Best Chinese Pen Options

[careuer]

Hello!

 

I have up and moved myself to China, and I left all my best pens at home. All I have with me are two Lamy Safaris and my steadfast Parker 51. I'm looking at picking up one or two new pens, and since the best brands back home are exorbitantly expensive here (I actually saw a 900 RMB (130 dollars) price tag on a Parker Vector-- I laughed myself silly) I feel the need to get some cheaper Chinese pens. What are some good brands beyond the obvious of Hero along with models to consider? Hero pens are a little higher end here and so I don't particularly want to buy without knowing exactly what I'm getting. I'm a teacher on a limited if not quite shoestring budget, so bear in mind I'm not looking to spend more than $250 dollars.

 

Thanks! I find reviews and advice always helpful here!

[cz100]

I have a Hero 399 which was a present from my grandad and I absolutely love it. It writes a bit finer than my other fountain pens so makes my writing seem neater. It came with a converter but I use the normal small cartridges with it. I'm not sure on the price but I don't think it would be too expensive as I don't think grandad would spend over $250 on a pen

[significantpass]

Maybe you can buy your pens over the internet instead. Pen prices over there are certainly very high!

[rwilsonedn]

There are wonderful new pens that sell on eBay for $25 US or less with shipping to the States, so I would expect them to be quite affordable in China as well. The list would include Jinhao, Baoer, and Kaigelu as well as the old standby brands of Hero and Duke. You do need to flush most new Chinese pens thoroughly, first with a mild dishwashing liquid solution and then with water before you use them.

But since you are actually in China, you might explore for some vintage Chinese pens kicking around in the back rooms of old shops. Wing Sung made some wonderful pens before they were absorbed into another company, and there are some excellent Chinese pens that data back to the 1950s, and perhaps even before. There is a marvelous ebonite button-filler that speerbob was selling for a while, for example--a fine pen by any standard. If you have the time and the language skills, explore!

ron

[EdwardMarlowe]

Whereabouts in China are you based? I spend a little time here and there in Beijing with work, and have travelled a little over there; fantastic place, I love it. The Xidan Bookstore in downtown Beijing has a very large selection of pens; I intend to check them out again the next time I'm over. I should think a shop rather than a marketplace is your best bet. I have bought a couple of fake Mont Blancs out there which I eventually passed on to a friend. Nice enough pens, some of them, though I'm more interested in 'real' Chinese pens. I do have a Hero 100, which I love - I definitely plan to pick up some more of those if I can find them. Apprently, though, even with Hero you have to be careful - a very large percentage of the Hero pens sold within China are forgeries, I gather! I'd stick with a fixed shop, even if it is a little more outlay than a market stall.

[Lorna Reed]

+ 1 for Jinhao and Baoer! I have several and find them very reliable. Exceptional value for money.

[careuer]

I'm about an hour out of Wuhan by D train. I do know a really good antiques dealer in Beijing, I could ask him to keep his eyes out for some of those vintage pens now that I have an idea what to ask for. You are right on the fakes, two stores sell "hero" pens here and I'm certain that they are fake.

 

As for internet shopping I would use taobao, the Chinese version of ebay, but you are even more likely to get a fake there. Not that a fake can't be a great pen, just the percentage of good fakes to bad ones is rather low. If I bought on ebay and had it shipped, well standard shipping will add 25 dollars to any pen I buy, so I'd just as soon buy it here.

 

Something like this perhaps? See, when they advertise a gold nib and the price is about 25 US I am skeptical.

 

http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=4743717828

 

EDIT Pardon me, gold plated

Edited October 14, 2010 by careuer

[Silvermink]

There is a marvelous ebonite button-filler that speerbob was selling for a while, for example--a fine pen by any standard. If you have the time and the language skills, explore!

 

Those were called "Long Life" - I have one but mine doesn't write very well. Might have to do some surgery on it (I think the tines need a bit more of a gap).

[burmeseboyz]

There is a marvelous ebonite button-filler that speerbob was selling for a while, for example--a fine pen by any standard. If you have the time and the language skills, explore!

