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  1. hello, I would like to know which nib is fitted in the swan 1500, as it is a overfeed pen I cannot see which nib is fitted I do not know if is the swan #2 or# 3 or whatever. Many thanks
  2. Alas! The feed is broken off just below the threads for the section. Any leads to a potential replacement I would appreciate it. In the meantime I'll play around with dipping it although I think the nib will need to be tweaked:
  3. drmukherjee

    Asa Monal - A Custom Beauty

    Recently I found myself to be using more pocket pens than bigger pens but I lacked any good custom pocket pen. So I went to Lakshminarayanan Subramaniam of ASA Pen who suggested me to look into ASA SWAN ,I liked the model and thought how to spice things up .. I recently acquired only 1.5 rods of the very illusive and sold out Conway Stewart Flecked Amethyst and thought to make a custom pen based on ASA SWAN out of those blanks .. The end result http://i.imgur.com/QGnOBg7.jpg THE ASA MONAL 1. Appearance & Design:- The pen is a rod shaped pen .The body and the section is made from Conway Stewart Flecked Amethyst blank. The cap is made from black glossy Indian Ebonite and te cap finial is also made from the CS blank. I opted for this custom design mainly for two reasons . Number one being there wasnt enough CS material available anywhere to make a full size cap and number two this design shows off the fusion between EAST and WEST .. http://i.imgur.com/BH5UPPj.jpg The fusion between EAST and WEST Here the gorgeous CS blank weds the Indian shiny ebonite .. I also made a smaller cap from the CS blank ( still in making process) 2. Construction & Quality : As always ASA made a fantastic job with the CS blank. The finish is world class ,devoid of any tool marks or imperfection . I cant even feel the joint where the black ebonite meets the Flecked Amethyst finial on the cap . http://i.imgur.com/LKaYidd.jpg The cap opens in very convenient one and half turns . The section is a nice and smooth hourglass transition from the barrel and the threads are perfectly smooth http://i.imgur.com/UyESpOB.jpg The smooth barrel to section transition with hourglass section 3.Comparison :- As this pen is based on the model of ASA SWAN a comparison with it only fair. Both pens are almost equal in length when capped . However the barrel of the ASA MONAL is a little bit thicker and has flat ends . http://i.imgur.com/shct06r.jpg ASA MONAL AND ASA SWAN CAPPED Opening the cap of both of pens reveals hourglass section in both , ASA MONAL has slightly thicker section diameter which I enjoy a lot .. http://i.imgur.com/DdUe9K8.jpg ASA MONAL AND ASA SWAN UNCAPPED 4. Nib & Performance: - IF you ask anyone from India the best Indian nib , I am sure they will come up with KANWRITE .. The ASA MONAL is custom fitted with KANWRITE #35 M FLEX nib unit ( same unit in noodlers ahab) The beauty of this nib unit is that not only it writes super smooth out of the box but also you can swap the nib unit with inexpensive nib units from KANWRITE with the range of EF,F,M,B,BB, RTOBLQ,LFTOBQ ,STUB in regular line and F,M,B in flex lines . This gives an amazing adaptability of the pen .. EF TO BB just in one quick screw in and out http://i.imgur.com/DVBEg2L.jpg KANWRITE #35 M FLEX AND SCHMIDT M http://i.imgur.com/KIPa9Nu.jpg ASA MONAL DISASSEMBLED WITH #35 KANWRITE NIB UNIT TO give an size comparison of the ASA MONAL with LAMY 2000 http://i.imgur.com/DHFlzt7.jpg ASA MONAL AND LAMY 2000 CAPPED http://i.imgur.com/OFxqsKh.jpg ASA MONAL AND LAMY 2000 UNCAPPED 5. CONCLUSION AND WRITING - The ASA MONAL is an example of true custom beauty ,an wonderful writer and superb craftsmanship of ASA .. I am very much delighted to possess this beauty .. http://i.imgur.com/5eMgc0s.jpg
  4. Here is a recent acquisition which I picked up because the rough look on the clip reminded me of a Schnell Penselpen. But before I get there, note the Mabie Todd pen http://www.peytonstreetpens.com/mabie-todd-usa-swan-fountain-pen-model-a3-eye-dropper-full-flex-nib-excellent-works-well.html at Peyton Street Pens: http://www.peytonstreetpens.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/thumbnail/65x/040ec09b1e35df139433887a97daa66f/s/w/swan_a3_eyedropper_1.jpg And now the one I came across from Eagle Pencil Co.
  5. Hey folks. This is my first "review". Well, not really a review, more some personal thoughts after attempting to use a Kaweco Classic Sport for a very specific purpose. First, let me state for the record I'm new to serious fountain pens. As a pre-teen some 30 years ago, I'd expressed early interest in calligraphy and written language, and my parents encouraged me with an inexpensive Speedball dip pen set. That's about all my experience until this year, when I decided to start getting into the fountain pen hobby seriously. For my birthday, my wife gifted me a bottle of Diamine Shimmertastic "Purple Pazzazz" ink, something I didn't feel comfortable using in the either of the pens I already owned, both TWSBI 580s. So, since I confess a fascination with demonstrator pens, I started hunting for an inexpensive, eyedropper-capable demonstrator with a broad nib to use with this ink. I saw the Kaweco Classic Sport Clear, watched a bunch of Youtube reviews which said it should be easily eyedropper-convertible, and then picked one up for ~$25 off eBay. When the pen arrived, I was struck by how cheap and light the plastic felt, and how "unfinished" it appeared. This does not feel like a $25 pen to me. First impressions aside, I greased the threads where the section meets the barrel, shook the bottle of shimmery ink well, and then loaded the barrel with Purple Pazzazz. The pen wrote well, but the gold shimmer in the ink would last only a few letters before requiring a good shake to the pen, which caused some ink to splatter from the nib. I took to recapping the pen every few words to shake it with the cap on, which ended up just getting ink into the cap. More on that later. So, clearly not a combination for everyday writing. That's OK, as I wasn't expecting it to be. I wanted to use this pen and ink for envelopes, notes to my wife, etc. not writing a paper. However, eventually, the gold fleck stopped appearing in the ink on paper at all, no matter how much shaking to redistribute the particulate in the barrel of the pen. Eventually, I decided to go ahead and disassemble and thoroughly clean the pen. What I found was that the gold fleck had effectively clogged the feed completely. Only the liquid portion of the ink could make it through to the nib and onto the paper. Along the way I discovered two other items about the Kaweco Classic Sport that should give one pause when considering an eyedropper conversion. First, and most importantly, ink gets trapped between the nib unit or nib collar and the clear section. Since on this model there appears to be no way to completely remove the collar from the section, there's no way to easily flush out that trapped ink. It's unsightly, and I think could interfere with using different colored inks in this pen. Lastly, the ink that gets into the cap ends up trapped behind the white translucent plastic inner cap, and seems also nearly impossible to get out entirely. Overall, a disappointing experience. I think the Kaweco Classic Sport is a decent pen, but not a $25 pen. I cannot recommend using it as an eyedropper, unless you plan to use the same ink all the time and don't mind the trapped ink in the section and cap. Lastly, it's not a good choice for inks with particulate. They clog the feed, and the particulate flow is neither good nor consistent when it does work. On a more positive note, used with cartridges, the Classic Sport seems like a decent if overpriced pocket pen that will write consistently. The nib was OK. A touch "tactile" on smooth paper, but no skipping or hard starts.
  6. Ray_NEMBFV

