Chinese Pens & Fountain Pen Snobbery.

[Ian the Jock]

Hi all users of pens (and prospective users of pens) from beyond the great wall.

This isn't a rant or a dig at anyone at all, but merely my obsevations since becoming a fountain pen nut back in Novemeber.

 

It would appear that many of the pens manufactured in China come in for a fair bit of criticism and abuse, sometimes purely because they are made in China.

What's that all about??????

Comments like "I'd never buy that Chinese garbage" or "Don't waste your money". Other comments of general disdain towards Chinese made pens, are commonplace even on ebay where I read one sellers blurb who stated that a pen that was on sale for £3 was "a proper pen, and none of your Chinese rubbish".

Even on fpn, one member couldn't decide which to buy between 3 Chinese pens, and asked for views and opinions.

One of the replies was "Don't waste your money on any of that junk, save up and buy a Pelikan or some other decent pen".

I had a good chuckle at this, as it's like telling someone who can only afford a Nissan Micra, to not waste their money and save up for a GTR.

 

The point being, that many people just cannot afford luxury or expensive pens but want to enjoy the hobby just the same.

 

So here's my shout for the Chinese pens that I have the pleasure of owning.

 

All of the Chinese pens that I have all worked perfectly straight out of the box, and still work perfectly on a daily basis with no issues whatsoever.

As I had never owned a fountain pen before and had limited funds I took the plunge with a Jinhao x450 and a Bauor 3035.

The X450 is fantastic in every way apart from it's looks when sitting capped, but this is just a personal thing as I'm not a fan of the "fat cigar" shape, which I only discovered after buying a few more pens.

The pen itself writes super smoothly and heavy (which I like) and comfortable to write with. At the time of purchase it stated that it had a broad nib, which was a bonus as the consensus is that all Chinese nibs are basically the same and you take what you get. It actually does have a broad nib.

The Bauor is more aesthetically pleasing to me and with it's medium nib, again, writes super smooth and is a pleasure to use.

Having been delighted with my 2 new pens, which incidentally cost around £5 for the two, I wanted more, so, back onto ebay China and over the next few weeks I bought a Kiagelu 368 with a fude nib, which is a great pen, good weight, great looking and a wonderful nib for playing around with. Great fun is had with this pen as adjusting your writing angle totally changes the delivery onto the paper, which is a hoot.

Next came a Kiagelu 338 slim art pen, which again writes beautifully and is a joy to use. A slim pen which is perfect for carrying around and the pen I'll use to try and convert the wife into a fp user.

The Kiagelus both have Kangaroos on their nibs and Kangaroos engraved on them, which is a bonus for me (it's a childhood thing).

Both of these again, cost around £5 for both.

Up next came A Picasso Swedish flower king, and what a gorgeous pen, Mine is the dark blue version and to me is a stunner, once again, it wrote beautifully straight out of the box and Immediately became a favourite. This was expensive though, and had princely cost of £6.

A Jinhao 9009 in wine marble with an emerald clip gem came next at the bank breaking cost of £2.49.

This had another broadish nib and writes with a brilliant smooth wet line, and to me, is a bit of a looker, and filled with diamine Syrah is a daily user.

 

6 absolutely brilliant pens which I use daily for the total cost inc. shipping of .....wait for it......£18.49 or roughly 25usd.

By the time the guy who listened to the advice mentioned above eventually saves up enough for his Pelikan I'll have enough pens to fill a GTR.

 

Now

While buying these pens, I also received 4 non chinese pens which were all more expensive, therefore in theory, should be better....hmmmm!

 

A Manuscript Master with a 1.1 italic nib. (£22)

A Noodlers Ahab (£20)

An Arbutus Apollo(£20)

and a Pierre Farber semi vintage (£15)

 

Now, bearing in mind that all of the Chinese pens worked perfectly straight away....

The Manuscript......nib digs into the paper frequently and requires smoothing, and does not look like £22 worth of pen.

The Ahab......railtracks frequently when I apply pressure and needs adjusting which I've not managed to get round to yet, and boy is it ugleeee.

The Arbutus... is beautiful but needed a cut down Waterman converter to make it write the way it should.

and the Pierre Farber, which although, again is a lovely looking pen, requires nib smoothing as it's a bit scratchy.

 

The upshot is that, all of the Chinese pens together, which all worked perfectly straight away, look great and are lovely to write with, cost less than any one of the other 4 pens, which all require/required more money, time, or effort to get them to compete with the so called rubbish pens.

 

So

If you're just starting out on the fountain pen trail, or have a tight budget, or even if you just fancy some chinese pens...don't listen to the Chinese pen haters... go for it, and make up your own mind.

