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Dear FPN'ers , Thanks for your love and Support so far. We happily invite you, family and friends to visit our Ranga pens stall (First Time in USA) in Philly pen show. Our staff Mr. Lucas Barrett would be in the stall . Enjoy our wide range of Collections and new launches. Please treat this as personal invitation. Venue and date is mentioned in attached invitation .Please forward it your friends and post this invite in your social media. We would appreciate your support as always. Date : January 16 , 17 , 18 , 2026 Timing: Friday & Saturday : 10AM to 5PM Sunday : 10AM to 2PM Venue : Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown 201 North 17th Street Philadelphia , PA 19103 USA Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Dear Sir / Madam, Thanks for your love and Support so far. We happily invite you, family and friends to visit our Ranga pens stall (First Time in USA) in Philly pen show. Our staff Mr. Lucas Barrett would be in the stall . Enjoy our wide range of Collections and new launches. Please treat this as personal invitation. Please forward it your friends and post this invite in your social media. We would appreciate your support as always. Date : January 16 , 17 , 18 , 2026 Timing: Friday & Saturday : 10AM to 5PM Sunday : 10AM to 2PM Venue : Sheraton Philadelphia Downtown 201 North 17th Street Philadelphia , PA 19103 USA Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

CALICUT CITY- SOME UNTOLD STORIES I don’t how many could believe that Calicut, a city of Kerala, have such a rich heritage in fountain pens- so that it may be called as the pen city of Kerala. Probably as the only man in FPN from Calicut, I take the responsibility to present our city in this forum. The pen productions have started in early 1950s. By 1955-1960, there are four major firms of pen making. Don’t think that these are big companies producing pens and marketing in wide areas. Actually these are four pen shops, and each shop produced pens for their own shops only. And because of this poor marketing strategy, they are almost unknown to the outside world. As the healthy competition continued, many beauties have born. The pen history can be roughly be divided into 6 phases. 1950 - 1955 PEN PRODUCTION begins . 1955 - 1960 CONSOLIDATION PHASE – By this period all the 4 pen shops came into existence and production started at full swing. 1960 - 1970 THE GOLDEN ERA. This period have witnessed these shops running in full glory, churning out the maximum number and variety of pens. 1970 - 1980 THE DECLINE STARTS 1980 - 1990 THE BIG DECLINE 1990 - PRESENT. All the things happened right here- in the SM Street. The most busy street of Calicut. SM stands for Sweet Meat. Wondering what’s sweet meat ? . It’s nothing like meat. A hard rubbery confectionary -or Calicut Halwa- as known outside Calicut. You can see a lot of shops selling this here. They are available in a variety of colours and flavors—atleast twenty I think- more that what colours you are getting for a Sheaffer Skrip or Waterman range of inks! ABOUT CALICUT For those who don’t know, Calicut ( or KOZHIKODE) is a city situated in the coastal Malabar area of Kerala, India. It’s the only place in Kerala where fountain pens are made. Calicut is also known as the Biriyani capital of Kerala. Wonder why .. all pen cities are famous for their biriyanis also ..!? the Malabari biriyani is made in process were all the rice, meat and the spices are cooked in a closed container where the soft aromas and infused to rice in a slow process of around 5-6 hrs. Now, coming to the story part - The whole credit of fountain pens of Calicut goes to one and only person- Mr. M. Haneefa Rawthar- for without him the story would not have happened. People called him Haneefa Saheeb. He came from somewhere in Tamil Nadu in around or before 1950. At that time ( and now also) many people comes from other states to Calicut as merchants. His first visit was somewhere around 1950. He came with a huge collection of fountain pens- used and new, along with a lot of spare parts. Usually persons coming to Calicut are attracted by the hospitality and friendliness of natives and most of the merchants and traders later decided to settle here. Haneefa Saheeb was no different. Don’t think that there was no pens at all before Haneefa Saheeb. Imported pens like Waterman, Black bird, Swan were there. These were costly and not afforded by all. Apart from regular pens, dip pens were also popular. Ink tablets were also popular at that time. For making ink, you have to dissolve tablet in water! For dip pens, thicker inks were made with tablets dissolved in lesser water. Also they were available at very cheap rate compared to an ink bottle. Any ink manufacturer reading this? Coming back to Haneefa Sahib, a man with no formal education, but lot of experience from worldwide travelling and visiting so many countries, now at his fifties or sixties, toying with the idea of starting a pen shop at Calicut. FIRST PEN SHOP OF CALICUT The first pen shop of Calicut opens in SM street in 1950. As expected the shop flourished very quickly. This shop later became Kim and Co pens, as known today. As he sold new and old pens, he provided them with good service, as he had a huge collection of spares. Kim and Co shop at Calicut.( at present)

