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  1. sidthecat

    Where Are All The Caps?

    I've collected a few pre-1900s long eyedropper pens: Model 22s, that sort of thing. And they're capless. Is there some collector in an island fortress somewhere who has all the caps? Maybe this cap-Blofeld can come to the LA Pen Show.
  2. Fit_to_Print

    15 Ml Glass Bottles

    As my ink collection continues to grow, I'm getting more concerned about contaminating my supply. The germaphobe in me is a little anxious about dipping a nib into a nearly full 3 oz. bottle of water-based ink. Plus, if I knock over a 1/2 oz. bottle of ink, I'll be less angry with myself than if I spill 3 ounces of Apache Sunset all over my desk. Anyone know a good source for smaller glass bottles? I've been on the hunt (on Amazon) for some 10 to 15 ml glass bottles for decanting ink, but most of the reviews I've seen are very mixed: cracked or poorly fitting caps. I also plan to keep a few little bottles of ink at work as a backup supply, in case I get careless and forget to check my ink levels.
  3. Samrat

    Gama Forever Review

    Hello everyone, Last time I reviewed the Gama Kuyil in detail, which is in the mid-price range for Gama products. Today I'll review one of their entry level fountain pens, the Gama Forever, which cost about half of Gama Kuyil, but functionally have similar usefulness and appeal. The history of Gem and Co., the producer of Gama brand of fountain pens is discussed in the review of Kuyil. The Forever is a smaller model from Gama, with minimal design elements. Why I like this pen- It’s a small but effective pen for everyday use. The price is very much affordable, even for a student. The built quality is very good and it will last long with proper care. Cons- It's an eye-dropper pen, so many things can go wrong. Eye-droppers are always for advanced users, as there might be occasional leakage, burping and other messy issues during initial handling and in some of the copies. The nib is a standard dual tone nib of Indian fine category, so limited nib choice. The ebonite looks good, but minute impurities and defects might be there. Also as these are hand turned pens, there might be some asymmetry in shape. 1. Appearance & Design: It's a Parker Duofold like pen, though much simpler in design. Parker Duofold was a very successful pen for the company. Basically Duofold was designed with the idea of changing the mundane black rubber design of fountain pens prevalent during that period, thus having a pen body of red rubber and making the section, clip screw and barrel end with standard black rubber. This contrast of red and black colour, coupled with a useful size, great ergonomics and balance, were instrumental to the success of Duofold design. Later more colours and material were introduced; other sizes and permutation-combination of different trims and design aspects were marketed as well. Interestingly the particular red rubber used to make Parker Duofold was termed "Pompeiian Brown" by the company. The success of Duofold in the 1920s inspired almost all major manufacturers like Waterman, Conklin, Sheaffer etc. to launch their own orange/ red / brown version of flat topped dual coloured 'Duofold' copies/inspired models. So it’s not surprising that even to this day, manufacturers don't look beyond this design when they want a relatively small, useful but attractive fountain pen. Gama Forever is no different in this respect. The Gama Forever It’s a flat topped cigar shaped medium sized pen with slight tapering towards both ends. The top of the cap is a bit thicker than the bottom of the body. I bought the light brown/yellow coloured ebonite with red ripples. As expected, both the ends have black coloured polished finial of about 7mm thickness and the section is black as well. The black portion at the bottom of the pen is flushed with body and there is no gap between them. The top black finial is acting as a screw to hold the clip ring,there is a minute gap between the top finial and the body of cap. Personally I like Kuyil like flushed finial which conceal the cap ring. The pen has gold coloured trims. The pen sports a simple ball end clip, made of brass. It's Gem's old stock, these clips are not made today and they'll be used till the stock lasts. There are two rings at the lip of the cap, each about 1mm. thick and separated by a distance of about 3 mm. The section gently tapers towards the nib, just before ending it has a flaring part for finger rest, which is a typical design feature among Gama pens. The body has Gama written on it, the letters have crisp margin. The nib is dual tones Indian fine nib with only ‘Iridium tipped’ and Germany imprinted on it along with some basic designs. It appears to be the same nib which have been branded ‘Gama’ in their latest models. Construction & Quality: The Gama forever is a well-made pen. The ebonite wall is quite thick, which is a common attribute of Gama pens. The polish of ebonite is good and the ripples look beautiful. On minute inspections, the ebonite has many impurities or small spots, but this being a low priced pen this is expected and these are not causing any problem with the overall look. There is no defect or rough area on the ebonite. The clip is sturdy and functional, but the gold colour fades with some usage. The trim is made of vintage brass material from their old stocks. The rings at the lip of the cap occasionally become loose and may require some effort to realign and re-position them, when these get dislodged. There is no leak from the junction of section and body. The cap easily sits with the body with about two and half rotations. The section screws on the body relatively easily without much tightness. Overall the construction is very good for the price; this pen will last long if proper care is taken. 3. Weight & Dimensions: It’s a lightweight medium sized pen. The dimensions are as follows Length of the pen: 145 mm Length of uncapped pen: 135 mm Posted length: Diameter of section: 11.5 mm Due to flaring up at the end of the section, the diameter at the end surface is 13 mm, but the area where fingers will grip the pen is 11.5 mm. Maximum Barrel diameter: 14-15 mm Section length: 18 mm Nib length: 25 mm. Ink capacity- about 3-3.5 ml I use the pen without posting. These pens typically don’t post deep, so the length increases disproportionately when posted. The balance is very good and long writing sessions with the pen is very comfortable. It’s basically an EDC pen for rough usage with some good looks of a hand turned Indian ebonite pen. From right to left: Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari, Gama Forever and Gama Kuyil, all capped Lamy Safari and Gama Forever, uncapped 4. Nib & Performance: The nib is very good performer. Its Indian fine grade, meaning line width between Japanese fine and European fine, though I don’t think there is any strict criteria followed while making these nibs. It’s a smooth wet writer with some feedback. Burping issues might be there in some copies or in case of sudden temperature or pressure changes such as in flight. I didn’t face any issues as such till now. I would like to see them providing different nib grades with this pen. One can contact Mr. Subramanium of ASA pens or Mr. Pratap of Gem and Co. for customization. 5. Filling System & Maintenance: This pen is an eyedropper. Probably makers can modify to allow other filling systems, but for a cheap entry level pen, such efforts are not much fruitful. There are other much glamorous Gama models to go for customization. 6. Cost & Value: This pen is valued at INR 675 ($23, £18) in ASA website. It’s an affordable workhorse pen with great value on the long run. The build is solid, nib is a great performer in its default variety and ink capacity is good. 7. Conclusion: I would love to recommend this entry level ebonite pens to advanced fountain pen users for its looks, feel and usefulness. It’s a pen that would feel very comfortable in hand, appear as a quality product and would be a reliable everyday use pen. For those users who entered the fountain pen world recently with limited experience of eye droppers or hand turned ebonite pens, this might be a good first buy to experiment with an Indian ebonite pen. ASA website ASA Whatsapp no of Mr. Subramaniam - +91 9176607660 ASA email- asapens.in@gmail.com, unik.services@hotmail.com No of Mr. Pratap- +91 9884209055 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
