issue, but some people might be influenced by this while comparing this pen with pricey machine made pens. The branding is not to my choice as its almost imperceptible and looks like some impurities or defect. Though these appear simple issues, as I have stated above, minute improvements like these can take up substantial efforts, but once corrected, these improvements can go a long way in establishing any brand. I would also ask him to look into the threading of Schimdt nib units in the section as in one of my pen, the schimdt unit got stuck. JoWo unit in the other pen was easy to remove and replace. The cap rings and lower end rings in both the pens are well fitted. 3. Dimensions: Its a medium sized light weight pen. Length capped- 142 mm Length uncapped- 131 mm Section length (including cap threading)- 30 mm Cap length- 68 mm Top finial- 8 mm Bottom finial- 12 mm Thickest part of body- 13 mm Diameter of notch in section- 10 mm Weight- Medium weight Posting- Not possible or practical 4. Nib & Performance: The pen can be fitted with any standard #6 nib units like JoWo or Schimdt. The nibs perform according to their reputation. \ Its a very well balanced pen, suitable for long writing sessions. 5. Filling System & Maintenance: ​Its a cartridge converter pen accepting standard Schimdt converters. I would suggest not to use it as Eye dropper as the lower finial can leak in unfortunate cases. Though ASA states that the lower finial is sealed well, still there is no need in my opinion to push this pen to be an ED. There was no leak or burping while using the pen with converters in my 2 months of usage. 6. Cost & Value : This is an awesome pen at the price it is being offered, around 60$. Its beautiful, engaging, sturdily built, and can be used as an EDC pen. There have been some issues raised by a few Indian FPN members regarding missing of deadlines by ASA pens in supplying custom orders and stock pen orders. I am sure Mr. Subramanium will look into this and sort out any malfunctioning in his supply line. Timeliness is a big issue in any business and even in this case, minute improvements might need drastic forward steps for ASA. But yet again, satisfied customers are the basic support of any seller, and he should do everything in his power to make them happy. My Comparison: Kaigelu and Conklin duragraph are other two pens with similar designs that I have used. In my opinion, ASA Azzadi is better than Kaigelu considering the superior customization options and superior nib choices. But when it comes to Duragraph, ASA Azzadi needs to improve its finish even further to compete. The Duragraph material is really amazing and one of its kind. The Conklin nib is also great if you've not received a lemon. I would suggest Mr. Subramanium to try to improve his product further, even if those improvements take much efforts. Whatsapp no of Mr Subramanium (as this pen is not listed on their website)- - +91 91 7660 7660 Their website- ASA My Suggestions to ASA pens: 1. List this pen in main website 2. Look at the threading process for cap 3. Try constantly to improve finish, which he will gladly accept. Thank you.

Introduction: I was just casually browsing for some pens and landed down on the ASA TransNauka (this was in between my studies for my math exam). But then on FPN I saw a review of some Tangerine Nauka and had no idea what it was. I read it and then I was hooked. I am a professional artist (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw_cp6tNIvk you are welcomed to check my video of drawing a minion) and while I work with many colors, very few give that spark- black, white, blue, grey, red and orange. This was an orange pen. The glow of that material struck me. So, the ASA Tangerine Nauka is a limited-edition fountain pen (mine was #37) handmade in Chennai, India by Mr. Lakshminarayan Subramanium. Probably handmade is not the word, handcrafted is the one. The pen came in a handmade wooden box with ASA branding. Inside was a red velvet pen sleeve and of course the pen. Unfortunately one side of the box wasn't pasted quite properly so it came off during shipping. It was quite an easy fix but what I liked was that Mr Subramanium offered to ship another box as a replacement free of charge to me. Seriously, give this guy a medal or something. I love the customer service provided by him. I contacted him over Whatsapp and he