At the price that you get them for the outlay is minimal and I think you'll be pleasantly surprised with what you get for your money.

 

Ian

 

P.S. Apologies, I kinda went off on one there and never realised how much I'd typed..

Oh well, it might be good reading for someone.

 

 

[doggonecarl]

Passionately stated, Ian.

 

However, in the regional forum for pens from China, you might be preaching to the choir, so to speak.

 

PS

 

I think you can swap the nib from your Jinhao to the Noodler's Ahab (If it is a #6 nib). You'll be surprised how well the Ahab writes. But then, that just supports what you said about Chinese pens (and nibs) in your post.

[Uncial]

I would agree with you about everything except the Ahab. I love the look of the Ahab and I've been lucky in that I haven't had to do any tweaking. Writes a little broad without flex for my taste though, so doesn't get as much use as it should.

 

Overall though, all of the Chinese pens I've bought have been very good. A little on the heavy side, slightly irritated by the fact that I can't post some, but I have never had a leaking issue or a bad nib. Some are a little on the heavy side and I suspect that in time some of the finishes might not last too long, but I can't exactly complain when I don't think I've spent more than €1.50 on any of them (with the possible exception of my Jinhao 159, I can't recall exactly what I paid now, but it was cheap). What's not to love? A decent fountain pen for the price of a biro!

[The Blue Knight]

It's an interesting topic you bring up. Personally I wouldn't care about what others think about the pens you use as ultimately it doesn't matter what others think of the pens you use only what makes you happy.

 

I tend to focus less on Chinese and Asian brands as generally speaking I find European brands more interesting as these brands are what I have been brought up using especially Parker and rotring. Even in these brands snobbery exists i.e. members writing off any Parker Model that has been made since 1990 especially the Sonnet model that particularly like.

 

There will be snobbery across any hobby however remember those who are ruling out Chinese are ultimately missing out.

[Zookie]

Aside from 1 or 2 stinkers, all the Chinese pens I've bought have been nice, reliable writers. I find myself collecting a lot of Hero / Wing Sung pens lately. They are cheap, and a lot of fun to collect and use.

If it wasn't for the Asian pen makers, how many of us wouldn't even be able to afford to collect fountain pens?

Edited January 9, 2015 by Zookie

[WateryFlow]

I would bet that all of those people saying Chinese pens are rubbish have never used one. Of course the "made in China" label has come in for some stick, some of it deserved but much of it not.

 

In the real world, the Chinese pens QC is certainly no worse than any other country, and from my experience with non-Chinese pens the Chinese ones (generally) write better and more reliably.

Edited January 9, 2015 by WateryFlow

[Raiche58]

@Ian the Jock,

 

I enjoyed your pen reviews and passionate advocacy for Chinese pens. I definitely have several and think that a country with one of the oldest writing systems on Earth has undoubtedly earned a seat at the writing instrument table.

 

Hear, hear!!

[sharmon202]

From what I learned in the last year and a half using fountain pens and reading on forums is that regardless of origin, the lesser expensive pens can be somewhat inconsistent in performance out of the box. Lesser expensive, to me, meaning less than $50 US or so.

[katerchen]

It would appear that many of the pens manufactured in China come in for a fair bit of criticism and abuse, sometimes purely because they are made in China.

 

 

 

In my experience, that's not the sentiment on FPN. People here (not just in the regional forum) tend to be sympathetic towards Chinese pens, with the understanding that inexpensive doesn't necessarily mean "cheap". (Sometimes it does).

 

Flat out fakes however (eg: Mont Blanc) do catch a lot of hate, which is deserved.

Edited January 9, 2015 by katerchen

[mike.jane]

I think there are a few negative points things that many people feel about Chinese brands. Here's my take on these.

 

- Ripping off designs. Some pens like many of the heros or the Jinhao 159 blatantly copy the designs of successful western made pens. I'm not saying they are meant to be, or sold as knock-offs or fakes (it is not illegal what these companies do), but -on the other hand- plagiarism is seen as immoral by the community, plain and simple.

- Brands like Baour or Kaigelu aren't real words and in fact seem to be chosen for no other purpose as to mimic western (English) speech. I think a lot of people find these un-words unnerving, because it feels like a daft attempt to appeal to western markets.

- Many of the Chinese designs seem uninspired, or design choices seem arbitrary. Like, why is there a kangaroo on their pens? No one knows. Is the kangaroo a culturally significant animal in China?

- Some of the uninspired designs also have this one quality. It's hard to explain; It's not polished, it's just buffed... Like the Jinhao x450 it's decently finished, yes, but it feels blunt, like all the parts were thrown in a buffing drum for ten minutes and then assembled.

