What Chinese Pen Would You Buy

[KrazyIvan]

Well, I bid and won the blue Duke but it turns out that the seller said there was a quality issue with it and wanted me to choose from the other two colors ( a turquoise and a red).

 

http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/4/1/9/0/7/0/webimg/111005289_o.jpg

 

I did not like either colors. I went through his/her eBay inventory and found the Jinhao Century in blue. The seller agreed to replace my original with it and not charge me the difference. So maybe in three weeks I will have this pen:

 

http://img.auctiva.com/imgdata/5/7/1/3/6/5/webimg/465935152_o.jpg

 

I think I still would have rather had the Duke because of the silver vs. gold color. For now, it is an acceptable substitute.

Edited July 13, 2011 by KrazyIvan

[mr T.]

If you had to pick one (or a few) inexpensive Chinese pens to buy, what would you chose?

 

My Chinese pen of choice would be the Parker Urban.

[hharry]

If ebay is to risky what am I to do? Most US sellers charge a lot of money for posting to the Netherlands, Europe? Any good european sellers that do chinese pens?

[Scrawler]

Twsbi Diamond 530

 

TWSBI is not Chinese. It is Tiawanese.

Isn't Taiwan technically the Republic of China? As apposed to the Peoples Republic of China which is mainland China?

According to Google Maps the ROC is now Taiwan, Province of China. (http://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-maps-says-taiwan-is-province-of-china-sparks-protest/2288/)

 

Taiwan is the defacto Republic of China, because that is where the republic set up its government after losing the mainland to the communists. The communists have always claimed to be the legal successors to the original ROC so have tried since around 1949 to claim it as a province. However even with this technicality, you must remember that Taiwan was a prefecture of Japan until it was ceded to the ROC at the end of WWII. Considering Taiwan to be a part of the PRC is a sop to the power of the current PRC government. They developed their own industry and manufacturing methods quite independently and so product of Taiwan cannot be considered to be "Chinese" if you think "Chinese" means PRC made. On that basis neither TWSBI or Regal are "Chinese" pens.

[GeeBee]

If ebay is to risky what am I to do? Most US sellers charge a lot of money for posting to the Netherlands, Europe? Any good european sellers that do chinese pens?

 

I think EBay gets a worse reputation than deserved as you only hear of the negative side, check the sellers feedback and you should be ok.

Most will try to correct any issues to your satisfaction even on very cheap pens.

[mr T.]

If ebay is to risky what am I to do? Most US sellers charge a lot of money for posting to the Netherlands, Europe? Any good european sellers that do chinese pens?

 

According to their website, P.W. Akkerman in The Hague sells the Hero 616 and the Hero 100.

Edited July 14, 2011 by mr T.

[hharry]

If ebay is to risky what am I to do? Most US sellers charge a lot of money for posting to the Netherlands, Europe? Any good european sellers that do chinese pens?

 

According to their website, P.W. Akkerman in The Hague sells the Hero 616 and the Hero 100.

 

I should never have left my town if birth!!! Just kidding cause Friesland is a great place to live. Does Akkerman do online sales too or do I have to go there next time I visit good old the haque?

[mr T.]

I should never have left my town if birth!!! Just kidding cause Friesland is a great place to live. Does Akkerman do online sales too or do I have to go there next time I visit good old the haque?

 

I'm not sure if they do, but there is a Paypal logo on the homepage. Maybe you could send them an e-mail or call them.

[Scrawler]

If ebay is to risky what am I to do? Most US sellers charge a lot of money for posting to the Netherlands, Europe? Any good european sellers that do chinese pens?

 

According to their website, P.W. Akkerman in The Hague sells the Hero 616 and the Hero 100.

 

I should never have left my town if birth!!! Just kidding cause Friesland is a great place to live. Does Akkerman do online sales too or do I have to go there next time I visit good old the haque?

If you are in Groeningen or Leeuwarden then you are closer to Akkerman in Den Haag than I am to my nearest city, and Akkerman delivers to me out here.

[Ink Stained Wretch]

According to Google Maps the ROC is now Taiwan, Province of China. (http://www.searchenginejournal.com/google-maps-says-taiwan-is-province-of-china-sparks-protest/2288/)

Yeah, that's just because Google wants to keep doing business in the so-called People's Republic of China. But a quick look makes me think that they're not doing it anymore. Your link goes to a six year old Web page.

[ExcaliburZ]

Taiwan is the defacto Republic of China, because that is where the republic set up its government after losing the mainland to the communists. The communists have always claimed to be the legal successors to the original ROC so have tried since around 1949 to claim it as a province. However even with this technicality, you must remember that Taiwan was a prefecture of Japan until it was ceded to the ROC at the end of WWII. Considering Taiwan to be a part of the PRC is a sop to the power of the current PRC government. They developed their own industry and manufacturing methods quite independently and so product of Taiwan cannot be considered to be "Chinese" if you think "Chinese" means PRC made. On that basis neither TWSBI or Regal are "Chinese" pens.

 

PRC and ROC are governments. China and Taiwan are names given to a certain amount of dirt. Chinese is a cultural and a ethnic label, hence this all starting with me saying the Twsbi 530 (a bit of a joke but a really good pen).

 

p.s. Taiwan was part of China before it was seceded to the Japanese and before that it was controlled by an indigenous tribes of headhunters and before they found it, nobody.

p.s.s. the ROC claimed and some still do they are legal government of mainland China. Overall the whole thing reads like a joke.

