Kanwrite Heritage: The Reliable Piston Filler

[Samrat]

Hello friends.

 

I always look for value-for-money fountain pens. That’s because my pens go through a lot of rough usage and handling during busy OPD hours at hospital and it’s impossible for me to pamper them in a desirable delicate manner. Reliability of a fountain pen is my greatest concern and by this word “reliability” I mean the ability of a fountain pen to perform each and every time it is put to paper. Leaks, burping, dry start, scratchiness are strictly ‘no-no’ when it comes to the urgency and gravity of the situations that my pens have to go through.

 

Kanwrite Heritage is one such ‘Reliable’ piston filler.

Why I like it: Very good quality piston filler at a very affordable price and with varieties of nib options.

 

Kanwrite is a stationary production house based in the erstwhile Manchester of the East, The Industrial Hub of Uttar Pradesh, Kanpur. Those of you who have some experience with ‘Noodlers’ Ahab pen might recognize this name, as this company manufactures and supplies parts (or whole) of many of Noodlers flagship models. The history of this company is relatively young, with Shri Laxmi Shankar Awasthi, presently mentor, together with his sons Pradeep and Sandeep, founding this company in 1986 with an aim to “……provide consumers with the best quality fountain pens at most ‘easy’ price.”

Now the ‘easy’ part is not that easy after all when we consider Indian market scenario for fountain pens. In most parts of the world where fountain pens are still considered practical and popular, the starting price for a good standard fountain pen is few times greater than the price expectations for a similar type of model from Indian ‘consumers’. Working inside that limitation and coming up with a good practical piston filler at the price point, Kanwrite heritage is one great mid-level fountain pen, that has the potential to cater to both entry level fountain pen enthusiasts and seasoned users alike. All parts are made in house and that makes it a truly greater experience.

 

 

The Kanwrite heritage

 

1. Appearance & Design: This is a rod shaped well designed pen, with multiple parts assembled to form the final shape. It is almost spindle shaped when capped, with middle portion much thicker and both the body and cap tapering towards blunt ends. The cap has an inverted cone shaped screw or finial that pins the clip to the tapering upper end of the cap. The clip is chrome coloured with ‘Kanwrite’ imprinted on it. It’s a bit stiff and tight for my taste, but I hardly get time to clip my pens to shirt pockets. It’s a solid clip with good quality metal. The cap ring at the other end is a thick chrome ring, again imprinted with ‘Kanwrite’ which in my opinion is not necessary at all, rather imprinting the word “Heritage” or leaving it blanc would have been more appropriate. Indian fountain pens have suffered from lack of good quality trims; Kanwrite Heritage is trying to reverse this trend with provision of quality metal parts.

The cap is a screw on cap, it opens with 2.5 turns, may be slightly less, there is no tightness while opening or closing the cap. The section tapers gently towards the nibs with a small flaring just beneath the nib for good support of fingers during long writing sessions.

Just below the threads there is an ink window, about 5 mm thick with chrome coloured thin rings lining both the top and lower margins. When capped, the ink window is covered by the cap. Now that might seem like a disadvantage, as you have to open the cap to see the ink level. But I have tried imagining the ink window below the cap ring, it really doesn’t make much sense design wise. At the end there is another chrome coloured ring, followed by a cap which covers the knob of twist piston filler.

The end finial margin of the cap is not flush with that of clip metal and rest of the body of cap, there is a gap. Though it doesn’t take away anything, if Kanwrite is to go premium with variations of this model, such minute issues might get greater importance.

 

I would love to see this model in premium acrylic and ebonite material, which will attract great deal of attention from fountain pen lovers.

 

 

Parts of heritage

 

2. Construction & Quality: Its made up of injection molded CAB plastic. CAB stands for “Cellulose Acetate Butyrate”, a form of plastic which is slightly softer and more durable. This will prevent easy cracking of the pen. This material is more eco-friendly than ABS plastic, that is used to create many other transparent pens. We must dispel the idea that just because Kanwrite produces cheaper fountain pens for masses with CAB material, this is a cheap or poor material.

