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Hello, I've been a collector of Namiki pens for awhile, and I I just purchased my first Emperor. This is my first eyedropper pen, and although I understand the mechanism to fill, I am concerned that using silicon grease may hurt the Maki-e. Anyone with experience on using this pen? Thank you, Halee

Hello kind sirs and ladies, I recently acquired this Mabie Todd 313 long dip nib that had been installed in a Watermans #12 eyedropper. This is my first dip nib, my first Mabie Todd, and my oldest pen by at least a couple decades. A sample via dip test follows below. Best regards, Eric

I recently got an Airmail Ebo pen from Fountain Pen Revolution (Ebonite eyedropper for 20 bucks? how could I resist?) and the pen seems to built pretty well for it's price. However, I'm having quite a number of issues with ink flow and severe ink starvation. Initially, the pen flows really well and wet when first inked (I think because the feed is primed), but as soon as I've written about a paragraph or so, it starts writing faintly, begins skipping, and then stops writing entirely. Beyond this, when I put a finger over the slit and breather hole, there is no ink that comes off it, whereas most pens I own will typically slather my finger with ink when I do that if they're working properly. The problem is so bad to the point that, when I put the nib up to a light I can see directly through the slit when it should be full of ink. I've washed the nib and feed with dish soap several times and am at wit's end about it. I also am not being able to pull out the nib and feed even though they seem friction fit, so I don't know how to even inspect the feed for defects. Any suggestions on what I should do or what the problem might be? If it's of consideration, I've tried it with Pilot Black, Noodler's Black, and Waterman Black and all have suffered the same issues, and the issue's actually gotten worse the more I've written (I could go a full page without it drying out a few days ago, now it's about 4 lines).

