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Fosfor pens is a reputed custom pen maker in India. Manoj Deshmukh (Mr. fosfor) has built up a reputation as a master craftsman and high quality pen maker. I had put my name in his order book for a few pens some time back inspired by fellow FPNersPrithwijit's and Vaibhav's commissions from Fosfor. The package arrived today by courier. I am posting some pictures of the unboxing. Will post detailed reviews later (at least that is the plan) The package Opened package Fosfor wooden presentation box and telescopic boxes Fosfor Rajendran in Woodgrain Ebonite. Polished to a mirrorlike finish With No.6 size medium Schmidt nib Islander in Lava Explosion Acrylic The depth in the material is awesome Again with a silver colored no.6 medium schmidt nib I liked the bluer section. The blue-green Tikona. This pen is larger than I expected. Heavier also. Now, all three brothers coming together in a huddle From a lower angle. The total experience was very pleasant and I will be ordering more from Fosfor in the future. I planning to photograph the pens with better equipment and in better setting later. Will talk about the writing experience as well when posting those pictures. thanks, Dinuraj

I've been a fan of Indian fountain pens for a few years now. My first was a beautiful ebonite Ranga, followed by a few fine pens from ASA. It must have been through visits to FPN that I first learned about Fosfor. I admired from afar the pieces that Manoj created and customized, including his most well known design, the Islander, done in beautiful acrylic he'd cast himself, and other pens made with blanks from the now defunct Conway Stewart's inventory or from exotic woods that he was able to procure. The pen that I began to shape in my mind was the Tikona. I'd never owned a pen that had a triangular body, and inspired by the Nakaya pens, I wanted a clipless version, to take full benefit of the pen's natural no-roll shape. Also thinking along the lines of Nakaya, I'm a fan of the urushi look but I also did not feel the urge to spend a grand amount of money on a single pen. Something with a nod towards the color and transparency of urushi would have to do. The nib would also be an important consideration for me. I like the usual German Bock and Schmidt nibs found on many of the higher-tier fountain pens from India, but I wanted another level of quality. As a fan of Pelikan nibs, I wanted to be able to use an M400 14K nib on a Fosfor pen. I reached out to Manoj, not quite sure if he'd be able to accommodate. To my delight, he had Pelikan M400 and M600 nib units on hand and would be able to use them to customize a Tikona for me. He suggested that his "root beer" resin would be the closest to the reddish urushi look that I coveted (we both understood that no acrylic resin pen would come quite close to emulating the intricate handbrushed layers found on Nakaya urushi pens). Satisfied, I asked him to move forward with the pen, splurging a little with a fast-tracked order so that I wouldn't have to wait behind 18 others. Less than a month later, a pen arrived to me. I held off on a review for another four weeks, so that I can get to truly know the pen before I give my thoughts. Material and ConstructionI love the feel of the polycast resin that Manoj used to make this pen. It's sturdy but not too heavy. Twice already, I accidentally dropped the pen from a few feet in height, and fortunately it remained firmly intact. The surface is smooth, albeit without some imperfections, a few nicks here and there, I believe from the hand-turning process, but barely noticeable. Being a fan of wabi-sabi, I actually kind of like it that it's not a hundred percent smooth. Most of all, the color is gorgeous, dark reddish brown, almost black in most parts, but with subtle lighter colors, too. Especially in the thinner part of the cap, light passes through, giving the pen a wonderful variation to the dark reddish brown. Design and Shape The pen certainly invites looks. Sitting down at cafes, I've noticed people nearby glancing over, curious what this triangular obelisk on my table might be. My pen kimono complements it nicely. Again, I love the triangular shape of the Tikona, and am very glad to have asked Manoj for a clipless version. It doesn't roll when I put it on my desk, and the cap, with some care and mindfulness, can also function as a temporary pen rest. Much like many other pens, including Nakayas that I admire, there is a step, and depending on how you write, you may or may not brush your thumb against the edge of the barrel. If you do hold your pens in a way that may cause this to affect you, talk to Manoj to see if he can change the shape of the pen to better suit your grip. I do sometimes feel the edge, which can feel a little sharp, against my thumb but not so much that it prevents me from writing for a long time with this pen. Another caveat, owing to the triangular shape of the pen, is that there is some trickiness every time you unscrew the section from the barrel. Chances are, you'll have to spend some time giving the barrel a little turn back and forth until the section allows for the cap to properly align with the barrel. It used to take me a few minutes, but having had it for nearly a month, I'm pretty adept at knowing the right positions of the barrel, cap and nib unit (the last only takes one initial adjustment, with slight turns). A proper alignment now takes me no time to achieve, ten or fifteen seconds, tops. Filling Method It appears that my pen had been made to be an eyedropper, but because I'm leery of the spills and leaks that can come from air bubbles, I decided to investigate other options. A converter would not fit, but a more pliable pre-punctured international mini cartridge could be easily squeeze into the section. It sometimes needs a few shakes, but on the whole, the flow has been mostly constant for me, with few hard starts. I usually have a few pre-filled cartridges at the ready, each sealed with a dot from the hot glue gun. NibWhat can I say? I'm truly delighted Manoj was able to customize the section to take Pelikan 200-600 nibs, The vintage M400 14K nib I put in is a pleasure to write with, every time. Smooth, with subtle line variation from the springy nib. I was more than impressed by his lack of hesitation in completing my request. Overall Thoughts Manoj is a rising star in the Indian custom fountain pen scene, and I could easily see why with my Tikona. His craftsmanship is superior, with stunning precision for pens that are handmade. He's truly an artistic problem-solver who'll work with his customers to bring a concept to completion. From the start of the process, he replied promptly and thoroughly to my questions (usually within a day or two), and even sent me preview photos of my pen before he shipped it. I lucked on being able to procure a second Fosfor custom pen, right here in the U.S. It's also a lovely pen, and it affirmed to me that I hadn't simply lucked out with my one Tikona order. I don't believe it will be my final Fosfor acquisition.

Mr Manoj Deshmukh is an artist who sculpts incredible pens. The acrylic resins he sculpted for me were cast to my request. His pens are large pens with beautiful asthetics and balance. The nibs and filling systems are as desired by you as he offers a very large amount of customisation. I bought three pens from him. All pens have Schmidt B or M nibs. lava and Tikona are Cartridge -Converter fillers. The first was black, red, yellow and gold resin which resembles a lava flow hence the name Lava... The second was Tikona (triangular in Hindi) in blue acrylic.. And the latest is this green and gold acrylic button filler with sterling silver trim... All these pens have cost between US$75 to 80. They are not only a pleasure to write with but also head turners. Here is a pictoral review of these pens. They can be bought at www.fosforpens.com ... The pens come in a beautiful wooden box shaped like a book with lid held down by an elastic band... The Lava... The Fosfor Tikona...a symphony in blue! The latest is this green and gold Button Filler, reminiscent of the 1930s Duofolds and other button fillers...it comes with sterling silver cap rings and clip... These pens are absolutely wonderful and genuine peaces of art since each is a bespoke pen and no 2 are alike perhaps.