Battle Of The Wing Sung Piston Fillers

[DasKaltblut]

I realized today that I have a decent collection of Wing Sung piston fillers (698 gold, medium, fine, 3008 fine and 618 fine) and decided to compare them side by side and in writing. A few observations: the gold nib 698 is quite scratchy compare to the steel nibbed 698s. The rest of the nibs were similar, with the fines being very fine. The gold fine was a bit springy and a bit jucier than the steel nibs. None of the 698s post, I just stuck the caps on the end to keep them from rolling around while taking pictures, but the 3008 and 618 do nicely. The 618 isn't shorter, but the cap fits on further. Next, all the knobs except the 3008 (old style) have "locks" to keep them from turning. The 698s are the easiest to clean just flushing with the piston. The 3008 really needs disassembly to clean. I think overall, the medium would be my preference, it is a nice feeling pen and I prefer a slightly bolder line. All in all a fantastic value. Last, I have terrible taste and ordered a green glitter 618. No one will mistake that for anything vintage!

 

From left to right: Gold nib 698, Medium 698, Fine 698, 3008 fine, 618 fine

Ink: J. Herbin Perle Noir, Paper Clairefontaine

Edited January 15, 2018 by DasKaltblut

[OCArt]

Nice to see how they compare, thanks!

[DasKaltblut]

Nice to see how they compare, thanks!

 

Thank you. I was surprised to see that the fine nibs, which all look very different, wrote so similarly.

[Mech-for-i]

Niceky done it would help others with this kind of info.

[inkeverywhere]

Do you think the gold nib on the 698 is worth the extra cost?

 

 

 

Greg

[DasKaltblut]

Do you think the gold nib on the 698 is worth the extra cost?

 

 

 

Greg

 

 

My gut says no. I tested all the nibs without doing anything to them, and the gold one would need some work. If you are willing to do that, maybe, especially if you value a little spring. It could probably be nicer than the steel ones, but probably not enough to justify spending $50 vs. $15. I would definitely not get the Wing Sung 618 with a gold nib since it is hooded.

Edited January 16, 2018 by DasKaltblut

[Tefolim]

Wing Sung 6xx belong to Gelin/Victo, a company which gained licence for using Wing Sung brand and it is relative to Hero.

 

Wing Sung 3xxx, I think they belong to Jinhan, a company which it said that it gained licence for using Wing Sung brand,too.

[inkeverywhere]

Thanks DasKaitblut. I have a couple of 698's that I enjoy using very much, both having steel nibs.

 

I am afraid I just cannot reconcile paying so much for a Chinese pen. I am not trying to be derogatory in any way as I enjoy all the Chinese pens I own, it's I just can't see the value in the materials.

 

 

 

Greg

[truthpil]

This is very helpful, thanks!

That 698 medium nib seems really nice.

[Tasmith]

Thank you for posting this comparison! Love my 698s and the 618 is now on my want to buy list.

[DasKaltblut]

This is very helpful, thanks!

That 698 medium nib seems really nice.

It's definitely my favorite!

[DasKaltblut]

Thank you for posting this comparison! Love my 698s and the 618 is now on my want to buy list.

You are welcome. I just ordered a solid color 618, that won't betray my inner 6 year old when I take it to work. They have a nice feel. In fact all the 6xx series feel pretty well made. The 3008 definitely feels a bit cheaper. But then it is.

[Pichak]

Very nice, thank you for sharing.

[minddance]

618 is a PITA to clean and dismantle and align the hood with that tiny nib.

 

698nibs are magnetic; 3008 arn't. Anyone with similar experience?

[Tasmith]

You are welcome. I just ordered a solid color 618, that won't betray my inner 6 year old when I take it to work. They have a nice feel. In fact all the 6xx series feel pretty well made. The 3008 definitely feels a bit cheaper. But then it is.

 

The blue with silver trim looks great! Added to my "want to buy list".

[Amory]

Are the piston filling Wing Sung pens as trouble free as converter types?

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Thank you for sharing your opinions about the different nibs, I was curious about the gold nib too.

 

I value my 698 and 3008s highly because the nibs are easily swappable and the piston has proved to be solid. Although as Tefolium mentioned, the body of the 3008 is a shared design used by other companies, and Wing Sung simply lasers their logo on the nibs.

 

But still, for the price the construction is good. My 698 has a Kakuno F nib and it's my favourite steel nibbed pen so far, while my four 3008s are daily writers because they all have Lamy nibs. The turning knobs of the 3008 are more wobbly than the 698, but since the pistons are still functional I try not to worry too much about that.

 

The 618 is still en-route.

[bobje]

Amory, my experience with the Wing Sung 698 and 3008 is that they are both reliable, and hold up over time.

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Are the piston filling Wing Sung pens as trouble free as converter types?

My 3008s leaked for a period of time. I believe it was after a month of use, during December.

It seems that I'm the only one who encountered this issue, at least from what I've read on FPN. Maybe I'd dislodged the feed somehow. Anyway, I soaked the nib and feed in hot water several times, hoping that the nib would better fit the feed.

My 3008s are still extremely wet writers, but I haven't seen a leak in roughly three weeks.

 

Other than this, only years will tell whether the rubber o-rings of the 3008s will hold up. In my experience these o-rings tend to dry up and crack over time. This is why I prefer the 698, because it has an inner cap, and the o-ring between the section and the barrel can be replaced by slathering the area with silicone grease.

[Amory]

Thanks to bobje and RBN for the information. Have invested 99 English pennies to have one sent to me.

I have a 3003 already which I love and sometimes fill the body with ink if I’m doing a lot of penwork.