    How To Fill This?

    Mailman again. It's a Waterman, but I've never seen an eye dropper like this. I presume I know the answer to this, but I'll ask anyway since I'm out of ideas. I need a syringe, right? I'm a diabetic and I had to order a stupid syringe from Goulet! - I switched to pens two years ago, don't even has an emergency stash. I dipped it and the flex is fun. I just gotta fill it. I'm open to any ideas that won't ruin my wife's carpet...
  7. Hello everyone. I am new to this forum and this is my first review of a fountain pen. So, if I inadvertently commit any mistakes, kindly overlook those. Today I am going to review one Indian ebonite fountain pen with a special kind of nib. Many of us have heard about Butterline Stub nibs, but little information is available online, except that Mr. Pendleton Brown grinds those speciality nibs. It is from his site that I came across the definition of Butterline Stub nibs, which he states as “…….a hybrid between a Stub (very smooth with some variation) and a Cursive Italic (maximum line variation with crisper edge).” This pen is from Krishna pens, behind which there is Dr. Sreekumar, a one man army. He is an anesthesiologist by profession, an experienced nibmaster by passion- fountain pens remain his devotion despite all his busy schedules. As this is mostly a passionate endeavor rather than a commercial one, his products are not available online readily. He doesn’t maintain a separate website and produces one pen per week, so you are lucky if you can get hold of them. The specialty in most of his pens is the grinding of perfectly ordinary nibs into something extraordinary. His recent muse has been the butterline stub nibs and I was fortunate enough to be able to buy two pens from eBay from Krishnapens, where he lists his items from time to time. 1. Appearance & Design (8/10): His pens are rather well built and beautiful. The design varies from model to model, and mostly they are traditional cigar shaped pens with tapering at both ends. The nib is fitted rather healthily into the section and the nib-feed unit looks solid. The material is good quality ebonite. The colours vary according to the model, but they are bright and vibrant. The polish is good. Overall I would give the pen 8/10 for looks, considering the common traits of ebonite pens. They are large pens, but relatively light weight and well balanced. No pungent smell from any of the pens. Unfortunately I would be posting pics of only one pen as I have sent the other to him for tuning to my choice. The fountain pen The clip 2. Construction & Quality (8/10): These are solid pens. They feel compact in hand and the material looks impressive. I wouldn’t say the ebonite can compete with some 200$ custom made ebonite pen, but it’s not shabby at all. A decent looking pen available at a throwaway price. The clip is unlike something you have ever seen on any pen, it’s special. It is flat, broad piece of metal, very sturdy and effective. Dr Sreekumar states that these pens are made of Export quality ebonite. On close inspection, though there are impurities in the ebonite, that doesn’t diminish the impression of the pen at all. No company names embossed on my pens. 3. Weight & Dimensions (8/10): It’s a light weight pen. I don’t have a machine to tell the exact value. The dimensions are as follows Length Capped: 130 mm Length uncapped with nib: 120 mm Length posted: 165 mm Length of cap: 60 mm Cap Diameter: 14 mm Section diameter: 11 mm This pen feels very comfortable to hold; it slips easily into hand and writes right away. The balance is great unposted. Posted, this becomes uncomfortable as the cap doesn’t go much deep into the body. From left: Waterman Hemisphere deluxe, Pilot metropolitan, Krishna butterline stub, Jinhao X750 (all capped) From left: Waterman Hemisphere deluxe, Pilot metropolitan, Krishna butterline stub, Jinhao X750 (all posted) 4. Nib & Performance (9/10): The nib is the specialty of this pen. These nibs are ground by Dr. Sreekumar himself, with the help of his immense knowledge and experience about nibs. He fondly reminisces that he grinded his very first nib at class 7. It was a different time then with fountain pens being the symbol of education. Over the years his hand have become more and more adept at making different grinds, making ordinary medium or broad size nibs extraordinary in the process. Butterline stub nibs are in between a medium and true stub....line variations are there but the main attraction of these nibs are the smoothness and the experience while writing. It’s something you have to experience yourself. The writing surface is beveled upward. The nibs he uses for this conversion are Kanwrite nibs and Ambitious nibs. Both are Indian company. Kanwrite is the same company that produces nibs and body for Noodlers Company in US. Ambitious nibs are thinner than Kanwrite, but as they are grinded by same person the writing experience is much the same. The flow is appropriate, no feathering or blotting or burping, ink and paper remaining the same as other pens. The feed is made of ebonite and it maintains good flow as required by a stub nib. There is minimal flex, but its expected. The Kanwrite nib The pen with paper 5. Filling System & Maintenance (6/10): This is an eyedropper, no other systems available like ASA pens. Good seal between body and section ensures no leakage and the ebonite multi-finned feed ensures no burping. Ink amount inside body is about 2.5 ml. The pen remains light and well balanced even when fully inked. There may be some ebonite particles/ residues inside the barrel when you receive the pen, but it’s more of an outlook towards fountain pens than an error. Being such an avid pen lover, most fountain pen manufacturers from India just assume that a person would take some trouble to clean his pen before inking it. 6. Cost & Value (8/10): This pen is valued at INR 1500- 1800 (22$- 30$). It’s a good bargain considering the price of ebonite pens in general. This is a reliable fountain pen, in that you can always pick it up while going out, take it out in front of your colleagues, put it to paper and it will perform right away. The solid built and crisp line will invite awe and the writing experience will always please you. It’s not for the stylish line variations or calligraphy, but it’s a genuine daily workhorse. 7.Conclusion (Final score, 47/60): I ordered this pen just out of curiosity about butterline stub nibs, and I’m very impressed with this pen. It’s one of my daily pens these days. I would recommend this pen for anyone who come across them on ebay. The review on paper The shading. Thank you for reading. Bye.
  8. kitojmanny

