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I've had a Noodler's ahab for the last couple months, and I've loved every part of it. Converted to an eyedropper the Ahab can hold 6mL of ink!!! and I've tried to do this a couple times, with little success. Every time I think I've successfully done it, to either one of my ahabs, it suffers from severe burping and and leaking from the feed, and often ending up with a cap filled with ink. Is there anyway to alleviate this problem? Thanks

Hello fellow FPNers, So it was a lazy Sunday afternoon and i was in front of my laptop with a cup of freshly brewed coffee. Beside my laptop was lying the Oliver Karma demonstrator. I had bought it quite a while ago and used it quite a lot. As a result. The clear acrylic barrel had developed scratches that scratched the eyes of the viewer. Also, it had not been factory polished from inside the barrel when i had bought it. It had the marks of lathe machine in it. As i sipped my coffee, an idea struck me like a bolt. Perhaps the result of my strong brew! I thought, why not try and give it the "frosted" finish that has recently gained quite some popularity. And off i went to convert my thought into action. Here is the result... The original finish.

Hi folks, This is my first attempt at a pen review, so thanks in advance for your patience as I fine tune how I'll do these in the future. I'm an airmail fan - that is, I enjoy the research and study of the impact of early aviation on the transport and delivery of the mails. So, it seemed a natural that when I learned about the Airmail Pen Company in Mumbai, I take a closer look at their products. Airmail Pen Co. was started in 1951 in (then) Bombay, India. While I have not had the pleasure of visiting the Sub-Continent, I'm told that Airmail Pens are quite popular there. Though they are available in a few locations, I went to Fountain Pen Revolution and quickly found a few attractive models to try. As it happens they were running a 50% off sale (try to get that from the Montblanc dealer in the mall!)...which brings me to the first solid 'Pro' about Airmail pens - the price. The pen I am reviewing here is the 58SL in dark blue and cream swirl and retails every day for USD $15. Yep, fifteen. Count 50% off of that and I paid a grand total of $7.50 for this pen. Shipping was $3, from India to the US. Now to found out what you get for your money... http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Jack_Breeding/Airmail58slD_zpsc97ce672.jpg The pen itself is attractive, made of plastic (acrylic?) with brass or brass plated clip, jewels and jewelers band at the cap base. Time will tell how durable these treatments are but they make a nice first impression. The fit and finish of this and other Airmail pens I have is adequate to very good, certainly above expectations based upon the price. The 58SL is a screw-cap, eyedropper pen and the threads are cut precisely without slop or excess. Being an eyedropper, this pen holds a lot of ink. I measured just over 2.5ml in the thick-walled barrel. There's also a very nice, striped, ink-view window. http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Jack_Breeding/e9728069-c6b3-484f-91fc-7facee570668_zpsaa6b3f33.jpg The pen posts well and balances nicely. It's lightweight, as it has no cartridge, converter, sac or piston but sits well in the hand. This brings me to the nib and feed, the heart of any pen. I ordered a Fine point, but XF, M, B and Fine Stub are also available. http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Jack_Breeding/Airmail58slG_zpsbad845e4.jpg While I wouldn't call this a flex-nib by any stretch, it does have some line variation. The nib provides a little more feedback than I like on Clairfontaine 90g paper but judicious work could smooth that out some. The nib and feed are friction fit, which makes swapping nibs simple. If I can't make this nib perform for me, I can just try another. Here's a quick writing sample. The nib is basically a nail, but applying reasonable force can thicken up the lines a bit. Ink is Parker Quink Blue-Black, my test ink as it's tops for flow and lubrication if a little dull in the color department. http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e341/Jack_Breeding/Airmail58slE_zps0ce0e751.jpg So, to sum up... Pros Price Fit and Finish Execution (machining, tolerances) Price Ink Capacity First Impressions Price General Appearance Cons Smell - funky plastic odor Nib - nothing special but the fact that I can easily swap another nib makes this a moot point for me. Notes No box, the pen comes wrapped in bubble wrap. This is somewhat of a plus for me as I'm not big on boxes but some folks may want one. I've just received this and the other Airmail pens I bought so I'll report back with my impressions after a few weeks of use. So far, this pen has really impressed me - primarily because it was so inexpensive. Put a nice mid-century Schaeffer 14k nib on this pen and you really have a winner and for much, much less than you might spend elsewhere. Jack

I was given a rather lovely Swan pen yesterday, of a sort that (in my limited experience) I haven't seen before. So I would very much like to know more about it. This is a long post, but I'm putting as much detail in as I can to increase the chances that someone will be able to help. I didn't find anything on FPN that might help - but if I've missed something, please just point me in the right direction. It looks like a good quality piece, and there are no leaks or cracks. An overnight soak of the nib revealed lots of gunk, and it needs further cleaning, but it is unblocked enough that water flows through. I guess it's pre-WWII, given that it's an eyedropper. But it has clearly been reasonably well looked after, so I doubt the nib is a replacement. It also seems likely that the box is original to the pen. Pictures follow, but I don't have a good camera with me, so please note the following details (all writing on the pen is in CAPS, and / indicates a new line): * Cap: feels like solid metal, and is gold coloured (rolled gold?), with the Swan logo at the top of the clip. No finial 'jewel'. It's a screw-cap. * Barrel: deep green - can read as black in poor light. No evidence of fading. Smells a bit funny - if I had to guess, I'd say it isn't plastic. Barrel imprint is slightly faded, but still reasonably crisp. It has the Swan logo with "trade mark" written underneath. The imprint says, "'Swan' Safety Pen / Mabie Todd & co. Ltd / Made in England" * Section is black and has an imprint: "Swan" * Nib appears to be fairly rigid - much less flexible than the thin Swan eyedropper (e.g.) and Blackbird lever-filler (e.g.) pens I have (EDIT for clarity. It's not a nail - you can get some line variation out of it, from what I can see when it is filled with water - but it differs markedly in feel from the other Mabie Todd pens I have tried). The nib seems to be a number 1: it is marked, "Swan / 1 / 14ct / Mabie Todd / & Co Ltd * Feed is black, smells a little like the Noodler's pens and is marked "Swan". I haven't yet removed the nib and feed for cleaning. The box is as shown in the first picture - pretty standard. The end of the box is marked "Safety" in black and "Fine" in red. I'm including a picture of a bottom side of the box which quotes postage costs in both then-standard and imperial denominations, in case that helps to date it more exactly. Finally, the pen came with an eyedropper in the box. The rubber feels a little old and slightly inflexible, but it works fine. I don't imagine it is original. Pictures: Entire ensemble Pen: nib, barrel & cap Nib close-up (to the extent that my camera does close-ups) Finallly, instructions on exchanging nibs, including postage prices

I've often been tempted by the Ranga ebonite fountain pens and they have had good reviews, from what I have seen, Most of the ones from sold from India are marketed as eye droppers and seem very good value, whereas most of the ones from the US seem to have converters fitted and are almost three times the price (if not more). I'm not overly keen on eyedroppers because of the risk of 'burp', so if I got a Ranga I would want to put a converter in it. The question is: can I put any standard converter in it or must it be a smitd (or whatever it is!), can I swap out the nibs easily and generally speaking, are they a decent pen?

