Review: Guider Glass Ebonite And Glass Fountain Pen

[terminal]

Guider Glass ebonite and glass fountain pen

(this pen came with a fine Guider nib... more on that in a minute)

 

It occurred to me to drag this pen out and work with it when I read shrujaya's recent threads titled, "Meeting Mr Lakshmana Rao Of Guider Pens" which is in four parts (so far: 1,2,3,4).

 

I've been carrying the pen with me for a couple of weeks now (this is the second time I've added it to my secondary pen case -- the first was when I bought it about a year ago). Here's my general impression: this pen is better than the sum of its parts. This is a fact which makes it difficult to review fairly. It is also a frustrating pen in that it is deeply flawed.

 

I bought my example from Kevin at Fountain Pen Revolution (it appears that he his since stopped selling it). Before going any further, I want to say that Kevin is absolutely wonderful to deal with and I have no hesitation recommending him and praising him to the sky. He bent over backwards to help me. His customer service is another thing that makes this review difficult to write.

 

In looking at other reviews of Guiders already on FPN, I found coffeetoofull's review of the Marala very fun because it has such great pictures of Guider's shop. LedZepGirl also has a good review of the Mani.

 

However, the review I think has most baring on what I'm going to write is hari317's review of the Guider Jumbo. Hari really outlines the pen well and my review is going to be in almost complete agreement.

 

 

Now down to glass tacks:

 

• Fit & Finish: 4/10 Ok, so here's the thing... this pen doesn't really hold up well to the standards of other, modern, pen makers. Not even for the price. When I write the "Fit & Finish" rating, I usually feel like I'm nit-picking. Not in this case. My Guider Glass wrote terribly "out of the box". It has bubbles where the ebonite end cap is glued in to the glass barrel. Not little bubbles but big ones, like when someone has tinted their own windshield... without a razor. The clip was misaligned (though I bent it a little and it's somewhat better now). There are deep cuts in the ebonite on the cap... not just scratches. The gold coating on the clip is just hideous. I mean... what parts of the pen does that leave? The nib? The nib, the section and the barrel looked free from manufacturing defect when I got the pen. Also, the seams where the various parts join are surprisingly smooth.
  
  For the record, I do NOT believe this pen was used -- I think it was new when I got it.
  
• Style: 7/10 The subject of the clip came up already, and it was even discussed in one of Jai's 'meeting' threads, which I referenced above. It's really such a shame this cheap-looking clip is used. It's just a big weird thing. To me it looks like some kind of utensil. Of course, the gold dipping combined with the letters for "GUIDER" stamped on it are the worst part. I also think it's ridiculous that the ball of the clip is created by bending the metal like origami. It makes it look like something that belongs in the shed.
  
  But enough about the clip. Otherwise, the pen is not unpleasant. First off, the ebonite has a lovely texture, and it's pretty amazing to have the barrel made out of actual glass. It's cool to the touch and it feels both unusual and really nice. The silhouette isn't what I would call "classic" but I like it. I really like the texture of the materials and the way the pen feels in the hand. If it weren't for these factors I probably would have gotten rid of it right after buying it.
  
  You don't see 3ml of ink sloshing around in a glass tube every day, and that really adds a lot to the experience of using this pen. In terms of a demonstrator, this is one of my favorites. I'm going to reserve discussion of the fact that it leaks for the filling system part of the review. In terms of style, it looks super cool, and it's a lot of fun to play with. It makes a great demonstrator.
  
• C/C Design / Filling: 5/10 It's an eyedropper. Did I mention it leaks? Yes, I used silicone grease. No, the leak isn't all that bad. By the end of the week, after carrying it in my secondary case, the ink works its way to the end of the threads. There's also a little nib creep. The upside is it holds a ton of ink (3ml, as I said) and it is super super easy to clean. Silicone is absolutely required to seal it, which means you have to wait until you're home to do anything relating to ink. I hypothesize that the seal is worse because of the different materials and the hardness of the glass. Because of this, I'm not entirely comfortable carrying it. I do plan to try using an 'o'-ring at some point but I haven't located one that fits. I'm not sure if that would be better or worse though.
  
