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Closed - Ranga Handmade Pens- Solid Ebonite Colours Group Buy- Bock Titanium Nibs Available


mpkandan

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Mine arrived May 8 -- Payment made March 16-17

 

So about 7 weeks...

Thanks. This was helpful.

 

I received shipment notification, so all is well.

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Mine arrived today. Now that I have it in hand, I realize it's a huge pen, but I do enjoy a large pen. I love the minimalist, clean lines when capped. Not as comfortable as my Model 8Bs, but I knew that going in--the flip side to having a seamless pen when capped is that there's going to be a significant step when it's uncapped. It's not uncomfortable at all, though. Very happy, as is usual with all my Ranga purchases.

 

GqYTXbFl.jpg

 

fKt6hHWl.jpg

 

Nqgmnlml.jpg

 

cOJCNiNl.jpg

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Mine arrived today. Now that I have it in hand, I realize it's a huge pen, but I do enjoy a large pen. I love the minimalist, clean lines when capped. Not as comfortable as my Model 8Bs, but I knew that going in--the flip side to having a seamless pen when capped is that there's going to be a significant step when it's uncapped. It's not uncomfortable at all, though. Very happy, as is usual with all my Ranga purchases.

 

GqYTXbFl.jpg

 

fKt6hHWl.jpg

 

Nqgmnlml.jpg

 

cOJCNiNl.jpg

Amazing handwriting!

"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination."

Oscar Wilde

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My 3C arrived today along with a free Oliver exam pen. I ordered a M nib but an extra Wality nib in F with an extra feed was also in the box. I just need to take the time to do a quick washing to and remove any residual oils and i will fill it up with Noodler's Golden Brown.

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Today I just received my (first) Ranga pen, and there are a number of things not quite clear to me - maybe more experienced Ranga users can clarify some points:

 

In addition to the pen, I also ordered an additional feed & Kanwrite medium nib (for an additional fee). As I understood from reading other reviews, even when you order just a pen, an additional spare nib & feed are added to the package. Therefore I presumed that since I paid for an additional nib & feed I will receive two feeds & nibs - when one of the nibs (the one I paid for) will be Kanwrite's, one feed identical to the one in the pen, and the other ones will be some default nib/feed supplied in any case. Indeed I received two additional Kanwrite nibs, but only one additional feed - and this feed is different from the feed inside the pen: pen's feed is 50mm in length, while a spare feed is 34.5mm in length (see the picture below). Therefore, I have two questions:

 

1. Can I assume that Ranga forgotten to add the spare feed I paid for and therefore can at least ask for a refund? Or maybe the spare free feed is not necessarily must be a part of the package, and in this case I cannot ask for the refund - since the single feed I got *is* the one I paid for, and in my case the seller decided not to add a free feed?

 

2. Is there indeed such a great variation in length between Ranga's feeds, or is the short feed is not really intended to be put into a Ranga pen on a permanent basis (maybe the short feed it is something like a spare tire for a car which is usually smaller than a regular tire and is intended only for a temporal use)?

 

post-137649-0-35739000-1561662148_thumb.jpeg

 

And regarding a somewhat different matter - I did know that ebonite often has small black specks, and so I expected to see them. Partly due to that I ordered a dark color (S30), so that those specks wouldn't be easily visible. And indeed, my pen does have some black specks. But in addition, it also has reddish-brown specs, and those ones really stand out on a dark surface (see on a cap below). Is it considered normal?

 

post-137649-0-62264400-1561662184_thumb.jpeg

 

 

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I have 3 Rangas from 3 different group buys and have never received a free nib

To hold a pen is to be at war. - Voltaire
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As I understood from reading other reviews, even when you order just a pen, an additional spare nib & feed are added to the package. Therefore I presumed that since I paid for an additional nib & feed I will receive two feeds & nibs

[...]

But in addition, it also has reddish-brown specs, and those ones really stand out on a dark surface (see on a cap below). Is it considered normal?

 

 

 

 

Ranga has been kind enough to throw in an extra feed when I request it and so far has not charged me for it, but it's not standard. Nor is a free nib. I have 3 Rangas.

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1. Can I assume that Ranga forgotten to add the spare feed I paid for and therefore can at least ask for a refund? Or maybe the spare free feed is not necessarily must be a part of the package, and in this case I cannot ask for the refund - since the single feed I got *is* the one I paid for, and in my case the seller decided not to add a free feed?

 

2. Is there indeed such a great variation in length between Ranga's feeds, or is the short feed is not really intended to be put into a Ranga pen on a permanent basis (maybe the short feed it is something like a spare tire for a car which is usually smaller than a regular tire and is intended only for a temporal use)?