responded to every silly message of mine promptly. Construction, Profile and Appearance (9/10): The profile is quite reminiscent of a boat (Nauka means boat in Hindi). It is an oversize pen which looks beautiful. The nib and clip are both gold plated but both had some small noticeable scratches, which is why I cut a point. But the construction is quite near perfect for me. The matted surface is expertly done and overall the build quality is great. The Texture in a macro shot Filling System (10/10): My favorite filling system is a converter because it is so reliable and has less maintenance than other systems. The ease of filling and convenience cant be beaten. While this is a 3-in-1 system, which means a cartridge, the included converter or eyedropping will work for this pen. I would love to use it in eyedropper mode. The nib (9.5/10): The heart of the pen is a #6 gold plated Jowo nib in medium. The nib looks quite standard with some basic scroll work and has the words Iridium Point Germany on it. The nib had some scratches on it. The nib is quite smooth on good paper with some feedback which I will smoothen out and the flow is perfect. The nib is a nice match for the big pen but I think a chrome nib would look fantastic on it. A writing sample with Camlin Scarlet Red ink. Price and Ease of Ordering (10/10): The price of this pen is worth each and every penny. I bought it at a 10% discount and the whole process was a long but a most cherishable one. Conclusion: This pen has become my favorite along with my late TWSBI Eco and is a serious contender in the below 100 dollars range. I can recommend this to anyone who wants a quality handmade fountain pen. Go give it a try guys. I had to edit this. I was just touched by the respect Mr Subramanium gives his customers. I am almost 15 and he, throughout the whole process addressed me as 'sir' even after my refusal and acknowledgment of the same. Thanks for reading this review and I am Adit Sreesh Kamath now signing off..

The ASA Bheeshma is named after a mythic Indian commander, an archer who ultimately died on a bed of arrows. Suspended in mid-air, his head unsupported, Bheeshma asked for a pillow appropriate to a warrior. That turned out to be three more arrows, tips up. The architect Vaibhav Mehandiratta named the pen after this epic character, after collaborating with passionate friends in India to design it. They included Prithwijit Chaki, a financial consultant; L. Subramaniam, founder of ASA Pens; and other pen warriors. These two themes, arrows and friendships, define the pen for me. After completing the design, Chaki commissioned a Bheeshma from ASA in 2015, and orders from other clients followed. About a year later, on a pen-component shopping safari in New Delhi, Chaki found a 14-karat gold Sheaffer inlaid nib and offered to help me work with Subramaniam to incorporate the nib into the overall design -- a kind of large version of a Nakaya Piccolo. Sheaffer's elegant nib resembles nothing so much as an arrowhead, and it's paired with a gray, quartz-like acrylic material that forms the graphite shaft of the arrow -- its barrel and cap. The acrylic was sourced from a stash of former Conway-Stewart material at the Turners Workshop in Newcastle upon Tyne, then shipped to the ASA shop in Chennai. But enough back story. Details The nib writes well and with considerable feedback, probably because it's an extra fine. I've forgotten what filling system was used in the nib's former life, but it now exists as a bulb filler, with the sac protected by a metal sleeve. The pen is 151 millimeters long, capped, and 135 mm uncapped. The cap and barrel are 15 mm in diameter, and the section is 10 mm, meaning that there's a considerable step-down. The inlaid section is 25 mm long, however, providing plenty of space for fingers to seat themselves before they reach the threads -- which are smooth enough to grip, anyway. I don't know how much the pen weighs, but it's mostly acrylic, so it's light. The pen is clipless, and a bronze snake ring serves as a roll-stopper. In Conclusion The Bheeshma is a sharp tool that fits my hand comfortably, writes cursive script with precision, and holds a respected position in my quiver of pens. Any army attempting to oppose Bheeshma should beware. A powerful cadre of friends supports him, and they are building a daunting armory of writing instruments.

