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Recently visited Pens Point, a pen store in New Delhi, India, more known perhaps for the handmade fountain pens it markets under the brand Delmoon. Got a Sheaffer Fashion II, as in the 2nd edition of the Fashion line offered by Sheaffer, manufactured in the United States of America through the 1990s. In fact, this is the first and only Sheaffer pen that I have from that period till now. This probably also ranks among the last Sheaffer pens to be manufactured in the US before the production units in Hong Kong took over. It’s splitting hairs but it might be the smoothest medium steel nib Sheaffer I have come to own till date. This one probably takes the cake not only because of the sweet spot but more because of the lack of almost any feedback whatsoever. Performance wise, there are absolutely no issues so far, save for it being too smooth a medium nib for the writing to be controlled sometimes! This unit has a slightly loose clip on the cap, but these issues can be expected from used pens. So, I am definitely not looking forward to wearing it clipped to my shirt. It’s a 1990s production as I stated earlier, so probably attracts the debate as to whether it would qualify as a true vintage – I mean, I have lived longer than this pen has been in existence. Playing around with it for a visual review here.

This is not sponsored or compensated in any way, I am just very happy with the great service provided by Yasukazu Hagiwara of Tokyo Pen Shop Quill (Asahiyakami Bunguten Co. Ltd). He responded quickly to my emails about what his store carried, prices, shipping costs, and several other questions I had. He also shipped my order very quickly and it was incredibly well packed, so everything inside was in perfect condition. I have never been so impressed with any seller of anything as I have been with Tokyo Pen Shop Quill.

This is my review of a new, currently produced Onoto Magna Classic Rosso fountain pen, with a broad 18K nib. First, some photos of what I'm talking about. (1) Onoto gives you a choice of box for your new pen, either a "high gloss lacquered presentation box" or a "leather pen roll with a leatherette box." I chose the former, which is pictured here: The lacquered box is quite attractive and solid and comes in the cardboard box. When one unwraps everything and opens the wood box, here is what you get (I don't show the polishing cloth, but one comes inside a glossy cardboard holder): The blue "Onoto" ribbon actually is on the outside of the black cardboard box's paper wrapping, so the effect is that of a fancy gift. Next, here are photos of the pen itself: I ordered this pen with only two extra-cost options; I got the 18K nib (in broad width), which cost $209.16, and the "extra weight" option (shown in the photo looking into the barrel; the brass insert), which cost $20.92. Other options available are: (a) nib modification to stub, italic, or other ($87) ; (b) customized engraving ($40.67) ; (c) an additional rollerball conversion kit ($87.15) ; or (d) a plunger-fill converter ($290.50), which you can't get with the extra weight option (that special converter won't fit). The base price of the pen with a bi-color steel nib in either F, M, or B is $463.63. These costs reflect the exchange rate between Pound and Dollar at the time of the order in January. According to the Onoto website page for this pen, the following are the important measurements: Length capped: 127mm = 5.0" Length posted, including nib: 166mm = 6.535" Length of cap: 67mm = 2.638" Barrel Diameter range: 11 - 13.2mm = 0.433" - 0.52" Cap Diameter range: 14 - 15.8mm = 0.55" - 0.622" Weight: 25g (standard) or 32g (with extra weight option) Cap Weight alone: 13g The cost of shipping from the U.K. to Baltimore was approximately $25 (19.99 pounds), using today's exchange rate. So, this is an expensive pen, and many of you justifiably will want to compare it's value with that of it closest competitors. I'll leave that exercise to you all. In the meantime, here are my relatively early impressions of this pen: The 18K broad nib is two-toned. It writes with a medium-to-broad stroke and is on the firmer side, but is by no means a "nail." In fact, it writes with a silky smoothness, gliding across nice paper in a satisfying way. Depending on how you write, but considering how I write, there was some subtle shading in the various strokes of the pen. I provide a writing sample a bit lower here. The cap takes about 4-5 turns to remove and relocate on the barrel. For some, that is too many turns, and I'm inclined to agree, but for me this issue is minor. The cap can be posted quite easily and sits securely on the end of the barrel. I don't generally post my caps, and on this pen I see no reason to with this pen. As this pen has the extra weight option in which a brass (or other metal) cylinder is inserted into the barrel, this pen could not be purchased with the plunger-filler converter option. I purchased the pen with the standard twist converter, as shown. I filled the pen in the typical manner, and it wrote immediately and smoothly. I have been writing with it every day for 3 weeks, and I have not had any hard starts or skips. The pen writes beautifully. The resin body and cap feel warm and solid. The color is a bright red and is quite beautiful to my eyes. The ink being used in this pen is Private Reserve Black Cherry. Here is a writing sample: I am happy that I purchased this pen. I welcome any comments or questions you may have about it.