Today I received my new WoodGlass from Desiderata Pens, which Pierre described on his website as "the first wooden demonstrator pen". I like wood; I like demonstrators. But what I really like about the WoodGlass is that it's an eyedropper filler--the 'tank' goes all the way down into the wooden end of the barrel and holds 2.4 ml of ink. I use my flex pens for drawing, as opposed to writing, and use up ink pretty fast. If you're not familiar with Desiderata pens, the concept is simple: they're fountain pens designed to take super flexible dip pen nibs...that look and work great. The feed is designed to keep up the steady flow of ink needed to produce lines with extreme width variation. Here's a look at my WoodGlass: The design is simple and understated; the barrel isn't really glass, of course, it's acrylic. The walls are thick enough to help insulate the air inside from the heat of your hand, to help guard against the dreaded low-tank ink burp. The crossgrain gives the ends a bit of character. The pen came fitted with the standard chromed Zebra G-NIb, which I'll eventually change out for a titanium one; but I was too impatient for that and wanted to test it out right away. I flushed the nib and feed and greased the section threads as instructed in the included manual, then filled the tank and primed the feed with a De Atramentis Document homemix I dubbed "Blood Oath". I'm happy to report that everything is sealed perfectly, the pen doesn't leak at all; however... ...I've got to clean THIS up before anybody gets the wrong idea. Anyway. I then capped the pen and let it stand nib down long enough for it to, you know...become one with itself, man. After a couple of false starts--and a few shakes from me--it got its groove on, and I took it for a spin. I doodled all over an 11" x 14" sheet of Borden & Riley #234 Paris paper. The lettering is fairly large--much bigger than normal handwriting. I didn't feel I was working particularly slowly, and the ink flow kept up with all but my most extreme flexing, and even then I felt the problem was due to speed more than feed. I did experience some clogging due to the super sharp nib catching paper fibers between the tines, but that will happen with any untipped flex nib. Just pick the hairball out of the nib and you're good to go. Detail of above, showing the scale. If you're familiar with G-nibs, you know how they perform; if not, the widest 'swells' above measure between 2 and 3 mm. The nibs will flex wider than that, after a bit of breaking in, but I don't usually push them that far. And even after all that doodling, I still had 2/3 of a tank left! To sum it up, I feel this is going to be one of my favorite 'workhorse' pens. It does what it's supposed to; it's attractive, the nibs are easily (and inexpensively) replaced, and Pierre is easily approachable if you have any questions or concerns. The only real drawback I can foresee is that the section is a bit slim for my mutant grip--I'm most comfortable with plump pens. But that's not a dealbreaker. I'm looking forward to finding out how the WoodGlass compares to both my vintage flex and custom flex pens.

Hello! First, I'm a noob, so if this has already been addressed at length, and I missed it in my search, I apologize. Now onto my situation....I was given a bottle of 4.5 oz Noodler's HOD for Christmas, and of course this came with a modified eyedropper Platinum Preppy. I was excited to use the pen and bring it to work because everyone says that they really like the pens and they are cheap, so if one walks away from your desk, no biggie. Yesterday, I am writing away, and it begins to leak heavily. Huge drops came from the bottom of the base of the nib where the feed ends. Ink got everywhere. It was a huge mess. I inspected the pen, and it does not appear to be leaking at all from the closure. I checked the O-ring and ensured that the threads were lubed up with silicon grease. I ran water through the nib and feed, dried it, and inspected the parts and put it back together. It has not leaked again...yet. My questions.... (1) Why did this happen? (2) What can I do to prevent this from happening again in the future? (3) Is this a common problem with modified Preppys? If so, I will need to reconsider buying a bunch of these for my desk at work. I work in oncology clinical research, and it would be a disaster of epic proportions if my pen leaked all over a patient's chart or other source documents. I can see the look on the FDA auditors' faces now....YIKES! Any help or advise is greatly appreciated!

I recently received a Pilot 78g from Goodpens here on the forums. I was thinking about converting it to an ED because it is my favorite for all my long writing sessions (Essays and minor research on wearable technology). The squeeze converter doesn't hold enough ink and refilling so often is kind of a pain. I have seen older posts here on FPN and Badger and Blade about it and it seems all you need is a pen body with no holes,an o-ring and silicone grease. I have the first two but have looked at my local hardware stores and I can only find the silicone-based caulk which i know is advised against. Can you use something like a organic beeswax or Chapstick( a wax based lip balm)? I am very new to these things so any advice offered would be appreciated. I look forward to some help and suggestions!

I have a Hero 329 (New Version- Not Star Trek). I love it. It always writes smoothly, it has never broken, I love the design (It's a Parker "51" clone) and it was 1 USD! I only have one issue with it. The ink sac is TINY! So, I want to increase the ink capacity by turning it into an eyedropper. I was planning to cut off the sack (it cannot be removed otherwise) and then proceed as if it was a cartridge pen. My only concern is the screw at the bottom of the pen. If I seal that screw with silicone grease as well, will it be watertight? Will there be any negative effect on the ink if it is in direct contact with the grease? I am not afraid of breaking the pen (since it was only a dollar) but I don't want it to leak all over. Thanks, Phillieskjk

