When I got back into fountain pens a decade or so ago, I bought a bunch of Chinese pens, based on rave reviews here and there (but mostly on fpn). I still have a few from that time, I've given away a bunch, but I've mostly lost interest in them. I did get a pack of Jinhao 992 a few months back and that didn't end well.
However, as Amanda pointed out, the new piston-fillers by Wing Sung and even Lanbitou (I got a 3059 and it actually works!) have somewhat revived my interest.
I am, however, puzzled by the die-hard Chinese pen fans who congregate at the other site to defend things like the Jinhao 992, a pen made of so brittle a material it cracks just by being looked at. That, I do not understand. It defeats the very idea and purpose of a fountain pen.
Getting back on topic, perhaps they are less discussed here because a lot of these pens have limited appeal as far as writing experience is concerned: hardly any nib choices, same nib on scores of models, shoddy converters, suspect quality control and most of all, the unwillingness to improve quality. For example, the crack prone plastic inner cap which has plagued the X450 is well known and has been well documented all over the place, but Jinhao has never fixed it. No incentive, as long as people keep buying them, right? I hate to encourage such a company (but once in a while, I do succumb to the hype and spend a few bucks on something I know is a mirage).
Last edited by dam; November 18th, 2017 at 06:45 AM.
Ahriman4891 (November 20th, 2017), AzJon (November 18th, 2017), dhon27 (January 27th, 2018), Dragonmaster Lou (November 21st, 2017), Jon Szanto (November 17th, 2017), top pen (March 25th, 2018)
I personally tried some Indian pens. Unfortunately the pens I tried were not the best in design. I never give up and I am hoping to try some other pens I have seen in this forum and else where. So concerning the Chinese pens I have tried a dozen of them some are well built than the Indien pens but the Chinese nibs are useless. So I had to find a replacement from JOWO or Bock to match the good quality writing.Now I have great writers from chinese adapted pen. There are lot of choises from the size and the weight once you know those chinese pens. So it is much cheaper and cost effective to find some good chinese pens. But this is my own personal knowledge and the interest in to writing instruments.
I actually think Chinese pens have a lot to offer, particularly for someone who is just starting out. A Jinhao for example is good value for money and not to be sniffed at. It writes well (if a little wet) and is solid. It can also be upgraded with a better nib and converter at minimal cost. The Chinese are not up with the European and Japanese brands yet but I think they will be in time. I think you are missing out if you don't at least try one. The cost is minimal.
@Cyril I have a Jinhao X750 with a Bock fine nib fitted and a very good pen it is too with agood sturdy brass construction. Indian handmade ebonite pens are nice and reliable if you get a cc/comverter Schmidt/Bock/ Jowo unit fitted. Ranga and Guider use those. Most Indian eyedropper nibs are rubbish (Wality etc) with the exception of Ambitious. I have a Ranga eyedropper with an Ambitious fine nib fitted and it is probably the smoothest fine nib I own. A truly wonderful nib.
Last edited by matteob; January 27th, 2018 at 04:20 PM.
I was looking for a Moonman M1 but found this instead. A real wood barrel and brass section/cap. (Instagram keeps killing the image link so here is a permanent link: https://www.instagram.com/p/BfOS0z_l..._web_copy_link
Last edited by KrazyIvan; January 3rd, 2019 at 11:40 AM.
Fountain Pen Sith Lord | Daakusaido | Everything in one spot
I received a Jinhao as a bonus item for something I ordered the other day. Blown away by how smooth it is.
I don't know about know conversation. Was talking about BBS and Hero here the other week. They are interesting for what they are but don't expect Japanese or German quality. I'm quite taken with my little Hero pen. It writes really nicely.
Last edited by matteob; February 19th, 2018 at 11:51 AM.
I just received a Jinhao X750 and am suitably impressed with it. Smooth writer, plenty of heft to the brass and lacquered body, larger converter. And all for about $4. The more I am around these inexpensive Chinese pens, the more I like them.
azkid (March 25th, 2018)
Good to hear all this; I have a Jinhao on the way. I'm curious to see how it compares (in my very limited experience) to my Metro.
Wing Sung - Hero - Baor - Luo Shi - Linbitou - PenBBS - To name a few ...
Dollar is Indian , then there are Pakistan Pens .
https://fpgeeks.com/forum/showthread...rdin-Wing-Sung
I am starting : With NIB Slips , practice my photography .. So far free hand - will have to go tripod ..
But I will be talking about budget pens ..
What has arrived so far ..
Going macro on the NIB is an eye opener for sure ..
If your after a Wing 3008 ? Get the older one ...
Weight and weight distribution - Hmmm , most pens are fine as long as you leave the cap off , but pop that cap on and a lot of them become tail heavy , others seem to balance well .
Don't think this is something unique to Chinese pens ..
Seriously , some of these pens start @ 0.77 cents USD and as mentioned - How the hell do they do it ? ( $0.77 to your door )
But I have made it my mission to collect all the $ one dollar pens .. ( And then some )
It's terribly interesting I have to tell you ... Love it or hate it ! These cheap pens are at the very least - interesting !