    Gama Forever Reviewed

    The Gama Forever is an ebonite, eye-dropper filled, Indian fountain pen. It features a flat ended shape, a girthy profile, a ball-pointed clip, and twin rings around the bottom of the cap: design cues that overtly gesture to the Parker Duofold and Sheaffer Flat Top and to their aesthetic offspring from the Pilot Lucina to the Newton Orville. This one came to me from Asa Pens and cost about $25. I should mention I found Asa’s service and delivery time quite reasonable. Included at no extra cost was a small red gift bag for the pen and an eye-dropper. The styling of the pen is simple all around, not elevating over its basic design language in materials or ornamentation. The ebonite is plain black (though ripple patterns are available), the cap and body are devoid of any text or logos, and the metal furniture (while gold in tone) lack luster. The nib is large and writes with a line I’d call Western medium-fine — mileage varying by ink, paper, and nib/feed fit. On my pen, I’ve brought the nib and feed further out of the section by about 4mm to better match (to my eye) the proportions of the pen. The engraving on the nib is fairly shallow and sparse. It features two diagonal layers of light scrawling, arching over a circle and the inscription “iridium point.” The nib won’t win any beauty contests, but the whole pen was pretty inexpensive. The clip is a bit disproportionate to the pen, I feel. I’d prefer it to be 3-4mm longer, but that only ever occurs to me when I’ve been looking at it for a long time with a critical attitude. In day to day life it never crosses my mind. Despite all the luke-warm things I’ve said here, I’m happy with the styling of the pen, largely on account of its throwback design and its minimal decoration (which feels right for the pen). Fit is commendable, and finish acceptable. The pen feels quite solid and all its functional bits are fitted with great precision. The cap unscrews smoothly with several turns (4.5, by my count). The section unscrews rather stiffly (I’d say, securely) from the body with many turns (the pen is very full right now and I’m not risking the count) and came pre-greased from Asa. I’ve had no burping or leaks since I received the pen about two weeks ago. The nib and feed need to be knocked out to be removed, as they are quite firmly set within the section. Two quibbles with the finish deserve mention. First, the metal furniture on the cap is off center — very slightly in the case of the double rings, and a bit more noticeably in the case of the setting for the clip. Second, the small space beneath the final threat on the pen body doesn’t appear to have been polished, so it’s grayish and rough compared to the rest of the pen. The pen works perfectly, and most of the time, as I noted about the clip length, these things never cross my mind. While Asa lists this pen as regular sized, I don’t believe that’s the case outside of the Indian fountain pen world. This pen is Safari-like in length and thick enough that the section diameter comes in around 14mm. Let’s call it oversized. That’s what I wanted when I bought the pen, and I’m happy with it. Having finally used a pen this size I’ve found my preference to be south of the 14mm (more likely about 11mm). When I write with the pen for extended periods it begins to feel cumbersome, but for short letters or notes it’s great. Others have found the pen to be their perfect size, and I don’t doubt that I’ll better adapt to it myself over time. The nib is listed on Asa as a number 10. At times the nib feels a bit toothy, though through a 10x loop I can’t clearly see the reason for that. I plan on trying to smooth it a bit soon, but I believe that a good amount of the feedback is a result of the nib’s design and materials. Two western fines, Nemosine and Goulet (JoWo), from my collection, smoothed in the same manner with the same materials, have never produced even approximately the same feel. While they are both smooth, the Nemosine has always transmitted more of the texture of the paper. The Gama seems further along that continuum. The nib provides no notable line variation. It lays down a nice wet line of ink that’s beautiful to watch settle onto the paper. In my overarching opinion the Gama Forever is a decent fountain pen, but not a daily driver, nothing to lust after, but something worth owning if you’re curious about oversized pens or enjoy the aesthetic. When I pick up this pen, I do so because I want to pay a special kind of attention to what I’m doing. I want to feel the paper and watch the ink pool. It’s the kind of pen I plan on leaving on the desk to sign cards and address letters and hardly ever need a refill. I’ll grab it for the fun of using the big pen. It's a novelty: fun, palate cleansing and, because it’s relatively cheap, guilt free.
  9. I have had the worst luck when it comes to Eyedropper pens. They always burp and leak on me, really badly. I had hoped that the 66 Stabilis I ordered wouldn't have had the same issues, seeing the nib unit was a screw in type of one piece. Sadly this was not to be, but I would like to get other peoples' experiences just in case I'm doing something wrong or there is an actual fault with the nib unit. I have the pen eyedroppered and filled with Sailor ink. I followed the instructions on the Franklin Christoph website about greasing the threads of the nib unit and the thread of the barrel. I turn the pen nib up and warm it thoroughly in my hand before use. To write one side of an A4 page I have to blot away the burps and leaks at least eight times on a mound of tissue paper while constantly turning the pen up to check it isn't about to make a huge mess on the page. After an A4 page half of the ink contents of the barrel are gone; just to give you an idea of how much ink the pen is expelling. When it first started to do it I thought I mustn't have greased the threads on the nib unit enough and ink was escaping and creeping down between the unit and the section, but it isn't. The ink is actually expelling out the bottom of the unit itself at the point where the feed meets the end of the unit. Is this a fault?
  10. mehandiratta

