Ranga fountain pens might have been relatively unknown in the United States a few years ago, but this pen brand has been increasingly popular and these, popping up on Reddit and pen review sites with surprisingly regularity.
So who are Ranga Pens, what do they make, and that’s the deal with this company?
Ranga Pens History
Ranga Pens has been making fountain pens since 1970, when the company was started by M.S. Pandurangan. Ranga was founded in Thiruvallur, in southern India, near the east coast, close to the city of Chennai.
Despite being in existence for over 50 years, Ranga still hand-makes their pens and hasn’t converted to a factory process. Pandurangan’s son, M.P. Kandan, is now involved in the company and helps produce and sell their fountain pens.
Ranga doesn’t makes nibs but instead uses top-quality German-made nibs from JoWo, Bock, Schmidt, and others. The company only uses Schmidt K5 converters. Ranga primarily works with ebonite but sells some acrylic pens as well. In fact, in 2021 the company is primarily known for being a seller of affordable ebonite pens. In the past the company worked with celluloid as well.
Ranga is primarily known for its fountain pens — particularly its large fountain pens — but also sells ballpoint and rollerball pens.
Where To Buy Ranga Pens
Ranga’s pens are actually quite easy to find in the United States and other countries. Similar to major Japanese brands, the company has a number of official dealers, third-party sellers, and direct sales through its website, RangaPens.com.
Ranga has a huge array of models, colors, nibs, variations so if you want the full selection you’ll have to buy direct from the company. Other sellers will have a few varieties of the popular models but usually not much more.
If you are in the US you can get Ranga Pens from:
The primary authorized dealer in the US is PenChalet and Peyton Street.
Most Popular Ranga Pens
It’s always a guess when trying to assess a company’s most popular product but here is what we’ve taken away from our research. It’s particularly difficult to assess because Ranga makes most of their models in an eyedropper and a converter model as well. The company even makes some dip pens.
Ranga Bamboo
Ranga’s biggest hit (at least in 2021) appears to be the Bamboo, one of its flagship pens. This is a large pen that measures about 6 inches long and 16 mm in diameter and is shaped like a piece of bamboo. This is typically something you’d associate with China, but Japanese maker Pilot did have a high-end fountain pen and rollerball known as the Bamboo as well, so it’s becoming a universally popular pen inspiration.
The Ranga Bamboo typically sells for $70-$100, though the price will depend if you opt for the standard ebonite model or the slim ebonite model. (All the prices here will assume a standard steel nib. You can upgrade to a much more expensive gold or titanium nib buying direct from Ranga.)
Model 5
The Model 5 is a large, handsome pen with a classic design. Typically sold in premium ebonite, this is a lipless pen that is most popular as an eyedropper with a huge ink capacity.
The pen is an impressive 7 inches long and up to 17 mm in width. The section is 14 mm wide, making it one of the largest pens you’ll encounter, especially at the $100 price point.
FAQs
Where are Ranga fountain pens made?
Ranga pens are made by hand in Thiruvallur, in southern India. This is a city near the country’s eastern coast, close to the larger and better known city of Chennai.