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Showing results for tags 'china'.
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If the subject has been done to death, sorry. How does one ensure that you are getting the best version? That's weird: A knock-off of a knock-off. The worst are like dragging a finger nail on a emery board, not surprising given that the nib is very fine.
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Parker Sonnet (China Buy) - Legit Or "knock Off"
GEJ posted a topic in Fountain & Dip Pens - First Stop
I've recently begun purchasing fountain pens and have bought a few through ebay from china. They state that they are Parker Sonnet, and appear to be just that, but the prices are dramatically less than if I were to purchase from Amazon. For an example I bought a Blue Parker Sonnet pen, gold trim with a medium nib on ebay for $12.05 Cdn, but on Amazon the same pen is listed for around $45.20 Cdn. Are these pens truly a Parker Sonnet, or a 'knock off' and how would I be able to tell. The pen writes well and I have no complaints about it, but the pricing variance is a little unsettling. -
Greetings All, Winter break is here and as any self-respecting, FP-loving English teacher would do, I’d like to fill my free time by contributing to the FPN community. As has been mentioned in other posts on this board, Penbbs is a group of FP lovers that is like a Chinese version of FPN. Its owner has produced a lot of inks and cranks out as many as 15 new colors each year. Difficulty obtaining these inks in the West means there aren’t many reviews in English. Lgsoltek and visvamitra have gotten the ball rolling by reviewing some of them and I’d like to add some more. Here’s my proposal: Below are color samples of the inks available for the past 5 series of Penbbs inks. Based on all your requests, I’m going to choose between 10 and 20 of them to review. At a mere $0.30-50 per 5ml sample, this should be a lot of fun for little money. To request reviews of any of the colors, just reply to this post with the corresponding numbers of the inks you want reviewed. Thanks for your help!
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Calligraphy lovers rejoice! Today Shanghai Jingdian started offering sets of five italic nib units that will screw into Delike pens and a few models of Moonman pens. These are currently in their Taobao store, but keep your eyes peeled for them to start showing up on eBay soon. http://m.tb.cn/h.37htpcP?sm=9758e2
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Anybody Knows This Beauty? Is It From China, Korea Or Japan? What Is This Pen?
Lodzermensch posted a topic in Fountain & Dip Pens - First Stop
What is this pen? What is the brand / producer / origin? What model is this? This is a pen given to me by my father in early 80-ties. I used it for a couple of years as my every day pen. I cannot identify the producer nor the model. Must be produced somewhere in 1970-ties ot late 1960-ties? Much likely to be from China ? Maybe Japan? Maybe someone is able to read the signature on the nib?
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Does anyone know anything about the Lignan company? I was lucky enough to win a pen by them in a generous PIF, and can't find out anything about the pen. It writes very nicely in an EF nib, but an EF that is broader than most (which surprises me in a pen I believe is Asian). An old thread on the forum said the marque was a sub-marque of the Hero company, but I don't know much about them either! I like knowing a little bit about my pens, so I'd appreciate any information y'all can share. Thanks.
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Hi ..I am planning to buy few decent Chinese FP with different nib sizes mainly for ink trials and daily office use I didn't use any Chinese brand before so I hope to get your advice N.B: Price not more than 15$ for a pen Thanks
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I bought Kaco Retro fountain pen. The nib is smooth and juicy, plastic is good quality and the pen is well made but: The clip is a joke. At least on the pen I received. All you need to do is touch it and it slips about 30 degrees to the left. It is unusable. If not for this flaw, this would be one of my favourite pens. It writes and feels like Parker 51, just better. Does anyone else have this problem with the clip? If I got a lemon I would buy another one as it would be a good pen.
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Help Me Choose My Next Jinhao :)
truthpil posted a topic in China, Korea and Others (Far East, Asia)
Hi Everyone, Jinhaos have been the only Chinese pens I've used that have always worked right out of the box and had smooth nibs that are easy to change. The only problem I've had is that the section can leak after a while. I enjoy my X750s and X450, but wanted something a little thinner. I've narrowed it down to these 4 pens and would appreciate your input, especially if you have any of these. I'm asking everyone on here also because I'd like to get a pen to review that FPN folks are most curious about. My priorities are a comfortable section (which is making me lean away from the shorter-sectioned 601) and a smooth-as-possible nib. The weight and measurements are from a Jinhao dealer, but I don't know how accurate they are. They are ordered from least to most expensive (13~32RMB). Thanks for any thoughts and suggestions! Jinhao 911 EF (20g) 14cm(L) [They call this a "financial nib" 0.38 which I think means accountant style.] Jinhao 601 M (40g) 13.2(L) [This is a Parker Sonnet clone like Kaigelu 356] Jinhao 165 M (32g) 13.7cm (L) Jinhao 163 M (40g) 14.2(L) -
Has anyone tried this? Black body x EF nib is the only option. Comes in gold or silver trim. US$9.00.