[kareth]

this one

 

http://www.stationeryart.com/chinese-traditional-blue-white-poncelain-fountain-p-2179.html?osCsid=585068c8fa7d498eefc611892db942be

[tuintu]

Some recently added to my collection:

 

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5110/5815924583_0095e97ffe_z.jpg

Jinhao J30 by IvanRomero, on Flickr

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2702/5816489146_b895b483d5_z.jpg

Jinhao J30 uncapped by IvanRomero, on Flickr

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/5815915139_db3a05f980_z.jpg

Jinhao J30 Nib by IvanRomero, on Flickr

 

I've bought a Jinhao J031 yesterday (from eBay). It's been shipped but there's no tracking number

 

i wonder i'll receive it safely ?? Do you have any experiences or problems with buying a non-tracking number item?

[KrazyIvan]

Some recently added to my collection:

 

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5110/5815924583_0095e97ffe_z.jpg

Jinhao J30 by IvanRomero, on Flickr

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2702/5816489146_b895b483d5_z.jpg

Jinhao J30 uncapped by IvanRomero, on Flickr

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/5815915139_db3a05f980_z.jpg

Jinhao J30 Nib by IvanRomero, on Flickr

 

I've bought a Jinhao J031 yesterday (from eBay). It's been shipped but there's no tracking number

 

i wonder i'll receive it safely ?? Do you have any experiences or problems with buying a non-tracking number item?

 

I have had a few pens arrive safely with no tracking number. Those usually take longer to arrive.

[jkingrph]

Considering their economic and political policies, I will never knowlingly purchase a Chinease pen. I honestly have never seen or handled one and do not want to do so. I make it a point to purchase goods made in the USA, Canada, Europe, and Mexico to those of China and the SE Asian countries.

 

That's just me, but I am thinking we see entirely too many goods from China.

 

As a pharmacist one thing I find frightening is the number of our first line drugs which are now coming from India and that region in general. What happens when their policies cause a shutdown and we can no longer get them as our production capacity has been eliminated?

[Kaptenmork]

I read so many times that people bought hero's and found the quality very low. Until today, I didnt understand this because I have several of them myself, and they are excellent pens.

 

until today.

 

Today, I went to a cheap market to buy more Heros, and they didnt look like my heros at home, the cap was golden and made of plastic(?) and the nib was not not centered! This must be the fake heros, they cost only 1.20 singapore dollar, about 1 us.

 

My real hero have a cap of stainless steele.

 

I will take pictures later.

[GeeTee]

What a fun topic. It made me look up a lot of pens on Ebay, luckily i have some impuls control so i didn't order any, but i'm tempted by the Baoer 388. They look rather nice.

 

I only have a bunch of Hero 616 pens. Some are good, some are not (one nib broke after a few minutes of writing) but i paid about 1$ a pen. I also have some other Hero pens. Don't know the name (small metal pen with semi hooded nib), these a quite nice too. I bought a package of them and all work pretty well. I don't see the point in paying 5-10 times more to order from a dealer. Just order a bunch of them, my experience so far is that about 80% of them works fine (maybe some little tweaking). I use them as giveaway pens. If someone shows some real interest in my fountain pens i give them one or two of these chinese pens to get started. I works really well: i know some people who bought a Waterman of a Sailor some weeks later just because the discovered they really liked FP's.

[HBlaine]

I've got literally dozens of Chinese pens and, in general, have had no problems with them. Back in the day, I occasionally had problems with the less expensive models. But now, not so much.

 

The biggest thing to remember is, ya ain't buying a top o'the line MB/Pel/Parker/Waterman/whatever. They're basically inexpensive, workaday pens. Yeah, some of them are gaudy as all get out, but that's just part of the fun. (I get a kick out of pulling my Jinhao "Dragon's Offsprings" model out in the records room, and watching everyone nearby go googly-eyed.)

 

And there's been more than a few times when one of my high-end Euro pens has gagged writing on certain types of paper, etc., and I pull out one of my Dukes, Jinhaos or Haolilais, and the Chinese pen writes where the Euro pen doesn't.

 

If I had to name particular favorites... The Haolilai ZF 101 and Gold CEO, the Duke "Khaki Squares", the Bookworm 702, the Baoer "8-Horse", and the Hero 151 "Ancient Vessels". I'm probably missing a few. (And I've got several on order that may work their way into the line up.)

 

They're good value for the money. Try a few, and enjoy them!

Edited September 1, 2011 by HBlaine

[tuintu]

Some recently added to my collection:

 

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5110/5815924583_0095e97ffe_z.jpg

Jinhao J30 by IvanRomero, on Flickr

 

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2702/5816489146_b895b483d5_z.jpg

Jinhao J30 uncapped by IvanRomero, on Flickr

 

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5063/5815915139_db3a05f980_z.jpg

Jinhao J30 Nib by IvanRomero, on Flickr

 

I've bought a Jinhao J031 yesterday (from eBay). It's been shipped but there's no tracking number

 

i wonder i'll receive it safely ?? Do you have any experiences or problems with buying a non-tracking number item?

 

I have had a few pens arrive safely with no tracking number. Those usually take longer to arrive.

 

Hi !

Today I've safely(!) received my Jinhao J031 M nib which i've been waiting for 18 days to arrive.

 

It has really perfect workmanship more that i expect. Nib work, good-looking matte handle, glossy black body and gold ring of the cap makes the pen expensive look.

 

Highly Recommended.

[renegawlt]

None.

Every Chinese pen I've bought hasn't been worth what I paid to have it shipped to me (irregardless of the price of the pen).

 

"Irregardless" is not a word.

 

Sorry. Pet peeve.