Hongdian D6, the Han Dynasty pen

February 1

Long delays in getting this pen from the AliExpress vendor but it finally arrived last week. A little backstory on the D6 first: it was originally to be released as a steel nibbed pen in December 2024, as the number two follow up to the D5 Qin in Hongdian’s Dynasty series. December came and went without the pen being released, as did another release date in Spring 2025.

The D6 was finally released in late 2025, but only as a 18K gold nib version, with Hongdian saying there would be no steel nibbed D6.

I haven’t inked it yet but I did dip test it and the Fine 18K nib is nicely smooth, with just about the same ‘softness’ as Hongdian’s new steel nibs, just a touch of give and bounce. The tipping is different, not a round ball Fine but a slightly elongated Fine, much like the PenBBS Fine (as opposed to the PenBBS round Fine they make as well) and probably for the same reason, better able to make Chinese characters.

The pen is not really my taste; as I described it to one person, it’s a Montegrappa in base metal and glitter. It’s far more ornate than I’d show in public, except at a pen club or show, but perhaps that says more about me than the pen.

it is marvelously and minutely finished with very small and intricate details in the metal work. The red portions are floral and other designs covered with clear red lacquer. The designs are not jump-out obvious but add a visual depth to the pen. This is Hongdian’s third round with this technique (previously, the A24 and N25) and I like it. It did cause the only defect on the pen, with is a small area of the barrel where the red lacquer flowed over a tiny area of the gold metal inserts running down the barrel. It could have been removed and should have been. It is, however, visible only if you are looking closely at the barrel.

What the D6 Han has that the D5 Qin lacked is a real unity in design. The D5’s cap has that unity, but not the barrel, which seems to be a column of every decorative motif they could assemble. In contrast, the motifs of the D6 are shared between cap and barrel and present a unified appearance.

The D6 feels compact to me somehow, but it is a full size pen and the nib is a #35, roughly equivalent to a #6 western brand. The nib has a very intricate two-tone design of a Han themed horse and rider but it’s so detailed my aging eyes cannot distinguish more than the rearing front legs except in shade.

A few more details about the pen: the dark flourish and dot pattern immediately below the barrel threads is actually an ink window, although probably not a very useful one. Note the curves of the piston knob where in meets the barrel; the cutaway reveals a red translucent area below for some dimensional interest. Oh yes, the clip is pretty rigid but I clipped it to my hoodie pocket securely. If it’s in your shirt pocket, the top does show pretty prominently, so some people may think you have a pocket sceptre. Last, I wish to deny emphatically that little hooks on the side of the cap finial can open bottles. They are much too small. And unfortunately the sword clip cannot be removed.

I had originally only intended to share the writing sample photo because the D6 photos on AliX are good quality and extensive. But I thought that showing it with the D5 and a few other pens might be helpful and then I got carried away with detailed photos. So enjoy—or not!