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Hello from Indy! I'm a 56 year old guy who started collecting fountain pens on a bit of a whim a couple of months ago. So far, I've got 4 Lamy Safaris and an Asvine/Hongdian, plus a similarly sized collection of inks. Back in the 80s I used to be into calligraphy, but always with dip pens and ink wells. Back then, I didn't have much luck with fountain pens and they always dried out from lack of use. The first Safari I bought opened my eyes to the quality of modern fountain pens and now I'm hooked. I'm also very interested in language learning, but very, very out of practice with French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Finnish and Norwegian. I used to be an avid user of Duolingo but quit a few years ago. I'd be interested in finding some snail mail pen pals in other countries who want to practice English and are willing to put up with my poor penmanship and attempts at learning languages. I'm also TESOL certified, FWIW. Cheers, Mike

Preamble: As a long time lurker (for over 15 years!), I have benefited from the deep well of knowledge here on all things fountain pens. So I want to say "Thank you, FPN!". I will also admit that my pen habit has been worsened by my visits here in the past 5 years. But as I tell my spouse, there are way worse "addictions" than collecting fountain pens and inks. About me: I grew up in India, towards the end of a cold war (and the decline and fall of an empire), and used fountain pens throughout my middle and high school days - mainly Heros and Camlins. During this time, I also got in serious trouble for "borrowing" my dad's more expensive US made Parker Classic GT fountain pen and losing the finial at the end of its barrel. Pen trauma is real! I had stopped using fountain pens for over two decades after high school, but have gotten back to collecting and using them, especially seriously, since we moved to the Bay Area in 2016, when my collection exploded from 20-ish pens to an out of control 100+ pens! Where is the fountain pen version of AAA group?! Pens and ink I am writing with this week: Wing Sung/ Junlai 630 14K fine nib inked with Montreverde Ocean Noir Platinum President 14K fine nib inked with Diamine Amaranth Hongdian N7 Grey Rabbit steel "long knife" nib with Diamine Earl Grey Other than pens and ink, I also enjoy: Reading across genres Writing (poetry mainly) Hiking Checking out live music and art How I hope I will be able to give back to the community here: Sharing experiences via pen reviews Enabling other pen aficionados by flagging deals in the market place watch (and not purchasing any more pens in the process!) Attending IRL meetings even - have been meaning to attend a SF Pen Posse meet for a while now Thank you for reading. 🙏

I've not been posting to this, but wanted to alert you Kaweco Sport fans to a non-Sport alternative. For years I carried a Sport Black Stone in the pocket of my jeans, along with my keys, and a traveller's notebook in my back pocket. But too often the Sport wouldn't start, and I would need to sqeeze the small cartridge to get it going. I finally gave up and started using a Fisher ballpoint. A month ago I received a Hongdian M2. Also aluminum, thought much lighter in weight, it is the same length capped, and longer posted. During that month, it has never failed to start. Other advantages? Unlike the Sport it comes with a clip and a converter, and I paid $11.99, including shipping. I then purchased another color with an EF nib, $13.99. Both nibs are wet, smooth & with a tiny amount of feedback, just the way I like it.

