The Guider is in many ways a throwback, and I mean that in the most
complimentary way. The workshop in which they are made is rigged
very much in the mode of pen-makers of the early 20th century, with the
reliance resting upon the skills of the craftsmen rather than upon the
modernity of the tools. The material is likewise a throwback--
it's not plastic of any kind, but hard rubber, with the same stock
being used for section as for the rest of the pen. I find the
clip highly whimsical, too, because if this pen had been made sixty
years earlier it could be accused of copying the highly distinctive
clip of the Parker line. I prefer to think of it as an homage.
My only hesistation attached to this pen lies in the material.
Fresh hard rubber gives off fumes like anything, so I'm very
concerned about storing it anywhere near my celluloid pens as it would
probably amber them in an instant. That aside, this is a very
nice pen for the money. The point is smooth, the feed is as
reliable as any eye-dropper's. What's that? Yes, it's an
eye-dropper, with no built-in filling mechanism nor provision for
cartridges. This gives it a vast reserve of ink, although the
last fifth tends to drip a little (as eye-droppers will).
I should point out that the model name, Vishal, is not one which the
makers applied to it. It comes from the retailer that I purchased
this example from, and of the various possible meanings I like the implication of creativity beyond all restraint the best.
Specifications: Fine point... which I'm pretty sure is plated steel. Eyedropper fill. 14.3cm long capped, 16.8cm posted.
Condition: New. Sulfurous but not oppressive.
Repairs: I put a little extra silicon grease on the interior threads because I'm a nervous sort.
Location: My collection.
For sale?: Yes, but not by me. Have a look at All Write Now, which is where I got mine.
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