Duke 200-1 Caligraphy Pen \ M Nib. - Newb Review!

[SkylarKnight]

Hello!

So, today I received my long awaited Duke 209-1, and I would like to leave my review here for all to see
I made a video, but I will have to upload it later since I need to sync the audio with the video clip.

The ink used in the clip is Parker Quink Black.

First impression:

Well, at first I was thrilled to see the pen. I opened the envelope as fast as I could, and was super excited to finally see the black box.

The box arrived a bit beaten up, I blame the post system for that, but other ways in perfect condition.

The box colour is black, and it has some kind of texture to it, very pleasant.

It has a magnet closure, very cute and fun

The pen itself is as beautiful as I imagined it. I love it to bits. Before holding it, I was just really fascinated with it. The finish is perfect, it is industrial looking but somehow so delicate!

And the detail on the nib had me looking at it for a bit.
I bought the set for $10 off of this page (seller's name is jewelrymathematics )

First impression - success.

From here on, I have a few problems though...

Appearance & Design (10-10) –
The design is industrial. The finish is nice and uniform, I would say it's matte, and the clip and centre band have a nice shiny look, as well as the grips.

It is full metal, with the exception of the converter and a plastic thingie inside the cap. The metal is very light, and overall, feels good.

The construction feels solid and well done. Over all, the pen is pleasant to hold, look at, and show off.

The Duke logo and serial number of the pen are engraved in the centre band, and aren't visible as long as you don't look for it (aka, won't notice at first glance).

(The pictures are from the ebay page where I bought it)
http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTI4MFgxNjAw/z/oYoAAMXQKLdRzaAu/$T2eC16F,!yUE9s6NEHHDBRz,!tg1ow~~60_57.JPG http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/NDUwWDYzMA==/z/M84AAOSw-nZTnwWq/$_12.JPG?rt=nc

The pen has another variation, where is it matte black with gold centre band, clip and nib. (click on sentence for picture)

Construction & Quality (10-10) –

The pen feels really solid. It's also VERY light. There aren't any visible manufacturing flaws, and it is not flimsy. The cap does move around a bit when capped, and you can freely turn it and shake it, but I don't think it would uncap if it were to fall, however I would be a bit afraid to drop it on a hard surface, which is why I am keeping it in my pencil case in it's own slot.

The clip is nice and tight, but not too tight to make it unmovable. It will securely hold onto your pocket if you choose to station it like that.

Weight & Dimensions (7-10) –
The pen is on the SMALL side. I have a small hand (well, for a woman, I'd say it's a bit above average), and the pen is shorter than my palm, from the tip of my middle finger to the wrist. It's also quite thin, but to me it's fine.

The pen is still very short even when posted and capped, and as a fan of over-sized, long pens, I am a bit unhappy about it, but it definitely doesn't bother me when writing.

It will be fine for anyone with a small-medium hand, if you like the size of it.

The cap posts VERY securely. You can tug on it all day, and if you don't do it so hard as to purposefully remove the cap, it won't budge. It doesn't affect the size at all, in my opinion. Maybe a bit, but nothing significant.

Official measuring (from the ebay page):
Length:
Capped - 132mm \ 5.2in.
Uncapped: 118mm \ 4.6in.
Diameter of the barrel: 11mm \ 0.43in at the thickest point.
Weight: 26g, together with the box its 118g.

I rated this a 7\10 since I prefer longer pens, and I also like them to be top heavy. This pen is very well balanced when posted, and a bit too light when un-posted.

Nib & Performance (9-10) –
The nibs that I have in the set are: M nib, Calligraphy nib.

First of, M nib:

As I said in the video, I think mine has a problem. The feed has a gap between it and the grip section. I am not sure whether it's supposed to be this way or not, so I am worried. If anybody has a word about this - please say so below.
It writes a nice, medium-wet line, no skipping. The feed keeps up well. It has a bit of springiness, but I wouldn't recommend it for flex writing. It is hard to squeeze that flex out, and is definitely not made for that kind of job.
The writing is SO SMOOTH IT'S RIDICULOUS. I haven't noticed ANY feedback AT ALL, no scratching, nothing. This is the best you could ask in a $10 pen.
Another hing about the feed - it looks different from other feeds I've seen. It doesn't have the grooves in it, and it is quite flat. However, it works well.
On the nib it says it's 22k GP, I wouldn't believe that. Other than that, I have no idea of the material. Probably standard material like all other Chinese pens.