 

And regarding a somewhat different matter - I did know that ebonite often has small black specks, and so I expected to see them. Partly due to that I ordered a dark color (S30), so that those specks wouldn't be easily visible. And indeed, my pen does have some black specks. But in addition, it also has reddish-brown specs, and those ones really stand out on a dark surface (see on a cap below). Is it considered normal?

 

 

I've ordered from Ranga pens in at least three group buys and a handful of times on my own. The free pen (if you received one), additional nib, and extra feed are, as I understand it, just part of Ranga's amazing, top-of-the-line customer service. They routinely go above and beyond, but these extras are lagniappes that cannot and should not be expected. You asked for an extra feed. You got one. You asked for an extra nib. You paid for one and they provided one as a free gift. You ordered a bespoke pen from a master craftsman who has been turning out pieces of functional art for over half a century. You got it for a pittance. Be content with what you have. Even thinking about asking for a refund is embarrassing, considering how little you paid for what you received.

 

As far as the specks go, they did warn that specks, spots, and flecks would be present. My pen has one small one on the cap. If you want a pen without any specks, you'll have to ask them to use one of the higher/different grades of ebonite.

The shorter feed should work just fine.

Lux in Obscuro Sumus

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No free nibs here -- but then, I've been paying for Bock Titanium (and even one 18K gold) nib on the four pens I've obtained.

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Thanks everybody for clarifications.

 

You ordered a bespoke pen from a master craftsman who has been turning out pieces of functional art for over half a century. You got it for a pittance. Be content with what you have. Even thinking about asking for a refund is embarrassing, considering how little you paid for what you received.

 

I am much more annoyed at the fact that I have no additional feed to play with - and no way to get an additional one now that I already received a package, than at the cost of the single feed (1$). Maybe I could buy a separate replacement from Ranga, but this certainly won't cost a 'pittance' due to a cost of international shipping.

 

Additionally - you are mixing up two completely different matters here. We are not dealing with charity here, but with a relation between buyer and seller, in other word - a pure business. And when business is concerned, the most important thing is the correct fullfillment of a contract - and the contract must be followed precisely, exactly as was agreed upon. If one of the sides fails to comlpy with it, then it is the duty of this side to correct the problem. There is no place here to try and shame the other side with 'pittances' or with telling it to 'be content with what you have'. Buisiness is not about good heartedness or art and craftsmanship, it is about a mutual benefit of the sides and the binding agreement between them. Ranga don't sell their products for their prices just because they want to make you happy - and therefore you must be gratefull to them for their benevolence. They do it because they earn their living for it, and you buy their product because of the favorable ballance between the cost and the returned value. Had the price been much higher, it may well have tipped the balance for you against the buying. So please don't try to shame me about 'how little you paid for what you received' - I am completely justified in wanting to receive exactly what I paid for.

 

Please note that I am in no way denying that Ranga have a good customer service or that they try their best to make good products: this is just a completely different topic unrelated to the one we are discussing.

 

 

P.S.: After I sent the question above to the forum I remembered that I had a prior correspondence with Mr. Kandan exactly about this question, here is the quote from it:

 

Me: In some reviews I saw that people who bought Ranga's eyedropper pen also received one additional spare feed and a fine nib. It it also the case in the current group buy? Or more in general - is it the case for *any* purchase of a Ranga's eyedropper pen (that is, is the spare nib/feed always supplied, in any group buy or individual purchase of an eyedropper pen)?

 

Mr. Kandan: You will also get additional nib and feed. The additional nib may not be useful (fit properly)

 

And then I proceeded to inquire about a cost of additional nibs/feeds, and then asked for an aditional ones.

 

In other words, I *was* supposed to receive two feeds - by a very explicit agreement. I think that the people who reported about not receiving spare parts are those who ordered non-eyedroppers.

 

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The free pen (if you received one), additional nib, and extra feed are, as I understand it, just part of Ranga's amazing, top-of-the-line customer service.

 

I've never received additional nibs or feeds unless I specifically asked for them. I have always received a free pen, though, and I consider it a gracious gesture on Ranga's part and not something that I should feel entitled to have. All the same, if what day received is not what was agreed upon, there's no reason for him to just shut up and be grateful. There's probably an easy solution which complaining about it here on the forum won't achieve.

 

Thanks everybody for clarifications.

 

 

I am much more annoyed at the fact that I have no additional feed to play with - and no way to get an additional one now that I already received a package, than at the cost of the single feed (1$). Maybe I could buy a separate replacement from Ranga, but this certainly won't cost a 'pittance' due to a cost of international shipping.

