mehandiratta Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 GUIDER MEDIUM ACRYLIC Guider Pen Company is one of the three fountain pen companies of Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh State of India. Other being Ratnam and Ratnamson. Guider Pen is owned by G. Lakshmana Rao currently.Guider Pen Company was started by G. Subbarao in 1946. And they manufacture the pens from various materials like ebonite, acrylic and also celluloid.This review is about one of the acrylic pen from their stable called “Acrylic Medium“. Quite an unusual name. Right ?? I thought so. This pen came in box with cardboard sleeve with no branding. The pen was purchased via discussion with him over whatsapp after he showed me the current stock and I selected few and ordered all in all 6 pens which was easy. However challenging part was asking names of each pen that I bought from him. Guider Acrylic Medium – In the Wild DESIGN & BUILT: 5/5 This is an exquisite looking pen from Guider. It come in various beautiful acrylic colours and I got two pens in different colours, one being green as shown in the picture and the other one being white pearl colour. This is a medium sized pen which is beautifully finished. Guider Acrylic Medium – Uncapped The pen is classic design with Parker style arrow clip and two centre bands. The trims used are golden colour and they beautifully complement with the green acrylic. The fit and finish of the pen is amazing with no visible lathe marks and even the two bands are equally placed.The pen is thickest at the centre of barrel apart from cap and tapers down to rounded bottom. Guider Acrylic Medium – Capped Guider Acrylic Medium – Uncapped The cap clip has conical dome shaped crown above the clip band in the same acrylic. Guider Acrylic Medium – Top Crown Shaped End and Rounded Bottom The cap has no breather hole like many Indian Pens. The pen opens in 2 & 1/2 turns which is unlike many ebonite pens made in India. I see the momentum going towards less threads now. Branding is only done on the clip and the nib. Guider Acrylic Medium – Uncapped : Close-up showing the clip in vintage Parker style Guider Acrylic Medium – Cap Top View Showing Branding on arrow clip Guider Acrylic Medium – Cap Side View showing the centre-bands Guider Acrylic Medium – Cap Inner View I really like the built quality of the pen, acrylic used is strong and it has taken one or two falls and yet nothing has happened, however I need to be more careful as it is acrylic. Beautiful product from Guider and full marks to Guider on turning this beauty.Below are few images showing the comparison between Guider Acrylic Medium with other pens: Guider Acrylic Medium vs Jinhao X-750 vs Lamy Safari – Capped Guider Acrylic Medium vs Jinhao X-750 vs Lamy Safari – Uncapped Pen is just slightly bigger than Lamy safari by almost 7 mm .Kudos to guider for such a beauty. BALANCE : 3.5/5 The pen is around 125 mm including nib and fits perfectly in my small hands. The pen is very well balanced when writing unposted. The pen cap doesn’t post deep and thus making it a large pen when cap is posted at back at 173 mm and honestly, to me it feels a bit uncomfortable and awkward even though it is surprisingly balanced. i would have preferred more if the cap would have posted more deep. Guider Acrylic Medium – Writing Unposted Guider Acrylic Medium – Writing Posted The pen being acrylic doesn’t weigh much. Below are the images showing the weight of pen with or without the cap. Guider Acrylic Medium – Weight without the cap and with ink filled Guider Acrylic Medium – Weight with the cap and with ink filled Few Specifications of the pens are as follows: Length of Pen – Capped = 146 mmLength of Pen – Uncapped including nib = 125 mmLength of Grip Section = 18 mmLength of Barrel = 91 mmLength of Pen – Cap Posted = 173 mmDia. of Barrel @ centre = 13 mm (avg)Dia. of Cap = 14 mm (avg)Dia. of Grip Section = 10 mm (avg)Weight of Pen including Cap and Ink filled = 23.53 gWeight of Pen without Cap and Ink filled = 14.47 g NIB & INK FILLING MECHANISM: 3/5 Nib is #5 Gold Colour Steel Nib which writes fine and was a big, bigg, biggg disappointment. I will actually give only one mark for the nib for actually being there. The feed is ebonite.I actually grinded the nib to oblique italic to suit my handwriting and now it writes like a dream with amazing ink flow via ebonite feed. I am actually really fortunate that nib grind