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2025

  • 6 min read

Moonman V60... One of the Best Clones in the Market Today

It is widely known that Chinese pen manufacturers are renowned for their ability t reverse engineer a pen and then sell it at a fraction of their cost. And one of the better ones at doing that is Moonman/Majohn. They were popular in the past with their eyedropper pens, and some unique designs, but their popularity came to rise after their release of the pilot Vanishing point clones, the A1, A2 and A3, and their infamous spat with Kaweco over the "Moonman" trademark. Well, after that, they've released quite a lot of "homages" over the years, and one of them got a lot of attention recently. Based on the Omas 360, I present you, the Majohn V60. Clever wordplay aside, for around 2500 INR or around 30 USD is it a good pen?

Note: I will be using Moonman and Majohn interchangeably in this post because as far as I can tell, even the company isn't quite sure what to call them. So...🤷

TL:DR

Yes... it is a good pen. if you want a piston filler with a well tuned fine nib and can deal with the triangular shape and don't mind how it sits, it is a great VFM pen. And the plethora of colour options are just icing on the cake.

Build and Design

If you're not familiar, this pen resembles, or in-fact copies the look of the well regarded Omas 360. A vintage pen famous for it's triangular body. Well, this pen looks the same as the 360, with a few changes. The first one being the color options, there are simply more options to choose from including gold and silver trimmed as well as demonstrator options. The second being that the nib and feed are the traditional plastic feed setup, and the nib being steel as compared to the gold nib and ebonite feed in the Omas. And the third being some minor differences in the trim is arranged in the grip section and the cap band. For reference, here is the Moonman V60 with the Omas 360.

First the Majohn V60 Image Description

And now the Omas 360(Credit: Vintage and modern pens UK) Image Description

Do you see the resemblance... the word blatant comes to mind.

Looking at the pen as is, I really like the look of it, it is kind of an in between o0f a cigar and a torpedo. and the triangular design is unique. I love the way the clip is curved, not only does it looks good, but it makes it much easier to clip this to your pocket or book, considering how stiff it is. then moving on to the base of the cap, you have a cap band with a cool Greek key motif.

The cap is a push cap, with the section being straight with a slight ridge towards the end. Just before the ridge, there is a similar Greek key motif to that of the cap band. the grip to barrel has a tiny step up, mostly to prevent the cap from going down too far, but is non intrusive. The barrel goes straight for the most part until the end trim piece. Where the knob for the piston is. I don't know whether it is just my unit, but I did find some play in the piston knob, but the mechanism works smoothly and I have no problems whatsoever with the filling of the pen.

Image Description Capped

Image Description Uncapped

Overall, I'd say t is a great looking pen with an understated yet luxurious presence. It certainly looks the part. And with the unique triangular shape it is bound to turn some heads.

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Coming to the size, it is a medium pen which is comfortable to hold. If you don't mind the triangular grip, it is a surprisingly comfortable pen to write with. The cap barely posts and it sits on top of the knob right above the trim ring. So yes, the piston knob can rotate while posted. so keep that in mind. I'd say don't post it at all...

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Here are the measurements. Measurements: - Capped: 148.8mm - Uncapped: 132.5mm - Thickness of the barrel: 14.4mm from apex to opposite side, 14.6mm from apex to apex - Cap diameter(dimensions in this case): 16.6mm from apex to opposite side, 16.8mm from apex to apex - Section dimension: 13mm tapering to 11.8mm from apex to opposite side, 13.2mm to 12.1mm from apex to apex, over a length of 25.7mm.

As for size comparisons. here is the capped and uncapped comparison: From left to right - Click Renneissance - Moonman V60 - PLP model 008 - Kanwrite Desire - Krishna Zuki Image Description

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And continuing from my last pen review, here is a comparison between my smallest pen the Moonman Q2 and my largest pen, the Woodex #39.

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Nib and Writing

Coming to the nib, it is a traditional Moonman #6 size nib with a plastic feed. The nib looks great, with the moonman stanping and the dual tone giving it a nice touch. Image Description

It looks like it should be a screw in nib unit, but either it is glued from the factory, or it is so tight that the feed and nib just came off as though it was a friction fit setup. So... take it for what it is Image Description

For ink, I used the trusty Bril royal blue, which, in my opinion is the best value for money blue ink in the market today. And I find this fine nib to be a very good writer. The nib is smooth, the flow is adequate, and the pen is well tuned. And the triangular grip, for me is comfortable to use. The fine nib is comparable to extra fine nibs from the likes of JoWo, or fine nibs from Indian makers like Kanwrite. Here is the writing sample.

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Final Verdict

Overall it is an extremely enjoyable pen to use. And for the price, the pen is a unique offering for the enthusiast who can't afford the Omas 360, this can be a good alternative. The pen is available on sites like aliexpress or etsy and I'd say it is a steal of a pen who want a good piston filling pen with a distinctive design and is okay with the triangular shape... And hey, it won't roll of the desk, so that's a bonus👍

  • 9 min read

PenBBS 355... More Than a Conid Knockoff

One of the most fascinating aspects of a fountain pen is the way you fill it with ink. You have the most basic eyedropper fill, to the popular kid in class, the cartridge converter, to the out-of-the-box ones like the Sheaffer touchdown and snorkel fillers... But nowadays, apart from a few companies, most companies stick with just a cartridge converter filling system for their pens. And I can see why... For most people, it is the most convenient and cleanest way to fill up a pen, and if you travel a lot, the ability to use cartridges is a big plus.

More recently, filling systems like the piston fill and vacuum filling pens have gained more traction, mostly because brands like Twsbi and Chinese brands like Asvine and PenBBS have made them very affordable, without compromising on quality of the pen. Pens like the Asvine V126 and the Twsbi Vac series have really put on high capacity self filling systems on the map, which is great for people like me who write a lot and prefer pens with high ink capacity. But one filling system in my opinion is the best of all worlds, and it's called the Bulkfiller.

This filling system merges the best aspects of a vacuum filler and piston filler and merges it into one. If I'd like to explain it in one sentence, it's kind of like a retractable syringe. It has the capacity of a eyedropper while maintaining the shutoff system of most vac fillers. This was brought to public attention by Conid, with their pens utilizing this unique filling system. But with their prices approaching almost $1000USD, it's no wonder why most of us were not able to afford it.

