Ranga Giant 9B Fountain Pen : My First Big Pen

[Matthew TWP]

 

This is my first time posting outside of the "ink" forums on this site, so if there's a better place for this, just let me know. This isn't exactly a review... I'm just sharing my excitement.

 

 

I bought this pen in a "group buy" via the Ranga facebook page, but I don't think it was any less expensive than just buying it from their site ($69, plus shipping). In any case, this is one of their standard acrylics, and I LOVE it: beautiful depth and color on two sides, nearly black on the other two. I'll post a video someday that shows that better.

 

 

 

 

The threads for the cap have a couple of starts, so when you cap it, the shiny side of the cap can either be aligned with that of the body or not. The cap twists off in about 3/4 of a turn. The pen is a cartridge converter but could be made into an eyedropper I imagine. The cap does post, but not very deeply and the cap is so heavy you'd be crazy to do it.

 

 

I got a broad nib, and it's perfect... no problems there. I inked up the pen with TWSBI Midnight Blue. The nib is a Bock broad, and it's polished just how I like it; nice and smooth but not glassy. Flow is on the wet side of average. A 7 on a scale with 10 being quite wet.

 

 

For a big pen, this actually feels very normal in my hand. I was expecting it to feel chunky, but I guess since the grip section is normal sized, it just feels normal... and the weight is no problem at all. Probably weighs less than some of my metal pens.

 

This is a hand made pen, and it does show in a couple of places. At the bottom of the pen body, the taper is a little bit wavy. I can't see it, but I can feel it. Some of the details around the threads are imperfect. But that's OK with me; that's what I like about buying a hand made item.

 

Anyway, I'm not much of a pen collector. I'll grab a new one here and there when I stumble across one that I like, but mostly I'm happy with the ones that I already have... but I can tell that I'm going to want a couple of more Ranga pens.

 

Oh: it also arrived all sewn up in a cloth wrapper. I liked that 🙂 Took about two weeks to be made and then arrive at my door.

 

[Matthew TWP]

OK, that wasn't the best picture for a size comparison. This is a little more clear: TWSBI Eco, Opus88 Omar, Ranga 9B from bottom to top.

 

[amberleadavis]

That is is a BIG pen but it looks great!

[half_inked_one]

What a great looking pen! If only there was an option for a shutoff valve ED...

[halffriedchicken]

Looks like blue velvet!

[Matthew TWP]

4 hours ago, half_inked_one said:

What a great looking pen! If only there was an option for a shutoff valve ED...

 

That would be pretty amazing. With a pen this size, if it were an eyedropper you'd probably only have to fill it once. Your grandchildren would check to see if it's getting low.

 

31 minutes ago, halffriedchicken said:

Looks like blue velvet!

 

I like how it changes in different light. In diffuse light, it looks swirly, like frozen smoke. In sharp light, it glitters like crazy and looks like a nebula 🙂

[Wolverine1]

Wonderful review, Matthew!!! :):)  Well, I got a chuckle seeing the cloth covered package you received the pen in. It bought back a lot of memories growing up in India. We used to get plenty of packages wrapped in cloth, and sealed with red sealing wax. 

Enjoy your nice pen!!!

[Matthew TWP]

1 hour ago, Wolverine1 said:

Wonderful review, Matthew!!! :):)  Well, I got a chuckle seeing the cloth covered package you received the pen in. It bought back a lot of memories growing up in India. We used to get plenty of packages wrapped in cloth, and sealed with red sealing wax. 

Enjoy your nice pen!!!

 

Ooh! I didn't get any red wax, but that sounds pretty wonderful. I was sufficiently impressed that this pen was sewn up with thread. That's a lot of extra work, and it's such a charming way to get a package. I'm also a huge fan of all of the hand-lettered signs that are all over India. 

[Wolverine1]

Wonderful review, Matthew!!! :):)  Well, I got a chuckle seeing the cloth covered package you received the pen in. It bought back a lot of memories growing up in India. We used to get plenty of packages wrapped in cloth, and sealed with red sealing wax. 

Enjoy your nice pen!!!

 

Matthew- also check out the folk art that is painted all over Indian trucks. Long haul truckers, both Hindus and Muslims, consider the art work, which usually have semi-religious themes, bring them good luck.

Also, they still pack stuff in cloth, like the package you received. For example,  a while back, I got a package of authentic Assam tea ( I originally come from the North-Eastern state of Assam in India) from my Uncle, who is bug in the family tea business. The 5 kilogram package was placed in a box, and then had a cloth covering, like your pen was packaged,  and was sealed with red sealing wax.

Ah, brings back a lot of some very fond memories for me!!!!:):):)

[Matthew TWP]

On 1/31/2022 at 7:34 AM, Wolverine1 said:

also check out the folk art that is painted all over Indian trucks

 

That's one of the other things that I enjoyed, though I didn't have as much opportunity to see it closely. I haven't been to India since the beginning of the Covid era, so I'm really looking forward to going back! My last visit (6 weeks, for two weddings and a bit of work) was primarily in Delhi, Rajasthan, and MP, though I did take a trip up to Amritsar as well. I have a lot of the country left to see... and since I'm a tea fan, Assam and Darjeeling are at the top of my list for the next visit. 

[VGriff]

Wow! Such a beautiful pen. Deep to Midnight Blue is my favorite color. Also like the size. Just gorgeous 

@Matthew TWP.

[Jamerelbe]

Thanks for sharing - Ranga is really "killing it" right now, and continually improving the workmanship on its pens.  