turned out to be blessing in disguise for the (bleep) nib provided along with this pen. I have been writing with this pen for past one month and it has not burped on me even though i have been careful of topping up the ink when ink level goes really low. Guider Acrylic Medium – Nib Unit Top View Guider Acrylic Medium – Nib Unit Side View Guider Acrylic Medium – Nib Unit Underside View The pen holds approx around 2 ml , an advantage being of an eyedropper fill mechanism. Guider Acrylic Medium – Eyedropper Ink Filling Mechanism I wish the nib could have been better.Below is the handwritten review showing the writing sample also: Guider Acrylic Medium – Handwritten Review -Page 1 Guider Acrylic Medium – Handwritten Review -Page 2 Guider Acrylic Medium – Handwritten Review -Page 3 Guider Acrylic Medium – Handwritten Review -Page 4 CONCLUSION: 11.5/15 I recommend this beautiful pen to people who can tune or change the nibs on their own, not that the nib is difficult to change, it actually is an easy job provided you have a standalone spare nib and also to people who don’t mind using the Pen with eyedropper fill mechanism.I bought this pen for Rs. 1000 (approx 15 usd) including shipping which was not a bad deal. What I Like:Classic Design Well Finished Beautiful Acrylic Material Lot of Ink CapacityWhat I don’t Like:Bad Steel Nib For other posts kindly check my blog : mehandiratta vaibhav mehandiratta architect & fountain pen connoisseur blog | instagram | twitter Link to post Share on other sites
Prithwijit Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 (edited) Hi Vaibhav, Beautiful pen and wonderful review. Thanks for sharing. Guider seems to have access to exquisite acrylic materials and their egg shaped pens using those materials are really great lookers. But these pens are hampered by the same issues that plague others - poor quality trims, simple feeds and nibs that leave a lot to be desired. I wish they could address these issues and truly let their workmanship shine through. Regards, Prithwijit Edited March 16, 2016 by Prithwijit Click here to check out my reviews Fosfor Rajendran | ASA Santulan | Ranga Sugarcane | ASA Sniper | Fosfor Heather | ASA I-Will | Hero Glorious | ASA Azaadi | Fosfor Islander | ASA Halwa | ASA Macaw | ASA Namenlos | ASA Bheeshma Link to post Share on other sites
Tasmith Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 Excellent review! I like that you included the history of the pen company too. Website: www.tasphoto.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/toddasmithphoto/ Link to post Share on other sites
OCArt Posted March 16, 2016 Share Posted March 16, 2016 A very beautiful pen and a wonderful, detailed review. Thank you! “The proper definition of a man is an animal that writes letters.” Lewis Carroll Link to post Share on other sites
mehandiratta Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 Hi Vaibhav, Beautiful pen and wonderful review. Thanks for sharing. Guider seems to have access to exquisite acrylic materials and their egg shaped pens using those materials are really great lookers. But these pens are hampered by the same issues that plague others - poor quality trims, simple feeds and nibs that leave a lot to be desired. I wish they could address these issues and truly let their workmanship shine through. Regards, PrithwijitYou won't believe this.. When I asked them about using better nibs.. They replied that they don't have demand for a other nibs.. Well yes they have option of aeromatric converter.. vaibhav mehandiratta architect & fountain pen connoisseur blog | instagram | twitter Link to post Share on other sites
mehandiratta Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 Excellent review! I like that you included the history of the pen company too.Glad you liked it vaibhav mehandiratta architect & fountain pen connoisseur blog | instagram | twitter Link to post Share on other sites
mehandiratta Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 A very beautiful pen and a wonderful, detailed review. Thank you!Thank you for going through the review vaibhav mehandiratta architect & fountain pen connoisseur blog | instagram | twitter Link to post Share on other sites
georgeb Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Excellent review. What ink is shown? Link to post Share on other sites