Enter Chinese upstart PenBBS. I think they're on a mission to make pens with every possible filling system imaginable. They have pens that can be used as an eyedropper, to cartridge converter pens, from piston fill to vacuum filling pens, hell they even have a touchdown filling pen and a "magnetic piston filling" pen(though that was a dud of a filling system). And yes, they even have a model that utilizes the bulkfiller. I think PenBBS was the second modern pen maker to adopt this filling system. Nowadays you see many pens utilizing this system including but not limited to Gravitas pens, Fifty4T etc. And I can see why... From a sheer engineering point of view, this is perhaps the most "perfect" way to fill a pen (Bold statement... I know). But just because this was made by PenBBS, this can't be called a Conid knockoff. There are 2 reasons for it: 1. The original filling system was patented in 1898(that's 127 years old at the time of writing this!). Here is the patent document. 2. This pen offers enough differences with Conid's implementation that I can safely say it's a different pen entirely. So without further ado, let's get into the pen itself.

TL;DR

A practical everyday pen with a unique filling system, with excellent build and a serviceable nib. For the engineering minded out there, or for those who travel a lot, this is a good pen to have.

Build and Design

Image Description

For approx $50 USD, this is probably one of the best built pens out there, made of turned acrylic, the pen design follows the PenBBS design language, with a Sword like clip and a wide cap band. But we're getting ahead of ourselves here, let's look at it bit by bit.

From the top, the finial is flat with a high polish, which tapers out to the top cap band holding the clip, the clip as mentioned is a kind of sword style, like other PenBBS models, and like them, it is stiff, but functional. the cap has a inner cap milled in and I'm happy to report that the inner cap works as intended, No dryouts or hard starts. We then are greeted with a wide cap band at the base of the cap. The barrel has a very slight taper, before going into the trim ring that distinguishes the barrel with the blind cap of the filler mechanism.

Image Description

The blind cap in this demonstrator shows clearly how the piston rod is attached. I can't complain as it works extremely well. Moving onto the section, it is long and tapered, the barrel threads are not sharp and are rather comfortable, there is a minute step up to the barrel, which is small, but noticeable, before transitioning into the barrel.

Image Description

Overall the pen is built well, almost like a Nahvalur pen, the acrylic they've used is also reminiscent to some Nahvalur pens (I wonder if they're made in the same factory, or the parts are sourced from the same supplier).

As for how it feels in the hand, it is hefty but comfortable, the pen is above normal sized but not a jumbo, and the balance is also good, just don't use it posted as it barely posts and the balance is shifted dramatically to the back.

Image Description

Measurements: - Capped: 146.5mm - Uncapped: 130.5mm - Thickness of the barrel: 13.1 at the thickest and 11.8 at the thinnest - Barrel wall thickness: ~2.0mm - Cap diameter: 14.4mm without the cap band - Section dimension: 11.2mm tapering to 9.7mm over a length of 19.5mm

As for size comparisons, here it is alongside some of my other pens: From Left to Right: - Uni-Ball Eye Micro Rollerball - Hong Dian N7 Peacock - PenBBS 355 - Click Retro - Mohi Archer - Click Aristocrat - Parker 45

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This is something new, I'd like to compare this pen, with my largest and smallest pens as well, namely, the Woodex #39, and the Moonman Q2 respectively:

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How Do You Fill the Damn Thing?

This is a quite unconventional filling system compared to other fountain pens, so here is a demonstration on how the pen is filled.

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As I said, this fills kind of like a foldable syringe. This mechanism is extremely efficient, and also makes the pen easy to clean up as well, just pump and dump a couple of times with fresh water and that's it...

Though if you want to disassemble the pen any further... the section does unscrew out for lubing the silicone O-ring, and the piston mechanism can be disassembled with an 8mm spanner/wrench.

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The unit spins counter clockwise and the entire clutch and rod system will come out as one piece. Here is a closer look at the mechanism which locks the piston in place after you fill the pen.

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So after you screw in the rod to the piston, you have to give it one more slight turn to unlock the piston then push it down to draw ink.. and in the same way, you need to orient the knobs in the piston assembly into the grooves of the key for the piston to be fully locked in place.

Here is a dissasembled view of the pen:

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And after it is all fully put together after greasing the appropriate parts: Image Description

Another thing is that while writing, you have to unscrew the blind cap a bit for the ink to get to the section from the barrel. The rod also acts as a shutoff valve, so while travelling, the pen doesn't gush out ink say, while in a flight. But the problem is that you have to remind yourself to always unscrew the blind cap before writing and re-screw the blind cap after writing. A bit of an inconvenience, but worth it for people who travel a lot with their pens.

Nib and Writing

This pen, like all other PenBBS pens comes with a #6 sized nib made in house with a proprietary feed and housing. You can buy spare housings and I do urge you to do so, they come in a little ziplock bag along with some spare converters, O-rings and Washers. This is a great thing to have for maintenance of your pen long term.

As for the nib, the design is very ornate with a two tone design: Image Description

The feed does remind me of the kind of feeds bock use, but the fin profile is different, the fins on this feeder are thin and a bit fragile, keep that in mind while disassembling the pen. Image Description

The nib was a bit too dry for my liking, so a bit of fiddling later, the nib came out with an adequate wetness, but it still wasn't writing particularly for my liking, so I ended up grinding it to an upturned fine with a slight architect feel... This did increase the line width, but it turned out just as I like it... Smooth for the most part, but with a bit of pencil like feedback. And it as been a very reliable writer as well. For reference as always, here is an initial draft of this same review written on this very pen, the paper is a no-name exam paper that I had, and also used for my previous pen reviews:

Image Description

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You can put alternate nibs in the pen... In fact, I used to drive this with a Kanwrite #6 broad nib. But be careful on what nib you use, as there is very little clearance on the inner cap. Kanwrite nibs are a bit longer than PenBBS nibs, so this pen was barely touching the top of the cap. I might have been lucky there, but please do check before putting on another nib. This is where the spare parts bag came in handy, as I just made some nib units with my own nibs that I can easily screw in to my liking, without the need for readjustment every time I swap a nib.