  4. Greetings, I recently was blessed to come across some old pens. This one really caught my eye. It looks to have mother of pearl on it. The nib reads Carey New York 14k No 5. Very little information about Carey to be found. Anyone have any to share? Is this a Carey pen? I have seen others that are similar but of different names. It is engraved. Engraving says A.M. Drum (pretty sure that is a name because the other pens/pencils have the same initial on them). S.C. South Carolina? Armstrong Council No. 92- D of L. Thank you
  5. Unknown eyedropper pen please identify! https://www.flickr.com/photos/126999499@N06/30461484980/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/126999499@N06/30673875551/in/dateposted-public/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/126999499@N06/30725397376/in/dateposted-public/
  6. Hello. I have recently been going through my family's old pen collection and came across a pen that has confused me as to its model. It appears to be a Recife Crystal, however, as minor as it is, its cap appears to be missing the signature "wings" (as I will call them) that the clips on the Recife Crystal. Instead it is just a normal clip which a generic straight edged shape, while all pictures of it show little wings that go out where the clip starts and come back in about a third of the way down. Here is a link to a page with a bunch of different colors/versions of the Recife Crystal: http://www.stylusfinepens.com/crystal-fountain-pen/ All pictures with a wood background are the pen that I have, you will quickly notice that the picture I found online of the "Recife Crystal" have the wings that I speak of on the clip, while mine does not.
  7. 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!
  8. 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.
  9. ASA Nauka in blue and red ebonite Can a humble pen offer a homily in human imperfection? This is one of the questions that the ASA Nauka, turned by a penmaker in Chennai, India, makes me want to answer. Lakshminarayanan Subramaniam runs ASA Pens, an online and bricks-and-mortar retailer offering multiple pen brands and at least 16 models specific to ASA. It is difficult to type the 16 letters of his first name, and even tougher to pronounce, so well take his lead and just go with L. In 2015, Subramaniam began collaborating with Joshua Lax, president of the Big Apple Pen Club in New York, to create a pen based on the Sheaffer Crest of the 1930s, and the Oldwin Classic of 2002, created by André Mora for the Paris company Mora Stylos. The Nauka positions the cap threads next to the nib and then gracefully sweeps, unbroken, to the end of the barrel. The Naukas huge cap looks like the stub of a cigar. Nauka means boat in Hindi and Bengali, and I think the name refers to the sweeping sheer line of nautical architecture. Uncapped, its about the size of a Montblanc 149. The development of the Nauka is equally as interesting as its conception, because it relied on a prolific group of Indian pen enthusiasts who worked together to design, prototype, and market the pens first round of manufacturing. Im not all that interested in the minutiae of dimensions, but elegant photographs in a review by FPN contributor Sagar Bhowmick display them all. I ordered a couple of Naukas, including one in a mottled Indian blue-red ebonite and another in a tasteful Conway Stewart acrylic material called Dartmoor. I had hoped the Nauka in Dartmoor would be gorgeous, and a joy to write with, and it is both. But what is remarkable is that the pen I have the most fun with is the humble, eyedropper-filled, ebonite model. This results partly from a gigantic 40-millimeter nib by Ambitious, an Indian company, with a black ebonite feed that supplies ink in reliably generous quantities. Whenever I write with it, at whatever direction or speed, however long its been sitting on my desk, the Nauka's medium nib -- more of a broad, really -- lays down a wet, glistening line of ink. The nib and feed introduce what is most interesting about the ebonite Nauka. The slits that form the fins of the feed, for example, are irregular in length. Maybe theyre hand-cut, maybe theyre not, but theyre definitely not uniform. The gold-colored nib is imprinted with the words IRIDIUM POINT, wrapped around a circle. The letters are a little eccentric. I dont know, maybe there were too many letters to wrap properly around the circle. Maybe the Ambitious nib designers ran out of energy and were rushing to make a deadline. And nothing about the rest of the pen is uniform, either, because this is a hand-made pen, made by a human being on a lathe. There arent all that many Naukas out there Im guessing 500 at the most -- but this eyedropper is different from all the rest. Mine is clipless, and I found a bronze ring in the shape of a lotus, the national flower of India, to serve as a rollstopper. If you squint, you can see imperfections in the ebonite, little dark spots about the size of an opening left by a pin. If you use a macro lens to shoot photographs of the barrel, you see marks left by the tools that created the pen. I can see one tiny nick in the cap, exactly parallel to the cap opening, and when I see that nick I can hear a curse from the lathe operator who realizes the need to spend more time to smooth that out. He Im guessing the operator is a he either smoothed out as much as he could without creating an even bigger divot in the surface, or finally said, screw it, this looks good already. Many of the lathes that turn ebonite pens in India are still foot-pedal operated, and I dont know whether ASA lathes are driven by motors or feet. But I know the humans operating those lathes had a lot more on their minds than a 1-millimeter-long tool mark. In a wonderfully hopeful turn of phrase, the FPN contributor "sandburger" wrote that Indian ebonite is like wood, gloriously inconsistent, with the power to surprise and delight. I agree completely. There is much literature on the subject of human imperfection. Robert Browning wrote a poem called Old Pictures in Florence that, among other things, talks about lesser-known artists and how they contribute to the work of greater artists. The New York-based psychiatrist Dr. Janet Jeppson Asimov, widow of the science fiction author and biochemist Isaac Asimov, wrote an essay this year for The Humanist called In Praise of Imperfection. She writes that the imperfections of human brains actually improve the way we function. We learn more from mistakes than we do from successes. When I was in university I had the good fortune to spend a few days in Venice, and one afternoon I was admiring the irregular lines of a gondola along a bridge where gondoliers were taking a break. The gondola, as you probably know, is an asymmetrical boat, because the single oar sticks out on the starboard side. The port side needs to be longer so the boat doesnt turn left all the time. And the gondola is heavier at the bow than at the stern, to account for the weight of the gondolier. If you look long enough at the polished black sides of a gondola, you see undulations and imperfections. As I was staring at one of these gondolas, hypnotized by the play of light and water on the shiny surface of the wood, I told a gondolier that it was beautiful. He responded that it was beautiful because in it you see the hand of the human being who made it. This review originally appeared on Giovanni Abrate's website, newpentrace.
  10. hello, I would like to know which nib is fitted in the swan 1500, as it is a overfeed pen I cannot see which nib is fitted I do not know if is the swan #2 or# 3 or whatever. Many thanks
  11. Alas! The feed is broken off just below the threads for the section. Any leads to a potential replacement I would appreciate it. In the meantime I'll play around with dipping it although I think the nib will need to be tweaked:
  12. Here is a recent acquisition which I picked up because the rough look on the clip reminded me of a Schnell Penselpen. But before I get there, note the Mabie Todd pen http://www.peytonstreetpens.com/mabie-todd-usa-swan-fountain-pen-model-a3-eye-dropper-full-flex-nib-excellent-works-well.html at Peyton Street Pens: http://www.peytonstreetpens.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/65x/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/s/w/swan_a3_eyedropper_1.jpg And now the one I came across from Eagle Pencil Co.
  13. drmukherjee