A BRIEF HISTORY OF WRITING MATERIALS AND INSTRUMENTS IN INDIA. PreVedic Age - According to historians there existed no written languages in India during the PreVedic period. This is confirmed by books like Vishnupurana also. But it is said that the Vedic knowledge existed during this period, which was transferred verbally from Master to the Disciple. Vedic age- This is the period were Vedas were written. Though there are many controversies regarding the age of Vedas, a period accepted by most of the historians is around 3000 BC. Most of the Hindu philosophers also accept this period as Vedic age. The Vedas are written and divided into 4 by Krishna Dwaipayana Vyaasa. Rig Veda is the first written Veda, also this is the oldest literature available to humans at present. Unfortunately there is no clue about the writing material or instrument used. Vyaasa - An Artist’s imagination. There are historians who conclude that writing was not started during this period as no manuscripts, writing materials or writing instruments have been discovered belonging to this period. But I may beg to differ as although there are no direct evidences, the following points may highlighted. Rig Veda itself is the evidence. It is a book consisting of more than 100,000 verses and 1000 hymns. Don’t you think that such a vast volume of information, unless written somewhere , we should n’t have these available at present. Another point, in Rigveda itself the words “Akshara” ( means Alphabet), Grandha ( means Book), Cows with the Numerical “8” written on them are present which clearly indicates that some form of writing was there. Also it has been written in Rig Veda that Shatapriya states – Vamanadeva by hearts Veda by “seeing” it and also Atreya saying about a Rishi reading it. Altough nothing about the word “write” is seen in Rig veda , Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda uses the word “ Likha” which means “to write”. All these indicates writing, though we do not know about where is it written or how is it written. So it should be concluded that some form of writing have been started in India during Vedic age itself. Indus valley Civilizations - This is the civilization which was developed along the River Indus and its tributaries developed around 2600 BC. Though many Stone and Rock carvings are obtained which belonged to this period, all of these are still undeciphered. Also nothing like manuscripts or writing instruments were able to be obtained and the mystery continues about writing in this period. The Epic ages - Roughly this age comes after the Vedic age, probably around 1000 – 500 BC. Many important literature works occurred during this period. Two great Epics, Ramayana and Mahabharata were written during this age. Mahabharata with more than 100,000 stanzas is the longest poem of the world. But the bad luck continues- still no manuscript was obtained, nor any writing utensils or materials. But in Mahabharata, there are various situations where some thing is writing on a leaf or cloth and send to be read by other people. Also the names of persons written on arrows. Yet another book written during this age was the “ Ashtadhyayi” by Panini and “ Dharmasutra “ by Vasishta. Though the exact period of Panini is not known, various historians put him from 8 th to 4th century BC. It is a grammar book on Sanskrit language. In various places he is asking the reader to “see” other rules as references indicating that the original form of this was a written thing. Also he uses a word “ Lipikara” Lipi = alphabet Lipikara = Writer. During this age, the usage of ink was there as evidenced by excavations from Takshila. Even a branch of science called ‘ Rasaratnakara’ developed where a recipe for ink was given. It was made from nuts and myrobalan. The word ‘ massi’ was used for ink. The word Massi stands for “ Crushed”. We Keralites still use the word “ Mashi” for ink. The word meaning shows that ink was made by crushing, may be plant or animal origin. The Rasaratnakara also tells us about mixing different types of plants and minerals to get different shades of ink. Some historians says that Wing feathers were used during this time for writing. This is the first time in Indian writing history where the usage of a writing instrument is indicated. There is also evidence about Indians using Wooden board as writing material. Writing was done with a material similar to chalk called Pandulekha. Nearchos ( 326 BC) admiral of Alexander, have mentioned about Cloth being used as a writing material in India. In Kerala ( where I live) cloth is used till recently by certain group of people as writing material. After this period, the next evidence of writing is identified in 250 BC in Emperor Ashoka’s inscriptions on pillars and stones, called as Ashoka pillars. Megasthanes, who was a Greek ambassador in Pataliputra,India,says about written horoscopes of Indian people. AROUND 1000 AD. ( Al beruni’s observations) During the later ages, the great Arab scholar Al beruni’s book gives some important informations about Indian writing. ‘ They use black tablets for children in school and write upon them with a white material from left to right’ (About Palm leaves) ‘ In Southern India they used a slender palm like leaves for writing’ (About Bhurj bark) In Northern and central, India, they used a wood called Bhurj for writing. They oil and polish it, to make it hard and smooth. So, what are the materials used in Ancient India for writing? Paper was hardly known in India before 11th century. Before that the main writing material in South India was Palm leaves.( My mothers horoscope was on palm leaves. It was written on 1950s.) For writing a sharp ended metal piece called Naarayam was used. A type of palm, which grow on coastal Malabar area was famous for this. The leaves are collected, boiled and dried before writing with the Naarayam, which is held with whole palm instead of a tripod grip. In Northern states, where good quality palm leaves were not available, the bark of a tree called Bhurja is used. After Chinese have found the technology of making paper in Ad 700s, it was introduced to India by Arabs. Though reference says that paper industry was already started in a limited amount in India, in Delhi or Lahore,it was probably insignificant. The first real paper industry was developed in Kashmir by Sulthan Sainul Khan, in 1400s. The real high quality paper soon became very famous, so that the demand from rest of India and other parts of the world were difficult to meet. Soon, with rapid demand, other centres also started developing making papers. Important among them were Punjab,Jaunpur, Bihar,Bengal, Ahmedabad,Gujarath and Mysore. Soon Gujarath developed as the largest producer and exporter. In medieval India there were atleast 20 paper making centres. This hand made paper making industry was going in full strength until the early part of 19th century and later started declining. So what writing instrument was used in these papers? In places where bamboo type plants grow, thin reeds about 5 mm diameter were made and tips were sharpened with knife. Bamboo with brushed tips can also be seen in museums. These were dipped in inks made of plant resins with soot or mineral colours for writing. It seems that the ink pot for these inks were made of Brass, which is kept as an antique item in homes and museums. These were called as Kalam Dams. In places were bamboos were not available bird feathers were used as a writing instruments. It seems that a wooden pen nib holder with attached metal nib was introduced in India British East India company, which may be in early part of 20th century. Cheap to obtain, it became a popular writing instrument. For writing different languages like English, Urdu and Hindi different types of nibs were available. Even after the introduction of fountain pen, because of high price , this was the writing instrument for a large mass of Indian people almost till independence. Ink pots were available in office and schools where premade depressions in furniture were made to keep the ink pots. It was during this period that East India Company made a decision not to use Hand made papers in government offices and started using imported machined papers from Britain. At the same time 2-3 paper mills already started functioning in India, which made cheaper paper available in the market. All on a sudden the glamorous profession till now went down to pathetic condition. Going became rough for both people and the industry. Gandhiji understanding the situation,tried to improve this. By this period the Swadeshi movement under his leader ship have already started. To help indigenous industries an All India village Industries Association have started, under the guidance of Sri.Kumarappa. So, what about fountain pens during this period? What I understand is that there were persons ( or agencies?) who bring foreign pens to India, either officially or unofficially. The Hyderabad native, SS Siddiqui, who went to Calcutta in 1920s for pen business, later became agent for Conway Stewart, and started the famous Deccan pens of Hyderabad. Gupta agencies, again based on Calcutta was also importing foreign pens even before this period. While examining the history of Pen hospital, Trissur, the founder KKP Abdulla, got his initial training ( in late 1920 or early 30s) again from Calcutta. So, Calcutta was the India’s major pen hub? In Madras, during late 1920s, MS Cunnan ( pronounced as Kannan), started the pen shop, Gem & Co,which later became authorized representatives of Parker and Waterman in India. After 1925,a few more paper mills started appearing - now there are more than 10 mills functioning in full swing in India with the combined annual production going more than 45000 tons. It seems that India’s writing industry is well responding to Gandhiji’s call for Swadeshi movement. In records, Krishnaveni Ink factory establishedin 1920,by Sambasiva Rao of Madras was the first brand came into life in response to Swadeshi call. So many ink brands, mostly very small units were established in the following years throughout the country. Demands were also raising. 1931- Dandedkar & Co establishes which later becomes Camlin. This company begins production of ink tablets and powders under Horse brand. The year 1932 – Probably the most important event in Indian writing history happened now- In Rajahmundry, “The grandfather of pens” Kosuri Venkat Ratnam makes the first fountain pen of India in silver. When Sri. Kumarappa of All India village Industries Association came to see the work in 1934, he takes one ebonite pen for Gandhiji. And the most important thing, Gandhiji appreciated it very much. What else a pen maker want in his whole life? The year 1933 – Probably this year is also may be very important in Indian writing- The birth of Mahtre pens. They were started as representatives of Eversharp pens in India. But they had no production facilities at present. 