• Nib: 4/10 The nib this pen came with was not usable for me. I messed around with it quite a bit, including heating and bending the feed to get it to fit better. It's, at best, a scratchy uninteresting nib, and at worst; it has a hard time delivering the ink from the feed to the paper. I basically found the Guider fine nib unacceptable. I also want to point out at this point that Hari had some of the same complaints, so I don't know if it was just that I got a bad nib.
  
  Either way, I ended up taking apart a wrecked Wearever I had sitting here, and using the gold nib from that pen with the Guider feed. This, I must say, worked surprisingly well. That's why I gave a "4", because the feed supported this other nib, and I include the feed in this part of the review. The addition of that old nib absolutely transformed this pen from something that arrived at my doorstep unusable, in to a pleasure to write with.
  
  One note is there is an occasional drip of ink after the pen has been sitting for a while, specially if it sat with the cap end down.
  
• Price: 5/10 I paid $39. That seems like a lot considering the build quality and the nib, but the actual materials are quite nice. So it's a little hard to say. I would not say it's a deal when there are quite a few pens at this price point which are far superior. But, again, I'm giving it a '5' because the quality of the materials is so high.

 

GLAMAH SHOTS (we bring out your best... then we take your picture):

 

Notice the bubble by the end cap; it's very visible in this photo:

http://www.suramar.org/fpn/guider-glass_1.jpg

http://www.suramar.org/fpn/guider-glass_2.jpg

 

This is with the Wearever nib:

http://www.suramar.org/fpn/guider-glass_3.jpg

http://www.suramar.org/fpn/guider-glass_4.jpg

 

Here's the underside of the clip and one of the cut marks on the cap.

http://www.suramar.org/fpn/guider-glass_5.jpg

 

Couple of writing samples. Don't be a hater. First one is on Clairfontaine, and second is Tomoe River from PaperForFountainPens.com

http://www.suramar.org/fpn/guider-glass_7.jpg

 

http://www.suramar.org/fpn/guider-glass_6.jpg

 

Guider Fine vs. my old Wearever 14k (sorry for the poor focus):

http://www.suramar.org/fpn/guider-glass_8.jpg

 

Along side the donor pen that saved its life:

http://www.suramar.org/fpn/guider-glass_9.jpg

 

Compared to another Indian pen, and then Pilot Limited Edition Custom Heritage 91 (read Custom 74 with flat ends) and my Omas Milord Cruise:

 

http://www.suramar.org/fpn/guider-glass_10.jpg

http://www.suramar.org/fpn/guider-glass_11.jpg

 

Conclusion: I would not suggest you buy this pen unless you have a nib that needs a home. It's a shame because the Guider Glass has a lot of upsides. The glass eyedropper setup is really cool -- holds a ton of ink and looks great. The materials this pen is made from are really nice too. The Ebonite is warm and soft and contrasts with the cool glass in an interesting way. The ebonite feed also seems pretty darned good for what it is... especially considering the fact that I bent it and played with it. However, again, if it weren't for the fact I had another nib, I wouldn't have kept this pen. I also don't think that it's worth $39 to just get an eyedropper pen body, essentially without a nib.

 

 

[mhguda]

Thanks for a thorough and honest review of an interesting pen.

Some of my experiences with Guider pens (all of which I got from Fountainpenrevolution) are very similar to yours. I bought a Guider Marala, my most expensive pen from them at that point, and couldn't get it to write to my satisfaction - it would either skip and dry up, or burp too much ink regardless of how much ink was in the barrel. Kevin did send me some new nibs and feeds to try, and I eventually used one of these new feeds with a nib I had sitting around. That solved my problem and restored my confidence sufficiently to buy some more Guiders... the latest, and best, to my mind, being the Ebonite. But I had FPR equip it with one of their stub nibs, which I like very much.

The only downside is... it's so nondescript and grey. I like the gold-colored furniture on the Guiders, even the pelican-beak shaped clip (but I won't mind if they lose the name stamp), but it asks for a similarly colored nib...

And, the Ebonite has a plain rectangular clip.