    Asa Monal - A Custom Beauty

    Recently I found myself to be using more pocket pens than bigger pens but I lacked any good custom pocket pen. So I went to Lakshminarayanan Subramaniam of ASA Pen who suggested me to look into ASA SWAN ,I liked the model and thought how to spice things up .. I recently acquired only 1.5 rods of the very illusive and sold out Conway Stewart Flecked Amethyst and thought to make a custom pen based on ASA SWAN out of those blanks .. The end result http://i.imgur.com/QGnOBg7.jpg THE ASA MONAL 1. Appearance & Design:- The pen is a rod shaped pen .The body and the section is made from Conway Stewart Flecked Amethyst blank. The cap is made from black glossy Indian Ebonite and te cap finial is also made from the CS blank. I opted for this custom design mainly for two reasons . Number one being there wasnt enough CS material available anywhere to make a full size cap and number two this design shows off the fusion between EAST and WEST .. http://i.imgur.com/BH5UPPj.jpg The fusion between EAST and WEST Here the gorgeous CS blank weds the Indian shiny ebonite .. I also made a smaller cap from the CS blank ( still in making process) 2. Construction & Quality : As always ASA made a fantastic job with the CS blank. The finish is world class ,devoid of any tool marks or imperfection . I cant even feel the joint where the black ebonite meets the Flecked Amethyst finial on the cap . http://i.imgur.com/LKaYidd.jpg The cap opens in very convenient one and half turns . The section is a nice and smooth hourglass transition from the barrel and the threads are perfectly smooth http://i.imgur.com/UyESpOB.jpg The smooth barrel to section transition with hourglass section 3.Comparison :- As this pen is based on the model of ASA SWAN a comparison with it only fair. Both pens are almost equal in length when capped . However the barrel of the ASA MONAL is a little bit thicker and has flat ends . http://i.imgur.com/shct06r.jpg ASA MONAL AND ASA SWAN CAPPED Opening the cap of both of pens reveals hourglass section in both , ASA MONAL has slightly thicker section diameter which I enjoy a lot .. http://i.imgur.com/DdUe9K8.jpg ASA MONAL AND ASA SWAN UNCAPPED 4. Nib & Performance: - IF you ask anyone from India the best Indian nib , I am sure they will come up with KANWRITE .. The ASA MONAL is custom fitted with KANWRITE #35 M FLEX nib unit ( same unit in noodlers ahab) The beauty of this nib unit is that not only it writes super smooth out of the box but also you can swap the nib unit with inexpensive nib units from KANWRITE with the range of EF,F,M,B,BB, RTOBLQ,LFTOBQ ,STUB in regular line and F,M,B in flex lines . This gives an amazing adaptability of the pen .. EF TO BB just in one quick screw in and out http://i.imgur.com/DVBEg2L.jpg KANWRITE #35 M FLEX AND SCHMIDT M http://i.imgur.com/KIPa9Nu.jpg ASA MONAL DISASSEMBLED WITH #35 KANWRITE NIB UNIT TO give an size comparison of the ASA MONAL with LAMY 2000 http://i.imgur.com/DHFlzt7.jpg ASA MONAL AND LAMY 2000 CAPPED http://i.imgur.com/OFxqsKh.jpg ASA MONAL AND LAMY 2000 UNCAPPED 5. CONCLUSION AND WRITING - The ASA MONAL is an example of true custom beauty ,an wonderful writer and superb craftsmanship of ASA .. I am very much delighted to possess this beauty .. http://i.imgur.com/5eMgc0s.jpg
  14. Samrat

