Welcome to Issue#45. We return after a hiatus.

In this issue we look at Kim pen replicas, and the pain of de-stashing.

In the Indian fountain pen hobby community, Kim pens are prized possessions. Kim Pens was the brand under which master penmaker AC Ramachandran sold his pens. These are sturdy well-made pens which are solid performers that last a lifetime.

In recent years, these have become really valuable - given that they are limited in supply, and a lot of hype has been built around them. Because of this, there is a lot of demand even for modern replicas of the Kim, and there have been several group projects undertaken by various penmakers around the country.

Given that original Kim pens, when you can find them, are sold for upwards of a couple of hundred dollars each, many of us enthusiasts have to satisfy our Kim cravings with a modern replica. So when I heard that a fellow enthusiast was commissioning a replica for a group buy, I jumped at the chance.

The project was executed by PLP Pens in Hyderabad, and the outcome was this chonker, officially christened PLP Dronacharya.

I got mine fitted with a #9 nib from Junlai, and it perfectly matches the rather large dimensions of the pen. It has an eyedropper filling system with an ink capacity of just under 4 ml. In spite of its giant dimensions - uncapped it is over 150 mm, and the section is 13.3 mm at its narrowest - it is beautifully balanced and writing with it is a breeze.

It has remained inked ever since I got it a few weeks ago, and is a current favourite!

If you are in the fountain pen hobby, there is a big chance that you have a stash of pens, inks and notebooks that you do not use. Out of these, there is a good chance that there is a sizeable number that you know for sure you will never use at all. While it is a no-brainer that these have to be de-stashed, most of us never get around to doing it.

However, those who have tried doing it have all faced the same issues - every time you put up a sales post, you have to deal with a bunch of enquiries, mostly from people who have no interest in buying it. And then there are the low-ballers, who will shamelessly offer to pay less than a third of what you have listed it for. After dealing with all of this, it is no wonder that we put off de-stashing.

With this in mind, I have been working on a Marketplace where you can list and sell without all the hassles. Capitalizing on our experience with the community with selling Esen Gear products, we now have a Marketplace section on the website. For starters, we have a few products listed. Do take a look and let me know what you think.

Also, if you would like to list any of your goods - pens, inks, notebooks accessories - do send me an email and we can figure it out.

If you have been reading this newsletter, you would know that a couple of us launched a brand for hobby gear - Esen Gear. I was recently on fountain pen creator Abhinesh’s YouTube channel Pen Delight talking about the brand and what we are doing. Do watch and let me know what you think.

Share your take on fountain pens and related things in one (or more!) of our upcoming issues.

Any and all content you share will belong to you and will be credited to your name (or a pen name of your choice) and linked to any of your online profiles. Ideal content would be a write-up between 200 and 400 words with 1 to 5 images.

Here are a few things that can go in the Fountain Pen Weekly:

• Pen / ink / paper ownership experience

• Favorites in FP, ink, paper etc.

• Your social handles with your FP content - Insta, FB, Twitter, Reddit

• Any FP-related content you want to call out - articles, podcasts, videos.

If you have any other ideas as well, do share, and I will be happy to think about it.

That’s all from me this week.

Questions? Feedback? Just hit reply on this email or write in at [email protected]