Please help me expand this list! I'm one of those people who just can't quite let the Lamy 2000 out of my head. I love the size and shape of the pen, in addition to the materials, the brushed finish, all of it. However, I can sadly ill afford to simply replace all my pens with 2000s. To that end, I'm starting a list of pens with a similar shape (even if they have different configurations, i.e. an unhooded nib, a cartridge/converter, etc.) I'll update this list as answers come in to create a lookalike-hunter's dream! Note: "Still Made" and "Price" are my perception and very basic research as of 4/2024. Your market may vary. From Lamy ------ Lamy 2000 - surprisingly, the Lamy 2000 bears a striking resemblance to the Lamy 2000! 🤣 Cap: Snap Fills: Piston Size Relative to L2000: I-dentical Nib: 14k Gold / Hooded Material: Makrolon body / Makrolon section with stainless steel toward the nib / Makrolon cap Production: Still Made After All These Years ❤️ Price Range: 100s (180-250) Lamy 26P Cap: Snap Fills: C/C (not sure if standard international or Lamy proprietary) Size Relative to L2000: Slightly smaller diameter, almost identical length Nib: Stainless Steel / Hooded Materials: Metal Body / Plastic Section / Metal Cap (brushed stainless or chrome) Production: No Longer Made Price Range: N/A Lamy 80 / 81 / 86 - Cap: Snap Fills: Piston Size Relative to L2000: Almost identical Nib: Gold / Unhooded Material: Plastic Body / Plastic Section, 81 has a brushed steel cap Production: No Longer Made Price Range: N/A Lamy Studio - Cap: Snap Fills: C/C (Lamy proprietary) Size Relative to L2000: Very similar to Lamy 2000 Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded (gold available) Material: Metal Body / Metal Section on most models. Production: Still Made Note: A controversial clip that may cause your fountain pen to take to the sky! Also a controversially slippery grip section. Price Range: Dozens (70-150) Lamy Aion - Cap: Snap Fills: C/C (Lamy proprietary; NOT compatible with Safari converters) Size Relative to L2000: A bit wider, a bit longer Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded (can be replaced with gold) Material: Metal Body / Metal Section - Non-slippery Production: Still Made Note: Perhaps my favorite Lamy L2K alternative. Fits my (glove size L) hand a bit better and the stainless steel nib is somehow an absolute joy to write with. I fail to grasp why this pen isn't so popular. My biggest gripe is that Lamy made this non-compatible with Safari converters, because the little notches on the converter has no slot to slip into; the Z26 is the correct converter for this pen. Prince Range: Dozens (80-120) ------ Non-Lamy ------ Tactile Turns Gist Cap: Screw Fills: C/C Size Relative to L2000: Original run was dead-on to Lamy 2000, revised run / warranty replacement bodies and caps are both a bit longer. Nib: Unhooded #6 Bock units. Was offered in stainless, 14k gold, and titanium. Material: Was offered in Delrin (polycarbonate similar to Makrolon), brass, copper, and I believe titanium, and buyers could choose what material they wanted in body, section, cap, and even finial. My version had a Delrin body and cap with a copper section and finial, and I'm over the moon about it. All materials ribbed for your pleasure. Production: No Longer Made (warranty parts available as of 3/2024) Note: These are really neat pens, and probably my favorite non-Lamy Lamy 2000 lookalike. My introduction to titanium nibs, and I love it. You can pry this one from my cold dead fingers, still clutched around my cherished copper grip section. Price Range: N/A Jinhao 80 Cap: Snap Fills: C/C. I forget if this is standard international or "Chinese standard". Size Relative to L2000: Basically identical Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded. Compatible with Lamy Safari / Al-Star / Studio / Aion. Available in Fine and XF. A surprisingly good nib if you know how to tune them, but can be scratchy out of the box. Material: Plastic Body / Plastic Section. "Brushed" feel but injection-molded. Production: Still Made Note: Basically a direct all-plastic clone of the Lamy 80/81/86, but $5-10 and shockingly good for the price if you're comfortable tuning a nib. Price Range: 1s (5-15) Moonman Ti500 Cap: Snap Fills: Piston Size Relative to L2000: Almost identical. Note: I don't have a Lamy 2000 Stainless on hand, which is the closer comparator. Nib: Stainless Steel / Hooded. Inkquiring Minds proved that this is compatible with the Parker Jotter FP, but you have to violently un-glue the pen to get to it. Material: Metal Body / Metal Section. Came in a polished or a brushed titanium finish, which I believe was over a brass body. Production: No Longer Made Note: I'm so incredibly glad I got this when it was available. Titanium pen. Piston filler. Fine steel nib (confirmed to be the Parker Jotter nib). Dead ringer for the L2K steel, but $75 instead of $300. NOT user disassembleable, which is a crying shame, because I'd love to find a compatible gold nib for this thing, or to be able to clean it directly. If you have one you'd like to get rid of, I'd like to buy it from you, but I digress. Pleasantly heavy to use. This is a daily driver for me. Prince Range: Dozens (75-150) Kaco Edge Cap: Snap Fills: C/C Size Relative to L2000: Seems to be slightly larger but I don't have one available. Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded #5 Schmidt nib. Material: Makrolon body / aluminum section / Makrolon cap, all brushed. Came in very familiar black, blue, and brown. Production: Still Made Note: Aesthetically the clip is quite controversial, and I'm curious about the decision to use an aluminum grip. The shape of this pen is familiar, and so is the material! This is the first one on the list I don't own, so I can't tell you how it is to use. You Said: @Sailor Kenshin said, "I had a Kaco Edge in brown, with gold trim, and a Lamy-looking nib. Could not get it to write, no way, nohow. More recently, I got two black ones. The nib has been upgraded to, I suspect, Bock or Jowo. They are now beautiful writers." Price Range: 1s (5-15) Hongdian A3 Cap: Snap Fills: C/C, unsure if this is Size Relative to L2000: Significantly smaller, which is a crying shame, because in the same size as the L2K this would be a mega winner. Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded, I believe #5 or smaller Material: Metal Body / Metal Section / Metal Cap, section is a deeply pleasing ribbed aluminum Production: Still Made Prince Range: 1s (5-15) Hongdian 525 Cap: Snap Screw Fills: C/C Size Relative to L2000: MUCH thinner, which makes it unusable for my (glove size L) hands. Very light. Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded Material: Metal Body / Metal Section, nicely matte finish Production: Still Made Note: Much too small for my hand. Available Fude nib is fun to play around with, though. Almost identical in size to the P51 in my collection. Prince Range: 1s (5-15) Hongdian 6013 Cap: Snap Fills: C/C, apparently Chinese standard / Lamy compatible Size Relative to L2000: Seems to be a bit longer and a bit fatter, a touch bigger than the Lamy Studio from reviews. Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded Material: Metal Body / Metal Section (body seems to be rubberized?) Production: Still Made Note: Clip very reminiscent of the Faber-Castell e-Motion fountain pen. Heavy at 50g. I don't own this pen so I can't be more specific. Price Range: 1s (5-15) Parker Sonnet Cap: Snap Fills: C/C Size Relative to L2000: Seems to be a bit thinner Nib: Stainless Steel OR 18k / Unhooded Material: Metal Body / Metal Section / Metal Cap Production: Still Made Note: I don't have one to hand so I can't compare. Price Range: Hundreds (100-350) Hongdian 920 Cap: Snap Fills: C/C, I believe Chinese standard / Lamy compatible Size Relative to L2000: Uncertain, seems like it may be slimmer but I don't have one to compare Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded Material: Metal Body / Metal Section / Metal Cap, seems to be enamel coated Production: Still Made Note: This seems to be a derivative of the Parker Sonnet. Price Range: 1s ($5-15) Pilot Metropolitan Cap: Snap Fills: Squeeze or C/C, Pilot style Size Relative to L2000: Heavier, I don't have one to hand and can't find a direct size comparison Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded Material: Metal Body / Metal Section / Metal Cap, gloss coated Production: Still Made Note: I don't have one to hand so I can't compare. I got one as my first FP and couldn't stand it, but that may have been me as a new user and not the pen; it's been on my "to give another try" list for quite some time. You Said: @inkstainedruth said: "I have a couple of Metropolitans and like them very much. They're not horribly expensive (even though the price has gone up since I got mine), and both of mine are good writers (I have one with an F nib and one with a stub nib)." Price Range: Dozens ($25-50) Jinhao 82 Cap: Screw Fills: C/C, Chinese standard Size Relative to L2000: Unknown; similar to Sailor Pro Gear Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded Material: Plastic resin body/cap/section Production: Still Made Note: I don't have one to hand so I can't compare. Price Range: 1s (5-15) Diplomat Aero Cap: Snap (extraordinarily satisfying) Fills: C/C, Standard International Size Relative to L2000: Wider Nib: Stainless Steel OR 14k / Unhooded, #6, bouncy and juicy and probably the best nib I own. Material: Metal Body / Metal Section / Metal Cap, coated (powdered on the section, anodized on the body) Production: Still Made Note: This is one of my favorite pens. Price Range: 100s (100-200) Faber-Castell E-Motion Cap: Snap Fills: C/C, Standard International Size Relative to L2K: Seems longer and fatter but I can't be sure Nib: Stainless Steel, Unhooded Material: Metal body / coated metal section / metal cap Production: Still Made Note: Don't have to hand, can't give you details Price Range: 100s (100-200) Sheaffer Taranis Cap: Snap Fills: C/C, Proprietary Size Relative to L2K: Seems roughly similar? Maybe a bit slimmer? Nib: Stainless Steel, Hooded Material: Lacquered metal Production: Unsure Note: BIG branded name down the middle of the section; you will love this or hate it, but you'll certainly notice it Price Range: 100s (100-200) Hongdian N7 Cap: Screw Fills: Piston Size Relative to L2K: Identical length (capped, uncapped, and posted), but slightly girthier (which I prefer) Nib: Stainless steel, exposed, #6 nib Material: Chatoyant resin body, coated metal section, coated metal cap Production: Still Made Note: One of my favorite budget pens, and I just realized that it's because it's actually fairly close to a 2K in dimensions and filling system (though different enough with a screw cap and materials to be a very different pen) Price Range: 10s (25-50) Your Suggestions ------ Parker 51 (Suggested by @arcfide ) Cap: Snap Fills: Various Size Relative to L2000: Thinner and shorter Nib: Stainless Steel OR 14k / Hooded Material: Plastic Body / Plastic Section / Metal Cap (brushed stainless?) Production: Still Made* (reissued), but a long lineage of used models are available Note: I don't have one to hand so I can't really compare. I thought my Parker Jotter, which I can't stand, was a P51, but it isn't, and I'll have to see if I can find an affordable P51 or a good clone for size testing. Price Range: Dozens (80-150) Aurora Duo Cart (suggested by @arcfide) Cap: Snap Fills: C/C (Standard International) Size Relative to L2000: Seems to be very similar Nib: Stainless Steel (reissue) / Hooded Material: Plastic body / Plastic Feed Production: There was a reissue a few years ago but I don't know if it was still made. Note: I don't have one so I can't really compare. Looks very similar to a P51. Price Range: 100s (100-200) Waterman Carene (suggested by @arcfide) Cap: Snap Fills: C/C, Standard International Size Relative to L2K: Seems much thinner Nib: Integrated 14k Material: Seems to be plastic but I could be very wrong Production: Still made Note: Don't have one to to hand but they seem lovely. Price Range: 100s (100-200) Waterman Expert (suggested by @Carrau) Cap: Snap Fills: C/C, Standard International Size Relative to L2K: Not sure Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded Production: Still made Price Range: 100s (100-200) You Said: @Carrau : "Only recently have I had a Waterman Expert (MK I), and it is an incredible writer, lightweight, balanced, unusual looking nib. I bought it used, and it is as perfect a pen as I’ve ever used. There are different generations of this pen, and I’ve linked a thread that discusses them, I believe." Sailer Pro Gear (+ Realo) (suggested by @Carrau) Cap: Screw Fills: Piston (Realo) / C/C Sailor (SPG) Size Relative to L2K; Seem to be a bit fatter, but I'm not sure. Realo has a slimmer tail end and a piston filler. Nib: 21k Gold (Realo and PG) Production: Still Made Price Range: 100s (300-500) You said: @Carrau: "My Sailor Realo feels like a real workhorse pen, like the Lamy." Diplomat Excellence A2 (suggested by @Carrau) Cap: Snap (seems extraordinarily satisfying) Fills: C/C (Standard International) Size Relative to L2K: Seems to be fatter and perhaps longer, can't find a direct comparison Nib: Stainless Steel / Unhooded Material: Metal Body / Metal Section (enamel coated) / Metal Cap Production: Still Made Price Range: 200s (200-300) You Said: @Carrau: " My Diplomat is a bit slimmer and more elegant appearing, sort of like the Waterman Carene. I like it very much, however, I don’t use it as much as I should, because I inadvertently bought it new with an Extra Fine nib. It is my only EF, and it writes very well also, but the line width is a bit narrow for my taste." Montblanc 224 (suggested by @Penguincollector) Cap: Snap Fills: Piston Size Relative to L2K: Seems thinner but may be very similar Nib: 14k gold, hooded Material: Makrolon Body / Makrolon Section / Metal Cap (gold-colored brushed metal) Production: Out of production? Price Range: 100s (100-300 on eBay) Help Expand This List! What else can you think of that has the L2K shape to it? A Litany of Lamy Lookalikes The photos below, left to right: Hongdian A3 Parker 51 Jotter Hongdian 525 Lamy 81 Lamy 26P Tactile Turn Gist (original run) Tactile Turn Gist (warranty replacement body/cap) Jinhao 80 Lamy Studio Lamy 2000 FP Moonman Ti500 Lamy Aion Diplomat Aero Tombow 505 Rollerball (filled with Noodler's Navajo Turquoise)

