Penbbs: what is the background.

[matteob]

This is a pen company that a lot of people have been talking about recently but I can find out zero about them. Can anyone tell me who makes these. Is it another Hero/Jinhao sub brand?

[Lexaf]

Interesting question! Interesting pens! Never heard of Penbbs.

This is what I found at the site of our friends from FPN.: I quote:
"Penbbs is a Chinese online fountain pen community similar to FPN.
They not only talk about inks but also produce their own inks every year. Each series consists of ten to fifteen inks and 2017 marks the release of Penbbs’ fifteenth ink series. Due to Chinese postal restrictions, these inks are virtually impossible to obtain outside of China. However, within China they are extremely affordable (21 RMB or about US$3 per 60ml bottle) and can easily be purchased through the Chinese online shopping giant Taobao."

Read further here: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/fo...ou-ink-review/

They indeed make pens too. Look here for a review.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAvqTDuzSlY

Entering 'Penbbs fountain pen' on e-bay offers a large supply of nice looking, mostly acrylic and transparant pens. Most sell for prices as low as us$15,- to us$20,--, some for a bit more.
If you like colorful pens it looks like worth trying!

But the real maker of the pens is still a riddle to me.

Hope this helps to find more info.

Pictures from e-bay seller:

penbbs1.jpg

penbbs2.jpg

penbbs3.jpg

[Lexaf]

Found some more info here: https://frankunderwater.com/2017/12/...news_dec_2017/
Read item #3 in this blog. Very interesting where he speaks about the clear PENBBS 309 piston filler and the new (yet to be released?) plunger filler PENBBS 268. Looks like a very interesting alternative for TWSBI...

[KrazyIvan]

These pens look remarkably similar to Lingmo Lorelei pens I have.

[Lexaf]

These pens look remarkably similar to Lingmo Lorelei pens I have.

Very close. But there are some differences.
Check this review: https://www.clipzui.com/video/p3b386...43465c5g4.html by Chrisrap52
He says the pens come from the same factory, Lingmo.
Picture from his youtube video:

Wingmo vs Penbbs.jpg
Lower pen Penbbs, Upper is Lorelei.

These pens are also quite similar to some Sailor pens, look here to Frank Underwaters blog:
https://frankunderwater.com/2017/12/...lei_vs_sailor/

lorelei-vs-sailor-procolor-500_blue-demonstrators_comparison-review_duel-of-fates-221.jpg
Picture by Frank Underwater.
Lower pen Lorelei, Upper pen Sailor.

Thinking that it might be fun to buy all three myself, to see the difference. The Chinese pens are both under $20,--, I don't know what the Sailor does on e-Bay....

[KrazyIvan]

You might as well throw in the Jinhao 992 into the mix. 😀

[Lexaf]

You might as well throw in the Jinhao 992 into the mix. 

Yes! And definitely a lot cheaper!

jinhao 992 ebay.jpg

How low can you go!

[KrazyIvan]

I'm impressed with the quality of the Lingmo Lorelei. If it is the same build as the Penbbs version, it will be good. The acrylic looks to be turned on a lathe of some sort because you can see the tooling marks on the inside of the barrel. The demo version I am not so sure, it looks like it may be extruded plastic and does not have the little end bit that everyone says cracks the Jinhao 992. The Jinhao 992 has the lowest quality plastic and is probably injection molded.

[Lexaf]

I'm impressed with the quality of the Lingmo Lorelei. If it is the same build as the Penbbs version, it will be good. The acrylic looks to be turned on a lathe of some sort because you can see the tooling marks on the inside of the barrel. The demo version I am not so sure, it looks like it may be extruded plastic and does not have the little end bit that everyone says cracks the Jinhao 992. The Jinhao 992 has the lowest quality plastic and is probably injection molded.

That explains a lot about the difference in price between the Lingmo & Penbbs pens versus the Jihao 992.
After all, less than $20,-- is still a steal for a pen with machined (hand made?) parts.
Another big difference I noticed is the far more sophisticated construction for the nib & feed. The Lingmo & Penbbs's have a screwed in nib unit, the Jinhao's have a nib and feeder friction fit directly in the section.