I originally posted this in First Stop. It was my first post. I subsequently realised that the reviews are meant to be posted here. http://asapens.in/eshop/image/cache/data/Athlete/Athlete-20-500x500.jpgASA Athlete: The pen with a character This review is my first and is intended for a layman. There is usually no best. No best book, no best car and no best movie. Same goes with fountain pens. However, recently I found or discovered a pen which comes very near to being the best in my present collection. This pen was bought from ASApens.in and was named Athlete. I quite enjoyed writing with it. I call it the pen with a character . As you can perhaps see, the pen is made of ebonite i.e.a hard rubber but feels and looks like wood. How many of us can boast of using an writing instrument made of ebonite. Not many, I guess. Believe me when I say it, the feel of ebonite surpasses plastic, acrylic or even metal. You won't feel the weight. You will not experience the pressure and pain on the tips of your finger while writing for long hours. Your hands will not sweat as much. Moreover, the balance of the pen is very significant when it comes to writing for long durations. This pen has perfect balance. at least for me, posted(putting the cap on the end) or unposted. Despite being of such a large size, I never felt its size or weight even once. Pardon the cliche, but the pen is literally light as a feather. The wooden ebonite body has been polished to give it a matt black finish. It adds to the aesthetics of this pen. The pen looks classy and visually appealing. It catches the attention of those around you, provided they care about pens. The 'Athlete' has got a personality of its own. Its exterior speaks of its being a no nonsense , efficient and durable pen. When you keep it with other pens, it dominates them with its presence. Athlete is an eyedropper. For a layman, this means that its barrel is filled with ink, unlike say Parker vector or Hero 360. Usually in an eyedropper, the air bubble inside gets warmed up with the heat of the body and expands. This results in burping which means that your page can get ruined and you may end up with a big and sizable blot on your paper. But, thankfully, this is not the case with this pen. I ended up a complete tank and I found no burping. The wooden body apparently acts as an insulator much better than plastic. The ink flow increased when the ink levels dropped but there was no burping. Another problems which eyedropper pens face is leakage. None here though. The cap fits securely and the barrel is securely attached to the nib and feed section. It was a new experience for me. An Eyedropper fountain pen that doesn't leak.!!! The best part is nib. These nibs are apparently made in Germany. The engraving says that they are Iridium tipped. You can feel their superior quality. If the best fountain pen you have is a Parker Vector, you would be blown away by the smoothness of the nib. The nib does not have a glossy smooth feel which many a chinese fountain pens have. That is being too smooth to like. There is a very little feedback, which I love, because I can feel myself writing and I can feel the nib gliding on the paper. The nib is a dual tone size #6. For a lay man this can be translated as fairly large nib. Not the largest, but quite large. Having a large nib means that if you have large hands like mine and many of other adult men, you wont be forced to write too close to paper and while writing you can maintain a comfortable hand stance.Moreover the grip section was long and smooth. I got the nib with tines separated. I thought that it would be an issue. But it was not. There was no rail roading. No issues with writing at all. I found the nib and the pen to be made for each other. The feed was a pretty simple ebonite one. It had deep channels. Which is perhaps the reason behind the wet writing. Writing samples of the pen and the comparison with Pilot 'Tank', Pilot MR and Lamy are included. The ink used is commonly available Chelpark and the paper is a JK A4 size paper. The service of ASApens.in was excellent. When I bought the pen I used the option of getting the fountain pen checked which is not available on any other indian site. The sellers are professionals. One can any time mail them or call them in respect of any queries related to fountain pens. I called them and they didn't disappoint me. Now, let me answer the most difficult question about this pen. What I didn't like about it? Well, I liked everything. But I should add a caveat that this is an eyedropper pen which needs a little maintenance just like a samurai sword does . And the cap if left posted may leave a round mark on the matt finish. However, the pen is available in many colors on ASApens. Lastly if you feel the ink flow increasing it would be wiser to refill the barrel pen instead of waiting for the ink to be over. Overall, I recommend this pen. It's a great value for money and a daily writer. One can use it daily without impunity. One can show it off or keep it entirely to himself. It is a work horse, a no nonsense pen. It is one macho of a pen, that dominates other pens and the paper. The pen with a 'Character'. The review is also available on my blog. Hope it was helpful. I am soon going to write a review of Doctor Deluxe. A under 3$ pen that quite surprised me with its performance. I call that the reliable housemaid.

The Wality 69T fountain pen I’m reviewing in this post came to me along with a number of other pens, ranging in price and quality, that were provided to me free of charge by Kevin of www.JustWrite.com.au, in return for an impartial review. If I understand this correctly, Wality pens are made by the Airmail Pen Company, based in Mumbai India. Founded in 1951,Airmail are one of the oldest pen manufacturers in India. I’ve been keen to try this pen out since it arrived – but only grabbed it out and inked it up in the last couple of days. I have to say, it’s a pretty simple pen – but even so, it’s nice to look at, and a pleasure to write with. ______________________________________________________________________ 1. Appearance & Design – Swirled acrylic and chrome accents – a nice combination The first thing I noticed about the Wality 69T was the cap, which is made of an attractive orange-swirled acrylic. Removing the cap reveals a sturdy grip section made of the same material.. The chrome accents on the cap (the clip and finial, and the ring near the base of the cap) are of a much higher quality than the Serwex 101 pens that provided my first introduction to Indian eyedropper pens, while the barrel is significantly larger in diameter. I was also quite impressed by the barrel of the pen: machined from a solid piece of clear acrylic, and hollowed out to create the ink reservoir, any scratches or scrapes from the machining process would be hard to miss – but the interior and exterior surfaces seem nice and smooth. http://i.imgur.com/RfH4qx3.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/v52JVDy.jpg … 2. Construction & Quality – Very solidly constructed – won’t break easily Though made entirely of acrylic, this is a sturdy pen. The thickness of the barrel walls mean you’d have to stomp on the pen pretty hard to get it to crack – and though the pen cap might not stand up so well to that kind of treatment, it’s certainly not fragile. The cap threads are well-machined to avoid discomfort. The clip is nice and springy, well suited to grip tightly to a shirt or jacket pocket. All in all, I was pretty impressed – everything about the 69T says that though the materials aren’t pricey, the workmanship is solid. … 3. Weight & Dimensions – Comfortable dimensions for a medium-to-large hand The Wality 69T weighs 22g uninked – substantial enough that you know you’re holding a pen (!), but light enough to be comfortable for longer writing sessions. At 130mm uncapped (146mm capped), the pen is a good length for writing with unposted – which is just as well, as the cap looks VERY awkward sitting on the end of the barrel. The diameter of the grip section is around 11mm (substantial without being too large!) – all of which adds up to a very pleasant feel in the hand. http://i.imgur.com/nmbC9fx.jpg … 4. Nib & Performance – A fine, smooth nib with a hint of feedback This is not the first time I’ve encountered a Wality nib – it’s my second! – but in all honesty, I have to say so far so good! The nib is pretty firm, laying down a fine line with a minimum of line variation. I’d probably like it to be just a little wetter – and maybe just a little smoother – but even without adjustment this nib is pretty good. http://i.imgur.com/3zZYfxW.jpg http://i.imgur.com/eeUrU0y.jpg … 5. Filling System & Maintenance – An Eyedropper pen, with generous ink capacity If I wanted to fill the ink reservoir to the base of the threads, I reckon I could fit about 2-2.5ml of ink into the 69T – which by any standard is fairly impressive. The grip section threads a fair way into the barrel (~1cm), and the tolerances on the threads are tight, meaning that silicone grease is an optional (though advisable) extra when it comes to avoiding leakage. Piston converters might have a greater market appeal – but are a heck of a lot fiddlier to clean and maintain! http://i.imgur.com/kjruW6A.jpg … 6. Cost & Value – Pretty good bang for your buck At AU$17.95, the Wality 69T is starting to get up there a bit in price – towards the upper end of the lower range, if you know what I mean! Even so, I think it’s pretty good value for money: Wality seem to know what they’re doing with their nibs, and though the design of the pen is fairly straightforward, it’s very well made. http://i.imgur.com/5G423oS.jpg … 7. Conclusion I’d be more than happy to recommend this pen to anyone wanting to dip their toes into the Indian pen market. It’s not as elegant and refined as the Ranga Duofold I’ve reviewed recently (now THAT’S a beautiful pen!), but it’s less than half the price, and took a lot less ‘fiddling’ (actually, no fiddling at all!) to get it writing well. There are cheaper Indian pens out there – I should know, I’ve got several in my collection! – but I’d rank this above the Serwex and Camlin eyedroppers I’m comparing it to, especially when it comes to the quality of the nib. …