1934- Sulekha works Ltd start its operations in ink making. In late 1930s and early 1940s the ink and paper industry of India flourished exponentially due to increased demand during the war, this also resulted in birth of many new brands. 1940 – Yet another important year. The birth of Balkrishna pens and Dhiraj pens. There is a beautiful article written by Purvi Sanghvi, about these. This was a combined effort of two brothers- Sri. Dwarakadas Sanghvi and Sri. Vallabhdas sanghvi. So who made India’s second pen? I think that credit goes to these people, Sanghvi brothers. Mahtre have n’t started their own production facilities ( as far as my knowledge goes). Mahtre start first brand Plato, in 1950 only. During this period Swan and Black bird birds were very available as I interviewed my grand pa and ma. I had to go a little crazy over this and started interviewing neighbor hood grand pas and mas and later all the old people of the village started hiding them selves on seeing my face. The inference I got from different people goes like this- All of them started to write with dip pen which they call as steel pen. Most of them know two types of ink. One coming in bottle, other as tablets. Most of them were using tablets as other was expensive. As they upgraded to fountain pen, most of them started with a Black bird or a Swan pen. All of them have not heard about Ever sharp. One of them used a Parker as step up from dip pens. The bottled ink was a Swan or any “local” manufacturer. So when did Mahtre started representing Swan pens? This remains as a mystery. Any way the pens were marketed more aggressively than Eversharp. Continuing with Balkrishna and Dhiraj pens, initially they started with Wilson branded pens. They became huge success. Soon they started – around 1945- President brand, which also was a huge success. Then they started Olympic brand- but it seems that this brand was not that much heard about later. I think that this group had still some other “ unknown” brands. [ A Wilson 45 ( from 60s). Olympic Pen- A Vacumatic look alike – I do not have original cap – so using Vacumatic’s.. Though initially there was overlap, later Balkrishna pens started producing only Wilson brand and Dhiraj pens, produced President. 1946 – Guider pens started in this year by Mr. G.Subbarao, they still have antique celluloid rods for making pens. !947 – Everlast pens – an American brand was introduced in Madras by a local agency. Later this brand was introduced in Calcutta, Delhi and major cities. It seems that though initially pens were imported directly from USA, later local production started here either with the knowledge of original company or unknowingly. 1950s- By this time there are more than 100 ink brands in India. Also in early 1950s, may be in 1951 itself, the Japanese giant Pilot and the American giant Parker started their ink manufacturing plants in India. Gujarath Pen industry I am not sure when this have started. Having head office in Bombay, but I suspect that they started some where in Gujarath. Only thing I can say is that they have registered the trade mark of “Champion brand” in 1958- but that does not mean that the company have started in 1958. The company may have started may be around early 1950s- but correct me if I am wrong. They had at least 3 brands of pens. President, Ashok and Service. Of these President was the flag ship brand, but Ashok was immensely popular. But do not be confused, there is one more Ashoka ( Ashoka, not Ashok). This was a smaller company from Andhra Pradesh and only made hand made pens unlike Gujarath Ind. These Ashokas were more popular in Kerala. ( I can tell that there are people who still enquire about Ashoka, to whom we may make pen “ like Ashoka” ). 1950 – Kim& Co at Calicut came into existence. As detailed article already exists, readers are referred to there. Probably the first India’s first “manufactured” pen produced by Mahtre under the brand name Plato in this year – 1950. About Mahtre pens and plastics Started in the year 1933, this company made some important contributions to Indian pen industry. It represented Ever sharp in India for decades and later in 1958 it started the brand “ Doric” under Eversharp licence. This firm also had their own brands like “Writer” and “Clipper”. It have represented also companies like Swan and Waterman. During early 1960s they have started making pens for Waterman and Swan under their license for marketing in India. The original Mahtre company although wound up in 80s, the company exist as Ravlon pen company at present with Ravindra N Mhatre as Chairman & Managing Director They are the makers and exporters of ball pen tips. They are the largest makers of ball pen tips in India and also the only exporters of the same. 1951 – Airmail Wality company established. 1953 or earlier – Chelpark Ink company established. About Chelpark company. There is a well written article about Parker pen company and Chellaram family in India, for starting ink manufacturing. Though parker have started it operations early 1950s, the exact time of deal between Mr. Byford of Parker and Chellaram family is not clear. Chelpark Company came into life atleast in 1953. Mr. Byford of Parker joined parker company of Britain in 1946, working for overseas operations including Africa, and Chellaram had business in same region from 1943 onwards and bought Parker products from him for marketing there. Though Chelpark exists almost no more as a ink manufacturer, the group still exists as Chellsons exports and Chellsons Packaging Pvt ltd, exporting stationary items. Late 1950s - Deccan pens started making pens under their own brand. In 1960s, many companies came into existence- notable among them where Mercury pens, Ambitious pens, Ritesharp pens, Chandra pens, Sulekha pens, Matharu pens, Camlin pens , Artist pens and Wimco pens. 1963 - Artist pens, which started their operations in 1963, later became Luxor pens. 1964 – BRIL inks (Industrial Research Corporation) came into existence. In 1960s MS Pandurangan have started Ranga Pen company, producing hand made pens,which later developed in to the single brand having the most international collaborations than any other similar firm. 1965- Ambitious Gold Nib manufacturing company started. This company caters the OEM needs of many fountain pen brands of the world from at least 1980s onwards. From an article about Indian Pen industry in Times of India 1987- (“Ambitious Gold Nib manufacturing company,the Nib and Ballpen manufacturer which hawks nibs to Parker and Sheaffer in the US, is busy developing rollerball and micro-tipped pens”) The company is having ( or had) collaborations with Parker, Sheaffer, Pilot, FaberCastle, Zenith(Poland), Styb(Spain), Viva and many more. Camlin started making fountain pens from mid 1960s. Higher quality products with competitive pricing made them very popular for next 2 decades. This company also meets the OEM needs of major brands and export them to different countries. Nibs for higher models are made by Ambitious. PILOT pens in India On or before 1953 Pilot have established Pilot Pen Co ( India)LTD, and started ink manufacturing. During or after 1959, Pilot have started manufacturing pens. It became a huge success. It belonged to the Super series – though not exact copies of their Japanese counter part- Super 1,2 and 3. Also pilot G series with gold nib. During this period Calicut pen people have contacted the company for making hand made ebonite pens for them, they also made a few ebonite pens as samples using Pilot clips and nibs, but the venture did not worke out well. The models made by Pilot were very popular and affordable. Pen Industry after 70s/80s. Probably after 70 or 80s I would like to call writing instruments industry as modern. The industry pattern have changed. Companies have changed. And the customers requirements also changed. Now there is more demand for ball pens. Among the notable brands from the past, only Balkrishna ( Wilson)have survived the test of time. The hand made pen industry, though surviving, is going through a rough time.It is to be noted that Wilson branded jotter pens very popular now. From 1980s onwards the industry begins to shift from the hands of small unorganized players to bigger companies. Many companies wanted to make alliance with world’s leading brandsto conquer the market. Probably the first move in this direction was made by Luxor, by entering in to an agreement with Pilot to launch Pilot pens in India in 1982. Chandra pens have started marketing Cross ball pens. Cross ,already having a good brand image in India became a huge success, selling more than 100,000 units in the first year itself. Ambitious pen companies talks with Parker and Cross went unsuccessful for a joint venture. Parker began to look for other suitable partner which they found on Luxor.Meanwhile Flair bought Pierre Cardin, Senator and Pentel to Indian market and Linc pen bought Uniball, Lamy and Bensia. About Luxor pen company Started in 1963, Luxor started marketing Pilot pens in 1982. In 1996, Luxor group company and Gillete group entered into a 50:50 venture for production and marketing of Parker, Waterman and Papermate brands in India. This have helped Luxor to strengthen its market position. In late 2000, Gillete sold its Stationary product business to Newell Rubbermade, along with the 50% stake in this joint venture. Later Luxor group bought out the rest of the stake from Rubbermaid, retaining its right to manufacture, market and sell Parker, Waterman and Papermate products in India. ( Sanford does not have any stakes in Luxor now). Still there are companies I do not mention which includes Cello ( 40 % of stake is with BIC, I think Cello is the number 1 brand at present),Reynolds under GM pen International ( still under Sanfords) Today’s, Montex ( another company which concentrates in export market meeting the OEM demands of various brands)Lexi and Pik and probably numerous others. I know that many other small firms that make hand turned pens have been omitted. A place called Thiruvalloor, of Chennai , was just like a pen making centre where there were many small firms making ebonite rods and Ebonite pens. Most of them have closed, but still some exist. They do not want to brand themselves . When they get clips named Swarna, that batch of pens becomes “Swarna”. But the same batch of clips when supplied by the clip company to some other similar firm in Andhra Pradesh, that batch also becomes “ Swarna”!. Now we have 2 different pens with the same name! But most of the time get clips with out name- that’s our luck. In Chathoor,( Chennai state) nibs are still being made as hand made items. In Thanjavoor , specialist calligraphic nib grindrers were shut down, who used to custom modify nibs. Though the firm have been restarted, they have not come up yet. That on Left is made by makers at Chennai, while right by makers at Andhra. Original article written for the book “ Kozhikkodinte Charitram” ( History of Calicut) in Malayalam language. Briefed, translated and edited for FPN by my wife’s brother Nighil Mohan ( mohan in FPN). Thanks for reading. Sreekumar

