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Which Chinese Fps Are You Curious About?


whitedot

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Do tell me. I might acquire it, and review it.

 

But, before you do, please search for reviews in the relevant sub-forum. I would much rather investigate the great unknown.

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Sorry, my interest in chinese fp is as high as my interest in their cars. Cheap copies of foreign technology, probably bypassing pat. pendings. In the end it will lead to an impoverishment of the market with only confidential marketing of quality products at sky-high prices, since these brands will loose their profitable low end.

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Review of Hero summer safari please.. curious to know how it measures up against the real one.

Edited by Mesu
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Sorry, my interest in chinese fp is as high as my interest in their cars. Cheap copies of foreign technology, probably bypassing pat. pendings. In the end it will lead to an impoverishment of the market with only confidential marketing of quality products at sky-high prices, since these brands will loose their profitable low end.

Whitedot was enquiring from those who are interested and curious about Chinese pens. Although a few pens made in that country are copies, with Chinese name brands. We need to bear in mind that certain major name brands have their pens manufactured there. Therefore Chinese manufacturers are capable of making good pens and some of them are highly innovative.

 

Reviews on FPN show some of these pens are good writers, and there are a high number of members collect them.

They came as a boon, and a blessing to men,
The Pickwick, the Owl and the Waverley pen

Sincerely yours,

Pickwick

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Sorry, my interest in chinese fp is as high as my interest in their cars. Cheap copies of foreign technology, probably bypassing pat. pendings. In the end it will lead to an impoverishment of the market with only confidential marketing of quality products at sky-high prices, since these brands will loose their profitable low end.

 

Come on, Opooh, don't hold back! Tell us how you really feel!

 

As with most things that come out of China, you will find many copies. If you look hard enough, you will find a lot of original, artisan-made products. China is just like any other country, in that they have mass-produced things and the small-run, well made things. Think of the difference between Stella Artois and a good Trippel. One is okay, very much like everything else on the market, and not too inspiring. The other is made in small batches by people with many years of experience.

 

If you're looking for Chinese fountain pens on eBay or TaoBao, you'll find cheap copies. But I can personally attest to some gorgeous hand-made fountain pens that I have seen in China. I spent some time in Shanghai, and that's where my interest in fountain pens first started. There are many stationery shops offering all ranges of products, including hand-made fountain pens and brush pens. I didn't buy any there, but I picked up a Lamy Vista when I came back and the rest is history. But the quality I saw in some hand carved and hand painted bamboo pieces over there stay with me to this day. You just have to know where to look.

Pelikan M1000 (Green Stripe), Pelikan M205 EF (White), Sheaffer Valor (M), Sailor Sapporo (Clear), TWSBI 580 EF, 1948 Parker 51 Vac F, Early 1950s Esterbrook J F, Jinhao x750 M, Eyedropper Ahab

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Do tell me. I might acquire it, and review it.

 

But, before you do, please search for reviews in the relevant sub-forum. I would much rather investigate the great unknown.

 

I am curious about the higher end Chinese pens featuring big open nibs with 14K and 18K nibs. I have seen a few Jinhao pens with solid big open 14K nibs IIRC in a shop and the nibs were too smooth and asking price was just around 50USD!!!! unfortunately I was not open to those pens at that time, today i would buy the pen in a second.

In case you wish to write to me, pls use ONLY email by clicking here. I do not check PMs. Thank you.

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The higher better made Chinese pens like the Jinhao, Duke and a few others seem well made. You are then paying $20-30-50. Many are quite ornate. Why not, if you want ornate full metal lined pen, a good Chinese pen will cover that.

 

After all Cross and some of Parker are Chinese pens, so not all Chinese pens are cheap.

 

I have no interest in them for two reasons...none as far as I heard are semi-flex and they are all/mostly heavier metal pens.

 

I buy vintage, so they are not what I'd buy...

