The Indian fountain pen and ink industry is seeing a kind of growth that would have been hard to believe even a few years back. Various brands are vying for a place in the mind-space of users as the market grows steadily, and competition from imported brands continues to heat things up. In this cesspool, if there is one brand that must be singled out for having constantly upped its ante through sheer innovation, then it is certainly the Chennai-based Endless.
They burst into the fountain pen, ink, and accessory scene through their e-commerce platform www.thepenworld.com which was one of the early movers in the space, where they established a near-dominating status. Next came the Endless series of notebooks – sleek, fountain-friendly pieces that could easily compete with the slew of foreign brands that were available in the market then. Here too, the establishment of a niche was swift – as the products were developed by actual end-users, keeping the quirks of fountain pen, ink, and journaling aficionados.
The Endless inks followed suit – where Aditya Bhansali and his pack of merrymakers matched the vibrancy of the inks with packaging innovations that forced the then almost moribund Indian pen and ink industry to sit up and take note. If I am not mistaken, not only have the inks started creating their dedicated fanbase in India, but have also been hailed abroad where they are exported.
Not content with ink and paper, Endless soon forayed into the manufacturing of fountain pens under their brand. However, instead of taking the commonly trudged route of either turning ebonite or approaching established manufacturers with existing moulds, they went the hard way – designing their pen from the ground up. The result was the Endless Captiva Torque-filler fountain pen, which coming from relative newbies – considering the centuries-old legacies of some others – was a very welcome offering. The very fact, if I were to add my two bits, that a group of youngsters were attempting such a feat, was highly commendable.
Close at the heels of the Captiva being introduced, Endless sprang another surprise on the community by organising the hugely successful Chennai Pen Show early this year. I was one of the happy participants and must commend the young achievers for a good job well done. The organising was impeccable and no pens were left un-inked for either the exhibitors or the participants. I am told that cutting across sections, the fountain pen community is eagerly awaiting the Season Two of the show.
And now that the introductory niceties have been dealt with, let us delve into the matter at hand – the Endless Phantom. Yes, it is a retractable fountain pen. Yes, retractable fountain pens require a kind of technological expertise that most manufacturers find kind of daunting. But as I said, the Endless team has made it their mission to rush in where Angles fear to tread. The point to be noted here is that such “rushing in” is never done blindly, and the engineer that Aditya is, his moves are not only well calculated, but are also backed by research of extremely high calibre.
Now back to the pen – the Phantom is a classic fountain pen re-engineered for the modern desk with a click-action and an innovative sealing mechanism. The retractable mechanism works so smoothly, that one can effortlessly use it with a single click. Besides, the Phantom offers another innovative idea – that of ensuring that the ink remains wet for long periods of time, even when the pen is not used constantly.
There is a sleekness in the Phantom that is a bit uncharacteristic of the muscle bedecked comic strip hero that we grew up with, but if I were to comment only on the design of the pen, I would certainly list it as drool-worthy. Another very positive feature of the Phantom is that it is simple to clean and maintain, and has been crafted using high-grade acrylic which is another reason for fountain pen lovers and users to nod their collective heads in appreciation. As for the nib, it writes smooth with just a hint of a feedback, just the kind of nib that my mother had recommended. The pen balances beautifully and gripping is not an issue, which tends to make or mar fountain pens.
Ah, one last thing. I love the way it peeks out of my pocket.
Stay tuned, for I will soon post a video of the pen in my YouTube channel (certainly with a link here).
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