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Yup, I also don't know how that would work.
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I've always wanted a real bamboo pen--not just the bamboo-styled ebonite ones--but the susutake ones run to over $1,000 and seem too large and unwieldy besides. So a month ago, I ordered this pen from China through eBay, and it finally arrived today. I'm happy to report that it exceeded all my expectations--in size, finish, and general quality. It even writes well! (And did I say it cost just $20, shipped?) The section has threads, but it's actually just a pull-off cap. (I'm sure they already had these sections for other pens and didn't want to remanufacture unthreaded ones--or maybe the threads provide more grip inside.) The makers wisely put thin plastic rings on both cap and barrel to cushion the contact. The two-tone steel nib is marked HERO, but the pen itself is, of course, unbranded. What I like the most is that it's real, strong, polished bamboo! I love the nodes and the patterns--you couldn't get these if you wanted to manufacture the pen in ebonite or acrylic. And it's bigger than my Agatha and M900! It's surprisingly comfortable in the hand, and the Hero nib lays down a decent line (it's friction-fit, so I should have no problem replacing this with one of my flexy 14K vintage nibs--can't wait). The only problem I had was that the pen wouldn't suck in ink if I dipped it into the bottle, so I had to pull out and dip the converter itself instead. Other than that, it's a fantastic pen at $20--I'd easily have paid three times that--so much so that I went back online immediately to order more, only to find it out of stock I'll certainly be back to look for more. Here you go:
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The Wing Sung 601 is another one in the chinese Parker wannabees that have become widely prevalent in the pen market recently. Despite the design changes (i.e. the ink window etc), there are clear elements that appear to constitute intellectual property infringement. For example, based on https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/160565-35-parker-arrows/ the Parker clip arrow is based on trademark No 1178088 which was originally issued in 1932 but is valid today see http://tsdr.uspto.gov/#caseNumber=+1,178,088 and belongs to Newell Rubbermaid Inc. I am not a lawyer but it appears that we have a clear intellectual property infringement case. I am very interested in hear from all of you regarding the legal, ethical and other aspects of this issue, including the responsibility of ebay, amazon etc in assisting the sale of such products. -
Looks a bit Muji-ish and the listing describes it as having an EF nib (not other options). So far it's only available in Taobao..
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Greetings Fellow FPNers, Below are some of my thoughts on the Thyer edition of the Jinhao 911. This review turned out sounding a little more negative than I had intended, but don’t let it scare you away from this pen. Many of the good points about the Jinhao 911 have already been discussed in KingRoach’s excellent and much fuller review. My observations agree 100% with his, including the issues of potential scratching and the nib lightly touching the inside of the cap when capped. According to the Thebai Company that sells this pen, it has several distinct differences from the regular Jinhao 911: 1. The nib has been reground from 0.38mm to 0.45mm, given a better feed assembly, and tuned. 2. The plastic threaded part that connects the section to the barrel has been replaced with a metal one (newer Jinhao 911s also have the metal part). 3. A better piston converter has replaced the plunger type (newer Jinhao 911s also have this improved converter). 4. Each Thyer pen is adjusted by hand for optimal performance. 5. The Thebai logo and “Thebai Thyer” have replaced the “Jinhao 911” engraving on the cap rim. I’m not sure if it’s available outside of China, but Seele has kindly provided the link to the Taobao seller whom I bought it from. A Final Word If you want an inexpensive, lightweight, hooded nib “flighter” with a decent fine nib, then this is definitely worth your interest. Just know that the outside of the pen will scratch easily (I can already see scratches on the barrel in addition to those already on the section) and may quickly turn into a “beater” pen. The nib is average but not scratchy and flows alright with a wet ink, producing an even fine line. Is it worth paying a little more for this “hot rod” Thyer version as opposed to the standard Jinhao 911? Since I don’t have the latter to compare with, all I can say is definitely if you really want the fine nib instead of the 911’s extra fine. SDG