The downside of using CAB is one kind of funny smell. Besides, pens made from ABS plastic can have better transparent finish and they are more scratch resistant. I haven’t found transparent Kanwrite CAB pens to attract scratches more easily, but if one is still skeptical, I would advise to buy some coloured transparent pens like blue or yellow. Durability is more important to me and Kanwrite pens are more durable. The smell is not intrusive while writing (it’s not detectable unless the pen is sniffed directly) and hands doesn’t smell for long after using the pen. Trim quality is good. Overall the pen feels substantial in hand and pictures might not reflect the actual feeling while using this pen.

 

 

3. Weight & Dimensions: The dimensions are as follows

Weight: 22 gms

Length: 140 mm

Length of uncapped pen: 130 mm

Posted length: 160 mm

Diameter of section: 11.5 mm- 12 mm

Barrel diameter: 20 mm

Ink window: 5 mm

Ink capacity- 1.2 ml

The pen is beautifully balanced. I have seen those pens which have around 130 mm uncapped length and ≤ 12 mm section diameter (11.5 mm best) work best for me. So for my grip and finger pressure, this is a perfectly balanced fountain pen. It feels easy in my hand and I can continue writing for prolonged periods with it. The smooth nib compliments the grip and balance. Posting is not a good option for me as it gets much longer than my taste.

 

 

 

From right to left : Pilot metropolitan, Sheaffer No-nonsense, Xinhao X750 and kanwrite heritage

 

4. Nib & Performance: Kanwrite produces a large variety of nibs. Heritage model accepts international #35 sized nibs. The nib comes in a screwed in interchangeable nib-feed unit, but you can pull out and replace the nib only with other spare Kanwrite nibs. All kinds of nib options are available, like EF, F, M, B, BB, Italics, Oblique and very attractive steel semi-Flex ones in different tip sizes. Sandeepji can produce almost all steel nibs under the sun. He is developing gold nibs as well. The review of Kanwrite nibs demands one separate page, but for short these are extremely versatile nibs. The gap between the tines is perfectly designed and tip is smooth with nice wet sustained flow of ink. There is a definite ‘feedback’ while using Kanwrite nibs, they are not glassy smooth. This resistance is what makes writing experience with Kanwrite much enjoyable. Occasional nibs might be scratchy as with all production houses, but just a little bit of micro mesh-ing will quickly turn them into very good nibs. I enjoy Kanwrite fine nibs more than medium or broad ones. As these spare nibs are cheap, one can actually indulge in a great deal of experimentation and customization. There is no skipping, hard start, burping or leaking.

Reverse writing possible but scratchy. And forgive me for my hideous handwriting while trying to write quick, that depicts the true ability of a doctor's writing skills.

 

 

 

 

5. Filling System & Maintenance: This pen is twist type piston filler. It can easily be disassembled, cleaned and put together without much problem. One has to grip the threads for the small cap at the back and twist to open the piston system. It is made up of plastic and robust. The pen can be cleaned from above by easily removing the nib unit as well.

The following pic from Dr. Soumya Mukherjee as he disassembled his Kanwrite for better cleaning.

 

Heritage after disassembly

6. Cost & Value: This pen is valued at INR 1500 ($30 USD). It’s an affordable workhorse pen with great value on the long run. It’s available in Amazon and also one can contact Sandeepji directly.

7. Conclusion: This is one of the best pens to happen to Indian fountain pen scenario and truly deserving worldwide market. The possibilities are endless with almost all nib types available in house. Some newer developments would certainly take this pen further. This is a 'must have pen' for any fountain pen lover.

 

Whatsapp no of Sandeep ji is +91 9305456599.

Amazon link: Kanwrite

Thanks to Dr. Soumya for providing me with a sample of Fabiano Ego paper to try out.

Edited September 24, 2016 by Samrat

[visvamitra]

I enjoy this review but I'm not sure I would be that keen on the pen

[RobertJWarren]

Thanks for the review and pictures

[Monbla]

Nicely done review !! For the price it sounds like this is a pen with a lot of value for the cost. Sounds like what most fountain pens used to be before they became pocket jewelry for the yuppies

[drmukherjee]

  On 9/23/2016 at 7:26 PM, Samrat said:

Hello friends.

 

I always look for value-for-money fountain pens. Thats because my pens go through a lot of rough usage and handling during busy OPD hours at hospital and its impossible for me to pamper them in a desirable delicate manner. Reliability of a fountain pen is my greatest concern and by this word reliability I mean the ability of a fountain pen to perform each and every time it is put to paper. Leaks, burping, dry start, scratchiness are strictly no-no when it comes to the urgency and gravity of the situations that my pens have to go through.

