Pen Review - Ranga Demonstrator Bamboo

[mehandiratta]

RANGA DEMONSTRATOR BAMBOO - Regular size

 

 

The review is simultaneously posted at my blog here : Link

 

Ranga Handmade Pens is a brainchild of M.S. Pandurangan who himself is a master pen turner and all pens and pencils are made by him only. His son M.P. Kandan is doing great deeds by taking care of the business part of Ranga Handmade Pens. I must add that both him and his father are very humble and polite. I have organised few group buys on Fountain Pen Network for Ranga Pens and every-time the dealing with him have been very professional. He has never lapsed on the dates as far as his commitment and deliverables are concerned. But yes thats what my experience has been till date and I hope he continues do to the same.

 

Ranga Pens make use of ebonite and acrylic for pens and in-fact they are the first and one amongst two pen makers in India to offer Premium Ebonite. They have a dedicated eBay store where they sell not just Ranga Pens but also pens from other manufacturers from India like Wality, Oliver, Fellowship etc. which are all machine turned. The pens from Ranga are also stocked by Teri of Peyton Street Pens in USA with also some exclusive models.

 

The group buys on FPN have helped in acquiring lot of Ranga Pens. They have more than 10 models in their line-up :

 

1. Model 4C
2. Bamboo
3. Model 3
4. Model 4CS
5. Model 5
6. Model 6
7. Model 8
8. Model 2c
9. Model 2d
10. Zeal

 

And I have already reviews one of the model which is Model 4C but this review is about one of the unique model in their line-up which is Bamboo.

 

Ranga Bamboo – Doing Rain Dance

Ranga Bamboo – Braving the Rain

Design : 05/05

The pen design resembles the natural bamboo with forged joints acting as nodes and parts between the two nodes acting as inter-nodes. The pen in review is the clip-less demonstrator in brushed version with polished finials.

Natural Bamboo

Ranga Bamboo – In Demonstrator version

Ranga Bamboo – Asymmetrical inter-nodes provides it Natural character

All in all there are 5 nodes with smaller inter-nodes at cap and to me that provides it natural character. The finials, both top and bottom, are polished and are in conical dome shape.

Ranga Bamboo – Polished Conical Dome Shaped Finials

Once thing to be noticed is that the cap finial is smaller in length as compared to the barrel finial and the reason for that is to provide balance to the pen when writing so that it does not become top heavy.

Ranga Bamboo – Different Length of finials with Barrel one being longer

The inter-nodes in the cap are smaller than what is on the barrels in length. The cap also has breather hole and this version is clip-less so it looks like one bamboo rod albeit in a different material.

Ranga Bamboo – Clip-less with breather hole

Ranga Bamboo Cap – Inner nib look and feel when pen is capped

The cap closes to form a node and it actually flushes with barrel as can be seen from picture above. There is minute drop between section and barrel as the cap flares at bottom where it meets the barrel. The grip section is polished and not in matte finish.

 

There is no branding anywhere on this pen. Below are the images of the pen showing pen capped and uncapped.

Ranga Bamboo – Capped

Ranga Bamboo – Uncapped

It is superbly crafted pen with a very unique bamboo style pen like no other. And I believe the pen is worth the price it commands. The pen is also available in different ebonite and acrylic materials which must be around 30 plus in nos. So one has lot of options to get the pen in his particular colour and finish liking. Kudos to Ranga for the superb design.

Built & Construction : 04/05

The pen has matte finish which is executed very well and transition from matte finish to polished finials is sublime though they are not perfect but its close.

Ranga Bamboo – Matte Finish barrel to Polished Finials

Earlier I thought that the finials could be made symmetrical in length but part of the reason to do that was to keep the pen balanced while writing without increasing the length of cap. But then I thought otherwise, this asymmetry is what gives it natural character.

 

The cap opens in 4 turns and threads are very well crafted and are not at all sharp. The grip section as mentioned is also very well polished. Also I must add that the polished end of the finials are highly polished and very neat without any lathe marks visible.

Ranga Bamboo – Polished Section with neat threads

I applied silicon grease on the nib unit which you can see from the image above as I eyedropper-ed the pen.

 

The finish, the grooves, the material quality are all top notch. However one thing i want to mention is the the material thickness decreases at the cap lip and must be handled very well as there is no band to protect any kind of crack.