 

But the glass barrel on your pen makes it very intriguing - beautiful, even, with the ink swirling around. Far more interesting than those transparent acrylic Airmail/Wality barrels that also have a beautiful clear barrel full of ink. I think the thickness of the glass makes yours more interesting - but the acrylic barrels don't leak. Hopefully your o-ring experiment will work out. Or try a larger dollop of silicone grease?

[terminal]

mhguda, thanks for reading, and it's good to know your experience has been similar. My plan now is to contact Guider directly (on Hari's suggestion) and buy a pen with one of their gold nibs. I'm sure I'll post a review of whatever the result. I'm glad to know the Ebonite with the stub is good.

 

Yeah, the glass barrel is really a kick. It's amazing that it's actual glass and it's so neat to look at. This will never be a daily carry pen for me, but at least with the Wearever nib I can really imagine using it at home. We'll see how long that lasts though. Funny you should mention a bigger drop of silicone, because that's exactly what I did when I put in that chiku-rin. So far it's holding tight, but it hasn't been a week yet. I'll post back if the larger amount of silicone makes a difference.

[hari317]

Hi Terminal. It is very interesting to me that the barrel is actually glass. I wonder how the threads were made on glass... I think I can accurately guess what these pens sell for here. I would never pay 39$ for this pen. Markups are unavoidable, but sellers have to know or learn which pens from a Manufacturer to carry and which to avoid. That atleast is my experience being both in the seller's seat and buyer's seat.

 

Honestly, avoid the gold nib, the pens so equipped are very costly and you can find Pilot with a gold nib much cheaper, if you insist on a handmade Indian gold nib with your name engraved on it, go for a Ratnamson supreme, but read my review of the Ratnamson 42 P first to see if you can live with the fit and finish... I personally cherish that pen.

Edited October 1, 2013 by hari317

[Aramchek]

This matches my experience with Guider: Nice design, poorly made, won't write out of the (non-existent) box. While Kevin at FPR has been helpful, I've given up on this brand. The first two required replacement parts before they where at all usable, after that they still where not all that good and I doubt I'll ever ink them again. The third was shipped with one of the FPR nibs and I haven't gotten around to inking it yet, since I've bought a bit too many pens lately and haven't had time to test them yet, using up the ink in eyedroppers takes time, and I'm worried about what it will turn out to be like after the hassle I've had with the others. One unusual feature is TWO big holes drilled in the cap for extra-fast drying out time.

 

Contrast this with Deccan: I only have one of their pens (the bullet senior) which is really good, but it is also the only Deccan I've seen available for sale that I liked the design of...

 

As for the reviewed pen: Large ink supply with a glass barrel! Mommy I'm scared.

[terminal]

Hi Terminal. It is very interesting to me that the barrel is actually glass. I wonder how the threads were made on glass... I think I can accurately guess what these pens sell for here. I would never pay 39$ for this pen. Markups are unavoidable, but sellers have to know or learn which pens from a Manufacturer to carry and which to avoid. That atleast is my experience being both in the seller's seat and buyer's seat.

 

Honestly, avoid the gold nib, the pens so equipped are very costly and you can find Pilot with a gold nib much cheaper, if you insist on a handmade Indian gold nib with your name engraved on it, go for a Ratnamson supreme, but read my review of the Ratnamson 42 P first to see if you can live with the fit and finish... I personally cherish that pen.

 

Wow Hari, thanks as always for the great reply! I would always defer to your opinion on all of the above and it's good to know my experience is not unusual. Ok, I will put the Guider gold nib out of my mind.

 

I found your reviews of the Ratnamson Supreme and the Ratnamson 42P very interesting. They are both quite lovely pens. The 42P is definitely very special and unusual... I'll have to think about this. Jai's Ratnam Pens information post is quite useful too, as I can see the contact information and email in the pictures.

 

The prices of all of the Ratnamson pens are pretty amazing. I found this article, which quotes a price range of 250 - 1,500 INR and then, in your review of the 42P you quote 6,600 INR. Those are excellent prices. Therefore it seems easy to agree with your assessment about the price of the Guider Glass.