I'd not turn my nose up if some one gave me a gift of a better make and model. But I'd not buy it, not because it's Chinese.

My niche for for a heavier metal pen is reserved for my eventual single Dupont. So I don't need a nice little Chevy, I want a Rolls Royce.

In reference to P. T. Barnum; to advise for free is foolish, ........busybodies are ill liked by both factions.

 

 

The cheapest lessons are from those who learned expensive lessons. Ignorance is best for learning expensive lessons.

 

 

 

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In my student life, my most favourite fountain pen was 224 Kinsin.The pen looks beautiful.I still have four of it in different colours.But it seems they are no longer available.One surprising thing about the chinese pens that I saw- many copied from Sheaffers or Parker model retain their golden colour for a very very long time - even better than Parker or Sheaffers that they copiedaand their finishing is superb.

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Do tell me. I might acquire it, and review it.

That's great! Thank you very much for that offer.

I have about 50 Chinese pens myself, including a Duke 379 Leader with a 14K gold nib. Usually, if I'm interested in a cheap Chinese pen, I just buy it. But there are some I wouldn't buy right away and I'd love to see reviews of those pens:

- Kaigelu because they are not as easy to get in Germany as other Chinese pens. I think the 336 has not been reviewed, yet.

- Picasso because it's a well regarded brand but I'm not so happy with the 917 and hesitant to buy another Picasso FP. I think the 915 has no review, yet.

- Duke pens with 18k nibs because I have several Duke pens and like them all a lot. I have a 379 Leader with an incredible 14K nib and I'd like to know how the 18k nibs perform, but those pens are too expensive to just buy on a whim. I think there's no review of the D12 Duke Spaceship Shenzhou No. 6. I'm also interested in the P83 and D230 with 14K nibs.

 

I'd like to return that offer. If you'd like to see a pen reviewed I might own, just drop me a line.

 

Cheers

 

Timo

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Hero 100. I want to know how`s the build quality and whether the nib is similar to that of the Parker 51.

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Come on, Opooh, don't hold back! Tell us how you really feel!

 

As with most things that come out of China, you will find many copies. If you look hard enough, you will find a lot of original, artisan-made products. China is just like any other country, in that they have mass-produced things and the small-run, well made things. Think of the difference between Stella Artois and a good Trippel. One is okay, very much like everything else on the market, and not too inspiring. The other is made in small batches by people with many years of experience.

 

If you're looking for Chinese fountain pens on eBay or TaoBao, you'll find cheap copies. But I can personally attest to some gorgeous hand-made fountain pens that I have seen in China. I spent some time in Shanghai, and that's where my interest in fountain pens first started. There are many stationery shops offering all ranges of products, including hand-made fountain pens and brush pens. I didn't buy any there, but I picked up a Lamy Vista when I came back and the rest is history. But the quality I saw in some hand carved and hand painted bamboo pieces over there stay with me to this day. You just have to know where to look.

I prefer a vintage Parker 51 to a Hero 616 , even if I have to pay 10 x the amount of money, the Parkers are beyond any doubt not made by children. As for the hand made pens, they are so confidential you can only buy them on site. Since I don't travel to countries with a dictatorial regime these hand made pens are unobtainable for me.
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My only interest lays in the Picasso line of pens. All that I have owned have been of stunning fit and finish and fitted with butter smooth nibs.

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I am interested in the fountain of youth. Nah, seriously, I think if not now, in 10 years they will be manufacturing the best pens in the world.

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No interest at this time. I know I'm not entirely being fair, because I have heard some work great and are built right, but to me they don't have this elusive combination of desirability and cachet that makes me want them very badly. I own high-end, mid and low-end pens, but each of them made it to my collection by some unquantifiable emotional attachment I have that made them a passionate object of desire. Maybe sometime in the future, I will be persuaded to change my mind.

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Not everyone has the budget for the highly desirable "cachet" pens, but as many would probably agree, price is not entirely indicative of quality. I have a couple of Jinhao pens that write very nicely, and each cost less than $30. Chinese pens, because of their affordability, allow us to indulge in delights of pattern and color that make writing "fun". I have a Visconti Rembrandt that I love, and yes, someday I would like to have some of the other pricier pens; however, Chinese pens are not all "cheap", and I have a Luoshi 598 that was very inexpensive, but makes a marvelous lady's pen! I'm curious, does anyone else have any Luoshi pens?

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Sorry, my interest in chinese fp is as high as my interest in their cars. Cheap copies of foreign technology, probably bypassing pat. pendings. In the end it will lead to an impoverishment of the market with only confidential marketing of quality products at sky-high prices, since these brands will loose their profitable low end.

 

Cheaper, yes. Xerox, not. Examples of originality in FP design are far and few between. Parker probably invented the hooded nib, for example. Eversharp, Waterman, Universal, Scripto, Sheaffer, MB and a host of Chinese penmakers copied it. In fact, Chinese FPs have been just as original as foreign ones. For example, the 黑龙江 Model 90 is instantly recognisable by natural agate on the clip. Chinese techniques such as lacquer (properly Chinese) and cloisonné (first Byzantine) are used, typically on higher end models. Foreign tech? The West owes much to the East in the history of pens, paper and ink.

 

You'll have to produce some evidence of pat. pending bypass. Pat. expiry, perhaps. Hero's Safari doppelgänger is not an ethical blunder but a commercial one, provided that the relevant pat. has expired. Patent law provides an incentive for inventors to publish product information. If Hero has abided by the law, any potential issue should lie with the law, not Hero. (That said, certain aspects of PRC IP law and legal system leave a lot to be desired.)

Edited by whitedot
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I prefer a vintage Parker 51 to a Hero 616 , even if I have to pay 10 x the amount of money, the Parkers are beyond any doubt not made by children. As for the hand made pens, they are so confidential you can only buy them on site. Since I don't travel to countries with a dictatorial regime these hand made pens are unobtainable for me.

 

Words cannot express how much I deplore child labour. Funnily enough, I cannot voice my opinion on the PRC government here, because board rules forbid it. Remember, I live in Hong Kong, and acutely feel Beijing's encroachment.

 

However:

 

I do not conflate a country with its government.

 

There are no rumours of child labour at Chinese penmakers.

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Looking into your suggestions.

 

Hari,

 

In my limited experience, Jinhao (金豪) currently makes the best nibs in China. I can't find any of their 14K models at USD50. I am not usually one to question you. Are you quite certain that they were not 14K or 18K plated?

 

Mesu,

 

A member has kindly translated a review posted on the Chinese "FPN". I dislike the Hero Safari, and would probably like the Hero lookalike even less.

 

 

 

 

Come on, Opooh, don't hold back! Tell us how you really feel!

 

As with most things that come out of China, you will find many copies. If you look hard enough, you will find a lot of original, artisan-made products. China is just like any other country, in that they have mass-produced things and the small-run, well made things. Think of the difference between Stella Artois and a good Trippel. One is okay, very much like everything else on the market, and not too inspiring. The other is made in small batches by people with many years of experience.

 

If you're looking for Chinese fountain pens on eBay or TaoBao, you'll find cheap copies. But I can personally attest to some gorgeous hand-made fountain pens that I have seen in China. I spent some time in Shanghai, and that's where my interest in fountain pens first started. There are many stationery shops offering all ranges of products, including hand-made fountain pens and brush pens. I didn't buy any there, but I picked up a Lamy Vista when I came back and the rest is history. But the quality I saw in some hand carved and hand painted bamboo pieces over there stay with me to this day. You just have to know where to look.

 

Kde, please tell me more! Where exactly should I look? Chinese craftsmanship is phenomenal at its very best, and I am so keen to see it applied to FPs. Then, yes, penrivers, we may well see some of the best FPs in the world.

Edited by whitedot
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