Final Thoughts

I'mma be real here. Apart from the filling system, there is nothing that much remarkable to say about this pen for me. Personally I love eyedropper filled pens, as they give the best capacity, and with the introduction of 3-in-1 filling pens, which basically use German nib units instead of the friction fit Indian nibs, the worry of burping is also mostly gone. So for my use case, I do prefer the simplicity of an eyedropper. But personal biases aside, this is a remarkable piece of engineering, and one of the most practical pens out there for people looking for a pen that is daily drivable, but also has a large ink capacity. The pen can be bought off etsy from the PenBBS official store, the link you can find Here.

  • 5 min read

Microsoft Activation Scripts... Is It This Easy To Tactically Acquire Windows?

Windows: The Most Tactically Acquired Operating System In The World

Windows is by far the most popular operating system in the world. So much so that it also earns the record for the most pirated piece of software in the internet... I'm from India, and I still remember using generic product keys written on the disk for activating Windows XP, 7 and even 8(My first PC that I built had Windows 8 installed this way). At the time, that was the only way we got to experience Windows without paying the exorbitant amount for an original license(6000 rupees was a lot back then... still is now). But with Windows 11 costing as much as $200 now(close to 17k rupees) this begs the question, Is it REALLY worth it to pay this much for what is now, after the recent updates, spyware? Well, I must say, the high seas are still sailing 🏴‍☠️, and there are ways to activate Windows for FREE... Enter MAS(Microsoft Activation Scripts).

Microsoft Activation Script: Is Microsoft Knowingly Ignoring This Tool?

Before we set sail... If you do want to have the full Windows experience, but you're seasick, then there are legit product keys available at a steep discount on grey market sites like VIP-URCDkey, Vendafly, Kinguin among many others... They stay in the mostly grey area of Windows activation. They mostly sell OEM keys meant for bulk activation. The activations are legit and Windows will work as intended, but you don't have to pay the full price to get one. But if you're ready for the high seas because of the ensh*ttification of every single service out there, well tag along mateys'... This is going to be fun...

In my early days of tactically acquiring stuff (From now on, this is how we'll say pirating.. Its the politically correct way... Whatever that means🤷‍♂️) we used a bunch of things for getting keys, from dubious sites like KeyGenGuru(ah... the good old days) to using KMS activator, to activate Windows... But at the risk of sounding like an old bloke, today's tools have made it so easy to get Windows activated without spending a dime. So much so, that there are actual records of Microsoft support staff using these tools to troubleshoot Windows activation related issues🤯 Here's one anecdote from Reddit. Which makes me thinking... Why are we paying for this in the first place?

Well, the tool in question is called MAS (Microsoft Activation Scripts) which is basically a collection of tools that you can use to activate Microsoft services like Windows and office..."But these are clearly illegal... Why aren't Microsoft banning this tool?" you might ask... Well it does appear that Microsoft knows about it and then just ignoring... Why I say so? because the script is open-source and hosted in github. And do you know who owns github? Microsoft!!!

My hunch is that they're more concerned with adding more users that use Windows instead of forcing people to buy a legitimate copy of Windows... Basically they're playing the long game here, as when you move up to buy a new laptop, or go to enterprise, you will be using Windows and there there is little scope for getting Windows other than the legit way, so they'll make up their lost cost that way... Plus, in my opinion, some products just work better when tactically acquired (cough...Adobe.).

Okay... I've Boarded The Ship... How Do I Set Sail?

Well let's get started... For this demonstration, I'll be using a Windows11 installed on a VM. But the method works the same if you have it installed on your system.. So let's begin

PSA: The following tutorial is for educational purposes only... Please use it on your personal systems and DO NOT try these scripts on your work issued or enterprise devices

Before we start, just to show you, this copy of Windows is not activated... Image Description

Step 1:

Open terminal, by right clicking the start menu and selecting Terminal(Admin) Image Description

Make sure to give admin permission when asked: Image Description

Step 2:

Once in the terminal, paste the below command: 

irm https://get.activated.win | iex
Once entered, wait for a few seconds, and this new terminal window will pop up... this is your activation tool: Image Description

Step 3:

Now for activating Windows, you have 3 options HWID, TSforge, and KMS(in 2 ways, KMS38 and Online KMS... So technically 4). For our demonstration, I chose the HWID method. So press 1 and hit enter... and now let the script do it's magic...

Once it is done, you'll see a screen like this: Image Description press any key in the keyboard to exit...

Step 4:

To verify that Windows is activated, in the script home, press 6 and hit enter... if all goes well, you should see a screen like this: Image Description

Step 5:

Reboot the system. If all is well, congrats👏 you now have a fully activated version of Windows 11 pro. Image Description

Conclusion: The Best Price is Free

Now you've got a good idea on how you can get a fully activated Windows for free, the next step might be to get MS Office for free. Thankfully, this same script can activate office as well. And here you won't get the annoying This license is not legtimate(or something like that) warning everytime you open office. You can see it for yourselves by going to the official site of MAS here And with that congrats you've officially are a member of the Pirates of the Tech Carrebian. Before I let you go, please, keep your tactically acquired software for yourselves, and don't share it through public resources. And with that I bid you adieu and I'll see you all in my next post...🙋‍♂️

  • 8 min read

WinUtil by Chris Titus Tech... A Tool That Every Windows User Should Haves

If you use a computer, chances are that you use Windows. That operating system by Microsoft, that for the last few years many people love to hate, but afraid of switching because...well...most of us just want to have something that just works... And Windows, even with it's inconveniences does work and work well... especially if you're anything like me and use programs and games from the early 2000s (Mostly games, because... well... I'm a dinosaur). However, not all things about Windows is sunshine and rainbows, The latest update... Windows11, has it's flaws... with the redone UI, the TERRIBLE settings app, and the most recent "feature", Windows Recall... Which is basically Microsoft Saying "Well... We want to train our AI model, so we're just gonna spy on how you use your PC and use that data to make copilot even more annoying...". What!!! Other than nuking Windows for a more privacy respecting operating system (cough... Linux), Most people just want Windows without the privacy nightmare, and also solve some of the inconveniences that there is in the way Windows work... Thankfully, there is a solution...