    Ratnamson 302 - True Classic

    First of all, I must thank Pradeep for getting me these pens from Rajahmundry. I actually got lot of pens from Ratnam, Ratnamson, and Guider who all are stationed at Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh state of India. So this, as in Ratnamson 302, is the first in line to be reviewed and this pen is one of the fast selling models of Ratnamson. Ratnamson 302 – Capped Ratnamson is a brand name of Ratnam Ball pen works. There is other brand by the name of Ratnam which is owned by Ratnam Pen Works. As far as I know Ratnam Pen works is an original parent company which got split into two and thus Ratnamson came into existence. And both the companies produce some good quality pens. which i will be reviewing it here one by one. Ratnamson 302 – Rose Pink Rippled and Blue Rippled Model DESIGN & BUILT : 3.5/05 Like I said earlier this pen is one of the fast selling model of Ratnamson’s and it is a very well designed and executed pen. Made of Ebonite this pen come in various regular ebonite colors like Rose Pink Ripple, Blue Ripple (Both shown in pic above), Black, Brown Ripple, Green Ripple and Dark Brown Ripple. Also mottled pattern is available but i believe that is on request. Ratnamson 302 – Beauty Shot The pen is cigar shaped design which tapers slightly just a bit towards the end to circular rounded bottom. The cap finial is also rounded similar to the barrel end. Ratnamson 302 – Capped The grip section is made of black color ebonite and their is a slight tapering towards the top of section from middle of barrel. The length of grip section is not that long. Actually it is short. But thats not a problem. Circular thread patterns do provide for grip and threads are not at all sharp. Ratnamson 302 – Uncapped View The picture below shows the rounded bottom and top of the pen. Ratnamson 302 – Rounded top and bottom The cap clip though is quite sturdy but I can see there is bit of uniformity in insertion of clip inside the cap, which is because of the reason these are all hand made. Ratnamson 302 – Cap Ratnamson 302 – Cap Top View You can see from the image above the difference of clip insert inside the cap. Nevertheless these are minor things and can be resolved easily. The cap has slim center band which seems to be a okay kind of job because i have seen many manufacturers not able to take care of bands properly. I love the pens with centre band. Though I am not happy with the centre band on the cap but the pen shape and finish is far above what i expected. Ratnamson 302 – Cap Side View Ratnamson 302 – Cap Clip View Ratnamson 302 – Cap Centerband Closeup Ratnamson 302 – Cap Internal View Like most of the Indian pens this also comes with breather hole which helps in tackling the vacuum created while opening the pen and thus preventing ink leakage. Below are the few images showing the pen comparison. Gama Kuyil vs Ratnamson 302 vs Pilot 78G vs Jinhao 886 – Capped Gama Kuyil vs Ratnamson 302 vs Pilot 78G vs Jinhao 886 – Uncapped and Posted Gama Kuyil vs Ratnamson 302 vs Pilot 78G vs Jinhao 886 – Side View The pen built quality barring just two areas with regards to centre band and clip insertion inside cap, is amazing. The material used is amazing. Handmade and overall well executed classic designed pen. Lastly one thing i wanted to mention is that cap threads are not that smooth as it should be and offer certain resistance while opening. BALANCE : 05/05 One good thing with the ebonite pens is that they are extremely well balanced weather cap is posted or not. The length of the pen is 145 mm when capped and 125 mm when uncapped including the nib. And when cap is posted it is approx 165 mm long. The cap is thickest near centre band at 14mm dia and the average barrel thickness is 13 mm and grip section thickness is 9 to 10 mm. Ratnamson 302 - Writing Unposted Ratnamson 302 - Writing Posted The pen is very well balanced with cap posted or not posted, though it becomes very long id the cap is posted. I personally prefer writing without posting cap. NIB & INK FILLING MECHANISM: 2.5/05 Well this is one area where i was not that much happy. It gives you resistance on good quality paper (which in a way is good for handwriting) but writes scratchy on not so good quality paper and picks up paper fiber even. The nib is gold color monotone iridium tipped nib and it writes fine. I actually will end up changing the nib. But lately I have realised if you keep using this nib it will grow on you. Ratnamson 302 - Nib Unit Top View Ratnamson 302 - Nib Unit Side View Ratnamson 302 - Nib Unit Bottom View Ratnamson 302 - Nib Unit Angled View The feed is made of ebonite and the pen writes actually bit wet. I had to do certain smoothing on the nib. And still I am not happy. Ratnamson 302 - Ebonite Feed The ink filling mechanism is through eyedropper and it holds good amount of ink. Good thing about the pen is that it never burped on me while writing for a complete week. Ratnamson 302 - Ink Filling Through Eyedropper Below is the Link of my handwritten review which shows sample and ink dry test for your reference.Also are certain images. LINK CONCLUSION: I will buy this pen for its design and change its nib. This pen is not that expensive and retails around for 12 to 15 USD. And thats why i will buy this pen for its classic design and long history behind brand name. Ratnamson 302 - Saying Goodbye
  11. I recently bought my first Ebonite-bodied pen. It is not the first Indian-made fountain pen that I have bought, but it is the first one that I have bought that was not at the low end of the price scale. The pen is the ASA Gama Revolution (link to vendor's page; as I understand, "ASA" is the name of the vendor and "Gama" is the name of a line of fountain pens made by said vendor). I had to wait a few weeks, during which time I assume that the pen was being made, but once it was dispatched by air mail, it arrived in about a week. It came with plenty of packaging: from left to right: outer envelope, bubble wrap, plastic envelope, velvet pouch, cellophane envelope, and inside this last, the pen itself. Ordinarily, I would not have much use for a velvet pouch for a single pen, but as I have heard that Ebonite pens are bleached by exposure to light over a long period, I expect that I shall be using this one to hold the pen when it is out of use. It is a large pen. In fact, I would call it a very large pen, though I know that there are larger ones. This should be evident from the two photographs that follow, in which I have placed it between a Platinum Century 3776 and a Lamy Vista. The dimensions, as given on the vendor's Web site, are as follows: Length, capped: 148 mm Length, posted: 170 mm Average barrel diameter: 14.5 mm Average section diameter: 12 mm Average cap diameter: 16 mm I got the pen with a medium nib. The nib, according to the vendor, is made by JoWo. It is plated in two colors. To my eye, this is rather unfortunate. The photographs on the vendor's site show the pen with a uniformly chrome-colored nib, which seems to me to harmonize much better with the black body and the chrome-colored clip. The nib, as I understand, may be unscrewed from the body for easy replacement, though I have not yet removed it myself. An interesting thing about the feed is that you can actually see right through the vents to the underside of the nib. I have tried, with only partial success, to show this in the photo below. The pen is advertised as having a "3-in-1 filling system." This means that it can be used with cartridges, with a convertor, or with the barrel filled in eyedropper fashion. This option seems to add quite a bit to the price, as fountain pens of similar materials and design are offered by ASA at significantly lower prices. Having heard of the phenomenon of "burping" to which eyedropper-filled pens are prone, I chose to pay a higher price to have the option of using a convertor. The convertor (on