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  1. It was towards the end of last year that I first saw the FPR Triveni reviewed online, by Steve 'SBRE' Brown - and I was immediately intrigued. A sub-$50 fountain pen, with flex nib and and an ebonite body? I already had a couple of Dillis, made from plastic by the same company, with a piston feed system that was impossible to disassemble - but this looked so much more classy! So pretty much as soon as it was released, I ordered myself a pen in black ebonite... Available only from the FPR website (www.fountainpenrevolution.com), I think this is a worthwhile pen. Because I've handwritten a review, I'll let pen and ink do the talking below - plus a couple of photos.... http://i.imgur.com/P0QUck3.jpg http://i.imgur.com/b6C8gO8.jpg Now for the pen itself: http://i.imgur.com/A4vKu7b.jpg http://i.imgur.com/imbVqSx.jpg
  2. deepak23

    Asa Athlete

    The ASA Athlete Got a shiny black athlete recently from ASA Pens last week. This is a 'in-house' attempt by the Chennai based pen seller ASA Pens. The pen is well proportioned and is really well balanced to hold and write. The cap is very nice fit and sits flush with the body. The only grouse is that the cap is a single start thread and it takes a number of turns to get it open. The plus is that the ASA logo lines up perfectly with the clip. The clip is tight and grips well. The cap posts with a little bit of play. However the barrel is quite long and allows for comfortable writing even without posting. The nib is an unmarked one and it writes a wet line with a F to M line (around 0.5mm). The nib is a wet writer and writes pretty smooth on good paper. On normal paper the nib is wee bit scratchy (Have not attempted a polishing yet, but will do so if it continues). The nib is a bit of a temperamental starter especially if starting with flourishes or curves (C, G etc). Well behaved when starting with vertical lines. This could be due to the fact that the nib protrudes quite a bit from the feed. Filled with Chelpark Royal Blue (near identical to older Quinks). The feed is ebonite and is friction fitted. The section has a large number of fine threads that allows safe use as an Eye Dropper pen. The barrel holds a fair amount of ink. In all a great pen, except for the small grouse with the temperamental nib. I hope ASA decides to do the pen with an option of the JoWo nib like in the Gamas at some point in the future. Final ratings Design and appearance - 5/5 (Its a eye turner) Build - 5/5 (Solidly built) Nib and Performance - 3.5/5 (Good typical performance, sadly not the best) Overall - 4.5/5 (A good VFM buy) (Sorry for the lack of pictures, but the ASA website has good photos. Will try to post pics soon). {Edited to add ink used}
  3. 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. …
  4. 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. …
  5. I am a Mumbai resident. However, I have to sometimes travel to Bangalore on work. Last week I was being driven to a place on Mysore road. Just as we were exiting Bangalore, I spotted an old run down stationery box stall (kiosk) on the road side. I immediately requested my driver to stop and went back and had a look. I asked if they had fountain pens, he said only old ones, no one is interested in FPs anymore. I asked him to show them to me anyway. The one or two shelve in the shop were packed with old pens kept in polyethene packets, mostly junk. I spotted a packet that looked interesting and asked him to take that one out, this packet had around a dozen celluloid pens from different Indian makers, I was getting late so I just paid what the shopkeeper wanted for the bag of pens and went my way. Later I asked my driver about the area where this shop was located, he told me the area was called Kalasipalaya, so here are some pictures of the Kalasipalaya haul of Indian celluloids. I ran out of patience to photograph all the pens and the imprints, here is what i managed, enjoy!! The haul contains Wilsons with Vac filling, President with Vac filling, Plato 66 from 1952, the 60s etc.. all pens the are of the nitrocelluloid variety. Some have suffered the typical shrinking found with this gorgeous material. The material is of the typical rolled sheet into a tube construction. http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj582/hari-317/IndianCelluloids/IMG_0079.jpg http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj582/hari-317/IndianCelluloids/IMG_0080.jpg http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj582/hari-317/IndianCelluloids/IMG_0081.jpg http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj582/hari-317/IndianCelluloids/IMG_0082.jpg http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj582/hari-317/IndianCelluloids/IMG_0083.jpg http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj582/hari-317/IndianCelluloids/IMG_0084.jpg http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj582/hari-317/IndianCelluloids/IMG_0085.jpg http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj582/hari-317/IndianCelluloids/IMG_0086.jpg http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj582/hari-317/IndianCelluloids/IMG_0087.jpg http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj582/hari-317/IndianCelluloids/IMG_0088.jpg http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj582/hari-317/IndianCelluloids/IMG_0089.jpg http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj582/hari-317/IndianCelluloids/IMG_0090.jpg http://i1269.photobucket.com/albums/jj582/hari-317/IndianCelluloids/IMG_0091.jpg Cheers! Hari
  6. 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.