Video Link: Windows Utility in 2025

The WinUtil by CTT

I've been a big fan of the youtube channel "Chris Titus Tech". The guy mainly focuses on advanced tech stuff, Linux and privacy and security related stuff, and this is where I found out a way to "debloat" Windows, to make your Windows run faster. This was almost 4-5 years ago and I've been following his chronicles of making this utility since it's inception... And been using this extensively for a while. Here is what the tool does from the lion's mouth himself:

"This utility is a compilation of Windows tasks I perform on each Windows system I use. It is meant to streamline installs, debloat with tweaks, troubleshoot with config, and fix Windows updates. I am extremely picky about any contributions to keep this project clean and efficient."

-Chris Titus Tech

So let's break down the features one-by-one.

How to Run the Thing?

Well, If you're not that tech savvy, it is going to be a bit of work, but trust me, it isn't that bad... If you're used to clicking Next...Next...Next while installing a program on Windows, then you can easily do this one as well.

First thing you need to do is to open Powershell/Terminal(Depending on if you run Windows 10 or 11). For that right click the start menu icon(on the botton left on Windows 10 or the windows icon on Windows 11, on the bottom center or bottom left corner) and select Powershell/Terminal(Admin), be sure to select the one with Admin written in parenthesis.

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Once you open, click on yes on the window asking for administrator privileges, and enter the password(if asked). PSA: Do NOT use this tool on your work issued computer. once you're in the terminal. paste the below command. 

irm "https://christitus.com/win" | iex
once you hit enter... this screen will pop up and you'll be greeted with the Windows utility:
Image Description Image Description

Note: Future updates might change the UI a bit here and there, but the overall functionality will still remain the same

Now that we have the tool up and running, let's go through some of the features...

App Installation: Just a Click Away

When you first open this script, you're greeted with a screen that looks like this... Image Description It's not bad per say, it has neatly categorized your apps into different sections and you can select each category to find the apps you need... But I prefer a more expanded view, so I change the compact view to expanded view by switching the option on the Actions menu. Image Description

From here, select the apps that you need, and just hit "Install/Upgrade Selected" in the top. And just wait... No need to download the program from the website, no need to sit through pushing Next... Next... Next. just one click, and that's it.

if you look at the terminal that you opened, you'll be able to see what is happening in the background: Image Description From here you can also upgrade your installed programs... just click on "Get Installed" in the Action menu, wait a couple of seconds to get all your install packages, and then click on "Install/Upgrade Selected" Image Description If you want to uninstall the program, same drill... just select the programs you want to remove and click on Uninstall selected... Done and dusted... If you know about ninite.. this is kinda that on roids. The way this works is by using a package manager. If you're from the Linux space, you will be familiar. This uses one of two available for Windows: WinGet or Chocolatey, depending on which you choose... and it manages the programs you require in one go... A major convenience boost.

Tweaks: Making Windows Take on a Crash Diet

This section deals with debloating, and tweaking Windows to make it sun smoother and also more private, you may not know it, but Windows does take a whole lot of telemetry about how you use your system, what programs you use and so much more... That also tanks your system performance if you run a relatively low end system or a laptop, or both... like me... This can make Windows more usable, by eliminating the unnecessary background processes, and also make it more privacy respecting.. Image Description

For the average joe, I'd recommend the standard tweaks, as this makes sure to take away all the fluff while maintaining the usability of Windows... if you know what you're doing, by all means try out the other tweaks present... I've personally used the Standard tweaks along with a couple more options like: - Disable Recall - Set Hibernation as default(since my main system is a laptop) - Change Windows terminal default - Debloat edge - Set classic right click menu(I HATE the new Windows 11 right click menu) - Set the DNS to cloudflare

But I still remain, the standard tweaks are good enough for most, and if you do run into any issues, you can always undo the tweaks, by selecting them and hitting "Undo Selected Tweaks".

Tweaks: For the Advanced Folks Out There

I'm not going to delve a lot into this screen, as these are the tweaks that only like 20% of Windows users care about... But since I am one of those 20% I'll talk about it...
Image Description This panel let's you install various features in Windows. One that I recommend everyone to do is the first tweak, which is "All .Net Framework". Some programs require the .NET framework to run, and this ensures all relevant versions of the .NET framework is installed. You can also check out other features like Windows Subsystem for Linux(WSL), that lets you run Linux inside Windows (Shocker 🤯 I know right).
Also, another feature of note, is to bring up the old school control panel options that Windows completely nuked in Windows 11(by nuking, I mean completely hid it from the user). This lets you take control of your settings in a more familiar and granular way instead of using the god-awful settings app (I can see the sysdamins scrreeching with joy...). Image Description

Updates: Prevent Windows from Forcing Stuff Down Your Throat

Windows Update.... The fewer I say about it the better... I mean the proof that microsoft is tracking us can be seen here... When we're doing something extremely critical... Here comes Windows saying "Wait for an hour.. I've got some updating to do"....🤬. Thankfully, there is a solution. Enter the updates tab:
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Here you can choose what updates come to you. I's personally recommend the Security Settings, as it blocks any new features that nobody will use from coming, but keeps your security patches up-to-date. Which is less annoying than your regular updates. For the adventurous out there, you can disable updates entirely, but do so at your own risk. Not getting patched for the gazillion vulnerabilities that pop up every now and then is not an ideal place to be in. I personally use the Security Settings option and it works like a charm, and makes Windows less annoying and lets you actually complete your work on time.

MicroWin: Get Windows Debloated Right from the Start

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Introduced not that long ago, MicroWin allows you to make a debloated version of Windows, for installing on a fresh system. For anyone familiar with Windows AME, or the other custom debloated ISOs, this is kind of that but not going too extreme. MicroWin tries to achieve a balance between usability, security and lightweight performance. You can download the latest Windows iso, and make it yourself, or let the tool do all the work for you, by downloading the latest Windows iso, and make the debloated version for you. Now you can enjoy a lightweight, privacy respecting version of Windows. And you don't need a Microsoft account to use it... How cool is that?!

Conclusion: Reclaim Your Windows Experience

Windows, for all its quirks and privacy concerns, remains a reliable workhorse for many. The WinUtil by Chris Titus Tech offers a powerful way to tailor your Windows experience, striking a balance between functionality, privacy, and performance. Whether you're a tech novice looking for a smoother experience or a seasoned user wanting granular control, this utility provides a valuable toolkit.