Posted a review video for the Kanwrite Desire Marble Red (dual tone steel #6 medium nib with gold plated trims on the cap) on Youtube, available here. You may find the featured pen here: for purchasing in Indian Rupees / for purchasing in US Dollars. A special mention of the ink I use for the writing sample: Sulekha Selam 21. It is a tribute from Sulekha to commemorate the occasion of 21st February, which is observed by UNESCO as the International Mother Language Day to honour the martyrs of this day in 1952 among the student demonstrators of the University of Dacca (now University of Dhaka) who were protesting against policies imposing Urdu as the lingua franca in the Bengali-speaking majority East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). You may find the ink here.

Posted a review video for the Kanwrite Desire Marble Red (dual tone steel #6 medium nib with gold plated trims on the cap) on Youtube, available here. You may find the featured pen here: for purchasing in Indian Rupees / for purchasing in US Dollars. A special mention of the ink I use for the writing sample: Sulekha Selam 21. It is a tribute from Sulekha to commemorate the occasion of 21st February, which is observed by UNESCO as the International Mother Language Day to honour the martyrs of this day in 1952 among the student demonstrators of the University of Dacca (now University of Dhaka) who were protesting against policies imposing Urdu as the lingua franca in the Bengali-speaking majority East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). You may find the ink here.

Posted a review video for the Kanwrite Heritage Marble Swirl (dual tone steel no. 6 medium nib with gold plated trims on the cap and barrels) on Youtube, available here. You may find the featured pen here: for purchasing in Indian Rupees / for purchase in US Dollars. You may find the ink featured here. Part 2 of this video reviewing the Kanwrite Desire Marble Red I bought along with this to be out soon.

Posted a review video for the Kanwrite Heritage Marble Swirl (dual tone steel #6 medium nib with gold plated trims on the cap and barrels) on Youtube, available here. You may find the featured pen here: for purchasing in Indian Rupees / for purchase in US Dollars. You may find the ink featured here. Part 2 of this video reviewing the Kanwrite Desire Marble Red I bought along with this to be out soon.

I have recently purchased a Vazir Patriot 4 from their website. For those who are not acquainted with Vazir, it is a handmade fountain pen brand from India. As the name of the pen suggests, there have been three preceding versions of the Vazir Patriot, all of whose design elements have alluded to the Indian Tricolour flag. The Patriot 4 is no exception, but with an added point of distinction that it is a limited edition of 75 units only - commemorating 75 years of Indian independence from British colonial rule. The pen I purchased sports a Schmidt no. 5 medium gold-plated steel nib, but also comes in fine and broad nib variants. The website offers the pen at INR 3000/- (for those who would purchase it with Indian currency) / USD 42. I have recently posted a full review video of the pen on my Youtube channel, which can be viewed here. (Image credit: http://www.vazirfountainpens.com/product-page/vazir-patriot-4-0 https://www.vazirfountainpens.co.in/product-page/vazir-patriot-4)

I recently found an OMAS Ogiva Alba on Ebay for a pretty good price, and considering the rumors that OMAS was closing its doors, I decided to get this beautiful pen. I made a video review of the Alba that you can watch here: https://youtu.be/Qb4Z_A2cDC8 Packaging OMAS does a very good job with their packaging. This is the first thing that the customer interacts with, and I'm convinced that impressive packaging makes a strong first impression. That is certainly the case with this pen. The pen comes in a large, heavy coffin-style box. Pulling off the top of the box reveals the pen in a suede pouch, comfortably holding the writing instrument. Initial Impressions Wow. I had always assumed that the Ogiva Alba was a small pen, but I was definitely wrong. Not only is it long, but its also quite girthy. The pen feels substantial in my hand, and the ribbed body feels comfortable. The Body The body of the pen is made of a purple cotton resin. It feels and looks great to the touch, but also remains fairly light. Those people that associate heft with quality might feel let down, but I personally find the pen to have a demanding size and shape. This particular mode comes in several colors and they're all demonstrators. Being a dark color, the purple version makes it harder to see the innards of the pen. The Cap The cap screws on to the section securely and smoothly. OMAS is famous for its tight tolerances and smooth threads, and now I see why. The cap has a silver-colored clip with the OMAS wheel on it. This allows the pen to slide in and out of a pocket. I like this feature. The Filling Mechanism The Alba uses a piston mechanism to fill its massive reservoir. Keeping in mind that I had received my pen second-hand, the piston mechanism was smooth, but not as smooth as my Pelikan or even Lamy 2000. I could probably fix this with a bit of lube. The Section The section is made of the same cotton resin as the body of the pen with a thin, silver band near the edge. It feels great in the hands, and the threads don't bother me when I write. The Nib This is where the pen gets interesting. My pen came with a broad nib, and apparently broad means stub to OMAS. This pen is a true joy to write with! After I filled the purple pen with some Mont Blanc Lavender and started writing, the nib glided over the smooth Clairefontain paper with ease and grace, and the ink flowed out with perfect precision. It really is a joy to write with. I personally love very wet nibs, and this is now my wettest nib taking a rating around 9 out of 10 on the wetness chart. Summary Overall, the OMAS Ogiva Alba with a broad 18k nib truly is a wonderful pen! Not only does it have the looks and precious hand-feel, but it also writes amazingly well. What do others think? I know that OMAS also

