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It recently came to my notice that kanwrite has started to provide #6 nib units for cartridge converter pens with an ebonite feed... Available in JoWo and Bock threading, here's a comparison with a standard JoWo nibs unit. The feed seems to be the same as the standard kanwrite ebonite feed for eyedropper pens, the difference being the tail for accepting a cartridge or converter. I think it'll be a great choice for flex nib users or for people who want a wet flowing pen... My only gripe is that the fins/horizontal channels could be a bit more deeper. Have a great day. Regards, Aravind

I recently ordered a Click "Aristocrat" fountain pen from a seller on Ebay. I have purchased and used many different Indian fountain pens in the past few years, both from overseas Ebay sellers and from Fountain Pen Revolution, and am usually impressed by the value they deliver at their price point. With a Leuchtturm pocket notebook for comparison. The Click Aristocrat (for some reason, the packaging I received calls it a "Tulip", but since I'm familiar with that model from FPR's house version (the "Indus" piston-filler, I don't think this is really the Click Tulip) is a plastic cartridge-converter pen, designed very closely along the lines of the earliest Parker Duofolds. There are a number of colors available, and I chose the orange with black finial and section, since it reminded me a lot of the Parker Big Red. The build quality is of course pretty basic, but I did not see any defects. The cost, with international shipping was 10 USD. Posted. It is a lightweight pen, 16g altogether and 11g unposted. The cap posts readily on the barrel, and being plastic, has a good grip on the material of the barrel. It has no heavy metal components to throw the whole pen off balance. The nib is a fine-medium, somewhat toothy but I found it wrote well out of the box and did not need any polishing. The length is 5.25 inches capped, 6.5 inches posted, and about 5 inches unposted. The filling mechanism is a standard international cartridge converter system. Note the number of threads securing the section to the barrel. The filling mechanism was nothing much to note, as the pen has a standard no. 6 nib (I think) and plastic feed, with a nipple that accepts a standard international cartridge or converter. The manufacturer provided two long intl. cartridges of blue ink, and a basic slide-plunger converter. After trying the generic ink and finding it a bit washed out, I filled the converter with Chesterfield Zircon and got better results. The nib would be easy to upgrade but is good enough that I will probably continue writing with it for the foreseeable future. The number of threads connecting the section to the barrel invites eyedropper filling, but I'm not sure that the barrel would be insulated enough to keep ink from expanding and burping out the feed. The feed has not yet given me hard-start issues, such as I have had with other no. 6 nibs. The imprint and detail of the finish gives some idea of the material texture of this pen. It isn't hard rubber or acrylic but the plastic used feels fairly good despite its light weight. I would compare it to the Nemosine Singularity or the FPR Indus in terms of the feel of the material. In conclusion: a very distinctive workhorse pen for the price, which I intend to keep in regular rotation.

So here are some thoughts on my two Kanwrite Heritage pens - One in Green marbled pattern and the other in Blue marbled. One with a Fine nib (currently the blue, but it changes), and one with a medium. I will also talk a bit about writing with the KW Fine Flex nib which had brought separately for another pen (this is I think the same nib as the Noodler's flax pens). TLRD: the pens are great value for a price of under $30; the nibs (and feeds) and ergonomics are the real stars. Filling mechanism is dependable. The body is pleasing to the eye albeit without feeling premium (but acceptable quality for this price). Review: Intro and Choices available. The Kanwrite Heritage is a largish piston filler pen from Kanwrite or Kanpur Writers, a pen nib manufacturer based out of Kanpur, India. The pens come into a huge variety of colors, solids, translucents and certain marbled patterns. I find the marbled patterns the most pleasing to the eye, and out of a shortlist which also included the excellent looking red marbled variant, I chose the green and blue marbled versions (mainly because I have an OCD of matching inks to pens, and I have (and write with) a lot more of greens and blues than red. Another combination that I personally would wish to see would be one with a black cap and burnt-orange body - I think it would look great on this pen. I haven't seen one around, but if you wish, the there are black pens and burnt-orange pens readily available for a cap-swap (if you are willing to be stuck with another pen with the reverse combination...). Kanwrite makes their own nibs, and as I will talk in detail below, they are generally very good. They have a huge variety of nibs, not only the usual F,M and B, but unusually for the sub INR 2000/USD 30 market, they also offer EF, BB, Fine flex, and an extra-fine flex also. All choices, however, may not be available with all retailers. They also have a 14K gold nib which looks very similar to an Aurora 88 and is excellent (however, I find the gold nib an overkill for a pen in this range - I would get it for a custom hand turned pen (as I have), for which there are lot of good options in India. To make matters easier, Kanwrite will send you the nib, on your request, pre-fitted into a Bock or JoWo housing. Appearance & Design (1-10) – 8 The pens come in marbled plastic bodies with gold accents. there is a thick cap ring, a clip supported by a visible clip ring and a ring between the barrel and the cap protecting the piston knob. Uncapping the pens, one finds an ink window (very useful since its an opaque body piston filler) rimmed by two more gold rings, cap threads and a girthy and reasonably long section that slopes down gently and flares slightly, but abruptly near the nib. Both the marbled patterns are quite attractive, to say the least. These are injection moulded CAB plastic though, not PMMA/ acrylic, let alone hand turned, so lacks the visual depth and chatoyance of marbled resin. The marbling is on the surface itself and does not glow from within like the latter material. That said, I find it very pleasing to the eye on its own right. The marbled patterns are multi-colored (not just white, but veins of other colors too) and this creates various points of interest while looking at the pen. From a design perspective, whether consciously or otherwise, there are some similarities wit the Aurora Optima family of pens; especially the shape of the clip and clip ring, the cap band and bands on both sides of ink window and above the piston knob, and, the size and placement of ink window itself. These are not unique design concepts however, and the pen retains enough individuality to stand apart as a unique design. For one, it is more than a full centimeter (about half an inch) larger than the Aurora (coming in at 140cm closed to the Aurora's 127) - a much nicer size for my preference. Also the piston knob cap and top finial have the same color as the rest of the body. But the most 'interesting' departure is the shape of the top of the cap - instead of a regular softly squared off design, Kanwrite has gone for a slightly weird reverse cone top sitting rather awkwardly over the clip ring - I am not sure it works as a design choice - it seems stuck on as an afterthought. Nevertheless this is a substantial looking, attractive pen. Apart from that off-putting cap-top, everything comes together very well. the choice of gold accents work well with the marbled colors. the nib is perfectly proportional to the body. the proportions of the various segments and the angles and slopes are spot on from any angle. Interchanging the caps makes for a fun look too! 2. Construction & Quality (1-10) – 8.5 Coming back to the CAB plastic material, it doesn't feel as dense and premium as resin, but it is indeed sturdy and durable. At this price point, you are not likely to get premium materials - though some stuff out of China can feel as though they are)The same can be said of the metal trims - well if they are metal at all - apart from the clip, I am not sure. But the plating seems well done and likely to last. The pen looks like it can take rough use and that is the most important thing at this price range. None of the components or the pens as a whole, feel 'cheap' (though you probably couldn't fool anyone its high end either - unlike the case with some Moonman/PenBBS pens in the same range. opening the cap reveals a plastic knob to activate the piston. The knob and the piston itself are clear(ish) plastic - again nothing fancy, but feels solid and up to the task. Weight Dimensions & Ergonomics (1-10) – 9 This is a largish pen without stepping into the oversize territory. To get the numbers out of the way, these are: Length capped = 140-141 mm (5.5") Length uncapped = 129-130mm (5.1") Length Posted = 161 cms (6.3") Ink window = 5mm (0.2") diameter at section = 11-12mm (0.4 - 0.5") weight capped/posted = 21gms weight uncapped = 15 gms Here is a comparison of the pens posted and unposted: I like pens which I can comfortably use unposted, and this usually means a sweet sweet between (capped/ uncapped) 125/135mm and 150/160mm - so this is right in the sweet spot for me. Here is a comparison with some other pens of this price range range that I find very comfortable to hold (well, probably a stretch including the TWSBI in this price range, but what the hell!) the pens are also very light and the caps do not add much to the weight if you are fond of posting. Ergonomics is one area, where, at least for me, the pens really excel. They just has that right combination of length and light-weight to act as an EDC. The pens balance well in the hand, whether un-posted or posted (which they do securely) and the section shape and girth are comfortable for me also. Well to nitpick, I'd have have preferred a more gentle upward curve to the rim (nib-side) instead of the slightly abrupt ridge; but this is relevant only for those, like me, who hold the gen very low. Even then, its not uncomfortable as such (since the ridge is not sharp), but you know its there. Nib & Performance (1-10) – 9.25 The nibs are broad shouldered understatedly attractive Indian #35 (#6 type) nib and is perfectly swappable into Bock or JoWo housings (and vice versa, I would assume). In fact the same KW nibs are offered pre-fitted in Bock or JoWo housing by Kanwrite. Since there are two nibs on review, I will discuss them in turn: The fine is about a half a size finer than a typical Jowo or Bock fine (though some Bock fines I have used are similar) - its similar to a sailor MF. It has a pleasant sort of feedback but is not scratchy or unpleasantly toothy. with very dry inks (like my Krishna Ghat Green), the sense of toothiness may increase so better to use with well lubricated inks. I really do like this KW fine very much - with a Pilot Iroshizuku or Sailor Shikiori inks, it really shines. the nib has is quite hard, though it has slightly more spring than a jowo - about same as a bock. the feedback this nib gives is excellent for a controlled handwriting. The medium is closer to a JoWo medium but probably a hair finer; hence a more typical medium line width. It is smooth and tuned very well right out of the box. There is nothing to dislike about the medium nib Between the two, I personally prefer the fine by a hair's width, but that is just down to writing preference. Many will prefer the medium. Both nibs wrote well out of the box. Both pens were tuned very well for optimum wetness. The feeds are thick ebonite ones which seems to regulate flow quite well; though there are very occasional overly wet starts when the pen has been moving around int he bag (this is common and not a problem) Nibs are easy to change out as the whole housing disengages by unscrewing it from the section. Kanwrite nibs, where available, are quite affordable. As a case in point - I had also (earlier) separately procured a KW 'Fine Flex nib'. It is probably the same as used in Noodler's flex nibs. I wouldn't use it for these pens as it steel colored (though these are also available in two tone) while these pens have gold trims. I am currently using it in a Moonman T1 where it performs very well (though only after I adjusted the Moonman feed to supply the extra flow required). In hindsight say the extra-fine flex would have been preferable for exploring the full breadth of line variations possible... Filling System & Maintenance (1-10) - 8.75 It is a piston filler; which while (thanks to the Chinese) is not exactly unheard at this price point these days, is nice to have. The piston works smoothly. I get about about 2ml ink into it per fill (give or take) which I think is quite optimal - more than that is probably not ideal for someone like me who has more than one, couple of, quite a few pens inked at one time! Cleaning thoroughly is possible as disassembly is quite easy. the plastic knobs feels a little flimsy but its protected, and not something would need heavy handling. Cost & Value (1-10) – 8.5 In India, the KW Heritage is likely to cost around INR 1700-1800 (about USD 25); but expect to pay about $5-10 more if buying outside India, which is understandable because of customs, logistics and shifting exchange rates etc. While at this price, it is most certainly a 'good' value, the exact score is a little tricky, because, frankly, getting a great value pen at around $30 is no longer unheard of (as it was a few years ago) due to the introduction was several great models at this (or even lower) price points by the likes of PenBBS, Moonman and Wing Sung (among others). For example: 1) Moonman T1 is a piston filler made of attractive anodized aluminium which feels more premium in build but is cheaper 2) The materials in PenBBS piston, vac fillers and other special-filler pens (especially the quality of acrylics used; and also metal pistons, vacuum plungers etc) such as the 309, 456, 355 and 500 feel more premium and 'high-end' So, as a value proposition, it would not be fair to say that the KW Heritage is miles ahead of the competition. However, and this is a big point, at least for me, I feel that the nibs in these pens are at a different class from all the Moonman & PenBBSnibs I've tried. I've had to change the nib on every, but one, of my PenBBS+Moonman pens into JoWos/ Bocks (or in the case of the T1 - the KW Fine flex!) . I found those pens to generally have dry and less than satisfactory feeds as well - no comparison to the one the one on the KW (ebonite or otherwise) in terms of flow regulation. Some may like these pens out of the box, but for those opting for a nib change, that's an added cost to be factored for these Chinese pens. Another thing is that Kanwrite provides various nib options from EF to BB as well as F and EF in flex. Most Chinese pens at this range come only in a couple of widths (F and one of EF or M). So, overall, considering the writing quality and nib options, this is still an extremely good value. Conclusion (Final score, xx/6) - 8.55 I find these pens to be good looking, sturdy and comfortable to write with. They are dependable and affordable. They write very well every time. So overall, I would recommend these pens heartily as an EDC or for your collection. Some writing samples showing the line widths of the various nib sizes I have are below:

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

Not much is known about this company. We know that Wilson Pen Company was one of the significant pen manufacturers in India. They existed since 1939 as Wilson. They were headquartered in Bombay, India. (I learnt somewhere that they named their company Wilson, because the nibs they imported from USA during wartime had Wilson mentioned). During my school days, I remember Wilson was an envious brand. They used to come in many many models, introduced frequently and often high class replicates of famous Parker models. The most famous were the Wilson jotter pens & also a ball-point pen called "4-point pen" (used to write in 4 colours) Wilson actually paved the way to many western name brands in India like Kingson, Diplomat, Artex etc. They used to come in a plastic boxes mostly as pen sets. The boxes resembled & also open like the present day, manual mercury based "blood pressure monitoring" instrument. I had many Wilson pens but by now have lost all of them, but the pens were always in my mind. Recently, a friend of mine told me that he had a Wilson Fountain Pen, which he never used, since he fancied ball-points only. Thus came to my hands this beautiful Wilson 21, a deep red colour pen, with gold-plated clip and a cap band. (resembles vintage Parker) The pen posted The etching in the barrel "Wilson Regd" & 21 The Cap with clip & Band, "Wilson" is inscribed in both places. The Nib..Here to "Wilson" is written in nib, feed & Section Hope you liked reading about Wilson 21...

Hi Everyone, I'm thinking about getting my first Indian ebonite pen and the Gama Eyas seems perfect for me. The only problem is that I want the glossy finish instead of the matte black. AsaPens only has the latter, so where online can I order the glossy version? Thanks for any suggestions!

Recently I was going through the youtube there I saw a fountain pen never heard off....the name is Parker Folio Fountain Pen. Any update regarding this pen?

Does anybody know any reputable Indian repairmen who could restore old cellouloid fountain pens ? I have a few old Plato pens in decent condition, i.e. no cracks or dents, but their bodies could do with a little polishing since 50 year old pens have lots of tiny scratches. Please share your experience if you have availed the services of any repairperson in the past.

Hello Everyone, Today I am going to review ASA Rainbow, a beautiful acrylic fountain pen. ASA have many famous models, and in recent times the Nauka has taken all the limelight. I love my Nauka, but thought of giving some lesser known ASA models their dues first. ASA Rainbow is one of the best looking models from ASA, due to the vibrant acrylic material used to make these pens. What I like most: The looks, what’s more- it’s very comfortable pen for everyday use. What I don’t like- I love this model, so nothing to complain about. 1. Appearance & Design: ASA Rainbow is a medium sized simple cigar shaped pen. There are two varieties – round ended and flat topped. I bought two different colours of this model at different times, but both are round ended. The body is thicker in the middle portion and tapers slightly towards both ends, tapering towards the section is more pronounced than the bottom end. The cap is larger than the body without any tapering. There is one dome shaped finial at the top of the cap which is flushed with the rest of the cap body, thus hiding the clip ring in clipped versions of the pen. There is no ring at the bottom of the cap, though the construction is good and there is very less chance that the cap lip would actually break with regular use. The clip is a simple slender triangular shaped one with a tear drop end. It protrudes a bit too much at the top for my taste before gradually coming back to touch the body of the cap. It’s springy and functional. The section is a slender one with a step like flaring at the distal one third for easy gripping. ASA is imprinted on the top of the clip. No other branding in the body which is a very good decision. What sets these pens apart is the vibrant acrylic materials used to make these pens. I absolutely love these colours; I have one orange-black swirl and one red-black swirl rainbow. The pens look very pretty. One can spend hours on end to look at and appreciate these beautiful patterns and depth of colours in these pens. 2.Construction & Quality: The pen is built well. The material is lightweight. I have no idea whether these will break if someone accidentally drops them on floor and neither I’m much inclined to test for myself. The acrylic has some camphor like smell when put to nose, but under normal circumstances, no smell was perceived. These pens have 3-in-1 filling system, but none of them leaked when used as an eyedropper. There is no burping issues with either with the Schmidt or the Versace nib units compatible with these pens. The cap closes by about three turns, which is a bit too much for me. note the protrusion of clip 3.Weight & Dimensions: the pens are very light, and ideal for long writing sessions. The pen dimensions are as follows Length of the pen capped: 132 mm Length of uncapped pen: Versace nib model- 120 mm, Ambitious nib model- 125 mm. Length of nib: Versace nib model – 20 mm, Ambitious nib model - 25 mm. Posted length: Versace nib model - 162 mm, Ambitious nib model- 167 mm. Diameter of section: Lowest at the step- 11 mm, at the section end- 12 mm Maximum Barrel diameter: 15 mm Section length: 24 mm I use them without posting. They are very good EDC pens . From Left to Right- Waterman Hemisphere, Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari, ASA Rainbow, all capped From Left to Right- Waterman Hemisphere, Pilot Metropolitan, Lamy Safari, ASA Rainbow, all posted 4.Nib & Performance: The pen comes with a Schimdt nib unit by default. I chose another available threaded nib unit called the Versace nib. This nib was also there in my ASA Writer and I am impressed with its performance in both the pens. This Versace named nib is smooth out of the box with a well-controlled medium flow. It has superb feel on paper and there is very less feathering and bleed through even on very cheap papers. It’s a #5 nib, available only with medium tip. This nib fits inside a Jowo housing and as a result one could easily swap a Jowo spare nib with this nib. The ambitious nib in the red pen is a #35 fine flex nib with wet juicy flow and lots of feedback. It has a good ebonite feed, akin to the feeds seen in kim pens. The nib flxes easily with medium pressure, but the feed occasionally cannot keep up, thus resulting in rail-roading. 5. Filling System & Maintenance: This pen is a 3-in-1 system by default, so no complaints there. The red one with ambitious flex nib has a small plastic pipe as a feed tail, so it is meant to be used as an eyedropper. I pulled out the pipe and used it for normal writing with a Schimdt convertor without any problems. I didn’t try flex writing after removing the feed tail though, so cannot comment on that aspect. 6. Cost & Value: It’s a relatively costly pen from ASA at INR 1800 (US $ 48) but considering the beautiful colours, great Schmidt nib and a 3-in-1 filling system, it’s a very well-priced pen. The ambitious nib model cost less. 7. Conclusion: I would love to recommend this pen to all users with any level of experience with fountain pens and a love for beautiful things. My suggestions: A bit slender body would look better or a slightly longer body with current diameter. Few users find this model a bit stocky as a pen. I personally have no complaints. ASA can think of putting cap ring for extra protection to the lip. The clip design can be improved. ASA website ASA Whatsapp no of Mr. Subramaniam - +91 9176607660 ASA email- asapens.in@gmail.com, unik.services@hotmail.com my other reviews (In no particular order): 1. ASA Swan 2. ASA Writer 3. Ranga Thin Bamboo 4. Krishna Butterline Stub nib pen 5. Guider Egg- acrylic and ebonite 6. Kanwrite Desire 7. Kanwrite Heritage 8. Franklin Covey Lexincton Black 9. Gama Kuyil 10. Gama Forever

