Three Ranga pens. Giant bamboo, sugarcane and 4c

[Harish N V]

After a long time, it was  nice to touch base with Ranga pens again.  I purchased three pens from them and each of them is unique and great. I purchased all of them with in regular and special ebonites as ebonite is my preferred material and also Iam quite happy with their regular and special ebonites generally. Ranga pens gives equal attention to both regular and premium ebonites and hence I go for regular ebonites as it is easy on my pocket too. 

 

The reason for my purchase is that i have alost tried almost most of the pens from Ranga and i wanted to recollect my favorites. So two of the three pens are my favorites and the third one is a new experiment. 

 

PEN 1: Ranga Giant Bamboo in regular green ebonite with a Schmidt broad nib. 

 

This was one of the earliest pens I purchased from Ranga. Its one of their most beautiful pens. The girth, length and general proportions of this pen suits me perfectly. The long hour glass shaped grip section is a unique feature pf this pen. The nodes and internodes of the bamboo are done so well. This reflects a high degree of skill involved in making this pen. The pen unscrews in over one and a half turns and is perfect. Ranga pens are one of the few companies to make multi start hand cut threads. The nib is something to talk about. The Schmidt nib is a balanced broad nib. Its neither too thick or too thin. Just a very well balanced broad. The scroll work on the nib is fabulous and its really smooth. It has a small touch of feedback that adds a certain balance to the pen. My experience with Schmidt nibs in the past has always been good and they are one of my most reliable nibs. 

 

I would caution new pen users about this. This pen might take some time to get used to. The size of the pen and the thinner hour glass section will grow on you by the day. This pen really is Ranga pen's flagship model. The matte finish on this pen is stunning to put it mildly.  

 

2) PEN 2: Ranga 4c with a ranga BB nib

 

This was the first ever Ranga pen that Ipurchased and this remains one of my favorite Ranga models till date.  I usually dont go for this size of pens. I prefer bigger pens. But this pen held in hand is a different story altogether. The long and thin girth section, the lovely alignment of cap and barrel make it one of my all time favorites really. This is so comfortable that its almost always on my EDC list. The grip section is really the highlight of this pen. 

 

I went for a BB nib from Ranga. This nib costs lesser than the german nibs.  But the quality is uncompromised. It has a stub like character and is very smooth and balanced. Its a pleasant writer and has a lovely plastic feed which allows for a controlled flow of ink.  I opted for the new clip design. 

 

 

 

The Ebonite pattern is yellow and black. But the yellow is more a mustard yellow. 

 

3) PEN 3: Ranga Giant Sugarcane with a Bock Broad Nib

 

This is the new experiment in this list. I have been holding back for a long time on a sugarcane. Was a bit confused about the thickness and the girth and was not really clear about whether to purchase a regular or the giant. Finally went for a giant sugarcane with a light green ebonite with dark green ripples. This is s25 in ranga's naming system. 

 

This pen is again gorgeous and I am happy that i purchased this finally.  A really lovely work done. The pen itself is as long as the giant bamboo. But thinner than the bamboo. There are two nodes on the pen that actually indicates the amount of work that has gone to make this pen. The entire ebonite itself is as thick as the ebonite of the bamboo. But the entire body of the pen has been thinned down uniformly and only two thick nodes on the cap and the body are left. It has been done really spectacularly. The grip section is thinner than the bamboo. But its very well balanced and comfortable. The top and bottom of the pen are finished so uniquely and its a treat to the eyes. 

 

 

THE NIBS

 

All the nibs wrote out of the box. There was no need for tuning and all the pens had been tested by Ranga before sending which i really appreciate. 

 

The Schmidt is really the smoothest and wettest out of the lot. Its an outright reliable writer. Its so pleasant and i prefer to have a darker and expressive ink on this. 

 

The Ranga nib has the maximum character of all the nibs. Its smooth and has a nice stub like character. Its wet and works really well. I have found Ranga nibs to be as reliable and well performing as the German nibs. 

 

The Bock is really smooth and has a balanced flow on it. It is the most springy of all the nibs and that's the unique feature of this nib. Has a lovely feedback which makes for a uniform and consistent handwriting in long writing sessions. Again its reliable and a touch broader than the Schmidt nib. 

 

 

 

MORE PICTURES

 

 

 

 

 

[K Singh]

I can relate with you 👍 I too try to get multiples of pens that I like. Woodex 39, Deccan masterpiece, Ratnamson Supreme, Some Guider pens are the pens which I have 2 or more of. And I also try to collect Kim Jumbo pens in different colours.

[Harish N V]

Thanks for reading the review. I really like some of the pens in your list. The 39 is a lovely everyday writer. From guider, I love their zimbo for its girth. IAM yet to try Kim. But I know they are your favourite.

[tommym]

What a fantastic review! Thanks so much for posting!

 

Currently, my largest Ranga pens are my 3Cs, which is a step down in width from your 4C by about 2 mm. Your photos give me an eye-opening perspective on the size difference between the pens. Wow!

 

I started off with Ranga's premium ebonites, but now, I also prefer their Regular and Standard ebonites. The random black specs in their Regular and Standard ebonites add charm and nostalgia to the pen.

 

For those unfamiliar with Ranga Pens, Ranga's dedicated eyedropper pens are even more affordable. The nib selection is limited to Ranga nibs, and there are no stub nibs available. But ultimately, I can live without stub nibs. My understanding is that Ranga nibs are made by Kanwrite. I've had excellent results with Kanwrite nibs, and when possible, I'll choose a nib made in India to support the nib industry in India.

 

Regarding the Sugarcane pen, I get what you are saying about the unique design at the ends of the pens. But for those who don't, I have attached an image from Ranga Pens showing this. Pretty cool!

 

 

Tommy

 

 

[Harish N V]

Hi Tommy,

 

Thanks for your response. Thanks for adding the sugarcane photos that show the cap ends well.

 

The Ranga nibs have been great in my opinion. Their BB nibs are enjoyable and reliable. If I want a stub nib, I can always purchase from kanwrite. They make nibs threaded for jowo or bock and Ranga nibs offer same threading as jowo. 

 

I have purchased only two premium ebonites from Ranga. All others are regular ones and I like them with the black specs. Unique in a sense