I'll add these to the list above, but in the light of morning a handful of budget Asian pens come to mind as well... Hongdian A3 - the A3 is a metal bodied pen which is a bit smaller than the 2000 but keeps the shape very well. Steel nib,c/c, a unique ribbed section and fluted body. Surprisingly nice writer. Snap cap. Still in production. Hongdian 525 - if you want a VERY slim take on this pen body shape, the 525 may be for you. Metal body and section, steel nib, c/c. Far too slim for my (admittedly large) hands, but may be the perfect fit for someone with smaller hands. Still in production. Jinhao 82: if the Sailor Pro Gear goes on this list, then surely this pro-gear-esque pen does too. Steel nib, c/c, resin body. Still in production. On my list of "to try" pens. Hongdian 6013: Just learned about this pen this morning. Seems to be an elongated take on the body design, paired with a clip that resembles that of the Faber Castell e-Motion. Metal body, exposed steel nib, c/c. Still in production. Snap cap. Hongdian 920 - This is closer to the Parker Sonnet but does fit the profile. I believe it's lacquer on metal in the body, with an exposed steel nib and a c/c filling system. I believe it's a snap cap. Still in production. Parker Sonnet - this also seems to fit the profile, even if it's a bit smaller than the 2000, from what I can tell. Snap cap, exposed metal nib, c/c, still in production. Pilot Metropolitan - How did I miss this on the original post? This is a metal bodied c/c with an exposed steel nib and comes in lots of fun designs. Still in production, likely until the heat death of the universe given its popularity. I'll update the body of this post in a bit.