    Review Of Asa Swan

    Hello Everyone, ASA Swan is one of the less advertised models in their website, so its a relatively obscure product from ASA. i found it while browsing their complete catalogue. It is a simple acrylic pen, devoid of any extra appendages. I chose the ASA Swan because of its plain and simple design, lacking any extra ornamentation or glitter. I liked its pristine look and de-glamorized appearance. As if the shiny body itself is speaking of the inherent quality. It’s a very personal choice to keep at least one pen with simplest of features. It was intended to provide the eyes some relief from the pressure of viewing all those too self-conscious gaudy Chinese pens for days on end. But I agree that the same featureless look that caught my attention may not appear attractive to many fountain pen lovers, as was evident from the flak I received from a few of my colleagues when I took it to work. Still I like this pen. Today I am not allotting marks separately as this pen is more of a subjective choice. ASA Swan 1. Appearance & Design: This is a rod shaped pen. The acrylic comes in different colours like white, light blue, green. Contrary to the common features of acrylic pens, these pens have a single coloured body with no ripples, swirls or patterns. That keeps things simpler. There are two kinds of designs, flat ended and round ended. The body tapers gently towards the section and the section has a notch like portion at the distal end, beneath the nib for easy gripping. The cap is a simple cap with ball end clip. Design-wise it may not attract all fountain pen users. It’s a light weight pen. The body and cap 2. Construction & Quality : As usual the construction and material is very good from ASA. The acrylic is of good quality, smooth and the pen feels a quality product in hand. The clip is of good quality with springiness and it doesn’t catch rust even after rough use for sometimes. I bought it for everyday usage, although someone might feel tempted to use it more aesthetically, flashing it as a part of their sophistication and aristocracy. The cap fits on the section with three turns, which is a bit frustrating, but as I am accustomed to ASA products by now, that doesn’t pose many problems. There may be some minute imperfections or asymmetry in shape, but again that’s expected for such products. The threads are well crafted, so there is no tightness or problem while closing and opening the cap. The cap lip doesn’t have any rim, but it shouldn’t crack with normal usage. 3. Weight & Dimensions: The dimensions are as follows Pen Length (Capped) 133 mm Pen Length (Un-capped- with Nib) 120 mm Pen Length (Un-capped- without nib) 101 mm Section Length 25 mm Cap Length 65 mm Cap Dia 15 mm Barrel Dia 14 mm Section Dia 11.5 mm This is a small fountain pen with slightly thicker feel. The balance is good, both in un-posted and posted state. But it’s a bit too much long for my hands while posted. No problem felt with long writing sessions. The Schimdt medium nib....also notice the notch like area for easy grip The Schimdt converter 4. Nib & Performance: It came with a Schimdt monotone medium nib unit, which was smooth but pretty dry. I had to correct it to suite my taste. The nib is a threaded one. One can choose from other no 5 nibs. There is no breather hole. No flex at all. As Schimdt nibs feature regularly in various higher end ebonite and acrylic pens, I presume that many of the users will be perfectly happy with that. If you wish for another nib, that could be arranged by ASA. 5. Filling System & Maintenance: This pen is 3-in-1 filling system. I use it with a schimdt converter as this helps me to keep the pen clean. As eyedropper the pen will hold a generous amount if ink. 6. Cost & Value (9/10): This pen is valued at INR 1250 (31 USD ). Its an affordable pen with great value on the long run. The availability is a bit of a problem as this is not one of their flagship models. I advise others to directly contact ASA for more information. 7. Conclusion: This is a nice little plain monochrome acrylic pen with a good default nib unit. Have a nice day. The whatsapp no of ASA is 9176607660 Email id: asapens.in@gmail.com, unik.services@hotmail.com. Web site: http://asapens.in/eshop/
  15. Hey folks. This is my first "review". Well, not really a review, more some personal thoughts after attempting to use a Kaweco Classic Sport for a very specific purpose. First, let me state for the record I'm new to serious fountain pens. As a pre-teen some 30 years ago, I'd expressed early interest in calligraphy and written language, and my parents encouraged me with an inexpensive Speedball dip pen set. That's about all my experience until this year, when I decided to start getting into the fountain pen hobby seriously. For my birthday, my wife gifted me a bottle of Diamine Shimmertastic "Purple Pazzazz" ink, something I didn't feel comfortable using in the either of the pens I already owned, both TWSBI 580s. So, since I confess a fascination with demonstrator pens, I started hunting for an inexpensive, eyedropper-capable demonstrator with a broad nib to use with this ink. I saw the Kaweco Classic Sport Clear, watched a bunch of Youtube reviews which said it should be easily eyedropper-convertible, and then picked one up for ~$25 off eBay. When the pen arrived, I was struck by how cheap and light the plastic felt, and how "unfinished" it appeared. This does not feel like a $25 pen to me. First impressions aside, I greased the threads where the section meets the barrel, shook the bottle of shimmery ink well, and then loaded the barrel with Purple Pazzazz. The pen wrote well, but the gold shimmer in the ink would last only a few letters before requiring a good shake to the pen, which caused some ink to splatter from the nib. I took to recapping the pen every few words to shake it with the cap on, which ended up just getting ink into the cap. More on that later. So, clearly not a combination for everyday writing. That's OK, as I wasn't expecting it to be. I wanted to use this pen and ink for envelopes, notes to my wife, etc. not writing a paper. However, eventually, the gold fleck stopped appearing in the ink on paper at all, no matter how much shaking to redistribute the particulate in the barrel of the pen. Eventually, I decided to go ahead and disassemble and thoroughly clean the pen. What I found was that the gold fleck had effectively clogged the feed completely. Only the liquid portion of the ink could make it through to the nib and onto the paper. Along the way I discovered two other items about the Kaweco Classic Sport that should give one pause when considering an eyedropper conversion. First, and most importantly, ink gets trapped between the nib unit or nib collar and the clear section. Since on this model there appears to be no way to completely remove the collar from the section, there's no way to easily flush out that trapped ink. It's unsightly, and I think could interfere with using different colored inks in this pen. Lastly, the ink that gets into the cap ends up trapped behind the white translucent plastic inner cap, and seems also nearly impossible to get out entirely. Overall, a disappointing experience. I think the Kaweco Classic Sport is a decent pen, but not a $25 pen. I cannot recommend using it as an eyedropper, unless you plan to use the same ink all the time and don't mind the trapped ink in the section and cap. Lastly, it's not a good choice for inks with particulate. They clog the feed, and the particulate flow is neither good nor consistent when it does work. On a more positive note, used with cartridges, the Classic Sport seems like a decent if overpriced pocket pen that will write consistently. The nib was OK. A touch "tactile" on smooth paper, but no skipping or hard starts.
  16. Ray_NEMBFV

    How To Fill This?