The calligraphy nib:
A very nice nib. The ink flow is great. At the widest point it is VERY wet. at the tip (or reversed) it is VERY dry. It doesn't skip (a little bit when reversed, but I'm sure I'm just holding it wrong), and it lays down a really nice and satisfactory patch of ink.

The feed keeps up with any speed, and overall I am happy with it.

Surprisingly, if you want to, you can squeeze a BB line out of it (or at least, what I perceive as BB). Not recommended, but possible.
Doesn't indicate any plating, and material is probably the standard for Chinese pens.

Both nibs are fantastic. Both are super smooth, both are surprising me a lot (aka, flex).

The only reason I gave this section a 9\10 is because of the medium nib's feed. I am really anxious about it. Read comments (if there are any) to see what's up with that.

Over all, this pen has two wonderful nibs that are SO pleasant to write with, I don't want to put the pen down.

Other variations of the set:

It only has a M nib, but the set has a few variations.

M nib + Calligraphy nib.

M nib + Ink (1-2 cartridges, usually costs $6 per set)

M nib, no addition (costs around $5 in the black vers.)
Calligraphy nib + ink (1-2 cartridges, usually costs around $6 per set)
Calligraphy nib, no addition (costs around $5)

Filling System & Maintenance (9-10) -
The filling system is the normal converter. It's a push\pull one, not threaded. Easily interchangeable, feel free to use cartridges, over converters, etc'. Since the barrel is metal, I wouldn't suggest converting to an eyedropper.

It holds as much as any Chinese converter holds, about enough for a few well written A4 pages. I could only fill 2\3 of the converter, but if you know how to fill it fully (please share!), you could squeeze a bit more in there. (fills as much as the Kaigelu 363 does)

Maintaining is very easy, very noob friendly.

It only fills about 1\3 on the first shot (I tend to run some water trough to make sure it's clean first), and 2\3 on the 3rd-4th, and from there on. (maybe it's more than 2\3, but I am bad with maths x.x)

There is no risk of leakage. The converter is made of hard plastic, and unless you apply pressure, it's nice and firm. It has no flaws whatsoever. Holds the ink nice, and supplies nice.

My only concern is that the ball inside the converter is plastic and not metal. Not a big deal.

Nib removal - I haven't tried and won't try anytime soon. I am pretty sure you can remove it if you gently pull it out, preferably using gripping material, and without turning it.

Cost & Value (10-10) –
I bought the pen here, as I stated in the preview part. It goes for $10 per dual nib set, $6 per nib + 2 cartridges, and $5 for the pen itself, no box or cartridges. I believe the cheaper ones are mostly the black version, which looks very nice (I would love to own it *~*). I am sure you can get it for less than $5 if you try your best in an auction.

It was New, in the box, although the hanging thingie with the logo was missing from my set - I don't mind that.

Comparing to my Kaigelu 363, it is a bit worse, although the calligraphy nib makes me happier than the Kaigelu M nib.

Overall, I think it was worth the price.

Conclusion (Final score, 5/6) - (I am sure my math is bad. correct me if I cannot properly calculate this.)

I like this pen, I cannot lie. I think they could've done a bit better job with it, but overall I'm fine with it.

I expected for more from it, so my expectations weren't met (size wise, as I stated above).

I think mostly I dislike it's size. I think that influenced my rating of this pen the most.

I would buy it again. I am pretty sure I will get the black version of it (calligraphy nib only), just for the sake of having it.

I will use it as a daily writer. Mostly reverse the calligraphy nib, since XF line is my fave of all.

I am keeping it or good.

If you like a wet line, having the possibility of quite easy line variation, and having a possibility for a steady line nib in one set, in a very compact and beautiful pen, I say it's good for you.

I would recommend it for people with a smaller hand, or people who like smaller pens in general. I also think it fits best for people who look for a very light pen, I barely feel it at all when I hold it.