There are some dresses you would like to wear to a party, others to a friends marriage, but will you wear those dresses in your apartment. I guess not! In your home, you would perhaps seek something comfortable, something that you could wear for a longer time and still feel at ease. It may perhaps not look too savvy but it should be comfortable, easily washable, and quite durable to withstand routine wear and tear. This pen serves the same function in your pen collection as your jockeys and T-shirts in your wardrobe. It doesn't look awesome. It has its manufacturing and design cons. It's an eyedropper which may start to burp if you let the ink levels fall too low. But, and its a capital BUT, this pen is so comfortable to write with that you could use it for hours and hours without fatigue. It is, for me, one of those rare fountain pens which can be used for daily writing purposes. Mind it, it is that sort of pen which you would always want to keep inked. A pen, which you would like to keep in your pen stand and use it once you are tired of showing off your Pelikans and Montblancs. A pen which is so competitively priced that it can be used for experimenting, changing nibs, fiddling with the slit, if you are into that sort of thing, though I think you would never need to do so. Part 1: The Built & Looks :- This pens boasts of a clear demonstrator barrel. A silver-colored clip is attached to the cap marble, cap marble can be screwed in the cap and in this way supports the clip. Cap also uses a cap ring at the bottom. Cap is built of plastic. As the photographs show, there are some serious aesthetic issues with the quality and built of the cap and the clip. The color of the cap is not too fancy and the nib which says 'DOCTOR' is also not exactly eye catching. But, hey , we don't expect a lot from an under 3 dollar pen. I got the pen with the smell of the plastic. The barrel is clear, so when I put some red or other attractive colored ink in it, it looks nice. But when you see it without ink, you would find that the barrel is not as 'clear' as you would expect. However, the pen appears strong and sturdy. It won't crack upon falling. It is built to withstand normal use and accidents. Thus considering it's price, I am inclined to give it 2.5/5 for its built and looks. Part 2: The Balance:- The pen is light weight. Its a large pen and for normal male hands and large female hands it should provide good grip width. I have large hands and I personally found balance and the grip amazingly good. I was amazed because I have often paid a lot and found this balance lacking. It is a fairly large size pen and fitted perfectly in my large hands. The pen was a pleasure to write with, whether the cap was posted or unposted. I felt as if I could fill page after page with this pen. Very good weight , balance and ergonomics. For the price I paid, I should give it 5 out of 5 in this respect. Part 3: The nib and the feed:-The nib and the feed are the soul of the pen. Imagine a pen where every thing is par excellence but having no nib or feed. The pen uses a Doctor brand gold-plated iridium tipped nib. The feed material is apparently ebonite. Its a typical non finned, two channelled old style feed. The pen is, as already said, an eyedropper. The well laid channels on the feed ensure plenty of ink supply and the carefully designed nib gives a very smooth fine writing experience. Since, the pen is an eyedropper, its ink capacity is somewhere like 2-3 ml. I am not sure about that, but one thing that I am sure of is that the capacity is at least 4 times a standard international cartridge. When ink reaches 1/3rd mark, the chances of burping increase. Though the design of the nib and the feed is simple, but it is efficient and job oriented. They have been designed to write for long hours. The barrel acts as a large reservoir, the feed ensures consistent supply and the nib smoothly puts the ink on the paper with a style. For its price, I would give the nib and the feed a 4 out of 5. Part 4: The writing:- This pen delivers where it is most important to do so. Where writing is concerned, the pen hits a home run. It writes a fine line. Nib is very smooth and the there is no skipping, rail-roading, difficult starts etc. Rather, I found the writing is pleasurable and non tiring. Nib is stiff but one can definitely see some line variations. The nib is a joy to write with. It kind of made my hand writing look good. Its a note taking pen, one can carry to his college. I felt as it I could write faster with this pen, than with many other fountain pens in my collection. Writing experience was akin to that of a good ball pen minus the pressure. Loved it. Since the balance and the weight are optimal, the pen delivers a superb writing experience. For its price, the writing experience deserve a 9 out of 10. I have allotted 10 marks to the writing because I consider it at least twice as important. That's what pens are made for, aren't they? I got it from ASApens with a combo set. They have another pen on their site with the same name. I am not very sure if its the same pen.This pen looks different from that one. Though the nib and the feed of the pen I got and the pen they have on their site looks same. I was informed that the pen I got was even cheaper. However since the nib and the feed are the same, most of what I have said about the writing experience of this pen should hold good for that. pen too. I think that pen is basically this pen - quality issues Conclusion. A reliable pen made for daily use. One of those under 3 $ pens you would want in your collection. A smooth and fine writer and comfortable grip and balance. (Score 20.5 / 25).Great value for money. I recommend it..