 

Kanwrite Heritage is one such Reliable piston filler.

Why I like it: Very good quality piston filler at a very affordable price and with varieties of nib options.

 

Kanwrite is a stationary production house based in the erstwhile Manchester of the East, The Industrial Hub of Uttar Pradesh, Kanpur. Those of you who have some experience with Noodlers Ahab pen might recognize this name, as this company manufactures and supplies parts (or whole) of many of Noodlers flagship models. The history of this company is relatively young, with Shri Laxmi Shankar Awasthi, presently mentor, together with his sons Pradeep and Sandeep, founding this company in 1986 with an aim to provide consumers with the best quality fountain pens at most easy price.

Now the easy part is not that easy after all when we consider Indian market scenario for fountain pens. In most parts of the world where fountain pens are still considered practical and popular, the starting price for a good standard fountain pen is few times greater than the price expectations for a similar type of model from Indian consumers. Working inside that limitation and coming up with a good practical piston filler at the price point, Kanwrite heritage is one great mid-level fountain pen, that has the potential to cater to both entry level fountain pen enthusiasts and seasoned users alike. All parts are made in house and that makes it a truly greater experience.

 

 

The Kanwrite heritage

 

1. Appearance & Design: This is a rod shaped well designed pen, with multiple parts assembled to form the final shape. It is almost spindle shaped when capped, with middle portion much thicker and both the body and cap tapering towards blunt ends. The cap has an inverted cone shaped screw or finial that pins the clip to the tapering upper end of the cap. The clip is chrome coloured with Kanwrite imprinted on it. Its a bit stiff and tight for my taste, but I hardly get time to clip my pens to shirt pockets. Its a solid clip with good quality metal. The cap ring at the other end is a thick chrome ring, again imprinted with Kanwrite which in my opinion is not necessary at all, rather imprinting the word Heritage or leaving it blanc would have been more appropriate. Indian fountain pens have suffered from lack of good quality trims; Kanwrite Heritage is trying to reverse this trend with provision of quality metal parts.

The cap is a screw on cap, it opens with 2.5 turns, may be slightly less, there is no tightness while opening or closing the cap. The section tapers gently towards the nibs with a small flaring just beneath the nib for good support of fingers during long writing sessions.

Just below the threads there is an ink window, about 5 mm thick with chrome coloured thin rings lining both the top and lower margins. When capped, the ink window is covered by the cap. Now that might seem like a disadvantage, as you have to open the cap to see the ink level. But I have tried imagining the ink window below the cap ring, it really doesnt make much sense design wise. At the end there is another chrome coloured ring, followed by a cap which covers the knob of twist piston filler.

The end finial margin of the cap is not flush with that of clip metal and rest of the body of cap, there is a gap. Though it doesnt take away anything, if Kanwrite is to go premium with variations of this model, such minute issues might get greater importance.

 

I would love to see this model in premium acrylic and ebonite material, which will attract great deal of attention from fountain pen lovers.

 

 

Parts of heritage

 

2. Construction & Quality: Its made up of injection molded CAB plastic. CAB stands for Cellulose Acetate Butyrate, a form of plastic which is slightly softer and more durable. This will prevent easy cracking of the pen. This material is more eco-friendly than ABS plastic, that is used to create many other transparent pens. We must dispel the idea that just because Kanwrite produces cheaper fountain pens for masses with CAB material, this is a cheap or poor material.

The downside of using CAB is one kind of funny smell. Besides, pens made from ABS plastic can have better transparent finish and they are more scratch resistant. I havent found transparent Kanwrite CAB pens to attract scratches more easily, but if one is still skeptical, I would advise to buy some coloured transparent pens like blue or yellow. Durability is more important to me and Kanwrite pens are more durable. The smell is not intrusive while writing (its not detectable unless the pen is sniffed directly) and hands doesnt smell for long after using the pen. Trim quality is good. Overall the pen feels substantial in hand and pictures might not reflect the actual feeling while using this pen.

