Kanwrite Heritage Piston Fill Fountain Pen Review

[@sven-erikrose5732]

Thanks, Chris! I don't think Kanwrite pens "emulate" Noodler's pens; my (strong) hunch is that Kanwrite makes Noodler's pens. Kanwrite also makes nibs (and some pens) for Fountain Pen Revolution (plus I'm pretty sure nibs for Noodler's, ASA pens, GAMA pens, and I'm sure others). I picked up a Heritage from Kiwi Pens (great seller!) with a broad stub nib. It writes really nicely. I agree about the finial: definitely the weakest design element. BTW, the Kanwrite flex nibs/ ultra-flex nibs (got some again through Kiwipens) fit perfectly in Noodler's Konrads and, I've found, perform pretty well. Or if you just want a normal F, M, B or BB on an Ahab or Konrad or whatever, Kanwrite #6s can be swapped in (because the Noodler's nibs are already Kanwrite #6s...)

[@drawmeanelephant69420]

Kanwrite makes all their own stuff and tons of stuff for ASA, Ranga, Gama, etc. and make noodles ones. I’ve imported directly from the manufacturer. Nice people. I have about 60 Kanwrite pens as well as a ton of others. I paid $14 per pen I think. They sell absolutely wonder factory ground nibs in BB as well as flex just like Noodler’s but with more tipping. Also those are not Kanwrite boxes for heritage. Theirs are nicer and hand made.

[@vidur.vachan]

Yes mate! Kanwrite makes a variety of nibs and pens for many manufacturers both in Indian and overseas.

[@badassbassist]

KW is the OEM for Noodler's as far as I know.

[@prateekbhardwaj9943]

even i did not know that popular noodlers Ahab is actually our Kanwrite(kanpur writer) lol. you are right! Ahab is actually kanwrite.

[@danmagoo]

I have a couple of Noodler's "flex" pens, and some FPR pens with that FPR calls UltraFlex nibs, as well as a pair of Kanwrite flex nibs from Ebay, and in my view the Noodler's nibs are not as flexy as the others. I wish the FPR pens had a bit more weight and more quality feel, because their UltraFlex nib is fantastic for drawing -- better than "flex" nibs in pens that cost 10 times as much. I do think Kanwrite is the maker of FPR UltraFlex nibs, but if they make the Ahab nib, it is a different one and not as good. Have not tried a full Kanwrite pen yet, but I will.

[@hrnekbezucha]

Very exciting! I was thinking of a Moonman recently but I think I'll rather go India again. Love their pens so much.

[@samdustin6733]

I guess Im kinda off topic but does anybody know of a good website to watch new movies online ?

[@holdenhoward4206]

@Sam Dustin try Flixzone. Just search on google for it :)

[@finnleymicah1040]

@Sam Dustin lately I have been using Flixzone. Just search on google for it =)

[@DD-d6d3]

I learn so much from you. Love seeing these unusual pens. I listen to your videos to help fall asleep. My grandfather (born 1904) sounded a lot like you. He had the same SW Pennsylvania accent, too. I'm recovering from a health crisis and you're helping me with the insomnia and stress. 🙂

[@chrisrap52]

I grew up in Williamsport, then acquired a Pittsburg accent from my western friends. Glad you find it soothing. Hope you recover fully.

[@2002drumsonly]

Enjoyed the review. Ordered a pen off the site. I like the Kanwrites. I keep watching your videos. I am now subscribed to your channel as I keep returning to your various videos.

[@chrisrap52]

Thanks for the sub! Thanks for watching & supporting.

[@frankvars7925]

Hi Chris! I didn't know this fountain pen model. The various web references that you highlighted with the links are very important: they allow you to know the prices and understand the market. You always do a great job, always great passion and professionalism. Thanks for all!

[@misswoodhouse5720]

Thanks, Chris for sharing :), yes I can see Douglass with the galaxy finish adding to his collection. Now I must try and clean and fill my pens today as I think I need to explore my own collection that I have been neglecting.

[@MatthewChanhk]

I used a couple of their pens with 14k gold modified (cut outs on the sides) flex nibs. They offer a huge line variation and they offer grinding up to XXF I believe. Their pen bodies are another story though, the gold accents brass quite easily and the piston is not well made. They make really good nibs though, and I tried almost their whole line of nibs (stub, architect, XXF to double broad, obliques, flex, untipped flex) and none of them disappoint. My favourite amongst them would be the untipped modified flex. It writes like a dip nib (with less line variation and the same scratchiness) but it was made to last in a fountain pen! Anyway, I better purchase some Indian ebonite pens to replace the pen bodies since the KanWrite #6 nibs couldn't fit in most #6 pens. They hinted they were going to launch their own ebonite pens and the music flex nibs they made for Noodler's more than a year ago but I haven't heard from them since then.

