PEN NEWS for November 2016
Bar none, this is my favourite pen. I have some vintage pens that I truly love to write with, but this pen ticks off everything I could ask for in one pen ... system.
Hand made on a foot treadle lathe, custom made and 100% Premium Black Ebonite (Hard vulcanised rubber) While this is a contemporary pen, it's made with materials and in the style of a top line pen of 100 years ago. The Ranga Model N.8 is the pen. One craftsman in the world makes these. I can't belive that in 2016 you can buy a custom made pen and not spend out essentials dosh. There are custom made pens and there are generally long waiting lists and 4 digit price tags excluding those after the dot $$$$.$$ I used to have a Sailor model that I dearly wanted. When they first came out with their model, King of Pen [purposely spelt in that phrase] I loved the look of it. The torpedo/cigar shape, the size. It was an ebonite pen and then I saw the cost ... and I shelved that one as a grail pen. Sure I knew where to find it. But justify the price? Sailor often has mystic story's that go with their limited edition offers and as I didn't research, just to make it sting that much more, I learned that these were hand lathed, yeah, ebonite, uh-huh, and that only one guy knew how to make them, an ageing artisan. Wait a minute. This was the same story but I'd found this bloke and already ordered my 1st Ebonite pen from him. Now I find out that he was doing the bodies of the Sailor's King of Pen and better yet he sold his own version of the same model, called the Ranga N.8!!!
Talk about a grail pen. I asked and confirmed. Yes he did make pen bodies for Sailor, They would fit their hardware to them and charge $1000 in the process, but it was a fine pen. The N.8 is more of an everyman's pen. You can buy the basic model, which is an eyedropper fill. This means that the body is the tank for your ink. A lot of ink. The nib is a top model Indian brand, AirMail/Wality. and the feed is ebonite, which despite their basic looks. Simply make the best feeds in that you can readily tune them as much as you can a nib! I currently have a Ranga N.8 in my auction offers. A hand-made foot lathed pen and under a hundred bucks. You might find a one-off vintage ebonite pen that really impresses and I think that is where you have to go really. Modern brands want a lot an ebonite pen. Even if they are robot lathed, that process takes more time and effort than a formed, injected, moulded pen construction. I have watched old Japanese masters hand making pens. They get to the treads and stop the lathe using a rope belt and foot treadles, [the rest of the process is electric motor.] they slowly and carefully chase the threads by hand. It looks incredibly hard and is one of the last steps, so if you botch it, all your works is gone. So, I understood the care and attention. This bloke from Indian, does his thread on the full RPM of the lathe, seconds and it's done. And it's spot on! The first time I saw this I didn't even understand he was chasing threads. I only knew the step by step cautionary approach I had seen by the Japanese makers.
So, after talking I learned that I could ask for a specific, albeit, custom pen. Made for my specifications. Eyedropper is the simplest, and sometimes most rewarding version of this pen. I have one tucked into my pack that I carry daily. But Eyedropper pens can be messy. If you travel and use planes, they can be a small mess, or worse. One model offers the modern JOWO/Schmidt German nibs. These nibs can be found in a lot of custom pens, because they will imprint them and because they are very good quality and so make an obvious choice. Many styles and widths to choose from. I can get all kinds of specialty nib tuning, as well 18K Gold or steel in a variety of plating options. Jowo nibs come with a specific feeder, that is plastic, but it is also a brilliant designed nib and offers a super precise and clean flow when matched to their nibs. Both nib and feed are encased in a threaded cassette as well. So you can change nibs quick and cleanly. If you own multiple ones. It's a lot cleaner than pulling a friction held nib and feed and your nib/feed match will not suffer by swapping in a new nib.
That then is the recipe for my Ranga N.8 I have both the eyedropper section, as well as a threaded section to fit #6 Jowo and Schmidt threaded cassette nib/feeds. I have 3 nibs that are in F M & B all these nibs are steel. (thinking about a gold one) And they are all striking stealthy 2 Tone steel and Ruthenium. Which is a black/grey gunmetal coating. On the black pen it's a stunning contrast and these nibs write in a buttery smooth way. No flex to them and not overtly wet nibs. They are just showcase smooth and it's easy to carry one loaded and the other two in capsules, ready to be swapped on a whim. As well, I carry a Noodler'e #6 Steel Flex Nib in the Eyedropper section I had to grind this nib's heel to make it fit, but it was worth the effort. Later, I found a very nice substitute Flex nib that is made in India and will work without the attention to it.
The Flex nib gives you that real old classic feel. It's steel and by no means a wet noodle, but you can get a really wet flow of ink and huge variant of line width's Next to the other nibs it looks unbridled. The Jowo nibs are restrained and precise by comparison. I took some shots of this pen and an ink sample to show the different nib choice results. I am seriously thinking about offering this customised variation. Or, anywhere in between. Of course, as they are hand-made they are only going to be made to order. If you want both types of sections. You need to order them at the same time. Since these pens are completely hand made. They can often vary in size and dimension, enough that you can't successfully request a further section made later. Anyone interested in this kind of pen contact me and we can fit out your needs in a custom fountain pen, [want it to be a roller ball? Totally do-able to add an ebonite roller ball that feeds liquid ink!] Contact me by e-mail: enzo.mods@gmail.com