Some time ago I posted some pics of this pen sent by Mr. Subbu of ASA Pens. Now it is finally in my hands, and the only thing I can say is PERFECTION. The long feed and section on this pen is advertised as preventing burping, and it is 100% true. The stock #6 ASA nib is very nice and smooth, When capped, cap and body are absolutely flush, and when posted it posts nicely. This was my first but I am sure not my last pen from ASA. Many thanks to Mr. Subbu. Here are some pics. PS: I am sorry for the handwriting

Does anyone know how to contact ASA pens for replacement parts. I managed to break the section on my ASA Translucent Acrylic Nauka Fountain Pen and would like a replacement. I am more than happy to pay for it. I have been in touch through the contact link on the site, but have had no response. Any help is appreciated. http://asapens.in/eshop/fountain-pen

ASA GALACTIC My handcrafted pen journey started with ASA Galactic, a beautiful pen from ASA pens (www.asapens.in/eshop). Honesty Note :- I am very lazy and my only motivation for writing this is to get a discount coupon from Mr Subu. and then use it to buy ASA Daily . When I ordered ASA Galactic, there was a shipping mistake and mine was sent to Spain. So the first Galactic I received had "Gilly" written on it, but Mr. Subu. is very cool, he sent me another Galactic and added Click Tulip (for free !!) . Now there are many reviews of this pen eg. mehandiratta's, but since I am an engineer ( by choice ) so this review is all about the experiments I did with the pen !. Edit Note :- Please read this post from an reverse engineering point of view and all I care about is learning how things work, not what makes them pretty, not what the simple solution is, nor i even care if I end up ruining the pen. The experiments started when one fine Dehradun morning (4 am), I was studying algorithm space-time complexity concepts and the Galactic burped !. The review :- Pen looks amazing when inked up ! The pen has a massive ink capacity and there are no leaks from the side of the barrel. So I was writing at 4 am and then as I paused while still holding the pen in writing position, to read all the weird complexity stuff I wrote, when I came to the bottom of the page I saw the BURP !! The pen was leaking from the top of the nib, bottom of the feed and from the tip of the nib as well. The standard process is to apply 100% silicone grease to stop the leaks from the side of the nib and feed. The fix for burping is to either change the feed or ink up the pen. Now I wanted to see if I can find another solution using only the things I had at home. I started with toothpaste, yea you read it correctly, i applied toothpaste and it worked for a few minutes until the toothpaste started to mix with the ink ! Then I used cello tape, which worked but as I fixed the position of the nib and feed the tape broke and nik started to leak again. So I used Glue stick and it worked for a few minutes but ink started to leak again. As you can see below, by this time I had already broken the feed tip and the nib was bent ! Then I thought I should try to reduce the ink flow. Now flow reduction worked but the ink flow was not consistent, so I removed the pipe that was connected to the ink channel, but then wax broke and started to block the ink flow. So I removed all of it and replaced it with an injection cap (needle removed), the cap fit perfectly and securely. I created a hole on the top of the cap, the ink would flow from there to the feed and the pipe (coming out from cap) would bring extra ink back from feed to the tank. Now this worked beautifully, no leaks no burps, ink flow reduced and we finally have a fix !!. But it looked ugly so now it was time to optimise it (fix the problem first and then find a better solution). So I looked at it for some time and then vola (syringe always goes securely inside its cap) ! What if I remove the top of the cap, rotate it, insert it in the pen and then use the syringe as a cartridge !! I removed the bottom half of the syringe and left the syringe piston rubber inside it to prevent any leaks (since that is what its job is ). Now all of this looks good but the ink flow was not consistent because there was no capillary action happening between the nib section and the cartridge. So I added the pipe (I reduced its size afterwards), and now due to capillary action the ink would stick to the sides of the pipe and flow from syringe to the nib section. The syringe converted cartridge is basically going inside it's cap, so obviously connection is very secure/strong and so there are no leaks. After this conversion the pen stopped leaking from the nib and feed as well and there was no burping. The final product ! I really enjoyed doing these experiments, hope you enjoyed them too ! Edit :- Now lets use this knowledge to create our own pen So all we require is a nib, feed, some body and ink ! So i found an old use and throw pen, took Jinhao Nib and Click Tulip feed. Wrapped them together using plastic wrap that Galactic came in. Filled the pen with ink and securely placed the nib and feed in it. My pen is not handcrafted but oh well ! Ah !, the happiness of finally satisfying the engineers "how things work" and "do it yourself" itch...

