What Chinese Pens Are You Using Today?

[Helen350]

Jinhao X750 Stainless Steel with 1.1 Goulet stub nib - Inked with Iroshizuku Kon Peki. Also used (though not Chinese) a Levenger 'Kyoto' with a medium nib - Inked with Chesterfield - Amethyst.

[Helen350]

Welcome Mendy

To our friendly gathering of Chinese pen nutters.

There are many who will gladly offer recommendations, and part of the fun is buying and trying, especially when the costs are so low.

I'd say, have a rake about the various threads and see if anything takes your fancy, then ask about it and gather opinion, then dive in.

Most of all, enjoy what you get, and have fun.

I still can't resist the pull of these low cost pens, and it is a joyous thing when you find something that is really "you".

And remember "cheap" only refers to the price.

Happy hunting.

 

Ian

I choose to use the word 'inexpensive', for cheap has a certain connotation. I find my Jinhao X750s, with Goulet nibs write beautifully. Caps are not loose, and still sit properly. They flow across my Rhodia and Black 'n Red notebooks with ease. Since I keep my pens protected, there is no chipping, dings or dents. My oldest Jinhao X750 Stainless Steel, still looks brand new after 5+ yrs. Best investment ever; adding $15 for a stub nib on top of a $2-4 pen cost. Cheap would give me something that may or may not work, and I would have to take a gamble. However, these pens have become workhorses in my collection, and they love Chesterfield inks!

[magnus919]

I choose to use the word 'inexpensive', for cheap has a certain connotation. I find my Jinhao X750s, with Goulet nibs write beautifully. Caps are not loose, and still sit properly. They flow across my Rhodia and Black 'n Red notebooks with ease. Since I keep my pens protected, there is no chipping, dings or dents. My oldest Jinhao X750 Stainless Steel, still looks brand new after 5+ yrs. Best investment ever; adding $15 for a stub nib on top of a $2-4 pen cost. Cheap would give me something that may or may not work, and I would have to take a gamble. However, these pens have become workhorses in my collection, and they love Chesterfield inks!

 

Truth.

 

Granted, my favorite pens are the ones outside of the scope of this group. The Jinhao's and their contemporaries are the best values in the fountain pen world right now. There's not a lot of difference in the way a $3 Jinhao with a $15 nib lays down ink vs many well-regarded pens that cost $50+. Now if only I had a good source of high quality Japanese nibs in #6...

 

I've not had Jinhaos as long. The only "problem pens" I have were problems when they arrived. Some of the pens that arrived as problems were easily tuned into great running pens. I have one pen (an X450) who's inner cap has gotten... lazy... about doing its job well. I've not looked inside, but I'm guessing the plastic cap liner is cracked or somehow degraded and preventing the cap from securely snapping into place. It's a pen that I've hardly used at all, so I'm guessing it was probably bad when I got it and only got worse after 3 or 4 uses.

[Sailor Kenshin]

I recently got a Wing Sung 239 which the convertor fell apart on me almost immediately. That almost part allowed me to write with it for a few minutes and that imitation Triumph nib was awesome. Means I gotta fix it so it works. This is one of the two best nibs I ever got on a chinese pen.

s-l1600 (1).jpg

 

The other is Luoshi 739 Confucious pen (feels like a fine nib). GREAT out of the box and it likes the Private Reserve Chocolate Brown ink.

s-l500 (1).jpg

 

I can't speak to quality control but man- I lucked out on these. Both cost less than $10- free shipping.

 

dan

I have those fake-Triumph models, too. Will another converter or a cart fit that WS?

Edited February 5, 2016 by Sailor Kenshin

[richila]

I am using my Jinhao 159, as usual, for schoolwork(Attendance, grading, notes for students) and my Baoer 517 for LetterMo letters and my journal. Levenger Blazing Sunset was the perfect color, but clogged up both pens. I scrubbed them clean and filled with a blend of J Herbin Orange Indien and Lie de The. Orange Indien won't show up on the red card stock I am am required to write on for some school functions. I have ordered a sample of Diamine Ancient Copper to see if it is dark enough.

[dogpoet]

The only two Chinese pens I currently have inked up are a Shule 2212 and a Jinhao Missile (not sure of the model number, but it's a tiny torpedo shaped pocket pen, which I don't think is a model they make anymore), both of which I've used today. They've been sitting at the back of drawer until I decided to give them another chance earlier in the week. One thing about that: when I was first using the Shule it had serious drying issues, but those seem to have vanished now. Possibly I'd just not bothered to flush it out properly before filling it before...

[richila]

The only two Chinese pens I currently have inked up are a Shule 2212 and a Jinhao Missile (not sure of the model number, but it's a tiny torpedo shaped pocket pen, which I don't think is a model they make anymore), both of which I've used today. They've been sitting at the back of drawer until I decided to give them another chance earlier in the week. One thing about that: when I was first using the Shule it had serious drying issues, but those seem to have vanished now. Possibly I'd just not bothered to flush it out properly before filling it before...

I think the Jinhao is probably the 866.

[dogpoet]

Nope, not that one, sorry. Tiny little thing with an integral squeeze filler?

[Helen350]

 

Truth.

