The Gama Supreme

[Sudhir]

Thanks for the fantastic review Hari. I should get me one of these ASAP. Maybe next time I visit Chennai.

 

On my last visit to the Gem shop in Chennai to pick up a Gama Royal, I got into a discussion on Oversize pens - and I was shown this Gama Acrylic clear/see-through pen. Of course, I just had to have it.

 

Apart from a couple of Wality/Airmail pens with clear barrels, I did not have an Indian ED Demonstrator. This one is beautiful just for the transparent section and the way in which the nib and feed clearly show through.

.

 

 

 

It is approximately the size of a Guider Zimbo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you enjoy this - it happens to be my first post with photos on FPN. Thanks!

[subbucal]

Thanks for the fantastic review Hari. I should get me one of these ASAP. Maybe next time I visit Chennai.

 

On my last visit to the Gem shop in Chennai to pick up a Gama Royal, I got into a discussion on Oversize pens - and I was shown this Gama Acrylic clear/see-through pen. Of course, I just had to have it.

 

Apart from a couple of Wality/Airmail pens with clear barrels, I did not have an Indian ED Demonstrator. This one is beautiful just for the transparent section and the way in which the nib and feed clearly show through.

.

 

 

 

It is approximately the size of a Guider Zimbo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you enjoy this - it happens to be my first post with photos on FPN. Thanks!

 

Excellent photographs...Nice post

[rwilsonedn]

Speaking of eyedropper indiscretions, does anyone know whether NoNonsense feeds will fit properly in the Gama Supreme?

ron

[hari317]

Speaking of eyedropper indiscretions, does anyone know whether NoNonsense feeds will fit properly in the Gama Supreme?

ron

Ron, they should fit, no harm in trying.

[indfpens]

Hi Hari. Where can I Get the no. 10 nibs you use? Are they available in 8 and 6 too?

[a_m]

http://asapens.in/eshop/nibs-combo

[mhguda]

Thanks to, among other things, the excellent description of this pen in post #81, I got one, too, also from Asapens.

It arrived a few weeks ago, and I inked it up immediately and have been using it regularly.

What can I add to Sudhir's excellent review of this pen? I think what I personally like most of it, except for the fact that it's a very nice writer, is the fact that the size of the nib fits the size of the pen. This pen is *big*, and the big nib does it justice. That said, it's surprisingly comfortable to hold and to write with; in fact I regularly take this pen to work with me. An added benefit is that I can see the ink level at all times, and the ink capacity is enormous. Therefore, I do not yet know how easily or how well it cleans out... but since I also have found a nice dark purple ink to use in it, I don't expect that will be necessary very soon...

[hari317]

Thanks for the fantastic review Hari. I should get me one of these ASAP. Maybe next time I visit Chennai.

 

On my last visit to the Gem shop in Chennai to pick up a Gama Royal, I got into a discussion on Oversize pens - and I was shown this Gama Acrylic clear/see-through pen. Of course, I just had to have it.

 

Apart from a couple of Wality/Airmail pens with clear barrels, I did not have an Indian ED Demonstrator. This one is beautiful just for the transparent section and the way in which the nib and feed clearly show through.

.

I too broke down and ordered one transparent Gama "Himadri", it came yesterday. the pen does not photograph well (I have not seen any pictures including the seller ASA's pictures that do the pen any justice), it is a real beauty in hand.

 

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/IMG_9925_1.jpg

 

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/IMG_9926_1.jpg

 

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/IMG_9927_1.jpg

 

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/IMG_9928_1.jpg

 

Cheers!

Hari

[a_m]

I too broke down and ordered one transparent Gama "Himadri", it came yesterday. the pen does not photograph well (I have not seen any pictures including the seller ASA's pictures that do the pen any justice), it is a real beauty in hand.

 

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/IMG_9925_1.jpg

 

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/IMG_9926_1.jpg

 

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/IMG_9927_1.jpg

 

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/IMG_9928_1.jpg

 

Cheers!

Hari

The demo kind of EDs never thrill me. But going by your pics it seems even i would have to buy it one day :-)

[Sudhir]

I too broke down and ordered one transparent Gama "Himadri", it came yesterday. the pen does not photograph well (I have not seen any pictures including the seller ASA's pictures that do the pen any justice), it is a real beauty in hand.