[@chrisrap52]

Thanks for that. I have just dipped my toe into Indian nibs & pens. Now I will look for more.

[@blackarc]

I just got mine "Heritage" in a beautiful orange marble texture. I love this pen beautiful to hold and very smooth to write. The feed holds up in fast writing. The nib is not that flexible in my case but it s a beautiful dual tone. Pen comes with a piston mechanism easy to handle. Worth every penny . enjoy !!

[@chrisrap52]

Thanks for sharing! Great pen. Enjoy.

[@MateuMatheu]

I have a so-called (Kanwrite) F Ultra Flex nib on a PenBBS 500. Mostly compared to a Pilot FA, it's extraordinary how the PenBBS feed holds up without railroading.

[@chrisrap52]

Nice combo. The 500 is a great pen.

[@goofygame]

Wow, that sounds great. I'll try that.

[@DreamState71822]

Just picked up one of these in a nice marbled purple in medium. I also picked up the medium and fine nib to go with it just for some fun and variety. Thanks for the review of this pen.

[@chrisrap52]

How does the fine & medium nibs differ?

[@lakshyagupta508]

I think for indian market it's a decent pen, here it costs about 1750 rupess which is about 23 dollars. Plus Kanwrite has high variety of nibs, which are easily swap-able. In India, after the import duty other pens become much more expensive, so it becomes a very versatile and affordable pen for students and beginners who don't have or don't want to spend a lot of money.

[@chrisrap52]

Thanks for your insights from India.

[@FrankenBeanzzz]

I checked out kiwipens because of another video you did. I'm pretty sure my order got caught in their total shutdown. I'm still excited for what will be my first ebonite pen, cursive italic and double broad nibs. I enjoy the videos, thanks for making them!

[@jorge23483]

Thanks for the video Chris. The model you get has a vintage Big Red style, very cool, I like the other materials too. I found the top finial a little strange too 😅. 😀🖖

[@maxmillianmaximovich1829]

Thanks for this timely review, Chris! Been eyeing this pen for so long and it's the peculiar-shaped cap that's holding me back from an otherwise classy pen. Maybe I'll give it a try if they change the cap's design. Regards!

[@matthewbeddow3278]

Thank you, Chris, for the review. Nice looking pen (although some of the other finishes look nice also). I don't like the finial either but it would not be a deal-breaker. I think given time the nib I think would be good. when I first got an Ahab it was tricky but after a while, I think your hand adjusts to the pen nib, this has certainly been my experience. Stay Safe.

[@chrisrap52]

I've written a lot (letters) & the pen is a good writer, consistent flow, very comfortable & lots of ink. Just not a "flex" writer but that's OK.

[@matthewbeddow3278]

@@chrisrap52 Still a great pen.

[@WaskiSquirrel]

Interesting about the signature. I have to sign for things at the Post Office. When my repaired computer arrived, the Fed-Ex lady told me that they were not doing signatures at all. On the other hand, a guy running for City Council had me sign his petition and touch the shared pen and paper. I had to wash my hands after that! And yes, India makes some good pens. I'm not too much into their flex pens, but I've been impressed with the pens overall.

[@chrisrap52]

In NJ social distancing & face masks are the rule. The state is allowing e-signatures on petitions. I got mine signed before the shutdown, then they extended my term a year so no need for petition or election. They expect primary to be all vote by mail & I expect that will apply to Nov election.

[@viv_2489]

Hi Chris, i have ordered a couple of Kanwrite Heritage pens recently.. one in solid blue, other in dual tone red black along with additional nibs like broad regular, broad Architect, double broad Architect, medium.. I revisited this video and it encouraged me to order another one in Dual tone orange black in ultra flex medium nib. Please note that if we order directly from Kanpur writers website and choose ultraflex in cart, then what will be sent by default is ultraflex "fine" nib. It's better to contact or drop mail and mention ultraflex "medium" or "broad" (though broad was not suggested by owner Apoorv Awasthi as it may skip/easily starved out when flexing if we write faster). Kanwrite customer service experience is great.