  7. This may rile up some folks. I've noted that when the subject of low cost pens comes up, more and more members will now advocate the Chinese pens. I've also seen where some posts voice an uneasiness regarding whether or not the pens from China are out and out counterfeits. On the one hand, I do know and recognize that some of the Chinese manufacturers are not in the legal sense counterfeiters. Many we are told have or had licensing agreements with say Parker. Plus, given that they market under their own brand name, I'd concede that they may not be legally counterfeits. Counterfeiters typically try to name their products so that a purchaser thinks these fakes are the legitimate product. But not always. Back in the 80's Iived in Asia when it seemed every taxi driver wore what appeared to a 'Rolex' (but wasn't). Every shop keeper it seemed had what appeared to be an Apple II computer but wasn't. Yes, I know I exaggerate -- did so on purpose. I myself at that time had a 'pineapple' computer linked with a couple of 'orange' floppy disk drives. At the time I had no choice where I was; when I came back to the US I did not bring the fakes with me! What I am bothered about from surveying offerings on e-bay as well as websites from some sellers/importers (several of whom are active members of FPN) is that this approach is being used by the Chinese pen manufacturers. Think of how many of the Chinese pens not only look like Parker 51's in general body shape, but also use the Parker arrow clip of the same design as the P-51 era. Also how many pens are using what appear to be Sheaffer or Waterman clips. I've seen quite a number of pen offerings that have the pen cap bevel that look like Waterman. As well as pens having the conical cap ends looking like Cross products. In short, to me these imports smack of the same approach to counterfeiting as I described above for watches and computers in the 80's. And yet all too many of us moan about the industry dying or going off shore, while we buy the products that are stealing the legitimate manufacturers' markets. I don't object to the imported products. But let the overseas manufacturers use their own design elements, rather than try to fool purchasers. And we, as enthusiasts, should vow not to support these imports pretending to be what they are not. Anyone else feel this way? Comments?
  8. Very less is known about the history of Brahmam pens of Andhra Pradesh, India. Below is the little information i could gather from discussion with Mr. Ramanamurthy of Ratnamson pens and some info from Deccan stores. ========================================================== Brahmam pens was started by Mr. Brahmam, the nephew of Mr. K.V Ratnam of the famous Ratnamson pens. The pen manufacturing was initially started in Rajahmundry and then moved to Bhimavaram near Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh. Few years into pen manufacturing, Mr. Brahmam passed away and the pen production continued under his son-in-law. About 6 years ago, he too passed away resulting in the shut down of the company. The Brahmam pens are now very rare. Now and then few are seen in stores. Deccan pen stores have a few of them but they can be purchased only with a gold nib. Some of the Brahmam pens i managed to purchase at reasonable prices. The green pens are purchased from Meenakshi stores in Bangalore and the burgundy ripple pen from Mr. Kandan of Ranga pen company.
  9. I first saw a pen like this on this forum, when manojd showcased a wooden pen he'd made. I wanted a wooden pen for a long time, so when he offered to make me one, I was hooked. Especially when he also explained he made pens from rolling pins! This is the first commissioned pen in my collection. I'm not sure if I can really call it commissioned, since the artist himself designed the pen - I was offered some options, but it really is manojd's creation. The most influential decision I could make was clipless yes or no. I chose clipless. Here is a picture, from his website: This is a beautiful pen: ebonite section polished to a serious sheen, connected to the wooden barrel with a metal insert containing screw threads for the wooden cap; a relatively small but very capacious ebonite (I think!) feed under a Schmidt F nib, ,size 5 I would guess. A comfortable nib with very nice flow: not too wet, never dry, the nib fairly stiff but there is a hint of line thickness variation that I slightly increased by writing a few lines on 600 grit sandpaper. The wood is a beautiful deep dark brown Indian rosewood, well protected against water-based moisture or oils from my hands; it feels very comfortable in my hand. This pen cannot have the cap posted because the metal threads in the cap pose a risk of scratching the wooden barrel; but this is fine, it is long enough and in this way does not become top-heavy. The cap, with its metal insert, inner cap, and silver cap ring near the top, is itself quite heavy. The one half-issue I have with the pen is the metal threads just above the barrel; they are a little sharp and sometimes seem to dig into my fingers as I write, even though I have a fairly relaxed grip (having used fountain pens almost exclusively for decades now). I tend to hold the pen at about that position, or at the section itself, but the section is slender and I like a slightly wider grip, especially when doing more than half a page or so. I would have preferred ebonite threads that are easier on the hand, but visually, the slender section is very nice and I would not want the looks of the pen to change... All in all, I am very pleased with my choice to buy this pen. It is a beautifully made pen that writes just the way I like it. Here is a small writing sample: I am also happy that manojd considered my input when naming the pen...
  10. In the spirit of my earlier thread on this topic: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/70378-leader-pen/ I found a box of Leader and Brahmam celluloids that I had stored away. I had bought the entire stock from a shop that had these pens in one of my many pen hunts... I had totally forgotten about them but I think they deserve to be shown for the variety and beauty in the patterns... I hope you enjoy the pics! http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/Leader%20Celluloid/IMG_9301.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/Leader%20Celluloid/IMG_9302.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/Leader%20Celluloid/IMG_9303.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/Leader%20Celluloid/IMG_9304.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/Leader%20Celluloid/IMG_9305.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/Leader%20Celluloid/IMG_9307.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/Leader%20Celluloid/IMG_9308.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii197/hari317/Leader%20Celluloid/IMG_9309.jpg Cheers! Hari





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