*comes in a 3 oz glass bottle * it's definitely pink *more of a blue-pink than an orange-pink (the third photo looks the most accurate to me, but your monitor may show it differently) *dries pretty fast, under 5 seconds *highlights over a variety of inks without smearing *not water resistant (that's not a surprise!) The first sheet is the 32 lb HP laser paper - the only part that really shows (obviously) is where I shot the paper with a syringe full of ink! The second sheet is cheap 20 lb copy paper, and I (personally) wouldn't have any trouble highlighting on both sides of the paper. You can see it a bit, but it's really not bad at all.

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.

Has anyone tried CX Made ink, and if so what was your experience with it?

If you've been around fountain pens for a while, chances are you know about Kanwrite. At the risk of repeating myself... Again, let me repeat the intro that I said about my review of the Kanwrite PC. "Kanwrite or Kanpur Writers is one of the most popular pen companies in India and outside (If you've used a Noodler's pen, Chances are high that it may be made by Kanwrite...). Though their Desire and heritage have stolen the show for most of us, there are a few hidden gems in the brand..." One of which is the Relik, which is the only hooded nib pen in Kanwrite's lineup. And for about ₹350/- INR when bought directly from Kanwrite, just like other Kanwrite budget pens, it's a solid knock-around everyday carry pen. So without any further ado, Let's crack on... Design and Build Design wise, it's a classic design which harks back to the old reform piston filler pens of the 60's and 70's, and almost identical to the PC. Honestly, if I place a PC and a Relik side-by-side capped, and ask you to tell which one is which without touching them, you'd be hard pressed to notice any difference between them. It's when you open the difference becomes apparent. The hood over the nib is the main differentiator between the PC and the Relik, You can swap the parts like the converter, Body and the cap between the two and they'll fit perfectly. But design wise, It's a handsome fella. (Note: the standard relik comes with a gold plated nib however I dropped it nib down and bent the tines. since then I replaced it with a non plated nib, so some of the photos will contain the a silver nib on a gold trimmed pen... My bad) As far as the build, the cap is made of metal and has a slight texture to it, the body is made of plastic which is very durable. Easily able to handle drops without issues, and surprisingly scratch resistant. It does smell. But not a lot and you'll barely notice it after a week or so. The pen comes with a hooded nib which looks similar to pens like the Camlin 47 and the Airmail/Wality 77. It uses a No.00 nib and an ebonite feed housed in a plastic sleeve which is then slid inside the grip section. reassembly can be fiddly, as the sleeve is like a gear with a million billion teeth and to get the assembly just right takes some trial and error. Also a thing to note while cleaning the pen, the sleeve is fairly fragile so be careful when reassembling the feed. Don't just jam it in there with all the frustration of your last breakup or else the sleeve will be the next thing you'll break up (Poor joke... I know...). Because of the hooded design, you can leave the pen for more than an hour, and it won't dry up. So that's the reliability box ticked for the Relik. The pen accepts a converter which is a screw in type and it smells... like more than I expected... Luckily, the barrel has enough threads that makes it a perfect candidate for eyedropper conversion, but air-tight enough that it seals the smell off... As for the size comparisons, from top to bottom: 1. Kanwrite Relik 2. Beena Lincoln 3. Parker Vector CT Standard 4. Jinhao X450 One thing though, and it happened to my PC and the Relik, the plastic of the converter becomes yellowed when using Bril black ink, tough it does not seem an issue with the other inks that I use, which includes other Bril inks. It does not affect writing though. Speaking of which... Ergonomics, Writing and Final Verdict The ergonomics are fairly good. If you use a Gel or Ballpoint before, you'll feel right at home, plus the hooded nib design means you can hold it very close to the nib, if you're an imbecile like me and hold the pen according to the mood I'm in, this is a very good pen to write. Plus because of it's light weight, it's comfortable to use for long writing sessions. Posting it gives it that little bit more heft that in my opinion, adds to the overall writing experience. As for the writing, It's a typical Kanwrite fine nib. Smooth for the most part with a hint of feedback that is noticeable but not unpleasant. You really feel you're writing something, which I prefer over a nib that writes like writing on glass, as my hand tends to go out of control faster than when a fish slips out of the hand the moment you catch it out of the water. Wetness and flow is more than adequate enough, but not so much that it makes the ink feather and make the writing a bunch of squiggly lines on cheap copier paper. Flow keeps up with even the fastest of writing that I can manage and over long writings, the pen doesn't break a sweat. Overall, as a final verdict, This is a solid option if you are considering a hooded knock around EDC pen that is both durable and good to write with. Honestly these Kanwrite offerings doesn't leave me with anything to say that I haven't said before. For the price that you buy from Kanwrite directly, it's a great value and an excellent beginner pen. PS: Note that the min. order value for ordering from Kanwrite directly is ₹500/- INR (you can order by contacting them via Whatsapp). So I'd suggest you buy and Apex (Review of which you can see by clicking here) and some spare No.00 nibs as well just in case. Trust me, you won't regret it. That's all from me, and I'll catch you all next time

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.

