Ranga Premium Ebonite Abhimanyu Fountain Pen Review

(Sarah Read is an author, editor, yarn artist, and pen/paper/ink addict. You can find more about her at her website and on Twitter. And check out her latest book, Out of Water, now available where books are sold!)

(Note: We listed the pen model incorrectly in the original post and have updated the name and product links accordingly. -Brad)

The only thing that frustrates me about this pen is that, no matter how many photos I take, I can't seem to quite capture how awesome it looks in person. The Ranga Abhimanyu from Peyton Street Pens has beautiful depth of color. This red and black colorway has swirls that look like an active lava flow. The ebonite is smooth, and the body and cap feel substantial and strong.

The cap screws off to reveal a grip section in the same ebonite material. It's nicely shaped with a taper that ends in a flair that keeps the fingers from slipping. This model has no clip, and both finials are gently shaped to a point. The overall shape reminds me of a Nakaya Piccolo, though this solid ebonite is much heavier. The Ranga isn't uncomfortably heavy, though. It's very well balanced and comfortable to write with, even for long writing sessions.

The grip unscrews from the body to access the converter. It takes a standard international cartridge or converter, but the pen can also be eyedroppered. The body threads are long, so it takes lots of unscrewing to access the ink chamber, and those threads come pre-greased, so it's ready to ink right away.

Once inked, it's revealed that this is not just a pretty pen. I really enjoyed writing with it. The nib is a #6 steel nib. This one is marked as a Fine, but Peyton Street Pens offers a number of sizes as well as some grinds. This one has a fine cursive italic grind on it, done by in-house nib grinder Nivardo Sanchez. The writing has great character, and the downstrokes are wider than the cross strokes. I might be slightly biased, because that is my favorite flavor of nib grind, but I adore the way it writes. It has a nice flow, it's super smooth, and I have had no issues with the pen drying out, even when I let it sit for a few days without use.

This model of pen comes in a variety of colors, from simple elegance to gloriously wacky. The price ranges from $72 to $105 depending on size, plus another $25 if you would like a custom nib grind, which is a very fair price. It's probably a little low, but don't tell them that; I might need a second one.

(Peyton Street Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Lotus Author Purple Nebula Fountain Pen Review

(Jeff Abbott is a regular contributor at The Pen Addict. You can find more from Jeff online at Draft Evolution and Twitter.)

Want to know what my favorite thing is about custom fountain pens? Absolutely the unique colors of the materials that these artists create. There's so much variety and bold representation that can fit any preference or whim. Just when you think you've seen every color combo or mixture, you see a new material that makes you take a second look. Before you know it, you're sitting down to discuss your nib preferences so they can adjust the nib for you after buying the pen.

I'd never heard of Lotus Pens prior to setting eyes on this custom Author model. The pen is made by Lotus Pens in India, and the fit and finish are top notch. In this case, though, the material was poured by Teri Morris at Peyton Street Pens in Santa Cruz, California. It's made of Alumilite resin, and this particular creation is dubbed "Purple Nebula." Put the word nebula in anything, and I'm already ready to buy.

The pen looks sleek and dark at first glance in normal lighting, but if you put it under direct light or close to a lamp, it really comes alive. There are rich purples, blues, and light grays with just a hint of shimmery reflective material to make it look like it's moving under the surface. The silver trim is the perfect complement to the cool tones used in the material. I haven't gotten tired of rotating this pen under the light to see how all the colors shift and change from different angles. There's an illusion of depth that is mesmerizing to me.

So, to recap the material used in this pen: It's beautiful, and I love it.

What about the rest of the pen? This is my first encounter with both Peyton Street Pens (where the resin rod was created) and Lotus Pens (the shop that turned and assembled the pen). There's always a chance that a new experience could prove to be negative, but that's happily not the case here. Everything about the fit, finish, and performance of this pen are top notch. It's sleek, feels solid, and has tight tolerances between all the mated parts.

The clip is a minimal profile with a slight taper down to the tip, which is actually a rolling wheel that makes clipping this pen to stuff easier.

There's zero branding on this pen — not even on the nib (which is a stainless steel JoWo #6). There's no fancy scroll work on the nib, and you have to look really hard to find the nib size indicator on the right shoulder.

And speaking of the nib, that reminds me that this pen isn't only a collaborative effort between two parties, but three! The nib on this unit has been modified by Nivardo Sanchez into a buttery smooth architect shape. Since this nib started as a standard broad, there's a delicious amount of line variation between up and down strokes. The downstrokes are similar in width to a 0.38mm or 0.5mm gel pen, while the lateral strokes are what you'd expect from a broad nib (somewhere between 1 to 1.2mm line width). Despite the drastic difference in line width, the writing experience is incredibly smooth. Tuning nibs to this kind of shape can sometimes lead to scratchy edges. The lines are normally exceptionally crisp in this case, but writing isn't as enjoyable (for me, anyway). This nib hits the balance dead center and provides crisp, confident line edges with plenty of width variation while also remaining glassy smooth. Bravo.

The pen comes with a standard Schmidt cartridge converter, but you could also use standard cartridges. The product information advises against using this pen as an eyedropper, and I have no intention of trying it out.

I'm a huge fan of this pen and especially the material. I can happily recommend it to anyone, but the only bad news here is related to the supply. There were only 11 of these beauties made, so they won't last long at all! Especially considering the price. The model I have is listed at $175, which includes an extra $25 charge for the custom nib grind. All I can say is, if you like how it looks and have the money to spare, just buy it. You have plenty of nib options to fit your writing style. If you opt for a standard nib size, the pen rings up to a cool $150. Along with the pen, it also comes in a super soft kimono and a decorative wooden box that can double as general storage for small items.

Can't wait to see more of the materials and pens that come from Peyton Street Pens and Lotus!

(Peyton Street Pens provided this product at no charge to The Pen Addict for review purposes.)

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Membership starts at just $5/month, with a discounted annual option available. To find out more about membership click here and join us!