Solid gold??

[cedargirl]

This is the strangest 'solid gold I've ever seen ...

It can only refer to the nib. Anyone come across Chinese made solid gold nibs?

http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/J205-Jinh...item232b0e2d5a

[Jon Szanto]

Well, if it is, it's a shame it is held captive in another butt-ugly, overweight pen.

[cwent2]

And don't forget you get "Accessory : Gift Box ,Instruction Manual and a Chinese Ancient Ding"

An Ancient Ding?

wow all that and an ugly pen too.

[Jon Szanto]

I missed the part about the Ding - I'm in!!!111!!!

[Manny]

[john]

If you want to spend such amount of money, better get the Japanese pens. Sailor, Pilot, Platinum, they all selling solid gold nibs. I can tell this Jinhao is extremely awful.

[cedargirl]

I want it just for the Ding!

[jor412]

I've seen some vintage Hero pens with gold nibs but not selling for that much. You all really find it fugly? hehe I'm sort of tripping on ornate Chinese pens now but that one and its ilk are over the top. I have one Chinese pen arriving and I'm looking at two more.

[AndyT]

Hmm, the usual run of fancy Jinhao nibs seem to be stamped "18K GP", so who knows, it might be.

As for the looks, before checking out the pics I was expecting to be able to say that I've seen worse ... but nope, can't say I have.

[cedargirl]

I've seen some vintage Hero pens with gold nibs but not selling for that much. You all really find it fugly? hehe I'm sort of tripping on ornate Chinese pens now but that one and its ilk are over the top. I have one Chinese pen arriving and I'm looking at two more.

I actually find this one less ugly than the standard "dragon pen" that sells for a fraction of this price. It's not quite as glitzy as the ones I'm thinking of.
I don't know how you would use it for any period of time. It would be uncomfortable.
I like the little stand (the ding?) and the timber box.

[jor412]

I agree with you about the ding (?) & box. Really nice pen stand. I'm interested in getting Chinese pens that look Chinese, rather than the ones that look like knock offs of Western brands. I have a Kaigelu coming that's in between Chinese & Western, I think. I'm looking at a Jinhao dragon pen that's clipless & Jinhao pens with inlaid shells. And since I'm rather dragon-happy right now, I bought a Wyvern, but that's another category altogether, and the pen has yet to arrive.

[jor412]

And the box looks like it can re-purposed to hold many pens Maybe the seller has non-gold nibbed versions that sell for much less but have the ding & box with them.

[cedargirl]

I love dragons too!
I look forward to hearing about your dragon pen - I haven't noticed one without the clip - and it is the clip I don't like - looks like they are supposed to be the dragon's tongue - but they just make it look tacky in that shiny gold colour.
I've seen the ones with the inlaid shells. One thing with the metal Chinese pens - they are all metal - so they can be very quite heavy, even without a dragon hanging on.
As I've said elsewhere on this forum, I think the Chinese are doing quite innovative things with their semi hooded nibs/sections in some pens. They seem to have moved on from copying old Parkers.

[jor412]

This is the dragon pen I'm looking at: http://www.ebay.com/itm/170885348984...84.m1438.l2649

It's still quite ornate but at least it doesn't have two creatures engaged in some ancient battle on the cap and barrel. A friend was laughing at the design: "It has eyes!" I said I'd replace them if they fell out -- maybe something in dark green / emerald.

Oh and I looked up "Chinese ding" on ebay and was perplexed because I got a bunch of small jars and such with legs. Googled it, too, so maybe the seller found a different use for it.

I had a few Chinese pens. I gave away a bunch of Hero-Parker lookalikes and one no-name marble. I sold two. Two of the Chinese pens were just too heavy for me, so yeah, the metal is a bit of a drag, and I'd like to avoid that so I keep checking the weight of the thing. I don't know -- why do they make them so heavy? I mean, who's the target market for that?

[kps]

I want it just for the Ding!

I have a Sheaffer with a solid gold nib that I'll let go for the same price, but it's better — it has not one but TWO Dings in the cap.

[AndyT]

This is the dragon pen I'm looking at: http://www.ebay.com/itm/170885348984...84.m1438.l2649

At least it's a bit lighter, the other one is nearly a quarter-pounder.

Actually, Jinhao made a dragon pen which I really rather like the look of, the No. 5000 with a pierced gold plated overlay on top of black resin. Maybe not the epitome of good taste, but striking and probably quite usable. No eyes on that one.

My experience with Chinese pens in general has been good fun. The majority have needed remedial work (often for sprung nib tines) but they usually make nice enough writers given a little care and attention ... although the tendency to excess weight is often a downside.

[KrazyIvan]

I usually like a lot of Chinese pens but this is not one of them. Much less at that price. Don't care that it is a gold nib.

[jor412]

This is the dragon pen I'm looking at: http://www.ebay.com/itm/170885348984...84.m1438.l2649

At least it's a bit lighter, the other one is nearly a quarter-pounder.

Actually, Jinhao made a dragon pen which I really rather like the look of, the No. 5000 with a pierced gold plated overlay on top of black resin. Maybe not the epitome of good taste, but striking and probably quite usable. No eyes on that one.

My experience with Chinese pens in general has been good fun. The majority have needed remedial work (often for sprung nib tines) but they usually make nice enough writers given a little care and attention ... although the tendency to excess weight is often a downside.

@ "not the epitome of good taste" - That's what I was thinking when I started tripping on the ornate Chinese pens & when my friend laughed at the eyes. The most "ornate" pen I have is a Waterman Gentleman in sterling silver, and maybe, the most "adventurous", a Bexley Corona Lemon Merengue. One day, I took a look at my pens, and thought, time to go nuts.

I usually like a lot of Chinese pens but this is not one of them. Much less at that price. Don't care that it is a gold nib.

The price makes it a bigger risk than usual given the unevenness of their quality control.

[Jon Szanto]

For absolute shits and giggles I bought a Dragon pen a few weeks back, which I dubbed "The Pen of Unrepentant and Universal Hideosity". I was fascinated by just how massively clunky and gaudy it was, in a non-blingy way. Far beyond that was an orb that, in person, looks for all the world like Sauron's Eye:

jinhao-dragon-08a.jpg

You can use this not simply as a pen (though it isn't a great writer), but as a club - it weighs 82 grams. When I got it (for < $20), I realized that not only did the orb rotate freely, you could shake the damn thing like a maraca (not sure if this will embed or not):

https://soundcloud.com/jon-szanto/pe...ies-the-pen-of

I scare my cats with it.

[jor412]

I can't hear the recording, but that is one scary pen. I'd like to see it up close. The dragon overlay looks like it's made of some kind of plastic.