Dear FPN'ers , We are introducing RANGA RADIANT MODEL for first time. RANGA RADIANT is Fresh, Unique, Unconventional, Stylish and appealing in design. It is well balanced Pen. The Cap and barrel are reverse tapered to look more elegant and Classic. Section is tapered straight for comfortable writing. Both the ends of the pens are Flat Shape. It comes with Immense craftmanship.This Pen caps and uncaps in just two to three turn. It is excellent every day carry pen for all Pen users. It is must Present Pen for every Fountain Pen Collector's . It is also very ideal for Gifting . It is Pocket size pen. Capped length of the Pen is 137mm (5.4 Inches) . The dia of Cap at its thickest point is 17.5,mm and barrel at its thickest point is 16mm . Section Dia : 11.5 mm at thickness point and 11mm at thinnest point. We are running Launch Offer Price now for Ranga Radiant Model. All details including Pictures are included in the form. Please fill the form to purchase Ranga Radiant Model RANGA RADIANT MODEL PUCHASE FORM Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Dear FPN'ers, We are doing group buy for RANGA Model 8 Pen. We are doing group buy for this Model for first time in last 6 years. Ranga Model 8 is the Classic, Perfect Slender Size and Elegant model Pen. It is Torpedo Shape Pen. It comes with Immense craftsmanship. This Pen caps and uncaps in just one turn. It is excellent every day carry pen for all Pen users. It is handmade Pen by Artisan having 50 years experience. It would be perfect balance for continuous writing and comfort. It is also very ideal for Gifting and Pen Collectors. Ebonite Feed option is available for Ranga Nib units. Enjoy the writing experience with our Ebonite Feeds. Pen is 6 inches in length when Capped. The dia of Cap is 14 mm and Barrel dia is 12.5 mm. Section Dia : 11mm at thickness part , 10mm at thinnest part. This offer is Valid till 11- August-2025. Customer's can fill the below form for booking this pen .All details and pictures are included in the form RANGA MODEL 8 PEN GROUP BUY FORM Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Dear FPN'ers, Greetings. After the success of our Virtual Pen Show Success in 2024, We are hosting Ranga Virtual Pen show . Pens are sold in First come First Serve Basis. Customers have Convenience to pick the Same Pen of their choice with Plenty of nib Choices along with 20 Percent discount on Website Prices. It would be shipped in 1-3 days. We are presenting great array of Pens in different Models and colours. Every Fountain Pen lover will definitely have atleast few pens to match their preference. It is very ideal time for gifting Ranga Pens to your beloved person. Every Pen is associated with its id and description. It is sold As Is basis .Clip colours can be changed to Customer's preference. We have included large inventory so that customers can choose any number of pens. It would give the feeling of seeing Ranga Pens almost live in a Pen Show. Inventory is updated on every Day. Grab your Favorite Ranga Pens now before it is sold out !!! If you need multiple pens and don't want to fill the form, Please send the pen details that you want to purchase to our mail id mpkandan@yahoo.co.in. We will ship it together Ranga Virtual Pen Show ends on 27-JULY-25 You can upgrade it to plenty of nib choices with extra charge To Participate in Ranga Virtual Pen show -2025. Please fill the form .All Pen details are included in the form RANGA PENS VIRTUAL PEN SHOW 2025 Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Dear All, This is my first post in FPN. Being a fountain pen lover, I have tried to buy pens from different sources. I found that ebay is a good place to get a fair deal on pens. I use credit card for payment via paypal account. Till now I've got around 8-10 pens from abroad as of now. These costs upto maximum upto 25 USD. In order to buy premium pens, I checked the govt portal for customs. Which says customs duty is applicable for fountain pens above 100$. I would like to know your experience while importing a premium pen from abroad. 1. Did you have to pay any customs duty for any pen? 2. How did you pay such customs duty 3. Please mention the original price of pen and customs duty so that they can be compared. 4. Please share if any bad experience happened. This will help newbies like me to add some romance to the love for FP. Thanks, Aniruddha

