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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

Though basically I’m against cheap Chinese knock-offs, I recently bought a Wing Sung 3008 and am playing around with it. Now I’ve got a problem: now and then a drop of ink collects just behind the tip of the nib; this can drop onto the paper and create a mess. Therefore I have to have a look after every few words to see whether the nib is still safe or not, and this seriously disturbs the pleasure of writing. Solutions, anyone?