 

As an aside, here's another random blog entry from the recesses of the interwebz, and this is a recent article on the subject: A pioneer's endeavor to restore fountain pen's lost glory

[terminal]

This matches my experience with Guider: Nice design, poorly made, won't write out of the (non-existent) box. While Kevin at FPR has been helpful, I've given up on this brand. The first two required replacement parts before they where at all usable, after that they still where not all that good and I doubt I'll ever ink them again. The third was shipped with one of the FPR nibs and I haven't gotten around to inking it yet, since I've bought a bit too many pens lately and haven't had time to test them yet, using up the ink in eyedroppers takes time, and I'm worried about what it will turn out to be like after the hassle I've had with the others. One unusual feature is TWO big holes drilled in the cap for extra-fast drying out time.

 

Contrast this with Deccan: I only have one of their pens (the bullet senior) which is really good, but it is also the only Deccan I've seen available for sale that I liked the design of...

 

As for the reviewed pen: Large ink supply with a glass barrel! Mommy I'm scared.

 

Your mommy can't help you now! Nothing stands against the inky power of the glass barrel.

 

Interesting about the Deccans though. I don't find them especially offensive lookswise: http://www.fountainpenrevolution.com/handmade_pens.html

 

It's good to know I'm not the only one, in regards to my experience. Thanks for the reply! I'll think about the Deccans, though right now the Ratnamsons are very interesting to me. Perhaps both...

[Aramchek]

Well, everyone's taste is different (wouldn't be much point in having so many models otherwise!) and none of the other ones do it for me. I have seen here some other pens from Deccan that I liked the looks of but as far as I could tell, they where made in very small numbers and Hari bought them all :-) The Bullet Jr looks nice, but I think it is too small to be usable by me. Still, I'm hoping to buy more since the one I have is among my favourites.

 

Ratnamson I've been planning to buy from for some time (so many pens, so little money!), but the actual ordering process seems like quite a hassle when you're not living in India. The 42 and 302 in particular I'd like. However, as I said, I need to catch up with trying the pens I've already bought lately. Besides, if I buy any more fountain pens this month, I suspect I will then get an angry call from my landlord...

 

Speaking of which, I just inked the Camlin 2R. Far cheaper than the Guiders (on FPR) and a much better writer. Sure, it isn't anywhere near as nice looking, and not hand made, but surely the ability to write should be the number one priority.

[icevic]

I have one as well, and you're right that the original nib is unusable. I put one of the FPR flex nibs in it, adjusted it, and it writes quite nicely now, although it looks comically small for the pen and does not match the gold-tone of the clip. The clip does look kind of cheap, and mine is slightly askew as well. But I do love the rich black ebonite and the cool glass cylinder of a barrel, and overall it has a charming handmade feel to it.

 

The problem is, as you mentioned, the price. Due to the incredibly low price of manual labour in India, this pen is meant to sell for $5, not $39. I don't blame the FPR guys because they do us a great service and you simply can't run a business with a $1/pen profit margin, but the level of fit and finish, as well as the furniture and nib, look like a school kid's class project. Not an "A" project either.

 

I love that you put a vintage gold nib in it - I need to do that. I think that would suit the whole vibe of the pen very nicely. It is a small feed too, so it should work well with smaller vintage nibs. Anyone have a donor nib they want to sell me?

 

I really like the pen despite the clip and sloppy finish. It has a lot of charm. If they could upgrade the hardware it would be a real winner.

[terminal]

I agree with you on everything. "Charming, handmade feel" is a nice way to put it. That's really true. And, like you, I'm not so upset about the markup, but my feeling is this: if FPR is going to mark up the pens 8x, then they really aught to set them up and test them before sending them out. I don't think that's asking too much. YOu know, take a page out of the Goulet playbook and say, "we ink up every Lamy 2000" etz. And also, why not do a little research and LOCATE a nib that works in them?! But I digress...

 

Yeah, charm is right.... it really does, and I must say that I'm kind of enjoying it now. It's still a bit finicky really... I think the nib and feed work their way out a bit over time, and I had a hard time getting a good seal (as I mentioned) around the threads. Adding (a lot) more silicone seems to have helped that.

[terminal]

Updated update: After another 7 days (so 2+ weeks total) the ink has now worked its way out of the threads again and past all my silicone grease. The glass barrel just doesn't fit precisely enough with the ebonite section to insure no leaks.