georgeb Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Excellent review. What ink is shown?Never mind, I see you provided that information. I like that shade of green. Link to post Share on other sites
Sagarb Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 (edited) Brilliant Vaibhab, another superb review..the nib they provide is always disappointing..you have done a quite good job with that grinding..it has done a real justice to your classical handwriting.. Edited March 17, 2016 by Sagarb Sagar Bhowmick Link to post Share on other sites
mehandiratta Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 Excellent review. What ink is shown?Krishna Ghat Green. REVIEW Brilliant Vaibhab, another superb review..the nib they provide is always disappointing..you have done a quite good job with that grinding..it has done a real justice to your classical handwriting..Thank you dada... thank you so much for the appreciation... vaibhav mehandiratta architect & fountain pen connoisseur blog | instagram | twitter Link to post Share on other sites
hari317 Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Lovely green, thanks for sharing. In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you. Link to post Share on other sites
mehandiratta Posted March 17, 2016 Author Share Posted March 17, 2016 Lovely green, thanks for sharing.Pleasure is all mine... vaibhav mehandiratta architect & fountain pen connoisseur blog | instagram | twitter Link to post Share on other sites
Frank66 Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Excellent review, thanks for taking the time and effort, beautiful pen and magnificent writing samples. Warm regards,Photios - Kaigelu 316 Modification (250 #6 Bock Nib / Beaufort Ink Converter)- Titanium Bock Nib - Kaigelu 316 - Beaufort Ink- Bock Rollerball Nib In Jinhao 886 Pen - Beaufort Ink Converter- No affiliation with pen industry, just a pen hobbyist.- It matters what you write, only for us it matters what we write it with. Link to post Share on other sites
WDP4BAAZ Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 What a beautiful pen !Congrats Vaibhav and thanks a lot for review and superb pictures as wellRegards,Baaz Link to post Share on other sites
rwilsonedn Posted March 17, 2016 Share Posted March 17, 2016 Beautiful acrylic, and an excellent review. With your photographic skills and handwriting, I don't see any need to provide a typed copy of your text. It is much more pleasant to read your hand-written version, and your photos allow the pen to speak for itself.I am sorry you had problems with the nib. Some of the Indian nibs I've received recently have been so good that I had forgotten that it has been a problem.Thanks for the whole package!ron Link to post Share on other sites
ravi2box Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 Stunning pen Vaibhav! Do the guider people respond to emails? How did you arrange the order? Link to post Share on other sites
visvamitra Posted March 20, 2016 Share Posted March 20, 2016 The pen is nice but the ink looks even better. I believe the nib could be bigger on this one. https://wondernaut.wordpress.com/ Link to post Share on other sites
mehandiratta Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 Excellent review, thanks for taking the time and effort, beautiful pen and magnificent writing samples. Warm regards,Photiosthank you... and I love it when amazing people like you and others who appreciate the pen and the review...thank you again... What a beautiful pen !Congrats Vaibhav and thanks a lot for review and superb pictures as wellRegards,Baazthank you baaz.... I am waiting on your mohi pens review ... there must be new hoard...?? vaibhav mehandiratta architect & fountain pen connoisseur blog | instagram | twitter Link to post Share on other sites
mehandiratta Posted March 21, 2016 Author Share Posted March 21, 2016 Beautiful acrylic, and an excellent review. With your photographic skills and handwriting, I don't see any need to provide a typed copy of your text. It is much more pleasant to read your hand-written version, and your photos allow the pen to speak for itself.I am sorry you had problems with the nib. Some of the Indian nibs I've received recently have been so good that I had forgotten that it has been a problem.Thanks for the whole package!ronHuge compliment... I am really obliged... vaibhav mehandiratta architect & fountain pen connoisseur blog | instagram | twitter Link to post Share on other sites
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