Dear fellow FP users We have launched Ranga Model 4S & 4CS Group Buy in lots of beautiful ebonite colours. It is Slender version of our famous Models Model 4 & 4C . The specialty of this Group Buy is 1. Lot of colours as usual. It is the first group buy from us for Slender versions. 2. Price range starts from 29$ -59$. This is the great opportunity to buy these pens at great prices Capped Length -App 5.75 Inches Cap dia & Barrel Dia-14mm Section Dia- 11mm dia at Maximum thickness Model 4S- Both ends are Flat Shaped Model 4CS- Both ends are Round Shaped Ranga Model 4S and 4CS are great every day carry for fountain pen user's. It is light weight but still very comfortable and balanced writer's. All our pens are completely handmade. This is very ideal gift for your beloved friends and neighbors. It is best Thanksgiving day gift. This Group Buy is Valid till 31st Oct -18. We have executed many Group buy's successfully in the past with tremendous support from FPN'ers In order to participate in the group buy just fill the Google Form (Link Below) and Reply in the thread with "Form Submitted or just repost the choices in thread https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfF9FxwacJGaklhQAITh464cInPIU49uarUtiMhtYygkcHSYw/viewform?c=0&w=1 Available Colours are as follows: A. Special & Regular Ebonite Colours RE Series: Brown Ripple (R1) Green Ripple(R2) Olive Ripple (R3) Solid Black(R4) Mottled Brown(R5) Mottled Green(R6) Mottled Olive Brown(R7) SE Series: (It has black Specs) Solid Forest Green (S1) Forest Green - Black Ripple(S2) Forest Green - Honey Ripple (S3) Forest Green - Khaki Ripple(S4) Forest Green - Mustard Yellow Ripple(S5) Forest Green - Teal Blue Ripple(S6) Teal Blue - Black Ripple(S7) Mustard Yellow - Black Ripple(S9) Khaki - Bluish Black Ripple(S10) Rose Red - Black Ripple(S12) Rose Red - Mauve Ripple(S13) Rose Red - Forest Green Ripple(S15) Rose Red -Bottle Green Ripple (S16) Rose Red - Mustard Yellow Ripple(S17) Brick Red - Khaki Ripple(S18) Brick Red - Black Ripple(S19) Teal Blue - Orange Ripple(S20) Solid Olive Green (S23) B. Premium Ebonite Colours (PE Series) Solid Blue(P1) Black Yellow Swirl (P2) Blue Pink Swirl(P3) Solid Pale Green(P4) Blue White Swirl (P5) Pale Pink/ Red Black Swirl (P6) Green Yellow Swirl (P7) Solid Pink(P8) Blue Green Orange Swirl(P9) Solid Orange(P10) Green/Pale Pink(P13) Blue/ Pink/Pale Yellow Swirl (P14) Prices are as follows: RANGA MODEL 4S/ 4CS (ED Version) REGULAR or SPECIAL EBONITE: US $29 (Regular Price : 35$) PREMIUM EBONITE: US $47 (Regular Price : 55$) RANGA MODEL 4S/4CS (CC Mechanism. This can also be used as ED) REGULAR or SPECIAL EBONITE: US $42 (Regular Price : 55$) PREMIUM EBONITE: US $59 (Regular Price : 75$) Finish - Polished or Matte (Bakul) Clip Option - 1. Gold Finish 2. Chrome Finish 3. Clipless Nib Option: For Eyedropper Kanwrite 35 mm Fine Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone or Dual Tone Kanwrite 35 mm Medium Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone or Dual Tone Kanwrite 35 mm Broad Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone or Dual Tone Kanwrite Nib 35 mm Flex - Chrome Tone Nib Option: For C/C mechanism (with Schmidt K5 Converter) #5 Nib Options (included in price). It is Schmidt FH341 nib unit. It is smooth. Schmidt #5 Fine Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone Schmidt #5 Medium Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone Schmidt #5 Broad Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone No Nib - Threaded for Schmidt #5 (less USD -5) Shipping: Via Registered Post which is included in Price and takes 2 -4 Weeks. Making Time: 3-4 Weeks after payment Payment: Paypal id- mpkandan@gmail.com In order to participate in the group buy just fill the Google Form (Link Below) and Reply in the thread with "Form Submitted or just repost the choices in thread https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfF9FxwacJGaklhQAITh464cInPIU49uarUtiMhtYygkcHSYw/viewform?c=0&w=1 Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Hi FPNers, I have been a member here a for a long time. My passion to fountain pens took me to launch a new website, which sells Indian pens (mainly KIM ACR Handmade Ebonite Fountain Pens). Please visit http://www.kiwipens.com and get the website launch offer (up to 15% off). Thanks -saji

KiwiPens offer up to 15% discount for all pens. This offer is valid for all handmade Indian Pens and other pens and accessories. The offer valid till 19 October 2018. https://www.kiwipens.com/

Hi Awsome Network Bloggers, I am having a bit of a problem with ink drips collecting at the nibs of Platinum Preppy fine point eyedropper converted pens. Of course I have recently enjoyed converting all of the Platinum Preppy's to an eyeropper converted style when the trouble started. They were perfect writers with their own cartridge and ink brand. I'm needing some advice on a middle of the road ink that is not too dry nor too wet I'm thinking. Perhaps some experience with problems concerning Preppy eyedroppers out there. The ink that leaked first was Mont Blanc's Lavendar Purple in the purple converted Preppy which I love...then immediately again in another converted pink Preppy pen with Pilot's Kosumosu. Strangly, the complete opposite was true in the same pen with Diamine's Carnation which was so "dry" I could not get the ink to flow nor the pen to write! I love these pens for basic daily writing because I love the absolute juicyness of that particular fine point, it's cheap so I can test my own mountain of ink without the fear of ruining my expensive pens, and the fact if I lose it I probably won't go crazy looking for it if it gets misplaced but that is most likely not going to happen sadly. I just need to find that sweet spot ink for these pens. Definitely prefer a wet writer, but not so much that after every word I have to tilt the pen up to avoid an ink blot. Could it be the ink level and the air pocket theory are involved here?