 

 

3. Weight & Dimensions: The dimensions are as follows

Weight: 22 gms

Length: 140 mm

Length of uncapped pen: 130 mm

Posted length: 160 mm

Diameter of section: 11.5 mm- 12 mm

Barrel diameter: 20 mm

Ink window: 5 mm

Ink capacity- 1.2 ml

The pen is beautifully balanced. I have seen those pens which have around 130 mm uncapped length and ≤ 12 mm section diameter (11.5 mm best) work best for me. So for my grip and finger pressure, this is a perfectly balanced fountain pen. It feels easy in my hand and I can continue writing for prolonged periods with it. The smooth nib compliments the grip and balance. Posting is not a good option for me as it gets much longer than my taste.

 

 

 

From right to left : Pilot metropolitan, Sheaffer No-nonsense, Xinhao X750 and kanwrite heritage

 

4. Nib & Performance: Kanwrite produces a large variety of nibs. Heritage model accepts international #35 sized nibs. The nib comes in a screwed in interchangeable nib-feed unit, but you can pull out and replace the nib only with other spare Kanwrite nibs. All kinds of nib options are available, like EF, F, M, B, BB, Italics, Oblique and very attractive steel semi-Flex ones in different tip sizes. Sandeepji can produce almost all steel nibs under the sun. He is developing gold nibs as well. The review of Kanwrite nibs demands one separate page, but for short these are extremely versatile nibs. The gap between the tines is perfectly designed and tip is smooth with nice wet sustained flow of ink. There is a definite feedback while using Kanwrite nibs, they are not glassy smooth. This resistance is what makes writing experience with Kanwrite much enjoyable. Occasional nibs might be scratchy as with all production houses, but just a little bit of micro mesh-ing will quickly turn them into very good nibs. I enjoy Kanwrite fine nibs more than medium or broad ones. As these spare nibs are cheap, one can actually indulge in a great deal of experimentation and customization. There is no skipping, hard start, burping or leaking.

Reverse writing possible but scratchy. And forgive me for my hideous handwriting while trying to write quick, that depicts the true ability of a doctor's writing skills.

 

 

 

 

5. Filling System & Maintenance: This pen is twist type piston filler. It can easily be disassembled, cleaned and put together without much problem. One has to grip the threads for the small cap at the back and twist to open the piston system. It is made up of plastic and robust. The pen can be cleaned from above by easily removing the nib unit as well.

6. Cost & Value: This pen is valued at INR 1500 ($30 USD). Its an affordable workhorse pen with great value on the long run. Its available in Amazon and also one can contact Sandeepji directly.

7. Conclusion: This is one of the best pens to happen to Indian fountain pen scenario and truly deserving worldwide market. The possibilities are endless with almost all nib types available in house. Some newer developments would certainly take this pen further. This is a 'must have pen' for any fountain pen lover.

 

Whatsapp no of Sandeep ji is +91 9305456599.

Amazon link: Kanwrite

Thanks to Dr. Soumya for providing me with a sample of Fabiano Ego paper to try out.

You're welcome Samrat da . Really nice review .. incidentally I have the exact same Kanwrite heritage with nib units F,M,B,BB, B stub ,M stub , RtOlbq ,left oblq, semi flex F, SF M ,SF B.. the best thing about this pen is its convenience and durability also it's adapting nature to the situations demand. Kanwrite provides nib units in protected box . I always carry different ones , depending on paper just swap in one F or stub or a B, real quick. Great nibs in good price is the best thing about this pen . Sandeepji has been doing a great job to bridge the gap of good Indian nibs . Highly recommended pen and specially nibs .. Also do try the stubs they are just amazing. Tipping in the stub makes them very useful in daily writing without being too much stubbish also gives a little flare in the handwriting.. Edited September 23, 2016 by drmukherjee

[Prithwijit]

Hi Samrat,

 

Thanks for sharing this wonderful and exhaustive review. The Kanwrite Heritage deserved a comprehensive coverage like this and thanks for taking the effort to conduct and share such a detailed review for the benefit of the fountain pen community.

 

I particularly loved the education (for me) on CAB plastic. It seems this is a very common material in Indian FPs and not something that I have seen being used in pens anywhere else. I wish Kanwrite would also launch a version with ABS or even acrylic acetate material and I would gladly pay a premium for such a pen.

 

Regards,

 

Prithwijit

Edited September 24, 2016 by Prithwijit

[Sagarb]

Superb review samrat...thoroughly enjoyed it...

But 1500/- for a CAB plastic pen..

[bobje]

Samrat, this is a detailed and useful review. The variety of reasonably priced nib options, and the ability to swap them easily, creates a niche for a this pen. The fact that two physicians on this thread find the pen reliable under demanding circumstances is a important point.

