Wing Sun 3003 Demonstrator

[Jamerelbe]

So....can these pens be eyedroppered? Not tha I need more pens or demonstrators..but it's so tempting, especially if I can ruin them with shimmering ink. I know, I know, they're awful, but for some formal things, they're so much. Plus Amyethyste du O'real is my plantonic purple, even without the sparlking stuff.

 

I haven't tried eyedroppering yet - I tend to prefer using cartridges, which allow me to change inks more often - but I'd be a bit dubious. The seam between the main part of the barrel and the coloured end may or may not be well-sealed - and I'd be worried it could too easily spring a leak.

 

If you want an eyedropper pen for shimmering inks, the Lecai Acrylic Fountain Pen might be a better bet - a number of eBay sellers advertise it as suitable for that purpose. I've just ordered one, based on chrisrap52's YouTube review:

 

[Memory]

Thank you! I saw those pens on Ebay, but I forgot to look at a review. It certain seem worth a shot! I can use my TWISBI Eco with a shimmering ink (I love my 540/580 pens too much.). That said, maybe I should give them a chance since they are easy to disassemble as well. Definitely thinking i should get one of thes pretties as well, particularly Baystate Blue and Baystate Concrade Grape need their own permanent fountain pens. I really wish I didn't love those colors quite as much as I do! Otherwise, I wouldn't keep looking for the perfect pen for these types of inks.

 

Thanks for letting me know! I'd love to stay updated on on any reviews and recommendations you may have for either of these brands of pens.

[anuvratfpn]

Kindly update with the eyedropping usability of the wing sung 3003 fountain pen. The metal ring in the section barrel joint seems to restrict the ed usage.

 

Let's hope someone who has this pen clears out the doubt.

 

Have ordered a couple of these for a great price. Looking forward to this new cheap thrill pen.

[bob_hayden]

I just received one of these. I also have the 3001A and 3008. The 3001A has a very fine nib that writes very smoothly for its width. The 3008 has a somewhat wider nib that is smooth but not as outstanding in class as the 3001A. The 3003 is about a Western fine and feels fairly smooth but a bit rough though not scratchy. I would rate it above most Chinese nibs. All the pens seem well-made though the "gold" markings on the 3001A are prone to wearing off. None have given any kind of trouble so far. Fit and finish is very good. I would not hesitate to try one if the looks and specs appeal. They are all very cheap.

 

I meant to check the cartridge size this takes but forgot and filled it with bottled ink. Now I find the converter is a VERY tight fit (generally good news) and I do not want to perform a forcible extraction while it is loaded with ink.

[Memory]

Thanks for the update!

[melodiousb]

 

If you want an eyedropper pen for shimmering inks, the Lecai Acrylic Fountain Pen might be a better bet - a number of eBay sellers advertise it as suitable for that purpose. I've just ordered one, based on chrisrap52's YouTube review:

 

 

I have a Lecai and I like it, but I used it with Diamine Caramel Sparkle once and I will NOT be using it with shimmering inks again. All of the shimmer stuck to the inside of the barrel. I still haven't been able to get it all off.

 

On the other hand, if you want to get the glitter out of a shimmering ink, it's great.

[kcnib]

I just received one of these. I also have the 3001A and 3008. The 3001A has a very fine nib that writes very smoothly for its width. The 3008 has a somewhat wider nib that is smooth but not as outstanding in class as the 3001A. The 3003 is about a Western fine and feels fairly smooth but a bit rough though not scratchy. I would rate it above most Chinese nibs. All the pens seem well-made though the "gold" markings on the 3001A are prone to wearing off. None have given any kind of trouble so far. Fit and finish is very good. I would not hesitate to try one if the looks and specs appeal. They are all very cheap.

 

I meant to check the cartridge size this takes but forgot and filled it with bottled ink. Now I find the converter is a VERY tight fit (generally good news) and I do not want to perform a forcible extraction while it is loaded with ink.

 

The 3001A is inexpensive enough to buy just for the nib. I will give that a go. Thanks!

[Memory]

 

I have a Lecai and I like it, but I used it with Diamine Caramel Sparkle once and I will NOT be using it with shimmering inks again. All of the shimmer stuck to the inside of the barrel. I still haven't been able to get it all off.

 

On the other hand, if you want to get the glitter out of a shimmering ink, it's great.

 

 

Thanks for that update as well! I'd been hearing that the Lecai would be good for shimmering inks, but I had my doubts. I guess I'll keep using them in my TWSBIs. They behave wonderfully in the larger nibs, and the ability to disassemble everything is awesome. I've been curious about Franklin-Christophs, but I'm nervosa about staining.

[TSherbs]

I really like my 3003. Writes every time. Nearly as pretty as the Prera (I also own one of them), and way cheaper.

