Best Fountains For Chinese Characters

[Jordanlaa]

Hey guys,

 

I'm new to this forum and I'd like to hear some of your recommendations for a fountain pen which can be used to write small chinese in characters. I take notes on standard lined paper so it gets difficult to fit characters between the lines with the current ballpoint pens i'm using, especially characters like 素. I also really like the small variations in stroke size if this is possible, so...

 

• Chinese writing fountain pen
  
• small enough to write between lined paper
  
• stroke size variation
  
• I'm a student so cheap
  

 

I've read dozens of threads on here recommending Hero 100 but it is very expensive on Ebay, Ebay is really my only option but i'm not sure about reputable sellers, they won't sell chinese brands anywhere in Australia. Also do all pens require ink pots to fill them or which ones have cartridges, I don't mind filling them if you advise me on the right ink. Ideally, I wouldn't want to spend more than $25.

 

Thanks in advance!

[Seele]

Jordanlaa,

 

Judging by your needs I feel Chinese-made pens might be the ticket; pretty much all of them are optimized for writing in Chinese, where they give finer lines, write a bit dryer, and the nibs can give sharp turns.

 

As you are on a budget I would recommend the classic hooded nib Wing Sung pens, but not the lowest end ones. Models worth considering are the 612-series, 613, 712, and 730. I have not been successful with the 80x models, but the others turned out to be exemplary.

 

The award-winning 612 has been an iconic model for a long time and the demand is still significant, so there are newly-made fakes around too. If you want to go the 612 route, be sure to get from a reputable vendor, and there are several on eBay too.

 

These models all use bottled ink which is of course a lot more economical than pre-filled cartridges. A lot of Australian newsagents do sell inks, mostly Parker Quink at about $9 - $11, and that is perfectly serviceable.

Edited March 24, 2013 by Seele

[Nonsensical]

I would suggest you go with a Pilot 78G. You should be able to get one from Ebay for less than $15, shipped.

 

The nib is perfect for writing Chinese characters one lined paper. (I can fit in everything I want on 6mm lined paper using a fine Pilot nib).

 

A Hero 100 actually writes wider than a lot of other Chinese pens, and is probably not what you are looking for.

[Jordanlaa]

Hey Seele,

 

Thanks for the reply, I had a look at the Wing Sung's, they are about $6 on Ebay so I will try it out. I hate to sound picky, would you be able to recommend a nice looking one? I only plan to use the fountain pen's at home but I do really like the look of some fountain pens. How can I tell a good fountain pen from a not so good one?

 

So there is different nib thickness, fine etc, there is nib length (?) and also there were different types of nibs, which one is going to give the best result for chinese caligraphy, I really do like the contours and stroke variation.

 

I will buy the Wing Sung and try it out, thanks : D

[lancecreeks]

It depends on how big your characters normally are. For me, I feel most comfortable with writing Chinese using Lamy Safari EF, given the constraints of line spacing. Anything F or above would make it prone to smudging. However, if you wish to go finer than that, you can try Japanese nibs like Pilot ones. Pilot Prera F nib is finer than Lamy EF, and so is the ideal nib size for writing Chinese, yet the short length of Prera makes it tiring for me to write on long stretches.

 

Unfortunately, Lamy and Pilot only take proprietary cartridges although the Lamy ones should be pretty easy to get anywhere. Getting a converter for Lamy is a worthy investment, though. As for the Prera, a converter is included in purchase. As for ink, Pilot Blue or Blue Black (not Iroshizuku) are excellent for student use.

 

Below are some pics to give you an idea on how the pens perform. Top panel is Lamy Safari EF, bottom one Pilot Prera F. Line spacing 6mm for both.

Edited March 24, 2013 by lancecreeks

[Mt.Roll]

I've got a 'junker' steel nib 'vintage' Japanese fountain pen which I'm able to send you if you're interested. I can practice my nib tuning and then send it off :roflmho:

You can refill the cartridge in them with a syringe (blunt tip preferably...), so just buy a bottle of ink perhaps?

 

Edit: It's a short pen, big cap. So that the body is quite short but when posted (cap put on the bottom), it becomes a decent length. The nib size is unmarked, I could probably make it finer... but I'm only an amateur at grinding nibs, professional at wrecking them though.

Edited March 24, 2013 by Mt.Roll

[Jordanlaa]

Lance creeks, thank you for the post, the photos and suggestions were extremely helpful. I love the look of the nib, I'm not so set on the fully hooded models. I'll check out those two models, I hope one day I can more actively post in this forum with my fountain experiencs! Thanks, Mt Roll for the reply too, I've PMed you

[Seele]

Jordanlaa,

 

The most reliable Wing Sungs all look quite similar, those with Sheaffer-like nibs can be a bit of a handful if you get one that's even a little bit not perfect. The 730 has a bit of a Fifth Avenue look about it which I find pleasant, and there's a steel version of the 612A which I like a lot too.

 

The appearance of a pen tells you very little about its performance - or for that matter, how you personally define what performance characteristics are deemed desirable. Some of the hooded nib Wing Sungs are made as "Accountant's Pens" with extra-fine nibs, for making tiny writings; this may or may not be desirable to you but personally I have problems with those, especially those in the 80x series.

 

If you are after line variations, it is throwing a big spanner in the works; you can indeed get that with a flex nib but the upward-bending "fude" nib is considered to be particularly good with Chinese writings. Problem is that you cannot write small with a fude nib: you either write with a stiff nib with no line variation if you want to write small, or have line variation but not able to write small.

[pienaar]

I really dont know how you good go wrong with the pilot 78g and the extra fine nib. They come with a convertor and (from what I have read)are designed as a Asian student pen. I like mine, it writes nice and draws nice.

[WaskiSquirrel]

I'm learning Chinese myself. My understanding is that in China, regular fountain pens and even ballpoints are most often used for the writing.

 

However, if you are interested in approximating the look of a brush pen, I'm learning to use the Sailor DE Brush Stroke Fountain pen. It's not exactly a brush pen look, but it does very well.

 

I think more expert hands than mine would do better getting the right look out of it, but I've been very happy with what I've been able to do with it, and I've found it a lot less frustrating than a brush pen.

[Mountolive]

This is a bit off topic but you have already received some excellent suggestions regarding pens. My experience is that any decent fine-nibbed fountain pen can be used for writing Chinese characters.

 

I don't know if you are just learning to write Chinese or if you are already experienced. If the former is true and you are still learning to write characters, you might try to track down a copy of "Learn to Write Chinese Characters" by Johan Bjorksten (it's a pretty well-known book and a good library might have it). I found this book to be tremendously helpful when I was just starting out, and Bjorksten recommends using a fountain pen.

[Marino]

Any fountain pen will write Chinese characters very well. I have written with both vintage and modern pens, Chinese, American and Japanese. All performed very well but I would think that certain Japanese brands might have nibs better suited for character writing.

[bizhe]

Pilot Metropolitan, in F, which will give you no line variation. Also, if a ballpoint is too wide, I don't think you'll be happy with fountain pens. If you want something like the .38 mm gel pens try a platinum or pilot EF, but that is more like $100, except for the 78g which I believe is also available in EF.