Wing Sung 618 (With Comparison To Ws 698)

[KellyMcJ]

These are such amazing little pens, with few (minor) drawbacks. From what I have read, some people don't like the clear Parker knock off arrow clip- I happen to think it's beautiful. This pen reminds me of a Parker 51, while being a piston filled demonstrator.

 

Pluses: The pen is GORGEOUS, if that's your aesthetic. It's very well made, I'm impressed with how secure and well constructed the piston mechanism is. It also disassembles easily for cleaning (I don't advise removing the nib as it's a pain to get it lined up with the hood properly). The hood simply unscrews to reveal the entire collector, making cleaning an absolute breeze (it is sealed with an O ring to prevent leaks.) It's very comfortable to hold as well, although this is personal preference. For me, the hooded design makes for an extremely comfortable grip. It's a smooth (see caveat below) and wet writer that has been extremely reliable for the past week that I've had it inked. And though it's been in my purse jostling around a few times, it has only a few tiny drops of ink in the cap (far less than I expected actually).

 

Drawbacks: the nib has a TINY sweet spot- it's "butter on glass" smooth, but only when held at a precise angle. Some micro-mesh (or time) may take care of this. I don't mind it, but if you can't stand small sweet spots it's something to keep in mind. The clip FEELS flimsy- it's not, it's quite secure- but the combination of long clip and thin clip means there's quite a bit of side-to-side play. This is a bit unnerving when uncapping the pen, however rest assured that the clip is well made and secure. Finally, like probably all clear demonstrators, it collects dirt and finger prints.

 

VS the 698:

 

Smoothness: This one goes to the 698 due to the 618's small sweet spot and also due to the fact that the 698 writes every bit as well upside down as right-side up, making it essentially two pens in one.

 

Construction: This one goes to the 618- by a hair. The 698's construction is not lacking by any means, but the 618 feels more solid and my 698's piston mechanism has a tendency to start to unscrew itself (not the blind cap, the entire mechanism) in my purse. This isn't as big of an issue as it sounds, I just tighten it back down again. I feel like WS has learned a thing or two from the 698 and applied those lessons to the new 618.

 

Clip: 698 is a clear winner here- the 618's clip is BEAUTIFUL however it feels flimsy. The 698's clip is SOLID and there's no question that it's not going anywhere.

 

Aesthetics: Tie. Really this comes down to what you prefer.

 

Comfort in hand: Tie. Again, which do you prefer?

 

Ink Capacity: For me (and many I'd imagine) this is a tie. I don't know if they hold the same amount of ink, but they both hold so much that it will take me a long period of time to write either one dry.

 

Price: 618 (it's almost half the price of the 698, at the time when I purchased mine. I could have probably gotten ahold of the 698 cheaper, but I did order from a seller in the states and I bought my 618s direct from China)

 

Winner: Personal preference. Both have strong points (I love the versatility of the 698's nib!) and weak points, and they're both fantastic pens, especially considering the price. You can't go wrong with either one.

 

http://i.imgur.com/cfJ9vb7.jpg

 

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

 

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

[akafridi3]

Thanks for post! Def looks like a cool pen

Edited August 19, 2017 by akafridi3

[Feanaaro]

Do you know whether the 618 comes in ExtraFine as well? From a quick search, I only seem to be able to find it with F nibs.

[KellyMcJ]

Do you know whether the 618 comes in ExtraFine as well? From a quick search, I only seem to be able to find it with F nibs.

I've only seen fine as well, although their F is a dead wringer for western EF.

[Feanaaro]

I've only seen fine as well, although their F is a dead wringer for western EF.

 

Do you mean in general or for this specific model? I ask because I have the other pen, the 698, which has the nibs copied from Pilot, and they use F for what would be Pilot M (~0.5mm), that is to say close to a Western F, whereas the 698 EF is the Pilot F (~0.35mm), that is close to, or finer than, a Western EF.

[KellyMcJ]

Honestly my Pilot Metro M (same nib I think) is smaller than my western Fs...more like EF-F. That's my only experience with Pilot M. of course nibs vary within a tolerance so ink and paper matter.

 

My 698 is close to Pilot F, and the 618 is a hair broader but that may be because of the ink and the fact that it's a wetter pen. The 698 can be flipped over for a butter smooth extra fine/western XXF.