If you're looking for a cheap pen that writes smoothly, this is also for you, since I haven't heard something this smooth in my life. It just glides on the paper as if the paper doesn't exist, and lays down a beautiful line.

Over all, it's a good pen. I wish I could rate it higher.

Hope you enjoyed my nooby review. Leave your comments below, and I'll answer each and every one of them, since I set my subscription to the post to immediate email.

I will post the video later, probably in a separate comment, so if you'd like to watch that, go ahead and look at it.

I will also post a video on how I remove the ink stains I had on my hands. Yes, my ink is very light, so the stains aren't bad,but it's useful to know how to easily remove such if you need that (aka, you're on your way to a wedding, and you had some ink drop on your hand while filling your favorite pen.)

-Regards,

Skylar.

Edited July 18, 2014 by SkylarKnight

[Seele]

Skylar,

 

Thanks for another review. The seller is also a member here who posts now and then, and a well-liked man too.

 

Pens with metal sections but without serious surface texture can be problematic; some people loathe them, and some find them no problem at all, this love/hate situation might have something to do with the section's profile (especially the degree of tapering), and is more pronounced after extended writing.

 

Quite a lot of pens have feeds without external fins; my early Onotos all have ostensibly finless feeds, so that is no big deal really.

 

It is also interesting to know that you like the fude nib (with upward bend); it was designed to write Chinese and Japanese to offer line variation which is difficult to achieve with regular flex nibs. This makes me wonder: would that be more helpful with writing Hebrew than regular flex nibs?

[SkylarKnight]

Skylar,

 

Thanks for another review. The seller is also a member here who posts now and then, and a well-liked man too.

 

Pens with metal sections but without serious surface texture can be problematic; some people loathe them, and some find them no problem at all, this love/hate situation might have something to do with the section's profile (especially the degree of tapering), and is more pronounced after extended writing.

 

Quite a lot of pens have feeds without external fins; my early Onotos all have ostensibly finless feeds, so that is no big deal really.

 

It is also interesting to know that you like the fude nib (with upward bend); it was designed to write Chinese and Japanese to offer line variation which is difficult to achieve with regular flex nibs. This makes me wonder: would that be more helpful with writing Hebrew than regular flex nibs?

Hello! and thanks for another comment ^.^

 

Is he really??? I would LOVE to write that person and say thanks. I love this pen so much, despite my hatred towards the size

 

I personally feel the smooth section is fine for me. It has a ring right around the edge before it moves on to the nib, which makes it so your fingers won't slide off of it. It also feels nice, and doesn't seem to be slippery, even though I was using it with wet hands (couldn't find any towels after I flushed it).

Perhaps if I write a lot with it I will have my opinion changed, but so far I'm ok with it

 

What do you mean by external fin? I quite honestly have no idea ^^" However, at the end of the fin there is a smaller tube kinda thing that attaches to the feed when you place it in the section.

 

I like the nib simply because A) I can do nail art with it easier than flex nibs, and because I can have my lovely extra fine line for everyday writing, and thicker lines whether I wanna write something bigger (aka, a sign for a picture), or draw something that needs thicker, consistent lines.

Yes, it could help, but I think a flex nib would be better, it would be easier to achieve the shape of the letter, which could be quite tedious with the fude nib (instead of having to turn your hand up and down all the time, just start with a thin stroke and press a bit). Perhaps for a calligraphy specialist the fude nib would be better, I don't know, that's just my opinion

Also, I think it would be nice if I ever wanted to start learning Japanese or Korean calligraphy ^0^

 

 

 

 

I ordered another pen, an extra fine semi hooded one, and once I get that I'll review it. I only wish I could spend money on more pens for the sake of reviewing, and having a variety of writing tools, but feeding the addiction will be really bad for me.. I already drool over ink stands and such on ebay, and am very temped to buy this one pen every time I see it being sold (it only gets auctioned once in a while by a particular seller, it's a Japanese hand made pen, and it's the most beautiful pen I've ever seen, but spending so much money on it without a job, and on a very small income if I get a job, is painful ^^").

