Bookworm 679 – An Inexpensive, But Stylish, Chinese Pen

[Jamerelbe]

I seem to have a growing collection of inexpensive Chinese fountain pens that share three things in common: they’re black, with chrome and/or gold trim; they’re comparatively heavy (composed primarily of brass or aluminium); and they’re surprisingly inexpensive. The Bookworm 679 very much fits that bill – so why am I bothering to review it? Well, for a couple of reasons – apart from the fact that this was supplied to me by JustWrite Pens (www.JustWrite.com.au), free in return for an impartial review. First of all, because no-one else seems to have reviewed it yet – but secondly, because it turns it out’s a pretty nice pen, especially for the price. If you’re a fan of the Jinhao x450, especially, you may find this pen is right up your alley – though it has a couple of advantages over the x450, which I’ll discuss in the review below…

 

Just so you know, as with a number of other reviews I’ve done for lower end pens, I won’t be ‘scoring’ this one out of ten – to my mind, it’s just not fair to compare some of these lower price point pens to their pricier counterparts.

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Appearance & Design – Sleek, glossy black – with classy looking faceted cap and barrel

I don’t know why it is that so many pen manufacturers seem to favour the colour black – but as far as I know, that’s the only colour this pen comes in. Black, with gold trimmings on the cap and barrel… and a duotone (gold and chrome) nib. What marks this pen out a little is the fact that it’s not a pure cylinder – the cap and the barrel (apart from the last 1.5cm) is faceted – 12 straightish edges in all. That, and the fact that the clip ends with what (only) appears to be some kind of wheel – though sadly, unlike some other pens, the wheel is soldered to the clip, and doesn’t turn as the pen is clipped into or taken out of your pocket. A slip-on lid covers a smooth plastic grip section. The cap is clearly designed to post, and fits snugly onto the stepped-down ending of the pen barrel. This is one of the pen’s advantage over the Jinhao x450 – I’ve already cracked the inner cap on one of those suckers, and no longer dare to try and post them.

 

http://i.imgur.com/dWU6VAw.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/aNnQOhx.jpg

 

My first impressions with this pen weren’t overly favourable – mainly because it was one of several black pens I received at the same time. But as I’ve spent time examining it more closely and using it, it’s grown on me. I guess this is subjective, but I like the fact that it’s not a straight cylinder – and the clip, though its ‘wheel’ doesn’t actually spin, nonetheless seems to be easier to slide into a pocket than the very stiff clip on the Jinhao x450 and x750.

 

http://i.imgur.com/2MzfGXT.jpg

 

Construction & Quality – Well-made, not flawed or blemished, seems pretty durable

The cap and barrel of the pen are made of brass – they’re heavy, and don’t seem too prone to denting. The black lacquer surface seems to adhere pretty well to the pen, but only time will tell whether it’s prone to peeling or scratching away. The end of the barrel is plastic – it reminds me a little of the ending on a Parker Vector, though obviously the diameter is larger.

 

Weight & Dimensions – A pretty substantial pen in the hand

The first thing you notice about this pen when you pick it up is its ‘heft’ – it weighs around 41.5g, or 25.5g minus the cap. The diameter of the cap and barrel is around 12mm; the grip section tapers from 11mm down to around 9mm – which I find pretty comfortable, especially if I’m holding it well back from the nib.

 

Capped, the pen is 140mm long; uncapped it’s a shortish to 119mm; posted, it extends to 160mm. Though it’s designed to be posted, I find it a little more comfortable if I leave the cap off – simply because of the weight, there are no problems with balance either way.

 

Nib & Performance – A very pleasant writing experience

A close inspection of the nib revealed that it seems to swoop down towards the tip – as if to stiffen the nib and provide for a finer line. And certainly, compared to the nibs on the Jinhao x450 and x750, this one lays down a finer line (which for me is another advantage of this pen – the Jinhaos I tend to replace the nib with a Goulet EF, F or 1.1mm stub). Aesthetically, either you’ll like the nib and the ‘finless’ feed or you won’t – I didn’t mind the look of the nib (gold, with a chrome ‘swirl’, and the word ‘Bookworm’ inscribed along its length) – but I tend to like the underside of the feed to be at least a little bit less bland. Then again, how often does anyone write upside down? The nib and feed are friction fit, and can be removed for cleaning purposes. I’d guess this is around a #5 size nib.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Dam0eZi.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/6jJCuUE.jpg

 

More important than the nib’s appearance is its performance – and I found this to be very pleasant. It’s a nail-like nib, but you can get a little line variation if you want to force it – and it lays down a fine-to-medium line. The nib was fairly dry when I first inked it up, but with a bit of sustained downward pressure (to force the nibs apart – see Steve “SBRE” Brown’s videos for more info on ‘how to make a dry nib wetter’), I found it began to write really nicely, and lay down a not-too-dry, not-too-wet line. Apart from that small adjustment, the nib provides an enjoyable writing experience.

 

http://i.imgur.com/rCcWHgI.jpg

 

Filling System & Maintenance– Standard International Cartridges – Converter Supplied

The Bookworm 679 takes standard international cartridges, if that’s your preference – but comes with a cartridge converter supplied. The converter looks very similar in design and construction to the cheap plastic converters that come in most of these Chinese pens – but with a black band around the top of the converter, inscribed with the brand name ‘Bookworm’.

 

http://i.imgur.com/yvUE0J6.jpg

 

Cost & Value/Conclusion – Full marks from as far as I’m concerned!

The Bookworm is not a high-end pen – but at AU$12.95 from JustWrite (you can probably find it cheaper, but for Australian buyers this comes with a 2 year warranty) it’s a really good buy – especially if you’re trying to introduce someone to the fountain pen habit, and want to give them a classier looking pen. I’d be very happy to recommend this as a pen that looks, feels and writes a fair way above its price point. Thanks to Kevin from JustWrite for providing it for me to review.

 

[Charles Rice]

It looks a lot like my Man 100.

[Drianis]

I have a Bookworm that seems to be same model. But differs in color, is black and red plaid. Also, the metal part is not gold, but silver. And the cap is a cylinder, not faceted...

 

Oh wait, maybe it's not the same model... O.o Anyway, there's a picture. The general view is very similar, and considering there's no model number on it, I'm just trying to figure it out.

 

http://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/xq90/910/my2cnN.jpg