 

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/IMG_9925_1.jpg

 

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/IMG_9926_1.jpg

 

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/IMG_9927_1.jpg

 

http://i1313.photobucket.com/albums/t543/hari_317/IMG_9928_1.jpg

 

Cheers!

Hari

 

Oh wow. The photos are good enough to appreciate the pen. And I agree, it does hold very well in the hand.

 

The pen looks great and the Pelikan nib looks even better. I assume you changed the stock nib, right?

 

Cheers

Sudhir

[hari317]

 

Oh wow. The photos are good enough to appreciate the pen. And I agree, it does hold very well in the hand.

 

The pen looks great and the Pelikan nib looks even better. I assume you changed the stock nib, right?

 

Cheers

Sudhir

Thanks Sudhirji. Actually, those are handheld pics with camera in auto exposure and high ISO. I want to take some good pics when time and mood permits. I used the pen for a day and then have cleaned and set it aside. Testing some other pens now. All the pen modifications are being done by me, I found acrylic very difficult, Ebonite is a noble material, really.

[Scribblesoften]

Hari, we have seen your work modifying sections to accept nib unit from Pelikan and others. Do you think it possible to modify pen bodies and caps to work with different sections? In addition to pens from India, I am a big fan of Pilot products. I believe that many of them are better than the pedestrian plastic bodies they are delivered with. Do you think a Justus section and Con 70 converter could fit something like your long section pen? I think an ebonite body and cap would greatly improve the appearance of some of the higher end Pilots.

Edited June 13, 2014 by Scribblesoften

[Sudhir]

Hari, we have seen your work modifying sections to accept nib unit from Pelikan and others. Do you think it possible to modify pen bodies and caps to work with different sections? In addition to pens from India, I am a big fan of Pilot products. I believe that many of them are better than the pedestrian plastic bodies they are delivered with. Do you think a Justus section and Con 70 converter could fit something like your long section pen? I think an ebonite body and cap would greatly improve the appearance of some of the higher end Pilots.

 

Wow. That's a thought. +1 to that.

 

Not just the appearance, but like me, if you prefer slightly heavier pens, I think the balance would be better too. The few Japanese pens I own are far too light for my liking.

 

I've always felt that the nibs are the weakest point of Indian pens that are otherwise fantastic. I find Chinese pens sometimes have better nibs. I often buy cheap Chinese pens from a local shop (after testing them) and just use the nibs and converters as spares...

 

And Indian ED with a Japanese section + nib & feed would be very interesting indeed. Let me know if you can make such a frankenpen or get someone interested enough to try it.

 

Cheers

Sudhir

[hari317]

Hari, we have seen your work modifying sections to accept nib unit from Pelikan and others. Do you think it possible to modify pen bodies and caps to work with different sections? In addition to pens from India, I am a big fan of Pilot products. I believe that many of them are better than the pedestrian plastic bodies they are delivered with. Do you think a Justus section and Con 70 converter could fit something like your long section pen? I think an ebonite body and cap would greatly improve the appearance of some of the higher end Pilots.

TBH, IMHO, the fit and finish and quality of the plastic, the clip and trim on a pen like the Justus 95 from Pilot is much higher than the humble stock offerings from Gama. The Justus is a 300USD pen afterall, with the option of just buying the section not available. (I hold a similar high opinion about Pelikan bodies, but their nib units are available easily as a spare part and due to this reason, it becomes feasible to provide a low cost sturdy ebonite body with a higher ink holding capacity as an alternative to the stock Pelikan body ) But if someone likes to install their complete Justus section on a Gama ebonite, it should be certainly possible. Personally, I am not motivated enough in this direction to experiment.

Edited June 14, 2014 by hari317

[Fuellerfuehrerschein]

My first impressions of the Gama Supreme

 

I recently received a gorgeous looking Gama Supreme Flat Top pen from ASA Pens. An eyedropper and a Gama branded storage bag were provided as accessories by ASA Pens. The cap and barrel ends of this particular pen are not really flat, but consist of subtle tapering cones.