 

Granted, my favorite pens are the ones outside of the scope of this group. The Jinhao's and their contemporaries are the best values in the fountain pen world right now. There's not a lot of difference in the way a $3 Jinhao with a $15 nib lays down ink vs many well-regarded pens that cost $50+. Now if only I had a good source of high quality Japanese nibs in #6...

 

I've not had Jinhaos as long. The only "problem pens" I have were problems when they arrived. Some of the pens that arrived as problems were easily tuned into great running pens. I have one pen (an X450) who's inner cap has gotten... lazy... about doing its job well. I've not looked inside, but I'm guessing the plastic cap liner is cracked or somehow degraded and preventing the cap from securely snapping into place. It's a pen that I've hardly used at all, so I'm guessing it was probably bad when I got it and only got worse after 3 or 4 uses.

Yes, the plastic sleeve can crack, causing that problem. I wish I could get my hands on some of these sleeves, to repair my pen when I have this problem. Just received a new X450 with a broad nib recently (black with white stripes). Flushed the pen, smoothed the nib a bit, and its a nice writer, with just a small amount of feedback. I don't plan on adding a Goulet stub to this one. All of my X750s (4) have a Goulet stub. My collection is now up to 104 pens. I think I'm going to take a sabbatical! My favorite more costly pens (which I do not use often) are my Bexley Cappuccino, Wahl Eversharp Skyline with gold nib, Esterbrook J-Series with broad Esterbrook nib, and a little pen called Nussbaum Jon Ross (isellpens.com). The nib on the Jon Ross is smooth as butter. Apart from these, my Monteverde Prima with a stub nib does a good job. However, my x750s are my workhorses and they are always in rotation.

Edited February 6, 2016 by Helen350

[Dankdan63]

I have those fake-Triumph models, too. Will another converter or a cart fit that WS?

To my knowledge no it won't work. The aerometric filler has the metal cover over the bladder. I am trying to use lacquer to attach the filler to the feed end (not too excited at how successful this will be).

 

I have no idea which if any convertor will fit or stay attached.

 

dan

[Sailor Kenshin]

To my knowledge no it won't work. The aerometric filler has the metal cover over the bladder. I am trying to use lacquer to attach the filler to the feed end (not too excited at how successful this will be).

 

I have no idea which if any convertor will fit or stay attached.

 

dan

I see...when you said 'converter,' I thought it was detachable. There's a WS/Triumph nib model with an actual converter.

[Helen350]

Bookworm - med. nib. Inked with Chesterfield Cobalt

[richila]

Does anyone know what the Baoer is that's a tiny bit shorter than the 517, but has a screw on cap that also screws on to post? It came in a lot of 517s I got.

[Zookie]

Today I've been using a Fuquilong 902 that was bought for .99 USD with free shipping on e-bay. It's a very nice, all metal orange colored pen with an aerometric type fill. It had a decent nib, but I didn't like it, so I replaced it with a made in USA Signature 6 nib that I had in my parts box.

Now, I enjoy it so much that I use it daily. It's inked with Higgins Sepia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[magnus919]

http://i.imgur.com/kYONAuJ.jpg?2

 

My bonus came in recently so I'd been off playing with the kinds of pens we don't talk about in this subforum (though I'll mention: Lamy 2000 "F", Pilot Custom 823 "F", TWSBI Vac 700 "F"). I got that out of my system. I've been back to spending some time with one of my favorite pens, my beloved Jinhao 159 and its Goulet "EF" nib. This pen and two others with similarly sized nibs are all loaded up with Noodler's Lexington Gray right now while I write the manuscript for my next novel. I picked this pen because I love writing with it, not because it looks so well with my Rhodia.

[ThePenBox]

There are several Chinese pens that I love to use. Today I am using a HERO 1501. It writes very smooth and is a nice quality pen. I have also recently used a HERO 7019, another nice smooth hooded pen with a fine nib, a BAOER 388, a nice quality pen with a medium/fine nib, and a WingSung 052 pen, a smooth writing pen with an extra fine nib. I collect and sell pens and so I have several others that I use off an on. When I am looking for a pen to sell, I will buy one first to try and to make sure that it is a good quality pen and a smooth writing pen.

 

Lynn

[LWJ2]

Today, a Jinhao 750, factory nib, inked with J. Herbin's Éclat de Saphir. One of these days, I'll order an italic nib from Goulet, although the factory supplies a nice medium nib.

[magnus919]

Jinhao X450, Goulet 1.1mm stub, Noodler's Black Swan in English Roses. I'm loving this combo.

[richila]

Okay, I swiped the 1.1 nib from my husband's Hero 5028 set and tried it on my Baoer 517. Now,I understand the 1.1mm swapping; it's just fun. The Hero nib unit screws in without a problem, but it is too long for me to cap it. So, I have questions.

1. Are the nib and feed in the 517 friction fit or do I need another nib unit?

2. Has anyone tried an Edison nib unit in a Baoer?

3. What are your recommendations for a size 5, 1.1mm nib?

[richila]

Well,I know that the Edison nib unit won't fit. I read that someone had used one in a Jinhao 886 and the 886 nib unit is too big for my Baoer