    Mailman again. It's a Waterman, but I've never seen an eye dropper like this. I presume I know the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway since I'm out of ideas. I need a syringe, right? I'm a diabetic and I had to order a stupid syringe from Goulet! - I switched to pens two years ago, don't even has an emergency stash. I dipped it and the flex is fun. I just gotta fill it. I'm open to any ideas that won't ruin my wife's carpet...
  17. Hello everyone. This time my review is for Ranga Thin Bamboo ebonite pen. Ranga pen is one of the most well-known brands in fountain pen world, they have ardent followers both in India and abroad. They are manufacturing ebonite and acrylic fountain, ball point and roller ball pens for more than 50 years. I was quite late in buying from them considering my fascination for ebonite pens, just because their ebay site doesnt have any option for paying in Indian currency. The price list is entirely in USD, so I contacted them over email and whatsapp. Mr. Pandurangan was generous to respond within a short time, and he did help me a lot. ASA pens and Ranga pens are two of the most customer oriented fountain pen companies that I have encountered. I chose the thin bamboo model as it was a bit on the smaller side for ebonite pens, I do have problems with jumbo pens. Also, I have many pens from ASA which are similar in design to some other Ranga models. Bamboo model has a unique design which is still available exclusively with Ranga pens in Indian market. I asked for a clipless cap as in my opinion the clip was hindering the complete display of its beauty. I am satisfied with the pen. 1.Appearance & Design (9/10): First of all, I must admit, Its a gorgeous ebonite pen. This is a rod shaped pen with bamboo-like slightly swollen nodes on the body. Each node has a groove running through it. There are five nodes altogether. Both the ends look similar and have large grooves for the clip and presumably for posting, which as I would explain is not a feasible option. As I ordered for a clipless design, my pen looks symmetrical. I dont know the exact origin of this bamboo design, but as a fountain pen this design is unique. There is no logo or branding, which is a wise decision as it would have hampered the actual aesthetics of the design. The cap is a bit shorter than the body, and the distance between individual nodes is smaller on the cap than the body. But unless you compare them side by side (as I have already alerted your mind) its difficult to notice at first glance. I chose the yellow-black swirled one and the colour is great. Its not the highest quality of ebonite on offer from them, but still its better than most other Indian ebonite pens. That will give a fair idea about the quality of these pens. The thin Bamboo The cap and body- side by side 2. Construction & Quality (9/10): I dont find any fault with the design or construction of this pen. The finish is absolutely flawless. The ebonite is top class, with almost no extra inclusion or impurities visible. No lathe mark, scratch mark or inconsistencies found. The material is of good quality. The body is well polished and sturdy. Its a light weight pen. The cap secures on the body with three and quarter turn, which in my opinion is excess, but the threads are well crafted, so there is no tightness or problem while closing and opening the cap. The section is also made of ebonite with gentle tapering towards nib. The grooves at the nodal regions are consistent in width and well made. The cap creates a small gap with the body looking similar to the grooves above and below it. 3. Weight & Dimensions (9/10): The dimensions are as follows Pen Length Capped 14o mm Pen Length Uncapped 130 mm. Pen Length Posted 195 mm (so one have to use it without posting, unless one has hands like a giant). Average section diameter : 10-11 mm. This pen feels very comfortable and well balanced (unposted). No problem with long writing sessions. As evident from the measurements, its not a very big pen, but not a small pen either. Its a bit smaller and thinner than most standard ebonite pens, but has a decent length to it. from left to right: The Pilot Metropolitan, Ranga thin bamboo, Jinhao x750 and ASA Daily 4. Nib & Performance (6/10): The stock nib is a bit disappointing. If you are a user of Indian fountain pens, by now you must have been introduced to Wality nibs. The stock nib is a Wality monotone nib, smooth with lots of feedback. It writes Indian fine line. These are cheap nibs without much character to the writing. I hope to change this nib for a better one. The flow is generous. There is much feathering on cheap papers. The nib has very little flex. I would suggest them to use Kanwrite nibs which are cheap Indian nibs but much smoother. Wality monotone stock nib (Indian fine) 5. Filling System & Maintenance (6/10): This pen is eyedropper pen. There is no provision for a cartridge or converter in this model. There are costlier versions with German JoWo and Schimdt nibs and converters. 6. Cost & Value (9/10): This pen is valued at INR 2300 (45 USD ). I find the price quite appropriate. There will always be comparison of Ranga pens with ASA, the other major Indian ebonite pen makers. I find these comparisons a bit futile, thats because each product is priced for its buyers. If the buyer is happy with the finished product, I dont see why it would not be priced at the current value. ASA pens are a bit on the cheaper side, almost all pens have cartridge converter system, the finishes are comparable (with Ranga having a slight edge), the material from Ranga looks better, and if ASA were to launch a bamboo design of their own (I have no idea whether this design is copyrighted to Ranga pens) it would come at a lower price. This doesnt mean that if that becomes a reality (ASA launching bamboo design), this pen will lose its value. Ranga pens are one of the most internationally successful fountain pen makers and they stood the test of time. The communication is well maintained from their end and there are some little things, like getting a link in email about to how these pens are made - these small things build a relationship with the seller. So the buying experience get enriched beyond the product value. 7. Conclusion (Final score, 48/60): This pen is a must have for every fountain pen and ebonite pen enthusiast. I would suggest, if budget is not a constraint, one must go for the cartridge convertor German nib variety, plus one may look into the premium ebonite models. The whatsapp no is 9444357967 Email id: mpkandan@yahoo.co.in Ebay site: Ranga pens
  18. I have had the worst luck when it comes to Eyedropper pens. They always burp and leak on me, really badly. I had hoped that the 66 Stabilis I ordered wouldn't have had the same issues, seeing the nib unit was a screw in type of one piece. Sadly this was not to be, but I would like to get other peoples' experiences just in case I'm doing something wrong or there is an actual fault with the nib unit. I have the pen eyedroppered and filled with Sailor ink. I followed the instructions on the Franklin Christoph website about greasing the threads of the nib unit and the thread of the barrel. I turn the pen nib up and warm it thoroughly in my hand before use. To write one side of an A4 page I have to blot away the burps and leaks at least eight times on a mound of tissue paper while constantly turning the pen up to check it isn't about to make a huge mess on the page. After an A4 page half of the ink contents of the barrel are gone; just to give you an idea of how much ink the pen is expelling. When it first started to do it I thought I mustn't have greased the threads on the nib unit enough and ink was escaping and creeping down between the unit and the section, but it isn't. The ink is actually expelling out the bottom of the unit itself at the point where the feed meets the end of the unit. Is this a fault?
  19. I am not totally certain if this is the right section to post this query, but since the eyedropper pen is widely known in India, I think the chance of finding a definitive answer is much greater. As we all know, eyedropper-fill pens have a tendency to burp ink when the amount of air increases up to a point inside the reservoir. The use of a more effective feed such as that on the Sheaffer No Nonsense go some way to help for acting as a better buffer, but the Indian-made finned feeds - also used in the Noodler's Ahab in 6.3mm size - should also be more effective in this department. In fact my Kim came with this feed. However, this particular 6.3mm feed has a hole in the back for the fitting of a breather tube, which in the case of the Ahab, increases ink filling efficiency as a small hole is opened on the top side of the feed facing the underside of the nib. I am beginning to wonder if this feature for accommodating a breather tube is meant for eyedropper pens as well: I can envisage the fitting of a breather tube to the feed, where the far end almost reaches the dead end of the ink reservoir. I'd imagine there is a better chance for the internal and external pressures to get equalized. I have yet to conduct experiments on this, but I seem to recall seeing some eyedropper pens with breather tubes fitted to their feeds, so there might be something in it after all. I would certainly welcome the views of my fellow correspondents, and perhaps even better, first-hand experiences on it too. Thank you.
