Big and bold - the Guider Zimbo

I've just received a lovely pen in the mail, a Guider Zimbo eyedropper in bright red which I bought through Fountain Pen Revolution.

What do I love about this pen? It's red. It's bright red. It's red that positively glows in the dark. It's ... very, very red.

The acrylic is wonderfully polished and the colour is both intense, and slightly translucent. If I hold the pen right up to my desk lamp, I can see how much ink there is in it - just. (The disadvantage, of course, is that the cap threads show through on the outside where the cap is thinnest.)

What do I also love about it? It's big. It's not the biggest (Guider also makes a Super Zimbo, which is just silly) but it is a good large chunk of pen, and sits very happily in the hand. Over 15 cm long, with a 15mm barrel diameter, but not too weighty, it's comfortable to use.

I also like the Guider clip and tassie - obviously modelled on Parker's arrow clip and the Vacumatic/51 cap, and non the worse for that.

Zimbo in the middle, with a subfusc Oliver and a lurid Airmail

The bad news, as often with Indian pens, is that the nib and feed are below par. The nib is a tad scratchy and writes very dry, while the feed has allowed this beggar to burp twice, badly, although it's still very close to full. I think some tinkering will be in order, and I'm going to look in my parts box to see if I can replace both. (That said, there is nothing wrong with the nib - I've been taking notes for a day or two with it, and it works, a pretty fine line; but it's not a positive pleasure to use, like my Lamys and Pelkians...)

I'm glad I got this pen. It's a character.