Camlin Premier

[ashishwakhlu]

Friends,

 

Camlin (aka Camlin Trinity) has been one of the major manufacturers of pens and inks in India, a few years ago they came up with a Piston Filling pen called the Premier. This review presents salient details of this fine pen.

 

Appearance and Finish

 

The Premier came in a cardboard box with a transparent window on the part where the pen was housed, the rest of the box was taken up with a pouch corresponding to the colour of the pen (black and maroon) and the instruction booklet. The box is not very heavy duty but had a brown cardboard outer protection sleeve marked “remove for display”. Inside the box was a medium sized pen, I had bought both the black and the maroon but will describe the black here.

The finish was faultless, the body made of plastic with an ink window just above the barrel threads. The barrel tapers towards the back end which also bears the 3/4 inch long piston cap. Such is the construction of the pen that it is difficult to make out the hairline between the piston cap and barrel with the piston closed. The nib end of the barrel has a slight flare.

The cap is also a continuation of the cigar shape, the clip fastened with a thin band with the tip of the barrel protruding for 1/3 inch beyond. A single cap band at the barrel lip bears the imprint “Camlin” The clip is reminiscent of the pelican clip with three longitudinal striations. There is a small breather hole on the cap near the top end.

 

Size and Weight - this is a medium sized pen weighs 25 grams empty and is 0.3 inches in maximum cap diameter. It is comfortable to hold and preferably used posted.

 

Filling mechanism - the pen is a piston filler, and although all parts are plastic the piston is working reliably for the last 19 years (bought the pen in 1990). There are no leaks. I’ve put in a tiny drop of high grade machine oil into the piston threads once to keep it moving when it felt “stiff”.

 

Nibs - the Premier came with a medium and a fine nib, each fitted with its own feed into a threaded collar which screws into the section. both nibs are gold plated with Camlin F and M inscribed inside the pattern. Both are wet line writers and smooth but you can feel the paper, which is one of the reasons that I use FP’s anyway. Haven’t had any complaints about either nib regarding startup or hesitation while writing. The pen has been in regular use since the day I bought it, its taken me through two major examinations before I bought the MB 149 in 1994

 

Overall - I bought the pens for a song (each) and would give this one a 10 for value for money, performance and construction. Despite not having a brass piston it has soldiered on for nearly two decades, the nibs have not even lost their plating despite being left filled for upto a week. The trim is in excellent condition (I am not a very gentle user). Full marks to Camlin for this little gem, incidentally it is of production now and thus even more dear.

 

Pictures here - http://s267.photobucket.com/albums/ii313/Ashish_031/Camlin%20Premier/

 

regards

 

Ashish

[hari317]

I remember the Camlin Premier when it came out, it was too expensive for me then, a poor student that I was. I was amazed at that time that here was a pen that came with two nibs: one fine and another medium. I tried unsuccessfully to search out this pen in the Pune market and found the Beena 500 instead, the search which I chronicled here.

 

However the friendly western region manager of Mumbai office of Camlin could locate one piece in Burgundy left with a distributor and now it resides in my collection.

 

Thanks for the review Ashish.

 

Cheers,

Hari

[ParkerBeta]

Thanks, Ashish, for the excellent review, and for selling me your burgundy Premier! It's good to know that it is built to last. I echo your views that the nibs have just a bit of tooth in them -- certainly not objectionable, but again a different kind of tooth from my Aurora nibs. The general shape of the Premier seems derived from the MB146, but the interchangeable nibs (and, as you point out, the clip) resemble the Pelikan Souverans. I remember seeing the advertisements for the pen when they first came out, in 1990 or so, and being shocked at the price (350 rupees!). Glad I was able to acquire one at long last!

[ashishwakhlu]

Thanks, I hope you are enjoying the Premier as much as I do, I bought both pens to take me through the post graduation and masters examinations, ended up using the black pen for both. The Burgundy was sitting in the box and I used to take it out to admire it then put it back. regards

 

Ashish

[kethiemann]

Great review. I am just getting into Camlin's myself as I am working in India. I'm amazed at the pen you can get for the money!

[Arnab Sain]

camlin recently launched ''Elegante'' fountain pen which is also Gold Plated F nib with C/C filler & its cost only 4 dollar or Rs 200 (dollar value is approx).pen has a excellent smooth nib maybe some one call it buttery smooth.Wet writer.I can only compare this pen with some pelikan Gold plated nibs.Very good girth for Medium & Large Hand & its a full size pen,cigar shaped.

[bk123]

camlin recently launched ''Elegante'' fountain pen which is also Gold Plated F nib with C/C filler & its cost only 4 dollar or Rs 200 (dollar value is approx).pen has a excellent smooth nib maybe some one call it buttery smooth.Wet writer.I can only compare this pen with some pelikan Gold plated nibs.Very good girth for Medium & Large Hand & its a full size pen,cigar shaped.

 

I'm still waiting to get this pen here in Delhi.

[manupandeyji]

Can you post the image of Camlin Elegante? It's hard to find on website.

[lovemy51]

Can you post the image of Camlin Elegante? It's hard to find on website.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&hash=item564b9aada0&item=370635615648&nma=true&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&rt=nc&si=mzTmK%252B3%252BArBNR3jEPXzw0Fv%252Bt7Q%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

this member posted it:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/226874-camlin-elegante/

[manupandeyji]

Can you post the image of Camlin Elegante? It's hard to find on website.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&_trksid=p4340.l2557&hash=item564b9aada0&item=370635615648&nma=true&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&rt=nc&si=mzTmK%252B3%252BArBNR3jEPXzw0Fv%252Bt7Q%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc

 

this member posted it:

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/226874-camlin-elegante/

Thank you Lovemy51.

[branodncooley92]

Nice Review

[ahab]

I purchased an 'Elegante' a few days back. It was a classic instance of love at first sight! The lovely cap that resembles brushed steel(?), the sturdy and stoutish burgundy body and smooth nib had me reaching for my wallet without a second thought. In terms of performance, I'd rate it as very good. Perhaps the best commercially manufactured Indian FP available in the market. Gripes: the nib could have been slightly bigger and thicker; also the barrel could have been 1/2 inch longer. Had than been so, we would have a pen more along the lines if Parker Frontier to go with the sturdy look of the pen. Otherwise fine.

 

Ahab

[subbu68]

While in India for our annual leave visited CROSSWORD at Lulu Mall in Cochin, Kerala (where we hail from). In a corner stand there were FPs a few Vectors, Frontier Black Matt, Camlin SD a dozen of them and a lot of Camlin Elegante. Got one SD Maroon & Parker Frontier for me and Elegante Maroon for my daughter.

 

Wonderful pen this is. Writes smooth with some feedback but not irritating. My kid has turned to be a FP fan now. Elegante is her everyday favourite though she likes her Lamy Al Star Deep Purple a lot.

[hari317]

While in India for our annual leave visited CROSSWORD at Lulu Mall in Cochin, Kerala (where we hail from). In a corner stand there were FPs a few Vectors, Frontier Black Matt, Camlin SD a dozen of them and a lot of Camlin Elegante. Got one SD Maroon & Parker Frontier for me and Elegante Maroon for my daughter.

 

Wonderful pen this is. Writes smooth with some feedback but not irritating. My kid has turned to be a FP fan now. Elegante is her everyday favourite though she likes her Lamy Al Star Deep Purple a lot.

From Cochin, have you been here?:

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php/topic/169224-the-cochin-pen-doctor/