A Review Of Asa " Gurushikhar "

[SOMNATH]

Very recently I acquired an Indian ebonite fp in black with matte finish from ASA Pens, India. This is a hand crafted pen using the age old traditional methods involving the right blend of imagination and craftsman ship.It is a big big pen in keeping with the traditional Indian ebonites. This is my first review in FPN and being so, there is every likelihood that shortcomings & inadequacies will creep in here and there which I sincerely hope will be overlooked and excused by the gracious readers . Here it goes:

 

1. Appearance & Design (7/10): Black matte finish in ebonite with a traditional look archetypal of the Indian hand made FPs, that is to say it is big and stout with a vintage appearance. On the barrel, the name of the company "ASA Gurushikhar" is inscribed which i appears to have been done in a jiffy and deserved a better execution. On the barrel ,name of the manufacturer and the model is inscribe on the barrel. The ASA" Gurushikhar is a well crafted pen which is minimalist in design. The top and the bottom are flat with practically no embellishments barring the chrome clip which is sturdy and functional and slightly springy. The pen is widest on the middle of the barrel and then tapers down to wards the bottom ever so slightly which makes it look pretty classy. The cap is almost parallel with out any appreciable tapering neither up or downwards. The interface of the cap and the barrel is curved in wards ( the bottom most part of the cap) and is mirror polished as are the top of the cap and the bottom of the pen. The section is polished which tapers down towards the nib unit with an outward curvature at the end of the section.The finish to my mind could have been a trifle better. In fact, many could mistake it for a Gama Kuyil since iit bears a striking resemblance to the later in terms of looks, design, size ,build and the clip even. So, sensu stricto Gurushikar has not much to offer in terms of any uniqueness .But over all quite impressive at the first blush.

Views of ASA Gurushikhar .

2. Construction & Quality (7/10): It is a well built pen and appears pretty tough, solid and ready for taking the rigors daily rough use and could well be the EDC, provided the big size is agreeable to the user .The ebonite material appears to be of quality, though on a closer examination one could find some minor defects here and there by way of dings and pits on the body of the pen which doesn't mar the looks of the pen at all. In fact, these aberrations and the rough (matte) surface lends it some aura of looking "vintage " .The polish (smoothing) on the barrel could have been a shade better. Never the less craftsman ship is worth writing home about considering that it is a hand tuned pen.

close up view of the barrel with the brand name engraved .

3.Weight & dimensions (7/10): As has already been said this is a big sized pen but weighs pretty much light in the hand.This is probably is the characteristic feature of the ebonite material. So, being light in spite of its size makes it ideal for long hours of writing. I use this pen un posted as it gives me the feeling of a perfect balance in the hand. Using it capped may give you the feel of a top heaviness thereby spoiling the right balance. But I guess people with large paws may differ from me. Readers will excuse me for not giving the exact weight since I do not have a weighing machine . The dimensions as measured with a ruler and a tape are as follows:

Capped Length = 15.2 cm

Uncapped Length = 13.5 cm

Posted length = 17.6 cm

Widest circumference at the mid barrel = 5.1 cm

circumference of the cap base = 5.9 cm

Comparison of size, from bottom to top-Lamy vista, gurushikhar, deccan advocate.

4. Nib and Performance (9/10) : The ASA pen e shop site for this pen has no options for choice of nibs or color variations. I ordered this pen with a request for a "M" nib and Mr Subramanium obliged ( the perfect gentleman that he is ) with a "M" JOWO nib of size #6 which is the ideal size for this pen.. The nib , perhaps is the brightest spot of the pen . The nib is a steel one in mono tone. "hot knife in the butter" is the most apt expression to describe the smoothness of the JOWO nib. It writes medium ,approximately 0.5 to 0.6 mm and lays down wet lines which is the way I like it. I tested the nib on my daughter's exercise book and the result is not far behind the best with the exception that in this case there is some degree of feathering.The nib is nail hard without any flex what so ever. Another highlight of this pen is the use of finned feed like the "Sheaffer" NOS type, which supplies uniform quantity of ink to the nib and makes it burp free.

The "Gurushikhar" is a brilliant writer to say the least.

A view of the nib and the feed.

5. Feeling System & maintenance (8/10) : The ASA "Gurushikhar" has a 3-i-1 feeling system, meaning that it i can take a converter, international cartridges and can also be used as an ED . For me, it came fitted with a Schmidt K2 converter and is top notch. It easily pump in 1 to 1.5 ml at a single go.The converter functions optimally without any trouble. With converter and cartridges maintenance is minimal. I am yet to use it as an ED (and why should I).