Nice ink from Kerala, India. https://krishnainks.com/ Apologies for the poor handwriting, and wrong name in the review.

Greetings All, Pardon the sloppiness (and embarrassing typos everywhere, even the first word ), but I wanted to get out this review as soon as possible because I'm so excited about this pen. I've had a lot of bad luck with Chinese pens (Hero's have been anything but my hero), but so far no Jinhao nib has ever failed me and their quality seems to be getting even better. Here are my comments and some writings samples about the new Jinhao 992. It's currently available in all colors on Ebay and probably places like Aliexpress as well. Writing sample on a cheap little notepad: Final Run-down Pros: - Quality construction - Superb converter that holds a good amount of ink - Toothless smooth nib - Flawless flow - Nib and feed easily removable for thorough cleaning (perfect for using those troublesome yet beautiful Noodler's inks) - Lightweight - Cap posts well (no slipping or popping off) - Screw on cap - Great color selection - The price! Cons: - Unbalanced when posted - Might be too small for larger hands when not posted [Addendum: Some pictures from the seller I bought from...]

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 recently splurged on the beautiful refillable notebook from Endless, with their proprietary Regalia paper. The package arrived yesterday and I have tried out a few sample inks on it to see how they behave. Firstly, the quality of the product is incredible. The leather is supple and feels really. I love the blue color that I chose... it leans slightly teal and is beautiful in touch. It came with a dot grid notebook that goes inside with their Regalia paper. I feel the notebook could have been a bit thicker.... however, once nested inside, the entire thing has sufficient heft. You also have the provision to hold upto 3 notebooks, so maybe I'll add one with a different style, do a DIY with watercolor paper for my urban sketching. Now, onto the paper. It felt slightly toothy (in a good way), very smooth and has a slight sheen from certain angles. Being 80 gsm, its thick enough that I did not see even a hint of ghosting, but that's also based on very limited trials right now,, with any old nib I had lying around. Where it shines, is the sheen!! All my inks looked incredible on it. It just makes their colors pop, and the sheen and shading stand out. Here are some quick, unprofessional pics where I tried to capture the sheening as best as I could