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Hello again to all my FPN friends, Here is just a quick write up I did of my impressions on this lovely pen that I've been enjoying for the past few weeks. I found out about it from the hot tips here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/295491-chinese-pens-show-and-tell/page-50?do=findComment&comment=3957350 and here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/304037-hero-haifu-186-any-one-might-tell-me-how-is-the-pen/?hl=huafu&do=findComment&comment=3565597 Dimensions: - Capped = 137mm - Capless = 122mm - Posted = 152mm - Weight = 23g Photos From the Taobao seller I purchased mine from: [https://item.taobao.com/item.htm?spm=a1z09.2.0.0.3d59f006LXXAbr&id=549487132934&_u=52lkvpjhfc75] Review:
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Video Overview Of The Modern Wing Sung Pens
rollerboy posted a topic in China, Korea and Others (Far East, Asia)
I just encountered this video which provides a brief overview and a bit of background on the recent deluge of models carrying the Wing Sung brand name: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmZkgroOGrk. -
Hi All! Here comes a new "ruthless review". My ruthless reviews have a few peculiar features: Concise;Very strict. If a pen costs hundred of euros, no faults are allowed. A good pen gets a 60/100, a great pen an 80/100, an almost perfect one a 90/100. Only a divine pen can have above 90. Don't care about the box,Add a few peculiar criteria:Nib appearance;Usability in shirt pockets;Out-of-the-boxness, meaning to what extent a nib was perfect right after leaving the seller. Jinhao 886 with M nib - red colour Fantastic pictures of this pen in this very same colour are available from Vaibav Mehandiratta's blog. His photos are far better than I'll ever manage to get, so... enjoy his effort! I bought this pen because it's one of the few Chinese ones with an original design (that is, it's not a copy of someone else's efforts). With this in mind, I thought it would be nice to encourage Jinhao's creative efforts, and I was not expecting much. Instead.... 1. Appearance and design: 10/10 This is really cool: the design is a sort of vintage/retro, reminds a bit of a FIAT 500 or a Smeg fridge. Very cute, absolutely awesome design work here! 2. Construction: 7/10 The metal looks sturdy, and tolerances are really tight. The section looks cheap, though, and so does the converter. 3. Quality of materials: 8/10 Everything looks OK, but the red and chrome coating is thin and seem likely to wear off very soon. I suggest to keep the pen in a pen holder. 4. Weight and dimensions: 7/10 Tiny, comfortable to use: the heft of the metal body makes the pen gravitate towards the paper. People with large hands will have issues, though. 5. Nib performance: 6/10 A no-nonsense M steel nib. Nothing special here: a bit of a hard starter and slightly on the dry side, and perhaps a bit "soulless", but it does its job. 6. Nib appearance: 7/10 Nice engravings, albeit banal. 7. "Out-of-the-boxness": 9/10 I expected much tweaking and fixing to get this to write: instead it wrote almost perfectly straight away! A little bit of tines spreading and it was good to go. 8. Filling system and maintenance: 2/10 Standard C/C system. The converter is a rip-off of a Lamy one, and this is unacceptable. Also, it leaks a tiny little bit... I guess I'll have to replace it soon. 9. Clip and usability with shirts: 8/10 The clip is maybe a bit too strong ( - 2 for this), but other than that, it's great, and the size makes it suitable for most shirt pockets. 10. Cost and value: 10/10 EUR 5 for the pen and shipping with registered mail?!?! This is incredible. If this is the "Chinese future", I'm very much looking forward to it! Final mark: 74/100 It was difficult to be ruthless with this: I highly recommend this pen to anyone who wants a nice, well-built, well-designed, tiny little pen For EUR 5 you get the pen shipped from China, inclusive of a converter, and it writes! That's more than you can say of some EUR 300 pens you get from Western manufacturers. I'm now officially a huge fan of Jinhao.