Pen: N7 Make: Hongdian Cost: $30 Nib: F Packaging & Accessories: 9/10 The pen came in a oval metal box, but did not include a tool to take out the piston mechanism in the pen. The metal box is nice and I've used it to carry around or travel with this pen or other pens. Aesthetics & Quality: 10/10 The acrylic on the the pen is a dark gray irridescent swirly color. The metal on the pen is a dark gray gunmetal color and the nib is black. There is also an ink window above the grip section. The cap is metal and very heavy. It does throw the pen off balance when posted. It is covered with different suns and moons and rabbits. The top has a small dome with a rabbit in it as well. The piston mechanism works well and seems to get a good amount of ink in it it. Weight and Dimensions: 5/10 The pen is about 5.3" when closed. And weighs an impressive 38g and you feel it. As I stated before the cap is very heavy and this does throw off the balance of the pen. Because of the 38g weight and the off balance feel when writing, it isn't one I wrote long periods of time with. Nib & Performance: 8/10 The pen came with a black F "long knife nib". It is very pleasant to write with and glides smoothly over even cheap paper. However, it is a nail and has no flex at all. The piston mechanism seems solid and has never stuck or given me any problems. No issues with with the nib or piston mechanism. Cost & Value: 5/10 It's not a bad pen. But the really heavy cap really does throw things off and I feel this should have been taken into account when the pen was made. Again, it's not a bad pen but for $30 there are better pens that can be bought. The aesthetic is what drew me to this pen and I'm very pleased with that. But I still feel for $30 there are better options. Conclusion: (37/50 –74%) Cool aesthetic, good nib, but the pen being not balanced and quite heavy makes me think twice before buying it again.

