The Guider Onyx - Sheaffers hybrid 'frankenpen'

I had got myself a Guider Onyx in BHR during my visit to their shop in late 2017. The pen, a medium sized one, came with a #5 stock nib which although a smooth writer, I thought was too small for the pen. I tried various experiments with the section, such as widening the inner bore to accommodate a larger #6 nib. I was more or less successful but I was not satisfied somehow.

I have had a Sheaffer's Imperial 440 (I think...) with an inlaid nib for a while and I was devastated when one day I noticed a small crack in the barrel. It was a cartridge filler and didn't pose an immediate threat, but i was hesitant to use it after that, even though it was a fabulous writer.

Last week, during the winter holidays, having nowhere to go and nothing much to do, I took out the un-inked pens, basically to tinker around. I soon realised that the Sheaffer section fit the already-modified Onyx pen's barrel perfectly! Just to make things a little more interesting, I switched the recognizable Guider clip with a more generic and chrome finished one.

All said and done, it's turned out to be a beautiful looking pen, don't you think?

Brush Pen Bamboo

Brush pen on textured paper.

The Ratnamson Supreme

The Ratnamson Supreme in BHR fitted with an Ambitious 40mm two-tone M nib and a Kanwrite multi-finned feeder. Handmade by Ratnam Ball Pen Works, Rjy, AP.

A beautifully finished pen which is superbly balanced despite it's large size and girth. The biggest problem I had with this eyedropper filler pen was the incredible 8 turns it took to un-cap it which made it unusable for me as a daily carry. I shaved off and sanded down part of the threads towards the end of the barrel mouth and now it opens in about two turns.

It came with a stock nib that was scratchy and unusable, which I promptly decided to replace. The replacement Ambitious nib, the largest Indian nib in the market, writes beautifully smooth, without facing any issues with capping/uncapping due to the larger sized nib.

There is a certain amount of 'brand value' associated with this and other models from this pen maker due to its 'swadeshi' heritage and a famous story involving Mahatma Gandhi. In my opinion, their fame would spread further if they backed up their pen-making craft with good service and communication.