The Gama Kambar - re-engineered by Hari to blend capacity & efficiency to become the GAMHAR Kambar

I told this to Hari recently that what he is doing is the best thing that has happened to the handmade Indian Fountain Pen in recent times.  I am not exaggerating.  The concept is so simple that once one sees it one feels like saying, ‘why didn’t I think of it!’  Hari has been doing this re-engineering for some months now and the results (along with wonderful photographs) of his efforts are all over Fountain Pen Network and has generated a lot of interest and praise …

A lot of fountain pen enthusiasts on Fountain Pen Network are charmed by the concept of handmade Indian ebonite ED filler pens and many have bought pens made by Deccan Pen Stores (Hyderabad), Gama from Gem & Co. (Chennai), Ratnam and Guider (Rajahmundry), Ranga (Chennai), etc., and have enjoyed the experience.  But many of them are not comfortable with the concept of ED filler pens because of their tendency to leak and blob out ink as the volume of ink starts coming down in the barrel.  Some of them have reservations about the custom nibs fitted on to some of the brands. 

What Hari is doing is this … he takes a Gama fountain pen (or a Deccan Advocate) … and creates a threading in the section which will then enable the section to carry a Pelikan Souveran screw-in nib … and lo and behold, we have a super-efficient fusion pen combining the best of both worlds, as Hari himself puts it … a smooth tried and tested and vouched-for nib brand on to an handmade ebonite barrel … the feeder in the screwed in nib unit regulates the flow of ink and controls leaking and the nib ensures a smooth writing experience … the huge ink capacity in these handmade ebonite pens ensures a very long writing experience too …

As soon as Hari started this experiment he sent me some photos and told me how the whole thing works … he started experimenting with various Gama models and the Deccan Advocate … I was impressed with the Gama Kambar and told him so and he informed me that he would keep one aside for me … and since I have a Pelikan M800, I have a ready-made screw-in nib unit that could be fitted on to the Kambar … I waited …

It is only recently that I got to see a live example … Hari came to Hyderabad on a two-day visit and as he was very busy, we couldn’t do our customary Deccan Pens visit and I also missed our dinner together, something we add on after our Deccan visit … but anyway, I was not to be thwarted, and Hari ensured that I got my pen … the place where I live in Hyderabad is on the way to the airport from where Hari was put up … and we agreed to meet for a brief while on the roadside … and that is where he gave me the Gama Kambar designed to take a Pelikan M800 nib …

In my excitement, I inked the pen that night itself and so couldn’t take photos of the nib-less pen … but here are the photos of the fabulous Gama Kambar with the Pelikan M800 nib …

I want to call these fusion pens made by Hari on the Gama models as GAMHAR models …

The Gama Kambar came in this nice black pouch ... 

Out of the pouch ... the clean lines show a lot of character and restraint ... very beautifully made pen in brushed black ebonite ... solid pen with seemingly inexhaustible ink capacity ... 

Look at the clip ... it is still better live ... 

Gama on the barrel ... 

The polished cap top and barrel end ... 

Aah ... here is the nib ... 

A view of the formidable Pelikan Souveran feeder ... 

Alas ... kuch paane ke liye kuch khona padtha hai ... my nibless Pelikan M800 ...