Hello everyone, This review is long due. I love this particular pen model so much just for the looks, with far less emphasis on the utility part. But surely, that’s my selfish choice not to subject these pens to the everyday rough working conditions, trying hard to preserve these absolute beauties. The model is named as Guider ‘Capsule’. Now, I can presume many would frown upon hearing the model name, but it’s not very hard to see the similarity between a very very elongated capsule and this model. Well, if you are not convinced, still the model name is pretty catchy. Guider Pen works is a famous Indian hand made fountain pen making company based out of a small town Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh. There are two pens on review today. One comes in black-grey-white mosaic patterned acrylic and another one in red-black mosaic acrylic. Both the colours and patterns look amazing. The black and white pen has a medium Schmidt nib unit and the red-black one has a steel Visconti medium nib unit. I would like to thank our respected member Mr. Sanjay Ramaswamy for arranging a group buy for these Visconti nibs and also commissioning these pens from Guider. I initially bought two Visconti steel nibs, one fine and one medium. The medium nib was fitted on the red-black mosaic pen and fine nib was with a yellow-black pen. Later I sold off the yellow-black pen with fine Visconti nib. Sanjay was also generous to give us a snake clip for each of the pen free of cost as roll stopper and I appreciate the beautiful clip. The second pen of black-white pattern with Schimdt nib was ordered directly from Mr. G. Subbarao of Guider pens. This is a rod shaped symmetrical fountain pen, with rounded ends and no tapering towards top or bottom. The cap is flushed with the body in such a way that it looks a single piece when capped. Why I like this pen- The simple yet beautiful looks!! What I don't like about this pen- It’s a bottom heavy pen, so I don’t like the balance of it. Posting is not possible. The design entails it to be clip less, so chance of rolling over table edge. But again, you don’t want to spoil the looks by introducing some roll stopper that might scratch the surface. Guider needs to improve their packing. They sent my pens in a plastic box with transparent plastic cover, which broke in all three pens. Fortunately none of my pens had any scratches etc. But I feel they should give attention to this aspect. Also they should provide better pictures of their offerings when one contacts them. You can never guess how his pens look by watching his photos sent in whatsapp 1. Appearance & Design: The particular bland appearance is the key in case of this model. Many Guider pens are beautiful, but this one is best. The streamlined shape, the simple minimalistic yet attractive design steals the show for me. But I don’t think everyone is going to love this pen, some even may find it to be too ordinary or lacking any specific appeal. It’s a medium sized pen with no finial, ornamental accessories, clip, extra curve, edge or groove. When capped, it looks like one round stick. One can chose a clip for this pen, but in my opinion that will destroy the look. On removing the cap, the section gently tapers towards the nibs before just flaring up a bit for a presumed finger rest. Or the end flaring might be there to render some strength to the section top and easy threading of nib unit. The tapering section is in contrast to the elongated rod shaped body, which feels a bit oversized compared to the section. The threads for cap don’t interfere with the grip. The cap unscrews in two and a half turns, but there is no tightness. The section proper is small, sits on top of a step down protrusion from body which actually sports the threads for cap. The section requires 8-9 turns to fit, but I haven’t tried this pen as eyedropper. I wouldn’t advise members to try it as eyedropper unless they are ready to face the hassles of a failure. 2. Construction & Quality: The material is very good looking. The polish is good on both pens. Though these are hand turned pens, there are minimal lathe marks on them. Both the pens look like premium models. The finishing on Guider pens is one of the best among Indian pen makers. The white-grey mosaic acrylic cap looks transparent. I am not sure about the strength of this acrylic, neither I want to drop this pen on floor like some You tubers do with their iPhones. Particularly I am concerned with the margin of the caps, as they look particularly thin. But considering the design, a cap ring is strict no no. Also the section end looks a bit thin. The pen nevertheless feels sturdy in hand. I don’t have any complaints with the finish. 3. Weight & Dimensions: It’s a lightweight medium to large sized pen. The dimensions are as follows (There may be slight piece to piece variations as these are hand made pens) Length of the pen: 152 mm Length of uncapped pen: Schmidt nib black-white pattern pen- 135 mm Visconti nib Red-black patterned pen- 143 mm. Posted length: Not possible Diameter of section: Schmidt nib pen - 10 mm at base to 7.5 mm at top. The flaring measures 8 mm. in diameter. Visconti nib pen- 11 mm. at base to 9 mm at top. The flaring part measures 9 mm. Barrel diameter: 12 mm. and 13 mm. respectively. Section length: 25 mm and 30 mm respectively. Nib length: 18 mm and 21 mm respectively. Posting is not possible. The balance is back heavy and I don’t like long writing sessions with the pen. 4. Nib & Performance: Schimdt medium nib- The nib is smooth and it has good flow. No skipping or dry start. Visconti Steel medium and fine nib – This is a famous nib and hard to get in our geographical area. Thanks to Sanjay, we got them at a good price in a group buy. Both the nibs are smooth, but the flow is towards a dry side. I didn’t get the fuss about Visconti steel nibs. The Schimdt nib in this case is better than both the fine and medium Visconti nibs. There was no skipping or hard start in either nibs. All the pens worked fine out of the box. The Schimdt nib was a delight to use. The Visconti steel nibs were average smooth performers. 5. Filling System & Maintenance: This pen is a cartridge converter pen. Unfortunately I didn’t receive any converter with any of these pens. They take Schimdt converters and probably international cartridges. The end of nib collar is flush with the section end, so effectively the converter hangs from the section end. Though with my limited usage, I didn’t face any leakage problems. I don’t advise to try converting these pens into eyedroppers. From Right: FC Loom, Sailor 1911,Conklin Duragraph, Guider Capsule 6. Cost & Value: The pen with Schimdt nib cost me Rs. 2000 (About $30) which is amazing price for this beautiful pen. The pen with Visconti nibs cost us Rs 3000 each (about $45). It’s a valuable addition to any collector’s possession. Guider pen is quick to prepare and ship my pens. He responds to queries properly, though occasionally it may take 1-2 days and follows deadlines. Sanjay did a great job in getting the custom Visconti pens done in a few month’s time. 7. Conclusion: I would love to recommend this pen only for the attractive material and the unique, albeit elementary design and appearance. I would recommend selecting a Schimdt nib rather than the Guider Stock nib, because in case you get a lemon of a nib, you can fit another nib unit far easily. Also the experience with Schimdt nib is far better than the Guider Stock nibs. This pen also comes in ebonite, but obviously the beauty will be much muted in that material. Different colours are available on contact with Guider pens. His no. for phone and whatsapp-- +91 9390163779. His website (though no direct buying link) Guider pens. If you are interested in their other pens and a bit of history of Guider as pen maker, you can check out this review. Disclaimer: I bought all pens, inks and papers with my money and none of them received as gift.