 

6. Cost & Value (8/10) : The "Gurushikhar" is modestly priced at 2500 INR, where in one gets a sturdy, well built and above all beautifully hand crafted fp, fitted with a K2 converter and A JOWO nib, that writes butter smooth. Therefore weighing all the pros and the cons , I feel the "Gurushikahar" is more than its money's worth and at the end of the day it appears to be a good bargain.

 

7. Conclusion : (7.7/10) : The ASA Gurushikhar has all the elements to be a much sought after pen (except for the monotony of the design which is characteristic of Indian Ebonites) with a slight modification here and there such as, if fitted with dual cap rings in golden tone at the base and a more suitable clip other than the one fitted with. Why I say this is because the same clip is also found in ASA Revolution, Patriot, Gama Hawk, Gama Kuyil etc (pl correct me if I am wrong) and therefore a separate identity is sought for ASA "Gurushikhar"

All in all a good pen at a reasonable price which happens to be a champion writer.

 

 

 

[visvamitra]

Thank you for the review.

[SOMNATH]

Thank you for the review.

You are most welcome.

regards

[fountainpagan]

Thank you for the review.

 

I am glad you enjoy your pen.

 

This is not a model I would fancy, but it is nice to know it exists.

[Gloucesterman]

Please, What's the cost in USD? I'm out of rupees for now :-)))

[Dragonmaster Lou]

Please, What's the cost in USD? I'm out of rupees for now :-)))

According to Google (you can just do a direct search for current exchange rates), it's about $39.

[subbucal]

Very recently I acquired an Indian ebonite fp in black with matte finish from ASA Pens, India. This is a hand crafted pen using the age old traditional methods involving the right blend of imagination and craftsman ship.It is a big big pen in keeping with the traditional Indian ebonites. This is my first review in FPN and being so, there is every likelihood that shortcomings & inadequacies will creep in here and there which I sincerely hope will be overlooked and excused by the gracious readers . Here it goes:

 

1. Appearance & Design (7/10): Black matte finish in ebonite with a traditional look archetypal of the Indian hand made FPs, that is to say it is big and stout with a vintage appearance. On the barrel, the name of the company "ASA Gurushikhar" is inscribed which i appears to have been done in a jiffy and deserved a better execution. On the barrel ,name of the manufacturer and the model is inscribe on the barrel. The ASA" Gurushikhar is a well crafted pen which is minimalist in design. The top and the bottom are flat with practically no embellishments barring the chrome clip which is sturdy and functional and slightly springy. The pen is widest on the middle of the barrel and then tapers down to wards the bottom ever so slightly which makes it look pretty classy. The cap is almost parallel with out any appreciable tapering neither up or downwards. The interface of the cap and the barrel is curved in wards ( the bottom most part of the cap) and is mirror polished as are the top of the cap and the bottom of the pen. The section is polished which tapers down towards the nib unit with an outward curvature at the end of the section.The finish to my mind could have been a trifle better. In fact, many could mistake it for a Gama Kuyil since iit bears a striking resemblance to the later in terms of looks, design, size ,build and the clip even. So, sensu stricto Gurushikar has not much to offer in terms of any uniqueness .But over all quite impressive at the first blush.

18-min-min.JPG 1-min.JPG 2-min-min.JPG

Views of ASA Gurushikhar .

2. Construction & Quality (7/10): It is a well built pen and appears pretty tough, solid and ready for taking the rigors daily rough use and could well be the EDC, provided the big size is agreeable to the user .The ebonite material appears to be of quality, though on a closer examination one could find some minor defects here and there by way of dings and pits on the body of the pen which doesn't mar the looks of the pen at all. In fact, these aberrations and the rough (matte) surface lends it some aura of looking "vintage " .The polish (smoothing) on the barrel could have been a shade better. Never the less craftsman ship is worth writing home about considering that it is a hand tuned pen.

6-min-min.JPG 14-min-min.JPG

close up view of the barrel with the brand name engraved .