 

If you end up joining another group buy, I'd highly recommend trying their "in-house" nib units - made by Kanwrite, but with Ranga branding, and threaded to be compatible / interchangeable with JoWo #6 nib units.  I especially like their (ultra)flex nibs: not SUPER flexy, they require moderate downward pressure to get decent tine spread, but smooth writers with generous flow.

[askwyatt]

You said the pen is a cartridge converter. Does Ranga have their own proprietary cartridge/converter size? I mean, that seems like a big ass pen only to hold a tiny international sized converter . . .

[Matthew TWP]

3 hours ago, Jamerelbe said:

Thanks for sharing - Ranga is really "killing it" right now, and continually improving the workmanship on its pens.  

 

If you end up joining another group buy, I'd highly recommend trying their "in-house" nib units - made by Kanwrite, but with Ranga branding, and threaded to be compatible / interchangeable with JoWo #6 nib units.  I especially like their (ultra)flex nibs: not SUPER flexy, they require moderate downward pressure to get decent tine spread, but smooth writers with generous flow.

 

Thanks! I own a few Kanwrite pens, including a couple of  their ultra-flex nibs, and I'm a fan. I also bought my first two double broad (oblique) nibs from Kanwrite, and that started me down a path to a writing with giant nibs... but that's another story. Oddly enough, I also have four pens with Fountain Pen Revolution Ultra-Flex nibs, which are presumably also made by Kanwrite, but they're all considerably softer. They do appear to have deeper side cuts... maybe that's all there is to it. Unfortunately, the Kanwrite pens (and my FPR pens for that matter) all pale in comparison to the beauty of this Ranga. 

3 hours ago, askwyatt said:

You said the pen is a cartridge converter. Does Ranga have their own proprietary cartridge/converter size? I mean, that seems like a big ass pen only to hold a tiny international sized converter . . .

 

Yes, the cartridge converter is a Schmidt. I believe that it's standard international... certainly the overall size of the converter is not giant to match the pen. But that's one of the things that I enjoy about converters... I am more of an ink collector than a pen collector, and I enjoy changing inks frequently, so it doesn't need to be any bigger for me.

[half_inked_one]

@askwyatt

Standard international converter. Yes, it is a big pen.

 

@Jamerelbe

I am tempted to get the 9B on next group buy, but with #8 Bock. The only thing is they do not provide Cursive Italic modification, so I will have to ask if it is possible to have it threaded for such and order the nib from a different place.

 

I have just received the Ranga Bamboo Premium Ebonite with #6 steel Bock BB, my first ebonite pen from India. Maybe I will try to prepare some review for it later on, for now - I can say many of the companies making mass produced pens could (should) learn quality control from Ranga Pens.

[Jamerelbe]

2 hours ago, Matthew TWP said:

 

Thanks! I own a few Kanwrite pens, including a couple of  their ultra-flex nibs, and I'm a fan. I also bought my first two double broad (oblique) nibs from Kanwrite, and that started me down a path to a writing with giant nibs... but that's another story. Oddly enough, I also have four pens with Fountain Pen Revolution Ultra-Flex nibs, which are presumably also made by Kanwrite, but they're all considerably softer. They do appear to have deeper side cuts... maybe that's all there is to it. Unfortunately, the Kanwrite pens (and my FPR pens for that matter) all pale in comparison to the beauty of this Ranga. 

 

My impression is that FPR nibs are made from thinner sheet metal than standard Kanwrite (and Ranga) nibs - I think that's the main reason their flex nibs (in particular) are softer.  I have some really nice FPR pens (especially my Urushi Art Tanoshii), but I agree, Ranga's pens are a step above!

[Jamerelbe]

1 hour ago, half_inked_one said:

@askwyatt

Standard international converter. Yes, it is a big pen.

 

@Jamerelbe

I am tempted to get the 9B on next group buy, but with #8 Bock. The only thing is they do not provide Cursive Italic modification, so I will have to ask if it is possible to have it threaded for such and order the nib from a different place.

 

I have just received the Ranga Bamboo Premium Ebonite with #6 steel Bock BB, my first ebonite pen from India. Maybe I will try to prepare some review for it later on, for now - I can say many of the companies making mass produced pens could (should) learn quality control from Ranga Pens.

 

fpnibs.com sell #8 Bock nibs (in gold and titanium), and their nib customisations are pretty spectacular.  If you're based in Europe (or even if you're not), I'd highly recommend checking them out.

[Harish N V]

A very nice review. I really love all of my ranga pens. I also agree that the ranga nibs are extremely good. I recently got my first ef nib from ranga and have been really impressed by their ef, f and m nibs. 

 

Of course nothing to add regarding the workmanship. The grip sections on their pens are uniformly really good. 

 

A premium ebonite giant 9b with a flex steel nib is on its way. Iam quite excited about the flex nib after reading this thread. 

[Matthew TWP]

7 hours ago, Harish N V said:

A very nice review. I really love all of my ranga pens. I also agree that the ranga nibs are extremely good. I recently got my first ef nib from ranga and have been really impressed by their ef, f and m nibs. 

 

Of course nothing to add regarding the workmanship. The grip sections on their pens are uniformly really good. 

 

A premium ebonite giant 9b with a flex steel nib is on its way. Iam quite excited about the flex nib after reading this thread. 

 

Thanks! I have had my eye on the current "Splendor" group buy with premium ebonites, but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I'll be interested to hear what you think about the flex nib.

[Harish N V]

 

I will be getting my pen this Saturday. I will be writing the review in a couple of days. I will surely let you know regarding the flex nib. 

 

I own a splendour and it has a lovely grip section. It has a broader hour glass section than the giant 9b and the ebonite in matte finish gives a great feel.