What Indian Pens Are You Using Today - 2025?

[K Singh]

Currently inked: Kim ACR Big Dwarf - very similar in girth to Kim Jumbo, but a smaller and compact version.

 

(Also thanks to group moderators for finally changing the year of the thread 😊 2021 lasted quite long)

 

 

[arun.upb]

 

8 hours ago, K Singh said:

Currently inked: Kim ACR Big Dwarf - very similar in girth to Kim Jumbo, but a smaller and compact version.

 

(Also thanks to group moderators for finally changing the year of the thread 😊 2021 lasted quite long)

 

 

I prefer this "length" over the larger more popular models. The section diameter and shape is just... perfect, great choice to start a new and exciting year!

[K Singh]

23 minutes ago, arun.upb said:

 

I prefer this "length" over the larger more popular models. The section diameter and shape is just... perfect, great choice to start a new and exciting year!

Thanks. Yes, this should be a more comfortable pen for most people. The Jumbo versions are not suitable for everyone. I did a comparison post of this pen with the bigger variants here earlier :

 

 

[Harish N V]

The pen is so lovely. It's sad that the clip has rusted. Your kim collection is a source of envy for me.  

[hari317]

1 hour ago, Harish N V said:

  It's sad that the clip has rusted..  

Kim pens were extremely inexpensive pens in the Rs 150/- range in 2011. The hardware and nib quality was commensurate with the demanded price.  I don't know what happened in the intervening years, the pen has suddenly become a crown jewel and extremely over hyped. There was a huge scope of improvement but the pen maker was already 70 back in 2011 and pens were not selling that well. With excellent clips and nibs and finishing, the pens could have come to next level...  

[K Singh]

5 hours ago, Harish N V said:

The pen is so lovely. It's sad that the clip has rusted. Your kim collection is a source of envy for me.  

Thank you 👍 I do have some spare Kim Jumbo clips, but I preserve them like a treasure, as they are very few, and only to replace heavily rusted clips. So this pen's clip will have to stay as it is 😅

 

Hope you find one Kim Jumbo soon, but believe me, that Woodex Jumbo that you have is as solidly built as the Kim Jumbos. 

 

3 hours ago, hari317 said:

With excellent clips and nibs and finishing, the pens could have come to next level

I feel the Kim pens by Dr.Sreekumar and Mr.Saji(Kiwipens) do take it to the next level Sir. I think you already have Kim with nib grind/tuned by Dr.Sreekumar. If possible, do try to find a Kim Jumbo from Kiwipens too, as their pens are very well-polished and the threading and finishing is really good, and the pens write beautifully too.

[Harish N V]

23 hours ago, hari317 said:

Kim pens were extremely inexpensive pens in the Rs 150/- range in 2011. The hardware and nib quality was commensurate with the demanded price.  I don't know what happened in the intervening years, the pen has suddenly become a crown jewel and extremely over hyped. There was a huge scope of improvement but the pen maker was already 70 back in 2011 and pens were not selling that well. With excellent clips and nibs and finishing, the pens could have come to next level...  

That's intriguing. Unbelievable that they were sold at 150. My god. 

 

20 hours ago, K Singh said:

Thank you 👍 I do have some spare Kim Jumbo clips, but I preserve them like a treasure, as they are very few, and only to replace heavily rusted clips. So this pen's clip will have to stay as it is 😅

 

Hope you find one Kim Jumbo soon, but believe me, that Woodex Jumbo that you have is as solidly built as the Kim Jumbos. 

 

I feel the Kim pens by Dr.Sreekumar and Mr.Saji(Kiwipens) do take it to the next level Sir. I think you already have Kim with nib grind/tuned by Dr.Sreekumar. If possible, do try to find a Kim Jumbo from Kiwipens too, as their pens are very well-polished and the threading and finishing is really good, and the pens write beautifully too.

That's reassuring to hear about the 63. I took for a trip to the western ghats with my school children. Both my 63s are eye droppers. Not a drop of leakage. 63 and gama mp were the only eds that didn't leak. Smaller woodex models, gama Raja, woodex 4 and Deccan mp didn't take well to the travel and change in altitude and climate. 63 is really a robust pen. 

 

A query regarding the kim acr on saji's. Are these earlier pens made by Mr Acr or fresh ones made by somebody else?

[K Singh]

2 hours ago, Harish N V said:

query regarding the kim acr on saji's. Are these earlier pens made by Mr Acr or fresh ones made by somebody else?

No, these are old stocks that are remaining. These pens are no longer made. Occasionally, Mr.Rafi from Kim and co too sells some old stock that he comes across. But the ones by Kiwipens are superior to them in terms of finishing and writing experience.