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

I bought this pen just exactly a week ago. That's right one week from the order to the delivery. From India. I hope this bodes well for the two other Wality pens from the same seller. After photographing it for you I inked it with some KWZ IG Aztec Gold. I took the usual precaution of a very light smear of Silicone grease on the thread of the section. It is now standing nib down in a pot while the ink works its way down the feeder. The Wality nib does not have the greatest reputation. I have had one Wality nib where the tines were way out of alignment, but this one is OK. Quick writing sample on a Rhodia No14 notebook.

Quick Review - Wality 71JT Wality 71JT is a gorgeous pen with a solid build, the pen is a bit top heavy but the balance improves once the pen is inked. The only major flaw that I see, is the nib; Don't get me wrong, it's not a particularly unpleasant nib, the nib is rather smooth with little (audible) feedback HOWEVER the nib is extremely rigid and "resists" movement, I would have perhaps liked this nib on a small Camlin pen BUT the 71JT is no small pen, the girthy section and a (relatively) heavy body, together make this nib a major flaw, this is one of the few nibs that make my terrible handwriting look even more horrendous because of the extra effort I need to consciously put while writing; before I denounce the Wality nibs altogether, I need to ink my second 71JT. This might just be a bad nib !! If you're buying this pen online, particularly from Asapens, I would recommend contacting Mr. Subramaniam Lakshminarayanan for a nib upgrade. I repeat, the nib is not necessarily bad; some might even like it in it's current state, (IMHO) it's just not suited for a large, heavy pen such as the 71JT. Hope this was helpful - Aashish

I hate dealing with filling system, so i often look for pen that could be eyedropper converted, like Noodler's Ahab or Nemosine Singularity... but the problem with eyedropper converted pen is, they always burp when the ink level drop to certain level.. however this changes with PENBBS 266... this is a beautiful demonstrator that can be eyedropper converted... and the best part is, it doesnt burp.. to my surprise.. just look at how little ink my pen has... no burping.. XD the only downside is, using this pen locked me in with PenBBS "fine" nib.. kinda wish i could use a stub nib..

Here's an YouTube Review of KIM ACR Jumbo Double ended pen by Bryan Marsh

Hello all, I partook in the Limited Edition Ebonite Edison Morgan (say that 5 times fast) this year and I have been enjoying the pen immensely. It's my first Ebonite pen, but certainly won't be my last. I recently splurged a little and ordered a Fine, Full-Flex nib from Richard Binder for the Morgan (after seeing Brian Gray's video, I just couldn't resist). It arrived yesterday and I've been playing with it a good bit. I've noticed that the converter is a bit... um... lacking in volume. Basically I'm having too much fun, but my fun gets cut short because I run out of ink (OH THE HORROR!!!). I know that a lot of Brian's pens can be converted to eyedroppers. Is it safe to do this with an Ebonite pen? Is there anything I should worry about? I have the silicone grease and eyedroppers and what not on-hand, I just don't want to ruin the Ebonite or something. Any insight would be great. Thanks so much! Matthew

Hi FPN, I am trying to learn the history and information on this pen stamped Hosei. It is a Japanese eyedropper with sealing rod. The barrel is stamped: Hosei / Sanshin & Co.,PT / Tokyo. The nib is stamped: Special / Hosei / Ideal / JIS / 4366. The cap band is stamped: R14K. I did not see Hosei under the topic: Pen Manufacturers - Current and Past, so does anyone know anything about this pen? Thanks in advance everyone.

I bought one of these. Why on earth is there foam inside the barrel? It just soaks up ink and complicates cleaning it if you want to load a different colour of ink. Suggestions how to get the offending foam out welcomed. The thing still burps when the ink gets low, so it's nothing to do with that issue.