From simplifying app installations to minimizing telemetry and managing updates, WinUtil allows you to take charge of your operating system and reduce the annoyances that often plague Windows. And with MicroWin, you can even start with a debloated base, ensuring a clean and efficient system from the get-go.

While alternatives like Linux exist, switching can be a daunting task. WinUtil provides a practical alternative, allowing you to stay within the familiar Windows ecosystem while significantly enhancing its privacy and performance. So, if you're looking to make Windows "just work" better, give the WinUtil a try. You might be surprised at the level of control you can achieve. Remember to proceed with caution, understand the implications of each tweak, and most importantly, do not use this tool on your work-issued computer. Now go forth and reclaim your Windows experience!

  • 9 min read

PLP Jumbo Review... A Comfortable Jumbo With a Questionable Nib

A Great pen for everyday use for someone who prefers a large pen, Just spec yours out wisely

When you think of an Indian pen, the first thing that comes to mind is a relatively large pen, made of ebonite, resembling old Parkers or Swans, that are filled by an eyedropper, and often came with a wide range of nibs. Thankfully, due to nostalgia, or refusal to change, those kinds of models are still available today, for better or for worse. But nowadays, the pen landscape has changed significantly. With changing needs of the consumers, we had a period of some innovation, well... when I say innovation, the biggest development that had happened in the wider Indian pen landscape in the past 10 years has been the introduction of the so-called 3-in-1 pens, where the pens are made like they were used to, by hand. But instead of the friction fit nib and ebonite feed combo, they now use a screw in nib unit with a plastic feed, most commonly coming from JoWo. Then there are pen makers like Lotus, Fosfor, and the like that have made great innovations in the Indian pen scene, but they're a bit too niche for the general public. Then there's the likes of MagnaCarta who is now mostly focusing on overseas markets. For us budget conscious people, our palette remains mostly the same, ASA, Kanwrite, Click, PLP, Woodex, and the like. with the latter two being relatively new to the scene. Being OEM makers before and now have gone independent, using the same 3-in-1 formula, but incorporating new designs catering to their customers, Woodex in particular, has almost 65+ kinds of pens in their catalogue! PLP has focused on giving value for money offerings and catering to the customer's needs in terms of customization. Both of them, along with ASA, in my opinion are now the go-to when it comes to ebonite pens for a budget. With that intro out of the way, let's get on to the meat and potatoes, the pen I have on hand. From PLP , the jumbo. Introduced in mid 2023, it has been a fan favorite, with many theories also suggesting that this is the same pen as the Gama Madras, with the difference being that the Madras being made of SEM ebonite from Germany, and the PLP being made of Indian ebonite. I bought my first one at the time of release, in red ebonite with a Jowo Broad, and it immediately became one of my go-to jumbo pens. I liked the pen so much that I bought one this year. About a month ago, I placed my order of a second PLP Jumbo, this time, inspired by some of the kim pens that have been resurfacing in pen groups recently, I asked Satish Ji, the owner of PLP pens, to make mine in a flat-top, with an Ambitious #40 nib. And this is the pen that I'll be reviewing. Without rambling more, let's get on with it.

TL:DR

If you want a practical everyday jumbo pen that's great value for money, this fits the bill perfectly well. It's not absurdly big that you feel like writing with a cricket stump, but comfortable enough to be used for long writing sessions. Just avoid the ambitious #40 nib unit, and instead go for the #40 nib friction fit with an ebonite feed for eyedropper use only. If you want the ability to use cartridges and converters, go for the smaller, but still comfortable Jowo #6 nib units.

Build and Design

In one word - Cantankerous. The pen is built like a tank and goes well with the name jumbo. I chose the teal and black colorway of the ebonite, and I do really like the subdued nature of this colorway. The pen feels girthy but totally manageable.

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Coming to the design, as I said, I customized mine to be a flat top variant, instead of their typical round top variant that they sell. And the pen has a classic appeal. The design is simple, the proportions are great. Coming to the features, starting from the cap, the finial is flat that then transitions into the cap, with a slit through which the clip is fitted. The clip is an appropriate size for the pen, and the PLP logo is stamped on the top section of the clip. The cap then tapers up a third of the way before straightening out towards the end of the cap, where we are met with a step down to the barrel. The barrel then continues straight till about two-thirds of the way before it starts tapering down to meet at the rear end which is also flat.

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Coming to the section, it's again, a classic design with a small taper and a ledge to prevent your finger from slipping out the section. The grip is comfortable to hold. However, smaller hands might find it a bit too wide for them.

Image Description Image Description At the end of the section, we find the #40 nib unit from ambitious. For the international folks, the #40 nib is kinda... sorta... a #8, but it isn't. It uses the standard 6mm feed often found in #6 nibs, but it is longer and flared out. Kinda like a #6.5 nib. the #40 comes from the length of the nib which is 40mm. The tipping with Ambitious nibs has always been ambiguous, in my experience. this one comes with a fine-medium tipping.

For reference, here it is with my other PLP jumbo, that I bought almost 2 years ago. This is the standard round top with the Jowo nib unit. If you buy from their site, this is the model that you'll get.

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As a jumbo pen, it feels manageable. I think it's mostly due to the length. the length feels natural and provides a good balance while writing. the bigger nib also makes you grip the pen a bit further back and have a narrower angle, aiding in the writing experience, especially for my long skinny hand.

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As for the raw numbers, here they are... Measurements: - Capped: 150.4mm - Uncapped: 138.5mm - Thickness of the barrel: 17.2 at the thickest and 13.8 at the thinnest - Barrel wall thickness: ~3.0mm - Cap thickness: 19.0mm - Section dimension: 14.9mm tapering to 13.3mm over a length of 18.0mm. After that a flare out to 14.6mm over a length of 3.5mm

Comparing with some other pens, from left to right: - PLP Jumbo Flat Top - PLP Jumbo Round Top - Gama Supreme - Woodex Model #39 - Jinhao 100 Centennial - Asvine V1216 - Kanwrite Desire

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In regards to some other models from PLP itself: - PLP Jumbo Flat Top - PLP Jumbo Round Top - PLP Double Ring - PLP Scenic

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Overall, the design is classic, the build is solid, and the finishing is excellent. For the price, you're getting a hell of a lot of pen.