[Seele]

Skylar,

 

The feed is here to supply the nib with ink as it writes, but many feeds have fins where the tiny slots between them. With capillary action, a bit of ink can be kept in these slots which acts as a buffer, to prevent too much ink from reaching the nib and at the same time, giving the nib a reserve bit of ink in case you write quickly. Many pens have simple feeds which work well; my old Onotos which can flex tremendously were equipped with such feeds, as are many modern pens. There are also pens with finned feeds as well, like the current pens by Noodler's, who uses flex nibs on all of their pens.

Another aspect that you can look into when evaluating a pen is the centre of mass of the pen, posted and unposted; this is always mentioned in my own reviews. When you hold a pen, it is supported in your hand at two points, the thumb and fingers, and the web at the base of thumb. The centre of mass would have to be between these two points, or the pen would be trying to escape all the time. Some pens are fine when unposted, but as soon as you post the cap it starts to try to escape (case in point, Sheaffer 300). This might be something worth considering, especially when you do very detailed drawing.

 

It is understandable that as a relative newcomer, you do feel a bit like a child in a candy store! I cannot really give you any definite advice, but try to get to know a pen as well as can be, then do that with another pen; that would give you an idea by comparing their characteristics. With all due respect for Richard as a great source of affordable pens, I have a gut feeling that you might want to look at the series-produced Indian pens (as opposed to the hand-made ebonites). Kevin at Fountain Pen Revolutions is a trusted source and is worth a look.

 

Enjoy!

[SkylarKnight]

"Skylar,

 

The feed is here to supply the nib with ink as it writes, but many feeds have fins where the tiny slots between them. With capillary action, a bit of ink can be kept in these slots which acts as a buffer, to prevent too much ink from reaching the nib and at the same time, giving the nib a reserve bit of ink in case you write quickly. Many pens have simple feeds which work well; my old Onotos which can flex tremendously were equipped with such feeds, as are many modern pens. There are also pens with finned feeds as well, like the current pens by Noodler's, who uses flex nibs on all of their pens.

Another aspect that you can look into when evaluating a pen is the centre of mass of the pen, posted and unposted; this is always mentioned in my own reviews. When you hold a pen, it is supported in your hand at two points, the thumb and fingers, and the web at the base of thumb. The centre of mass would have to be between these two points, or the pen would be trying to escape all the time. Some pens are fine when unposted, but as soon as you post the cap it starts to try to escape (case in point, Sheaffer 300). This might be something worth considering, especially when you do very detailed drawing.

 

It is understandable that as a relative newcomer, you do feel a bit like a child in a candy store! I cannot really give you any definite advice, but try to get to know a pen as well as can be, then do that with another pen; that would give you an idea by comparing their characteristics. With all due respect for Richard as a great source of affordable pens, I have a gut feeling that you might want to look at the series-produced Indian pens (as opposed to the hand-made ebonites). Kevin at Fountain Pen Revolutions is a trusted source and is worth a look.

 

Enjoy!"

 

 

Hello, Seele!

Thank you for the comment

As I've noted in the title and in my kaigelu review, this is coming from the viewpoint of someone who doesn't know anything about fountain pens, and is directed at such people who are looking for something simple and noob friendly. Honestly, reading all the amazing reviews on the forum, I couldnt get much info that would help me out, since its written from a view point of someone who understands about pens, and is made for people who mostly understand in pens. I am trying to be friendly towards the new crowd that's only joining the pen world ^^"

My concern about the feed on the M nib is that it has a large gap in between the feed and the grip section. I don't recall seeing such a gap anywhere. I will upload photos later on, and the video, so it'll be easier to see. The feed itself works fine, it's just weird to me to see one that doesn't have fins, since I haven't seen those yet in any of the videos I watched. Thank you for the information, though.

 

What pens would you recommend? I don't know any Indian pens yet, haven't seen them, so if you have anything you think would fit me (I like over-sized pens, I like it when it is top heavy (no idea why, I know it's weird), and I like my nibs extra fine. Flex isn't necessary.)?
The handmade pen I am looking at is simply something I wanna own for it's looks, it truly is magnificent.. here's a picture.

 

By escape, you mean it would be heavier on one side, which makes it naturally lean towards that en, right? If so, I not that. The duke is very light and balanced both capped and uncapped, while the kaigelu is top heavy when capped. I like my pens to be a bit unbalanced when posted, I like having presence on the web between my thumb and pointer finger. I know, it's weird, but it feels right. I generally like stuff with a lot of presence .

