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Wing Sung 601 Auto Draw Filler


taike

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I like Frank Underwater's name for this filling mechanism so that's what I'm using.

 

49acwAhl.jpg

 

This has been my go-to pen for about a month now.

 

Ca5NCxbl.jpg

 

The Wing Sung 601 is a high-quality writing instrument. I recommend it highly.

 

Having said that, my first impressions were less favorable. This is a pen that's grown on me.

 

  • It's short on bling. From Wing Sung, that goes to the 618 which I find miles more fun to look at.
  • It's not particularly big or chunky, so no check there.
  • It’s not unique like the Moonman M1 Wood and Brass or the PenBBS 308. Let alone anything from TWSBI.
  • The design is clearly a throwback to the Parker 51 via the Hero 616. I have more than one 616 in pen storage.
  • It’s another hooded nib pen. That puts it on the tame side of the street. For me, hooded nib pens don’t invite tinkering the way regular nibs do. I’m always concerned I won’t be able to get them back together again correctly.

It's the filling mechanism.

 

NBK2o7Cl.jpg

 

Wing Sung has taken it upon themselves to resurrect the Vacumatic filling mechanism. And they’ve improved the design. And they sell the pen for under US$10 on taobao

.

I like the idea that Wing Sung actually made two generations of this filling mechanism. The first used a rubber diaphragm which, while close to the original Parker design, was less efficient and potentially less durable. The revised design uses a piston which performs better and should last longer à la Edison's Draw Filler. Wing Sung moves beyond the Edison design by included a spring in the mechanism, making it possible to fill the pen with one hand. (Two hands if you keep one on the bottle of ink.)

 

The pen is very similar in length to the Wing Sung 618 but a bit slimmer because the cap isn't threaded.

 

KNStufdh.png

Left to Right: Wing Sung 601, Hero 616 Jumbo, Wing Sung 618, Hero 338, Hero 565

  • Length: 138mm
  • Uncapped: 128mm
  • Posted: 152mm
  • Section diameter: 11.2mm
  • Weight inked: 20g capped / 12.9 uncapped

Upon closer inspection, it looks as if the 601 may share the same section as the Wing Sung 618. The two pens already share common nib and feed. Perhaps the collector assembly is also shared. It would make sense.

 

HLBW1gwl.jpg

Wing Sung 618 Left/Black - Wing Sung 601 Right/Gray

 

My writing experience with this pen has been outstanding.

 

71TbwzCl.jpg

 

The pen is reliable and fits well in the hand. I prefer writing with the pen unposted, but the cap is light enough and posts deeply so that writing with the cap posted is certainly doable.

 

The 601 is comfortable for quick notes or extended writing. It’s not particular about writing angle and offers a solid sweet spot with just a bit of feedback. The nib is hard so there’s no line variation to speak of, but that’s to be expected. It does reverse writing pretty well.

 

The nib and feed write moderately wet and put down a fine line. The nib feels finer that than the nib on my Wing Sung 618 but that is likely the ink. Or just me. I’d expect the 618 to write more boldly than the 601 just on looks alone.

 

At the end of the day, the pen is on the conservative side of the spectrum. One might even say boring. Maybe I didn’t help things by getting it in gray.

 

But I love that it is very good at its intended purpose and advances the art in ways that aficionados can appreciate but regular users just find useful.

 

More pictures and comments here.

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I think the 601 is a delightfully understated pen. It's not flashy, no, but every part of it just fits together properly and it feels very solid and well made in the hand. The cap posts deeply enough and the filling system was designed carefully enough that a LOT of thought went into this pen. I like the way it fits the hand. I like the way it posts. I like the way the slip cap feels, even after months of everyday use it's tight as a drum, I like the way it writes, this pen just does -everything- that you would expect of a hooded nib, plus the added perk of a massive, MASSIVE ink capacity and reliable, quality feeling vacumatic filler (I prefer the diaphragm to the piston)

 

As for the nib, if it bores you, look into the bent nib options that can be had for a few bucks. You can also find the tool for removing the piston for cleaning. the fude nib is a big honking triple broad, but the "bent" nib is like an architect nib. It doesn't do much for cursive but it makes print handwriting look amazing.

 

I adore this pen. I have two and for the past few months they've been used every single day. I actually quite like the simple, utilitarian design because it's backed up with quality. The 618 just felt kinda cheap in my hand. This feels like a new old stock parker 51 vacumatic, and that's bonkers high praise.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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Well put. For me this pen is boring in the looks department but perfect in every other. My version with 12k nib arrived today and it's just great, definitely worth the extra money (at least on Taobao) to get a wet western fine line that will increase in flow with a little pressure. Both of my 601s are loved.

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Well put. For me this pen is boring in the looks department but perfect in every other. My version with 12k nib arrived today and it's just great, definitely worth the extra money (at least on Taobao) to get a wet western fine line that will increase in flow with a little pressure. Both of my 601s are loved.

 

At RMB178.8, that's getting pretty tempting. Do you prefer writing with it posted or unposted?

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I think the 601 is a delightfully understated pen. It's not flashy, no, but every part of it just fits together properly and it feels very solid and well made in the hand. The cap posts deeply enough and the filling system was designed carefully enough that a LOT of thought went into this pen. I like the way it fits the hand. I like the way it posts. I like the way the slip cap feels, even after months of everyday use it's tight as a drum, I like the way it writes, this pen just does -everything- that you would expect of a hooded nib, plus the added perk of a massive, MASSIVE ink capacity and reliable, quality feeling vacumatic filler (I prefer the diaphragm to the piston)

 

As for the nib, if it bores you, look into the bent nib options that can be had for a few bucks. You can also find the tool for removing the piston for cleaning. the fude nib is a big honking triple broad, but the "bent" nib is like an architect nib. It doesn't do much for cursive but it makes print handwriting look amazing.