A months ago I saw descriptions of the ASA Athlete and it called my attention the looong section and feed, and the reports of it helping to counter ink burping and leaks of eyedroppers. I asked Mr. Subbu of ASA Pens if it was possible to get one in a clear version, since I already had another pen on the way and it would be easier to distinguish one from the other. Besides, demonstrators are cool! After an interruption in our communications, wich I now know were because of the heavy rains in Chennai and subsecuent energy supply problems, we started to talk again, and this images were sent by Mr. Subbu. The pen is not even on its way to me, and fellow FPNers from or closer to India than me could probably receive one before, but I just had to share the pics. Tell me what you think, and if you have any experience with the regular ebonite versions.

Its been a fantastic 2016 and best of times for Indian Fountain Pens, especially ASA Pens. Thanks for all your support, as we complete 4 Years!! Here is a PIF for my latest offering, the mesmerizing Maya, "The ASA Maya Ebonite Fountain Pen". The PIF Offer is for a "ASA Maya Ebonite Eyedropper pen" as PIF. The PIF is open to anyone who is registered with FPN. Shipping will be done by us through India Post, Registered Airmail free. To participate, one has to comment in this thread, on any of following- One must comment on why they like Indian Fountain Pen or Why they like India or anything they know about Indian pens or India or Mention anything they know about India. This PIF will end on 23rd December, 12 PM IST and the lucky winner will be declared here by me on 24th, on Christmas Eve! Winner will be selected from all who comment, by lucky draw.Here are some pictures

Hello Everyone, Today I am going to review ASA Rainbow, a beautiful acrylic fountain pen. ASA have many famous models, and in recent times the Nauka has taken all the limelight. I love my Nauka, but thought of giving some lesser known ASA models their dues first. ASA Rainbow is one of the best looking models from ASA, due to the vibrant acrylic material used to make these pens. What I like most: The looks, what’s more- it’s very comfortable pen for everyday use. What I don’t like- I love this model, so nothing to complain about. 1. Appearance & Design: ASA Rainbow is a medium sized simple cigar shaped pen. There are two varieties – round ended and flat topped. I bought two different colours of this model at different times, but both are round ended. The body is thicker in the middle portion and tapers slightly towards both ends, tapering towards the section is more pronounced than the bottom end. The cap is larger than the body without any tapering. There is one dome shaped finial at the top of the cap which is flushed with the rest of the cap body, thus hiding the clip ring in clipped versions of the pen. There is no ring at the bottom of the cap, though the construction is good and there is very less chance that the cap lip would actually break with regular use. The clip is a simple slender triangular shaped one with a tear drop end. It protrudes a bit too much at the top for my taste before gradually coming back to touch the body of the cap. It’s springy and functional. The section is a slender one with a step like flaring at the distal one third for easy gripping. ASA is imprinted on the top of the clip. No other branding in the body which is a very good decision. What sets these pens apart is the vibrant acrylic materials used to make these pens. I absolutely love these colours; I have one orange-black swirl and one red-black swirl rainbow. The pens look very pretty. One can spend hours on end to look at and appreciate these beautiful patterns and depth of colours in these pens. 2.Construction & Quality: The pen is built well. The material is lightweight. I have no idea whether these will break if someone accidentally drops them on floor and neither I’m much inclined to test for myself. The acrylic has some camphor like smell when put to nose, but under normal circumstances, no smell was perceived. These pens have 3-in-1 filling system, but none of them leaked when used as an eyedropper. There is no burping issues with either with the Schmidt or the Versace nib units compatible with these pens. The