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

Introduction and Elephant in the Room KWZ inks at this point don’t really need an introduction of themselves so all I can say is about page on KWZ website is the best friend here. Bottle is dark glass bottle, good for inks. Now to elephant and well there are 2 different things that I noticed here, First the ink comes in a plastic wrap around the bottle, nice touch really as this prevent many issues that can arise. Second, is entire ink smells like vanilla and that was nice (typical of KWZ)....it made me want to eat ice-cream though so that’s bad. Jokes aside I can see some real practical benefit of inks condition and easy to spot any issue in ink if it arises (by smell) and that is a big plus for many. Each ink is handmade as mentioned by KWZ and might have some variations in them, take it as may that is a what it is. Variation are understandable if on asks me and I don’t think there will be any change in base formula or nature of ink, as comparison lets take processors, there is difference in each processors wafers when made and this has no real impact on processor itself but if you are overclocking the processor then it matters not for normal case. In short for most part, there should not be enough difference in actual ink nature of ink itself and that is the goal of this analysis. Ink review section Test papers include 75gsm sectra copy paper 70gsm and 85gsm nightingale paper 52gsm classmate copy paper (dot bleeds at end seen) 100gsm JK Cedar bond papers. Random books back sides and some unknown real cheap papers (slight bleed on cheap ones). Ink properties Bleeding/Ghosting – very slight on cheap papers. Feathering – None observed. Saturation – Good. Flow – Wet ink. Dry time – 5 sec to 20 sec approx. This above is when ink has been given 1 hrs to dry before pics were taken 10 day dry time has been given to ink. The color came out to be remarkably what it really is, very dark blue-black almost black in color. As with all the pea shooter phone camera at full works. This will serve as 1st case of testing, more below on that. Water Resistance – Very High. Although the dye tends to bleed out of page, content survive just fine and colour mostly. this is 10 day dry time given paper 1 min tap run, page has not been given time to dry but cloth was used to try removing ink using as soak for water and not rubbed. Pressed with cloth. The square lines have been soaked for 2 hrs in water and then crushed with dry cloth in attempt to remove ink. Color in these 3rd images is way off the mark, its little darker and paper is white, but dye loss is visible and that was intent, sadly due to nature of test its not possible to recreate the colors if one wants to I will perform another one but results will take 10 days at min...cos well 10 day time The ink is wet writer but very well behaved, I did not find any running issue even on wet pens of mine but all nibs I use are Fine ones so there is that, but I don’t think it will give trouble on this front. It does show very small bleed on cheap papers (in my experiment, the paper with bleed were some random 40 ish GSM pages which are very absorbent in nature and on 52 GSM classmate copy paper which showed dot bleeds) All in all a normal paper will not have any issue including copy pages. Cleaning well........will require hard work and regular interval is suggested as with all permanent inks. Ink is very dark blue-black and is on edge of black over blue. The beauty lies in it being blue at start and then quickly darkening to blue-black with inclination to blue for first 2 hrs or so while the real dark blue-black color takes another 2 days to fully show. No significant change after this.....yet. Personal take This ink has been on many people hit list and for obvious reasons of being liked in color and being an IG ink which also raises many questions on maintenance of ink and its general oxidization over time and this comes especially true for people like me who are burned by Sallix if I may be so bold as to say. While sallix tends to show signs of losing color this one it too early to say what changes will be. The main highlight for me was that it will darken as age, now I don’t think it will become black from already very dark, almost black color, but I hope to see it darker then sallix as it ages, The ink on box shows blue black and I suspect that is the final color of the ink (after properly oxidized). Lubrication is good, the last part of multiple pen test was left here and oliver used has some issues during testing. Dried ink for 1 hrs. 7 day dry for same page. below part of page came a bit wrong.....thanks pea camera lol.... This page will serve as second case. (more below about case). Reasoning behind other post of same ink Now begins the game of waiting and real reason to separate this post from other Blue black IG. Over the concern for IG ageing in time in current environment and uses, plus paper and well general skepticism of IG ink fade over time faster then most What I intend to do is simple, record the way the ink changes its color over the course of entire year with the way paper would be normally handled in normal situation. The tests will have 3 categories planned for testing on how the page is kept First- this is one where the page will not be used for any reference and will be opened for bare minimum like taking pics and observing the ink, but paper will lie outside shelf and wardrobe making it exposed to all weather paper might suffer. Second- Same as above but stored in wardrobe. Third-one small page will always be exposed to light of room and daylight abid diffused one to see general nature of inks movement. Possible due to east facing room with complete open windows, attempting to recreate a well naturally lit room. Fourth-Page opened and referred often to as notes, these are my geography notes. The first page of this will be posted along with others later. Oh and this is kept outside wardrobe...cos well its in constant use and I am too lazy. this is third case test page.

AHBIMANYU GRAND – [this is the summary of the first review I will publish on the channel I am building for YouTube – “Ach Pens”] Since elementary school I have been interested in fountain pens (how they are designed, how their filling systems work, how they write and their history). And my interest led me, a few years ago, to the Indian Pens Ranga. The meeting took place before they were internationally recognized, by a large number of specialists and pen stores, as excellent writing instruments with unbelievable cost-effectiveness. My Ranga collection incorporates, at this moment, 26 pens and is always growing. I prefer the Ranga Ebonite pens (noble material, made of vulcanized rubber, also used in mouthpieces for saxophones and clarinets). But I also have a few Rangas made of acrylic material, very beautiful. I say that I have a collection because I have Rangas made according to all the models available from the Ranga factory and I ended up buying Rangas that duplicate pens that I already have, just because they are in beautiful different colors… Please note that I write with all my pens (as my friend Alan Machado advises); one at a time (of course), in turns….! The Ranga pen that I chose to talk about today is the "Abhimanyu Grand", which is the giant version of the Ranga Abhimanyu model. And yes, it's a big pen... There are other Ranga models that I like as much as the Abhimanyu. However, as I said before, I write with all my pens, and the Grand couldn't escape that rule. And I'm glad that I didn't put it aside for another opportunity – what a pen! Let me tell you that all Rangas are handcrafted on lathes by experienced craftsmen with a long pen-making history — and you can feel the art as soon as you get hold, and start handling and using any of them. To me that is something of extra value and beauty! Back to the Grand. I believed that a big fat pen like that would be uncomfortable in my average-sized hands. I was wrong! The pen LOOKS big and fat, but it's perfect in the hand. And it writes beautifully thanks precisely to its excellent ergonomics! At the end of the writing exercise, I didn't want to say “see you later”, as the Grand is an example of a perfect marriage between beauty and function. Filling, cleaning and maintaining the Grand is a breeze. Its parts (cap, section and body) fit together perfectly well. Complementing the ebonite boby of the pen, I chose to equip it with a fine-tipped Jowo #6 steel nib and a filling system via a cartridge or international converter. The pen can also be filled by using a dropper, allowing the tighten body to carry a much larger amount of ink. But now comes the most important question in an appraisal: how was the performance? Well, as the saying goes, “the proof of the pudding is in the eating”, and let me say that the Ranga Abhimanyu Grand “tastes” beautifully and it is now one of my few Holly Grails. The weight of the pen, the comfort of the section (that part that give support to the fingers), and the shape of the body are perfect and help one to write with the Grand for a long time, without getting tired. In fact, I'm going to anticipate the pen's place in the shift queue because I can't wait for it to be your turn again to write my daily lines… Fit&Finish, Design&Ergonomics are all TENS. This pen is a gem! But wait! There's more: Ranga pens come packaged in a beautiful case, which is in turn wrapped in a hand-sewn cloth. And the recipient's name and address are handwritten on the wrapping cloth. What a charming greeting! To find out more about Rangas and their prices, one may contact the website [https://rangapens.com/] or write directly to Mr. Kandan M. P. [mpkandan@yahoo.co.in] In conclusion, I really don't know how quality, mass-produced, pens can compete with Ranga pens. It's almost a miracle that Ranga Pens can make and deliver such a superior product for such a reasonable price (in most cases, around $90.00). And at Ranga Pens they work fast: customers are always surprised to receive their pens sooner than expected!