the left in the photo below), said to be made by Schmidt, is slightly larger than a standard convertor (on the right), though I don't know if its capacity is any greater. So, how is the pen to use? I will start with the feel of it. Ebonite looks and feels on casual inspection like plastic (or perhaps I should say, like other plastics), but on closer attention seems somehow less hard to the touch than plastic, even though it is assuredly a rigid and unyielding material. To me it feels somehow more hand-friendly than most other materials. So that's one attraction. The cap is not made for quick removal: it requires two and a half turns to remove and to replace. So this pen is not well suited for jotting down short notes. The pen is fairly lightweight, weighing 24 grams with the cap on and the convertor installed and filled, 16.5 grams without the cap. The pen is not unwieldy with the cap posted. I myself tend to prefer to post, and tend to prefer a weight over 20 grams, but I find myself inclined to use this pen unposted. The grip section is wider than those of most pens. I have never yet felt a grip section to be too wide, though I have had many pens whose grip sections were too narrow for my comfort. But for me this pen is right at the limit. I can hold it comfortably enough, but at times I find myself wishing that it were just a bit narrower. Those with smaller hands (mine are of medium size as adult male hands go) will almost certainly find this pen too thick for comfortable use. I find the nib to be reasonably smooth—nothing out of the ordinary, nothing to complain about. Likewise, though not particularly springy, it yields enough to make for comfort in writing. In sum, good but not outstanding. As far as starting ability goes, I have found the pen, so far, to be fairly compliant. If I have used it previously in the day, I can count on it to start laying down ink either immediately or within a few millimeters of the first stroke of the point. If it has been unused overnight, then a stroke or two is required to get it to start. I have never yet had to shake it or tap it to get it to start, though I have not yet left it unused for days at a time. I have left the topic of the appearance of the pen for the end. The plain, nearly featureless design and polished finish are among the distinctive features of the pen. If you don't find these to be attractions, then this pen can be of no interest to you. Gama makes other Ebonite pens with a matte finish. That finish was not an option with this model, but that was fine with me. It is my impression that Ebonite never has that "spanking new" appearance that most new pens have. At least, this pen never had it, and no amount of rubbing with a soft cloth seems able to give it such an appearance. Ebonite just doesn't get that shiny: it seems to look a bit "used" by nature. This, to my mind, agrees with its peculiar feel, so that the pen can seem on very first acquaintance as if you have already had it and used it for a long time. I don't know if it is universal among Ebonite to have tiny flaws in the finish, but this pen has them. That is a feature that pushes the pen from hominess toward shabbiness. What is more, the pen lacks symmetry. This is plainly visible in the clip, which is of a shape that recalls those of Pelikan pens, but its thick part extends further to the left than to the right. What is more, the cap does not align perfectly with the body. Both asymmetries can be seen in the photograph below. In summary: The pen has a distinctive design and material and is agreeable to write with. But in consideration of the flaws in its appearance and construction, I am not convinced that it is a particularly good value,
  12. I am not totally certain if this is the right section to post this query, but since the eyedropper pen is widely known in India, I think the chance of finding a definitive answer is much greater. As we all know, eyedropper-fill pens have a tendency to burp ink when the amount of air increases up to a point inside the reservoir. The use of a more effective feed such as that on the Sheaffer No Nonsense go some way to help for acting as a better buffer, but the Indian-made finned feeds - also used in the Noodler's Ahab in 6.3mm size - should also be more effective in this department. In fact my Kim came with this feed. However, this particular 6.3mm feed has a hole in the back for the fitting of a breather tube, which in the case of the Ahab, increases ink filling efficiency as a small hole is opened on the top side of the feed facing the underside of the nib. I am beginning to wonder if this feature for accommodating a breather tube is meant for eyedropper pens as well: I can envisage the fitting of a breather tube to the feed, where the far end almost reaches the dead end of the ink reservoir. I'd imagine there is a better chance for the internal and external pressures to get equalized. I have yet to conduct experiments on this, but I seem to recall seeing some eyedropper pens with breather tubes fitted to their feeds, so there might be something in it after all. I would certainly welcome the views of my fellow correspondents, and perhaps even better, first-hand experiences on it too. Thank you.
  13. RATNAM TARPODA Ratnam Tarpoda Ratnam Tarpoda (Big Size) was one amongst my mass-order purchase through my dear friend Pradeep who was travelling to Rajahmundry last year. I have bought lot of pens from different manufacturers and I have varied experiences across the three brands of Rajahmundry. For those who don’t know, Rajahmundry is one of the major city of Andhra Pradesh in India. And city consists of few of the oldest fountain pen manufacturers in India like Ratnam, Ratnamson, and Guider. Ratnam Pen Works ( KV Brahmam & Brothers) is the first “Swadeshi” Fountain Pen Company of India and was established in 1932. It was started by Kosuri Venkat Ratnamand is currently being run by one of his two sons, Siva Ratnam. They also manufacture handmade gold nibs including conical shape gold nib. Most of their pens are made of ebonite, however they also make silver metal pens and also gold plated silver pens. I have yet to see acrylic pen from them. The review is about their big size ebonite pen , Ratnam Tarpoda. DESIGN : 3.5/5 Here the pen is in simple, classic shaped design with rounded finials. The pen tapers down down to rounded bottom, while the cap also tapers but just slightly to finial which is shaped like parabolic dome. It bears lot of resemblance to one of my previously reviewed pen Ratnamson 302, which is a pen from different manufacturer, though in this case the cap finials tapers more towards top. Ratnam Tarpoda – Uncapped Ratnam Tarpoda – Dome Shaped Top and Rounded Bottom The grip section is made in black ebonite unlike the body which is made in olive ripple ebonite which is famous by name of White Tiger because of the resemblance to skin of white tiger. Ratnam Tarpoda – Capped Ratnam Tarpoda – Uncapped and Unposted Ratnam Tarpoda – Uncapped and Posted The barrel is cylindrical and tapers both ways, towards the grip section and also towards the bottom end. The grip section in black ebonite gradually tapers towards the top with flared end at the top. The grip section is short and I end up gripping threads which actually are not sharp and rather they are smooth and provide good grip. The cap is adorned with dual bands and has a stiff ball end type clip. The trims used are gold and I believe they match with the ebonite. And it opens in 4 1/2 turns. Ratnam Tarpoda – Cap with Ball end Clip and Dual Centerbands The barrel is engraved with the branding which reads “RATNAM PEN, MADE IN RJY, INDIA”. And it is filled some sort of gold paint which I believe is not neatly done as their is spillage of gold paint on barrel which eventually will wear off with time. Ratnam Tarpoda – Branding Overall it is a classic, no nonsense, elegant cigar shaped design and you