Dear FPN'ers, Greetings !!! This is Kandan.M.P from Ranga Pen Company, India. Hope and wish you are staying safe . Thanks for your support so far We wish you and family very happy, healthy and prosperous New year 2021 We are happy to inform that Ranga Pen-Tamenuri Studio has been announced as Greatest of All Time (GOAT 2020) Pen by famous Pen reviewer Sbrebrown. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78Ki1pBkXM0 (7 of 10th pen @ 9th minute in the review video) After going through huge success for Ranga Abhimanyu Model. We are happy to extend Ranga Abhimanyu in visually stunning more beautiful Acrylic colours. As name Indicates, Ranga Abhimanyu is short ,cute but very strong and great workhorse.. These are completely Handmade Pen .This is Clipless pen . Section is Classic vintage styled Section .It is comfortable for long use. We are using this section for first time in our production line In order to purchase Ranga Abhimanyu Pen , Kindly fill the Google Form (Link Below) RANGA ABHIMANYU - ORDER FORM https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfmMUFGtsiIeynqBudoIAvZo4zIPyViiP99eHwRe8S78k-5sA/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1&flr=0 Prices are as follows: RANGA Abhimanyu with Ranga Nib and German Schmidt Converter:59USD for REgular Acrylic till 31st January . (Its Regular Price is 74USD). Kindly avail this Offer Price for this Excellent Pen (Thickness-Cap Dia: 16mm, Barrel Dia : 16mm , Capped Length - App 5.25 Inches ) You can upgrade it with German Bock/Jowo/Schmidt Screw in Nib and German Schmidt Converter. Up-gradation charges are mentioned in Google order form Colours : Regular Acrylics: ------------------------ R17. Malachite R18. Purple /Dark Blue R19. Brown Swirl R20. Sea Blue/ Red R21. Heather R22. Blue Pearl R23. Dogwood R24. Light Blue/Dark Blue/White R25. Yellow with Green Lines R26. White Blue Swirl R27. Purple Pearl R28. Yellow with Red Lines R29. Arctic Blue Swirl R30. Bright Yellow Green Swirl R31. White Black Swirl R32. Fire Opal Finish :Polished Finish or Matte Finish Clip Option - Clipless Cap Turn: It takes less than 1 turn to cap and uncap For C/C mechanism (with Schmidt K5 Converter) #6 Nib Options Nib Option: Ranga Extra Fine Nib - Chrome Tone ,Gold Tone,Dual Tone Ranga Fine Nib- Chrome Tone ,Gold Tone,Dual Tone Ranga Medium Nib- Chrome Tone ,Gold Tone,Dual Tone Ranga Broad Nib- Chrome Tone ,Gold Tone,Dual Tone Ranga Double Broad Nib:Chrome Tone ,Gold Tone,Dual Tone Ranga Flex: Chrome Tone ,Gold Tone,Dual Tone Ranga 14K Nib # 6 Size Nibs:- Extra Fine, Fine Point, Medium Point ,Broad Point, Bock Titanium #6 nibs: Extra Fine, Fine Point, Broad Point, Double Broad Point Bock 18K Nib # 6 Size Nibs:- Extra Fine, Fine Point, Medium Point ,Broad Point, Broad Point JoWo Fine Nib - Chrome Tone or Gold Tone JoWo Medium Nib - Chrome Tone or Gold Tone JoWo Broad Nib - Chrome Tone or Gold Tone JoWo 1.1 Calligraphy Nib - Chrome Tone or Gold Tone JoWo 1.5 Calligraphy Nib - Chrome Tone or Gold Tone Schmidt Fine Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone Schmidt Medium Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone Schmidt Broad Nib - Gold Tone or Chrome Tone No Nib - Threaded for Bock #6 No Nib - Threaded for JoWo #6 No Nib - Threaded for Schmidt #6 No Nib - Threaded for Bock #8 Price : Base price for Ranga Abhimanyu with Ranga Screw in nib and German Schmidt Converter is 74USD (Premium Ebonite ) and 59USD (Regular and Special Ebonite). Customer's can upgrade it to their favourite nibs with extra charge Making Time : 1-2 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 15USD for USA/Canada, 10USD for Central Europe /Singapore/ Malaysia and country specific rates for other countries. Making Time: 1-2 Weeks after payment Payment Details: Paypal id: mpkandan@gmail.com If you buy More than 2 Pens and if you don't want to fill the form, You can directly send the specs to our mail id mpkandan@yahoo.co.in Regards, Kandan.M.P Ranga Pen Company

Our member amk posted a few very interesting topics, a travelogue as it were, on her Indian pen trips. As they provide valuable insights and information, this topic aims to collect the entire set of travelogues for easy reference. The links to these topics follow below. Enjoy! Indian Pen Odyssey 1: Backpacker On A Mission! Indian Pen Odyssey 2: Lookalikes Indian Pen Odyssey 3: Cheapie Shoot-Out Indian Pen Odyssey 4: Varanasi Indian Pen Odyssey 5: Sumgai In Vidisha! Indian Pen Odyssey 6: Indore And Bhopal Indian Pen Odyssey 7: Mumbai - Fountain Pen Central Indian Pen Odyssey 8: Aurangabad - stop The Rickshaw... Indian Pen Odyssey 9: Calcutta, Coincidences And Converts Indian Pen Odyssey 10: Delhi, Disappointments And Delights Thank you kindly, amk, for providing us with these delightful stories! Warm regards, Wim

Sharing the pictures of my new Deccan Author Red Ebonite eyedropper pen. There are 2 previous posts discussing about the acrylic versions of this pen: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/216836-deccan-aurelius-author/https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/224094-the-deccan-aurelius-aka-the-author/I bought the eyedropper, ebonite Author in red colour, with Deccan stock fine nib. Overall design: It is a simple and elegant design. The colour appears more brownish-red than bright red that is seen in images with light. The clip appears slightly off the center (but it doesn't matter to me). There were small fragments of chipped off ebonite material in the barrel. The cap opens in exactly 2 turns. With cap posted: Barrel is quite thick and the pen looks very sturdy: Nib: The junction of nib/feeder and section is beautiful. Deccan logo (stylized D with stars): It is quite comfortable to hold in hands while writing. I will use the pen for a couple of weeks and follow-up with how the nib writes. My favorite writing style of nib is a fine nib that puts down a wet line. I will do whatever tuning it takes to suit this pen to my regular writing need. Please share your pictures of this pen if you have.

It is a copy of my blog post at https://inkpensblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/20/deccan-bullet-junior-fountain-pen-in-green-ebonite/ I have heard a lot about Deccan pens in FPN and other pen corridors and have been thinking about getting one. I contacted​ the store through their facebook page and then through WhatsApp. At that time, I was looking for a green ebonite pen as well. So, I chose to get a Deccan Bullet Junior pen in Green Ebonite which was readily available. The delivery was very prompt and I got this beauty in my hands within a weeks time after ordering. It is a small pen and belongs to the category of pocket pens. But, when posted this becomes a normal sized pen and is very comfortable to hold. Unposted, it can not be used at all. It is slightly longer than a Kaweco Sport when unposted and is of the same length when posted. It is polished well and very nice to look at. Polished red and green ebonites appeal to me. The clip is large for a small pen. It is a normal rolled metal clip. The top of clip juts out a lot and is bent at a 90° angle. Anyway, it is a very functional clip. As can be guessed from the size of the pen, it is an eye dropper fill pen. I did not observe any leaks or burping. It came with a nice coating of silicon grease on the barrel threads. The grip section slightly concave shaped and is very comfortable​ to hold. I end up holding it slightly higher (almost on the threads) due to the small size of the nib. The threads are not sharp enough to be trouble me. The has steel flat ambitious nib. It is almost extra fine or ultra extra fine. (I don't have much experience with EF or UEF nibs, but it is much finer than the fine nib on pilot falcon). It wrote very smooth out of the box. Even though I like broader nibs, this nib is very nice. In conclusion, it is a nice small pen with a good finish. I may not use it very regularly due to the nib size, it is a good addition to my collection.

Hey I would really like to buy an ebonite pen, but my budget is really low. Say around 700-1000INR. Is it possible to get one in that range? And if yes, which one and from where? Anurag

the main review is below. This is an Indian notebook called ITC classmate which is dirt cheap and exceptionally fountain pen friendly - doesn't feather or spread with the worst offenders (in my case, Noodler's 54th Mass for spreading, Noodler's forest green for feathering); dry time is quick but inks retain their vibrancy and shade nicely. Only strikes against it is that it doesn't particularly help with sheen and its not bright-white (there's a slight red tinge to the pages). Anyway, enough about the paper. This review was written with a PenBBS 480 with a Mini fude F nib. Really its more like an M. Writes wetter than normal. Note: the color balance is off in the top 5th of the page - probably due to paper not being totally flat. The ink in that area looks murkier than in real life. Here are some comparisions to other browns (Kiowa Pecan is similar, Yama Guri, not really). Also how the inks looks on blobs, swatches, smudges and dry times. Overall thoughts: It is a very nice brown, rich color with shading variations and possibilities of sheen (and a nice ink even without the sheen); with good flow, quick-ish dry times and no major drawback as far as I can see, except the tendency to stain clear plastic (though not sure if it was just that one cartridge converter). Will be receiving some Clairefontaine and Tomoe River shortly (I am out of stock now and all but essentially deliveries are closed due to C-Virus). Will check on sheening then. The pooled ink drop shows some green sheen around the rim of the darker area.

