Nanga Clipless Fountain Pen
About the Nanga:
The Nanga clipless fountain pen has a unique design. While the barrel appears to be one-piece, it’s actually two pieces with the traditional barrel and section. They’re just shaped together. Another unique feature of the Nanga is what I call a forward-mounted thread design. Instead of the capping threads positioned behind the section, the Nanga’s threads are cut on the front collar of the section. As a result, the design allows the Nanga to have a nice, smooth, and graceful flow along the entire length of the barrel. As with many of the pen styles, the Nanga can be ordered as a rollerball or ballpoint. And those versions are made with a one-piece barrel.
About the Name:
If you’re not familiar with my pens, I developed a naming scheme using the names from Wikipedia’s “list of the worlds tallest mountain peaks”. This pen follows in that same tradition by being named after the Nanga Parbat mountain peak. The name “Nanga Parbat” means “Naked Mountain.” Since this pen appears to be absent of or “naked” of any barrel threads, I thought Nanga would be a very appropriate name for the style. If you wish to read more about the Nanga Parbat mountain peak or about any of the other pen names, you can read them on my Pen Names Page.
Nanga Dimensions:
The Nanga is now available in several size versions: standard, MAGNUM, and midi. The standard-size Nanga has a capped length of about 6″ (152.5mm) and an uncapped length of about 5 1/4″ (133.5mm). The maximum diameters are: barrel .61″ (15.5mm); cap .64″ (16.25mm). The MAGNUM size Nanga has a capped length of about 6 1/2″ (165mm) and uncapped length of about 5 1/4″ (146mm). The max diameters are barrel .69″ (17.5mm) and cap .73″ (19mm)*. The Midi size Nanga has a capped length of about 5″ (127mm) and uncapped length of about 3 11/16″ (94mm). The max diameters are barrel .535″ (13.5mm) and cap .55″ (14mm).
*MAGNUM Cap diameter… The standard size for pen blanks is .75″ for USA-made blanks, but only 18mm for most European blanks, which is only .71″. So depending on the material you choose, your magnum cap may have to be a little thinner than the target diameter. The metric blanks, though, are usually round, whereas the USA-made blanks are square. So there usually isn’t as much waste in rounding and balancing the round blanks. Why .73″ ? It just happened to be the cap diameter once it was enlarged to the same percentage as the barrel. But the difference would be minimal, so in most cases you wouldn’t notice the difference in the overall look of the pen (some of the pens shown are under .73″).
The unique forward-mounted threads and smooth transition across the front section and barrel joint allow the Nanga to have a smooth and graceful flow along the entire length of the barrel. As the different size versions show, the design allows flexibility in the diameter’s, so the size could be adjusted to fit most any size hand.
Nanga Options and Upgrades:
The Nanga is a pen style that doesn’t allow for many embellishments. But you can choose material colors and hardware finishes.
Material: As with most other JEB’s Pens, the Nanga can be ordered in any of the materials shown or your material of choice
Accent Bands: The base of the cap is drilled too large to allow adding a band at the base, but a band or bands could be added on the upper end of the barrel (see the Nanga with the wide gold XX band).
Clips: Another option you could choose to add to the cap is a hidden ring slot-mounted clip (some are shown in the image slides). The accent bands are available in several finishes (24k gold, nickel, and rhodium) and come in a variety of diameters with widths ranging from 1 to 4mm (1mm increments). The clips are available in a few styles in gold or chrome.
Nibs: The pen includes a steel Meister nib in your choice of finish and tip size. The larger #6 nib is the best size for the Standard and MAGNUM, while the smaller #5 is required for the Midi. Nib finishes available for STEEL nibs are polished steel (PS) or all-gold steel (AGS). You can also upgrade your pen with a 14K or 18K gold nib.
Big #8 Nibs: For the fans of the Nanga MAGNUM, I also have a source for larger #8 nibs. Steel nibs are Magna Carta. If you’re interested in a gold nib, those are only available in the BOCK style in 18k gold or titanium semi-flex. Contact me if you are interested.
Inking system upgrades...
The standard inking system is cartridge/converter, but if you like to use your pens as eyedroppers, you can order the Nanga with a special rubber O-ring that seals the section to the barrel so it can be filled directly with ink (not available for the Midi).
NEW November 2023: The Nanga is now available with a new Vacumatic-style inking system! The Vacumatic barrel is the same length as the standard Nanga barrel but with about a 1 1/4″ long blind cap that covers the vacuum button. So now there are FIVE inking system options available: 1) the standard C/C; 2) an eyedropper with a custom-fitted O-ring; 3) a bulb-filler; 4) a button-filler; 5) the new Vacumatic-style filler. For more information on the system, see the web page named inking-systems under the Other Items drop-down button.
Rollerball / Ballpoint: The Nanga can also be ordered as a rollerball or ballpoint. Please inquire for details.
Choose from one of THREE Nanga sizes:
Standard, Magnum and Midi. The photo’s on either side show the comparison of the sizes, both capped and uncapped. If you click on the photo’s, it will bring up a larger photo with the sizes clearly marked for easy comparison.
The Mini comes with the smaller #5 nib, while the standard and magnum come with the #6 nib. Both standard and magnum are available as eyedroppers or rollerballs.
Click the pens below to see additional photo’s and specifications:
Standard Size Nanga:
Nanga Clipless Fountain Pen in CS Pistachio Acrylic
Standard Nanga with Slot-Mounted Clip:
Although the Nanga is normally a clipless pen, it is also available in a slot-mounted clip version. Instead of using a separate threaded finial to secure the clip. You feed the clip through a small slot cut in the cap, then a small brass flathead screw is used to secure it on the inside.
Nanga Fountain Pen with Clip in CS Lapis Blue Acrylic
Nanga Midi & Thins:
Same shape, 13% smaller!
Nanga Midi Clipless Fountain Pen in Black Acrylic
2-Tone Nanga:
both Standard & MAGNUM
Nanga 2-Tone Magnum Clipless Fountain Pen in Tortoise & Urushi Red Acrylic Uncapped-2
Nanga MAGNUM:
Same shape, 13% LARGER!
Nanga Magnum Clipless Fountain Pen in Yellow-Black Ribbon Acrylic Uncapped-2
Miscellaneous items:
I also offer a variety of hand-made pen-related items. Pen Props, pen cap Buttons, Pen and Ink Trays, Cufflinks, and Button Covers. Use a Pen Props to display a pen or temporarily raise the nib. Order in a pen-matching material or a wooden style in a variety of finishes. Cap Buttons are small pieces of cap jewelry you can add to a clipless pen to keep it from rolling. Use a Pen & Ink Trays to display your favorite pen and ink. Trays are available in several styles and in your choice of natural wood. Cufflinks and Button Covers are timeless favorites that dress up a shirt. Order them in pen-matching material.
To custom order any of the pens you see on my website for yourself or as a gift, please contact me at jeb<@>jebspens.com.
If you need fountain pen maintenance help (cleaning, refilling, or general issues), please visit my “Fountain Pen Help Line” page. If you’re having a problem and can’t find a solution, use the contact form or send an email.
For pricing, shipping, and warranty information, click the CONTACT link in the footer menu.