I have just had an opportunity to ink up a fountain pen produced in India that only days ago came out of the prototype stage and is now available to the public in limited numbers. It is a stunning innovation in Indian pen design and manufacturing, and very well executed. Best of all, its price is affordable for the overwhelming majority of fountain pen enthusiasts. The pen is a Guider "Twins." Designed independently and placed into production by Mr. Lakshmana Rao, the respected head of India's Guider Pen Works, it features two nibs, each with its own ink reservoir, at opposite ends of a black ebonite body. For all its 6.25" (15.8cm) length, the Guider "Twins" is lightweight, a special quality of ebonite, which is the characteristic material of quality Indian pens, and widely used by American fountain pen manufacturers until they switched to plastic in the 1940s. Each reservoir holds approximately 1.35ml of ink. That amount -- 30% larger than what many cartridge converters hold -- is more than adequate for average writing purposes, while serving to mitigate against ink "burping," a well-known feature [not a bug; hat-tip to Microsoft] of eyedropper pens. ("Burping is generally explained as the result of heat from your hand being transferred to the ink reservoir, which expands the volume of the air pocket in the reservoir as the amount of ink draws down and the amount of air exchanged into the reservoir grows in size by replacing the ink.) The smaller volume of ink which each reservoir of the Guider "Twins," and thus the ultimate size of the air pocket, bodes well for overcoming the "burp" phenomenon. The body, caps and sections of the pen are all ebonite. The caps are flat. One cap, however, is topped by a round, flush disk composed of acrylic. (The disk on the one I acquired, shown above, is white; another version of the same pen sports a red acrylic disk.) Against a ground of highly polished, lustrous ebonite, this end piece lends a sleek, dramatic flair to the pen's design. It also serves a welcome functional purpose: to remind you, if you use many inks, that one end of the pen holds a different color or brand of ink. (Of course, it's up to the user to remember which end holds which color/brand of ink.) Filling each reservoir with a different color of ink is extremely useful not only to ink enthusiasts, but also to writers (like myself) who are now able to devote one end of the pen to writing first drafts, and the other end to mark up revisions -- without having to rummage through their fountain pen collections, trying to remember which pen is inked up with what color. With this pen, both colors are right at your fingertips. Of course, if you fill both reservoirs with the same color, you'll be carrying close to 3ml of ink -- nearly three times as much as a cartridge converter, with the added advantages that you'll be twice as likely not to burp as you write that long journal entry, love letter or next chapter of your novel. The Guider "Twins" nibs are iridium-point Guider nibs. Both nibs are fine, in both senses of the word: line width, and smoothness. Each provides a touch of feedback on Clairefontaine paper, but so little that it's not distracting. Fountain pen users familiar with micromesh and lapping film will be able to fine-tune their nibs with a few brief twirls of the tines. For the rest of us, these Guider nibs will be perfectly respectable "right out of the box." Here is a writing sample, made with two different inks: Two features of the "Twins" are of note: First, there is no clip. Something had to give in designing a pen with two nibs, and apparently it was the clip. That said, it is probably wise not to attempt to carry this peen loose in your shirt or blouse pocket. At 6.25", it is likely to fall out in a moment of rash movement (think: bending over to retrieve a paper clip), and it would be a shame to mar the highly polished finish of this pen. Rather, it would be best to carry it in a pouch (I am making one of leather at the moment), and even better, a pouch with a built-in clip that can be slipped over the fabric of a shirt or blouse pocket (a task beyond my current leatherworking skills). Another reason to acquire and use a pouch is that the designer and manufacturer have fashioned it from an ebonite rod that has been machined to be as perfectly round as possible. Set it down on its side, give it a gentle nudge and, absent a cap clip, it will roll -- and once it runs out of writing surface and gravity takes over, the next stop is usually the floor, and all too many of us are familiar with the consequences. A second thing to note is that the cap threads at each end are closely machined and not interchangeable, as a way to make sure you don't mix up which ink is where. Each cap is designed to thread easily and securely on its designated end of the pen. My suggestion is that if you inadvertently mix up the caps, be attuned to any possible resistance you may encounter as you replace the cap. If you sense resistance, try putting the other cap on that end, and chances are you will not meet resistance. Moreover, note that the caps unscrew when turned counterclockwise. When recapping, it is always good practice to first turn the cap in a clockwise direction until you hear a gentle "click." That means that when you then turn the cap counterclockwise, the threads will be properly engaged, and you'll be less likely to strip the threads. The Guider "Twins" just recently went into production and is available in limited numbers from FPN member Mesu. Her ad in FPN Classifieds displays the pen in higher-quality photos than I've been able to take. If I sound enthusiastic about this pen, I am. (Full disclosure: I have no affiliation with either Guider or Mesu, other than having previously purchased a Guider Marala through Fountain Pen Revolution, and this pen through Mesu.) I own a good number of Indian ebonite eyedroppers, including the ones just mentioned, and a Guider super-mini, a Ranga Duofold Model 3, a Ratnamson No. 15, and a Gama Supreme. The design of this Guider "Twins" pen promises to give Indian pen design and manufacturing a shot in the arm, and to boost Indian ebonite eyedroppers from a niche market to a real contender in the global pen market. Innovative design and attentive, handcrafted production make this a desirable pen in any collection.

I have been meaning to get some celluloid pens from Guider Pen Works of Rajamundhry, India. I finally ordered and got these a few days back. However, this post is not about celluloid pens, but about a nice surprise I got. I ordered 2 celluloid pens and just for fun, I also ordered a Guider Baby pen in Yellow Acrylic. Expecting 3 pens in the box, imagine my surprise when out fell a fourth pen. At first, I was not even sure it was a pen because it was so TINY. But further examination revealed that not only was it a fountain pen, it was a fully functional eyedropper with a pretty good nib. I have named this pen the Guider Nano (for want of anything more creative) and here are some pics and comparisons with other small pens I have. Please excuse the picture quality - I had to make do with very average lighting. So, here is the Guider Nano with some of its contemporaries. From Top to Bottom Kaweco Sport, Guider Baby Acrylic, Guider Nano, Deccan Lilliput. By itself, the pen looks pretty good. Some measurements to give an idea of how these compare. Please take these as ballpark figures. I have tried my best to be accurate with the tools I have, but YMMV, so please excuse me in advance if someone has other figures. Though I think they should be in a similar range. Kaweco Sport: Length Capped = 106.1 mm. Weight Un-inked 13.00 gms (with the clip) Deccan Lilliput: Length Capped = 110.5 mm. Weight Un-inked 13.90 gms Guider Baby Acrylic: Length Capped = 103.6 mm. Weight Un-inked 11.29 gms Guider Nano: Length Capped = 78.5 mm. Weight Un-inked 4.71 gms As you can see, it is a really tiny pen. Kaweco Sport Deccan Lilliput Guider Baby Acrylic Here is the Guider Nano: Then, just for fun, I decided to compare this pen to two absolutely huge pens - The Varuna Gajendra and the Gama Supreme White Acrylic. Measurements. The Gama and Varuna lengths were visually taken with a plastic scale as the sizes were beyond the scope of my callipers. Gama Supreme Acrylic: Length Capped = 164 mm. Weight Un-inked 40.08 gms Varuna Gajendra: Length Capped = 178 mm. Weight Un-inked 41.02 gms I must really thank Shri Lakshmana Rao of Guider pens for sending me this tiny, but unique surprise package. In my experience, this is the tiniest functioning pen that I have seen and used. I would love to hear from others about such tiny pens. Has anyone else used such a tiny pen, or maybe something even tinier? I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed posting it. Cheers Sudhir

Hi i have recently purchased this waterman eyedropper pen. In full working order! I have been doing some reasearch and belive the age to be between 1910 and 1920. I would appreciate any information that you can tell me about this pen and if possible narrow down the age of the pen? Also what do you belive the value of this pen would be? Thanks in advance

I have an old eyedropper (at least I think it is very old) which is in black chased rubber. I was cleaning off some of the old ink stains in the threads of the barrel when I noticed that the interior oft he barrel has an inner circle of rubber with a smaller hole in the centre. I have always used the same ink in this, so until now I haven't actually paid a lot of attention to the insides, assuming that it was just a big empty space. Then as I was flicking the remaining water out of it I heard a little click and there seems to be a metal (?) thing inside it too, held in position by the inner circle, but free to move up and down in that area of the barrel. I was wondering if anyone knows why it is there and what purpose it serves. All other eyedroppers I have don't have it.