Introduction: Ranga recently held a group buy of this new model on FPN (https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/351924-ranga-handmade-pens-introducing-splendour-model-in-striking-stripes-colours/). Deeming the designs and colour options attractive, I went in for a blue-pink model. I requested Ranga for a customized model which has the cap of the rounded variant and the body of the torpedo, which Mr. Kandan from Ranga was happy to accommodate (on this note, it is always a pleasure dealing with Mr. Kandan). The pen arrived in due time (with the transport time being a bit longer than usual due to onset of nation-wide lockdown). It came in a typical Ranga pen case with an extra "oliver" brand basic plastic pen. the packaging was sans frill and practical, which I like. My thoughts on the pen itself are summarized below. Appearance & Design - This is a imposingly attractive looking pen that commands attention…the stripes are striking, as is the size. The blues and pink/purples really stand out. Design is classic and sans frill – just a rounded cap design with a sensible looking gold clip and a torpedo shaped barrel [as mentioned in the intro – this is a hybrid design – the off-the-shelf designs will have either rounded or torpedo (or flat with conical top) finish on both and bottom]. No finials, cap rings or any other ornamentation. The looks are of reserved elegance letting the acrylic pattern take centerstage. Maybe Ranga could try a variant with a thick cap ring – it may work. The #6 nib does seem proportionately small given the size of the pen. Construction & Quality– It is well-finished to a soft sheen on the acrylic. The build quality is typical of the Ranga stable – sturdy and attentive to detail. There is no wobble when the cap is secured, which, as a new twist (pun completely intended) for Ranga (at least to my experience) takes only one turn to close or open. That’s awesome for something I intend to use always as a desk pen. To nit-pick, do note that since this is a completely hand turned item, you may notice some turning marks when the pen is held to harsh light, like direct sunlight. To me, this adds to the charm of the pen and makes it feel more like a handmade item. Some may find this a minor irritant compared to industrial finishes. Weight & Dimensions This is positively a very-big pen. No seriously, its huge. Right now, it’s the biggest pen I own. However, strangely enough, I wrote through 5 pages of Ginsberg’s Howl just to test for fatigue and there was none. The uncapped weight however, is very manageable given the lack of metal in the barrel (other than the nib), weighing in at much less than an ounce. I do not think it would make any sense to even consider posting (though it is very possible and secure). The dimensions are below: Length; weight (capped): 170 mm (6.7”); 37 gms (1.3 oz) Length; weight (uncapped) : 153mm (6.1”) (measured from tip of nib); 23gms (0.8 oz) Section length : 30mm (1.18”) Section diameter: 13mm to 15mm (0.5 – 0.6 inch) [this information is from Ranga directly. The rest measured by me). Some comparison pictures are below: This is what it looks like next to the TWSBI 580 AL and the Pilot Justus - both quite large pens at around 145-150 mm (5.8-6"") posted. Nib & Performance - It has a very well-tuned Bock nib (I opted for an M) that wrote well right out of the box, both in terms of smoothness (very smooth, with just enough grip on paper to control the handwriting) and flow (wet without being gushy). Only one of the several inks I tried till date - Krishna sea @ night – gave me some problems with hard starts [i badly wanted this ink to pair well since both the base and sheen colours match the pen . But may be this tiny issue will also sort out over time as these things often do]. The #6 nib does look proportionately small for the body – a number #8 would be nice; but the Bock #8s are only in gold (which I deemed too expensive) and Ti (colour whereof would not match the gold clip). Filling System & Maintenance – This is a “3-in-1” filling system (C/CC which can be eye-dropped) which is common for Indian hand turned pens with German units. It comes included with a Schmidt international cartridge which means its easily replaceable down the road, and can be swapped for a whole bunch of cartridges. The body will hold almost 5ml of ink if eye-dropped, which is insane if that’s your thing (I like to keep at least 4-5 pens inked at a time, so prefer CC for the lower ink volume). Cost & Value – I paid the equivalent of about $85 at current exchange rates on the group buy. For an oversized hand turned pen in premium resin with a bock, this was a great deal. Even with the normal (non-group buy) price, it would still be a very good deal. Conclusion – Once more Ranga hasn’t disappointed. The pen is a great addition to my collection, and is a good option for anyone who likes (a) large pens, ( thick sections © striated resin patterns and (d) understated classic designs.

So today, a little package from India arrived on my doormat; slightly unexpectedly, but only because it was nearly two weeks earlier than anticipated! The packaging was very secure, with a thick outer envelope, double layers of bubble wrap, a plush velvet pen sleeve and finally cellophane over the pen itself; I'm pleased to say it survived the trip from India to the UK entirely unscathed, and as a bonus fit neatly through the letterbox! Mr. Subramanian of ASA Pens was very communicative and helpful, with emails on receipt of the order, processing, and on dispatch. No faults at all with the postage and dispatch! First impressions: this is a Big Pen. Capital B Big. As in, if you thought the Noodler's Neponset was large, this is bigger. Despite this, the pen is pleasantly lightweight for the size and, when filled, balances at nearly the exact midpoint of the length making for a comfortable writer without undue fatigue. Construction: the pen is made of clear acrylic resin throughout. ASA Pens' website states that the pen is entirely hand-turned with no CNC involved, and I have no reason to doubt them; the contouring is smooth throughout and the pen sits very nicely in the hand. The section, cap jewel and end of the barrel are crystal clear, and the barrel and cap are sanded with micromesh to give a pleasantly textured, misty, fogged finish that feels surprisingly warm to the touch for some reason! This is, of course, where the pen gets its name; the nebulous fogged finish gradating into the crystal acrylic like the a galaxy into the vastness of space. The threads are solid throughout, with the section taking over 11 full turns to unscrew from the barrel! Not coming loose any time soon The cap smoothly and firmly screws on in a little over 2/3 of a full rotation. The nib and feed are friction fit, and took a little tinkering to rearrange for optimum writing, but are easily removable for cleaning etc. The trim is chrome throughout, with a very stiff clip: not that this is a pen one would be likely to carry around in a pocket! Stamped (lasered? engraved? heat-embossed?) on the side of the barrel is "ASA Stellar Galactic / India 2015" - this branding is next to invisible when the pen is empty, but shows up once the barrel is filled with ink. Weight: - Capped: 31.0g empty - Uncapped: 20.5g empty - Cap: 11.0g Dimensions: - Length capped: 15.3cm - Length uncapped: 14.0cm - Length posted: don't even bother - Barrel diameter: 16mm at the widest point - Section diameter: 13.5mm in the middle of the taper Nib and feed: my pen came with a standard unbranded IPG nib, with a fairly fine point. There is an option to upgrade to a JoWo nib at checkout for a small extra cost, but I didn't feel this was necessary and indeed the standard nib is smooth with a little more springiness than my other steel-nibbed pens. I believe the feed is ebonite (?), and it easily keeps up with even the fastest of my writing without flinging ink everywhere! On the subject of ink, I measured the volume of the barrel to 1mm below the section threads as 4.1ml, over double the ink capacity of any of my other pens! You could write for days on end with just one fill of this pen. Writing: the pen is a pleasant writer, especially for those with larger hands (like myself!). It's nicely balanced and easily long enough to use comfortably without posting, and frankly the length gets a little absurd if you were to try! The nib is smooth enough to be unnoticeable during writing, and is fairly forgiving of changes in angle. Thoughts and opinions: for a handmade pen that cost me a hair over £20 (Rs ₹ 1,050), including free shipping halfway across the world, I'd say the ASA Galactic is exceptional value for money. If you like demonstrators, big pens, or just fancy something a little unusual, then this could be a worthy addition to your collection. It's great fun to be able to see the huge ink reservoir sloshing around, and the clear section gives a good insight into the capillary action that feeds the nib! However, for people who prefer a smaller or lighter writing instrument, this isn't the one for you I'm afraid. Picture time! http://i.imgur.com/V8pMb70.jpg?2 Showing the texturning of the barrel and cap, with a little glimpse of the logo. http://i.imgur.com/y4G9146.jpg?1 Another view of the unfilled pen showing the engraving. http://i.imgur.com/9Oro9cM.jpg?1 Nib on show! Note the clear section. http://i.imgur.com/2JyPFFZ.jpg?1 All filled up woth Röhrer & Klingner Alt GoldGrün http://i.imgur.com/29X1TeE.jpg?1 Look at how that crystal acrylic blends into the fogged barrel! http://i.imgur.com/7r4Q0ZB.jpg?1 And all filled up. There's a little breather hole in the cap in case you didn't notice earlier. http://i.imgur.com/vXETcPr.jpg?1 A capped size comparison with (left to right) the Noodler's Neponset, Jinhao 159, TWSBI Vac 700, LAMY Safari, Platinum Century, Noodler's Ahab, Pelikan M600 and Kaweco Sport http://i.imgur.com/FDeOXET.jpg?1 And the same, but posted! See what I mean about the length getting a bit ridiculous? http://i.imgur.com/mTclr7c.jpg?2 Finally, a little writing sample. I hope this little review has been of interest; ask away of you've got any more questions about this lovely pen! Cheers all, Alex

