Top 5 Contemporary Indian Fountain Pens – the search begins!
The average pen lover who wants to possess an Indian pen is at a huge disadvantage. He / she does not know what to aim for, where to look for, or even how much to shell out for the unit. As there is no authentic source for the aficionado to home in on the masterpiece, we thought of asking the masters themselves.
This is just an effort to help spread awareness about the excellent pens that we make – right here in India. The idea is, not only to introduce some of the biggest names in the industry, but also to hear from them about what they consider to be the front runners of Indian creativity. The Top 5, no less.
As some of these pens, if not all, are of global quality – being capable of winning accolades in any forum, anywhere in the world – it would do them a world of good, if they are identified by the industry’s stalwarts. Apart from being an obvious testimonial for the pen lovers to follow, I personally feel that this exercise will also go a long way in encouraging the men who have dedicated their lives and made it their mission to put India on the global map of penmanship.
I hope this effort will end in the average pen lover, like me, to access information about the top pens in one place and will hopefully, make it convenient for him / her to access the pens of their choice.
Here, in the first instalment of the series, we have Dr SreeKumar of Krishna Pens telling us about his choice. Excerpts:
The question is simple:
What according to you, are the top 5 fountain pens currently being manufactured in India?
(For our comparison, we would like to restrict our choice to contemporary / modern Indian Fountain pens – especially those that come fitted with third party (even imported) nib units and filling systems (cartridge converters).
Eyedropper pens can also be included in the list. Pens that are of historic standing and are still in production can also be considered. Respondents are encouraged to include the pens turned by themselves or the brands that they represent, provided they feel that the pens deserve to be in the list.)
Here is the list of the Top 5 according to Dr Sreekumar:
- Any Ratnam pen. They are a piece of Indian History. Every Indian pen lover should have at least one in hand. May you have to tune the nib a little though, but still, they will remain at the top of the list of my choices.
- Either a Deccan Advocate or a Gama Eyyas. They are well balanced for my writing style. On both pens I have installed Cross nibs and consider them as prized possessions.
- Kanwrite Desire. This is the pen for me for testing my own inks. They are well built . And easy to clean when you change inks regularly.
- ASA Nauka. Classic shape. Replaceable German nib unit.
- Kim and Co Evo or Small. Made by my Master. My list will be incomplete with out his pen. Built like a tank. Will never break.