 

Dimensions for my Gama Supreme (Tapering) Flat Top:

Length capped: 165 mm

Length uncapped: 147 mm

Length posted: 192 mm

Cap length: 75.5 mm

Cap diameter: 19 mm

Cap breather hole(s): 1 hole for pressure equalization during uncapping

Barrel length: 104 mm

Barrel diameter: 17.3 mm

Section length: 22 mm

Section diameter: 15.5 mm tapers to 13.4 mm

Nib exposed length with the OEM no 10 IPG: 22 mm (size wise a German #6 equivalent)

Ink capacity: 3.5 ml

Total weight: 45 g (filled with ink)

Cap weight: 15 g

Turns to uncap: 5½ turns

 

After the initial cleaning of the pen and (re)greasing the threads with silicone grease I filled the pen with Ecclesiastical Stationery Supplies Registrars Ink (ESSRI). ESSRI is an archival quality iron gall ink formulated for fountain pen use. Like every iron gall ink it is a relative dry ink that combines well with easy flowing or wet writing fountain pens.

 

My first impressions of the Gama Supreme combined with ESSRI are quite favorable. It is very comfortable to hold for me but I have to confess I am an average shoe size 15 guy, so I tend to like large utilitarian articles. As a matter of fact I would not object to elongating the section of the Gama Supreme somewhat. The OEM Iridium Point Germany nib hailing from parts unknown on my pen needed some minor adjustment and writes much better than I expected. I found out the OEM nib also reliably writes inverted at the price of becoming real scratchy. If this particular OEM nib performs better than most I do not know. Since regular pen maintenance is sensible when using iron gall inks, feeds and nibs that can be (easily) disassembled for thorough cleaning are desirable. The straightforward construction of the Gama Supreme where the feed and nib appears to be friction fitted is a plus in that regard.

 

If the eyedropper pen can be (almost) written empty without encountering issues is still an open question.

[Scribblesoften]

TBH, IMHO, the fit and finish and quality of the plastic, the clip and trim on a pen like the Justus 95 from Pilot is much higher than the humble stock offerings from Gama. The Justus is a 300USD pen afterall, with the option of just buying the section not available. (I hold a similar high opinion about Pelikan bodies, but their nib units are available easily as a spare part and due to this reason, it becomes feasible to provide a low cost sturdy ebonite body with a higher ink holding capacity as an alternative to the stock Pelikan body ) But if someone likes to install their complete Justus section on a Gama ebonite, it should be certainly possible. Personally, I am not motivated enough in this direction to experiment.

 

The market for such items would definitely be quite limited. I have been avoiding it but the time to invest in a lathe is creeping closer.

[Scribblesoften]

 

If the eyedropper pen can be (almost) written empty without encountering issues is still an open question.

Excellent comments. Thanks for posting them. I have noticed that different Gama pens react differently to their ink levels. A couple of the pens that I have (Eyas and Raja) can write until they are almost empty without any burping. My Hawk can only write until about half full and then it starts dripping. I do not know if this is related to the size of the pens and the resulting greater amount of air inside the pen at half full or just pen to pen variation. Either way, each of the pens has a bit of a different personality which enhances their limited production, human made quality. I hope you enjoy your new pen.

[hari317]

The market for such items would definitely be quite limited. I have been avoiding it but the time to invest in a lathe is creeping closer.

Good. Actually several things can be accomplished without investing the lot of money required for a proper screw cutting metal lathe, but a good stiff and accurate metal lathe would be a good investment that would serve you well.

[Aramchek]

Another thing that seems to affect how well eyedroppers handle running low on ink is which ink you use. I used an Airmail pen with (I think) Diamine Damson and it started dripping when it was about half full. I then used Chelpark green and it kept writing until it was dry.

 

I can't get Chelpark ink to work in most Chinese pens though.

[rwilsonedn]

Another thing that seems to affect how well eyedroppers handle running low on ink is which ink you use. I used an Airmail pen with (I think) Diamine Damson and it started dripping when it was about half full. I then used Chelpark green and it kept writing until it was dry.

 

I can't get Chelpark ink to work in most Chinese pens though.

 

Now that is fascinating. Have other users observed that some inks are more resistant than others to being forced through the feed by air expansion? Is this repeatable, or is it a casual observation? It seems almost suspiciously plausible that inks from India would perform better in this regard, if there is in fact a consistent difference.

ron