And a fantastic way to actually put together a collection without going bankrupt ...
Lets not forget , not everyone is on a 100K income , or a 50K income , or a 25K income .. So these pens actually perform a function ( social ) .
Not everyone has Bugatti money , or even BMW money , or KIA money ..
There is always an element of elitism , in every interest I have ever been involved in ... I guess fountain pens are no different ..
So if you don't collect Ten Thousand Dollar fountain pens ?
So what is this other forum that's hot for Chinese ??????
What are the little blue and white pens on card, lower left?
My other pen is a Montblanc.
And my other blog is a tumblr!
And my latest ebook, for spooky wintery reading:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CM2NGSSD
The aforementioned Jinhao has arrived. I posted to share, doing my part to add more talk of Chinese pens to the neighborhood.
There are several Pens in Packs on ebay , some have Jinhao , others like these ?
Just punch in Fountain pen on the Ebay search bar , and then chose lowest price + shipping first , and these show up around the dollar mark ..
I think one was right @ one dollar and the other around 1.50 or 1.80 ....
Fountain Pen Sith Lord | Daakusaido | Everything in one spot
suzy01 (March 26th, 2018)
My other pen is a Montblanc.
And my other blog is a tumblr!
And my latest ebook, for spooky wintery reading:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0CM2NGSSD
Without cheap Chinese fountain pens, I wouldn't have joined this forum. I would probably still be using disposable ballpoints. They opened up the idea and opportunity for me to explore different types of pen and find my preferences at minimal outlay. If I had to do this at £20 a time, I probably wouldn't have bothered buying any fountain pens at all.
I have a couple of clear piston fillers, which are obviously a kind of TWSBI "homage", the Wing Sung 6359 Safari clone, a Jinhao x450, and a Parker Vector. The telling part here is that the Parker is my least favourite, partially because it runs dry occasionally, and partially the sharp transition between section and barrel. The cheap Chinese offerings are more comfortable to use, write better, and I will be less upset if I happen to break or lose one. Maybe eventually, after a few successes and failures, I might commit to something a little more expensive. That said, I don't think I will ever got north of £30 for a pen. Ever. All I want from a pen is comfort and reliability, and if I can get pens for <£5 that deliver those better than a Parker Vector, then that is what I will buy. Maybe these cheap pens will be a gateway to other pens, or maybe I'll just stick with the cheap stuff. Who knows? I've been asking questions about hooded nibs in another thread, and if I decide to try one, it will be a cheap Hero 616 or whatever the Parker 51 clone is. I am also eyeing up the Pilot Petit too. I'll probably then pass on my surplus lesser used pens and inks to someone else who I think get use and fun out of them. Maybe one of them will go on to get a Lamy or Visconti or Kwaeco or Parker.
One thing is for certain, which is that nobody is losing money or business from me buying those pens. I would not have paid £18 for a Lamy Safari, even if there wasn't clones available for £1. I would not have paid £20+ for a TWSBI either. However, me buying those cheaper pens, has got me buying inks that I wouldn't have otherwise owned. Diamine and Cult Pens have both benefited from me buying cheapo clones on ebay, and the pen manufacturers who had their designs cloned are no worse off. Maybe I'll start buying nicer paper to write on at some point too. If those cheapo pens bring more people into the fountain pen world that wouldn't have otherwise taken the leap, then surely that is a good thing for the industry. If only one in ten get hooked and go on to buy a more expensive pen that they wouldn't have otherwise considered, then the brand name pen manufacturers have still had more sales because of the lower market spectrum. In my mind they are an important part of the market, and I personally am thankful for their existence.
I think I said that right before I bought an Edison.
Not to discount your statement. You can get a great writer for £30. The trick is to get it on the first try. Not that expensive pens aren't a gamble too but usually you have more recourse if you got a dud.
Also, once you have 10 £30 pens, you might wish you had bought 3 £90 pens; after all, you probably only need 1 and 2 are nice to have, and they have a warranty and keep delivering the reliable experience you want. But 10 i-guess-they-are-ok pens can kind of drag on your psyche.
Of course, this might just be particular to me: I have probably 10 pens I like to use a lot, and 80 that I pass over on my way to grab them, all of which mostly write OK.
I am currently at 5 relatively cheap pens, and consider that too many. One fine, one medium, and one italic, along with a goodly assortment of inks, would do me just fine ... but I don't know what I like in a fountain pen yet. These cheapos are letting me explore that without making expensive errors.
Sailor Kenshin (April 11th, 2018)
I get that, I did the same thing. I wish I could make the errors for you. Sometimes the errors ARE the cheapos, as the quest can leave quite a body count.
One thing that works for me is to get anything that can hold a JoWo #6 nib unit. Edisons are one way, but you could get a Ranga more cheaply. As long as the converter lines up in the section, you are in business. Then you can accumulate steel and gold JoWos to your heart's content in all sizes and send a few off for custom grinds.
But I'm off topic for inexpensive Chinese pens now. I have a bunch of them, I like some of them, I don't totally regret buying them but they mostly take up space now.
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