Brand: Ranga - Model 9B in red/black swirl premium ebonite (design P6 as per their catlog) Ranga pens is an Indian maker of hand turned fountain pens of great quality. As many regulars are aware, the brand was founded by the eponymous Mr. Pandurangan, who has been making fountain pens for half a century and the business is now managed by his son, Mr. Kandan. They are pretty well known for their ebonite and acrylic hand-made models, both in India and the international market. ______________________________________________________________________ Appearance & Design (1-10) - 9.5 I already knew I will like the looks of this pen when I ordered it. But even with such high expectation, the actual item was a very pleasant surprise. The pen is really a looker - simple timeless cigar design - smooth uninterrupted curves, and the subtle lustre of premium ebonite. The cap and barrel have a seamless continuity when capped. Uncapped,there is a step into the long and much slimmer section but it looks very aesthetic (and is very comfortable despite the step down as discussed later). the swirly red patterns continue from the barrel seamless into the section. Surprisingly, when the cap is posted most of the swirly patterns seem to continue into the cap as well. I do not know how that is possible, so hats off to them for this (they warned me over email that this continuity is not guaranteed as ebonite behavior is not perfectly predictable when turned, but pulled it off anyway!) This way, the pens look homogenous and seamless when both uncapped and capped. I may have preferred a more substantial clip than the one provided but that is a very minor nitpick. Construction & Quality (1-10) - 9 Nothing to fault. At all. if being very difficult, then I would say only that I wish it uncapped faster than the 3 whole turns it takes. Otherwise the ebonite has been finsihed beautifully. There is no blemish of the pen body and everything just feels solidly and thoughtfully executed. the soft-polish finishing of the ebonite surface is expertly done. When capped, the line between cap and barrel is well nigh invisible as the design intended. This is a luxury item at a non-luxury. A perfect item to gift oneself or someone else who loves well made things in general or pens in particular. Weight & Dimensions (1-10) - 10 Length - 155-156mm capped and 136mm uncapped (about) Weight - 31 gms capped; 20 gms uncapped This is LARGE pen. Currently the largest pen I won (given the wow factor of this one, I wonder how massive the giant variant would look! - a proper 'power pen'). Below is a picture with some of the other pens I won. It is slightly taller and much beefier in girth than other larger sized pens in the ~ 150mm length like the pilot Justus and the penBBS 380/ 456. But, for its size, its incredible light, on account of being made of ebonite and having no metal parts except that small clip. At 31 gms (20 gms uncapped) the weight is very comfortable and would cause no fatigue for long writing sessions. I am been using it continuously since receipt and it has never caused me discomfort. In fact, the girth of the barrel makes it rest very comfortably on the web between my thumb and forefinger (for the same reason, I never found very slender pens too comfortable). 10/10 - I wanted a large impressive pen without the off-putting weight and that's what I got. Nib & Performance (1-10) - 9.5\ ​The supplied nib was, as per my request, a chrome coloured JoWo #6 steel nib. This nib wrote brilliantly out opf the box - like a typical Jowo M, it was a stiff nib, about a 0.7 mm line and very juicy. No problems there. Then I realized I have a spare 21K Sailor rhodium plated Broad (H- nib from an old Pro-Gear pen whose barrel had cracked at the threads a few years back. This nib had been converted to use in Fountain pens accepting Jowo #6 housing by means of a converter-housing from flexiblenibs.com. So I thought I will make my own Ebonite KOP variant! Out went the supplied JoWo nib and housing and in went the Sailor nib in Jowo-compatible housing. My goodness, how smooth this is. I remember this nib was a mighty fine one, but I don't remember if it wrote SO wet and SO smooth in the old sailor pen. It was the smoothest writing experience I ever had - not smooth in the off-putting glassy sense - but in the sense that you fell that you gliding on roller skates over the paper. Maybe the line is a bit too broad and bit too wet for some uses (fast writing, annotations etc.) but I have many mediums and fines and only this and another Japanese broad - so I don't mind. Though I have a feeling part of the extra wetness is basically I had rinsed the nib and feed in photo-flo solution before using (to be investigated further). Filling System & Maintenance (1-10) - 8.5 Nothing fancy here - it came with a cartridge converter and is ebonite with ebonite section threads, hence eyedroppable. I tried the converter. It worked. end of. However, because the Sailor -JoWo compatible adapter housing does not accept CC, I have to use it solely as an eyedroppable pen. There was no o-ring but I had one handy that fit over the section threads and applied some TWSBI silicon grease to the threads as well. It works well with no leak. Cost & Value (1-10) - 10 It is easily worth its asking price and then some. As I remarked earlier - this piece screams bespoke luxury at a very affordable (for a hand made item) price. Conclusion (Final score : 9.4) -An unmitigated masterpiece. This pen can be appreciated both by fountain pen afficianados and even others who just appreciate something made well with care. This was a hit among my colleagues most of whom couldn't care about writing instruments beyond getting the job done. I am already plotting my next order from Ranga!

The Camlin 22 fountain pen I’m reviewing in this post came to me along with a number of other pens, ranging in price and quality, that were provided to me free of charge by Kevin of www.JustWrite.com.au, in return for an impartial review. I’ve previously purchased a few lower-end Indian fountain pens – mostly from (another) Kevin (of Fountain Pen Revolution fame), but this was the first time I’d tried a Camlin pen, and I was keen to see how it would perform. Valued at AU$12.95, this is neither dirt cheap nor especially pricey – but I’ve found it to be a pretty reliable performer, over the few weeks I’ve had it inked up. This is one of those pens I’d hesitate to score out of 10 – for appearance and build quality I’d have to score it lower than some of the other pens I’ve been reviewing, but it has some pretty good selling points too. So I’ll settle for giving you a run-down of the pen, and let you make up your own mind about whether you want to try one out. ______________________________________________________________________ 1. Appearance & Design – A simple, (mostly) no-nonsense pen The Camlin 22 appears to be made out of some kind of plastic or acrylic – it has that faint whiff of I-don’t-know-what that my Noodler’s pens tend to arrive with, though not quite as noticeable. The cap, grip section and barrel are all made of the same coloured plasticky material (mine was black, but they also come in blue, green, red and grey). The top 2½ cm of the barrel is transparent, providing a pretty good ink window – the rest of the pen is opaque. I’m not sure what to make of the cap – the bottom half is surrounded (reinforced?) by a ribbed steel section that will probably protect it against cracking – I just can’t decide whether it enhances or detracts from the overall look of the pen. It blends in well, though, with the chrome accents at the top and bottom of the pen, and the clip (stamped with the brand name, ‘CAMLIN’) is nice and springy – it’ll hold the pen very securely in a shirt or jacket pocket. http://i.imgur.com/5zhi1Bp.jpg … 2. Construction & Quality – Pretty acceptable for a cheaper pen! Though the pen is really not that much to look at, it’s pretty sturdy, and looks like it’ll take a good beating. Given the lowish price point, this is a pen you won’t be worried about using and abusing somewhat – though owing to the large ink capacity, I don’t think I’d be just tossing it into a backpack or handbag! http://i.imgur.com/FPPs1i2.jpg … 3. Weight & Dimensions – Fairly lightweight, but a comfortable fit in the hands Weighing in at 16g uninked, the Camlin 22 is pretty light to carry and wield. At 132mm capped and 116 uncapped, it’s longer than my TWSBI Diamond Mini, but still fits reasonably well in my shirt pockets. I don’t find I need to post the cap to use it comfortably, but the cap WILL post quite securely, and quite deeply too – providing an overall length of 142mm. The grip section is a tad slender (tapering down from 9.5mm to 8.5mm), but I tend to grip it on the threads for the cap – which is around 10.5mm, and very comfortable. … 4. Nib & Performance – Very fine, bordering on extra fine – but glides smoothly enough! The nib is a pretty plain, somewhat squat hunk of stainless steel that tapers to a very fine point – and though it’s notionally a Fine nib, I find it lays a very fine line indeed (which is just fine by me!). Despite the lack of ‘sex appeal’, though, it’s very serviceable. I found it slightly scratchy at first, but was able to smooth it out nicely with some 12000 grit micromesh. It’s a heck of a lot nicer than the Serwex nibs I’ve encountered before, though – those things are horrible! Though I don’t know much about either manufacturer, I’m guessing that Camlin is the better quality of the two all round – it shows in the workmanship of their pens more generally, but especially in the quality and performance of their nibs. This is quite acceptable – though I’m betting that, as with the Serwex 101s I have in my collection, you could easily swap this out for an FPR nib (which you can purchase separately from Fountain Pen Revolution, but they’re also available from JustWrite for Australian customers). The feed appears to be made of ebonite – which makes it even easier to adjust for a replacement nib (by heat setting, and/or additional sculpting) if need be. http://i.imgur.com/cgIfMhF.jpg http://i.imgur.com/WlzF38r.jpg … 5. Filling System & Maintenance – It’s an Eyedropper – what else is there to say? Though I’ve been somewhat wary of eyedropper-filled pens in the past, I’m beginning to appreciate them more and more. They have the advantage of being very easy to fill… and very easy to service. The ink capacity of the Camlin 22 would be around 2ml, which is pretty good compared to a cartridge and/or cartridge converter pen – but still not excessive. The pen can pretty easily be broken down to its constituent parts for cleaning and maintenance – if I were scoring this pen, I’d probably give it a 9 or 10 out of 10 here. … 6. Cost & Value – A pretty decent pen, for not a lot of dough I think Indian fountain pen manufacturers at present are facing some stiff competition from their Chinese counterparts – for around the same price, you could buy something like a Jinhao x450 or x750, both of which are solid brass pens with reasonable nibs… Or the Jinhao 599 which (if you don’t mind its Lamy Safari-style tripod grip) I would say is the nicest pen I’ve got in this price range. But this is a good, serviceable pen, very lightweight and very reliable. http://i.imgur.com/7pRkcpo.jpg … 7. Conclusion All in all, this is a pretty decent pen, for a relatively low price – one of the better lower-end Indian pens that I own. Its one big advantage over the Jinhao pens I’ve referenced is its larger ink capacity – and (probably) the fact that if you don’t like the nib it comes with, it would be very straightforward to swap in an FPR nib, which now come in XF, F, M and broad, as well as Fine Stub and Flex (which may or may not work with this feed). …