Hi gang, Some of you may remember me as Bonhams Auctioneers former penman-in-chief. Well, Bonhams is out of the pen business and I've moved on to San Francisco's PBA Galleries. We're launching our debut Fine Pens sale on Thursday, July 19th at 11:00 am PST. Here's a link to the online sale listings: https://www.pbagalle...catalog/id/454/ Here's a link to the digital version of the print catalogue with flip-thru pages: http://pbagalleries.com/content/ecat/648/index.html The sale features 361 lots of great modern and vintage pens. I've tried to include a broad range of pens to suit various budgets, and I hope that many of you will find treasures to enhance your collections! Our next sale will be on December 6th, and we're accepting consignments now. You can contact me at: ivan@pbagalleries.com. I do hope it's ok to post this here (I used to post notices for Bonhams' sales here without incident). Cheers, Ivan Ivan Briggs Director of Fine Pens and Comics

Hey all. I recently purchased a pair of vintage, Urushi over ebonite eyedropper pens and I've had a heck of a time finding information about them from anywhere. I was hoping someone could provide a little enlightenment. The first is this little Woden: Quite a smallish pen, similar in size to what were often referred to as "Lady's" or "Purse" pens, though it's longer than a ringtop. The imprint says "Woden New Pen, No. 1952". The clip is engraved "Fountain Pen". The pen had the original paper price tag included with a price of 130 yen. From what I could gather the 100+ yen pricing would put it roughly in the decade following WWII, but that's all I could find. The pen was purchased as NOS, unused, and the quality is good, but not outstanding. The lacquer work is good but there are, for example, visible machining marks in the ebonite. The nib is chrome-plated stainless steel with the engraving of "Special Woden Pen M2". All of the trim is chromed as well. The second is this Niole: This pen is quite a bit larger, on par size-wise with a modern MB 146. The barrel imprint says "Niole (with a stylized O) Made in Japan". This pen was used and came with no documentation. The lacquer work is absolutely first rate, with great depth and transparency (possibly a Kuro-Dame type finish?). The ebonite is in perfect condition with no marks, and the lacquer has only minor wear despite obvious signs of usage. The nib is gold plated, and is engraved "Standard Hardest Iridium JIS 3". I understand that the JIS imprint places at least the nib post-1955, but I'm not sure the nib is original. Could anyone out provide some more info? The seller from whom I purchased the pens stated that both pens were pre-WWII, but the price tag on the Woden contradicts that.

I bought a few Wing Sung 992 demonstrator FPs a few months ago and found out they all suffered from cracked-barrel syndroms ( See Photo 1) !! Functionally , these cracks do not cause any problems in writing at all but for collectors they are really eye sores which defame the good name of Jinhao brand ! Anyhow, I decided to change one of them into an EyeDropper pen and here is the way I did it : 1) Fill the barrel with water-proof GE Silicon Caulking ( transparent type, see Photo_02) about ¼ inch above the level of the crack . 2) To carry out this operation , I fill a ¼ inch. diamter drinking straw ( around 6 inches long) with GE Silicon Caulking up to about 3 inches in height (See Photo_03) . Then I insert this straw inside the pen barrel and transfer the caulking to the bottom with a 3/8 inch diameter wooden round stick (Photo_04) , making sure that the caulking is at least 1/4 inch above the crack . Care should be exercised to avoid any caulking sticking to the side of the barrel . 3) Let the caulking harden for at least 24 hours before filling with ink (see Photo_05) . Photo_06 shows a close-up of the Silicon caulking filled up to 1/4 inch above the crack . 4) I also used Silicon grease on the thread portion of the grip section to ensure that no ink leaking may occur at the section & barrel connection . Photo_01 Photo_02 Photo_03 Photo_04 Photo_05 Photo_06

For those who have a eyedropper type fountain pen: How do you fill the barrel with ink from the bottle? I have just received an Indian Ebonite Eyedropper pen and I am wondering what devices you use.