Nib And Writing

This is a mixed bag for me. After the excellent performance of my previous jumbo, I was really looking forward to this one. I don't know whether it was an issue with my nib unit or it is inherent with all Ambitious #40 nib, but my nib unit was riddled with flow issues. The nib is a large nib, but the metal is fairly thin, giving it some bounce. But when you push the nib ever so slightly, the contact between the nib and feed is separated, and the flow stops due to the break of capillary action. I bought the nib unit primarily to have the finned plastic feeder, for reducing chances of burping while I am using it as an eyedropper. At first, I used a generic black cartridge, to test the #40 nib, but after some tinkering which included: - Widening the tine gap - Pressing the nib deeper into the housing... so much so that I think I cracked the housing. Didn't cause any leakage though...

But alas... All these never solved the issue for me, I then filled the barrel with pilot black. Still no hope... As a last resort, I tried to heat set the feed. You heard it right!!! Heat setting a plastic feed... I have some spare feeds from some kanwrite nib units, so I wasn't too worried, but this was the first time I was doing it. I heated a cup of water till it was boiling hot, and I suspended the feed onto the water using a clip. I kept it there for about a minute and a half, and gently bowed the feed upwards. I could feel the feed flexing, and held it there for around half a minute.... I could see the end of the feed bowing upwards ever so slightly... I did it a couple more times and inserted the nib and feed into the housing... And voila!!! It worked!!! The pen wrote with a moderate flow, a bit on the drier side but laying down an ample amount of ink. (That's why you'll notice a change in line boldness around the halfway mark on the first page of the writing sample). Since ambitious has always been ambiguous on their nib sizes, I had no expectation on what tipping to expect. The nib I got had a tipping between fine and medium, more closer to the fine side. Like an Indian medium. The nib was a bit scratchy, due to the misalignment of the tines. Though, that must have been my doing trying to get the flow right on the thing. But after a quick adjustment... again... it writes nicely.

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For those going to purchase the pen, do yourself a favor and avoid the #40 nib unit. Just buy the #40 nib friction fit on an ebonite feed. You will be limited to using it as an eyedropper, but it'll be much more reliable. Plus the barrel wall is thick enough that I don't think the pen will burp all that much... If you're cautious, you can always ask Satish sir to make the barrel walls thicker, reducing the ink capacity, but offering better insulation. Image Description

If you do want to use cartridges and converters, go with a Jowo nib unit instead. Again, it'll be a much more reliable pen.

Final Verdict

I paid ₹2800/- for this pen as specced. And for the price, you are getting a whole lot of pen. But as I said before go with anything other than the #40 nib unit. My experience has been not so stellar. But after these tweaks, it is now one of my favorite pens and one of my go-to everyday carries. So spec yours wisely and you have a great pen in hand.

  • 7 min read

Claude 3.7 Sonnet... Is This the AI Model That Will Redefine Coding?

The tech world is buzzing with anticipation, and for good reason. Anthropic has just dropped Claude 3.7 Sonnet, and it's not just a minor update – it's a seismic shift in the landscape of language models, particularly for developers. Forget incremental improvements; Claude 3.7 Sonnet is being hailed as a major leap forward, overshadowing its predecessors and even posing a serious challenge to models from industry giants like OpenAI. But is it all hype, or does Claude 3.7 Sonnet truly live up to the bold claims, especially when it comes to coding and beyond? Let's dive into the details.

Coding Prowess: Setting a New Gold Standard

If you're a programmer, Claude 3.7 Sonnet is designed to get your attention. Early assessments position it as a top-tier coding model, potentially the best in the game right now. This isn't just about handling simple scripts; we're talking about excelling in complex coding tasks and real-world programming scenarios. Anthropic emphasizes that Sonnet is now faster and more intelligent than previous versions, maintaining top-tier performance while significantly increasing speed.

Benchmark results are backing up the buzz:

  • Benchmark Dominance: Claude 3.7 Sonnet isn't just inching ahead; it's outperforming previous models, including OpenAI's, in rigorous benchmarks like SWE-Lancer. This benchmark is crucial as it reflects effectiveness in tackling diverse, real-world programming challenges. Image Description
  • HumanEval Success: Achieving a 70.3% success rate on the HumanEval benchmark is no small feat. This signifies a substantial improvement in its ability to solve complex coding problems. Image Description
  • Tool Mastery: Claude 3.7 Sonnet isn't just a code generator; it's a master of tools. Its proficiency in utilizing instructions for specific actions, like API interactions, makes it exceptionally well-suited for intricate, agentic workflows.
  • Instruction Following and Multilingualism: It continues to lead the pack in instruction following, ensuring it understands and executes your commands with precision. Furthermore, its strong multilingual question-answering capabilities broaden its appeal to a global developer audience. Anthropic highlights its improved understanding of nuanced instructions, especially in complex, multi-turn conversations.
  • Reasoning Fundamentals: It shows solid performance in basic reasoning and word manipulation tasks, essential for understanding and processing complex code logic.

Image Description However, it's not all perfect code and flawless logic. Claude 3.7 Sonnet does show some limitations:

  • Complex Reasoning Hurdles: When faced with truly complex reasoning puzzles, like a convoluted hourglass challenge, it can falter, even in its "thinking mode."
  • Math Problem Weakness: Interestingly, it underperforms in math problem-solving compared to some earlier models. This suggests a specialization towards coding and language-based tasks rather than numerical reasoning.
  • Chess Engine Hiccup: In a demanding test – coding a chess engine – Claude 3.7 Sonnet could generate a large volume of code and even fix compilation errors. However, the engine ultimately failed to make legal chess moves, revealing potential weaknesses in generating logically sound programs for complex games.
  • Front-end UI Excellence: On the brighter side, it shines when generating front-end user interfaces. It's shown to surpass models like OpenAI's 03 Mini High in both code quality and the actual functionality of the UI it creates.