I’ve had no ink flow problems with my P36 and I’ve not heard anyone else mentioning such problems. Makes me think yours has a hidden defect, as you’ve done everything right. Does the nib unit screw out? Mine arrived with an F nib too wide for my taste. I’ve got a spare Asvine EF nib, but the current F nib doesn’t want to screw out and it’s frustrating because I’m afraid to force it. Same question for the Hongdian 100, if I may: also impossible to move, as if it’s glued in. I’d like to switch out the nib before I sell it. Thanks in advance.

Hello, I own a lot of Hongdians and Asvine pens. I have noticed that most of them (especially Hongdian 620 and 920) and Asvine P20 and P30 do have slightly misaligned clips (the clip is always off to the right by some minor degrees). Am I the only one I noticed or there is a more general QC issue with these pens?

Update on Jinhao 9016. If you care to twirl the pen around the barrel (below the threads) you will notice that the cylinder shape is not perfectly round. It is smooth, but irregular. Does that make sense? I think the best Chinese pen in my (small) collection for weight, shape and size is the Hongdian N7. The Wing Sung 629 Piston filler is the best 'plastic' turned pen, but it is so light weight that it feels cheap even when posted. Also, the steel nib is below average. Next purchase, Asvine P36.

I started out with inexpensive pens, including a few cheapie Guanleming pens (from a vendor who sadly is no longer in business). The Guanleming demonstrator pen used to be my dedicated pen for Noodler's Bay State Blue, because for five bucks US I didn't care if the ink stained the barrel or not (unfortunately, I caught the clip on the elastic in a pen case and accidentally snapped the finial off the cap). One of the other pens, the Guanleming 978 Accountant (a squeeze filler like on a Parker 51 Aerometric) impressed a more knowledgable friend by its quality in spite of the price; and while I haven't used it or the third Guanleming pen (which has a fude nib on it) in a long time, they were pretty decent writers. I was less impressed with a Jinhao 599 (a knockoff of a Lamy al-Star) that someone gave me -- but it *did* teach me that I could get used to the triangular section on a real Safari or al-Star. And I'm not sure but what the "Hero 616" I got from someone in my local pen club is a fake (he had ordered them on I think eBay as a ten or twelve pack and was handing them out to anyone who wanted one. It's okay, but it also *writes* like a pen that's only worth a buck (which is what he paid apiece for them). A friend of mine gave my husband a Hongdian 6013 (I think that's the model) but he's misplaced it but was too heavy a pen for me. YMMV.... My main problem with Chinese pens (and many other Chinese products as well) is that they completely ignore patents and trademarks and international copyright law). And yes, I have bought clothes that were made in China (but NOT a certain brand coat where at 50% off on sale at Macy's years ago I STILL couldn't afford it (!) -- I'd say more, but there's a ban on talking politics on FPN; and once saw a documentary about a company that made beads under contract to a US firm for Mardi Gras (which included showing footage of Mardi Gras to the girls working/living at the factory, and also footage of the factory conditions to the people in New Orleans trying to get the people on the floats to toss beads to them (and at the end there was a blurb about how the US company had then moved production from China to a company in Vietnam because it was "cheaper".... Ruth Morrisson aka inkstainedruth

I am no expert on Chinese made pens, but I too thought I had enough pens to satisfy my acquisition syndrome. I watched several you-tube videos (Inkquiring Minds, SBREBrown,..) and wanted to try the Majohn A3 fountain pen, which is a copy of the Pilot Capless/Vanishing Point pen. The A3 was perfect. Next up, the Jinhao brand and their X159, 9016, 9019 fountain pens. All but one of the Jinhao fountain pens wrote out of the box. I especially like the transparent versions of the 9016 and 9019. I think the 9016 is the perfect 'beginner' fountain pen, and the price at about $6.00 US dollar is phenomenal. Got an Hongdian N7, wrote well. Got a Majohn C1 and it wrote well too. The worst pen was a Paili 013. I own: Montblanc 149, 146. Two each. Omas and Visconti, and Montegrappa. Several Watermans and Pilots. Several vintage Watermans, Mabie Todd, Alco, Parkers, Conway Stewarts.....too many to list. The Chinese are knocking their socks off with fountain pens and their pricing is simply too good to be true. Do they have faults, sure. Their plastics are cheap feeling (X159 + 9016) but they write just as well as most European pens. And, if you can perform some simple Nib tuning, you will never need to spend more than $30.00 on a fountain pen.