cant go wrong with that. Ratnam Tarpoda – Classic Cigar Design Finishing can be improved a little. And most importantly the turns to open cap must be minimized. BUILT & CONSTRUCTION : 3/5 The quality of material used is good and is sturdy. There is no discolouration of material. The built quality is just at par with like of Ranga or Deccan pens if not better, especially finishing. I think Branding on barrel can still be improved. What I really liked was the alignment of cap with the barrel when it is closed in such a way that the ripple effect of ebonite carries to the cap from barrel. Ratnam Tarpoda – Ripple Pattern Continuation from Barrel to Cap Its a handmade pen and yes there are certain anomalies like cap finial doesn't align in line with the tapered profile of the cap. But again what do you expect from such an inexpensive pen. Ratnam Tarpoda – Cap Finial not aligned with cap Ratnam Tarpoda – Cap inner View As far as the quality of band is considered they are better than what I had on Ratnamson 302. But yes they still need improvement. Ratnam Tarpoda – Cap Center Bands One thing I really did not like was provision for 2 breather holes in the pen, otherwise it is well built HANDMADE pen at this price point. BALANCE & SIZE : 5/5 The pen is vary well balanced in both the scenarios when writing with cap posted or unposted. Yes, when cap is posted at back, the rear becomes heavy and will suit the one with large hands but it doesn’t becomes unbalanced at all. The cap posts securely and it post deep. Below are the 2 images showing the length till which the cap posts, outer limit shown by thumb. Ratnam Tarpoda – Cap Posts Deep Ratnam Tarpoda – Thumb shows the length till which the cap posts Below are the two images showing the length of pen when writing with cap posted and unposted. Ratnam Tarpoda – Writing Unposted Ratnam Tarpoda – Writing Posted Being ebonite it is light weigh and no metal is used here. Ratnam Tarpoda – Weight in gms including cap Ratnam Tarpoda – Weight in gms excluding cap Few Specifications are : Length of pen (closed) – 150 mmLength of pen (open and unposted) – 125 mm (including nib)Length of pen (open and posted) – 165 mm (including nib)Length of Grip Section – 15 mmMaximum Dia of Cap – 16 mmMaximum Dia of Barrel – 14 mmMaximum Dia of Grip Section – 12 mmMinimum Dia of Grip Section – 10 mmWeight of Pen with Cap – 28.24 gms (inked)Weight of Pen without Cap – 17.82 gms (inked) Below are the few images showing the comparison of pen with others: Ratnam Tarpoda vs Lamy Safari vs Pilot MR vs Jinhao X750 – Capped Ratnam Tarpoda vs Lamy Safari vs Pilot MR vs Jinhao X750 – Uncapped ans Posted Clearly it is not that much a big pen and hence it is comfortable for most of the users. NIB : 2.5/5 Nib used is #5 friction fit with ebonite feed. Nib is Dual tone and is well articulated with certain engraving which reads ” GENIUS IRIDIUM GERMANY”. The nib on this was better than what the Guider puts on their pens but yes not to my liking and thus I ended up grinding the nib to medium Italic and it was nib which got grind easily unlike Wality nibs. Ratnam Tarpoda – Nib unit View – Top Ratnam Tarpoda – Nib unit View – Side Ratnam Tarpoda – Nib unit View – Underside The problem is that the nib is available only in fine and no other choices. INK FILLING MECHANISM : 4/5 The ink filling mechanism is via an Eyedropper, well you can use syringe also. Ink capacity is around 3.5 ml which is substantial. Ratnam Tarpoda – Pen taken apart Ratnam Tarpoda – Eyedropper Filling Since its an ED pen, there is a noticeable increase in the inflow when the ink level goes below 3/4th and that is when you will have to refill otherwise it will burp. Its like it will gives you warning before it burps. This pen though has not burped on me at all and yeah I ensure when the ink level goes below I refill it. Below are the images of my handwritten review and the writing samples: Ratnam Tarpoda – Handwritten Review – Page 1 Ratnam Tarpoda – Handwritten Review – Page 2 Ratnam Tarpoda – Handwritten Review – Page 3 Ratnam Tarpoda – Handwritten Review – Page 4 CONCLUSION : 18/25 I recommend this pen to every collector. Its an handmade pen from first pen manufacturer of India. Also will recommend to the likes who love fiddling around with their pen and know how to live around and ED pen. I bought this pen for Rs. 1000 (approx US $16 ) which included shipping last year and I believe the price might have gone up. What I Like: Classic Cigar Design Handmade Very Good Quality Ebonite Good Balance and Size Good Ink Capacity A piece of History Value for MoneyWhat I don’t Like: Eyedropper only Only one nib option Branding HOW TO BUY: They can be easily approached via WhatsApp ( Mob No. +91 98489 18904). They will send you pics and prices and you can select whatever you like. Pay via bank transfer and they ship once the payment is received. You can also check out his Facebook page : https://www.facebook.com/Ratnam-pens-314421885386511/?fref=ts The review is simultaneously posted at my blog. For more reviews check my blog here : LINK
  14. Mohi pens are hand made by Abhey Pen Agencies, Aurangabad, Maharashtra, India. They make ebonite and acrylic pens but use nibs from some other manufacturer whose name was not divulged to me. I bought an ebonite pen which was described as “Ebonite Large with Back Window” in brown ripple with chrome trim. It is a delightful looking pen which I am going to review. Design It is a hand-made ebonite fountain pen with the last part of barrel made of clear acrylic to act as ink window with chrome trim in brown and black rippled colour. It is a medium sized pen. It has a cylindrical shape with straight cut ends and a the tear drop clip. The cap has a 2mm chrome cap ring and clip has a crisp Mohi inscribed on it. It is an eye-dropper filler. The brown rippled ebonite is of good quality and the clear acrylic ink window at the rear end of the barrel is a very charming feature of this pen and perhaps the reason I bought it. The pen cap opens in 2 1/2 turns, which is a very welcome feature. The straight stepped section is of a very correct thickness and length making good for tireless writing. The stainless steel nib is small for the size of pen and spoils the looks of the pen. 3.5/5 Dimensions Weight: 20 gms Length: 133 mm (5.4”) Length of uncapped pen: 120 mm (4.75”) Posted length: 165 mm (6.5”) Diameter of section: 12 mm (0.5”) Barrel diameter: 14 mm (0.65”) It is a medium sized pen with nice dimensions, weight and balance when posted. The nib is disproportionately small effecting the overall beauty of an attractive pen. 3/5 Nib & Performance The nib is marked “Mohi” Tipped fine. It is a firm steel nib with a 5mm feed. The nib is reasonably wet but very scratchy. 2.5/5 Filling system The pen is an eye dropper filler and holds 5 ml of ink. The clear acrylic “back window” adds to the charm as soon as the pen is inked. Eye dropper fillers are not my choice of filling systems because they tend to have an inconsistent ink flow and do burp. This pen was burping real bad till I adjusted the feed. 3/5 Value for Money The pen is priced at INRs 500/- plus postage (US$ 8 approximately plus postage). The pen looks beautiful and the acrylic window adds a different kind of charm to the pen. The quality of ebonite and polishing is extremely good. 5/5 It is a proud part of my Indian Hand turned fountain pens collection. They can be bought by whatsapp at +919225328858 Total Score: 17/25
  15. I've been reluctant to make an eyedropper pen so far because of the potential for leaks at the section/barrel threads. Looking at the pen I got with a bottle of Noodler's ink, there's an o-ring that helps seal the joint -- but the only rings with about 8 to 9mm diameter that I've been able to find are much too thick for the purpose. Do you think an o-ring is unnecessary? Do you have a source for o-rings suitable for this application? Thanks!
  16. phillieskjk