Beyond Coding: Expanded Capabilities

Claude 3.7 Sonnet isn't solely focused on code. Anthropic emphasizes its enhanced capabilities across a broader spectrum:

  • Visual Capabilities: The model boasts stronger vision capabilities, adeptly handling a wide range of visual formats including graphs, charts, and images. This makes it more versatile for tasks involving visual data analysis.
  • Agentic Workflows: It is designed for complex agentic workflows, excelling in tool use and multi-step reasoning, making it suitable for sophisticated AI applications.
  • Customer Support and Sales: Anthropic specifically points out its suitability for customer-facing roles, including customer support and sales, due to its improved conversational abilities and nuanced instruction following.
  • Knowledge Retrieval: Claude 3.7 Sonnet is also highlighted for its improved knowledge retrieval from extensive datasets, making it a valuable asset for research and information-intensive tasks.

Meet Claude Code CLI: Your New Command Line Companion

Anthropic isn't just releasing a model; they're building an ecosystem around it. Enter Claude Code, a brand new Command Line Interface (CLI) designed specifically for developers. This tool is a game-changer for how programmers interact with codebases:

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  • Streamlined Workflow: Claude Code is all about simplifying development. It allows you to directly interact with your code projects through Claude, promising a more intuitive and efficient workflow.
  • Key Functionalities:
    • Project Scanning (init command): Quickly analyzes and understands the structure of your projects.
    • Cost Tracking (cost command): Keeps an eye on your Anthropic API usage costs, essential for budget-conscious developers.
    • Test-Driven Code Generation: Facilitates building robust code with a focus on testing from the outset.
  • Challenging Existing Tools: Claude Code is stepping into the arena of IDE extensions like Cursor, offering a fresh approach to code refactoring and project management directly from the command line.
  • Easy Installation: Get started quickly with installation via npm.
  • Cost Awareness: It's important to remember that Claude Code utilizes the Anthropic API, which, while powerful, can be on the pricier side.

Unveiling the "Thinking Mode": A Glimpse into AI Reasoning

Claude 3.7 Sonnet is being touted as the first hybrid reasoning model, offering a unique "thinking mode" that provides unprecedented transparency into its cognitive process.

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  • Transparent Reasoning: The "thinking mode" allows users to actually observe Claude 3.7 Sonnet's reasoning steps as it tackles a problem. This level of insight is groundbreaking and could be invaluable for understanding how AI models arrive at their conclusions.
  • Thinking Mode Nuances: Interestingly, early tests suggest that in very complex puzzles, the "thinking mode" might not always lead to the most optimal solution compared to the standard model. This hints at the complexity of AI reasoning and the potential for different approaches to be more effective in different situations. Image Description

Cost and Access: Premium Power at a Price

While Claude 3.7 Sonnet offers impressive capabilities, it's essential to consider the cost:

  • Priced Similarly to Claude 3.5: The model is priced similarly to its predecessor, Claude 3.5. Which is:

In both standard and extended thinking modes, Claude 3.7 Sonnet has the same price as its predecessors: $3 per million input tokens and $15 per million output tokens—which includes thinking tokens.

-Anthropic
  • More Expensive than Budget Options: It's significantly more expensive than more accessible models like 03 Mini.
  • Affordable Alternatives: Services like T3 Chat might offer more budget-friendly ways to access Claude 3.7 Sonnet's power.

Imperfections and the Path Forward

Claude 3.7 Sonnet is undeniably powerful, but it's not without its limitations:

  • Occasional Errors: Like all AI models, it's prone to errors, highlighting the ongoing need for careful code review and testing.
  • Technology Integration Gaps: It may sometimes struggle to seamlessly incorporate specific technologies requested in prompts, such as TypeScript or Tailwind CSS.
  • Complex Code Challenges: Generating error-free code for highly complex applications, like an encrypted app, can still be a hurdle.

The Verdict: A Powerful Tool with Evolving Capabilities

Claude 3.7 Sonnet is a significant advancement in the world of AI language models, marking a notable step up in both speed and intelligence compared to previous models. Its exceptional coding capabilities, innovative CLI tool, broader skill set including enhanced vision and knowledge retrieval, and transparent "thinking mode" make it a compelling option for developers and businesses seeking cutting-edge AI assistance across various applications. While it's not without its imperfections and comes at a premium price, Claude 3.7 Sonnet represents a major step forward and signals an exciting trajectory for the future of AI in software development and beyond. It's a model to watch closely as it continues to evolve and potentially reshape how we work and interact with AI.

Sources:

  • 9 min read

Click Retro Review

A Worthy Successor to Airmail?

If you.ve been in the Indian fountain pen scene for any number of times, you might have heard of 'Airmail' and/or 'Wality'. This was a pen brand based out of Mumbai, with Airmail being the Indian brand, and Wality being the export focused brand. This was a well received brand among pen enthusiasts, mostly for providing solidly built workhorse pens for an affordable price. The pens were usually eyedropper pens, with some piston fillers here and there, and they usually came with their in-house nibs. Two of their most famous models were the 69 series and the 71 series, with the 69T(L) and the 71JT being the brand's most iconic models. These eyedropper-only pens used to be made out of clear acrylic for the barrel and compression moulded plastic (usually the same CAB resin used in other Indian pens) for the section and cap. The pens came with an airmail branded #8 nib(in international nib sizing terms, it'll be more like a stubby #6 nib, more akin to the size of Sheaffer nibs you'd find in pens like the No-nonsense, School pen, Award series, etc.) over a basic ebonite feed. These pens were very popular among the community, not only because of the great build quality, but also the customization potential. since the feed was a standard 6.3mm feed, same as you'd find in a typical #6 nib, there were plenty of people often modding their pens with the aformentioned #6 nibs, mostly from Kanwrite, to some basically threaading the section to fit a nib unit from JoWo or Bock. Another hack was swapping the feed to a Sheaffer feed used in the No-Nonsense pen. This eliminated the main problem of eyedropper pens, which was the burping of ink after the ink level gets below around 1/3rd. I personally have 2 71JTs and a 69T, all of which I've modded with Kanwrite nibs and Sheaffer feeds, and they're incredible workhorse pens for the price. Here's a picture of my 2 79JTs with the said modifications, I left the 69T at my hometown at the time of writing this so couldn't get it:

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Sadly, in early to mid 2024, airmail finally closed it's doors. Due to dwindling sales and overall lack of demand for fountain pens in general. One last ditch effort to remain in business, was to make some of their models use a cartridge/converter filler (or 3-in-1 fillers as it was marketed). But it didn't make as big a splash as they hoped such that they could stay afloat. After the closure, as usual with any discontinued product that is popular, the pens have shot up in value. I remember buying the teal 71JT in 2021 for around ₹450/- from Subbu sir of ASA pens, to now, fairly used ones are going out for approx. ₹1200-1300/- and mint ones going for ₹1500-1800. I'm sorry, but for that price, there are far better options in the market. The FOMO surrounding them is the cause of the high demand. For months I've been thinking, we do have so many airmail inspired pens from the market from the likes of brands like Oliver, Artex, etc. (All made by Click pens, I believe), why not make a pen from acrylic like the 71JT, and put a nib unit instead of a friction fit setup to make possible a 3-in-1 setup, and with the improved feed also make the pen resistant to burping.

Thankfully, the ever opportunistic Click, sensed the opportunity, and have (mostly) solved the gap in their latest release, the Retro. I'll get to why I say mostly in the forthcoming section. So let's get on with my opinion on the pen.

TL;DR

If you're looking for a pen with the airmail look, good build quality, a good #6 nib, and the ability to use it as a cartridge converter pen, this pen is a good option for the price on offer which is ₹900. It's definitely cheaper than the airmails that floating around the market. So if you just want the feel of the pen, and care not for the brand, this pen is a great choice.

Design and Build

As I mentioned before, this pen is based on previous airmail pens, as such it shares all of it's characteristics. The long tapered cap, the wiiiiide cap band, the short yet comfortable section, and identical end finials. Lets get through them one-by-one.

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Starting from the top, we see a silver finial with a conical end and a chamfer going transitioning into the clip, which in airmail tradition is short and thin, which covers half of the cap. It's a bit stiff, but functional. the cap is made of acrylic, and tapers up before transitioning into a wide cap band, with a horizontal pattern and a laser engraved click logo in the bottom,. A small section of the acrylic is then exposed to the bottom with a medium step-down to the barrel.

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Coning to the barrel, let's start from the back where we find the same finial as in the cap, with a metal band to maintain that symmetry, which then transitions to the long acrylic barrel, which tapers up till about halfway, then tapers back down to merge with the section without any step down. The threads are quad-start and are nice and smooth, if you tend to hold the pen a little further away from the nib, the smooth transition along with the clean threads offer a nice place for you to hold the pen.
I've went for the white and blue color variation, which feels more of a light green and blue to my eyes. They do have other color options including a green and blue option as well, though I personally think the plain black or white colors with the thin striping looks particularly good.
Coming to the section, it's a short section with a small taper, and a miniscule flare out towards the end. The section is not made with the same acrylic. Rather, the same kind of plastic used in their models like the aristocrat, and is compression molded.

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Then we come to the nib. This is where this pen differs from the airmail. As while the airmail had an Indian #8 nib friction fit over an ebonite feed, this pen uses a Indian #35(International #6) nib on a nib unit and a plastic feed.

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This allows for the use of a cartridge/converter alongside the typical eyedropper mode, since there are enough threads in the section that with an appropriate amount of silicone grease, you can ensure a leak free eyedropper experience. It'll write a bit wetter too if you're going to go full ink tanker on it.

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Overall, as for design, they've went for the Airmail 71J look. And this is why I said Click mostly solved the problem in the intro. If they've made this with clear acrylic and made it look like the 71JT demonstrator, I think we have a winner here.

As for the size, it's a medium-large pen, here are the measurements. Measurements: - Capped: 151.3mm - Uncapped: 134.9mm - Thickness of the barrel: 13.2 at the thickest and 11.0 at the thinnest - Barrel wall thickness: ~1.8mm - Cap thickness: 16.0mm - Section dimension: 11.4mm tapering to 10.2mm over a length of 17.5mm The dimensions are bang on with the Airmial as you can see from the size comparisons. From left to right, we have: - Click Retro - Airmail 71JT - Airmail71J - Kanwrite Desire - Gama Forever Image Description Image Description

In hand, you'll get an idea on why the airmail 71s were popular in the pen community, for a pen of this size, it is very comfortable and unposted, the length is just right as well, for me at least.
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Writing Experience

The click retro is available with nib sizes ranging from extra-fine, all the way to double-broad. I'm more of a fine nib kinda guy, but for this one I decided to go with a double broad. the nib is engraved with the click logo(which I think is made by Kanwrite, looking at the stamping). For the ink, I just used the long blue cartridge that came along with the pen, since I was too lazy to choose an ink for it. Coming to writing with it, on the upside, It's an extremely smooth nib, with good flow despite the plastic feed, and keeps up with normal and fast writing. On the downside, my nib came with a bit of baby's bottom, which is a common occurrence with broader nibs in my experience(or I'm just not that lucky) leading to hard starts, but once the ink gets flowing it just flows.... I eventually fixed the baby's bottom using a #7000 grit sandpaper, which solved the hard starting, while maintaining the smoothness of the nib.

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I do like how the nib writes, however, I might just roughen the tip just a bit with something like a #4000 grit sandpaper, just to give a bit of feedback because as of now the pen is so smooth for my taste that I'm not getting that much control in writing with it. So if you like glassy smooth nibs, go for the double broad. Just keep in mind, you might or might not have a slight baby's bottom that causes hard starts. And since it's a standard #6 / #35 nib, you have plenty of options regarding nib swaps. Just pull the nib and feed out and swap with your choice of nibs, go for a Kanwrite nib in the standard sizes, or go for their specialty grinds like obliques, architects, stubs, etc. Or if you're fond of ze Germans, put in a JoWo or a Bock nib in it. It's this level of customizability that is great with these pens.

Verdict

There is nothing much to say here, it is a great performer and a good value for money. If you want a pen with a good build, versatile filling options, a great nib and that classic look, then this pen is a great option, and for those who want to experience the flavor of airmail but are not ready to pay for it, or you're apprehensive to but because it's an eyedropper only pen, then this pen does present a solid case for itself at ₹900.