It’s nearly 3 years since I reviewed a pen that had (at that time) just arrived on the market – the Fountain Pen Revolution ‘Himalaya’ – and in that time I’ve added a few more to my collection (the number now stands at 5!). It’s one of my favourite low(er) cost fountain pens, it’s elegant looking, it writes well… The one thing I felt could be improved – and I guess I’m not the only one who relayed this to Kevin, the proprietor of FPR – was the size of the nib. As smooth as FPR’s #5.5 nibs are to write with, I just like the look of the larger #6 nibs better. So you can imagine my delight to discover that, in addition to the existing #5.5 nib version of the pen, Kevin was releasing an additional version with #6 nib. I ordered one the moment they went up on the website, and have been using it now for a couple of weeks. Because this is not a brand new design, I’ll try to keep the review a bit shorter – you can find my review of the original version of the Himalaya at https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/313017-the-himalaya-from-fountain-pen-revolution/ (and just to be clear, this version is not going away – it will continue to be produced “as long as there’s continuing demand”. [Disclaimer: though I have received free review pens from FPR in the past, this pen was purchased with my own money – in either case, the views expressed in this review are entirely my own.] ______________________________________________________________________ Appearance & Design Both versions of the Himalaya are now available in two materials (acrylic and ebonite), with multiple colour options. The acrylic versions come in 10 different colours – mine is called ‘Purple Amethyst’; while ebonite versions of the pen are currently restricted to a green/black swirl and a brown/black. Whereas the #5.5 nib version of the pen was only offered with a chrome trim (and this continues to be the case), the #6 sports a gold clip and cap band, and by default comes with a dual-tone (gold and chrome) nib. The swirled acrylic of the Purple Amethyst pen – like the other acrylics I’ve purchased in the old version – is very attractive, with a lovely ‘chatoyance’ that leave you feeling like you’re staring into the depths of the material. I like the slight tapering of the pen towards the top of the cap and the bottom of the barrel, that gives it a more ‘curved’ look – as opposed to the ramrod “straightness” of the FPR Triveni. … Construction & Quality The pen feels sturdy in the hand, is expertly turned, and has no rough patches or visible flaws. My older Himalayas are by now (up to) 3 years old, and none have shown any sign of cracking or discolouring. The clip is sturdy, and is tight enough to hold the pen firmly in a pocket, but springy enough to be flexible. The threads are smooth, making the cap (and barrel) easy to open to pull the pen apart. I have to admit there are a couple of minor ‘blemishes’ as regards the fit and finish of the pen – though for the price, these are understandable, and do little to affect my appreciation of the pen: (1) There was a slight scratch on the metal cap-band when the pen arrived; and (2) The machine marks left in the acrylic by the process of turning the pen have not been fully buffed out. It’s not really noticeable except when the pen is illuminated for photos – but in the strong sunlight (or under my Ott-lamp!) I could see lots of superficial scratching on the surface of the acrylic. [Then again, since I don’t really baby my pens, that wouldn’t have taken long for me to accomplish myself!] I feel compelled to say that I would have preferred this pen with a chrome trim – I like the look better than gold – and I’m told that a chrome version of the larger pen may eventually become available, if there’s high enough demand. I was pleasantly surprised, though, to find that in the hand the gold trim didn’t bother me – and the dual-tone (chrome-edged gold) nib looks really good. … Weight & Dimensions As with its predecessor, I’d classify the new Himalaya as a ‘Medium’ sized pen – though both the grip section and the cap have been extended to accommodate the larger nib. It’s very comfortable in the hand, and long enough to write with either posted or unposted. Lengthwise, the pen is 138mm long capped, 127mm uncapped, and extends to ~165mm when posted (as compared with measurements of 134mm, 121mm, and 152mm for the original pen). It weighs in at 16.7g (10.7g uncapped) – though I expect this would be a little heavier for the ebonite versions. The cap diameter (not including clip) is 14.5mm at its widest point, the barrel diameter sits around 12mm, while the grip section (19mm long) tapers down from 11mm diameter near the cap threads, to 9.5mm at its narrowest… before flaring out at the end to 11mm at the lip. This makes for a very comfortable writing experience – at least in my hands! … Nib & Performance This obviously is the big difference between the original Himalaya and the new version (other than the gold trim). The #6 two tone nib sits against a 6.3mm ebonite feed – both of which can be replaced. Other #6 nibs (JoWo, Bock, Jinhao etc) can easily be swapped in and out – and the ebonite feed can easily be heat set to ensure a close fit. I ordered an Ultra-Flex steel nib, and inked it up with Diamine Robert, a high sheening ink only available at Cult Pens. The slightest pressure causes the tines to split, just marginally, allowing the pen to lay down a rich line of ink – and additional pressure easily produces broader lines. FPR nibs are consistently good (with the possible exception of their 1.0mm stubs, which tend to write like an Extra Broad rather than a stub!), and their Ultra-Flex nibs (I now have 3) are amazing. … Filling System & Maintenance The new Himalaya relies on the same filling system as the old: a push-type piston filling mechanism, similar to (but smaller than) the system Nathan Tardif uses in his Noodler’s Ahab. Its capacity is (I think) around 1 mL – which will run out relatively quickly with a flex nib! – but it can be removed to convert the pen to an eyedropper, allowing for a much larger ink capacity. As I’m aware, it’s not possible to use standard international (or other) cartridges with the pen – but you *can* buy replacement filling mechanisms, if you accidentally drop the original down the sink (don’t ask me how I know this: it should be obvious…). … Cost & Value At US$32 (plus postage, plus extra if you want a B, stub, or flex nib), the #6 Himalaya is very reasonably priced – especially for an acrylic or ebonite pen. The older Himalaya still has a base price of $29, which is equally impressive. The FPR Triveni has jumped significantly in price recently – and in my view is not quite as aesthetically attractive (I own several of these too). The #6 Himalaya, for me, has now become the best pen in FPR’s range. … Conclusion I’ve been a long-time customer of FPR, and am a fan of their customer service – so it would be easy for me to be biased when it comes to their products. For mine, though, this is an excellent pen. It’s not as well “finished” as some of my more expensive pens – but for the price, I think that’s excusable. The Himalaya is attractive, fun to write with, highly serviceable… and in every other way a worthwhile buy. Thanks, Kevin, for listening to customer feedback, and making the #6 option on this pen a reality! …

Hello FPNers, I just received my pens from Fosfor Pens. Wanted to share my first impressions with all of you! This review will not have any ratings. All I can tell you is, I simply love these pieces of art and highly recommend Fosfor Pens... Pen #1: - Parker Duofold style flat top pen with roller clip - Material : Vintage Mazzucchelli Cebloplast - Length : 138 mm capped, 128 mm uncapped, about 170 mm posted - Width : 13.6 mm at the barrel-cap threads - Nib : Jowo steel, Extra Fine The pen is beautiful, just magnificent. You can keep staring at the material, the depth is so amazing. Pictures taken by Manoj- Well, this pen, in a matter of seconds, became one of my favorites. Manoj has cut very smooth triple start threads and the cap takes just 2 turns to disengage from the barrel. It's polished so well. I asked him for a Jowo Steel EF nib and it had feedback, not scratchy, but just feedback. I smoothed it out and it is a joy to write with. It's wet and smooth, but puts down a precise line on the paper. It's a cartridge/converter filling system, but can be used as an eyedropper too. I am not used to writing with Extra Fine and Fine nibs, so I find it a bit difficult to get used to. Pen #2: - Parker Duofold style flat top pen with roller clip - Material : SEM Black Ebonite with Himalayan Cedar inlays on the cap and barrel ends. - Length : 138 mm capped, 128 mm uncapped, about 170 mm posted - Width : 13.6 mm at the barrel-cap threads - Nib : Jowo steel, 1.1 Stub (my all-time favorite) Many may brush aside this beauty thinking this is just another boring black pen...but hold on! There is something interesting, the cap finial and the barrel end have Himalayan Cedar inlaid to them. And the wood looks beautiful, it's a very good contrast. I contemplated about the inlay work, looked at some plastics with interesting patterns, but nothing enticed me more than the organic feel of the wood. But picking the type of wood to use was a challenge, because we have a very small surface area to show the grain. Manoj suggested that we use Himalayan Cedar which has good grain, some yellows, browns, pinks and reds. I am glad to have followed his suggestion. The pen is very beautiful. This has the same triple start threads like the other one has, but the threads don't feel as smooth, may be because it's ebonite. I just put some silicone grease and it helped a bit. Filling system is the same as on the other pen. Pictures taken by Manoj- This pen has my favorite Jowo steel 1.1 Stub nib. Its a great nib, smoothing it a little bit only helped. Usually the 1.1s have a scratchy diagonal upstroke (at least my experience with many of them). So I used some micromesh and it now writes like a dream. Writing Sample: My thanks to Manoj...he is an awesome penmaker, and his patience is remarkable. A lot of care has been taken while polishing, attention to detail is excellent. All my requests to him till now take numerous phone calls and emails, but he has been very patient and is always open to suggestions and challenges. If I could change something, it would be to increase the length of the cap and barrel by a couple of mm, in all make it about 145 mm. Hanging around together- Will post a review of another pen soon. Thanks for reading! Regards, Raghuram.

A few weeks ago I picked up an Airmail/Wality 69eb, marketed as the Airmail Ebo from Fountain Pen Revolution, because I needed some silicone grease and because I wanted to take advantage of FPR's 20 percent off sale. I only paid 16 dollars for this pen, and I have really enjoyed it. It has been a great workhorse these last couple of weeks and has earned a spot amongst my favorites. I really enjoy the pen's styling. Its cigar shape and ebonite body give the pen a vintage feel. Indian pens, specifically the handmade ebonite eyedroppers, have always invoked nostalgia. This pen is no different. The Airmail 69eb is a large, but not oversized pen. Here it is next to a Metropolitan, Al-Star, and Ahab. It is a comfortable pen to use posted or unposted and is very comparable in size to the Ahab, just slightly thinner. I have read mixed things about Wality/Airmail nibs. My nib gives decent feedback but is not at all unpleasant. Sometimes it feels like writing with a nice pencil. Sometimes I enjoy the feedback on a workhorse pen as I am usually writing quickly and the feedback helps keep my writing more legible. The nib is marked "Special Wality, Tipped Fine" It writes a very fine line with Pelikan Royal Blue. The only other eyedropper I have experience with is an Asa I Can and that is a rather wet pen. Royal Blue tends to be a dry ink so I thought it would be a good choice. The Airmail 69eb does not seem to be a very wet writer and with Royal Blue is a great choice on cheap, absorbent paper. I scrubbed the nib and feed before I inked it and I haven't had any flow issues, hard starts, or skipping. It writes a consistent fine or extra-fine line. The build quality of the pen is good. All of the threads are nicely cut, the nib and feed were nicely set, and the clip works fine. Mine has some small fit and finish issues. The cap band extends below the ebonite material of the cap and is fairly sharp. Sometimes it gets caught on my pen case when I try to slip it in and I am afraid it is going to ben and scratch pen's body. Also, the threads, though nicely cut, must have a sharp edge or bur because they gathered some paper towel material when I wiped them. That is really not a big deal because they feel fine on my fingers. Moreover, while I have read that the pen is handmade, the section is not made of ebonite. It has the feel and odor of vegetal resin. I am not sure how much of this pen, if any, is hand turned. It was only 16 dollars. I do wish the section was made of the same ebonite material as the body. Overall, I really like the pen. For 16 dollars, something like the Pilot Metropolitan gets you a pen with nicer fit and finish, a smoother nib, and a lot less character. I really enjoy Indian pens. Perhaps it is an unfair association, but they evoke feelings of nostalgia and adventure. I bet Indiana Jones used something like the Airmail 69eb to document his travels *This is my first pen review. I apologize for the bad picture quality and the sloppy handwriting.*