This is a handmade pen completely and is a “WOW” product at this price point.

Balance & Size : 4.5/05

The cap posts but only just and that too not very securely. I think it is not required as it makes the absurdly large and uncomfortable also the pen itself is very long at 135 mm when uncapped.

 

The pen is very well balanced with just a little more weight in front end of a nib unit.

Ranga Bamboo – Writing with Cap Unposted

Ranga Bamboo – Writing with Cap Posted

The pen is light in weight with no metal parts used anywhere on the pen. Images below show the weight of pen with cap and without cap :

Ranga Bamboo – Weight of Pen (inked) with Cap

Ranga Bamboo – Weight of Pen (inked) without Cap

Few specification of the pen are as follows:

 

• Length of pen (closed) – 145 mm
• Length of pen (open and unposted) – 135 mm (including nib)
• Length of Grip Section – 34 mm
• Maximum Dia of Cap – 15 mm
• Maximum Dia of Barrel – 15 mm
• Minimum Dia of Barrel Section – 12.5 mm
• Maximum Dia of Grip Section – 11 mm
• Minimum Dia of Grip Section – 10 mm
• Weight of Pen with Cap – 24 gms (inked)
• Weight of Pen without Cap – 18.75 gms (inked)

Below pictures show the comparison of pen with other pens:

Pen Comparison – Capped (Top View) : Pilot 78G vs Lamy Safari vs Ranga Bamboo

Pen Comparison – Uncapped and Posted (Top View) : Pilot 78G vs Lamy Safari vs Ranga Bamboo

Pen Comparison – Capped (Lateral View) : Pilot 78G vs Lamy Safari vs Ranga Bamboo

Pen Comparison – Uncapped & Posted (Lateral View) : Pilot 78G vs Lamy Safari vs Ranga Bamboo

One thing of worthy mention here is that the grip section long and comfortable and makes this pen as gem of a writer for long writing sessions.

Nib : 05/05

The pen comes with variety of #6 size nib options like JoWo EF, F, M , B, 1.1, & 1.5 and Schmidt F, M, & B for CC mechanism which is a threaded screw in one and also can be used as an eyedropper too and other nib options are Ambitious and Bock (conklin imprinted) but these are only for eye dropper version of pens.

 

The nib that I took was the dual tone Bold point JoWo nib which is screw in nib unit with plastic high finned nib and it performed flawless out of the box with welcome feedback. It is a juicy firm nib and writes wet.

Ranga Bamboo – JoWo Nib – Bold Point

Ranga Bamboo – Nib with Rain droplets

I sometimes wonder why I need gold nib when this nib performs so well.

Ink Filling Mechanism: 05/05

The ink is filled via converter and cartridge can be also used. But real fun lies in using this pen as a eyedropper and seeing the ink sloshing inside.

Ranga Bamboo – Used as eyedropper

Ink capacity around 4ml if used as an eyedropper. The converter that comes with pen is Schmidt K5 and has capacity of 0.6 ml.

One thing to be noted is that before you use it as an eye dropper do apply silicone grease on threads of barrel and also on nib unit threads.

 

 

Below is the handwritten sample and review of the pen :

Ranga Bamboo – Handwritten Review – Page 01

Ranga Bamboo – Handwritten Review – Page 02

Ranga Bamboo – Handwritten Review – Page 03

Ranga Bamboo – Handwritten Review – Page 04

Conclusion : 23.5/25

 

 

I pen is available in group buy at FPN for US$85 which is a steal considering it is handmade pen and it is a unique design. The pen is more of an artefact from India and is recommended to users who want something more from a pen.

 

 

What I Like:

1. Unique Design
2. Handmade
3. Quality Finish
4. Good Balance and Size
5. Good Ink Capacity
6. Nib Options
7. Material Options

What I don’t Like:

1. Cap Material is thin at Lip
2. Little expensive

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOW TO BUY

The pen can be bought via occasional group buys organised at group buy and at the moment when I am writing this review the Group Buy is Active. LINK

 

Pen can also be bought from following places :

• E-Bay : LINK
• Amazon : LINK
• Peyton Street Pens : LINK
• E-Mail : mpkandan@yahoo.co.in

 

 

 

For more reviews you can check my blog here : LINK

[visvamitra]

Excellent article. I enjoy photos in the rain a lot. They look more than cool. I'm almost sure I'll pick this pen, especially that I have spare Jowo feed and nib at home. In case I won't enjoy Ambitious nib, I'll switch feeds and it should do the work On the other hand I really like the feel of ebonite. Choices, choices.