It seems to be true for Jinhao - models 1001, 166, 82, (the current generation of) 993 aka Shark, etc. that sport 'aeroplane' nibs all use 3.4mm-bore converters, whereas all other Jinhao c/c-filled models that come to mind, with open nibs or hooded nibs, use 2.6mm-bore converters. My only non-Jinhao Chinese pens that use 'aeroplane' nibs are the Luoshi 3069, which uses 3.4mm-bore, and the Wing Sung 3008, which isn't a c/c-filled model. The filp side, however, is that HongDian and PenBBS c/c-filled models with open nibs use 3.4mm-bore converters, so the corollary is not true.

Another HongDian N8 in red (‘Maple Leaves’) with F nib, for less than US$15 taxed and delivered to Australia, to add to the prospective giveaway pile.

Just bought a Hongdian N7 from someone, and the pen is defective. The piston can't hold or draw ink. I opened it, because fortunately the pen also came with a wrench, and greased it everywhere for sealing but it's not doing anything. I saw the gasket of the piston is made from a hard plastic that it's a little dented, nowhere near as soft the rubber I saw used in other piston pens, I'm thinking that's the bad part. Is there any place you can recommend to buy parts? Or are the parts sold by PenBBS in that parts pack fitting Hongdian pens if anyone has experience?

Thank you all for your excellent suggestions! I've added a few more to the list and organized the information for anyone looking. Also.... How did I not realize this?! There's a reason I absolutely love the Hongdian N7, and it's because it's a piston-filler with the exact same length as the L2k (both capped and uncapped). But it adds a little girth and weight (which suits my hand), a beautifully chatoyant acrylic body, and a #6 nib (I have the Long Blade version, which is architecht-esque). The material made me not realize it's a L2K-esque, but it falls into the category!

While I don't own the 9019, I do own the x159, and I have to agree with every single comment you've made here. Jinhao's engineering is shockingly good for the ridiculously low price of the pens. While I've had some "meh" experiences with a couple of their pens, the vast majority are well designed and well made. Hongdian, too, has some great quality control. The M2 is a shockingly great aluminum pocket pen with a soft-ish nib that can be had for about $17 USD shipped on eBay. I know the main savings is in labor costs, but holy wowsers.

Ok, so I made myself an A6-sized Traveler's Notebook style cover out of water buffalo leather (inspired by a similar design made by September Leather). It turned out gorgeous - I love the dark brown color and texture (the picture looks washed out compared to in person). I woodburned an oval birch nametag to slip onto the elastic band that holds the notebook closed, and stained the edges a matching brown. After getting it all set up with my calendar, planner, journal, sketchbook, and wallet inserts (made those, too), I found that none of my writing instruments really complemented the color and feel of the cover. I have two pen loops sewn into the cover, plus a third (removable) one that is attached to an insert. I've spent the past two weeks searching for, and ordering, and receiving, a matching brown pocket fountain pen (chestnut-brown anodized aluminum HongDian M2), a matching brown Pilot Hi-Tec Coleto multi-pen (for planner duty) , and a matching brown Pentel Sharp Kerry 0.5mm mechanical pencil. The closest brown(ish) ink for the fountain pen I have on hand is Diamine Writer's Blood, which is close enough for now - but I'm sure two or three brown inks are bound to be incoming. Oh, and I'm making another cover in A5 size out of the remaining leather. It will probably need the same treatment. Something is wrong with me.

My complaint about Bock nibs is that they have no character. No doubt well-made, good materials, etc., but rather dull. Not worth the premium. Moonman, Asvine, Hongdian, all are preferable. I bought Moonman EF nibs to replace the ho-hum and not-very-fine Bock nibs that made my 3 M600 pens too expensive. The Moonman nibs are more attractive and are made by the pen maker.