cap closes by about three turns, which is a bit too much for me. note the protrusion of clip 3.Weight & Dimensions: the pens are very light, and ideal for long writing sessions. The pen dimensions are as follows Length of the pen capped: 132 mm Length of uncapped pen: Versace nib model- 120 mm, Ambitious nib model- 125 mm. Length of nib: Versace nib model – 20 mm, Ambitious nib model - 25 mm. Posted length: Versace nib model - 162 mm, Ambitious nib model- 167 mm. Diameter of section: Lowest at the step- 11 mm, at the section end- 12 mm Maximum Barrel diameter: 15 mm Section length: 24 mm I use them without posting. They are very good EDC pens . From Left to Right- Waterman Hemisphere, Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari, ASA Rainbow, all capped From Left to Right- Waterman Hemisphere, Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari, ASA Rainbow, all posted 4.Nib & Performance: The pen comes with a Schimdt nib unit by default. I chose another available threaded nib unit called the Versace nib. This nib was also there in my ASA Writer and I am impressed with its performance in both the pens. This Versace named nib is smooth out of the box with a well-controlled medium flow. It has superb feel on paper and there is very less feathering and bleed through even on very cheap papers. It’s a #5 nib, available only with medium tip. This nib fits inside a Jowo housing and as a result one could easily swap a Jowo spare nib with this nib. The ambitious nib in the red pen is a #35 fine flex nib with wet juicy flow and lots of feedback. It has a good ebonite feed, akin to the feeds seen in kim pens. The nib flxes easily with medium pressure, but the feed occasionally cannot keep up, thus resulting in rail-roading. 5. Filling System & Maintenance: This pen is a 3-in-1 system by default, so no complaints there. The red one with ambitious flex nib has a small plastic pipe as a feed tail, so it is meant to be used as an eyedropper. I pulled out the pipe and used it for normal writing with a Schimdt convertor without any problems. I didn’t try flex writing after removing the feed tail though, so cannot comment on that aspect. 6. Cost & Value: It’s a relatively costly pen from ASA at INR 1800 (US $ 48) but considering the beautiful colours, great Schmidt nib and a 3-in-1 filling system, it’s a very well-priced pen. The ambitious nib model cost less. 7. Conclusion: I would love to recommend this pen to all users with any level of experience with fountain pens and a love for beautiful things. My suggestions: A bit slender body would look better or a slightly longer body with current diameter. Few users find this model a bit stocky as a pen. I personally have no complaints. ASA can think of putting cap ring for extra protection to the lip. The clip design can be improved. ASA website ASA Whatsapp no of Mr. Subramaniam - +91 9176607660 ASA email- asapens.in@gmail.com, unik.services@hotmail.com my other reviews (In no particular order): 1. ASA Swan 2. ASA Writer 3. Ranga Thin Bamboo 4. Krishna Butterline Stub nib pen 5. Guider Egg- acrylic and ebonite 6. Kanwrite Desire 7. Kanwrite Heritage 8. Franklin Covey Lexincton Black 9. Gama Kuyil 10. Gama Forever

So, it is your first purchase from an Indian company (other than fountain pen revolution which you didn't like very much) and you are looking at the these 4 big names: Ranga, Wality, ASA, and GAMA. Which do you buy to ensure a wonderful writing experience? An experience that will keep you coming back for more. How much is too much for an ebonite pen? If you want a eye dropper that you can carry and won't leak and it seems that ASA's Athlete looks like the best option with its particularly long feeder, but does it really matter? Do you prefer (like me) to grip the pen rather high or rather low? If given the option between nib makers JoWo, Schmidt or and generic, which do you choose? And finally, if you have the option to upgrade the pen (and thus the price) into a converter/cartridge, do you? Thank you to anyone who takes the time to answer these burning questions Ideally, you have had some experience with more than 1 of these companies' pens so as to be able to make a comparison, but if not I am still interested in your experience any of the pens!

