A Little Disappointed By Penbbs 352

[MuddyWaters]

So I ordered the 352 in niangao which was the more expensive limited edition colour.

 

1) the converter feels cheaper than previous penbbs converters. I washed the pen and already there is moisture behind the piston. I compare with my previous penbbs pens and this has not happened

 

2) the pen doesn't come with o-rings and the back twist cap design to hold a chrome ring seems terrible. It's not flimsy per se but it doesn't feel as solid as the standard of penmaking that penbbs got us used to.

 

3) the feed has a gray tip for some reason (looks like dust or mold) and this wouldn't come off with scraping or cleaning with soap.

 

4) not that this really matters but given my concern that penbbs was going a little cheap, the packaging is not what it used to be and I did not get those cat stickers

 

Overall, I think this will be my favourite penbbs pen because of its dimensions but I was surprised by some of the flimsy elements of this newer model given the tight manufacturing that previous models were getting. I hope this is just a one-off.

Edited September 2, 2019 by MuddyWaters

[JollyCynic]

The "limited edition" verbage is a misnomer, probably from a language barrier. They're actually shop (or really seller) exclusive colours that are only offered through Beini. Long supplies Beini with the pens just in plastic sleeves. She supplies the metal cases herself, with a symbol on top denoting the name of her former bricks-and-mortar shop. (I forget the name just now.) So that's likely the cause of any difference in the packaging. (I have received a few pens in her exclusive colours that had the PenBBS box, but they were non-standard models like the 471 pocket pen.)

 

The cat stickers are similarly a Beini bonus, rather than truly a PenBBS thing. I think she ran out of stickers for a month or two, but the last two batches have had them again.

 

I couldn't agree more about the new converters. I've raised as big a fuss as I feel comfortable doing over those. I've bought out two resellers who still had some of old ones, and have resorted to scouring Taobao for more. They leak, they fall apart, they're greasy when they come. They're terrible.

 

As for the design aspects, different people will feel differently. I mostly agree with you that an eyedropper would be nicer that a silly end cap ring. I do appreciate the properly flat ends rather than semi-flat like their 309 model. The flimsy details all seem to be a result of the ring choice. No idea what's with the grey on your feed, though. You might consider photographing it and sending it to Beini. Her customer service is great. It's just too bad she couldn't change Long's mind about those converters.

 

I only have one 352, though, and I love it. It'll probably be my only one though. The reason I love it is because it came with their rounded EF nib, and it's very nice. I'm hoping for nib charms with those again in the future.

[MuddyWaters]

Thanks for echoing my sentiments on the converter! I took the converter from my 308 that I never use for this 352. The new converter seems of lower quality. Unfortunately the set of converters sold by Beini is composed of the new ones. Does anyone have Long's direct contact info to forward some discontent with the new converters?

 

What is your favourite penbbs pen by the way?

 

The 352 is nice but I wish it was a little thicker.

[JollyCynic]

The place he's most likely to see it is on Weibo, and his username is long37penbbs there, but, uh, good luck signing up for an account. He has an Instagram and Facebook account (penbbs and jialong.su.long37penbbs respectively), but he very, very rarely responds to those. You could even send him a message through his Taobao shop.

 

I tell everybody that my favourite model is the 456 vacuum-filler, and they're the ones I reach for most often. But I find myself with nearly a dozen model 308 pens, because of their quality, versatility, price, and colour selection.

 

I had the same thought about the 352 being thicker, but the Moonman M600s scratched that itch when it came in. Aside from the nib, I like that pen a lot more.

[Honeybadgers]

I always feel a little disappointed when I don't get at least one sticker of a cat's *

Edited September 3, 2019 by Honeybadgers

[MuddyWaters]

I always feel a little disappointed when I don't get at least one sticker of a cat's *

I had flown all day and the anticipation was high for this pen. When I saw the small box, no cat sticker, cheaper converter, no o-rings, I was worried penbbs was going on a cheaper route for the future.

Edited September 4, 2019 by MuddyWaters

[penzel_washinkton]

I had flown all day and the anticipation was high for this pen. When I saw the small box, no cat sticker, cheaper converter, no o-rings, I was worried penbbs was going on a cheaper route for the future.

 

Beini (or Long) once described that PenBBS as a brand is actually oriented towards affordable side of the spectrum.

Going for the cheaper route has always been one of their roots and it is evident from the models 308, 268, 494, 322 etc.

 

Although if the converter issue is really a thing, they should get it fixed as soon as possible.

Same thing with the cracking issue on the 268 (not sure how huge this matter is)

Edited September 4, 2019 by penzel_washinkton