[mehandiratta]

  On 7/22/2016 at 12:08 PM, visvamitra said:

Excellent article. I enjoy photos in the rain a lot. They look more than cool. I'm almost sure I'll pick this pen, especially that I have spare Jowo feed and nib at home. In case I won't enjoy Ambitious nib, I'll switch feeds and it should do the work On the other hand I really like the feel of ebonite. Choices, choices.

 

First of all thank you for liking the review and the pics....

Ambitious nib are friction fit and JoWo i believe are threaded screw in fit...

alternatively you can ask seller to just send you the pen with threaded section for taking JoWo #6 nib

[Jamerelbe]

Thanks @Mehandiratta, I read this review on your website earlier today, but can't leave comments there (can I?) - so am glad to be able to do so here. You've *almost* talked me into ordering this pen - just have to decide whether I can justify the extra US$25 for a Schmidt or JoWo screw-in nib, or whether to maybe order a Conklin nib in the eyedropper format as a 'compromise'. The ASA Nauka demonstrator I just received (eyedropper-filled) is a magnificent pen... apart from the nib. I've now swapped in a JoWo F nib, and we're getting along famously!

 

Excellent review, thanks for the hard work and the spectacular (as always) photography.

[Sagarb]

Superrrrrrrrrrb..........the rain....the pen...photography...review...ink..hand....brilliant..

But the price..

[bobje]

Vaibhav,

That is a detailed and comprehensive review, with even more beautiful photography than usual. Impressive work, and I share your interest in clipless pens.

[rwilsonedn]

Great choice of material for the pen, great photography--rain is perfect to show off a matte-finished demonstrator, isn't it?--and an excellent review. Thanks especially for including the hand-written version. Your hand is so clear it makes the typed version unnecessary, as usual.

ron

[jmccarty3]

This was a beautiful and thorough review of a most interesting and attractive pen. The price seems perfectly fair to me for such workmanship. The photographs in the rain are wonderful--a very nice touch!

[Jamerelbe]

A question, @Mehandiratta: does the cap on these pens have a hole drilled into it, to equalise air pressure with the outside? I understand the value of this, but it can also cause pens to dry out if not used regularly - so I prefer the cap to provide a pretty good air seal...

 

As others have commented, the demonstrator-in-the-rain photography is particularly spectacular - so, congratulations on that inspired (and timely?) backdrop!

[mehandiratta]

  On 7/22/2016 at 12:21 PM, Jamerelbe said:

Thanks @Mehandiratta, I read this review on your website earlier today, but can't leave comments there (can I?) - so am glad to be able to do so here. You've *almost* talked me into ordering this pen - just have to decide whether I can justify the extra US$25 for a Schmidt or JoWo screw-in nib, or whether to maybe order a Conklin nib in the eyedropper format as a 'compromise'. The ASA Nauka demonstrator I just received (eyedropper-filled) is a magnificent pen... apart from the nib. I've now swapped in a JoWo F nib, and we're getting along famously!

 

Excellent review, thanks for the hard work and the spectacular (as always) photography.

 

Yes you can comment on my blog....there is a section at bottom ....

I would recommend you to take the Schmidt or JoWo nib unit... If you have spare JoWo nib unit then you can tell seller to send pen sans the nib unit and ask him to just thread the section ... this will save you few dollars....

 

Thank you again for going through the blog and liking it...I am glad you liked it..

[mehandiratta]

  On 7/22/2016 at 3:02 PM, Sagarb said:

Superrrrrrrrrrb..........the rain....the pen...photography...review...ink..hand....brilliant..

But the price..

 

Thank you Sagar Sir...

Means a lot coming from you...

 

  On 7/22/2016 at 6:13 PM, Bobje said:

Vaibhav,

That is a detailed and comprehensive review, with even more beautiful photography than usual. Impressive work, and I share your interest in clipless pens.

Yes the pen looks more beautiful then clip version even though the pen rolls ...