I received a pen from Birmingham Pen Company today. It is the "Ironsides" Model-C with a "Raven" clip. The clip has the black ceramic coating used on their "Raven" model. I ordered mine with a Nemosine 0.6 stub. Ordering: It took about three weeks to receive the pen from the time of order. Birmingham Pens is a small family-owned and operated company. They make their pens in small batches to fulfill orders as they come in. Receiving: The pen came with a certificate of authenticity and serial number. The pen arrived securely packed in an attractive box a postcard, the certificate, and a note from Nick. Fit and Finish: The pen is hefty. It has a satin finish that suits the material. It is cigar-shaped and has simple, clean lines. The black clip contrasts nicely with the silver gray finish. The photos of this pen on the Birmingham website look like there is a greenish color cast. The pen is more like silver-gray color in real life. There is the option of "Raven" or satin steel for the clip material, and it is possible to change the clip after purchase, so it is not a big commitment. The pen feels like a precision instrument. The threaded components almost spin together or apart once loosened for assembly or disassembly. The cap does not post securely (I did not press it hard on the pen), but I don't post my pens. The size and weight of the pen un-posted made it feel comfortable in my hand. Writing Experience: It is a weighty pen. If you like lightweight pens, this is not the one for you. So far, I have written on Leuchturm 1917 and cheap computer paper (in the photos). The Nemosine 0.6 stub is the perfect thickness for my writing. The nib had a lot of feedback on the Leuchturm with an audible sound but has not caught on paper. It felt more like a cursive italic nib, but that's alright. Hopefully, it will smooth out a bit with use. I am using Platinum Cassis Black in the photos. Nemosine 0.6 stub with Platinum Cassis Black on printer paper Conclusion: I am happy with this pen and think it is a good value. It just feels like a high-quality, precision machined pen. I like supporting small companies that make great products. I have not tried their ink yet, but have some on order, and I am looking forward to giving it a go and doing more business with https://www.birminghampens.com/