[arun.upb]

On 1/10/2025 at 9:34 AM, hari317 said:

the pen has suddenly become a crown jewel and extremely over hyped.

I too am a little surprised with this hype, albeit happy that classic Indian ebonite pen making is getting attention. There is probably a flip side to it, the current crop - Woodex, PLP, Gama, maybe others that I am missing, do not get the attention that they deserve. Maybe I am wrong.

 

9 hours ago, Harish N V said:

63 is really a robust pen. 

Woodex 63 looks like it should not work, but it does. I have given mine a slight oblique grind. Reminds me a little of the Landkreuzer P. 1000 Ratte tank, the 1000 ton tank design that was never realized

[hari317]

19 hours ago, arun.upb said:

maybe others that I am missing, do not get the attention that they deserve.

Attention comes only after the pens are no longer produced. Either the pen maker has to pass away taking his craft with him (ACR, Ratnamson’s gold nibs) or the pen company has to shut shop( WALITY etc) 

woodex has some real gems do the other brands. Guider push cap etc. Guider has no male heir. I don’t think the legacy will continue after he retires. 

[subbu68]

2 hours ago, hari317 said:

Attention comes only after the pens are no longer produced. Either the pen maker has to pass away taking his craft with him (ACR, Ratnamson’s gold nibs) or the pen company has to shut shop( WALITY etc) 

woodex has some real gems do the other brands. Guider push cap etc. Guider has no male heir. I don’t think the legacy will continue after he retires. 

Rightly said. Wality that I bought for I think INR 250 in Kerala is now selling for nearly a INR 1000 or more. 

 

 

[subbu68]

This weeks pen for me is Kanwrite Legacy Amber Crush

• Trims: Gold
• Nib Type-H: Fine (came with a M nib but a F was in the box - swapped it)

• Nib Finish: Gold Plated

Inked with Syahi Fractal Blue - while the ink is good the bottling is like a jam bottle with the twist lock not threads. All 3 I have are dificult to open and upon opening, some ink always falls out 😒

[subbu68]

This week is another jumbo-ish pen. A Click Renaissance Da Vinci. The orange-black combo is bold and beautiful. Weighs only 24gm with cap, converter and ink filled. Without the cap is only 15gm. A bit low for my taste. Ebonite pens are heavier than this and feel good in my hand. Even the thinner Wality Airmail acrylic (69T and 71JT) weigh nearly same empty and better to hold when inked. PLP acrylics too without any of the additional weight from converter or nib unit feel better. May not buy more of these kind of mass produced acrylics. 

 

This pen with F nib writes smooth right out of the box. Filled with evaporated version of Camlin Blue (bottle left open for 4 weeks with a filter paper covering it to make it darker) . 

 

 

[Harish N V]

On 1/27/2025 at 12:09 PM, subbu68 said:

This week is another jumbo-ish pen. A Click Renaissance Da Vinci. The orange-black combo is bold and beautiful. Weighs only 24gm with cap, converter and ink filled. Without the cap is only 15gm. A bit low for my taste. Ebonite pens are heavier than this and feel good in my hand. Even the thinner Wality Airmail acrylic (69T and 71JT) weigh nearly same empty and better to hold when inked. PLP acrylics too without any of the additional weight from converter or nib unit feel better. May not buy more of these kind of mass produced acrylics. 

 

This pen with F nib writes smooth right out of the box. Filled with evaporated version of Camlin Blue (bottle left open for 4 weeks with a filter paper covering it to make it darker) . 

 

 

Nice details covered. The pen looks very good however. Nice combination of colours. The had one of them sometime back. I liked it with the bb nib. But I had better pens and this is not the most suitable for me . Love bigger and girthier pens

[K Singh]

Currently inked: PLP Clipless Jumbo(Bespoke) with Krishna Nib(Crisp Italic Grind)

 

 

 

[Harish N V]

Hi. Beautiful pen again

It's beautiful without the clip

How do you find crisp italic for daily writing? They generally seem to work when the notebook is spiral bound and is flat while writing 

[K Singh]

1 hour ago, Harish N V said:

Hi. Beautiful pen again

It's beautiful without the clip

How do you find crisp italic for daily writing? They generally seem to work when the notebook is spiral bound and is flat while writing 

Thank you.

I use regular(non-spiral) softcover notebooks, and have no issues writing with the nib. Also it's a very smooth nib to write with. If there is any hesitation, then best to go with their more rounded nib profiles like Regular Stub and Cursive Italic 👍