Bril is a company based in South India known for producing very good inks. They generally do not produce pens(Somebody can correct me if this is wrong). So, I was pleasantly surprised when I had an opportunity to buy a Bril Pen and immediately grabbed it. I bought it from Sreekumar, who is a nibmeister with a bunch of other pens. The price of this pen is just 50 INR(<1$). At this price range, I was blown away at how smooth the nib performs and how pleasantly it writes. The Bril pen is a all plastic body pen and the plastic is sort of cheap looking. It comes with 2 Bril catridges filled with Bril Royal Blue. It does not fit an international converter, but a parker piston converter fits rather well. The pen is rather small at 12cm capped and 15cm posted. The weight of the pen must be less than 20gms. The nib is a steel nib, rather plain looking with just F written on it. It draws a fairly dry western F line. But the nib is very smooth with no feedback and worked well outside the box with no tweaking. The pen cannot be eyedropper converted as there is a hole in the bottom. Some more pictures: [url=https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/uploads/imgs/fpn_1430210527__img_20150428_133429584.jpg][/url] Verdict: For 50 Rs, the pen has performed beyond my expectations. I do not know whether it is still available or not. I am very happy with this pen. If you want this pen, you have to contact Sreekumar(he goes by S-K on FPN) [EDIT: Bril does produce a lot of office stationaries. The pen is mentioned here:http://www.brilindia.com/school_product_list.php