My conclusion: a couple of 992's for everyday use (that I already have) and maybe 2 or 3 Penbbs pens for fun and beauty. I'm still thinking about which colors I would prefer to buy. They're all quite attractive!

[KrazyIvan]

You might as well throw in the Jinhao 992 into the mix. 

Yes! And definitely a lot cheaper!

jinhao 992 ebay.jpg

How low can you go!

I'm impressed with the quality of the Lingmo Lorelei. If it is the same build as the Penbbs version, it will be good. The acrylic looks to be turned on a lathe of some sort because you can see the tooling marks on the inside of the barrel. The demo version I am not so sure, it looks like it may be extruded plastic and does not have the little end bit that everyone says cracks the Jinhao 992. The Jinhao 992 has the lowest quality plastic and is probably injection molded.

That explains a lot about the difference in price between the Lingmo & Penbbs pens versus the Jihao 992.
After all, less than $20,-- is still a steal for a pen with machined (hand made?) parts.
Another big difference I noticed is the far more sophisticated construction for the nib & feed. The Lingmo & Penbbs's have a screwed in nib unit, the Jinhao's have a nib and feeder friction fit directly in the section.

My conclusion: a couple of 992's for everyday use (that I already have) and maybe 2 or 3 Penbbs pens for fun and beauty. I'm still thinking about which colors I would prefer to buy. They're all quite attractive!

My blue flake acrylic is my favorite but I am biased. Blue is my favorite color and that particular material is present already in my collection. It has a lot of depth to it but I find it hard to photograph.

Here are several of the Chinese pens I have purchased since last year.

[heymatthew]

What are the bottom and third from bottom pens?


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[KrazyIvan]

What are the bottom and third from bottom pens?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

They are both pens from SKB. The top is the SKB/Penton F20 and the bottom is the SKB Triangle. I'd say stick with Lingmo Lorelei and Wing Sung before trying SKB. They left a lot to be desired.

[grainweevil]

These pens look remarkably similar to Lingmo Lorelei pens I have.

Very close. But there are some differences.
Check this review: https://www.clipzui.com/video/p3b386...43465c5g4.html by Chrisrap52
He says the pens come from the same factory, Lingmo.

Going from the information in the link you provided, Lexaf, he apparently says wrong.

Thanks for the clarification from Long37, the webmaster of PENBBS.com, the manufacturer behind the current PENBBS lineup is definitely not Lingmo, making the actual company behind this level of precision and rapidity even more interesting.

Owing to a seller mix up I have a couple of the Lingmos, and they are pretty good. The Jinhao 992, on the other hand, is a steaming pile of excrement that makes TWSBI's cracking problems look like a drop in the ocean. Even the SKB/Penton F20 is better than that, but still, I concur with Ivan - it's not great.

Not tried a Penbbs yet, although they've been in and out of the Ebay basket in the last couple of months several times. I think the sheer choice of colours has stymied any chance of making a decision! But I gather some snazzy two tone nibs are in the offing, so with that and the more novel filling systems promised, I may continue to keep my powder dry a little longer anyway.

[Lexaf]

These pens look remarkably similar to Lingmo Lorelei pens I have.

Very close. But there are some differences.
Check this review: https://www.clipzui.com/video/p3b386...43465c5g4.html by Chrisrap52
He says the pens come from the same factory, Lingmo.

Going from the information in the link you provided, Lexaf, he apparently says wrong.

Thanks for the clarification from Long37, the webmaster of PENBBS.com, the manufacturer behind the current PENBBS lineup is definitely not Lingmo, making the actual company behind this level of precision and rapidity even more interesting.

Owing to a seller mix up I have a couple of the Lingmos, and they are pretty good. The Jinhao 992, on the other hand, is a steaming pile of excrement that makes TWSBI's cracking problems look like a drop in the ocean. Even the SKB/Penton F20 is better than that, but still, I concur with Ivan - it's not great.

