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What Chinese Pens Are You Using Today?


richardandtracy

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Kaigelu 316. Overall very nice, slightly top heavy, even unposted.

Mine is wet,with a broader than medium line. I cleaned it before

filing, but it is still a hard starter, I think with a bit more

attention it will work well.

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Filedog, I use my 2 Kaigelu 316's interchangably with my Duofold Centennial Pearl & Black. The balance isn't quite the same, in fact not quite right, but they write very well, and they are just as gorgeous to look at.

 

Today, though, I'm having another bash with my excessively heavy Jinhao 1200. It writes nice & wet, but the c/c empties just so fast.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

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Received my Bulow x750 from xfountainpen and compared it to my jinhao x750 and I prefer the bulow. The feed is different and well made. A simple cleaning was the only thing needed to have an very nice writer. The converter seems beter too and have that little glass ball instead of the metal spring inside. The orignal nib is smoother too. So the jinhao will be used as a second cap and barrel to change color from time to time.

 

I played also with my knox nibs and tried the EF (way to fine for me), the M (seems smoother and juicer than the original bulow nib on the pen) and the OB2 oblique (I really like this one, it's not much of an oblique but write to well).

 

The knox ob2 is about the same size of my marlen dot-com B so it's not really an ob2 from my experience.

 

Will try to compare the B to the OB2 but anyway the 15$ pen with a cheap knox nib works very well !

 

If someone could build bigger converter for these pens it would be very nice.

Edited by SylvainP
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All week, I have been using a Jinhao 250 at work. Private Reserve

DC Supershow Blue works fine. The nib is medium, but writes fine,

if I turn it over. The stiff nib cuts carbons.

 

I preceed use of all low-price Chinese pens with multiple flushes

of very warm 10% ammonia-water solution, soaking the nib and feed.

I believe poor ink flow comes from manufacturing residue. I would

not risk damaging a valued pen, but it seems to help.

Auf freiem Grund mit freiem Volke stehn.
Zum Augenblicke dürft ich sagen:
Verweile doch, du bist so schön !

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Thought I'd break out my Jinhao 321 today. I had forgotton just how well made it is. The nib writes just like my Kaigelu 306 and the only fine P61 I've had (got rid of the latter because I don't really like fine nibs).

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

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Got a recent release from Jinhao in the mail today; the Jinhao 159. This thing is bloody enormous. Virtually the same size and weight as the MB 149. Looks like a 149, also. All for $11.00 USD. Comes with a converter and a larger stainless steel nib. Smooth writer.

 

post-34566-0-41395600-1328220318.jpg

 

 

 

--

cuza

 

 

I don't think it's a coincidence that Jinhao (SHANGHAI QIANGU STATIONERY CO., LTD) named this pen the model 159. . .

Edited by cuza
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Three pens showed up today from China, and each one is very different.

post-80102-0-71610800-1328224268.jpg

This is a Baoer 517. It's not a bad pen, but it isn't as smooth as my other Baoer. I would consider this a medium weight pen and the nib need a bit of work as it is a bit scratchy and skips if you are writing very quickly. I will practice working on the nib with this pen. Its inked with Private Reserve Black Magic Blue.

 

post-80102-0-92540200-1328224450.jpg

This is a Yiren 823. So this is one very heavy pen, even though it appears to be made of some sort of ceramic, it is 100% metal. The design is just painted on. There are two small areas that show blemishes in the finish, but nothing major. It writes very smoothly and is a bit on the wet side. It is heavier than the Twsbi 540 so I cannot write with it for very long before my hand starts to cramp. It will likely not be an everyday type of pen. It is currently filled with Diamine Sunset.

 

post-80102-0-35688200-1328224811.jpg

This pen is called the Dolce Vita Naranja, and was the most expensive of the pens that arrived today at 10 USD shipped. Personally that $10 could have been better spent. It is nearly 100% plastic and weighs about the same as a BIC pen. Its inked with Private Reserve DC Super Violet and likely when it's empty I will give it away to some unsuspecting relative. It is not scratchy and not a dry writer but there just isn't enough weight to the pen to inspire any confidence. One good thing is that the cap snaps very tightly and when you post it the cap snaps onto the silver band in the rear very securely. The nib is marked GERMANY.