[drmukherjee]

  On 9/25/2016 at 1:18 PM, Bobje said:

Samrat, this is a detailed and useful review. The variety of reasonably priced nib options, and the ability to swap them easily, creates a niche for a this pen. The fact that two physicians on this thread find the pen reliable under demanding circumstances is a important point.

Yes it's a reliable pen never had any issues .. I only wish it has more ink capacity as I generally use the B stubs and B normals . They make the pen run dry quickly

[Samrat]

  On 9/23/2016 at 7:37 PM, visvamitra said:

I enjoy this review but I'm not sure I would be that keen on the pen

  On 9/24/2016 at 6:03 AM, Sagarb said:

Superb review samrat...thoroughly enjoyed it...

But 1500/- for a CAB plastic pen..

Thanks for your support...I hope Mr Sandip from Kanwrite come up with some Acrylic or ebonite models in near future...all will be eagerly waiting for that as his nibs are quite exceptional...

[Samrat]

  On 9/25/2016 at 1:18 PM, Bobje said:

Samrat, this is a detailed and useful review. The variety of reasonably priced nib options, and the ability to swap them easily, creates a niche for a this pen. The fact that two physicians on this thread find the pen reliable under demanding circumstances is a important point.

Thanks Bobje...there are other possibilities with this model ...and using such piston fillers in other more attractive bodies...this is mostly a utility pen...

[Samrat]

  On 9/23/2016 at 7:48 PM, RobertJWarren said:

Thanks for the review and pictures

  On 9/23/2016 at 8:41 PM, Monbla said:

Nicely done review !! For the price it sounds like this is a pen with a lot of value for the cost. Sounds like what most fountain pens used to be before they became pocket jewelry for the yuppies

  On 9/24/2016 at 5:37 AM, Prithwijit said:

Hi Samrat,

 

Thanks for sharing this wonderful and exhaustive review. The Kanwrite Heritage deserved a comprehensive coverage like this and thanks for taking the effort to conduct and share such a detailed review for the benefit of the fountain pen community.

 

I particularly loved the education (for me) on CAB plastic. It seems this is a very common material in Indian FPs and not something that I have seen being used in pens anywhere else. I wish Kanwrite would also launch a version with ABS or even acrylic acetate material and I would gladly pay a premium for such a pen.

 

Regards,

 

Prithwijit

Thanks for your support...Lets hope the newer pens from Kanwrite get better...

[Samrat]

  On 9/23/2016 at 9:59 PM, drmukherjee said:

You're welcome Samrat da . Really nice review .. incidentally I have the exact same Kanwrite heritage with nib units F,M,B,BB, B stub ,M stub , RtOlbq ,left oblq, semi flex F, SF M ,SF B.. the best thing about this pen is its convenience and durability also it's adapting nature to the situations demand. Kanwrite provides nib units in protected box . I always carry different ones , depending on paper just swap in one F or stub or a B, real quick. Great nibs in good price is the best thing about this pen . Sandeepji has been doing a great job to bridge the gap of good Indian nibs . Highly recommended pen and specially nibs .. Also do try the stubs they are just amazing. Tipping in the stub makes them very useful in daily writing without being too much stubbish also gives a little flare in the handwriting..

Thanks Soumya...I agree with you..the ink capacity is towards lower end....

[Samrat]

Thanks everybody for your praise and support...

[amk]

Interesting that Kanwrite is able to deliver so many nib options - nibs have always been a limitation for Indian pens, but now it seems those days are over!

[Sasha Royale]

Maybe I am too easy. However, I have a budget that includes fountain pens. A couple of well-spoken gentlemen speak well of the Kanwrite Heritage. The red pen in the photographs is beautiful. (I am quite helpless in the presence of red pens.)

 

I want one. Where can I get one ? I guess I have to go to the KanpurWriters site.

[sanyalsoumitra]

Lovely review. And a lovely pen. I always felt there should be a variant with the cap top finial with contour following that of the cap. The crown shape cap finial is my only area of complain!

[pgd84]

Thank you for the detailed review.

[Benpiggy]

I ordered one with a BB and BStub nib via e-mail correspondence.

 

It should be arriving in 2 weeks time.

 

Looking forward for the pen.

 

Thank you for the review.

[senzen]

Good review, I quite like the design.