 

I'd be happy to hear more from you. I'm sorry about the messy comment, it's 5:19 a.m here and I'm so tired... Haven't slept in about 18 hours..

If you leave another comment, I will reply to it a bit better haha ^^"

 

 

Have a good day,

-Winter.

 

 

 

 

(Winter is my first name, Skylar is my second name, and SkylarKnight is the name I use in my online games )

Edited July 19, 2014 by SkylarKnight

[Seele]

18 hours non-stop; you better get some rest soon!

 

I look forward to your pictures showing that gap between the feed and section, we ought to get the terminology sorted out and that's a good opportunity too.

 

If a pen has its centre of mass too far back, outside the two support points - which effectively means it is outside the point where it rests on the base of the thumb - then the pen is always struggling to summersault over it. So your thumb and fingers are struggling to hold it down, that is a bit of a problem when trying to write for extended periods. In that sense a cap that posts deep (which does not increase the length too much by posting) and is light in weight would be helpful in this situation.

 

If you have discovered that you like pens which are thicker and with extra-fine nibs, I have one in mind; I'll discuss with you privately. But of course, it is easy to get distracted by the appearance too.

[SkylarKnight]

18 hours non-stop; you better get some rest soon!

 

I look forward to your pictures showing that gap between the feed and section, we ought to get the terminology sorted out and that's a good opportunity too.

 

If a pen has its centre of mass too far back, outside the two support points - which effectively means it is outside the point where it rests on the base of the thumb - then the pen is always struggling to summersault over it. So your thumb and fingers are struggling to hold it down, that is a bit of a problem when trying to write for extended periods. In that sense a cap that posts deep (which does not increase the length too much by posting) and is light in weight would be helpful in this situation.

 

If you have discovered that you like pens which are thicker and with extra-fine nibs, I have one in mind; I'll discuss with you privately. But of course, it is easy to get distracted by the appearance too.

I have gotten my rest and it was amazing

 

Yeah, I understand what you mean, however I found that, for some odd reason, writing with the duke for a short period of time tired my fingers more than writing with the kaigelu, and the kaigelu has it's center of mass farther back because of the cap (however, unposted its a bit too short). I think it's because I tend to grip my pen too hard, so having the center of mass be a bit farther up helps balance it out

 

I haven't tried thicker fountain pens yet, but I think it would be a bit more comfortable for me, since my ballpoints were much thinner, and writing with the fountain pns is so much more comfortable, I think a bit of a thicker body to the pen will make it perfect for me.

 

Thank you for your replies

 

 

Here is a picture of the M nib:

 

 

http://i62.tinypic.com/2aaa9w7.png

[Seele]

This should not be a problem because the gap as seen here is the first slot of the finned feed, which is mostly hidden in the section grip; there are quite a lot of pens using this configuration, it should not cause problems with writing, but normally, it can be pushed in a little bit to hide it. Next time when you clean out the pen, take the feed and nib out, wash them well, and when you reassemble it, see if you can get the feed to sit a bit further in.

 

I also found a heavier metal pen with slim section can get a bit more tiring too, I have no idea how long your fingers are, but generally speaking, the Noodler's Konrad should be suitable for most adult hands.

[SkylarKnight]

This should not be a problem because the gap as seen here is the first slot of the finned feed, which is mostly hidden in the section grip; there are quite a lot of pens using this configuration, it should not cause problems with writing, but normally, it can be pushed in a little bit to hide it. Next time when you clean out the pen, take the feed and nib out, wash them well, and when you reassemble it, see if you can get the feed to sit a bit further in.

 

I also found a heavier metal pen with slim section can get a bit more tiring too, I have no idea how long your fingers are, but generally speaking, the Noodler's Konrad should be suitable for most adult hands.

Ah! I see, now that makes more sense. I was really afraid it was a misalignment of the feed, which bothered me quite a bit. I'll try to do that, but it won't be anytime soon, as I am not using the M nib on the Duke right now, although I probably will in the future.

.

My fingers... hmm... If I take my kaigelu pen, it's almost as long as my hand is, middle finger to wrist.. there's about 1-2 cm left until it would reach my wrist