    Ink Guzzlers

    Which pens do you have that use the most ink? Which pens do you have to refill the most often? Also, the inverse. Which pens do you have that use the least amount of ink? For me, the answers would be a VERY wet Jinhao X450 for the most ink using pen, and a Platinum Standard PTL-5000a XF for my most efficent pen.
  17. mehandiratta

    Pen Review - Deccan Advocate

    DECCAN ADVOCATE The review is simultaneously at my blog here. Deccan Pens have been into existence since 1928 when they opened first outlet in Hyderabad at Abids and has been one of the oldest fountain pen manufacturing company in India. The firm was started by Sabih Akhter Siddiqui who used to sell fountain pens door to door with the help of DURO agency which used to produce fountain pens in 1920’s. Today Deccan Pens has 32 year old manufacturing unit and they only make fountain pens. The review is simultaneously at my blog here. They have now 3 stores at Secunderabad, Ameerpet, and oldest one at Abids. Deccan Pens have been covered and reviewed lot by HARI, SHRUJYA, & JAISIRI. And this particular review is about one of the largest selling pen from Deccan stable which is “DECCAN ADVOCATE". There have been lot of iterations of Deccan Advocate over many years. Deccan Advocate – In the Wild I must thank Rakshit who lives in Hyderabad and he helped me in getting this pen. He also is a fountain pen connoisseur and you can check his blog here. I got this pen almost 7-8 months back and have been using this only for past 2 months. So the review is about my experience with the pen for past 2 months. DESIGN & BUILT : 05/05 Deccan Pens are notable for impeccable built quality and this Deccan Advocate again stamps their authority of quality built pens. Advocate currently comes in two variants : Round End and Flat End. The model that I am reviewing is the Round end one in green ripple colour and I was told that it is difficult to get hold of the round end advocate and I was lucky enough to get this one. Deccan Advocate – In Broad Day Light The pen is made of high quality ebonite and is available in black, matte black , mottled brown, rippled brown and green ripple and also olive brown ripple. My pen is extremely well made though it was religiously inspected by Rakshit before he bought this one. The ebonite has no perforations its solid without any specks and perforations. The quality of rod is really great. Deccan Advocate The pen is a simple and elegant cigar shaped pen with slight tapering towards the bottom end. There are no bands or trims used on this pen. Only metal part or thing you will see on the pen is clip apart from the nib. The pen is very well executed and polished though you might see some marks just below the threads which is due to cap being capped and uncapped regularly and has not received thorough cleaning and polish from my side. The grip section is made of same ebonite material and is in concave shape. The length of grip section is 22 mm and this I beleive is quite good as it helps in good grip on the pen. Deccan Advocate – Capped Deccan Advocate – Uncapped Deccan Advocate – Round Ends The pen cap opens in 6 turns which I am not happy with but its still acceptable as most of the Indian pens take almost around 5 to 6 turns to open. The cap has chrome finish clip which gives you a look of look of something between matt and polished finish but it is not polished with some sorts of coating. Deccan Advocate – Cap Clip Deccan Advocate – Cap Clip Side View The cap clip narrows down to bottom and is quite sturdy and can easily fit in to shirt pocket firmly. Deccan Advocate – Inner View of Cap The thickness of ebonite is thinnest near the bottom of the cap or what we call as cap lip which you can see in above picture. As the cap tapers at the bottom but it is still sturdy. Below are the few images showing the comparison of pen with other pens: Deccan Advoate vs Lamy Safari vs Jinhao X750 – Capped Deccan Advoate vs Lamy Safari vs Jinhao X750 – Uncapped Deccan Advoate vs Lamy Safari vs Jinhao X750 – Capped (Lateral Side View) Overall, its a beautiful, cigar shaped elegant pen which has impeccable built quality. Its a quality finish from Hyderabad. Yeah I must tell you that there is no branding of any kind on pen anywhere be it clip or nib or even barrel. BALANCE & SIZE : 3.5/05 The pen is around 140 mm including the nib when uncapped and I don’t see any reason to post the cap at back and also I prefer to write with cap unposted. The pen is very much balanced when writing unposted but becomes bottom heavy when cap is posted at back, moreover it becomes uncomfortable at 184 mm when cap is posted at back, thus it is unbalanced. The pen length is 155 mm when it is capped. Below are the images showing the comparison when writing posted and unposted : Deccan Advocate – Writing Unposted Deccan Advocate – Writing Posted What I find most comfortable about the pen is the grip section which is at 9 mm and is in conical shape. It provides perfect grip. The length of grip section is also substantial at 22 mm. The pen weighs around 30 gm with cap and around 20 gm without cap (with ink filled). Deccan Advocate – Weight of pen with cap Deccan Advocate – Weight of pen without cap Few specifications are as follows: Length capped: 155 mmLength uncapped and posted : 184 mmLength uncapped and unposted : 140mmLength of grip section : 22 mmBarrel Dia Avg – 14 mmCap Dia – 16 mmSection Dia (Avg) : 9 mmWeight with cap : 30.4 gmWeight without cap : 20.53 gm NIB & INK FILLING MECHANISM : 04/05 Nib currently being used on this pen is 35 mm (#6) Gold Finish Steel Nib and this is a stock nib and there was no other option of the nib on this pen. The nib is famous ambitious fine nib which is friction fit and it writes very well and is paired with good wet ebonite feed. Ink flow is quite good. Deccan Advocate – Nib Unit Top View Deccan Advocate – Nib Unit Side View Deccan Advocate – Nib Unit Underside View The nib is set just a bit inside more, thus what you see is less of 35 mm nib because the grip section is bit flared up as visible from image below. Deccan Advocate – Nib set inside deep The filling mechanism is via eyedropper and it holds approx 3 ml of ink. It has not burped on me even once. Deccan Advocate – Eyedropper Fill Mechanism Below are the images of my handwritten review which shows you the writing sample: Deccan Advocate – Handwritten Review – Page 01 Deccan Advocate – Handwritten Review – Page 02 Deccan Advocate – Handwritten Review – Page 03 CONCLUSION : 12.5/15 I recommend everyone to have at least one Deccan Pen and buying ADVOCATE is the best pen to get hold of at reasonable price of otherwise expensive Deccan Pens. Well yeah i did not like the combination of chrome clip with gold finish nib. I bought this pen for Rs. 1000 (approx 16 usd) which does not include shipping as it was bought by my friend who paid for Shipping. What I Like: Classic Cigar Design Well Finished Very Good Quality Ebonite Lot of Ink CapacityWhat I don’t Like: Eyedropper only Only one nib option Combination of Silver chrome clip with Gold color nib Deccan Advocate – Close Up Comments and feedback are welcome. Regards Vaibhav Mehandiratta
  18. I have a few Indian eyedroppers that I have yet to use. I would like to ink one up this weekend, but I'm not sure how to clean/rinse/flush an eyedropper without disassembling the feed and nib from the section. With a convertor or sac, it's quite easy to rinse the pen, but how do you rinse/flush an eyedropper without removing the feed and nib? Thanks in advance.
  19. Out of my recent acquisitions of 5 pens, the pen i am reviewing today is one of the new introductions by ASA Pens which adds to the growing list of their lineup. DESIGN: The pen is a quite long comparable to likes of Gama Kuyil and also it seems to be inspired from Gama Kuyil and in many ways it betters the look and feel of Kuyil. The grip section i feel is better than the kuyil. The barrel is just a bit thinner than Kuyil. ASA I.Can vs Gama Kuyil – Capped ASA I.Can vs Gama Kuyil – Uncapped The top of cap of ASA I.Can is bit longer and it gives the pen a distinct look. It comes in 5 colors matte black, shiny black, green-black mottled, brown-blk mottled, light brown-blk mottled finish. As it is a big pen, it surely won’t fit in a shirt pocket. For more please click here for my blog ASA I Can
  20. rpsyed