To get the obligatory acknowledgments out the way first of all, this pen was provided to me free of charge in return for an honest and impartial review, by Kevin of the JustWrite Pen Co (www.JustWrite.com.au). Let me confess up-front, at a going rate of AU$36.95 it’s not a pen I had considered purchasing – but I was sufficiently impressed that I went out and ordered (at my own expense!) its ‘big brother’, the Ranga Duofold. So I guess you can consider this Part 1 of a two-part review – with my evaluation of the Duofold to follow in a separate posting. http://i.imgur.com/gemsZix.jpg[From top to bottom (for size comparison): the Ranga Duofold; a TWSBI Diamond 580; and the Ranga Cruiser] According to the blurb on the JustWrite website, the Ranga Pen company has been manufacturing fountain pens for around 50 years (and counting) – crafting each pen individually in their workshop, from ebonite rods which they have also made themselves. The Cruiser I’d characterise as a small-to-medium pen, while the Duofold is a bit of a monster (in a good way). The most outstanding feature with both pens is the immaculately finished and beautifully polished ebonite, which feels wonderful in the hand; while the potential weak point (unfortunately) is the nib – but more on that later. I really like both of these pens – they won’t appeal to all fountain pen fanatics, but I’m very pleased to have them in my collection. So, without further ado, to the review proper: ______________________________________________________________________ 1. Appearance & Design (7.5/10) – A Beautiful Dark-Green Ebonite – but sadly let down by the clip. The first thing I noticed about this pen was the beautiful green-and-black swirled ebonite the entire pen is made from (i.e. cap, barrel AND grip section), polished to a high sheen. The pen is warm to the touch, and despite the high gloss surface is not at all slippery to hold. I like the contours of the pen, too: the cap just slightly wider than the barrel, thus avoiding a big step down to the grip section; the tapering of the pen towards top and bottom; the rounded-off edges, both on the cap and the end of the barrel. Under the cap, the grip section is slightly tapered, flaring out again just before the nib – while the nib in turn is a good size for the pen. http://i.imgur.com/DVIAcez.jpg The one thing that marred the appearance of the pen – sadly, because it’s really such a minor thing, and so easy to get right – is the clip. It’s twisted slightly off perpendicular – and I’m reluctant to try too (much) hard(er) to straighten it, for fear of making things worse. If it weren’t for that, this pen would get a 9/10 ranking from me (yes I am an easy marker, at least when it comes to pens – if like it, I like it!). … 2. Construction & Quality (8/10) – An impeccably machined, beautifully finished pen Having taken marks off for the clip already, I’m not going to do so again – and everything else about this pen is great. The threads on this pen are immaculate; the hand-machining of cap, barrel, grip section and feed I cannot fault; the whole thing comes together pretty well flawlessly. My one quibble is a very small one – the very small ‘breather hole’ in the cap. I understand this may be necessary, to avoid a partial vacuum being created when the cap is threaded on, that causes ink to be sucked out when the cap is removed… but in some of my other (cheaper) Indian eyedropper pens, the breather hole allows for evaporation, which in turn means inks growing darker and darker over time. http://i.imgur.com/ulDbtiO.jpg … 3. Weight & Dimensions (7.5/10) – A lightweight, small-to-medium pen If I had smaller hands, this would get a higher rating – again, that’s the subjectivity of this kind of marking system! The Cruiser is about 137mm long when capped, 118mm uncapped, and 155mm posted. Problem is, the cap doesn’t post securely on the rear of the pen (unless you want to ram it on and ruin the finish). The pen is more than long enough to clear the webbing between thumb and forefinger – it’s a more than adequate length – but I tend to prefer my pens just a little bit longer. At its widest point, the pen barrel is around 11mm diameter, while the grip section tapers down from ~10mm to 8mm. Again, that’s pretty comfortable for me – but I like my pens with just a little bit more girth, and tend to end up holding the pen on the cap threads (which are not at all sharp). The weight of the pen, unfilled, is around 13.5g – which in my books is pretty lightweight, ideal for long writing sessions! http://i.imgur.com/ACUciBD.jpg As I write with this pen, I find myself wishing it was just a little bigger – more like its ‘big brother’, the Duofold. To be fair, though, there’s nothing wrong with this pen in the hand – it’s longer and ‘girthier’ than most of the ballpoint pens I used to write with, back in the day. It simply boils down to personal preference – I’ve found myself gravitating towards slightly larger pens. … 4. Nib & Performance (7.5/10) – A smooth writing experience – but required a bit of ‘help’ to get there! The gold-coloured steel nib in this pen is stamped with the word ‘Fellowship’, and a logo that looks like a couple of doves in flight together. It’s not much to look at – understated would be one word for it; unimpressive another. My overall impression of Indian nibs (apart from the Fountain Pen Revolution range) has been pretty hit and miss – no, I’m being too kind, in my limited experience I’ve found Indian nibs to be pretty scratchy and horrible. This nib, though, was an exception to the rule – it may not be much to look at, but I’ve found it very pleasant to write with. http://i.imgur.com/clP1AqQ.jpg http://i.imgur.com/EUOEenM.jpg I did have a couple of problems with the nib, right out of the gate though. The nib and feed were slightly misaligned, and needed to be removed and re-seated together; and the tines required a bit of adjustment too. But all of that was fairly straightforward – and before long I was up and running with a nib that wrote surprisingly smoothly, especially given the fine line. There’s no line variation to speak of: this nib is a ‘nail’, albeit a nail with a smooth flowing tip… http://i.imgur.com/DPq4drP.jpg … 5. Filling System & Maintenance (9/10) – A straightforward eyedropper filling ‘mechanism’ Filling the Cruiser is easy – unthread the barrel from the grip section, fill to the base of the threads, and screw the section back in again. The pen is supposed to have an ink capacity of 2mL, but I think 1.5mL is more realistic – either way that’s a pretty good capacity for a small-to-medium pen. You may be wondering, though: why such a high score for such a simple filling ‘mechanism’ (if you can call it that)? Two reasons: First, because it is so simple – which makes maintenance and cleaning a breeze. Secondly, because the tolerance on the (many) threads is pretty tight – I’m not sure this pen really needs the threads to be coated with silicone grease to prevent leakage, though I won’t be taking the risk. I’ve not been a fan of eyedropper-filled pens, historically – but with this pen, I feel pretty safe keeping it in my pocket. http://i.imgur.com/jiLjGIF.jpg One caveat here: I’ve read a few complaints online to the effect that Ranga pens can be prone to ‘burping’ ink from the nib and/or feed. I haven’t experienced that personally, but can’t rule out the possibility that it could become an issue during extended writing sessions, especially as the ink levels drop and the volume of air in the barrel increases with use. … 6. Cost & Value (7.5/10) – A beautiful pen, but I’m a cheapskate! Priced at AU$36.95 (plus postage), this pen is somewhat pricier than the cheap Chinese pens I tend to gravitate towards – but given the material it’s made from (ebonite), and the very high quality of workmanship, I don’t think it’s unreasonable. I just wish a little more attention had been paid to fit-and-finish when it came to the clip – and a little more care to ensure that the nib was ready to write from the word ‘go’. … 7. Conclusion (Final score [sUM/6]: 7.8333) I’ve tried to be honest about the shortcomings of the Ranga Cruiser – at least, the particular pen I was given to review – but I hope it’s also clear that I really like this pen. True, it’s just a little small for my taste, but that’s no great failing – and it won’t dissuade me from keeping it in my regular rotation. It’s just such a shame that the ‘trim’, the metal parts of the pen (clip and nib), don’t match up to the exquisite workmanship of the ebonite cap and barrel – that’s all it would take for this to be a truly wonderful small-to-medium pen. So, thanks to JustWrite for giving me the opportunity to review it. …