3.Weight & dimensions (7/10): As has already been said this is a big sized pen but weighs pretty much light in the hand.This is probably is the characteristic feature of the ebonite material. So, being light in spite of its size makes it ideal for long hours of writing. I use this pen un posted as it gives me the feeling of a perfect balance in the hand. Using it capped may give you the feel of a top heaviness thereby spoiling the right balance. But I guess people with large paws may differ from me. Readers will excuse me for not giving the exact weight since I do not have a weighing machine . The dimensions as measured with a ruler and a tape are as follows:

Capped Length = 15.2 cm

Uncapped Length = 13.5 cm

Posted length = 17.6 cm

Widest circumference at the mid barrel = 5.1 cm

circumference of the cap base = 5.9 cm

3-min-min.JPG

Comparison of size, from bottom to top-Lamy vista, gurushikhar, deccan advocate.

4. Nib and Performance (9/10) : The ASA pen e shop site for this pen has no options for choice of nibs or color variations. I ordered this pen with a request for a "M" nib and Mr Subramanium obliged ( the perfect gentleman that he is ) with a "M" JOWO nib of size #6 which is the ideal size for this pen.. The nib , perhaps is the brightest spot of the pen . The nib is a steel one in mono tone. "hot knife in the butter" is the most apt expression to describe the smoothness of the JOWO nib. It writes medium ,approximately 0.5 to 0.6 mm and lays down wet lines which is the way I like it. I tested the nib on my daughter's exercise book and the result is not far behind the best with the exception that in this case there is some degree of feathering.The nib is nail hard without any flex what so ever. Another highlight of this pen is the use of finned feed like the "Sheaffer" NOS type, which supplies uniform quantity of ink to the nib and makes it burp free.

The "Gurushikhar" is a brilliant writer to say the least.

5-min-min.JPG

A view of the nib and the feed.

5. Feeling System & maintenance (8/10) : The ASA "Gurushikhar" has a 3-i-1 feeling system, meaning that it i can take a converter, international cartridges and can also be used as an ED . For me, it came fitted with a Schmidt K2 converter and is top notch. It easily pump in 1 to 1.5 ml at a single go.The converter functions optimally without any trouble. With converter and cartridges maintenance is minimal. I am yet to use it as an ED (and why should I).

 

6. Cost & Value (8/10) : The "Gurushikhar" is modestly priced at 2500 INR, where in one gets a sturdy, well built and above all beautifully hand crafted fp, fitted with a K2 converter and A JOWO nib, that writes butter smooth. Therefore weighing all the pros and the cons , I feel the "Gurushikahar" is more than its money's worth and at the end of the day it appears to be a good bargain.

 

7. Conclusion : (7.7/10) : The ASA Gurushikhar has all the elements to be a much sought after pen (except for the monotony of the design which is characteristic of Indian Ebonites) with a slight modification here and there such as, if fitted with dual cap rings in golden tone at the base and a more suitable clip other than the one fitted with. Why I say this is because the same clip is also found in ASA Revolution, Patriot, Gama Hawk, Gama Kuyil etc (pl correct me if I am wrong) and therefore a separate identity is sought for ASA "Gurushikhar"

All in all a good pen at a reasonable price which happens to be a champion writer.

 

 

 

Thank you for the beautiful pictures and a nice review of Guru Sikhar

[Sagarb]

Nice review of a nice pen...

[Drone]

2500 Indian rupees = 38.80 US dollars

Did the pen actually come in the box fitted with a Schmidt branded K2 converter and a JOWO #6 nib at that price? Is it a JOWO full nib-unit or only the nib? If the pen comes with only the JOWO nib, who made the feed, and is the feed ebonite or plastic?

Thanks for the review David

[SOMNATH]

Thanks @ fountain pen pagan,subbu,sagarb & drone for the kind words.

@ Drone, well the pen came fitted with a JOWO #6 nib and a Schmidt K2 converter separately (not box fitted), packed in a velvet sac with fancy lace. The feed is of ebonite with no specific brand name on it.

regards

[subbucal]

The Gurusikhar comes with a #6 JoWo nib unit (not a Friction fit #6 nib) and its a 3-1 filling.

The feed is moulded and is the standard one that comes with JoWo.

Hope this clarifies.

[SOMNATH]

Thank you for the beautiful pictures and a nice review of Guru Sikhar

Thanks Subbu..I owe ASA pens a lot for giving people like me an opportunity to acquire very good fps at an affordable cost.

[Gloucesterman]

According to Google (you can just do a direct search for current exchange rates), it's about $39.

Thank you for the information. One of the issues I have with several of the Indian pen companies (ASA being one) happened a year or so back. I had gone on their site and seen several pens I was interested in purchasing. I did the conversion via Google or Yahoo Currency site and came up with a really nice price in USDs. When I followed up with th site to order, I was given a price substantially higher than the simple conversion price. No explanation was offered simply that $XXX was the U.S. price. I ended up not buying the pens because of the significant price difference which I thought was because I was in the U.S. and therefore might be in a "stronger" financial situation than someone in India.