 

One thing I am finding about these pens, they must be made for people with very small hands. I have a great deal of trouble using them if they are not posted. Of course when posted, the balance is all over the place. After I am done with these pens I have a few more in my watch list so maybe I will hit the jackpot on the next batch.

Edited by Wh3r3sWald0
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This week: Picasso Gentleman 902 Platinum with Pelikan Topaz.

The Picasso is in my watch list, how do you like it?

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<snip>

 

post-80102-0-35688200-1328224811.jpg

This pen is called the Dolce Vita Naranja,

<snip>

I was at a friends house a couple week back and he let me try one he had. I was really impressed. Smooth and light. Very easy to write with. I liked it.

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This week: Picasso Gentleman 902 Platinum with Pelikan Topaz.

The Picasso is in my watch list, how do you like it?

I like it a lot. It's a very smooth pen with excellent fit and finish. Without a doubt the best Chinese pen I've got.

The only "problem" I have with it, is that it's a bit on the dry side whereas I prefer very wet pens.

 

I suspect that the Picasso is equal in size -or perhaps even slightly smaller- than the pens you mentioned in your post.

If you prefer larger pens then size might be a concern.

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I understand that the Dolce Vita Naranja is made by Kaigelu as a different brand from their factory. I think I may get one - I've had a watch on one for months and to hear that it's light - well that would be nice as I really like lightweight pens. The heavier pens are a little difficult to hold for hours.

 

I have ordered myself a little Jinhao Century 5000 pen ( http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/180758319110?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 ) . I want to see what the filigree is like. The Century pens have good nibs, so I have high hopes, but won't use it too much to avoid wearing the plating off. It's a shame they don't do it in chrome, as that'll wear off much more slowly.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

 

 

 

 

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A Hero 616 arrived in the mail yesterday. I've recently had a hankering to get a vintage Parker 51, and the 616 was a way to scratch the itch quickly while I wait for the right pen to show up on Ebay.

 

The initial impression was so-so. This is obviously a cheap pen, but nothing fell off while it was being flushed. After filling, though, I'm reasonably impressed. It puts down a nice, consistent line, and feels pretty good in the hand. Good value for the $7 that isellpens gets for it.

 

It's good enough that I'm looking at the Hero 100 and 1000 a little more closely - but I still want that 51.

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A Hero 616 arrived in the mail yesterday. I've recently had a hankering to get a vintage Parker 51, and the 616 was a way to scratch the itch quickly while I wait for the right pen to show up on Ebay.

 

The initial impression was so-so. This is obviously a cheap pen, but nothing fell off while it was being flushed. After filling, though, I'm reasonably impressed. It puts down a nice, consistent line, and feels pretty good in the hand. Good value for the $7 that isellpens gets for it.

 

It's good enough that I'm looking at the Hero 100 and 1000 a little more closely - but I still want that 51.

 

My 616 amazes me, it starts right up every time!

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I got a Jinhao X750 today, finish is quite nice,

although the feed slots are vcut a bit roughly.

It writes well without even a cleaning,

it's AMAZING what you get for the money.

Edited by filedog
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I am currently using 4 Jinhao X450s and 2 Hero 616 Jumbos but i have a whole stack of chinese pens due from ebay as I went a little crazy and couldn't stop clicking......

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Oooo .... who what which where what color? :vbg:

 

 

Well I've ordered another 2 Jinhao X450s, a 750, a Jinhao 159 (looks like the MB) and the Baoer model that looks like MB Skywalker

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gosh! i'm sad to report that i have not used a chinese pen in a week now. except at home. i always play with all my toys at home, but i don't think that counts. tomorrow, perhaps...??!!

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Rather off topic :

WayTooManyHobbies, I like your shaper. Do you use it much? I have a little 7" shaper that I always mean to use more, but rarely get anything done with it - it's so slow & I tend to get fascinated with just watching it and forget to pay attention to what it's actually doing. Mine is here:

http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/xx356/richardandtracy/Workshop/Workshop3.jpg

 

Today's pen is a Hero 616 Jumbo. Hopefully it won't break in two like the one my daughter had last week. That split in half at the upper connector washer & she got a fistful of ink when it happened.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

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