Oh, help. I have had this lovely little eyedropper for a mere 24 hours and have already screwed it up. Really, I shouldn't be allowed near these things...anyhow, it was leaking a smidge and I tightened it some more, and now it WILL. NOT. BUDGE. I already damaged it a tiny bit trying to get it off and am now totally terrified. I pulled out the nib and feed and the pen is soaking in water in case there is dried ink in there adding to the problem, but I can't move it, and I can see that it is a bit off kilter. Help! I'm an idiot. Sheesh.

I don't normally write up pen reviews, but since this is one that's a little more unusual than my other pens, thought I would take the time to do so. I had the urge in January 2014 to try another Indian-made pen. I have two Wality 59s which are pleasant to use, but are made of rather regular black and burgundy plastic. The colored ebonite pens are so beautiful and there are so many interesting small manufacturers in India. I liked the Wality nibs, they are nothing fancy but write well on a variety of papers and are a nice even F size, which is pretty much my speed. After poking around a bit, chiefly via FPN member Hari's posts and reviews, and a few others, I pretty much settled on trying a Kim and Company pen from Calicut, India. They have been around since the 1950s making hand-made pens through several generations. There's a very good write-up here on FPN if you want to learn more about the pen industry in Calicut. Hari led me to FPN member Mesu for ordering from Kim, and it turned out that she had recently added a number of Kim & Co pens to her stock. Mesu was extremely helpful and sent lots of great photos to let me winnow down to a pen that would be right for me. MANY choices but finally decided the Jumbos, although impressive and not much more expensive, would be too big for me for daily use. So I settled on a nice brown rippled ebonite, medium size, cigar-shape. It took about 2 ½ weeks to get to the US (Iowa) from India, not too long a wait. Mesu packed the pen well in a child's plastic pen case and also included silicone section sealant, a small eyedropper and another low-cost plastic eyedropper pen as a bonus. I've used the pen now for about four months off and on – here are some overall impressions and notes – (while I'm impressed by the formality of some reviews by fellow FPNers, that's too structured for me)... Well, one bit of formality, the basic measurements I realize are useful – the pen measures 5 ½” length capped, 6 ¾” uncapped and posted, 5” body to nib (uncapped and unposted), 1.3 cm wide at body middle and 1 cm wide at the section (there is a little dedent in the section that makes for good hand control). The ebonite material is lovely in the hand. This size is perfect for my hand, posted or unposted and has perfect balance either way. The black ebonite section is comfortable to hold and the ridge at the end keeps your fingers from slipping down and getting inky (one of my fusses with Esterbrooks, I have several that have “wet noses”). The grip area for me also includes the cap threads, but they are comfortable to grip, do not cut your fingers at all. The ebonite is polished but not super-glossy, which I like. The turning of the pen body and cap is nicely done. Some very small traces of turning and smoothing are still visible, contributing to a “hand made” quality. The pen has a good solid weight. Most importantly, the threading on both the cap threads and the section threads is excellent, nice and tight. The cap takes about three turns to close, a lot, but when it is closed you know that cap is not going to loosen in your pocket (another little problem I sometimes have with Esterbrooks). I have only had one instance of a small section leak, very small, and that was because I had skimped a bit on sealant the last time I'd filled it, now I've got it down. The ink chamber holds quite a fair amount of ink, I've not measured it, but definitely more than the Wality 59 piston fillers. I can write for about a work week with one fill. The pen is even easier to fill than I thought it would be. The eyedropper is easy to use and allows you to get down to the bottom of a bottle if you want to. You do have to apply the section sealant a bit every time and I have found that it helps to wipe off the old a bit and then apply fresh. Your fingers can get a little inky doing this but I've often gotten as much or more ink on fingers using a piston filler and touching the rim of the ink bottle as I fill. The nib is a lot like the Wality, basic F, a nail, gold wash plated to steel, nothing fancy. The nib slit is just slightly off center. It's only decoration is the inscription IRIDIUM POINT and a little scrollwork, all very small to the naked eye. The ebonite feed performs well, just the right amount of ink, never too much, never to little. Ink flow is generally excellent. The pen starts easily even after many days of non-use. The pen is comfortable to write with for a long period of time. As it's a fairly wide body for me, I find it's more comfortable if I write just a little bit slower than my normal speed. The clip is very basic plated metal but is very tight and secure. The metalwork bends in the ball are just slightly evident, which again contributes to the hand-made feeling of the pen. Plating looks good and like it's going to be durable under normal use and conditions. The clip is nice and simple, which is to my taste. There is one very tiny “flaw” – the breather hole in the cap, which is positioned under the clip, is irregular when you inspect it under a loupe. Hard to see with the naked eye, but it looks like when they drill the hole, a bit of “puckering” of the ebonite is created. It kind of looks like a small crater edge, rather than a smooth hole. You can't really see this without a loupe and it is right under the clip, so it is a very minor flaw and does not bother me. It would be one very small quality control step I would point out to the maker, if I was standing in the shop. The pen I feel was a very good value, at $25 US shipped from India. Just a little more than the Walitys but a much more personalized, warm material and finish. In short, I would recommend this pen to anyone who has been thinking about trying out an eyedropper style pen from India. There are cheaper ones, there are more expensive ones, but I think this is in a sweet spot for finish, price and ease of use. I love learning about the past and current history of pens in India and throughout Asia as well, there are still so many more per capita users than in the US (I believe) and so much passion and thought goes into these “small batch” fountain pen products. Mesu was very helpful with the Kim & Co. pen purchase and I enjoyed our correspondence over the selection process. Later this summer, I plan to get one more eyedropper, a rough-finish black Gem GAMA Kyuil (“Cookoo Bird”). The simplicity and beauty of this model appeal to me as well, it's a little more expensive than the Kim but also looks to be an excellent pen. Hari and others have already written about this one, and I'm sure others will too. It will be interesting to compare it with the Kim later on. Thanks for reading! Here are a few shots of the pen. Sorry for the low quality, just have my tablet with me today, but I really wanted to get this up before I procrastinated again.

