Grail Pens?

[Harish N V]

I Often really wonder what makes a pen a grail pen for me. The very idea of a grail pen is a very personal thing. So for me the criteria would depend on my own grip, comfort, nature of usage, nib size, nib preference, filling style etc. 

 

So in recent times, the pens mentioned below come close to grail pens. I will explain why they classify as a grail pen when I explain about them. 

 

But first some pictures. Sorry for the poor pictures. Lack of proper camera is the excuse. 

 

1)  THE WOODEX 63 series

 

The first two pens in the picture are woodex 63. This is a grail pen for me simply for one reason. I just love thick and huge pens and i have never before seen a more girthy pen. Secondly it comes with a 40mm nib which I prefer. Thirdly it is the best made eye dropper that I have seen. I took it on a travel to the western Ghats. So there was a change in pressure, altitude, temperature etc. It just never burped or leaked and i wrote them dry on the trip. The barrel wall thickness is high which makes it as robust as it can get. The cap is 21mm and the barrel is 19mm. The hourglass grip offers a perfect balance for me. I use it mainly for journaling but also for note taking and other everyday purposes. Also the threads are well made and the brushed matte finish is a thing of beauty. Its a wet writer and is always inked with bril blue. I prefer things to be on the inexpensive side. I want my pens to work well with Bril Ink ( Which is the cheapest and most commonly available ink too) and it does perform extremely well. 

 

I have a set of them. One is equipped with a medium ambitious 40mm nib and the other with a 40mm ground broad which I purchased from Gem and Co. As I said earlier this is just the best eye dropper pen that I have seen. They are surprisingly light also. 

 

2) The Ranga Abhimanyu Grand series

 

These three pens is my collection are a favourite for a few simple reasons. Firstly they are girthy and i love the combination of girth and the length of these pens. They have multistart threads which are so well made. The grip section is an absolute winner. The pen is heavy and feels very solid. I love the amount of options and the customizations available with this model. Infact the first one in blue and cream ebonite is a cigar version of the Abhimanyu grand which I requested Mr Kandan to customize for me. I have equipped them with a jowo fine, medium and broad which makes it a versatile set and usable for any purposes. Jowo nibs work perfectly with Bril inks.  I love the long and slender grip section which offers a good balance to the girthy and short pen. I prefer my Ranga pens with Jowo or Ranga nibs in a 3 in 1 mode. They complement my ED pens from woodex 63 very well. 

 

As said earlier in another post, Woodex and Ranga offer excellent after sales service which I prefer. I immensely value the old Craftspeople of Ranga and Woodex very much. Mr Pandurangan ( Ranga Pens) and Mr Prabhakar ( Woodex Pens) are master pen turners who have been turning pens ( rather gems) for decades now and I immensely value their craftsmanship, individual styles and dedication to turning pens. 

[K Singh]

Beautiful pens 👍 

Once we find our grail/most favourite pens, the process of writing becomes more enjoyable.

[Harish N V]

Yes. I totally agree. 

[hari317]

Very nice to see your favorite pens.

Usually the term Grail is applied to an object very hard to find. or one that is the subject of a long pursuit.

I remain interested in acquiring a 63. Let's see.

[Harish N V]

3 hours ago, hari317 said:

Very nice to see your favorite pens.

Usually the term Grail is applied to an object very hard to find. or one that is the subject of a long pursuit.

I remain interested in acquiring a 63. Let's see.

Nice to know the context of the word grail. I never knew. My pens don't fit into the context. So I can change title to " my go to pens" or something like that. 

 

63 might not disappoint 

[hari317]

13 hours ago, Harish N V said:

63 might not disappoint

hoping for the best. I love woodex quality.

[tommym]

On 2/15/2025 at 1:49 AM, Harish N V said:

I prefer my Ranga pens with Jowo or Ranga nibs in a 3 in 1 mode.

 

Do you use any of the 3 in 1 pens as eyedroppers?

 

Tommy

[Harish N V]

Not currently. The jowo nibs become too wet. So only with converter. Ranga nibs work better when they are as ed. I have a woodex cigar with a ranga nib which I use as ed. It works really well.

[tommym]

Thanks for those additional insights.

 

Tommy

[mke]

On 2/17/2025 at 9:21 PM, hari317 said:

Usually the term Grail is applied to an object very hard to find. or one that is the subject of a long pursuit.

Exactly!        Definition: "Something eagerly sought or quested for."

If you got your grail pen then you reached the purpose of your life. You should be satisfied with that and getting this pen should have extinguished the flames of desire. 

A way out of the linguistic dilemma would be to reclassify the grail pen as a pen on your way to pen heaven.

[stan]

I would not consider any modern Indian pen a ‘grail’ pen. Grail pens are the elusive, almost mythical, pens one has heard of but never seen. Modern Indian pens can be made by anyone anytime.

 

My me, there were never any grail pens. There were a few that in all likelihood would never find their way to my collection. In time, with persistence and perseverance, some were found. Often in the strangest places. One was a Pilot Super 500 in grey with gold cap. The only known one I was aware of was in the Pilot Pen Museum. Found one in a Yahoo Auction of junk pens. It pays to take a few extra minutes to check them out. Frankly, no one does.

 

When we find our grail pen we tend to move on to another grail pen as we have become more knowledgeable about the market and what is available and/or elusive. In essence, Indiana Jones did not go home and sit on his laurels after finding the Lost Ark. He went on to braver and bigger box office results.

 

You can too.

[hari317]

1 hour ago, stan said:

My me, there were never any grail pens.

Nice to hear from you Stan.

[PithyProlix]

I guess there are no really-difficult-to find-pens that I lust after. BTW, in my mind, pens that are difficult to obtain only because they are expensive are not grails.

 

Likely as a retirement gift to myself (still have a few years), I will design my own pen (or maybe even two or three pens) - with personal significance and unlike any other - and have it custom built for me. Create your own grail, I say.

[bugsydog55]

What a great topic.  The concept of a "Grail" pen or object can have different meanings depending on how you view the object.  Is it obtainable?  Is it usable if you obtain it?  Those are deeper questions than you would think because many people are driven to obtain the unobtainable only to face bitter disappointment and depression on achieving the "impossible".  That can lead some people to end up like a hamster in a wheel, they are running like crazy but they aren't going anywhere.  It's easier to keep that "Grail" idea out there than it is to grasp it.  Wow!  Isn't that deep!  I try not to have any particular grail pen in mind.  I do have some modest achievable things that I have accomplished.  I have cases full of wonderful Indian ebonite pens from assorted pen masters.  Inks from around the world.  I've been in communication with people almost everywhere on this world of ours.  And it's all due to the fact that I have this love of putting ink on paper and occasionally getting online and seeing what other people are doing.  So, a "Grail" object is in the mind of the one who is seeking it.  It doesn't have to be big, shiny, expensive or physical.  It's up to the individual.