 

Additionally - you are mixing up two completely different matters here. We are not dealing with charity here, but with a relation between buyer and seller, in other word - a pure business. And when business is concerned, the most important thing is the correct fullfillment of a contract - and the contract must be followed precisely, exactly as was agreed upon. If one of the sides fails to comlpy with it, then it is the duty of this side to correct the problem. There is no place here to try and shame the other side with 'pittances' or with telling it to 'be content with what you have'. Buisiness is not about good heartedness or art and craftsmanship, it is about a mutual benefit of the sides and the binding agreement between them. Ranga don't sell their products for their prices just because they want to make you happy - and therefore you must be gratefull to them for their benevolence. They do it because they earn their living for it, and you buy their product because of the favorable ballance between the cost and the returned value. Had the price been much higher, it may well have tipped the balance for you against the buying. So please don't try to shame me about 'how little you paid for what you received' - I am completely justified in wanting to receive exactly what I paid for.

 

Please note that I am in no way denying that Ranga have a good customer service or that they try their best to make good products: this is just a completely different topic unrelated to the one we are discussing.

 

 

P.S.: After I sent the question above to the forum I remembered that I had a prior correspondence with Mr. Kandan exactly about this question, here is the quote from it:

 

Me: In some reviews I saw that people who bought Ranga's eyedropper pen also received one additional spare feed and a fine nib. It it also the case in the current group buy? Or more in general - is it the case for *any* purchase of a Ranga's eyedropper pen (that is, is the spare nib/feed always supplied, in any group buy or individual purchase of an eyedropper pen)?

 

Mr. Kandan: You will also get additional nib and feed. The additional nib may not be useful (fit properly)

 

And then I proceeded to inquire about a cost of additional nibs/feeds, and then asked for an aditional ones.

 

In other words, I *was* supposed to receive two feeds - by a very explicit agreement. I think that the people who reported about not receiving spare parts are those who ordered non-eyedroppers.

 

 

I have 2 eyedropper-only pens from Ranga. There was no automatic free nib and feed. For one of the pens, I specifically requested an additional feed and was prepared to pay for it, but I was given it free as a courtesy. Nowhere in the group buy language, no where in any of their sales channels (ebay, amazon, website) does it say there's a free anything with the pen. While the folks here have a high level of proficiency with pens and are more likely to ask for and thus receive extra feeds and nibs, often free as a courtesy, it doesn't mean these are automatic.

 

Keep in mind that misunderstandings over email are common and that differences in English as it's spoken in different parts of the world may have caused issues here. Or simple human error in packing your pen.

 

Have you discussed the issue with Mr. Kandan before you started thinking about asking for some kind of refund? Did you even bother to find out how much shipping for a feed would cost, or did you just assume it would be expensive for some reason?

 

If you haven't already, and it really sounds like you haven't, I would urge you to reach out to Ranga and see if you can come to a mutually satisfying resolution.

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Have you discussed the issue with Mr. Kandan before you started thinking about asking for some kind of refund? Did you even bother to find out how much shipping for a feed would cost, or did you just assume it would be expensive for some reason?

 

If you haven't already, and it really sounds like you haven't, I would urge you to reach out to Ranga and see if you can come to a mutually satisfying resolution.

 

I will certainly contact Mr. Kandan to clarify things. The purpose of posting about the issue in the forum before doing that was not to complain (which I think is not productive), but to better understand if there is a reason at all for starting the discussion with Ranga. Had I not eventually remebered my previous quoted correspondence, I would have dropped the matter after others' replies.

Edited by day
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  • 1 month later...

You could ask Ranga for a couple extra feeds to see whether swapping that helps. And I have an FPR Ultraflex nib in one of my Rangas, and it works great. Because I originally bought it with a non-flex Kanwrite nib, I did widen the ink channel in my original feed a bit rather than wait to get a flex nib feed shipped to me from India.

Thanks, I do have several extra ebonite feeds but none of them is any wider, the kanwrite nib must be thicker than any other nib I have tried so far. I have a Jinhao spare but have not tried it yet. Will do soon.

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@day

Do check with Mr. Kandan.

I have often received spare feeds with my EDs, but I never take it for granted, and always say thank you for the gifts...

 

One thing I noticed is the default ebonite feeds I get with Bock nibs are different from the ebonite feed I got with a kanwrite nib (only one so far, and did not like it too much).

 

Do ask them in any case, they are usually most willing to assist, to my experience they much prefer to have happy customers than not.

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