 

Those were called "Long Life" - I have one but mine doesn't write very well. Might have to do some surgery on it (I think the tines need a bit more of a gap).

 

I ordered two from speerbob. One was great straight out of the box, the other one needed some work and had a petrified sac that I still haven't been able to remove properly. Once the tines are aligned and spaced properly, both were amazing!

[riff raff]

Best Chinese pen I own, bar none, is the Haolilai #601F, near the bottom of this page.

[lalindsay225]

Best Chinese pen I own, bar none, is the Haolilai #601F, near the bottom of this page.

 

Mine is wonderful too!

 

Careuer, I have used and enjoyed as well models by Duke, Hero, Kaigelu, Wing Sung, and Jinhao. How lucky you are to be able to shop for Chinese pens in China! Good luck and happy hunting.

[cocojj]

I agree re: checking out Chinese shops for Hero, Duke, Jinhao, Kailgelu, etc. pens, I think you should be able to find nice ones for $10-$30 which is what some sell for on ebay. Hero, Duke and other brands may have high-end models that cost a lot, but they definitely also make much cheaper pens. A friend of mine was in Shanghai recently and was able to pick up a Hero 308 for me at about $10.

Edited October 15, 2010 by cocojj

[careuer]

I poked around a bit today, and I found a number of interesting pens for a descent price. I think that I will do a review of some of them in the next few days. I know I haven't posted much on here, but hey, I'm on site. Also: new they-think-it-was-expensive gift pen http://item.taobao.com/item.htm?id=7722954564

 

Thanks so much! I'll pop in and report my final choices in the next couple of days. I'm going to Wuhan today, so we'll see what shopping there offers.

[mr T.]

and since the best brands back home are exorbitantly expensive here (I actually saw a 900 RMB (130 dollars) price tag on a Parker Vector-- I laughed myself silly)

 

Why not import a Parker Vector into China?

[careuer]

and since the best brands back home are exorbitantly expensive here (I actually saw a 900 RMB (130 dollars) price tag on a Parker Vector-- I laughed myself silly)

 

Why not import a Parker Vector into China?

 

Mostly because I don't want to be arrested for starting a business without the proper permits.

[ExcaliburZ]

Get a CHinese friend and hit up Taobao. And a Vector should be 150-250 yuan range.

[OiRogers]

Hero 100

 

Hands down the best Chinese pen I've had the pleasure of using.... perhaps not the prettiest, but a great nib and a solid filler on a good size/shape/weight body.

[lwassociate]

Would green work?

[truthpil]

Get a CHinese friend and hit up Taobao. And a Vector should be 150-250 yuan range.

 

+1

 

If you can someone to buy stuff for you on Taobao, you can pretty much buy any pen you can think of. I personally wouldn't bother with the Parkers.

Grab a grip of Jinhao pens in varying sizes and you won't be disappointed. The medium nibs on the bigger pens (X750, X450, etc.) are often butter smooth and write close to a Western broad and the more recent fine-nibbed pens (991, 992, etc.) also have very smooth nibs that write up to a Western medium. If you get tired of the nibs, you can quite easily swap with something like a Knox or JoWo nib from abroad.

[Mech-for-i]

Hero 100

 

Hands down the best Chinese pen I've had the pleasure of using.... perhaps not the prettiest, but a great nib and a solid filler on a good size/shape/weight body.

+2

 

But yeah I do agree with the former one, forget about the Vector, for the price you can get something better. Now my 2 cents, first thing first you might want to visit the forum section China, Korea and Others (Far East, Asia) where the gang actually hoard and use Chinese pens old and new and talk about them. Then for the purchase I say set a budget, say 100RMB may be and just try to shop for a new one in this range , and I mean the budget for all the needed including ink, fright etc .. plenty of new Chinese pen in this range that are quite nice. Piston fillers like the Wing Sung 698, Caliarts Ego-2, or the Delike's New Moon / New Moon 2 ( EF / fine calligraphy only ). Hero got a catalog of current models. Not to mention the market also got loads of NOS. If you can ask a local friend for some local source like stationary supply / book store etc ... Wuhan is a regional major city and I am sure there is some brick and mortar store that cater.