  20. Hello everyone. I am new to this forum and this is my first review of a fountain pen. So, if I inadvertently commit any mistakes, kindly overlook those. Today I am going to review one Indian ebonite fountain pen with a special kind of nib. Many of us have heard about Butterline Stub nibs, but little information is available online, except that Mr. Pendleton Brown grinds those speciality nibs. It is from his site that I came across the definition of Butterline Stub nibs, which he states as “…….a hybrid between a Stub (very smooth with some variation) and a Cursive Italic (maximum line variation with crisper edge).” This pen is from Krishna pens, behind which there is Dr. Sreekumar, a one man army. He is an anesthesiologist by profession, an experienced nibmaster by passion- fountain pens remain his devotion despite all his busy schedules. As this is mostly a passionate endeavor rather than a commercial one, his products are not available online readily. He doesn’t maintain a separate website and produces one pen per week, so you are lucky if you can get hold of them. The specialty in most of his pens is the grinding of perfectly ordinary nibs into something extraordinary. His recent muse has been the butterline stub nibs and I was fortunate enough to be able to buy two pens from eBay from Krishnapens, where he lists his items from time to time. 1. Appearance & Design (8/10): His pens are rather well built and beautiful. The design varies from model to model, and mostly they are traditional cigar shaped pens with tapering at both ends. The nib is fitted rather healthily into the section and the nib-feed unit looks solid. The material is good quality ebonite. The colours vary according to the model, but they are bright and vibrant. The polish is good. Overall I would give the pen 8/10 for looks, considering the common traits of ebonite pens. They are large pens, but relatively light weight and well balanced. No pungent smell from any of the pens. Unfortunately I would be posting pics of only one pen as I have sent the other to him for tuning to my choice. The fountain pen The clip 2. Construction & Quality (8/10): These are solid pens. They feel compact in hand and the material looks impressive. I wouldn’t say the ebonite can compete with some 200$ custom made ebonite pen, but it’s not shabby at all. A decent looking pen available at a throwaway price. The clip is unlike something you have ever seen on any pen, it’s special. It is flat, broad piece of metal, very sturdy and effective. Dr Sreekumar states that these pens are made of Export quality ebonite. On close inspection, though there are impurities in the ebonite, that doesn’t diminish the impression of the pen at all. No company names embossed on my pens. 3. Weight & Dimensions (8/10): It’s a light weight pen. I don’t have a machine to tell the exact value. The dimensions are as follows Length Capped: 130 mm Length uncapped with nib: 120 mm Length posted: 165 mm Length of cap: 60 mm Cap Diameter: 14 mm Section diameter: 11 mm This pen feels very comfortable to hold; it slips easily into hand and writes right away. The balance is great unposted. Posted, this becomes uncomfortable as the cap doesn’t go much deep into the body. From left: Waterman Hemisphere deluxe, Pilot metropolitan, Krishna butterline stub, Jinhao X750 (all capped) From left: Waterman Hemisphere deluxe, Pilot metropolitan, Krishna butterline stub, Jinhao X750 (all posted) 4. Nib & Performance (9/10): The nib is the specialty of this pen. These nibs are ground by Dr. Sreekumar himself, with the help of his immense knowledge and experience about nibs. He fondly reminisces that he grinded his very first nib at class 7. It was a different time then with fountain pens being the symbol of education. Over the years his hand have become more and more adept at making different grinds, making ordinary medium or broad size nibs extraordinary in the process. Butterline stub nibs are in between a medium and true stub....line variations are there but the main attraction of these nibs are the smoothness and the experience while writing. It’s something you have to experience yourself. The writing surface is beveled upward. The nibs he uses for this conversion are Kanwrite nibs and Ambitious nibs. Both are Indian company. Kanwrite is the same company that produces nibs and body for Noodlers Company in US. Ambitious nibs are thinner than Kanwrite, but as they are grinded by same person the writing experience is much the same. The flow is appropriate, no feathering or blotting or burping, ink and paper remaining the same as other pens. The feed is made of ebonite and it maintains good flow as required by a stub nib. There is minimal flex, but its expected. The Kanwrite nib The pen with paper 5. Filling System & Maintenance (6/10): This is an eyedropper, no other systems available like ASA pens. Good seal between body and section ensures no leakage and the ebonite multi-finned feed ensures no burping. Ink amount inside body is about 2.5 ml. The pen remains light and well balanced even when fully inked. There may be some ebonite particles/ residues inside the barrel when you receive the pen, but it’s more of an outlook towards fountain pens than an error. Being such an avid pen lover, most fountain pen manufacturers from India just assume that a person would take some trouble to clean his pen before inking it. 6. Cost & Value (8/10): This pen is valued at INR 1500- 1800 (22$- 30$). It’s a good bargain considering the price of ebonite pens in general. This is a reliable fountain pen, in that you can always pick it up while going out, take it out in front of your colleagues, put it to paper and it will perform right away. The solid built and crisp line will invite awe and the writing experience will always please you. It’s not for the stylish line variations or calligraphy, but it’s a genuine daily workhorse. 7.Conclusion (Final score, 47/60): I ordered this pen just out of curiosity about butterline stub nibs, and I’m very impressed with this pen. It’s one of my daily pens these days. I would recommend this pen for anyone who come across them on ebay. The review on paper The shading. Thank you for reading. Bye.
  21. 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 an ebonite pen which was described as “Ebonite Large with Back Window” in brown ripple with chrome trim. It is a delightful looking pen which I am going to review. Design It is a hand-made ebonite fountain pen with the last part of barrel made of clear acrylic to act as ink window with chrome trim in brown and black rippled colour. It is a medium 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. The brown rippled ebonite is of good quality and the clear acrylic ink window at the rear end of the barrel is a very charming feature of this pen and perhaps the reason I bought it. 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 spoils the looks of the pen. 3.5/5 Dimensions Weight: 20 gms Length: 133 mm (5.4”) Length of uncapped pen: 120 mm (4.75”) Posted length: 165 mm (6.5”) Diameter of section: 12 mm (0.5”) Barrel diameter: 14 mm (0.65”) It is a medium 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 reasonably wet but very scratchy. 2.5/5 Filling system The pen is an eye dropper filler and holds 5 ml of ink. The clear acrylic “back window” adds to the charm as soon as the pen is inked. Eye dropper fillers are not my choice of filling systems because they tend to have an inconsistent ink flow and do burp. This pen was burping real bad till I adjusted the feed. 3/5 Value for Money The pen is priced at INRs 500/- plus postage (US$ 8 approximately plus postage). The pen looks beautiful and the acrylic window adds a different kind of charm to the pen. The quality of ebonite and polishing is extremely good. 5/5 It is a proud part of my Indian Hand turned fountain pens collection. They can be bought by whatsapp at +919225328858 Total Score: 17/25