    Romillo Sil #9

    New pen arrived today =] http://i.imgur.com/WPlVzh6.jpg Just got my Romillo Sil #9 in terracotta ebonite! http://i.imgur.com/A4lfSns.jpg It's a slip cap pen similar to the vintage Waterman 12 or other pens in the Waterman 1X series. Really elegant pen, I think. The roll-stopper on the cap is a customization I asked for. You can also order the pen plain or with a clip. http://i.imgur.com/FCr8Nhm.jpg I had asked for the cabochon on my Essential #9 and thought it was a really good touch, so I asked for it again. It's a solid gold emblem embedded into the barrel and has the Romillo logo in deep relief. http://i.imgur.com/crb9RAu.jpg Romillo Sil #9 compared to a Scriptorium Aeterna. The Romillo is ebonite, Scriptorium is celluloid. http://i.imgur.com/2EEbtbW.jpg?1 The pen's certificate. Each Romillo pen comes with this document, which states the pen's number -- my Eo is 379, my Essential is 422, and my Sil is 444. At the bottom is a writing sample with the nib. I ordered a Medium-Fine. http://i.imgur.com/yCQtZER.jpg?1 Instructions for the Sil #9 eyedropper. Alvaro found that the converter can't keep up with the #9 nib and huge ebonite feed so all #9 nib pens are eyedropper-fillers. The #7 nib pens come in both eyedropper and cartridge/converter filling systems. http://i.imgur.com/R291ntx.jpg Huge, gorgeous ebonite feed! Provides a really reliable, wet flow. http://i.imgur.com/ayYKFzp.jpg Sil #9, Essential #9, and Eo #9. http://i.imgur.com/Sg20YqM.jpg Romillo Sil with a Platinum 3776 Century. http://i.imgur.com/iTLI8L6.jpg http://i.imgur.com/GpD9BWZ.jpg Romillo #9 nib and Platinum 3776 Century nib. I actually swapped the Platinum nib with my Nakaya so the Platinum has a Nakaya nib in it right now but they are the same size, shape etc. http://i.imgur.com/P7ebS9v.jpg Romillo #9 nib and JoWo #6 nib in a Scriptorium Aeterna. http://i.imgur.com/sv1uilm.jpg The Romillo nib design, with the wings reaching towards the tip is one of the most attractive I've ever seen. http://i.imgur.com/cFUvarp.jpg Isn't is a lovely shape? Now to decide what to ink it up with ...
  21. Someone at Ranga Pens must be using common core math, because I ordered ONE Ranga Doufold eyedropper, but these showed up together, with a spare nib and feed! How cool that they are hand turned on a foot treadle lathe using some stunning ebonite. What a pen for the price! I love the green & black rippled ebonite! The Ranga Duofold is a large pen but feels very comfortable in my hand. Great crafstmanship for a pen in that price range.
  22. Hello everyone! I came across a listing on eBay for a waterman 14 eyedropper. one thing that was strange to me was the clip shape. I've never seen a waterman eyedropper clip without the ball at the end of it. it doesn't look like the ball broke off either, since the length seems to be right. could anyone help out? Here is the link: http://www.ebay.ca/itm/381528360505?_trksid=p2060353.m2748.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
  23. Kim and Co. hand-make fountain pens in Calicut in God’s Own Country, the South Indian state of Kerala. This is a brief review of a stunner from their stables. [A copy here: https://fpensnme.wordpress.com/2016/02/21/a-handmade-fp-from-gods-own-country/]
  24. Hi, As I see that some people are afraid to use the Dolcevita Oversize as an eyedropper, here is my experience in that case. I've always used my Dolcevita Oversize as an eyedropper. Infact, I've got it for that reason mainly. I've never had a problem using it like that. I must recognise that the barrel has become a bit darker, as you can see in the image, but for me that's alright. The second image was taken when the pen was just inked for the first time; the first image has been taken today, so you can see the difference. As I've said, it doesn't matter to me at all.
  25. Here is a brief handwritten review of the ASA Galactic, a handmade acrylic eyedropper fountain pen, from ASA Pens, Chennai. Bottomline: this is a great pen, with a smooth German nib, can store a lot of ink, looks galactic, and is an example of the excellent South Indian pen workmanship. [A copy of this review on my fountain pens blog: https://fpensnme.wordpress.com/2016/02/14/tha-asa-galactic/]





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