Not tried a Penbbs yet, although they've been in and out of the Ebay basket in the last couple of months several times. I think the sheer choice of colours has stymied any chance of making a decision! But I gather some snazzy two tone nibs are in the offing, so with that and the more novel filling systems promised, I may continue to keep my powder dry a little longer anyway.

I agree with Grainweevil, the 992's are probably the bottom line of fountain pens (in this genre, I had some pens that were far worse, and not all of these were Chinese pens). I do not know the SKB/Penton F20, so I cannot say anything about that.

But for the Jinhao 992 pens: what can one expect for $1,50 a piece (shipping all the way from China included)? They write, they write better than most ballpoint pens, you can loose, crack, scratch, break, donate them, whatever... I bought 6 transparent colors in one lot for a steal. One is in my daily rotation box. I had great fun using one as an eyedropper, used the clip of another 992 for an otherwise hopelessly damaged pen that I liked better than this cannibalized Jinhao, reground a 992 nib to a better performance, exchanged feeders with some (Indian made!) better ones I had in my repair stock and so on. Really had and have a good time with these El Cheapo's.

Still very tempted to order one or two of these crazy colored Penbbs pens. For the more serious collecting work I am a big fan of colored celluloid (as some of you may know from other posts). But as vintage celluloid is getting rare and new celluloid pens are even ultra rare and very expensive, I consider acryl as a (sometimes) acceptable alternative, especially when the parts are machined and not molded. The reviews I read about the Penbbs pens are promising, and: we still do not know exactly who makes them as Penbbs seems to be a Chinese community of FP lovers like us on FPG. Who is or who are the manufacturers of these pens? That was also the starting question of the OP.

[Lexaf]

Here are several of the Chinese pens I have purchased since last year.

Great harvest! That is the fun with these Chinese pens! They look good, colorful, technically interesting, most of the time they write pretty well. Great fun to play with. And most of the time for prices you cannot buy your
friends a round of beers for on a night out!
Can you make a little list of the pens that we see on the picture? Prices? Bought where?

[KrazyIvan]

Here are several of the Chinese pens I have purchased since last year.

Great harvest! That is the fun with these Chinese pens! They look good, colorful, technically interesting, most of the time they write pretty well. Great fun to play with. And most of the time for prices you cannot buy your
friends a round of beers for on a night out!
Can you make a little list of the pens that we see on the picture? Prices? Bought where?

All of them were purchased on eBay. I did a video that I linked below:

[matteob]

I intend to buy the penbbs 308 as not keen on the clipless one. I have never heard of the Lorelei. I hear Wing Sung piston pens are good too with some saying they are even better than TWSBI. I'll give them a try. I have a Hero 616 on the way for the grand price of £2.50 lol. A better quality 14k Hero 100 and vacuumatic are coming out too: all knock offs of that hooded nib Parker whose number I can't remrmber. Some others in the other place have bought the vacuumatic and complained of QC issues which the factory are supposed to be addressing.

[KrazyIvan]

I intend to buy the penbbs 308 as not keen on the clipless one. I have never heard of the Lorelei. I hear Wing Sung piston pens are good too with some saying they are even better than TWSBI. I'll give them a try. I have a Hero 616 on the way for the grand price of £2.50 lol. A better quality 14k Hero 100 and vacuumatic are coming out too: all knock offs of that hooded nib Parker whose number I can't remrmber. Some others in the other place have bought the vacuumatic and complained of QC issues which the factory are supposed to be addressing.

If I were not on a pen buying hiatis I would have already ordered something from Penbbs. I also have eyes on the Hero H718, Moonman Huwen and Wing Sung 601. I have not looked at the Hero 616 yet.

[Lexaf]

(...) all knock offs of that hooded nib Parker whose number I can't remember. (...)

LOL!

[KrazyIvan]

I need to correct myself. I own 2 Hero 616s. I forgot about them in the shuffle of all the new Chinese pens released in the last year.