ASA TranNauka - JoWo 1.1 Nib The review is simultaneously posted on my blog here : Link The pen I am about to review has sold in huge nos. and probably one of the best-selling pen of ASA. There was a time when I was after Mr. Subramaniam to make a demonstrator pen with screw in nib units from JoWo/Schmidt but somehow he was not able to procure the good material which could withstand the threading to be done for those units and then we gave up. Then one fine day he informed me that he had procured a new material and will be launching an already successful Nauka in the demonstrator version (which was named TransNauka) and I was too excited for the pen and I told Mr. Subramaniam it would sell in huge nos. and therefore I convinced him that we should do a group buy for the same on FPN (TransNauka Group Buy) and believe me, it was immensely successful. ASA TranNauka – In love with Rains The group buy was so successful that he had to stop taking orders on his website for a fortnight even after the Group Buy was closed because of his limited production capability. I have already reviewed a few pens from ASA as below: ASA Rainbow : LINK ASA Viraat : LINK (Absolutely love this fat pen) ASA Spear : LINK ASA Porus : LINK ASA Patriot : LINK ASA I-Can : LINK ASA Galactic : LINK It’s been three months since I have got this TransNauka and further below is my effort to do a detailed review of the pen. Design : 4.5/05 There is an old age saying: “Beauty lies in the eye of beholder” And to my eyes, this pen is the just pure aesthetic pleasure. It’s a beauty. TransNauka inspires awe when it is inked and I believe it one-ups the already existing Nauka. It’s simple, classic, sublime and is on the lines of Bauhaus Design movement which is a unification of art, craft, and technology. The design of Nauka was inspired by famousMORA STYLOS OLDWIN CLASSIC and in fact, one of the fellow fountain pen connoisseur Prithwijit was the force behind the development of Nauka. ASA TransNauka – Uncapped The pen without cap looks like it’s just one piece as the grip section merges with the barrel in such a form that there is no step down which is generally prevalent in many pens. The pen gradually tapers towards the bottom to an almost pointed end. Similarly, the pen tapers towards the grip section till it meets the threads at the top which holds the cap. ASA TransNauka – Comparative pic when pen uncapped and capped The pen comes only in the brushed matte finish and personally prefer the brushed version better than the polished version as the polished version tends to develop micro abrasions and smudges and also looses shine over the period of time. The cap of the pen unlike the bottom of the barrel is not torpedoed shape at the top rather it is like a hemispherical dome. The pen I bought comes with chrome finish ball-end clip and it also comes sans the clip. The cap is almost 3/4th the size of pen making it a very large pen. ASA TransNauka – Cap and Barrel ASA TransNauka – Cap is 3/4th of Pen when uncapped I found the pen very minimalist with no branding. One thing I believe can be improved is to reduce the gap between the cap finial and nib unit when the pen is closed. The pen is beautiful and is bang for the buck at the price and yeah this beauty is handmade. Built & Construction : 04/05 One look at the pen and you won’t actually believe that this pen completely hand-turned. It’s almost perfectly shaped and finished from the exterior. ASA TransNauka – Lovely Finish One thing I found that as much as the exterior is well finished and shaped, the interior of the barrel was not paid much attention. There are certain undulations in interior (1 or 2 places) of the barrel which result in the formation of O-rings like shape inside the barrel with ink. I received two pens, matte brushed finish and the clear polished one. The clear polished one was all over the places with regards to finish and thus it was not launched officially. This brushed finish is superb barring one area with regards to barrel interior area. The brushed finish is also better because of the fact that it hides the lathe marks and also is not smudge-prone. The quality of material used is quite good but is brittle in nature and thus one has to be careful with regards to handling (against falls). The acrylic used is the hard non-modified PMMA and apt thickness of the material are used in pen and is quite better compared to ones used in TWSBI. ASA TransNauka – Cap View showing material thickness and finish ASA TransNauka – Material thickness in Barrel and Grip Section The pen is quality finished one which needs to be handled carefully and if proper