SCRIBO FEEL I should begin this review by acknowledging the elephant in the room; I was (and still am) an Omas fan. There are two aspects of Omas that I really enjoy. The first, most practical, is the nibs. They are truly in a class of their own, right up with custom work I’ve had the pleasure to receive from Oxonian. They just suit my hand and my writing “style.” The second aspect is the relatively small company behind them. I never really got into the fancy pens produced during the LVMH years, though I understand why a small company had to make the decisions it did. But Omas always produced a line of relatively affordable and beautifully crafted pens. So when considering what might make for a “new Omas” I was looking for great nibs and the sense of a small company/workshop; who doesn’t love the romance of a pen made by an atelier in Bologna, just round the corner from the oldest university in Europe? So it’s fair to say I have been a little hesitant to explore some of the claimants to the Omas crown. They either were producing different nibs or were aiming to create companies that would fill the same space in the market and allude to their Italian roots, sometimes when their claim to being related in any real way to Omas was perhaps a little thin. For example, I am not completely sure that simply using the same body materials really establishes a line of descent. Scribo (Scrittura Bolognese) was created by folk who actually worked at Omas. They claimed to be using the same nib manufacturing jigs used for Omas, and they certainly count as a small atelier. The central team is Luca, Elena, and Flaminia! Luca is an excellent, funny, and warm correspondent whom I knew slightly from Omas days, and so I decided to give their first production (as opposed to custom) pen a go. That pen is the Feel. I will not be referring to Omas again in this review (except for once). This review is an assessment of the first real product of a small shop in Italy, created by a new design and marketing team and, perhaps, destined to take its place among the legendary European manufacturers. I really like to support start-ups, so when the pen became available for purchase in Fall 2018 I held my breath and ordered two, one for myself and one for my long-suffering partner to acknowledge an anniversary and her patience. We received them early in December 2018 and saved opening them until 25 December. I really enjoyed the experience of opening the big white boxes. The packing was simple but lovely, and ALL RECYCLABLE! That’s wonderful. As you can see below, the pens come in a leather and fabric wrap. Now, usually I’m not a fan of such things, but this one has a sort of mediaeval vibe that I quite enjoy. There is room for two pens and a pocket for a cleaning cloth. I’m going to try slipping the back cover of a midori travel notebook into that pocket and see if I can make it up a handy travelling kit. My partner, for whom I will use the pseudonym Her Majesty (HM), thought that the experience of unwrapping her pen was “really luxurious.” I think this is absolutely accurate. Despite the simplicity of the packaging, there is a Mont Blanc-like satisfaction of unwrapping the pen. I’m not a big fan of MB as a brand, but they do make their pens feel special in a way I believe only Nakaya really match. Scribo is right up there in terms of the “this feels special” factor. I'm sorry for the photos, but I'm not Christof! Still, they do give a "real-world" feel for the pens :-) I’m not going to give ratings out of ten for the factors below, since they are really just a form of disguised subjectivity. But you’ll know what I think! ______________________________________________________________________ Appearance & Design The pen is available in two colour ways, and we received one of each. Mine is grey-blue with ruthenium trim, while HM’s is dark blue with rhodium trim. Both are very attractive, and we each prefer our own! The plating on both is flawless, with the ruthenium seeming perhaps a tone or two darker than I’ve seen it in other applications. The ruthenium works beautifully with the grey-blue, and the dark blue and rhodium is a classic combination. Both versions would work well in a professional environment, with the grey-blue being perhaps more quirky/designy in appearance. The pen, as should be obvious from the pictures, has two unusual design features. The first is the swells, giving it a Mae West sort of look. HM calls my PFMs Rita MacNeil after a well-endowed Canadian songstress, but considers the Feel much more like Claudia Cardinale- a compliment indeed! The curves have a practical purpose. The Feel is a big pen, about MB149 size (see comparison shot below, with a Parker 51 and M805). It does not feel too big in the hand though, because the section is narrow. The wide part of the barrel sits in the web of the thumb, and balance the pen very nicely. It’s an interesting and unusual approach. The other design feature is the facets, of which there are 12. They are rounded but obvious on the body and cap, and fall away to a gentle ridged effect on the section. They improve grip and angle unobtrusively. They also align from one end of the pen to the other, not an easy feat with 12 facets and two screw threads to get right. As seen in the photos, the cap finial has the Scribo logo (a quill) set into it. The cap does not post. The cap band says “SCRIBO Feel the writing” Overall, this is a lovely full-sized to large pen with lots of presence and terrific manufacturing standards. There is literally nothing to complain about here. Construction & Quality This is an expensive pen, so it’s fair to expect great construction and quality, and the Feel delivers. It’s not a super fancy pen, it hits the point where the curves of utility and luxury cross. My view is that it’s better put together than an M800 (or M1000 in strict terms of size) with better flow in the design and absolutely perfect execution. This pen really does feel special. I cannot see where a single corner has been cut. HM says that the pen gives the exact opposite feeling from renting a cheap car! Weight & Dimensions This is a big pen. Weight capped is 36g, and uncapped but full of ink it’s 21g (This is the same as a M800 posted, for easy reference). Length is 147mm capped, and around 136mm uncapped. Due to the design it’s surprisingly easy to handle. I’m not usually a fan of huge pens, but as dapprman says on his video, this one just seems to work very nicely. Nib & Performance This is where it all gets interesting. The Feel comes equipped with a very nice ebonite feed. I know the science that says it doesn’t make a difference, but I have to admit in my experience I’ve often perceived that it does. My Feel has an EF Flessibile (bearing the phrase “Feel the flex”) and HM’s has a regular F (“Feel the writing”). Both are very, very good nibs indeed. The flessible has a slightly wetter flow, and provides plenty of character to one’s writing without trying at all, even for those of us with a very light touch. The regular fine nib is a little drier but works extremely nicely. HM gets some line variation from this nib (it is a soft nib) but has less of a light touch than I do. This is where the final Omas reference comes in. It’s just unavoidable. These pens write just like my Omas when the Omas are properly set up. They have that indefinable feel of a “real” nib, not too smooth, not scratchy at all, but just the presence of the nib on the paper. They were both absolutely perfect out of the box, no baby bottom silliness or mis-aligned tines. If you told me these nibs were just back from a nibmeister, I would believe you. I’m really impressed. Line width is slightly thinner than Pelikan using the included ink sample, in my opinion. Fine is a good all around width a tiny bit thinner than a Lamy 2000 Fine, while ExtraFine is visibly thinner than a Pelikan M120 EF. To be honest, though, I’ve only used the included ink in the pen. It’s a cool misty grey-blue-black which is lovely, both vintage and ultra-modern, somehow. However, the nib widths should be treated with a slight pinch of salt since I don’t know how dry this ink is. I expect that nib widths will be consistent with Omas, if folks need a reliable reference. So which nib to choose? I’d say the EF is a great nib, and not at all temperamental. The regular Fine is a terrific nib with quite different characteristics. I don’t think you can really go wrong, it comes down to use. If you have a heavier hand, it might be too much for the flessibile, but you’ll see some nice variation from the regular nib and I suspect you won’t miss the flessibile. The top sample is the EF Flessibile, the bottom is the Fine Regular. You may note that HM and I do not spend our spare time in calligraphy classes . . . Filling System & Maintenance This is a really nice smooth piston. No problems whatsoever and a pleasure to use. Cost & Value These are not cheap pens, being €530 to those of us living outside Europe (just over $600US). But that tells us very little about value. For me, I feel (heh) they give good value. I got to know Luca a little better and felt that I was supporting a small scale start-up, and in return I got an excellent product with an outstanding writing experience. I can compare this with buying Nakayas and Pelikans. Nakaya produce pens for the same price (and way, way up) that feel more personalised, but the overall experience doesn’t give you a story, and they are part of a corporation. Pelikan M1000s are around €100 cheaper right now on Amazon.de, but again no story, and no personalisation at all. Taking these prices into account, my personal view is that the Feel hits a sweet spot where you are getting a great experience and a terrific, beautifully-made pen for a small price premium. For somebody like me, who enjoys a bit of “special-ness” in the tools of everyday life, and who is lucky enough to have the choice, this is an easy decision. Also worth noting-- a three year guarantee . . . Conclusion I really like this pen, and look forward to using it for years to come. The fact that HM has its sister in memory of a special event, and that it does feel like an artisanal product, just add to that. It is going to take me a couple of weeks to adjust to the size, but I’m up for the challenge. HM is very happy with hers, which makes me happier still. This is a terrific first pen for the general market, easily placing among the best European pens available, and suggesting that there really is a small new Italian company with all the history and values we associate with that beautiful part of the world. Thanks to the Scribo team for giving this venture a go, and good luck to them! Pros - Presentation is outstanding - The writing experience is superb - It’s a big, comfortable pen - Flawless construction and set-up Cons - It is expensive for a new brand - It may be too big for the smallest hands