  22. RATNAM TARPODA Ratnam Tarpoda Ratnam Tarpoda (Big Size) was one amongst my mass-order purchase through my dear friend Pradeep who was travelling to Rajahmundry last year. I have bought lot of pens from different manufacturers and I have varied experiences across the three brands of Rajahmundry. For those who don’t know, Rajahmundry is one of the major city of Andhra Pradesh in India. And city consists of few of the oldest fountain pen manufacturers in India like Ratnam, Ratnamson, and Guider. Ratnam Pen Works ( KV Brahmam & Brothers) is the first “Swadeshi” Fountain Pen Company of India and was established in 1932. It was started by Kosuri Venkat Ratnamand is currently being run by one of his two sons, Siva Ratnam. They also manufacture handmade gold nibs including conical shape gold nib. Most of their pens are made of ebonite, however they also make silver metal pens and also gold plated silver pens. I have yet to see acrylic pen from them. The review is about their big size ebonite pen , Ratnam Tarpoda. DESIGN : 3.5/5 Here the pen is in simple, classic shaped design with rounded finials. The pen tapers down down to rounded bottom, while the cap also tapers but just slightly to finial which is shaped like parabolic dome. It bears lot of resemblance to one of my previously reviewed pen Ratnamson 302, which is a pen from different manufacturer, though in this case the cap finials tapers more towards top. Ratnam Tarpoda – Uncapped Ratnam Tarpoda – Dome Shaped Top and Rounded Bottom The grip section is made in black ebonite unlike the body which is made in olive ripple ebonite which is famous by name of White Tiger because of the resemblance to skin of white tiger. Ratnam Tarpoda – Capped Ratnam Tarpoda – Uncapped and Unposted Ratnam Tarpoda – Uncapped and Posted The barrel is cylindrical and tapers both ways, towards the grip section and also towards the bottom end. The grip section in black ebonite gradually tapers towards the top with flared end at the top. The grip section is short and I end up gripping threads which actually are not sharp and rather they are smooth and provide good grip. The cap is adorned with dual bands and has a stiff ball end type clip. The trims used are gold and I believe they match with the ebonite. And it opens in 4 1/2 turns. Ratnam Tarpoda – Cap with Ball end Clip and Dual Centerbands The barrel is engraved with the branding which reads “RATNAM PEN, MADE IN RJY, INDIA”. And it is filled some sort of gold paint which I believe is not neatly done as their is spillage of gold paint on barrel which eventually will wear off with time. Ratnam Tarpoda – Branding Overall it is a classic, no nonsense, elegant cigar shaped design and you cant go wrong with that. Ratnam Tarpoda – Classic Cigar Design Finishing can be improved a little. And most importantly the turns to open cap must be minimized. BUILT & CONSTRUCTION : 3/5 The quality of material used is good and is sturdy. There is no discolouration of material. The built quality is just at par with like of Ranga or Deccan pens if not better, especially finishing. I think Branding on barrel can still be improved. What I really liked was the alignment of cap with the barrel when it is closed in such a way that the ripple effect of ebonite carries to the cap from barrel. Ratnam Tarpoda – Ripple Pattern Continuation from Barrel to Cap Its a handmade pen and yes there are certain anomalies like cap finial doesn't align in line with the tapered profile of the cap. But again what do you expect from such an inexpensive pen. Ratnam Tarpoda – Cap Finial not aligned with cap Ratnam Tarpoda – Cap inner View As far as the quality of band is considered they are better than what I had on Ratnamson 302. But yes they still need improvement. Ratnam Tarpoda – Cap Center Bands One thing I really did not like was provision for 2 breather holes in the pen, otherwise it is well built HANDMADE pen at this price point. BALANCE & SIZE : 5/5 The pen is vary well balanced in both the scenarios when writing with cap posted or unposted. Yes, when cap is posted at back, the rear becomes heavy and will suit the one with large hands but it doesn’t becomes unbalanced at all. The cap posts securely and it post deep. Below are the 2 images showing the length till which the cap posts, outer limit shown by thumb. Ratnam Tarpoda – Cap Posts Deep Ratnam Tarpoda – Thumb shows the length till which the cap posts Below are the two images showing the length of pen when writing with cap posted and unposted. Ratnam Tarpoda – Writing Unposted Ratnam Tarpoda – Writing Posted Being ebonite it is light weigh and no metal is used here. Ratnam Tarpoda – Weight in gms including cap Ratnam Tarpoda – Weight in gms excluding cap Few Specifications are : Length of pen (closed) – 150 mmLength of pen (open and unposted) – 125 mm (including nib)Length of pen (open and posted) – 165 mm (including nib)Length of Grip Section – 15 mmMaximum Dia of Cap – 16 mmMaximum Dia of Barrel – 14 mmMaximum Dia of Grip Section – 12 mmMinimum Dia of Grip Section – 10 mmWeight of Pen with Cap – 28.24 gms (inked)Weight of Pen without Cap – 17.82 gms (inked) Below are the few images showing the comparison of pen with others: Ratnam Tarpoda vs Lamy Safari vs Pilot MR vs Jinhao X750 – Capped Ratnam Tarpoda vs Lamy Safari vs Pilot MR vs Jinhao X750 – Uncapped ans Posted Clearly it is not that much a big pen and hence it is comfortable for most of the users. NIB : 2.5/5 Nib used is #5 friction fit with ebonite feed. Nib is Dual tone and is well articulated with certain engraving which reads ” GENIUS IRIDIUM GERMANY”. The nib on this was better than what the Guider puts on their pens but yes not to my liking and thus I ended up grinding the nib to medium Italic and it was nib which got grind easily unlike Wality nibs. Ratnam Tarpoda – Nib unit View – Top Ratnam Tarpoda – Nib unit View – Side Ratnam Tarpoda – Nib unit View – Underside The problem is that the nib is available only in fine and no other choices. INK FILLING MECHANISM : 4/5 The ink filling mechanism is via an Eyedropper, well you can use syringe also. Ink capacity is around 3.5 ml which is substantial. Ratnam Tarpoda – Pen taken apart Ratnam Tarpoda – Eyedropper Filling Since its an ED pen, there is a noticeable increase in the inflow when the ink level goes below 3/4th and that is when you will have to refill otherwise it will burp. Its like it will gives you warning before it burps. This pen though has not burped on me at all and yeah I ensure when the ink level goes below I refill it. Below are the images of my handwritten review and the writing samples: Ratnam Tarpoda – Handwritten Review – Page 1 Ratnam Tarpoda – Handwritten Review – Page 2 Ratnam Tarpoda – Handwritten Review – Page 3 Ratnam Tarpoda – Handwritten Review – Page 4 CONCLUSION : 18/25 I recommend this pen to every collector. Its an handmade pen from first pen manufacturer of India. Also will recommend to the likes who love fiddling around with their pen and know how to live around and ED pen. I bought this pen for Rs. 1000 (approx US $16 ) which included shipping last year and I believe the price might have gone up. What I Like: Classic Cigar Design Handmade Very Good Quality Ebonite Good Balance and Size Good Ink Capacity A piece of History Value for MoneyWhat I don’t Like: Eyedropper only Only one nib option Branding HOW TO BUY: They can be easily approached via WhatsApp ( Mob No. +91 98489 18904). They will send you pics and prices and you can select whatever you like. Pay via bank transfer and they ship once the payment is received. You can also check out his Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/Ratnam-pens-314421885386511/?fref=ts The review is simultaneously posted at my blog. For more reviews check my blog here : LINK
  23. Today I am using "Abhay Pen Agencies " made ACRYLIC TANISHQ (eyedropper).. I came to know about them browsing through FPN . They make a lot of different ebonite and acrylic pens and some mixed one too .. This is a pure acrylic pen . A pocket size pen ,it post nicely and well balanced, posted is my preferred writing style with this pen.. I got two of them in different colors.. The pen :- ABHAY PEN AGENCIES ACRYLIC TANISHQ EYEDROPPER http://i.imgur.com/u1JRvL8.jpg A bit of writing sample http://i.imgur.com/vmf6Mjt.jpg closer look at the pen http://i.imgur.com/M9NDJUV.jpg A BRIEF REVIEW http://i.imgur.com/b4PU5WS.jpg NIB - MOHI BRANDED NIB WRITES MEDIUM FINE http://i.imgur.com/ioOd3vf.jpg CAP - ACRYLIC CAP WITH A STRONG CLIP IN CHROME FINISH http://i.imgur.com/XBMW0tA.jpg SIZE COMPARSION WITH ASA ATHLETE UNPOSTED AND POSTED UNPOSTED http://i.imgur.com/7fh2EHy.jpg POSTED http://i.imgur.com/dJBzVIh.jpg ANOTHER COLOUR http://i.imgur.com/4e2LLpH.jpg http://i.imgur.com/ueVjxZi.jpg BOTH TOGETHER http://i.imgur.com/5W5JewH.jpg These are nice smooth writing pocket pens and they are cheap too ..
  24. phillieskjk