care is taken it will last you ages. I love my TranNauka but I care for every pen that I own. If you are the one who keeps throwing his/her pen here and there then I suggest you go for the ebonite version. Balance & Size : 04/05 The cap of the pen doesn’t post securely and that’s because of the design. But.. But… But… the pen is so big even uncapped @ 135 mm that there is no need for posting. The pen is little heavy towards the nib and I believe this could have been countered by providing solid crystal end at bottom of barrel. Nevertheless, this was no issue for me, it’s a minute difference and some of you won’t even notice. ASA TransNauka – Writing with it – Unposted and Posted Initially, I had trouble adapting to the grip of the pen because of gradual slope of grip section from barrel to top of nib unit but now that I am using the pen since 3 months I have gotten used to it. The grip might also be fat for some because of the design and might not be so good for people with small hands. Now for me, it was okay because I prefer big pens with good girth. The pen is big yet light in weight but one thing I noticed is that when uncapped it is lighter than Ranga Bamboo Demonstrator but almost 4 gms heavier when capped and both are equal in length when uncapped but when capped the TransNauka is larger of the two. ASA TransNauka – Weight – Capped and Uncapped Few specification of the pen are as follows: Length of pen (closed) – 160 mmLength of pen (open and unposted) – 135 mm (including nib)Length of pen (open and posted) – 176 mmLength of Cap – 78 mmMaximum Dia of Cap – 21 mmMaximum Dia of Barrel – 14 mmDia of Barrel ( Near Barrel Bottom) – 8 mmMaximum Dia of Grip Section – 13.5 mmMinimum Dia of Grip Section – 11 mmWeight of Pen with Cap – 27.9 gms (inked)Weight of Pen without Cap – 17.13 gms (inked) Below are the pictures of the pen in comparison with others : ASA TransNauka vs Pilot Custom 823 vs ASA Patriot vs Lamy Safari – Capped ASA TransNauka vs Pilot Custom 823 vs ASA Patriot vs Lamy Safari – Uncapped As clear from above pics its a bit fat compared to others. Nib : 3.5/05 The pen can be bought in a variety of #6 sized nib options from JoWo or Schmidt and in various point widths. The one I have here is JoWo Steel 1.1 Stub nib in Black Oxide finish. ASA TranNauka - Nib Shot in Rain The nib is a screw in nib unit and easily replaceable. The nib that I got was a lemon and was scratchy out of the box. I had to tune it and now it performs the way I want. ASA TransNauka – JoW0 1.1 Nib in Black Oxide Finish ASA Nauka vs Pilot Custom 823 vs ASA Patriot vs Lamy Safari – Nib Comparison Advice to people if you are buying the pen from ASA do avail the option of pen/nib testing this might delay the pen delivery but pen and nib will be checked for writing before dispatch and yeah there are no extra charges for that. Ink Filling Mechanism: 05/05 It can take international long or shot cartridges, international converter and can be used as an ED also. The pen looks best when eye dropper-ed and I applied silicone grease to the threads before using it as ED pen. ASA TransNauka – Using as an ED Pen Ink capacity as an eye dropper is 4 ml and will vary with every pen as it is handmade one. Below are the images of handwritten review of the pen sample writing: ASA TransNauka – Handwritten Review – Page 1 ASA TransNauka – Handwritten Review – Page 2 ASA TransNauka – Handwritten Review – Page 3 ASA TransNauka – Handwritten Review – Page 4 Conclusion : 21/25 The pen was bought at group buy price of Rs. 2200 and it was a steal at that price. And now the prices have increased yet it is a value for money option. Beautiful pen but I won’t recommend this to people with small hands. What I Like: Beautiful Design Handmade Quality Finish- Exterior Good Balance and Size Good Ink Capacity Well PricedWhat I don’t Like: Internal Barrel Finish Poor OTB Nib How to Buy: The pen was bought via group buy on FPN and there will be another group buy in near future for the same. Simultaneously who don’t like waiting for group buys can buy directly from ASA website : LINK. And the last I checked it's available on pre-order only with waiting for 4 weeks. For more reviews you can check my blog here : LINK

I came home today to my latest pen haul from ASA pens. I ordered these pens in early June and Mr Subbu made them to my personal specifications. Some of these pens have already been reviewed by other, so I'll only review the novel ones when I get to using them. Packaging In wrappers Unwrapped Japanese-styled ebonite My Indian fountain pen collection (even the case is made in India) Collection right side Collection left side