Kanwrite Apex... A inexpensive introduction to the eyedropper world

[Aravind_A_2310]

If you're into fountain pens, chances are you know who Kanwrite is. They're the largest nib manufacturer in India and their models like the desire and heritage have garnered critical acclaim all over the world. They also (allegedly) make some of Noodler's pens as well. But that's not all the models they make. They make some pretty good inexpensive pens as well... some of which are a good choice for students and beginners who would like to start their fountain pen journey. 

 

Today I'm going to look at Kanwrite's cheapest offering, the Apex. A simple eyedropper pen that can be found at about ₹60 - 100/- INR(less than $1-2 USD) in India. And for the TL;DR of it, it's a pen that, if you want a good beginner pen or you want to venture into the world of eyedropper pens, this is a good place to start. So, let's crack on...

 

Design and Build

 

This is the cheapest pen that Kanwrite offers, and you can tell... not necessarily on the build quality, but you can tell why they chose to go with an eyedropper for this, you're basically paying for the nib, feed and a plastic housing. But beauty lies in simplicity... right?

 

  

 

For the minimal amount of materials used the pen looks and feels solid. Even though it's at the bottom of the barrel compared to other Kanwrites, ink it up and it has the same amount of character and appeal as other fountain pens. They have various tints for the plastic, but I went for the demonstrator look because, well... I'm a sucker for those. The pen is made of the same plastic that is called a "celluloid derivative" by Mr.Nathan Tardif himself, and yes... it has the smell, but not that much compared to other pens that I have that's made of the same material(lookin' at you... Kanwrite PC converter). and yes... it can handle drops like a ballpoint... I accidentally dropped it back side down about 3ft from the ground, and aside from a temporary ink fountain that covered my floor with purple ink, the pen wrote as soon as I picked it up and put It on paper(probably because the fall helped prime the feed even more).

 

The cap is a simple screw in cap that takes around 2 turns to open/close. and the clip is sufficiently tight yet easy to clip into even thick fabrics. it also has Kanwrite stamped on it, alongside the heat embossed Kanwrite logo in the barrel. Overall for a ₹60/- pen, it looks distinctive, and that's good in my books. The only issue is that the pen has minor flashing marks on the inside of the section, probably due to not properly trimming the injection molded parts, but other than that, a solid pen that is well built.

 

As for size, well... it's a small pen...

From left to right:

• Kanwrite Relik
• Jinhao X450
• Airmail/Wality 71JB(cartridge converter system)
• Kanwrite Desire
• Kanwrite Apex

   

 

Nib, Feed and Writing Experience

 

Kanwrite is a company Known for their nibs, so it shouldn't be a surprise that this one will also be a good nib, right? Well, we'll get to that in a bit. Let's first take a look at the nib, shall we?

 

The nib is a Kanwrite No.00 stell nib in fine. The same nib that is used in the Relik and perhaps even the same size as in the Airmail 77 and Camlin 47. It's a tiny fella, and couple that with an ebonite feed that is sufficiently finned, and you can rest assure that reliability will be a strong suit of this pen... and it is. I have never run into any dry out issues even when left uncapped for the better part of an hour. So suffice to say, it's a reliable writer.

 

   

 

Talking about how it feels while writing, well, the pen is a small guy. But even for me, a guy with a hand the shape of a kayak(slim and long...) writing it unposted was fine, but I'd still recommend posting it as then it's in my opinion a perfect size for writing with.

 

   

 

Talking about writing, and well... It writes just like a Kanwrite. Very smooth for the most part with a hint of a feedback. It's less than you get while writing with a pencil but you feel that you are writing. This is with TNPL 70gsm copier paper though. Move on to a better paper like a Classmate or Rhodia, and the nib just glides... honestly, as much as the Airmail 69T that I shoehorned a Kanwrite No.35 nib into(Check that one out here). And I'm baffled that you can get this writing experience out of a pen that costs around the same as a ghee roast in a restaurant. 

 

Now the pen is an eyedropper and does take around 2ml of ink. And like most eyedroppers it does burp, but when the barrel is so low that you are not refilling the pen out of pure ignorance and laziness. So, refill it when the ink gets to about 1/8^th mark, which'll last you more than 2-3 ballpoints. Plus, everything is friction fit, so it is easy to clean. Before getting into the conclusion here's a writing sample of this pen.

 

  

 

Conclusion and Final verdict

 

Honestly, there isn't much to say about it, if you have a Kanwrite PC, Saloon, Relik or any of the lower end ones, the experience is somewhat similar. and for just 60 rupees, you can't go wrong. Like I said in the beginning it's a pen that, if you want a good beginner pen or you want to venture into the world of eyedropper pens, this is a good place to start. It is a cheap and effective gateway drug into the world of fountain pen. couple this with a ₹25/- bottle of bril blue, and you're pretty much set for at least half a year, or more.

 

Thanks for reading my write up and I'll see you around...

[bugsydog55]

Nice write up about a pen that many are unaware of.  Since I live in the US, getting hold of these lower end models from known pen companies is quite challenging.  It's just not cost effective.  FPR does offer some of these pens from Kanwrite, Click, Camlin and Airmail/Wality.  I find them a lot of fun but they can have their particular issues to those not acquainted with eyedropper pens.  I think you did a good job on the review.

[Aravind_A_2310]

4 hours ago, bugsydog55 said:

Nice write up about a pen that many are unaware of.  Since I live in the US, getting hold of these lower end models from known pen companies is quite challenging.  It's just not cost effective.  FPR does offer some of these pens from Kanwrite, Click, Camlin and Airmail/Wality.  I find them a lot of fun but they can have their particular issues to those not acquainted with eyedropper pens.  I think you did a good job on the review.

Thank you sir🙏

[antarmukhee]

Nice review. The Apex is a very good pen. I also like the 'Relic' and 'Saloon', which come with the option of piston-convertor. Looking forward to your review of Relic.. 

[Aravind_A_2310]

5 hours ago, bestillmysoul said:

Nice review. The Apex is a very good pen. I also like the 'Relic' and 'Saloon', which come with the option of piston-convertor. Looking forward to your review of Relic.. 

Thank you... I'll post the relik review in about 2 weeks...

[Detman101]

Very nice review! And very nice pen.
I only wish that it were possible to obtain a mass of them for Christmas gifts at a reasonable acquisition price.
Thanks to geographic issues...that won't be a possibility.
Ah well.

[Aravind_A_2310]

1 hour ago, Detman101 said:

Very nice review! And very nice pen.
I only wish that it were possible to obtain a mass of them for Christmas gifts at a reasonable acquisition price.
Thanks to geographic issues...that won't be a possibility.
Ah well.

you can inquire to Kevin from FPR as he works directly with Kanwrite to bring those to the US... if you're going to buy them in bulk, he might be able to arrange some... Just a suggestion as I have not contacted him directly...

[Aravind_A_2310]

P.S:  since this is an inexpensive pen, variations are bound to occur... But if the nib is a dud, you can buy No.00 nibs directly from Kanwrite, As for me, I keep 2-3 Nibs of different sizes in stock just in case... And the nibs aren't expensive either...