Sometimes you have some pens just because they bring on pure nostalgia. This one is one of those for me. A pen by Airmail. Rather any pen by Airmail. We, 90’s kids of India, and also the kids before, grew up using this brand during our school days at least ones. Airmail Pen Company was established in 1951. Since then, they have been manufacturing some awesome pens, especially fountain pens. They are based in Mumbai, India. This review is about one of their offerings, Model 58C. I hope you will enjoy reading it. First Glance I personally don’t like huge pens. There are some exceptions of course. This, in my books, is a very big pen. But it is value for money. And when you have its value in mind, its a damn good pen. You get it in ₹180 (i.e. barely $3). I bet you wont get this quality fountain pen in a $3 pen elsewhere. You can compare it with the build quality of Noodler’s Pens. Looks The pen does not look that great for my taste. A very bulky but not at all a bad looking pen. How do you spot an Airmail from far is the steel band they have on the cap. It’s their trademark. Also this pen isn’t something you can flaunt in your shirt pocket. It is too huge for that. Finial and End-Cap The finial and end cap have a reflective, pointed dome made of steel which looks nothing but simple. The Clip is pretty tight but certainly useful with any type of shirt pocket. Simple steel clip. The Cap is Screw Fit & works great. The threads are all plastic as the pen is. Threads are not sharp at all. The only flaw (I would say) is the threads have 3 openings. This keeps the capped pens clip from aligning itself from the Airmail logo on the barrel. Small thing it is. And also something that you would not expect from a cheap pen. Filling Mechanism This is a eye dropper pen where you have to fill the ink directly into the barrel by using an eye-dropper or a syringe. The ink it should take is about (at least) two times of what a standard long ink cartridge can hold, though I have not measured it. Writing Experience I bought a Fine since it was the only nib option available with the retailer. I worked a bit on smoothing of the nib. There were very few fine nibs I have liked out of the box like my Lamy Safari’s. This nib was a bit scratchy for me. Now it has become somewhere between fine and medium since I worked on it. Posting Posting makes this pen top heavy. And it makes it so long that I could practically scratch my nose while writing General Info & Measurements Locking Mechanism: Screw fit Filling Mechanism: Eye dropper Posted: 17.4 cm Capped: 15 cm Uncapped: 13.2 cm My Ratings (after I worked on the nib) Nib: 6/10 Looks: 6/10 Pocket Looks: 1/10 Writing Experience: 6/10 Wetness: 2/10 Scratchiness: 3/10 Cost: 10/10 Line Variation: 7/10 Reverse Writing: 4/10 Overall: 5/10 ————————————— Disclaimer: This review is all about my personal views about a product especially the one I have used (for this review). You may come across a same model which you might find better or worse. Do let me know how you like the review. Follow my blog: https://pen5um.wordpress.com Thanks, 5umedh