[@chrisrap52]

Thanks for sharing. Kanwrite makes great pens & nibs. Enjoy.

[@davidmcguigan5497]

Thanks, Chris! Finished a letter earlier, a great way to spend time and feel connected, agreed. 9.3 and 3 checks for value, but a lukewarm recommendation. By the end of the video, sounded like that might change. You have probably talked about this in a vid, but why can't today's nib makers match vintage nibs for flex, softness, etc.?

[@chrisrap52]

It is an art to make vintage flex. Sadly that art was lost. My theory, in vintage days millions of gold flex nib pens were made yearly. The nib makers could request a specific gold alloy that flexed well. Now gold is very expensive & nib makers do not buy enough gold to specify an alloy for flex nibs if they knew what that was. There are stiff vintage gold nibs (Waterman's Account Nib), In those days they knew how to make both.

[@bijitroy39]

Kanwrite supplies the complimentary pens that come with their large ink bottles. Got to know of this very recently. A well made video

[@christophermeloche6658]

Fountain Pen Revolution offers some piston fillers from India as well. In fact, the filling knobs on their new version Jaipurs look exactly like the one on your Heritage.

[@mikes10663]

You mentioned buying the Konrad from Nathan at the Commonwealth Pen Show. So you must be in New England, or close by; I'm in New Hampshire. I've been going to the Commonwealth Show every year since I started with fountain pens in 2015. Are you aware of other fountain pen resources in New England? I do know about Bromfield, and I do belong to Boston Pen People, though I have only made a couple of meetings. I enjoy your reviews and the variety of pens and topics you cover.

[@chrisrap52]

I only attended one Commonwealth show. I live in NJ. Glad you enjoy the videos.

[@greyareaRK1]

I've noticed that a number of Indian pen makers seem to have odd issues with cap finials. In this case it looks like they borrowed the clip from another, incompatible design. On the Kiwi ebonite the cap finial is slightly too small. I've noticed similar oddities in other reviews.

[@chrisrap52]

Design is influenced by culture. What looks good to some may not to others,

[@prateekbhardwaj9943]

this is really a great pen and good thing is in my country india its very much affordable :) i have no issue with the nib at all, its steel but super smooth and wet. i personally like this better than my pilot custom 823. The nib is just remarkable for that price , it can write on any cheap paper very fast! but its not actually for flex-calligraphy purpose

[@chrisrap52]

Thanks for sharing. Stay safe & healthy.

[@paulmchugh1430]

It seems that many of these nibs will provide some character to your writing but not true flex. My Pilot 743 has a soft nib. It does bounce and provide character which what I expected.

[@chrisrap52]

743 much better nib as much more cost.

[@lucm6476]

That pen is suppose to be a look alike of a Aurora pen... I realy like the Kanwrite ,super value , for the Aurora ,well i do not own any pens of that brand, so can't compare

[@viv_2489]

I've ordered the same orange black as it looks nice and is a wet writer as mentioned in this video but from kanpur writers official website .. have ordered separately their combo nibs set as well that they offer which includes- Broad regular, Broad Architect and broad stub ....

[@chrisrap52]

Very nice, enjoy.

[@vidur.vachan]

Thank you so much for such a detailed review!

[@chrisrap52]

You are so welcome! Thanks for watching.

[@ybach64]

Nice review, nice pen, thank you.

[@AnzanHoshinRoshi]

Thank you, Chris. You must have enough pens to build a house out of them to hold your collection of pens. Sr]tay well.

[@chrisrap52]

My family made a dedicated pen room for me. It is getting crowded in the room but I don't mind.

[@peterpuleo2904]

For your next birthday, your family should dedicate your ENTIRE home as a pen room.

[@chrisrap52]

Maybe I could get an extension build for pens. 😍✍

[@peterpuleo2904]

For the price, it looks like a solid pen.

[@chrisrap52]

Yes it is. I have used it daily & enjoy it more & more. The nib is smooth & very consistent.

[@ratneshpawar]

Their 14k nibs are outstanding in performance. Flex nibs are very much like vintage flex nibs

[@chrisrap52]

I'll put one on my list. Thanks.

[@ratneshpawar]

@@chrisrap52 you should buy a 14k nib any type.

[@NaveenKumarErroju]

That pen looks damn good.

[@peterpuleo2904]

I have tried several modern flex nibs, but none nearly compare to the vintage flex nibs I tried at a pen show, ( which were beastly expensive).