A few weeks ago on "Fountain Pen Pals India" whatsapp group (which I am a part of), fellow FPN'er Sulagno (@inkstruck) enquired about the possibility of getting a pen made to a certain flush rounded ends design. What followed were a bunch of design ideas from (fellow FPNers in the group) Sulagno (@inkstruck), Vaibhav (@mehandiratta), Pradeep (@pdg84) and Mr. Subramaniam of ASA pens. Vaibhav transferred the design ideas into a CAD illustration and thus the ASA Porus design was born. Mr. Subramaniam of ASA (NAYY) was very happy with the outcome and immediately set out to build a few initial models of the pen. In less than a week the pens were built and delivered. The ASA Porus is a large acrylic pen which comes in 2 flavours. 1. Flush design - where cap and barrel are flush. 2. Step design - there is a step down where the cap and barrel meet. With this model, ASA pen has exceeded all the high expectations that were set by the group. The pen is now on sale at on the ASA pen site here: ASA Porus (NAYY) I chose the flush design and that is what I will be reviewing today. Flush cap and barrel - no clip: 40 mm Ambitious gold plated nib: Beautiful white acrylic cap and barrel. Close up of the "M" grade 40 mm Ambitious nib. The feed, the nib is not too deeply set, this is to my liking. Inside of the barrel, thick barrel walls. The nib and feed properly set: Porus with Lamy Safari: And finally, a writing sample. Ink used is Bril Royal Blue. Paper: 100 GSM JK Cedar. The section is large but is very comfortable to hold. The acrylic material is beautiful, white and feels soft to touch. The 40mm nib does it job of being a nice wet writer. It is a big pen, but the feel is brilliant. Very well balanced. This is the most beautiful fountain pen in my small but quickly expanding collection. Kudos to Mr. Subramaniam of ASA pens of contributing to the design and being kind enough to actually see it to fruition. This I think is a first in the Indian fountain pen industry scene where a group of fountain pen enthusiasts designed a pen and ASA (a FP company) delivered all in a span of 2 weeks

Hello everyone, Today I'm going to review another piece of beauty from Kanwrite, the family stationary business house from Kanpur, UP, one of the front runner in furthering the cause for quality Indian fountain pens at affordable prices. Their latest offering is the Kanwrite Desire, a 3-in-1 filling system pen at less than 500 INR (less than $10). My previous review of Kanwrite heritage, an affordable piston filler is here. Mr. Sandip Awasthi, who presently runs the operations, is one business magnet who actually is very friendly towards his customer's opinions and feedback. The CAB material of Heritage was stirring up some mixed reviews and acceptance. So, the Indian fountain pen lovers from a few whatsapp groups, urged him to look for acrylic, ABS plastic and ebonite as material for his great offerings. The kanwrite nibs have already revolutionized Indian fountain pen scenario by virtue of their consistency and tip variety, and I felt his pen designs have great potential as well. So he has presented us with molded acrylic design for the first time in Kanwrite Desire and soon we expect him to offer this material across all his models. Just a bit about CAB and the molded acrylic material- CAB is "Cellulose acetate butyrate" , more softer, ink and environment friendly, durable, less prone to crack, but has funny smell and can attract scratches far easily. On the other hand, in Acrylic- polish and finish is better,there is no smell, surface colour finish is more symmetrical and it is far resistant to scratches. 1. Appearance & Design: The Desire is a classic cigar shaped pen, with slight tapering towards both top and bottom ends. Both the ends are rounded. It is a simple design with great feel in hand. The cap has a rounded dome shaped finial at the top, chrome coloured clip and two chrome rings of about 1 mm width separated by about 2 mm distance at the bottom end. There is minute gap between the finial and body of cap, accommodating the ring of the clip. The clip descents straight for about 12 mm from the junction of finial and cap body, then curves outward, ultimately curving back and touching the cap again. This design makes the clip sturdy and springy. I personally would have liked a straight clip. Kanwrite is written on the clip, though I didn't like the plain font. No other branding on body or cap. The polish on both the CAB version and the molded acrylic model is good, but as explained above, when compared side by side the acrylic one appears more attractive. The cap is a screw-on cap, takes about two and half turns to open. The section is 27 mm. long, smooth tapering towards the nib, with a #5.5 chrome nib attached to it. The cap threads don't bother during gripping the section, unless one grips pretty high up. The pens come in a paper box, which reminds me of my school days. I would suggest Mr. Sandip to think of a bit better boxes as the pen itself is great for both students and professional users. Kanwrite Desire- The brown swirl is CAB and Black one is molded acrylic, side by side the black appears more attractive 2. Construction & Quality: The construction is very good. These pens are available in both CAB and molded acrylic, both material appears sturdy. The polish is very good on both the models. Variety of colours are available, both single colours and attractive combination of swirls. The nib is very good quality screw-in kanwrite nib unit, which is reliable for giving out of the box good performance. As of now, this model is available with 'M' nibs by default, but all nib grades like F, B, BB, F flex, M flex, B flex, M stub, B stub etc are available as extra nib units with Mr. Sandip, at some extra cost . These nibs can be easily swapped with similar sized Kanwrite or other nibs, though I haven't given it a try. There is some simple design engraved on the nib along with the word 'Kanwrite' and a logo, which again may be improved further. As such the nib looks great. The trim quality is very good and extensive use with sweaty hands haven't induced discolouration or rusting in my Kanwrite pens. Kanwrite seem to have solved the problem of good trims in Indian pens to a great extent. I wish them all the best in achieving further improvements in their designs and material. For a sub 500 rs. pen, this pen exudes great quality. All threads works perfectly, without any tightness or loosening. The caps, look for the curved clip design and end rings 3. Filling System & Maintenance: This is a 3-in-1 pen, one can use the converter, international cartridges or use it as simple eye-dropper. The converter supplied with the pen is a piston converter,similar to the ones coming with Jinhao pens. It is a bit of disappointment by its appearance, though works fine and when we consider the unit price, its the only possible way. The is no leakage or difficulty while using the plunger. There is even a small spring inside the converter to break surface tension of ink. As an eyedropper, I didn't encounter any leakage in my two pens. The nib and feed can easily be pulled out. Cleaning this pen is very easy. Filling syatem 4. Weight & Dimensions: The dimensions are as follows Length capped: 140 mm. Length uncapped: 128 mm Length without nib : 110 mm nib length: 18 mm. cap length : 67 mm Length posted: 160 mm Section diameter : 10 mm-8.5 mm gentle tapering Weight: 20 gram un-inked This is very lightweight pen. Balance is good both posted and without posting. Comparison with lamy Safari, capped Comparison with lamy safari, posted 5. Nib & Performance: Kanwrite nibs are very good performer. The tipping is very good and most of the time they perform well & smooth out of the box. On the few instances when meshwork was needed, only minute adjustments produced excellent performance. I have never encountered flow related issues in kanwrite nib-feed combo. They are wet writers, but the flow is superbly regulated. Its not an overstatement to say that one can buy Kanwrite pens just for their nibs. Most kanwrite nibs have a bit of feedback, which is again their specialty. If you have used their nibs for sometime, you can actually detect their characteristics even with closed eyes, just from the tactile sensations. 6. Cost & Value: This pen cost rs 350 (about $5), but if you are looking for the same flashiness of a $5 Chinese pen, you'll be disappointed. This is a simple quality product that will last long, give you great performance with extensive rough usage and a reliability in nib performance unmatched by most makers. 7. Conclusion: The Desire is an entry level pen with great potential and performance. The design is simple but elegant, the looks are attractive, the nib is standard kanwrite quality. Its not some flashy cheap pen only for the students, It is quality product at an affordable price. This pen has the potential to entice all fountain pen lovers with its simplicity and VFM nature. Its very much 'Desirable'. What I expect: This same design would be executed with better materials like premium acrylics, premium ebonite rods etc. The price may go up according to the material, but there is potential in this model to do better. One thing about Kanwrite ethics: It is one of the most reputed companies when it comes to business ethics. They never market the products they manufacture for Noodlers or other companies as OEM makers, not even as personal gifts to friends. Even if there is no such agreement preventing them from such sales among friend circles, by virtue of ethics, they don't. They don't increase price just because a product is selling well in the market. Disclaimer: I bought both the pens as I liked them, and even paid for the shipping amount twice, as the acrylic version came out a few weeks after the CAB version. I review Indian pens out of my weakness for these, and I don't get any favor whatsoever for reviewing these. My taste may not be similar to other members, and some may not concur with my views. Everyone is welcome to give genuine feedback about their own experiences with these pens. Contacts: Whatsapp no Rohit Chaurasia +91 7309034825 Amazon link: Kanwrite Website (no purchase link) : Kanwrite