Kaigelu 316

[colormyalphabet]

Hey, I'm names Ricky and this is my Kaigelu 316...

 

1. Appearance & Design (8/10) -

Well this pen came in a pretty nice looking box. I mean, it felt pretty cheap but it was nice. When I picked up the pen I just kept saying "wow!". It looks great. Sometimes in not-so-great light it just looks like a black and gold pen, I like that. It has a kangaroo on the top of the cap, it's great. I reaaally want to give this thing a 10/10 but I know it's not an original design so I cant :\. Plus there is one more thing that knocks the appearance down, you can read about that in the nib section.

 

http://i47.tinypic.com/noy247.jpg

http://i50.tinypic.com/e5kc5s.jpg

 

2. Construction & Quality (9.5/10) -

Construction and quality seem great. I certainly was not expecting it for a pen at this price. People always say that about pens that I think are crappy, but I REALLY mean it for this one! No one in the world would guess it cost under $100. BUT there is one think that knocks the quality points down and guess what? It's the same thing that knocked the appearance down. Read about it in the nib section.

 

 

3. Weight & Dimensions (8/10) -

Weight, man, it's pretty heavy. I haven't written for it for a long time yet but I think it might cause some cramping. Maybe not, I don't know. I actually like the weight. If you like light-weight pens, this isn't for you. But as for dimensions, it's perfect. It's a little over 5 inches capped, almost exactly 5 inches without the cap, and wow about seven inches posted.

 

http://i48.tinypic.com/2h6ecjk.jpg

 

4. Nib & Performance (7/10) -

Alright well, the nib, it looks great but there's some issues I have with it. The first being, I wish the engravings were deeper. It's a little hard to see the designs. The second issue I have with it is, the gold plating isn't perfectly aligned with the engravings. It's really hard to tell unless you look at the kangaroo logo, that's where it becomes clear. Also, there's random spots of gold towards the tip of the nib (Although you probably cant tell in my picture). The reason I'm giving it a 7 and not a 5 or 6 is because I do really like the design on the nib and the alignment isn't really too noticeable.

 

As for performance, its really pretty smooth. At first it wrote a really really think line and was dry. But after doing a good amount of scribbling on the back of a notebook it seems to have helped make the lines more wet. The nib was never scratchy though.

 

http://i45.tinypic.com/9s8ah4.jpg

 

5. Filling System & Maintenance (7/10) -

It's a cartridge/converter, there's not much you can say about it. The converter it comes with is a screw type and I really like it, but it does fit any universal cartridge and converter.

 

6. Cost & Value (10/10) -

Dude this pen was $35 from http://www.isellpens.com (Obviously, no affiliation), $42 if you include shipping. I couldn't have asked for a better price. This thing could easily sell for $100 I think.

 

7. Conclusion (Final score 8.25/10) -

Over all I'm really glad I bought this. I needed a new pen for school and I was going to go vintage, but I figured this would be way more durable. I made the right choice. It's way better than I though it'd be. There's a girl that I got into pens, I'm going to tell her to get this or maybe I'll buy it for her. It's THAT good.

Edited February 12, 2010 by colormyalphabet

[rwilsonedn]

Nice review, and nice photos!

I recently picked up a much less expensive Kaigelu with a hooded nib on eBay, and I have to agree about the quality and the smoothness of the nib. I haven't seen the higher-end versions like yours except in photos, but they look really nice. These guys may be about to give Jinhao a run for their money.

ron

[Dr Lopez]

This pen enters my rotation. Considering it has to compete with several Montblancs, Pelikans, and Sailors, in my collection, I would say It has to be a really good writer to get it through. The nib in mine scores high, 9/10 I would say, regarding writing capabilities alone. A nice pen to buy at a great price.

[Ed Ronax]

Nice review, thanks.

[returnofpenguy]

Nice review. Thanks.

[colormyalphabet]

Thanks guys. I love it