I would probably end up buying the roll stopper....

Thank you so much for the appreciation ....

 

  On 7/22/2016 at 7:13 PM, rwilsonedn said:

Great choice of material for the pen, great photography--rain is perfect to show off a matte-finished demonstrator, isn't it?--and an excellent review. Thanks especially for including the hand-written version. Your hand is so clear it makes the typed version unnecessary, as usual.

ron

Totally.,... Matte frosted finish looks so cool in Rain....

Thank you so much for the appreciation... I am really humbled.... I feel that before I type i should pen down the review first....

 

  On 7/23/2016 at 1:23 AM, jmccarty3 said:

This was a beautiful and thorough review of a most interesting and attractive pen. The price seems perfectly fair to me for such workmanship. The photographs in the rain are wonderful--a very nice touch!

I agree price is right... its a difficult pen to make....

Thank you for liking the review and pics...

[mehandiratta]

  On 7/23/2016 at 4:30 AM, Jamerelbe said:

A question, @Mehandiratta: does the cap on these pens have a hole drilled into it, to equalise air pressure with the outside? I understand the value of this, but it can also cause pens to dry out if not used regularly - so I prefer the cap to provide a pretty good air seal...

 

As others have commented, the demonstrator-in-the-rain photography is particularly spectacular - so, congratulations on that inspired (and timely?) backdrop!

 

While reading this I just realised that I did not use the pen for three days... I went ahead and opened the pen and start writing... it wrote wet and juicy....

yes there is a breather hole and it is required otherwise there is every possibility that ink might cup into the pen cap...

But if thats what you prefer you can always tell manufacturer not to put breather hole....

 

And in the last I would like to thank you for the appreciation and yes the monsoons have arrived here... And I love rains and pens ... so I thought why not merge them together....

[gopool]

The breather hole may not be a problem in India because of the high humidity, which limits evaporation. In dryer climates or during the winter evaporation levels are high and the pens can dry out. No drill hole might limit this, however, most of my hard start issues have been ink related. Replacing the ink usually helps. A pen inked with Noodler's HOD, for example, will write just fine after not using for several weeks.

[Flounder]

Really excellent review, a great read paired with great photography. I had no idea the bamboo was available in a demonstrator finish! It looks very comfortable to use.

 

I'm a little concerned about where the cap breather has been drilled. It seems awfully close to where the section abutts the cap? Usually they're drilled well below.

[mehandiratta]

  On 7/23/2016 at 4:54 PM, gopool said:

The breather hole may not be a problem in India because of the high humidity, which limits evaporation. In dryer climates or during the winter evaporation levels are high and the pens can dry out. No drill hole might limit this, however, most of my hard start issues have been ink related. Replacing the ink usually helps. A pen inked with Noodler's HOD, for example, will write just fine after not using for several weeks.

My lamy safari left open for half an hour min just writes immediately when I put it on paper.. I guess it's feed and ink supply issue

[mehandiratta]

  On 7/23/2016 at 6:08 PM, Flounder said:

Really excellent review, a great read paired with great photography. I had no idea the bamboo was available in a demonstrator finish! It looks very comfortable to use.

 

I'm a little concerned about where the cap breather has been drilled. It seems awfully close to where the section abutts the cap? Usually they're drilled well below.

There is a gap.. Although it seems the cap abuts at that level but it is not the case.. Its below..

And thank you for the compliment... Bamboo Demonstrator is lovely

[flipper_gv]

mehandiratta, have you tried any Ranga pens with the ebonite feed and nib?

If so, how are they?

[mehandiratta]

  On 7/23/2016 at 8:57 PM, flipper_gv said:

mehandiratta, have you tried any Ranga pens with the ebonite feed and nib?

 

If so, how are they?

I have zeal with ambitious nib which worked perfectly.. However with my other ebonite bamboo.. Which came with bock nib I had to tinker a bit to increase nib flow..

[flipper_gv]

  On 7/23/2016 at 9:01 PM, mehandiratta said:

I have zeal with ambitious nib which worked perfectly.. However with my other ebonite bamboo.. Which came with bock nib I had to tinker a bit to increase nib flow..

 

Thanks!

[penultress]

Another thanks for your review! I just received mine today and your descriptions and suggestions are very helpful!