Ratnam What better pen to feature as the New Year Special 

Happy New Year. Let us hope that all of you have a swell 2024 ahead with many new fountain pens, inks, accessories, and miles of writing pleasure.
Featuring this Ratnam pen in this video was not deliberate. It has just happened - one of those strange coincidences that occur to make you wonder if unknown forces are playing dice with life, rolling out the narrative for you. I say this because this pen represents everything that I have been harking about - it is of Indian origin; it is reminiscent of an era when the fountain pen was the weapon of choice of knowledge warriors; it is an example of impeccable, functional Indian craftsmanship; apart from being an object worthy of being wantonly desired. How better to start a new year, one wonders.
I have written extensively about Ratnam pens in the past and those seeking to get acquainted with the backstory can take a dekho at my blog: www.inkedhappiness.com. From Gandhiji’s letter, extolling their virtue hung proudly on their shop wall to date, to the legacy that the brand represents - it is all there.
I love this particular pen for the rare hue of the ebonite, especially the way it has aged over the years. The golden nib in all its magnificence, is not only a slap on the face of the ordinary but is also ostentatious, on your face. Yet, it writes beautifully, is fully functional even after all these years, and is, as a writing instrument, just wow. The nib deserves special mention, not only because of its unique demeanour, and the ebonite feed that it supports but also because of the way it writes. Touché. And yes, no part of the pen was imported.
Take a good look at the pen. It does not boast of imported acrylic, or of the now near-ubiquitous nib units that remind one of the instant noodles, or of converters that were mass-produced in a Sanghai sweatshop. This is what an all-India pen looked and felt like. This is what we were capable of doing, in Rajahmundry no less, before we entered into a Faustian pact and sold our souls to Mamon.
Do let me know what you think of the pen and whether you want me to feature more like them. Please comment, like, and share for it is your appreciation alone that keeps me going.