Many years ago I was given a Waterman fountain pen (medium nib) which I used on occasion (after having to clean out the dried ink first), and over the years picked up a couple of cheapo Cross fountain pens to play around with (hated the ink in those cartridges and the converters for them were a disaster). I finally decided to step up my game a bit (as a Notary Public I wanted to use a fountain pen I could trust) and recently picked up a Hongdian 1861 and a Lamy Safari, both with fine nibs (plus ink converter for the Lamy). The Hongdian 1861 is okay, I guess... not happy with the ink flow (Noodler's Ink Brevity Black). That Lamy Safari... NOW we're talking. Got it in Red to use with my Noodler's Empire Red ink, and that sucker writes like a dream!! The Waterman has blue ink in it (Noodler's 54th Massachusetts) but the medium nib is too heavy for my writing. So I'm looking for a nicer (but still "budget") pen to use for my black ink notary work, then eventually another for the blue ink, both with fine nibs. Looking at a TWSBI Eco but I don't think it has quite the right visual "vibe" I'm looking for as a Notary... also looking at the Pilot Metropolitan. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated!!

Pen: N12 Make: Hongdian Cost: $25 Nib: EF Packaging & Accessories: 10/10 The pen came in a oval metal box and included a tool to take out the piston mechanism in the pen. No complaints here. Aesthetics & Quality (10/10) Definitely a Pelikan knockoff, but still looks very classy. The pen comes in: green, purple, wine red, blue, white and orange acrylic colors. The blue acrylic is really pretty and has iridescence to it. It is also thick/opaque enough so that you don't see the mechanism inside. There is no ink window which is a little surprising as many of Hongdian's piston filler pens have ink windows. There is a thin gold band on the cap that says "Hongdian" and on opposite side says "N12". There is also a thin gold band at the end of the barrel by the piston mechanism. On top of the cap there is a dove and Olive branches around it. Overall it is a very nice looking pen. Weight and Dimensions: 7/10 The pen is about 5.5" when capped and it weighs about 25g. It is a fairly big pen. It does post well and the cap does not weigh a lot so it doesn't feel off balance. The weight is actually very light for its size and I don't notice any fatigue when writing with it. Nib & Performance: 7/10 The nib is gold colored and very smooth. The nib has a tiny tiny bit of flex, but not enough to easily create line variation. It does have a nice design on it with lots of loops, a little like a Clover. I got the fine nib and the fine nib is 0.6mm which is a tad bigger than some other fine nibs which means it writes a little wider and wetter than many other fine nibs. Hongdian sells replacement nibs in different colors and sizes so you can change them out which is nice. The piston mechanism works well. I haven't had any issues with it sticking. The pen does perform well. I haven't had issues with it drying out. Overall performance is consistent and good. Cost & Value: 10/10 For about $25 you get a smooth writing, very classy looking acrylic pen with a piston mechanism. You also have replacement nib options of: extra fine, fine, and medium in various colors at a very reasonable price (around $15 with all 3 included). There are also lovely colors options available as well so all in all this pen is definitely worth the $25. Conclusion: (44/50 –88%) Smooth nib, piston filler, lovely acrylic, replacement nib options reasonable priced. This pen is great.

Platinum Chou Kuro is a lovely dark ink. Hongdian is also quite dark and appears to be more vibrant than Chou Kuro, at first glance, in the photo. Zoom the photo and you'll see that Chou Kuro is darker with more solid lines. Hongdian's lines are thicker because Hongdian is wetter than Chou Kuro. I like both inks.

Hongdian N2, love its EF nib and used its fill of Rohrer & Klingner Verdigris to the last drop.

I’m not keen on sculptural elements on caps or barrels, whether it’s Stipula or Hongdian, but this pen hangs together pretty well and the varied metal work on the body of the pen is attractive. Their second dragon pen…

Somehow these pens assemble here - and I like them. From left to right: upper picture 1 Hongdian A1 with a 14k nib 2-3 Hongdian A3 4-5 Hongdian 1850 6 Hongdian 517s 7 Hongdian 1850? Black Forrest lower picture 1-3 Pelikan 960 oops Hongdian 960 4 Hongdian N1s piston filler 5-6 Hongdian Design 07 ahem 1845 7-8 Hongdian 660 - both are ebony wood