- Many of these pens have this one medium nib size and that's it. The community doesn't like a lack of choices. People would pay extra for the choice if they were offered it. Look at twisbi, they offer the regulars and two stubs and people love it.

- There's a difference between a company which makes pens and a respected pen company. The latter cares for the broader pen community, cares for good customer service, establishes a brand identity, establishes consistency and tries to innovate (within their respective means). If you don't do that than you'll be seen as a bottom-feeder.

- Some people are concerned that the Chinese ' Germany Iridium', is a Mock Turtle soup, i.e. not at all the real deal.

[Uncial]

I would like to see Jinhao start to reduce the weight of some of their pens - not by too much as I don't like overly light pens, and I would also like to see them start to make their pens with different celluloids or acrylics. If they did that, I think they would really be on to a winner.

[Cryptos]

I love the way people say the Chinese pens are blatant copies, and overlook plenty of blatant manufacturing copies that derive from their own country. Same goes for design. There are some original Chinese designs and some that are very close to those of other manufacturers. You could say the same about Sailor and Montblanc. Of course it's not fashionable to bash Japanese pens.

 

As for the made up words, anyone who speaks Mandarin, or has reasonable experience with Chinese people in their own setting, would know that the Chinese often borrow and alter English words when there isn't a simple equivalent in their own language. Kaigelu = kangeroo. Why a kangeroo? Who knows, but then I could probably find plenty of seemingly unconnected brand names in Western countries too. Le Coq Sportif, anyone? Or how about Nike?

 

I have Jinhaos X750 and 450. Both are quite nice, though in my case neither have worked very well. It happens. I also have a Baoer 8 Horseys that writes like a dream with a fine nib, and Jinhao 599 (Lamy lookalike) that also writes extremely well. Oh and 3 x 616 by Hero, all write nice and fine lines. Cheap, but they do the job. These pens aren't competing with more expensive Western brands. They are aimed squarely at the low end of the market. To compare them with higher priced Western pens is to totally misunderstand how they are positioned.

 

I think the Chinese pen market is a great way for someone new to the hobby to try a few things out at very low cost. I know I did, and even though I now have several much more expensive vintage pens I still have a Baoer 388 on the way. Cost me all of $2.35 including shipping! It's a Sonnet lookalike, but although I have no intention of ever buying a Sonnet... it's worth a look at least.

[erpe]

Always an interesting conversation that will eventually lead to exactly noting. Some of my Chinese pens, Kaigelu 316's are in daily use, some other, Hero 7k series and some Baoers, not daily but in regular use. I fact, there where some true stinkers from China but it doesn't hurt much to dump them and find replacement. With European pens, the only real failure was a Mont Blanc Boheme that I received pre-owned, didn't work properly and was rejected for service by the Montblancians because I could not produce the original proof of purchase.

Chinese pens are a good start, not expensive, easy to maintain and no problem in case you loose it on the road.They fit the starters market that Western manufacturers largely seem to forget, with some exceptions (Pelikan, Lamy, Faber Castell, Pilot).

[Sridhar]

Well stated Ian, and followed up with logical arguments by Cryptos. My 616 writes as well as my 51 and I am not scared to toss it into my jean pocket in a rush.

[mike.jane]

I love the way people say the Chinese pens are blatant copies, and overlook plenty of blatant manufacturing copies that derive from their own country. Same goes for design. There are some original Chinese designs and some that are very close to those of other manufacturers. You could say the same about Sailor and Montblanc. Of course it's not fashionable to bash Japanese pens.

 

As for the made up words, anyone who speaks Mandarin, or has reasonable experience with Chinese people in their own setting, would know that the Chinese often borrow and alter English words when there isn't a simple equivalent in their own language. Kaigelu = kangeroo. Why a kangeroo? Who knows, but then I could probably find plenty of seemingly unconnected brand names in Western countries too. Le Coq Sportif, anyone? Or how about Nike?

 

I have Jinhaos X750 and 450. Both are quite nice, though in my case neither have worked very well. It happens. I also have a Baoer 8 Horseys that writes like a dream with a fine nib, and Jinhao 599 (Lamy lookalike) that also writes extremely well. Oh and 3 x 616 by Hero, all write nice and fine lines. Cheap, but they do the job. These pens aren't competing with more expensive Western brands. They are aimed squarely at the low end of the market. To compare them with higher priced Western pens is to totally misunderstand how they are positioned.

 

I think the Chinese pen market is a great way for someone new to the hobby to try a few things out at very low cost. I know I did, and even though I now have several much more expensive vintage pens I still have a Baoer 388 on the way. Cost me all of $2.35 including shipping! It's a Sonnet lookalike, but although I have no intention of ever buying a Sonnet... it's worth a look at least.

