A Decade With The Deccan Advocate, Evolution.

[hari317]

In 2004, I was on a long work related visit to Hyderabad. On the day of my departure back to Mumbai, the official car dropped me at Nampalli, some 2 hours in advance of the time of departure of the train that was to take me back. I put my bags in the cloak room and to kill time, walked into the Abids area which is very near to Nampalli. I entered the Abids main road from the Chermas end. so it was a 100-150 metre walk upto Orient estate, when I saw a shop sign saying "The Deccan Pen Stores". Now, I was not already a full blown pen nut in 2004 but yes, I was then very much pen crazy and was thrilled to see a pen shop. I entered. On the counter to the left were rows of big huge pens. While I was looking at the pens, Mr. Wasim greeted me and offered to take out the pens and show me. We had a long conversation about pens and I ended up buying two Black HR Advocates for a princely sum of 125Rs each. I was about to miss my train that night. Anyway, there has never been a subsequent visit to Hyderabad where I have not visited the shop or asked my dear Hyderabadi friend Jai to pick up some new models for me and we meet and I bring the pens home.

 

A few months back, Jai informed me about some new rippled ebonite Advocates that Deccan had made and apparently they had come out very well and gorgeous etc, so I had to have them...

 

I think this might be a good time to show you folks how the model Advocate has evolved over the last decade. This evolution is a forced thing. There are only a handful of people who make nibs, clips rings etc in India and once they discontinue a style, the pen makers have to make do with the alternatives available. Deccan have managed to keep their Advocate alive despite these changes and it still remains the long, flat top reliable ED that we know it as.

 

Onto the pics:

 

http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/hari3171/Advocate/IMG_9531.jpg

 

http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/hari3171/Advocate/IMG_9532.jpg

 

http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/hari3171/Advocate/IMG_9533.jpg

 

http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/hari3171/Advocate/IMG_9536.jpg

 

The three generations compared:

 

http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/hari3171/Advocate/IMG_9537.jpg

 

open:

 

http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/hari3171/Advocate/IMG_9538.jpg

 

subtle evolution of the section shape:

 

http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/hari3171/Advocate/IMG_9539.jpg

 

The clip profiles(newest at top, oldest at the bottom) and the "Advocate" engraved by hand:

 

http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/hari3171/Advocate/IMG_9540.jpg

 

Some shots of the new rippled ones:

 

http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/hari3171/Advocate/IMG_9541.jpg

 

http://i991.photobucket.com/albums/af39/hari3171/Advocate/IMG_9542.jpg

 

Cheers!

Hari

 

 

[pelman]

Great story hari and lucky for us that you and Jai have documented the pens so well.

 

I especially like the oldest generation. The black advocate looks fantastic. I like the brown ripple from 2004 as well. It looks very much different than the newer Brown ripples.

 

Are they still making the black advocates in flat top?

 

Regards

Jayant

[rwilsonedn]

Beautiful pens, Hari. That long a period of time really creates a sense of perspective. To collect vintage pens is one thing, but to have bought the vintage pens new and to have lived through the evolution is something else entirely!

And thanks for the comment about evolution driven by the gradual changes in the nib and clip supplies. That is in itself very interesting. Do you find that the nibs have improved over the years, deteriorated, or just changed shape without getting better or worse?

ron

[Scribblesoften]

Thanks for posting this comparison. My Advocate is the favorite of my Indian pens.

[hari317]

Great story hari and lucky for us that you and Jai have documented the pens so well.

 

I especially like the oldest generation. The black advocate looks fantastic. I like the brown ripple from 2004 as well. It looks very much different than the newer Brown ripples.

 

Are they still making the black advocates in flat top?

 

Regards

Jayant

Thank you Jayant. The finish of the earliest Advocates that i bought were very good. The latest ones are good too. The middle ones are not that great due to material problems. Black is a standard offering but I think they get sold the fastest at the shop.

 

Best

Hari

[shrujaya]

This is a great post, Hari...thanks a lot for putting together the evolution of Advocate over these 10 years...there was a version with a steel cap band, which I bought it 2007 for a "kingly" sum of Rs.150/-...I had bought all 3 colours...and that continued for some time...and then the teardrop clip era began...which I didn't like very much...the current avatar is a very good one...the ripples and the flat clip makes the pen really a good one, and I am also glad that the other specifics haven't changed...I think this is how it should be...the Deccan have this iconic pen with them and they have stayed with it, making small changes over the years, not because they want to, but dictated by availability concerns, and they have maintained the model and haven't abandoned it...the Advocate is always there at Deccan...three cheers for the Advocate...

