Gazing Far Fountain Pens From Taiwan

[SlowRain]

Has anyone ever used or heard anything about Gazing Far fountain pens? (I'm sure the name sounds amazingly poetic in Chinese.) They use Schmidt branded nibs and come with a converter. I'm mainly curious because they're made in Taiwan, but they're also metal and wood, which is a bonus.

 

https://www.gazingfar.com

 

[SlowRain]

So I bought one of their pens. It's called the tm2 (which I believe stands for "This Moment"). It has a Schmidt fine, two-tone, iridium nib--whatever that last part means. The one I bought has a barrel made of Bocote wood, and the cap is black (gunmetal?) stainless steel.

 

It weighs about as much as my Pilot Metropolitan, so that should give you an idea of what it's like. The section is about the same diameter, but it's metal, not plastic.

 

 

[FrankH]

...It weighs about as much as my Pilot Metropolitan, so that should give you an idea of what it's like...

Should it really? I am about an inch taller than my brother, so that should give you an idea of how tall I am.

[Ron Z]

Should it really? I am about an inch taller than my brother, so that should give you an idea of how tall I am.

 

Except that a lot of people have, or have handled a Pilot Metropolitan, so the comparison may be valid.

 

I would find a picture of the pen with the cap off so that we can see the nib and section to be interesting.

[SlowRain]

Should it really? I am about an inch taller than my brother, so that should give you an idea of how tall I am.

I know your brother. Actually, I still owe him some money. I'll have to pay him back the next time I see him. Which also means you're taller than I originally thought you were.

 

Both the Gazing Far tm2 and Pilot Metropolitan are around 27-28g, depending on how much ink you have in each one.

 

I'm not sure the best angle and lighting for pictures of nibs. Here are some I just quickly took:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Note the red highlight on the section matches the red under the clip on the cap.

Edited January 9, 2018 by SlowRain

[FrankH]

 

Except that a lot of people have, or have handled a Pilot Metropolitan, so the comparison may be valid.

 

I would find a picture of the pen with the cap off so that we can see the nib and section to be interesting.

Several years ago when I was looking after the web site for a running club, some of the contributors insisted on referring to the VLM. When I asked them to spell it out one of them said that most of the people who came to the website would know what VLM meant. I asked him why we would want to alienate the few who didn't.

 

I still don't know how big or heavy your pen is. VLM = Virgin London Marathon.

[MuddyWaters]

They are very nice. First impression from the website:

-they are more expensive version of Faber Castell which depending on the wood and construction quality, may be worth it

-jovo nib not as nice as FC nib imo

[SlowRain]

I was able to use a Faber Castell Loom for the first time the other day. It wasn't really long enough to form an opinion of the nib--and my experience with fountain pens is quite limited, anyway--but it is a wider & heavier pen than the Gazing Far tm2.

 

I'm not sure who makes Schmidt's nibs, but you can get better pictures from the catalog on their website than what I can take with my phone.

[MuddyWaters]

Oh I see you are actually in Taiwan (though Canadian, like myself ). Did you get a good deal within the country of production?

 

What I like is that the pens are quite nice. They have that Faber Castell aesthetic that I really enjoy. But the Schmidt nibs which I believe are made by Jovo are not as interesting as the F-C nibs. But then again, some people like the Jovo nibs, and some of the more expensive F-C pens have weird ergonomics and/or appearances that aren't to everyone's liking.

[SlowRain]

Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a good deal in the country of production. Quite often with electronics, it's cheaper to buy them in the US than here. The price I paid was the same as their other pens (1980TWD).

[richardandtracy]

I always try to use objective units. Mass in grams, dimensions in mm, that way no-one needs to know how tall my mother's brother is.

I would urge everyone else to do the same too if they can. But I s'pose that's the engineer in me talking.

 

I , too, have no idea of the size, weight, heft or anything else about any Pilot pen. Do they make fp's?

 

OK I'll stop blithering - it's a ploy to stop drooling. That pen looks gorgeous.

 

Regards

 

Richard.

[Aramchek]

[T]he Schmidt nibs which I believe are made by Jovo are not as interesting as the F-C nibs.

My understanding is that Faber Castell nibs *are* made by JoWo. The Graf von FC nibs are from Bock. Also, I believe Schmidt sources nibs from both Jowo and Bock.

[SlowRain]

Until I find a ruler or tape measure, this is about the best I can do. I've already said both the Pilot Metropolitan and Gazing Far are 27-28g when inked. According to The Pen Habit, the Pilot Metropolitan is 135mm when capped and 126mm when uncapped, Unfortunately, he doesn't go into diameter.

 

I took a couple of pictures for reference, some with a standard pencil beside. It appears the Gazing Far is just a couple millimeters longer than the Pilot Metropolitan's 126mm. I hope this helps.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[SlowRain]

Here's something interesting. My Muji nib (Schmidt "F") writes finer than this nib (Schmidt FH241 "F"). However, this nib is much smoother.

[Mannyonpil]

I am not usually into wooden pens but this look really nice. I am tempted.

[MadAsAHatter]

I find it interesting that the threads are up by the nib, plus it seems to have a noticeable step. Depending on where your grip falls this may be a bit uncomfortable to hold. I do like the look of it though

[SlowRain]

The threads are square, so I imagine they did that to alleviate that potential problem. Which step are you referring to?

[MadAsAHatter]

The threads are square, so I imagine they did that to alleviate that potential problem. Which step are you referring to?

 

I was referring to the step where the section meets the body where the name is printed. I meant noticeable as in you can see it, not that you would necessarily feel it. It appears most people wouldn't be bothered by it but if your grip falls there it may be enough to bug some people. Of course take this with a big ole grain of salt as I have not put my hands on this pen so I have no basis, just speculation. For all I know this may be one of the most comfortable pens to write with. It's definitely tempting for me to get one, like I need yet another pen.

[SlowRain]

Okay, I see what you mean. Strictly as a comparison, I would say the Gazing Far's step is less pronounced than the Pilot Metropolitan's and feels smoother to the touch. But, the Metropolitan's step is higher up and further away from the nib and therefore in a place few people would be gripping. I don't find the step on the Gazing Far to be sharp or annoying, but that may just be me and how I hold the pen. I find it adds a subtle bit of traction without discomfort. Of course, your mileage may vary.

 

There is a store in the Netherlands, called Scrittura Elegante, selling them if that helps anyone in the EU with shipping. It also appears they have their own fruit-inspired inks, too.

 

https://www.scrittura-elegante.nl/gazing-far.html

 

(I'm not in any way connected to either company, but I have emailed Gazing Far a couple of times. It was the second fountain pen I ever bought, and I enjoy using it. I'm considering getting a second one myself--that is if the CFO [my wife] approves. )

[taike]

Did you try any of their inks?