 

I adore this pen. I have two and for the past few months they've been used every single day. I actually quite like the simple, utilitarian design because it's backed up with quality. The 618 just felt kinda cheap in my hand. This feels like a new old stock parker 51 vacumatic, and that's bonkers high praise.

 

TB2q5aQoznD8KJjSspbXXbbEXXa_!!42245013.j

I've been looking for bent nib options and found these, that I think should fit, i.e., 18.5mm. Have you tried out any of these sizes? The No. 1 or 2 look most interesting.

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Ommm ... kind of embarrassing but I had to admit I had all of them and then some more ... the no.1 and no.2 is what I would termed nominal use quai-calligraphy nib, that is you can use them just as a M/MB/B ( no.1 ) , B/BB/BBB ( no.2 ) but if you had master the technique you can made quite some writing / calligraphy with them even yet, the other 3 are pretty much calligraphy only .. its not that you cannot use them for general handwriting but they would likely be too broad for that.

 

if you are looking for Calligraphy specific ones, you should check out the open nib options too

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At RMB178.8, that's getting pretty tempting. Do you prefer writing with it posted or unposted?

I wrote about 10 pages with it this morning, alternating posting and unposting every page. The cap does cause the pen to sink deeper into the valley between thumb and index finger, so for writing longer I prefer unposted. The 601 is a couple millimeters longer than the Parker 51 which I also usually use unposted for more extensive writing.

 

There's a sale coming up on the 18th, so you can get the pen for even less.

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Ommm ... kind of embarrassing but I had to admit I had all of them and then some more ... the no.1 and no.2 is what I would termed nominal use quai-calligraphy nib, that is you can use them just as a M/MB/B ( no.1 ) , B/BB/BBB ( no.2 ) but if you had master the technique you can made quite some writing / calligraphy with them even yet, the other 3 are pretty much calligraphy only .. its not that you cannot use them for general handwriting but they would likely be too broad for that.

 

if you are looking for Calligraphy specific ones, you should check out the open nib options too

I just saw that Wing Sung also has their own 666 with a wide range of calligraphy nibs. Would those nibs fit in the 601 as well?

fpn_1451608922__truthpil_signature_small

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TB2q5aQoznD8KJjSspbXXbbEXXa_!!42245013.j

I've been looking for bent nib options and found these, that I think should fit, i.e., 18.5mm. Have you tried out any of these sizes? The No. 1 or 2 look most interesting.

 

Didn't realize there were so many. Mine looks like a #2, and I find it very usable in everyday writing, and I have fairly small handwriting. My fude nibs look closer to the 4 or 5.

 

Mine is an extra fine downstroke and a medium cross stroke.

Edited by Honeybadgers

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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I just saw that Wing Sung also has their own 666 with a wide range of calligraphy nibs. Would those nibs fit in the 601 as well?

 

YES

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YES

Excellent! What better way to take advantage of the massive ink capacity than with a 2.2mm fude nib?

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Can you clarify what you mean by "open nib" options? That's new to me.

He's referring to Chinese calligraphy fountain pens that use an open nib, which is the typical fountain pen nib design as opposed to a hooded nib like is ln the 601. For example, most of the metal Jinhao pens with open nibs are available with a calligraphy nib.

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He's referring to Chinese calligraphy fountain pens that use an open nib, which is the typical fountain pen nib design as opposed to a hooded nib like is ln the 601. For example, most of the metal Jinhao pens with open nibs are available with a calligraphy nib.

 

Thanks. I get it.

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Ommm ... kind of embarrassing but I had to admit I had all of them and then some more ... the no.1 and no.2 is what I would termed nominal use quai-calligraphy nib, that is you can use them just as a M/MB/B ( no.1 ) , B/BB/BBB ( no.2 ) but if you had master the technique you can made quite some writing / calligraphy with them even yet, the other 3 are pretty much calligraphy only .. its not that you cannot use them for general handwriting but they would likely be too broad for that.

 

if you are looking for Calligraphy specific ones, you should check out the open nib options too

 

TB2q5aQoznD8KJjSspbXXbbEXXa_!!42245013.j

 

Success! I was able to fit a No. 1 nib on a Wing Sung 618 in place of the big fude it came with. It works perfectly.

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I posted a more detailed description in another thread, but long story short, the 12k nib version of the 601 is nice but not for everyone.

It's definitely designed more for writing Chinese characters than English, but those who like pencil-like feedback with some softness will enjoy it.

I'm not one of those, but it's still growing on me and absolutely excellent for Chinese practice. I'll probably have a nibmeister smooth the tipping and increase flow if I get a chance.

fpn_1451608922__truthpil_signature_small

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Success! I was able to fit a No. 1 nib on a Wing Sung 618 in place of the big fude it came with. It works perfectly.

 

Here's what the No. 1 nib looks like in the pen and a writing sample. Definitely a winner. The bottom nib is a Delike art / bent nib for comparison.

 

The section, feed and collector are interchangeable between the 601 and 618.

 

hFGXTGAh.jpg

 

WWWYiK6h.jpg

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I have one of these with the rubber diaphragm...there were a lot of problems with the original release of these pens. I got the "second edition" diaphragm and I've always had difficulty getting it to fill. Once working though it is a good writer.

 

Is the new version a piston that you pull rather than a diaphragm that you press? How does the filling system work on these new ones?

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Is the new version a piston that you pull rather than a diaphragm that you press? How does the filling system work on these new ones?

 

The new version is a spring loaded piston that you press. The action of your finger is identical to the diaphragm but the piston is much more efficient at drawing ink.

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