[Driften]

When you get a chance maybe you could take some measurements of the pen. It would be good to know the size and thickness. The only place I have seen it after reading your review is eBay and F seem to be the only nib side they have. At least it also comes in silver and there is a transparent blue model.

[KellyMcJ]

Both are about 5 1/2" capped, 5 1/4 uncapped. Both barrels are about 1/2" diameter. The only difference is really the shape- the 698 is flat top and the 618 is sort of a modified cigar- tapered and rounded on the tail and and a rounded off flat on the cap end (but the cap is tapered slightly as well).

[KellyMcJ]

Update: I now have both my 698 and a 618 inked with Sei Boku. I carried the 618 for a few days...and missed my 698! Side by side, I can barely tell a difference in the line, but the 698 is a touch drier and therefor performs better on cheap paper. It wins the day for EDC. I really love the vintage look and feel of it too.

 

However, I absolutely adore both pens and really can't pick a favorite between the two.

[eliweisz]

Great review, thanks! I'm seriously thinking about one like this.

[melodiousb]

Excellent review. My 618 came a few days ago, and I'm enjoying it so much.

 

The 618 does feel a little better constructed, but the finial on mine keeps coming unscrewed. I find the 698 a little more comfortable to hold, but the 618 wins on looks. It really is beautiful, and I'm trying to come up with a reason to get the red and blue ones that have shown up recently.

[KellyMcJ]

Excellent review. My 618 came a few days ago, and I'm enjoying it so much.

 

The 618 does feel a little better constructed, but the finial on mine keeps coming unscrewed. I find the 698 a little more comfortable to hold, but the 618 wins on looks. It really is beautiful, and I'm trying to come up with a reason to get the red and blue ones that have shown up recently.

 

I think that there are quality control variations between each pen. I've inked up three 618s (lost one the second I took it out of the apartment. DOH!) and one is perfect, but the other two each had some minor cosmetic issue.

 

The 698 won the day for me for everyday carry. I have two 618s in my desk drawer however (and one uninked).

[Feanaaro]

I've got this pen after a while, and it's really nice indeed. The nib is close to a Western fine in my opinion. Maybe it would be finer in terms of actual tip material, but it writes very wet (perhaps because the hooding acts as sort of an over-nib reservoir? You can see ink pooling over the nib thanks to the transparency).

While I like the pen as it is, I'd prefer if it wrote with a slightly finer line. Does anybody know whether there are compatible nibs (maybe from other Chinese pens with hooded nibs?) which could be obtained in a finer size?

[katerchen]

The 698 really exceeded all of my expectations by several magnitudes. It's a wonderful little pen at an attractive price. It's an excellent writer, but what I like most about it is how well it seals. I can truly leave it around for extended periods of time (weeks even) without fear that ink will evaporate or the feed dries out.

 

I presume the 618 has similar qualities ... and I'm afraid I'll just have to try it for myself

[Feanaaro]

It seals pretty well in my experience. Whenever I uncap it it writes immediately and just as wet as when it has been going for a while.

[KellyMcJ]

It seals pretty well in my experience. Whenever I uncap it it writes immediately and just as wet as when it has been going for a while.

 

This my experience as well. I currently have two 618s inked and one 698. I still can't decide which I prefer, but I own three 618s and have two more on the way.

[alanlight]

Also the 618 posts cleanly while although the 698 can post in theory, you usually have to fiddle with it a bit. If you like to routinely post your pen, the 698 will be problematic for you.

[KellyMcJ]

Also the 618 posts cleanly while although the 698 can post in theory, you usually have to fiddle with it a bit. If you like to routinely post your pen, the 698 will be problematic for you.

 

This is true! I rarely post pens so I forgot to mention it. The 618 posts very well.

[eliweisz]

 

This is true! I rarely post pens so I forgot to mention it. The 618 posts very well.

Well indeed.

Received the pen today, wrote a couple of pages and found it a bit top-heavy when posted (too much furniture on the cap). Unposted, it's perfectly balanced. Smooth writer, too. Love it.

[KellyMcJ]

Well indeed.

Received the pen today, wrote a couple of pages and found it a bit top-heavy when posted (too much furniture on the cap). Unposted, it's perfectly balanced. Smooth writer, too. Love it.

 

That's my experience with a lot of pens; I find them top heavy. It probably has to do with the way I hold the pen as some people prefer posted.