    Ink Guzzlers

    Which pens do you have that use the most ink? Which pens do you have to refill the most often? Also, the inverse. Which pens do you have that use the least amount of ink? For me, the answers would be a VERY wet Jinhao X450 for the most ink using pen, and a Platinum Standard PTL-5000a XF for my most efficent pen.
  25. Well, here it is. F-C's new model, the 45 XLV. http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/Keir_Williams/image1-5_zpsucwimyu0.jpg This is my 2nd FC Pen, the first being a 66P. I saw the 45 in Black on their Instagram page, and noticed it was at Initial Price Offering of $90 including worldwide shipping, so I thought I'd take a look, and shortly after looking on the website I purchased it. I bought the Pen on a Thursday night here in the UK, and on Monday morning, the FedEx van called round and delivered it ! That's what I call good service ! http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/Keir_Williams/image4_zpspjxbgxa7.jpg The pen came in their typical leather pouch and so I inked the pen with the included cartridge and began writing. The steel #5 fine nib is very smooth and puts down a line with medium flow, although it could be a little wetter. The pen is very comfortable in hand and is very light. The pen is small unposed, so I write with it posted, but it works both ways equally well. The branding is typically F-C minimal, and the only markings are on the flat top cap, and in a band round the cap, where it is marked "Franklin-Christoph 45 IPO" http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/Keir_Williams/image3-2_zpslrjbkaq4.jpgThe cap unscrews in about half a turn, and the cap threads are the large block type at the end of the section. The section is hourglass shaped and I found no problems with comfort during long writing sessions. The nib never ran dry, apart from when the cartridge ran out, but I will soon convert the pen to an eyedropper as the section threads are very tight. Here is the pen compared to some others, from Top to bottom, Kaweco Sport, Model 45, Model 66 Pocket, Lamy Safari, Lamy 2000, TWSBI Eco : http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/Keir_Williams/image2_zps3xey09gl.jpg And posted : http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/Keir_Williams/image1-4_zpsbm0xksbp.jpgAs you can see its not a big pen, although it's a perfectly comfortable size for someone with normal sized hands. The fine nib appears on the fine side compared to other nibs : http://i1146.photobucket.com/albums/o535/Keir_Williams/image1-3_zps26dq0y9c.jpgIt's a little finer than the Kaweco fine, and a little drier, but about the same as the Eco's Extra Fine nib. I quite like it; it's stiff with almost no line variation but a good solid flow. It's very well made to precise measurements, and here are some dimensions : Capped length : 4.45" or 113mm Posted length 5.60" or 142mm Unposted length 4.12" or 104mm I wouldn't hesitate to recommend it, and it'd be great premium upgrade to something like a Kaweco or a Lamy. 8.5/10 for the FC Model 45 XLV in Black, Steel Fine.





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