Today the mail brought me my very first Edison pen--a Nouveau Premier in the Black Ice pattern. It's so pretty! It comes with a converter, but it's alleged that it can be used as an eyedropper. Has anyone done this? Does it have the usual eyedropper blobbing problems? I'm usually a converter-user, but the idea of filling this baby with my MB Dandy Turquoise is strangely compelling.

I recently acquired this lovely mother of pearl eyedropper pen with a screw cap, which I understand is a little unusual. There aren't any markings on the pen though - I was told that in the past "someone" figured out what company put these out and wondered if anyone remembered that? I attach a few pics of the pen. I haven't received it yet so these are pics from the sale. Thanks in advance for any info anyone might have? I would love to know who made it, and in what decade? Nancy

Just want you to know I'm new at this, so your understanding and patience is appreciated with my question. Over the weekend I found a very old Waterman #22 eyedropper pen that I was successful in restoring to good use again. It's a lovely pen. I just thought it would take regular fountain pen ink, so I filled it and proceeded to write with it. When you first begin to write with it the ink flows out far too fast. The more you write, the ink 'settles down' and doesn't gush out so much as it does when you first begin. I thought about this quite a bit and now would like to know from the experts, what their thoughts might be. Logic tells me that back in the day, before the advent of the fountain pen, there were only dip pens. Then along came the eyedroppers, right behind the dip pens. Until fountain pens were invented there was only dip pen ink. Dip pen ink would've been used {I think?} exclusively in the early eyedropper pens. Dip pen ink is not of the same consistency as fountain pen ink, which is thinner. I've read that dip pen ink will clog a fountain pen and that dip pen ink should NEVER be used in a fountain pen. So then, dip pen ink must be thicker or have a different consistency than fountain pen ink. I was wondering, since this Waterman #22 is an early eyedropper, shouldn't dip pen ink be used in it? If so, I believe it would resolve the problem of the fountain pen ink blobbing out of the pen. If the ink was thicker, it seems this would no longer happen. But....before I put dip pen ink in the old pen I definitely wanted to consult the forum to get advice from those of you who have much experience in this realm. I may have posed this question in the wrong place, if so, accept my apologies and I'll move the question to the right place on this forum. Thanks so much for your help, ideas & suggestions.

Review of Gama Hawk - the new Gama ebonite fountain pen being released through ASApens.in I am so excited that I could not stop myself from sharing this on FPN. Usually I write my pen reviews on my website, but this one is different. I already have some of the Gama ebonite fountain pens which I find to be extremely good fountain pen. I have reviewed one of the Gama Supreme on my site also. The Gama Supreme has also been reviewed in detail on FPN by fellow FPN members. Currently I have the following Gama ebonites in my collection. Some days back ASApens released the Gama Kuyil which is a black ebonite fountain pen with matt finish. On my request ASApens also sent me a few closeups of the image. However matt finish is not my turf. Though I found it tempting, I resisted it. Instead I put on a request with ASApens - can you make available a shiny black ebonite FP that does not have matt finish and that the two ends of such FP is rounded and not have flat ends ! Between different exchanges on email and whatsapp there was also an additional request - can there also be engraving of my name on such FP? As previously observed that ASApens goes an extra mile in customer satisfaction, the reply was affirmative. Some days back ASApens sent me the image of the pen as it was made. The pen looked stupendously beautiful! I was told that only five of such pieces have been created. Its a full black ebonite eyedropper with beautiful shape and shine. And there was more in surprise - the head of the cap was glass ! Oh I was concerned - is that glass top big? No it was not big but blends with the cap. So it seemed a good innovation that added to its looks. I was also sent a few "better" images of the newly created fountain pen The fountain pen size compared with its other contemporaries Kuyil and Supreme. Today finally I received the image of the Gama Hawk with my name engraved. Isn't that beautiful? (yes its engraved, not printed as it initially looks!) Obviously I currently dont have the pen on my hands. But I already know the nib quality because of the gama ebonites previously bought, and its pretty good to write really well out of box. So nib is no concern. The shiny black FP (named Gama Hawk) has come out to be even better than what I had thought. Of course the credit for design goes to ASApens and the penturners. And the size and looks of the pen looked absolutely fabulous. Also, ASApens shared with me image of another unnamed fountain pen that would also be released soon I have been told that the Gama Hawk and the new varieties would soon also be listed on their website asapens.in The images privy between me and ASApens have been used here with permission of ASApens. Cant wait for the Gama Hawk to arrive !

Hey all, any idea what this pen could be? Got it cheap on the Bay because its nib was crunched at the tip so I experimented and got it to basically a stub nib and it writes! No markings on it at all, and the nib just says "warranted" and then beneath that "1st" and that is all that is visible. I'm just curious if anyone has any guesses. Thanks!

Hey folks! I recently picked up a Kaweco Student. I love the pen very much, and it could easily be a workhorse EDC for me if I could get a bit more ink into it. Which leads us to my question: has anybody out there ACTUALLY converted their Student to an eyedropper fill, and if so what was the experience? Here's why I ask. 1) The old leaking issues with eyedropper conversion on the Sport (model-specific, or Kaweco problem?); and 2) The metal threads on the Student grip section vs. ink/erosion/conversion/etc. Since this will be an EDC if it works out, I don't want a gusher knocking around inside my bag. (And yes, I know it's plastic and it could crack etc etc, but what I'm asking is if it will hold up for reasonably gentle everyday urban school-and-home type stuff) The only thread I found on FPN that mentioned conversion at all was this old one, but it never seemed to come to any consensus, just the OP saying it worked for him for three days (I've messaged him as well). Digging up info on non-Sport Kawecos is not easy! I'm hoping somebody out there has DONE it and can...wait for it..."fill" me in? Thanks! -Steve (The Idle Expatter)