PDA

View Full Version : I'm new and have been buying quite a few Chinese made pens..my thoughts so far.



tommyd
April 30th, 2014, 05:53 PM
I newish to fountain pens but have always kept a good EDC pen on hand. I couldn't resist picking up a few inexpensive Chinese pens just for fun.
I have a Jinhao 599 and a 159. I have to say both are really amazing especially for the price I paid for them. Both have amazing smooth nib's. The 599 had a slight amount of scratch but after I wrote a letter, it was smooth. I have written with a Lamy Safari which the 599 copies but the 599 feels and writes much better. I like how the the 159 writes, its like it's riding on a cushion of ink. For a pen that I paid 59 cents for on ebay, it blows my mind. And Zero feed issues and both ignite on first stroke.
The Jinhao's feel more like $50-$60 pens. My guess is they will build in popularity and the price will no doubt go up.

I got a Hero 360 just because I found it unique. The build quality is good but the cross cut nib is scratchy and pretty well puts the FU in Fun. Don't think I can tweek the nib to improve it. $2.50 well spent but not a favorite.

A non fountain pen I got is the Picasso 903 rollerball. Very pretty orange, looks cool and it has a nice rollerball refill in it. I was turned on to the overall quality of the pen with one glaring issue. The cap snaps into place but does not fit near the collar. In other words when it is capped, it rattles. Being a metal pen, the rattle is really annoying. There is a plastic sleeve in the cap that doesn't go all the way down to the cap opening. If it did, the gap between the cap and the body wouldn't be there and the cap would fit snug.
I put some scotch tape inside the cap to take up the slop and it is fine now. Still it is disappointing to have such a well made pen with this glaring flaw. I have heard other people comment on the caps on Picasso pens having oddities like this.

Well overall, I would have to say its hard to beat most of these pens for the money. Pens like this definitely take away market share from mid range pens like what Pilot and Cross make but they are no elitest pen.

VertOlive
April 30th, 2014, 07:45 PM
I have a Hero 715, a Luoshi engraved with a scary tiger, and the big, good looking Duke Bamboo. All of 'em write like champs and cost less than a Lamy nib. Chinese pens are satisfying that way!

Sailor Kenshin
May 1st, 2014, 04:48 AM
Heh...I have the Jinhao 599 because they made one in blaring orange. Surprisingly good for the money, wrote straight outta da box.

I also have the Hero 360 because I collect Strange Little Pens.

And I have about a million OTHER inexpensive Chinese pens that are reliable favorites. Nice mini-reviews, thanks!

Nonsensical
May 1st, 2014, 05:28 AM
I currently have my Wing Sung 236, Hero 616 jumbo and Hero 616 inked right now. They all write really well, and at that price point I don't have to worry too much when I take them to class either. They're mainly inked just because I still enjoy writing with them.

tommyd
May 1st, 2014, 07:16 PM
Just got another in today...Picasso 907 fountain. Black and orange. I am really digging this one. Quality is much better then the 903 rollerball. Without a doubt the best nib I have written with. Well my Monteverde Impressa feels better but I think the dryer nib on the Picasso makes it more useable. The weight on the 907 is perfect for making it a writting work horse.

VertOlive
May 2nd, 2014, 04:40 PM
Just got another in today...Picasso 907 fountain. Black and orange. I am really digging this one. Quality is much better then the 903 rollerball. Without a doubt the best nib I have written with. Well my Monteverde Impressa feels better but I think the dryer nib on the Picasso makes it more useable. The weight on the 907 is perfect for making it a writting work horse.

Just took a peek, nice looking, too!

mrcharlie
May 2nd, 2014, 06:34 PM
I read so many negative stories about the Hero 616 that when I received one as a gift/throw-in from an online order, I just put it in a box for two years. I inked it up for the first time a couple weeks ago, and it works quite well. Only time will tell if it stays working well or falls apart, but it works as well as the Parker 21 I have so far. The nib has good flow and a good line and is not scratchy.

I bought a plain Jinhao X750 in March, arrived in early April. It worked with good flow and line with no tuning required. I see a lot of people replacing the nibs in X450/X750/159 models, but there is no real need in this case except to get a different size tip. It works well, looks decent, and cost less than lunch, shipping included.

I have a few pen-pals who have not had good experiences with cheap Chinese pens, but so far I'm pretty happy with them. So far only equals about one month of experience though. :)

Lady Onogaro
May 2nd, 2014, 10:45 PM
I have only a small number of Chinese pens, but all of them are pretty good writers and pretty good looking pens. The two Jinhaos I have are kind of heavy, but I still like them. I did switch out the nibs to XF points. I got an interesting little pen called a Fukiwan that has a very nice fine point (from SpeerBob). I also bought the Hero 360--interesting pen, but I don't use it much. Oh, and someone sent me a Wingsung (don't know what it's called--its a black pen with a kind of crosshatch design on it). I like that one a lot, too.

AndyT
May 3rd, 2014, 04:07 AM
I read so many negative stories about the Hero 616 ...

Anecdotally there are some bad ones on the market which may be knockoffs. Seems like a strange pen to counterfeit. My experience is that they work fine, but need a good flush and a bit of smoothing; also the cap seal is okay if you write every day but drying out could be a problem if you don't. The old ones from the 1970s are a bit nicer.

vibhi204
May 9th, 2014, 01:11 AM
Even i have a Hero 715,and its good really worthy and long sustainabilty is the main part.

vikramguliya
May 18th, 2014, 11:49 PM
Is Hero 715 available every where.

tommyd
May 21st, 2014, 12:43 PM
My wife got me a Duke Square Khaki. Pretty sweet! build quality is really nice. Great details also.

inkyletters
October 6th, 2014, 07:37 PM
So question...... Usually my Ebay cheapies are little dream writers straight outta the box. However, a Jinhao x750 has been a thorn in my side since I got it a month ago. Scratchy and hard starting despite some serious flushing and cleaning, dried ink, and now the icing on the cake- the nib is stuck in the cap. Like, the feed pulled from the grip and is stuck in there. Any ideas on what else to do with the lovely to make it behave? It's just so nice and glittery I made an exception to my no heavy pens rule for it even...

Austin_Malone
October 6th, 2014, 08:51 PM
I would skip modification, I have had tipping just fall off of those nibs. My recommendation would be to just get a replacement nib. The Monteverde Black nibs look great on the shiny X-750

Alex2014
October 7th, 2014, 12:58 AM
All Jinhao's I have are excellent

velo
October 7th, 2014, 04:30 AM
I bought two Jinhao pens. One was pretty much a dud. The 750 wrote with no problems. The thing is I never use it. It was cheap and it shows. Finishing touches really matter.

Sailor Kenshin
October 7th, 2014, 05:48 AM
So question...... Usually my Ebay cheapies are little dream writers straight outta the box. However, a Jinhao x750 has been a thorn in my side since I got it a month ago. Scratchy and hard starting despite some serious flushing and cleaning, dried ink, and now the icing on the cake- the nib is stuck in the cap. Like, the feed pulled from the grip and is stuck in there. Any ideas on what else to do with the lovely to make it behave? It's just so nice and glittery I made an exception to my no heavy pens rule for it even...

Needle-point tweezers? A teeny crochet hook to retrieve it?