 

That's why I was inquiring about the price in USD.

 

Thank you for the information. At the moment I am saving up my shekels, rupee and pesos so that I can have fun at the Commonwealth Pen Show on September in Boston, MA.

[GranTorino25]

I think their site offers USD, AUD, etc. However, this price does seem to be a lot higher than the rupee price converted to my currency, so I may try to find a way to force the transaction through in rupee and pay the converstion fee at my bank

[Gloucesterman]

I think their site offers USD, AUD, etc. However, this price does seem to be a lot higher than the rupee price converted to my currency, so I may try to find a way to force the transaction through in rupee and pay the converstion fee at my bank

Bingo! That's what my experience was.

[gistar]

Take in consideration the conversion losses. India is not really what you would call a free market and the bank and government cut of what you pay can be significant. We are used to straight conversions but Indians are not having them.

[prashant.tikekar]

Take in consideration the conversion losses. India is not really what you would call a free market and the bank and government cut of what you pay can be significant. We are used to straight conversions but Indians are not having them.

I think international shipping charges and insurance also gets added. You can see what owner of ASA pens says about this here.

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/323579-asa-transnauka-tangerine-group-buy-2017/

[prashant.tikekar]

I think their site offers USD, AUD, etc. However, this price does seem to be a lot higher than the rupee price converted to my currency, so I may try to find a way to force the transaction through in rupee and pay the converstion fee at my bank

I think Indian Rupee prices are for shipping within India only. All prices are including shipping and domestic shipping costs normally below 1 USD.

[Drone]

My take on the exchange rates and shipping from India:

 

1. Any non-Rupee price offered on the site should automatically track the daily average rate plus an offset for any fees and commissions. If it doesn't, then an unexpectedly large difference in exchange rates may be a safety measure to "hedge" against currency fluctuation over time. If you think the rate used is wrong or unfair - always inquire first via Email to be sure.

 

2. I don't live in India but I do live in a country (Indonesia) where conversion rates are quite variable for a number of reasons. Even with the rate variability, actual exchange rates should not be too far off from the Google or Yahoo Finance quoted average exchange rate to USD, EU, GBP, or AUD. Say, within 5% to 10% at the outside. That's the way it is here in Indonesia. Based on my experience buying from India, the situation there seems to be same/similar.

 

3. If the price includes International shipping, then in all likelihood the shipping is via India Post which is a member of the the EMS/Speed Post system (a.k.a. EMS/SpeedPost). The shipping cost using India Post's EMS/Speed Post option is quite reasonable. The last time I checked, a small parcel can be shipped almost anywhere in the world for less than approximately $13 USD. The price varies primarily as a function of distance shipped. For-example, at today's rate a 0.5 kg or less shipment from India to the U.S. costs $11.67 USD. (See the link for India Post's Speed Post tariff page below.)

 

EMS/Speed Post was historically founded in S. & S.E. Asia, but today it has grown to be a global brand. EMS/Speed Post ensures expedited global mail delivery with online tracking. When an EMS/Speed Post tracked parcel is handed off to your country's inward office, so will the tracking. So for-example, If you've been tracking the EMS/Speed Post shipment at the originating country's postal system Web site, once the hand-off occurs in the U.S. (for example), you would pick-up tracking on the USPS Web Page. These days however, many of the postal systems interoperate seamlessly online so the tracking may be continuous across borders. I know this is the case with Japan Post's EMS service to/from the U.S. and Indonesia. But I don't know about India Post's Speed Post service today. The last time I purchased direct from India was around nine months ago.

 

SpeedPost - Explained by Wikipedia

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpeedPost

 

India Post Speed Post - Homepage

 

https://www.indiapost.gov.in/MBE/Pages/Content/Speed-Post.aspx

 

India Post Speed Post - Tariffs

 

https://www.indiapost.gov.in/MBE/Pages/Content/Speed-Post.aspx#tab2

[BRBA]

Conversion related query - can Mr. ASA share the facts on the same? Surely he would be having the answer. Is there are some bank charges on the conversion which gets added? This is the position whenever there is a currency conversion - be it INR to USD or vice versa. The actual amount paid in INR would always be higher than the actual exchange rate.

 

Is this product listed on the ASA website? What is the delivery time- is this readily available?