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Hero 1000 Pen From Ebay( Jewelrymathematics)
Deep_Adhikary posted a topic in India & Subcontinent (Asia)
Hi All I have bough a Hero 1000 from ebay(Seller: jewelrymathematics). Buy going through the ebay reviews and some post in FPN, I can assume that jewelrymathematics is a reliable seller. But the problem is, he sent the Item through Yenwen Express. In internet I am unable to find any positive review on the same. Although he has EMS option but that is too expensive ($25 shipping on $43 pen ). I have advised him to send the item thought registered china post, but he said that will be very slow. So if you have any prior experience with this seller and the carrier(e.e. Yenwen Express) pleas let me know. Thank You -
Hero 1000 Pen From Ebay( Jewelrymathematics)
Deep_Adhikary posted a topic in China, Korea and Others (Far East, Asia)
Hi All I have bough a Hero 1000 from ebay(Seller: jewelrymathematics). Buy going through the ebay reviews and some post in FPN, I can assume that jewelrymathematics is a reliable seller. But the problem is, he sent the Item through Yanwen Express. In internet I am unable to find any positive review on the same. Although he has EMS option but that is too expensive ($25 shipping on $43 pen ). I have advised him to send the item thought registered china post, but he said that will be very slow. So if you have any prior experience with this seller and the carrier(e.e. Yenwen Express) pleas let me know. Thank You -
A short, informal review of a very solid knock-around pen. I like it a lot! This pen is easily obtained from eBay and comes in different iterations (with what seems to be the same nib and feed) such as the "234", "235", "237", etc. I like this one the best since it has that ink-view window and doesn't have the nib collar of its siblings. The ink window isn't really useful though in practice. http://68.media.tumblr.com/e6b80ee8e8c3381773354b3ea2dc51b4/tumblr_onf05pnmxY1vvyk70o3_1280.jpghttp://68.media.tumblr.com/a666b7171d67137c9786d846e82cac59/tumblr_onf05pnmxY1vvyk70o1_1280.jpghttp://68.media.tumblr.com/783bd12249165c4b4b29d3603bd0948d/tumblr_onf05pnmxY1vvyk70o9_r1_1280.jpg More detail photos at the blog.
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"Did he mean Big Apple? Red Dragon?" Well, no. I recently got back from China but I'm already doing research in my spare time on what I'm looking to get the next time I can visit, and I guess the point of this is post is to crowdsource/highlight nice pens and inks the rest of the world haven't heard about. Due to the particular economic factors existing in the PROC I think they are experiencing what America had during the heyday of pens pre-WWII, albeit on a larger scale and with less experimentation. Why do I say that? Looking at Taobao.com (a massive e-commerce site in China comparable to Amazon) and searching for "钢笔" (fountain pen) or "钢笔墨水" (fountain pen ink) brings up dozens of results. There's quite a good mix of new designs and new ink manufacturers with "old school" Chinese pens with built-in aerometric fillers and probably decades old companies that seem to only sell five types of ink: blue, blue-black, red, black, and carbon black. We aren't seeing new style fillers (yet) but the recent trend of turning out piston fillers (there are two) does get me excited on what their try at a vacuum filler will be like. Even excluding the foreign items (lots of Lamy) you will still be spoiled for choice. What's different too is that there is a palpable enthusiast following; people aren't buying just because there's nothing else. I think the best proof of that is the number of listings for ink samples. Oh, and did I say that everything's cheap there? (and this is from a guy who comes from a Third World country) Oh, the Big Apple! The description says a bottle weighs one kilogram. Enjoy:
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I am from the UK and know absolutely nothing about the chinese fountain pen industry. At the end of next month i will be going on a 2 week trip to china and i would love to buy some inks and pens there which i couldnt get in the uk so...... I was wondering if i could have some advice on what pens to look out for and which ones to avoid and the same thing for inks, i will, of course, be going around shops so some advice on which shops would be good would be nice as well any ideas?
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I Have A Twsbi Eco, Do I Want A Wing Sung 698?
antichresis posted a topic in China, Korea and Others (Far East, Asia)
Hi guys, I have a TWSBI Eco. It's a good, competent pen, smooth, with a large ink capacity,I like screw caps, and it's inexpensive. On the other hand I'm not in love with the pen. I borrowed a lot of Ecos (probably a dozen or more) from friends before and I was never struck by how good they were. They were nice, and I knew I was going to try one eventually—if a good deal came my way—but it wasn't high on my list. I just felt that it lacked a bit of character, a bit of a quirkiness. From that and from your own experiences, should I get a Wing Sung 698? What does the 698 have that an Eco does not, why do you like one over the other? For additional context I have a 659 I bought last year. Again, a good pen, but I don't find myself reaching for it. There was also a problem with the feed (ink would not come down) that I eventually fixed. From what I understand, the 698 and the 659 have the same writing end (I also have a couple of 78G pens from <F> to <B>). Besides the piston filler capacity, what does the 698 bring to the table that those two don't? Does it feel better in the hand, is it better made? Lastly, I got the 659 because I like demonstrators and I love clear feeds. However, the feed on mine has stained. I don't recall what ink I had in the pen, but I don't think it was any problematic ink because it's only the feed that got stained and not the section or the converter although it is also possible that I had the pen inked much more than usual (didn't reach for it much), but did you get your 698 feed stained? With what ink? -
I found something in China. It may be trying to replicate what we use a brass sheet for, but the instructions are in Chinese and my HS Chinese is failing me. Pics:
