...." C " For Camlin..

[S-K]

…………and “ C “is for Camlin.

In India this should be the most ubiquitous fountain pen brand .

One of the best known and family owned brand of India. Probably every student of India must have owned atleast one of its products thanks to its availability and affordability.

Started in 1931, as Dandekar & Co, with “ Horse” branded ink tablets and powders, the company soon changed to Camel. Products were marketed under Camel or Camlin brands.

 

Here are some of the models according to the numbering pattern Camlin have followed….

………certain models like D sign and Premier are missing………..

 

CAMLIN 2

 

[

 

CAMLIN 3

 

 

[

 

This model must be the official Camlin “ 3”.

Another model , which was technically a smaller version of “6” was also referred loosely as “3’.

[

Here the smaller pen was also referred to as “3” by retailers. No 3 is “ Half of 6”. No 6 is the bigger pen.

 

[

Cap part of No.3. See the “ C “ for Camlin.

 

CAMLIN 4

 

 

No . 4 is a light weighted Slimmer pen.

 

 

……………have Flat nibs.

 

CAMLIN NO 5

 

 

 

CAMLIN NO 6

[

 

 

 

 

 

 

CAMLIN NO 8

 

[url=https://flic.kr/p/D7uNhR]

 

 

 

 

 

Flat ends…….have one ring on barrel end……and feels more upmarket..

 

CAMLIN NO 10

 

 

 

 

…………an uncommon pen……….have a little girth and heft ( Err … when compared to earlier shown pens)

 

CAMLIN NO 11

 

 

 

 

…..as with 10, have a little more better construction than “single digit “Camlins………

………….made by a Kanpur based company for Camlin……

 

CAMLIN NO 22

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOW……….a well constructed and solid pen………..made by the same Kanpur unit……….

………………..22 can come in slightly different forms too…….. according to the changes in dyes used by the manufacturing unit…………

 

 

 

 

…….the model shown down is also 22…………but older…

Edited January 31, 2016 by S-K

[S-K]

CAMLIN 25 ( CUTE)

 

 

[

 

 

Small pen….solid construction… Cap can be posted with threads on barrel . Infact the pen can attain reasonable length to write only by posting the cap………this is a well thought design..

 

CAMLIN 36

 

 

 

 

CAMLIN 45

 

 

[

[

 

 

 

Old model…….. externally look like Parker 45

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…… vacumatic filling……… hooded nib…..

 

CAMLIN NO 47

One of the oldest model from Camlin …………… and still surviving………..

 

 

[

 

 

 

…………..Piston filling, hooded nib….strange internal construction…. Wonder if there is any other pen like this………….or is this Camlins original idea ?

 

CAMLIN NO 48

Well….48 naturally follows 47………… but now a rarity………..!

 

 

[

[

 

 

 

Camlin 48

[

[

 

 

The filling system is syringe based………

Edited January 31, 2016 by S-K

[S-K]

AND SOME MODELS WITH UN NUMBERED NAMES……………….

 

CAMLIN MINI

 

 

 

 

 

Cheaper model………slim and light weighted……..

 

CAMLIN SCHOLAR

 

 

 

 

 

………..cheapest Camlin ? .. probably yes… for Rs 25……..And children love the bright colors..!

 

CAMLIN SLEEK

 

( Probably this is also a numbered product No 71 if I am right……………)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The “ C” of Camlin is etched on the clip….

 

 

 

 

……piston filling…….. sleek…………ink window ………….

Nice construction………

 

CAMLIN UNIQUE

 

 

Pen similar to an old Waterman model of which the name I don’t remember…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Whole metal construction for barrel and cap, Catridge filling….

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

……………and the “C “ for Camlin…………..

 

 

 

Unnamed Model 1…………

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Model aimed for the gift market…………. Made by another well known company ( of past ) in gift market for Camlin……. Eyedropper ……

…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Same company made this also………… Unnamed 2…………

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This have got vacumatic filling……..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And now one more unnamed……………

 

 

 

 

 

CAMLIN TRINITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[

 

 

Well made …..with options for three filing systems ….( and hence the name)…. Semihooded type nib….

 

CAMLIN ELEGENTE

 

 

 

[

 

 

 

Very well made pen………….built to last………. Catridge or convertor filling………….

Available in Blue, Black and Maroon.

 

CAMLIN SD PEN…

 

 

 

Currently the flag ship model……..

Claimed as first signature pen of India………… and said to have vaccu-lock technology to prevent drying of nibs. That means Camlin do not want to use this as eyedropper. And also this is the first time for a company in India claims to have Gold covering on nibs ( Or is it so..?).

 

Thanks for reading….

 

SK

Edited January 31, 2016 by S-K

[mhguda]

Thanks for posting, nice to see all those models... some of the earlier ones have very interesting shapes, pity they don't make those anymore.

I have a few of the later models, and they are very nice pens.

[gopool]

Thanks for the great, exhaustive review of Camlin pens. I should add some of these pens to my collection. I really like the SD pen.

[rohit1974]

Oh wow so many camlin pens . Thanks for sharing them with us.

[Sagarb]

Thanks for this review....

[hari317]

Nice writeup Sree, good to see the older Camlins. there was also a piston filled model with interchangeable threaded in nib units (F and M) called the Premier, it was their top of the line in the 90s. I have one, will share pics if time permits.

 

Best

Hari

[flummoxed]

Thanks for cataloging the Camlins Sree!

[avoiceinthedistance]

Nice collection of Camlins. Thanks for posting all those photographs.

[OCArt]

Wow, nice posts thank you very much. Anyone know where I could get numbers 2 and 10?

[AmeyaG]

The ultra cheap pens (upto camlin 25 in the above list) have serious quality control issues with them. I know they are as cheap as 30Rs. but many of them have problems with nib and feed alignment, some of them simply refuse to write. As you go towards Trinity or Elegante, the quality of writing seems to improve drastically. Given that they are really inexpensive, the build quality and writing is impressive. I've got a few camlins which wrote well straight out of the box. Some of the nibs were little toothy and dry but after tuning and smoothing, they write well.

[mehandiratta]

C for comprehensive

[tanzish]

I came to know about so many discontinued camlin pens!

Would you do a post on indian Pilots too? I saw a picture in your post on Brief history of India fountain pens which has 3 indian pilots and I couldn't identify them.

[basterma]

Thanks for the post. I now know what to look for if I am in India.

[bobje]

S-K, Thank you for this fascinating pictorial on Camlin history!

[Tresconik]

Thank you for the wonderful pictures. The vac fillers must especially be so rare!!

I am fortunate enough to have a Premier in my limited collection. Here are some pics

http://i68.tinypic.com/2dtp25g.jpg

 

http://i67.tinypic.com/ayoadx.jpg

 

http://i68.tinypic.com/fnb63a.jpg

[Prithwijit]

Hi,

 

many of these pens are probably made by small non-name makers who just put a stamp of Camlin or any other brand who buys them in bulk. For instance, a large number of entry level models displayed here are also available under Bril branding and I am sure Bril doesn't make their own pens.

 

Regards,

 

Prithwijit

[Manoj1995]

Hi,

Camlin mini,no.4,unique,sleek.

Are available now?

I from India.

[gillum51]

i have the SD and i have found it to be an excellent writer. It is a very thick pen, and i find the girth to be comfortable. the nib is smooth and a bit springy, a pleasure to write with.