I didn't say that Chinese pens are blatant copies. I said some are and gave examples. Truth be told. I also said it's not illegal to do that but it enrages the general community because it is in the end blatant plagiarism.

 

You are mistaken when saying that in Chinese a lot of English words are borrowed, adjusted to its tongue and then used just like this. You have that in Japanese, with plenty cute results to show like boi-fu-ren-do (boyfriend), pai-na-pu-lu (pineapple), Truk-ku (truck), bak-ku-pak-ku (backpack) and hundreds more.

Nevertheless, you don't really find this kind of practice in Chinese much. It's done with some brand names, and also some western foods, but they aren't many.

There is a perfectly valid word for kangaroo in Chinese, it's Dai-shu.

I murder the Chinese language by speaking it on a daily basis, i know this.

[coldman]

I've owned a couple of Jinhaos and a couple of Heros. Mostly they wrote perfectly fine, but some of them dried out very quickly. Since I don't use a fountain pen every day, that made them more fuss than they're worth to me.

[Zookie]

I have, and use, a couple of Wearever pens with hooded nibs that are similar to the Parker.

It's not a big deal.

[Cryptos]

 

Nevertheless, you don't really find this kind of practice in Chinese much. It's done with some brand names, and also some western foods, but they aren't many.

 

I am aware that there are local words for these things.Half my family is Chinese, my partner is Chinese, and they often intersperse their conversation with English terms. Maybe it's a regional thing then? We're mainland Chinese though, from Shanghai. It's the most cosmopolitan of all the Chinese cities, not sure if that makes a difference.

 

 

- Ripping off designs. Some pens like many of the heros or the Jinhao 159 blatantly copy the designs of successful western made pens. I'm not saying they are meant to be, or sold as knock-offs or fakes (it is not illegal what these companies do), but -on the other hand- plagiarism is seen as immoral by the community, plain and simple.

 

I was referring to this and making a general statement. What I am getting at is that people are quick to get all high and mighty over this perceived plagiarism despite the fact that it goes on in every country, but it gets press here because it is China, the whipping boy of the free West and an easy and comfortable target. I think it's a double standard quite frankly.

Edited January 11, 2015 by Cryptos

[ADO]

I just got a JinHao 159 (two actually).

 

If I compare the quality with a more expensive pens, there are differences. The 'feel' when you screw or unscrew the cap or nib section is not as solid, it feels a little loose. Also the converter screw mechanism is quite loose, although it fits very securely over the nib nipple.

 

It writes fantastically well; the broad nib is very smooth with a good flow and no 'stuttering'. The pen is quite heavy and even chunky to hold; however I find it very comfortable to use, even with relatively small hands and short fingers.

 

When writing, you couldn't tell if it cost $10 or $1,000. Time will tell how it lasts.

 

I purchased two of these including airmail postage from China to Australia for less than AUD$20 i.e. less than AUD$10 each. So value wise its phenomenal. I know of at least one online retailer that has these for sale for US$35 plus postage, so shop around!

 

As an overall package it just doesn't feel as good as, say, a Pelikan, Omas or Nakaya (3 of my favourites). But then you can buy a lot of less expensive pens for the price of even one of those.

 

For what its worth, I also recently purchased an Indian Varuna pen. Also writes very well; again not as refined as the more expensive ones but does feel more solid than the Jinhao. However it cost a lot more than the Jinhao (around AUD$75 including postage and an upgraded German nib for 1 pen).

 

The great thing is that with an international market accessible via the internet we can vote with our dollars for our preferred choice.

[dcwaites]

Many of the comments one sees now being made about Chinese made products (including FPs) one saw in the 1970's being made about Irish made items and in the 1950s and 1960s about Japanese made items. In the next decade it will be a different country.

 

 

I would like to see Jinhao start to reduce the weight of some of their pens - not by too much as I don't like overly light pens, and I would also like to see them start to make their pens with different celluloids or acrylics. If they did that, I think they would really be on to a winner.

 

Jinhao do make some lighter pens. The X-750 is noticeably lighter than the X-450 and is quite a nice pen to write with uncapped. Lighter still is the 601 which has a thin aluminium shell for the barrel and a unique knurled section grip.

 

The Jinhao Century Acrylic (also known on the FPN as the Century MkII is an imitation of the Parker Duofold International. Like the 601, it has the smaller #5 Jinhao nib, whilst the X-750, X-450 and 159 all have the larger #6 nib.

 

The Jinhao 601 can be found here, whilst the Century Acrylic can be found here. Make sure you ask for the version with the two rings on the cap. It is the lighter version with the smaller nib. The Century Acrylic with one ring on the cap is heavier, has more metal in the makeup and a larger nib.