Can anyone help me I'm trying to figure out this pens brand and name. I found one similar on ebay but it just says "Mother of Pearl" but doesn't give me an actual brand or name. The nib is marked "WARRANTED 14K". Can anyone help?

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.

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/

Dear FPN'ers, Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. We are happy to introduce "Emperor"as a new model of Ranga Pens. RANGA EMPEROR MODEL: Ranga Emperor is a Handmade pen and is available in various ebonite rod colors. The pen has a dual-band around the cap and has black ebonite finials at the bottom and top. the pen is available in two versions: Round End Flat End It is approx 145 mm in length and the barrel dia of the pen is 14 mm and dia of the cap is 16 mm. The pen is available only in chrome finish clip along with chrome trims. NIBS: Only Bock Nibs along with the Schmidt Converter is available for this Group Buy #6 Steel Nib – Gold Monotone Finish: EF, F, M, B, 1.1, 1.5 #6 Steel Nib – Chrome Monotone Finish: EF, F, M, B, 1.1, 1.5 #6 Steel Nib – Dual Tone Finish: EF, F, M, B #6 Gold 18K Nib – F, B (@ extra US$ 185) Without Nib But Pen threaded to take Bock Nib (@ less US$ 14) MATERIAL & COLORS: For this Group Buy, Regular series and Special Series Ebonite are available in both Polished and Brushed Finish. Regular Ebonite: RE Series (Polished or Matte Finish) R1- Brown Ripple R2 – Green Ripple R3 – Olive Ripple R4 – Solid Black R5 – Mottled Brown R6 – Mottled Green R7 – Mottled Olive Brown Special Ebonite: SE Series (Has Black Specks) (Polished or Matte Finish) S1 – Solid Forest Green S2 – Forest Green – Black Ripple S3 – Forest Green – Honey Ripple S4 – Forest green – Khaki Ripple S5 – Forest Green – Mustard Yellow Ripple S6 – Forest Green – Teal Blue Ripple S7 – Teal Blue – Black Ripple S9 – Mustard Yellow – Black Ripple S10 – Khaki – Black Ripple S12 – Rose Red – Black Ripple S13 – Rose Red – Mauve Ripple S15 – Rose Red – Forest Green Ripple S17 – Rose Red – Mustard Yellow Ripple S18 – Brick Red – Khaki Ripple S20 – Teal Blue – Orange Ripple S23 – Solid Olive Green 1 Ranga Emperor – Flat End – All Colors 2.Ranga Emperor – Round End – All Colors Some more images of the pen are as below: 3 Ranga Emperor – Regular Colors – Close up 3 Ranga Emperor – Flat End – Special Ebonite Colors – Close up PRICE, PAYMENT & DELIVERY: The Special Introduction Price of the pen is US $ 64 including Registered shipping for FPN'ers . It's regular Price is 78$. We have limited nos. of these pen in stock and the pen is shipped immediately after payment within 1 week. Payment to be done via Paypal only for international customers and for domestic via bank transfer Paypal ID is : mpkandan@gmail.com Please contact mpkandan@yahoo.co.in for any queries Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Hi Everyone, Does anyone know anything about this pen, it does not show up on the Japanese pens list. It's a Japanese eyedropper with Bunshodo Pen stamped on the barrel. The nib says Stenographer, in the world, pointed hardest, Platinum <15>. Interestingly the nib says Platinum, is this an old Platinum pen? Or just the nib? The clip looks like an old Pilot clip but is not stamped Pilot. This is a good size pen as compared to my Sailor Pro-Gear. Any information would be appreciated. Pen_Padawan

Hi Everyone, I have a vintage japanese eyedropper with no name but trying to learn more about it. There is no company markings but the nib says, Special, hardest point, 3 A. The clip is rather unique and so is the cap band. This pen is on the small size as compared to my Sailor Pro-Gear. Any information or similar pens in your collection would be appreciated. Pen_Padawan