 

shrujaya

[hari317]

Beautiful pens, Hari. That long a period of time really creates a sense of perspective. To collect vintage pens is one thing, but to have bought the vintage pens new and to have lived through the evolution is something else entirely!

And thanks for the comment about evolution driven by the gradual changes in the nib and clip supplies. That is in itself very interesting. Do you find that the nibs have improved over the years, deteriorated, or just changed shape without getting better or worse?

ron

Hi Ron, in the specific case of the standard advocate, fortunately, either Deccan has ample stocks of the nibs or the nibs continue to be available to them, so the nibs have not undergone a change. The nib has remained the same throughout.

 

In some other models like the Bullet, Bullet Sr, Jr Advocate etc, nibs have changed quite a few times and the newer ones are inferior IMO.

 

Best

Hari

[hari317]

Thanks for posting this comparison. My Advocate is the favorite of my Indian pens.

Thank you. Yes, the advocate is a nicely built pen. perhaps the best Indian.

[hari317]

This is a great post, Hari...thanks a lot for putting together the evolution of Advocate over these 10 years...there was a version with a steel cap band, which I bought it 2007 for a "kingly" sum of Rs.150/-...I had bought all 3 colours...and that continued for some time...and then the teardrop clip era began...which I didn't like very much...the current avatar is a very good one...the ripples and the flat clip makes the pen really a good one, and I am also glad that the other specifics haven't changed...I think this is how it should be...the Deccan have this iconic pen with them and they have stayed with it, making small changes over the years, not because they want to, but dictated by availability concerns, and they have maintained the model and haven't abandoned it...the Advocate is always there at Deccan...three cheers for the Advocate...

 

shrujaya

I agree cent percent.

 

I don't have the steel band ones anymore Jai. if possible, pls do document the progression of those variants as well. It was your blog post(Link) that prompted me to break out my camera and do this topic.

[subbucal]

These Deccan pens are really great...I feel the present new clip style, best fits it. The Ripples are excellent and so beautiful...thank you for putting together this past and present...its really nostalgic..

[ralfstc]

Hi Hari,

 

I love the first generation especially. It reminds me of my 1920s Swan! How have the nibs evolved over the same period?

 

Thanks,

 

Ralf

[hari317]

How have the nibs evolved over the same period?

Ralf, The nibs have remained the same on the Advocate.

[hari317]

These Deccan pens are really great...I feel the present new clip style, best fits it. The Ripples are excellent and so beautiful...thank you for putting together this past and present...its really nostalgic..

Thank you!

[Edwaroth]

Interesting progression of the Advocate. Nice the nibs remain the same. Available in US???

[hari317]

Available in US???

maybe. contact the guy behind asapens.in and see. NAYY.

 

http://asapens.in/eshop/index.php?route=information/contact

 

or PM me for more pointers if that does not work out.

Edited February 12, 2014 by hari317

[Abhik]

Thank you. Yes, the advocate is a nicely built pen. perhaps the best Indian.

Hari, excellent post as usual but how come I don't have the BEST Indian pen? Why my pen-consultant has not recemmended one?

[hari317]

Hari, excellent post as usual but how come I don't have the BEST Indian pen? Why my pen-consultant has not recemmended one?

Thank you. Oh, I was not aware that you were interested in the modern Indians. I should rephrase my statement to say that the Advocate is perhaps one of the best value for money Indian pen model that one can buy today. The author for example is a still better pen but 8 times costly.

[pelman]

Thank you Jayant. The finish of the earliest Advocates that i bought were very good. The latest ones are good too. The middle ones are not that great due to material problems. Black is a standard offering but I think they get sold the fastest at the shop.

 

Best

Hari

 

Good to know about the black pens Hari. Thank you.

[Abhik]

Hari,Advocate, brown ripple is looking classy! Author is a very good pen, no dpubt. I don't want to out of Advocate Owners Club, I need one!

Thank you!

[mohan]

Thanks Hari. Very informative post.

I do have Deccan Advocate Junior which is the best Indian pen along with Deccan Bullet Junior ( have only Juniors due to small hands). Even better than costlier Author.

Please have write ups about other Deccan models also.