A C Ramachandran, popularly known among fountain pen enthusiasts as ACR or Kim ACR, passed away two days back (Dec 22). He was 84 years old and had been suffering from age-related illness for the last few months. ACR started his pen making life at a very early age of 16 and continued his pen journey until his 80s. ACR was one of the greatest pen makers of India. His handmade ebonite eyedropper fountain pens, using conventional lathe and hand tools, are known for its simple but elegant design, burp free writing, and build-like-tank features. In addition to making wonderful pens, ACR had special skills in repairing all sorts of pens. During the heydays of fountain pens in India he had repaired thousands of pens. ACR was a man with so many skills and talent. He was very knowledgeable in Ayurveda (the traditional Indian medicine), Jyothisham (the Indian Astrology), Tantra, Yantra & Mantra (the Indian Occult Science). He also had a great interest in Hypnotism and practiced it for long years in his earlier life. Over the last six decades ACR pens were sold all around the world, and sure he will live through his pens for ever in the minds of Indian pen lovers. RIP, the Great Master ACR!

An interesting article here: India’s fountain pen history continues to be written by vintage shops, young fans seeking ‘a touch of elegance’ https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3235465/indias-fountain-pen-history-continues-be-written-vintage-shops-young-fans-seeking-touch-elegance Regards

Dear FPN'ers, We, RANGA Handmade Pens Introducing "Little Abimanyu " Model in Classic Ebonites and Premium Acrylics. Ebonite's are highly beautiful and classic. Premium Acrylics are glossy, attractive and Visually stunning. This is Slender version of our popular Model Ranga Abhimanyu. Ebonite Feed option is available for Ranga Nib units. Enjoy the writing experience with our Ebonite Feeds. This is beautiful Clipless slender pen in relatively shorter length. It is cute and sturdy . It caps in less than 1 turn. The section is classic vintage style design. This Model is perfect for Every day use, Gifting and Collector's. You can upgrade it to plenty of nib choices with extra charge. This offer is Valid till 06-October-2024 Capped Length - Approximately 132mm Capped length, Cap Dia - 14.3mm, Barrel Dia - 14.3mm, Section Dia - 11mm at Thickest part and 9.8 mm at lowest part. In Order to Purchase "RANGA LITTLE ABHIMANYU " Pen, Kindly fill the google form. All details & Pictures are included in the form RANGA LITTLE ABHIMANYU PURCHASE LINK Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Dear FPN'ers, This Offer is for RANGA Sugarcane Model Pen in TWO different sizes. 1.Regular Sugarcane , 2.Giant Sugarcane in Various Ebionites & Acrylic Colors This Pen caps and uncaps in just one turn . Capping and Uncapping would be very easier. It resembles Natural Sugarcane . It is Clipless Model Pen. The top and bottom edge of the Pens are beautifully Carved to make it unique. The Sugarcane Nodes are Precisely crafted. It takes lot of Artisan's time to make a single pen. This is one of the Ranga Flagship Model. This offer is Valid till 02-September -2024 1.Regular Sugarcane - Capped length 6.5 inches approximately. Dia - 14.5mm and 16.8 at nodes. Section 11.2mm at maximum part and 10.2mm at center. 2.Giant Sugarcane - Capped length 7 inches approximately. Dia - 16.5mm and 18.75 at nodes. Section 11.5mm at maximum part and 10.8mm at center. In Order to Purchase "RANGA SUGARCANE MODEL IN REGULAR / GIANT SIZE " Pen, Kindly fill the google form. All details & Pictures are included in the form RANGA HANDMADE PENS- SUGARCANE (REGULAR & GIANT) &nbsp;MODEL -OFFER SALE IN VARIOUS EBONITES & ACRYLICS Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Hi I am new to this forum and this is my first post. I have bought an Waterman Crarene assembled by Luxor.(India). The order is yet to be delivered. I would like to know is Waterman made by Luxor is same as the Waterman France. I also like to know whether Waterman Crarene leaks? What about the flexibility of the nib, can it be useful for copperplate calligraphy?