[@chrisrap52]

I gotten flex nibs in lesser known pens at shows for under $80. They needed restoration but that I can do.

[@paulmchugh1430]

I have seen a number of reviews about this pen, though I do not remember a flex nib. I wonder if it is the same nib on a Fountain Pen Revolution pen. Is it worth the price? Do you still use it?

[@chrisrap52]

I have FPR flex & Kanwrite flex, both not good flex writers. I am spoiled by vintage flex,

[@redemissarium]

Is there anyway to refill this without dirtying our hand? one reason I favor cartridge over piston is after I refill there is always ink residu left in front part (even I have clean it with microfiber) dirtying my finger.

[@chrisrap52]

You could remove nib & use a syringe to fill. I do not have an issue with ink stains. I do not use cartridges. I clean ink off nib & section after filling. Keeps my fingers ink free.

[@UndeadCrabstick]

you could try getting a type of soap that has clay particles in it. I don't know if they have them in your country. In my home country it comes in this paste and is used for dishes, hard surfaces and stubborn stains on skin. It's environmentally friendly and doesn't harm your skin because the particles are very fine. I use it for when I get ink on my hands and it takes it away in no time.

[@sajjadhusain4146]

I don’t like the pen much. Just the overall finish, design detail, build quality and appearance don’t appeal to me much at all. The only thing I like about the pen is the obvious nod to the nice ink window I have in my Aurora 88 and Optima pens. Also, I have two Kanwrite nibs on two of my Indian pens. I love them a lot. Quite exceptionally smooth, wet, dependable and pleasurable to write with. This nib is not quite like so, clearly. Chris, find a cool Ranga pen to review, sometime.

[@chrisrap52]

I have some Ranga pens - the one I reviewed, kzbin.info/www/bejne/iYian5aXlLtoaMU. Others did not meet my criteria to warrant a review.

[@sajjadhusain4146]

chrisrap52 ..Oh good. Just watched it. I have the Model 3, 4C, 8B, and my absolute favourite is the large, beautiful red Model 5 with a custom ordered big Boch 18k nib. It writes like a fantasy. What I Ink’s ace review of the pen inspired me to seek and buy the identical pen soon afterwards. The price is off the charts for an Indian pen, much less any Ranga: $299.

[@panopticonwillsaveus]

Apart from the funny looking finial, looks like Kanwrite borrowed heavily from the design and look of the Aurora Optima.

[@chrisrap52]

Yes, they say that in their description which I included near the end of the video.

[@64ftContraBombarde]

Interesting! I wonder if that flex nib would fit on a Conklin Duraflex? Nice to know there's a reasonably-priced flex nib out there. Also, RE the ebonite feeds, I think a tube diameter increase of x2 would result in an increase in flow x16. They're related exponentially.

[@chopin4525]

Conklin has a unique feed, it is unlikely to fit I think.

[@arpandey7043]

If u want more flex then get the 14k gold flex nib... I think that will satisfy you

[@chrisrap52]

Watch some of my vintage videos, I enjoy those flexy nibs. I also review modern pens such as these. Thanks for watching.

[@kattz753]

You know what - it should get bonus points just because it didn't barf once. Noodlers almost always at least burp if not outright barf during reviews.

[@chrisrap52]

OK, I give it bonus points. Burping caused by external factors.

[@HarshVardhan-di5kf]

Tell us about the nib?

[@chrisrap52]

It still writes as shown in video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qmjKZ5R4ntlniZo

[@magnoliamike]

I was just looking at these. Kinda look like pelicans

[@chrisrap52]

Not to my eyes. The pens tapered shape is one aspect.

[@abhiseksarkar9531]

I’ll use a zebra g with it.🤐

[@aadityakiran_s]

You talk a little like the "apparently" kid.

[@chrisrap52]

That is the most bizarre comment I've every read.

[@aadityakiran_s]

@@chrisrap52 You talk more like the "apparently" kid than Trump. You know who that is?

[@nikthegreek4223]

I think that this pen is a clone of an Aurora pen(I can't remember the model) thats why that piece on the top looks like that.Are you sure its ebonite? I think I can see the mold marks around the 10 minute mark.Very nice review.

[@chrisrap52]

Aurora Optima. Good catch, cap finial is injection molded. Unscrews & gate mark inside.

[@nikthegreek4223]

The Kim ACR regular grip reminds me of the Parker duofold section. Very comfortable though.