I wrote Jan (Penmeester.be🔗) a message whether he would lacquer a Ranga Bamboo for me and he has agreed! I’ve already pulled the trigger on a Bamboo 3 with a Bock steel nib.
I asked it unpolished so that Jan doesn’t have to sand it down in order to apply the urushi. You can have these Bamboo pens made from a wide range of ebonites. Although the lacquer will completely hide the original colour I’m going with an olive green one.
Ranga Pens🔗 is a family business run by M.S. Pandurangan and his son, M.P. Kandan. Mr. Pandurangan uses a manual lathe and he even cuts the threads by hand — which is damned difficult. It requires an exceptionally skilled craftsman. Below is a video of Mr. Pandurangan on his bare-bones lathe.
Also, please let me share this Times of India article on Ranga Pens with you: https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chennai/The-pen-maker/articleshow/7583536.cms🔗