Dear FPN'ers, Greetings !!! We are very happy to introduce our Ranga Metal Series Pens for first time. Here, we introduce Ranga Abhimanyu Brass Pen. Abhimanyu is our most successful Model. Brass is superb Metal to hold for writing with Antique Value. This is very gorgeous pen. Weight: Capped Pen -122 grams ,Uncapped Pen -72grams Engraving Personalization option is available. This makes the pen special for its owners. In Order to Purchase "RANGA ABHIMANYU BRASS " Pen, Kindly fill the google form. All details are included in the form including the pen pictures RANGA ABHIMANYU BRASS PEN PURCHASE LINK You can contact us in our mail id mpkandan@yahoo.co.in for queries Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Dear FPN'ers , Greetings. We are doing offer price for Ranga Model 9B Pen in P41. Ice Green, P42. Green/Black/Brown Cracked Ice , P43. Mountain BlueBird , P44. Hanami . It is fantastic addition for any Pen lovers. We offer it in 100+ great colors. In Order to Purchase "RANGA MODEL 9B " Pen, Kindly fill the google form. All details are included in the form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdJAqWxj_1Eb90tZGUiRg9tpkOF0kW0WOibFAXgNCENEpKEvw/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0 Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Hello everyone, I am from India, and ever since I can recall which is my early childhood, I've loved stationery and over a period, I developed a special bond for pens, and specifically fountain pens. Some 6 years back I chanced upon Fountainpennetwork.com but however silly it may sound; the truth is that I began drafting that perfect introduction to put out here and it's been six years since... (LOL). So today, I decided I will write from my heart, whatever strikes me to say now in my introduction and I think it's better late than never. I am humbled to be a part of this wonderful community of fountain pen enthusiasts, and I hope to learn and discover so much more about fountain pens from all of you over the coming years. Just to share, my current fountain pen collection comprises pens from these brands collected over the years: Hero, Parker, Lamy, Platinum, Sheaffer, Schneider, Muji, Kaweco, TWSBI and Jinhao. Of these, my favourite (and my daily use pen) is the Lamy Safari, nothing's come as close as that pen in terms of the smoothness of writing and for the price it sells in India.

Note: The Diamine Pumpkin comparison looks very similar in the poor scan, but is actually distinct from the Orange Indien. The ink is less red and more orange in reality.

Hi, I have a Pilot 823 nib that had developed a scratchy angle. Turns out lending your favourite fountain pen to someone who's never used one before is a pretty dumb idea. On top of that, trying to smoothen an 823 nib when you have never done it before is dumber even. So here I am, with a M nib that writes like a B at some angles and still scratchy at lower angle of writing. I hope to get it fixed, so please recommend nib meisters or nib repair services in India, specifically Bangalore (but at this point I am desperate enough to post it to anywhere in the country). Thanks, and please do not make the mistakes I have made.

Dear FPN'ers, Ranga Handmade Pens -ThanksGiving Day and Black Friday OFFER -We are running offer sale for our Most Successful Model -Abhimanyu Model along with other Ranga Models Model 5, Giant 9B, Abhimanyu Grand, Bamboo, Thin Bamboo and Giant Bamboo Model in Classic Ebonites and alluring Acrylics in more than 125 colours . We are introducing 5 New gorgeous Premium Ebonite colours P24. Black/White/Green P25. Orange Woodgrain P26. Black/White/Blue P27. Green/White/Orange Woodgrain P28. Blue/White/Grey Woodgrain We open Free Shipping option through India Post now. No Tracking .Delivery with in 3-8 weeks from Dispatch Date In Order to Purchase "RANGA ABHIMANYU " Model Pen, Kindly fill the google form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd-HQvNMWpGxGoxm2Xpl_AWEgRkoQxdpNduMaQVDu4Vxafnxg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0 In Order to Purchase "RANGA ABHIMANYU GRAND " Model Pen, Kindly fill the google form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdaoAUSh236wSdopIJvCRS_ukeTkKhMRTY6SvJLlfsn9FtMYA/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0 In order to Purchase "RANGA MODEL GIANT 9B" Model Pen, Kindly fill the google form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfv_WSqm7GDpQ94GKaKLLoK7WumPJY0VcnzoVPIbuKXEyTm0w/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0 In order to Purchase "RANGA MODEL 5" Model Pen, Kindly fill the google form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQtPfXpJh9XnDqbJ7M3oIDlVWzQPM0hir9T26blec3RqdZYA/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0 In order to Purchase "RANGA BAMBOO (GIANT/REGULAR/THIN)" Model Pen, Kindly fill the google form .All details (Pen Dimension, Colours,Price,Pictures, Nib details ,Making time, Payment details) are included in the form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc0o_xxc0vrLXV27Wvp1FRvnH-qDbBVl8_1WgD50g3xb4DsyA/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0 Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

The only person I know of is The Nib Studio, however he is not responding to messages on Instagram. Can anybody recommend trusted alternatives ? Would be better if you have previously sent your pens to the people in question.