[bob_hayden]

I was not so lucky. Mine seemed great when I got it but today I am having a hard time getting any ink out of it at all. It could have been sitting unused for as many as 12 days, but it shouldn't take this much of a struggle. The 3001A, 3008, and 6359 were all much more cooperative.

[Qoan]

I was not so lucky. Mine seemed great when I got it but today I am having a hard time getting any ink out of it at all. It could have been sitting unused for as many as 12 days, but it shouldn't take this much of a struggle. The 3001A, 3008, and 6359 were all much more cooperative.

 

This is interesting, as to my eye the feed and nib of the 3001 and 3003 look identical, as well as the feed of the 3008... have you come up to any explanation?

[bob_hayden]

I just tried it and it wrote instantly -- perhaps even better than I had it writing when I ended my struggle yesterday. The ink is Hero 231 red which I have not used a lot. Generally I have found the Hero inks a bit below the ink from pen makers outside Asia but not as temperamental as some of the boutique inks.

[kcnib]

My 3003 arrived yesterday. Cleaned it and inked it with Noodlers Azure this morning. Love how the cap snaps into place. Never felt anything quite like it. Nib is super smooth and lays down a wet line. Build is nice and the converter is super tight. Didn't take it off for fear of breaking something. haha.

 

Impressed with this so far.

[Mercury132]

I had hard starts once. I found out that me twisting the pen while in the cap loosened the silver band near the nib keeping the pen from sealing properly.

[dcwaites]

I just got mine, and am very pleased with it. I like my Prera, and was glad to get something like that, but a bit longer.

Given that the barrel is not airtight, I wouldn't be eye-droppering this one.

I got the EF (0.38mm) one, and it is a very nice nib, just wet enough to show shading, and very smooth, especially so for an EF nib. I didn't have to adjust or smooth it at all.

The slot in the feed is very fine. I can usually slide the 0.002"/0.05mm blade of my feeler gauge down the slot of a feed very easily, but it was very tight in this case. I don't know if it is just mine, or if it bodes ill for the future. I will have to see.

 

My question is -- what size is the converter? It is larger than a normal international one, and smaller than a Platinum one.

 

Hah!! Fires up brain, engages clutch, finds old Parker cartridge.

 

Answer = Lamy / Parker

[bob_hayden]

There is now an opaque version of the 3003 and I received five on Monday: Yellow (with a hint of green), light green, light blue (with a hint of turquoise), orange, and purple. I find the demonstrators to be a chaos of colors and surfaces and the opaque ones are soothingly plain. They look rather Germanic to me and remind me of inexpensive, utilitarian German pens. I might have to concede, though, that the plastic seems cheaper.

 

All of the new pens write as the magenta demonstrator does when it is in a good mood. At last report its moods had been good, very bad, good. Today it was moderately bad -- hesitant to start and much drier than the rest (though remember it has cheap ink in it). They opaque ones all started immediately after sitting for three days and are smooth, wet writers. All six pens have EF nibs.

 

The cap finial screws into a plastic liner in the cap and the rest of the pen fits into that liner when the pen is capped or closed. This means that the body continuously acts as a wrench to loosen the finial, clip, and liner. This seems like a really dumb design to me. It has previously been implicated in the pens drying out. That is not the explanation with my demonstrator but the blue pen came completely apart while I was writing with it. A well-placed dab of glue might defeat this auto-disassembly feature. (Perhaps they wanted to save us the trouble of having to make a video showing how to take it apart?) While you have the glue out, the trim ring between the barrel and section is also inclined to fall off.

 

The pen takes what I call "big bore" cartridges, as do many recent Chinese pens. The likely candidates are Parker, Lamy, and Hero 359 cartridges. I have many pens that work with all three, but also pens that work with but 1 or 2 or even possibly 0 of these. The hole diameters of the three are sometimes claimed to be slightly different, and the different shapes can prevent certain of the cartridges from fitting in the barrel. I tried one Parker cartridge and one Lamy-style cartridge from Thornton and have yet to see any fit issue or leakage. Curiously, I am seeing the same kind of seepage of ink between the section and the supplied converter as I have seen between section and Parker cartridges on other recent big bore pens from China.

 

These pens work great and seem to be tolerant of different cartridges. It's a pity that are not stuck together better.

[Mech-for-i]

The opaque version actually were released together with the demo ; I have to agree that the material kind of feel cheap but in fact those seems very likely High Impact Polystyrene which is actually quite tough for the purpose. Might be not yet as tough as ABS but they are good enough. My purple one seems to have everything stay put so far despite the fact that I've been using it almost daily ( it stay on the office table )

[pedrosousa83]

Hi,

 

Can you swap a pilot nib into this pen (WS 3003)?

[Mech-for-i]

Yes you can though I caution some report its a bit tight ( but they still manage to put it on )

[AmandaW]

Does the 3003 have a screw cap or a push on like the Prera? Can anyone report how they are for drying out?