Dear FPN'ers RANGA Handmade Pens Introducing Salmon Model in Classic Ebonites Ebonites are highly beautiful and classic. This shape is beautifully crafted so that it resembles Fish design.This is Clipless pen. It is cute and sturdy . It is comfortable for both regular size pen lovers and Giant Size Pen Lovers. It caps in less than 1 turn.The section is hourglass section. It is very comfortable for writing. It is must collectible pen as well as great every day carry pen. It is eye catcher for its craftsmanship.. Ranga Salmon Model can be ordered in the below form. All Details are included in the form https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSemK2CZDuNQeDVOK1pZ78bWj6WneFJQx9xWM-0lyU3GmALL1A/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0 Pen Dimension: "RANGA SALMON MODEL " Pen Dimension: Capped Length :Approximately 150mm, Cap Dia - 17.5mm (17.5mm at thickest part (Head)), Barrel Dia - 17.5mm(12.5mm at thinner part (Tail), Section Dia - 12.5mm at Thickest part and 11 mm at thinnest part. Cap Turn: It takes less than 1 turn For C/C mechanism (with Schmidt K5 Converter) #6 Nib Options Price : 1. Base Price for Ranga Pens with Ranga Screw in nibs and German Converters: Premium Ebonite : 84USD Customer's can upgrade it to their favourite nibs with extra charge Making Time : 2 -3 weeks from payment date Shipping: Via Courier . It takes 4 to 9 days.Via Courier- Kindly note that courier rates are very high now. We are happy to share that we are collecting only 50% of the courier charges and rest is incurred by us . Customer's need to pay 19USD for USA/Canada, 15USD for Central Europe /Singapore/ Malaysia and country specific rates for other countries. Payment Details: Paypal id: mpkandan@gmail.com Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company www.rangapens.com

This isn't my first Ranga fountain pen but it's the one I like more till now. I'm a fountain pen lover and my favourite ones are my ebonites. They are all hand crafted by artisans. The one I introduce you now is the new Ranga Markandeya. It's a bit special because it's not the typical "jumbo" sized pen (I like big pens but also medium sized ones), although it's gurthy externally (not too much). It's special because it's made with care and love by Indian craftsmen who know well their work. Appearance & Design (10) In my view, it's appearance is beautiful. The swirls between teal blu and orange brown in the ebonite are always very nice to watch, it's mesmerising if you turn the pen. The material is precious (rubber with sulfur, badly named as hard rubber); it's name comes from it's similarly with ebony. The design is very well thought-out. It is uncapped in one and a quarter turn. The clip is long and springy. The section is long and old fashioned in the best way because it's very comfortable to hold and it tappers up at the end preventing your fingers to meet the nib. I like the cap meets the body with the same width and it's gurthy enough for my liking. The Jowo nib (B in this piece) has one advantage: you can interchange with other Jowo nibs I'm sure you have and, if you haven't any, it's very easy and cheap to find one. It can be posted very securely but I do not recommend you to do it because with time you can damage the surface of the ebonite (if you like posting, do it with care). Construction & Quality (9) Ebonite is a precious material for me. The fountain pen is handcrafted (I give a high value to pens made with experienced hands more than inyected plastic, for example). This pen is made by artisans and well engineered. The quality of the threading is outstanding. It has long section threading to be well eyedroppered if you prefer that system with huge ink capacity. Why I don't give a "10"? Because of the micro scratches from the lathe (almost imperceptible but they could be completely eliminated). The polishing is good but not perfect. I remember that Da Vinci said "details make perfection and perfection is not any detail". Weight & Dimensions(10) It's weight is 24 grams capped and 15 uncapped, with perfect balance. It is a lightweight and comfortable pen. It measures 134 mm capped but the good point consists of it's long enough uncapped, 122 mm, very good, well done. The nib goes close to the end of the cap. I appreciate that because you can have a long enough uncapped fountain pen without sacrificing the total length in order to get relative restrained length. It's a gurthy pen but not too much, 16 mm in the middle. It tappers down in the cap to 13,5 mm and to 12 mm in the body. I feel that dimensions like the perfect ones. Nib & Performance (9) The nib is a standard broad Jowo stainless steel one, so it's performance is assured. But you can choose a Ranga or Bock if you want, even gold or titanium with different sizes and plating. Mine is very smooth and juicy, without being a gusher. Filling System & Maintenance (9) The filling system is possible in three ways, cartridge, converter and it also can be used with eyedropper. It comes with a standard Schmidt converter. The maintenance is very simple to realise due to the converter system. I like piston filling systems and eyedropper and vacuum systems with shut off valve to avoid burping but using that kind of systems you increase the price and the maintenance is not so easy. I know you have to store the pen with care and without light and to dry it well after washing but I prefer the feeling of ebonite when you touch it and it looks beautiful. Cost & Value (10) The quality/price ratio is outstanding. In my pen 79 $ including postage (64 without it). But the good point is it's value, it's a fountain pen made by hand, if you take only that into account only, it's real value is very high. Beside that it's made with care and love and perfectly engineered. I got the pen in a group buy directly with mr. Kandan M. P. He is so kind and professional and they send you the pen very fast although I don't mind to wait if they use Indian post because it's cheaper. He has told me they are going to use this way to offer free shipping. Conclusion (Final score, 57/60) I feel very happy with this fountain pen. It is beautiful and very well made, with love by artisans. Very well engineered and thought-out. I am also very satisfied with their customer kindness. I think we do well to support handcrafted fountain pens. I am perhaps a bit viassed because I do love ebonite. The price is more than right if you consider the artisan work. They are all craftsmen. They even give you one free fountain pen. It is a modest but functional one and I really appreciate that gift because it's a nice detail and remember Da Vinci... Best regards to everybody. Take care Miguel Ángel.

I inked up a pan using this ink and was very pleasantly surprised. Please see the photo for my review. The paper is Clairefontaine.

Help! I really love the Robert Oster inks. Where can I get them in India? Have you guys used Robert Oster?