Search the Community

This is a review of the Crocodile 806. I know there are a couple of reviews of this pen, but I didn't think they answered many of the questions I had about it. My principal query was 'Is it a Parker Duofold Copy' and 'Is it a nice pen?'. I shall try to answer both questions to my satisfaction, and hopefully anyone else's. By the scale of Chinese pens, it is actually quite expensive, though on any Western scale of pen prices it is moderately cheap at £14 inc postage to the UK. Hours after I recieved the first, I ordered a second as a birthday present for my youngest daughter. I think that answers the question 'Is it a nice pen?' Yes it is. Very, very nice. Having recieved the second a little prior to the birthday, I got a bit of a shock. The second pen is surprisingly different from the first: These pens were bought from the same vendor through the same e-bay sale as 'Grey'. I was expecting some detail differences in the barrel material due to the nature of the resin used, but not quite the extremes seen here. My one is the dark one, my daughter's one is the light one. Personally, I much prefer the light grey one. The dark one is nice. The light one looks very, very nice. Furthermore, I really was not expecting the posted lengths to be different by 2.5mm, there to be printing differences between the pens or the barrel to cap thread to be black on one and gold on the other. There is another difference, my pen (the dark one) has a brass liner to add weight in the barrel. This does rather smack of a lack of configuration control to me. Basically, they appear to be slapping any bits at hand together. OK, now onto a few objective dimensions: Length capped: 138mm Length uncapped: 120.8mm Length Posted: Dark 151.5mm, Light 154mm (Both post very securely) Cap Diameter: 14.35mm, and is cylindrical Barrel Diameter: 12.65mm at widest tapering to 11.4mm at finial ring. Section Diameter: 9.0mm min, 10mm max. Section length 20mm. Weight: Dark: 39.0g capped, 20.4g Uncapped 　 Construction Surprisingly for a pen at this price bracket, the majority of the pen is turned resin. The cap and barrel finials, cap body, barrel body and section sleeve are all resin. Yes, I really do mean that there is a turned resin sleeve over the metal section core housing the nib. The comparable Kaigely 316 uses a painted brass section. The cap decal is a small gold coloured crocodile set in a turned black/charcoal two colour resin similar to the cap/barrel resin. This has a brass insert that screws into a bonded fitting in the top of the cap body with an M4 screw. The unusual gold coloured crocodile shape clip may be removed when the finial is unscrewed. The black painted brass cap lip and cap-barrel thread insert is bonded to the cap body, trapping two unstuck cap rings and a black spacer ring in situ. The section is, as I said earlier, made from metal (probably brass) with a turned sleeve made from the same resin as the cap finial. The fit and finish is excellent. The c/c is a higher than average chinese quality c/c, and has a green twist stem. I have only ever see one other stem that is not black - and it's a red one found in my Lamy Vista. The barrel has a metal thread insert glued into the resin barrel. One of the two barrels has a C shaped brass lining to add weight, the other does not. The barrel finial is resin, turned from the same resin used for the cap finial & section. The quality of construction throughout is really good, with no cause for concern on any part. The fit of the parts together is excellent, and the finish is what you'd expect from a good quality resin pen. There are no ugly steps between parts that are eccentric, no areas where you say 'Oh, that doesn't feel right'. Writing with the Pen I like broad nibs. The nib on this pen is a slightly narrow medium, so is right on the lower limit of what I am willing to put up with. So, having expressed my prejudice, how does it feel? I inked it up without flushing, and used it. And have continued to do so without cause for any complaint for two fills. I did not need to flush it out. The nib needed no grinding to feel reasonable. At some point I may polish it a little more, but it is close to being excellent at the moment, and I do not want to go past the point of perfect feedback. The nib is very firm. The pen centre of gravity is quite low, even when posted, and does not feel top heavy at all. The nib is quite small. It is an 'International' size nib in a 'Centennial' size pen, and initally looks a little odd. However, when holding it in your hand and putting the point to the page, that all becomes irrelevant. It does actually feel rather nice. I have tuned my K316's to feel like my Duofolds. And this pen slotted right in alongside them without feeling out of place. That is actually quite remarkable when you think about it. An un-modified £14 pen feeling like a Duofold, a £400+ pen... Durability I have had the pen for about 4 weeks, and not used it a great deal yet - I wanted to keep it pristine just in case my daughters pen didn't arrive in time and she'd end up with it instead. However, I have had no reason to think the finish will not be as durable as the K316. My most used Charcoal K316 started showing signs of serious plating wear at year 2. Colour Options The pen comes in BlackGrey (At least 2 shades of grey, dark & light)BrownOrange & BlackGreenBlue (looks like there may be 2 shades of blue from E-Bay photos, Royal & Navy blue)Red (looks like there may be 2 shades of red from E-Bay photos, Wine & Scarlet) This range of colours almost makes up for the fact there are no alternative nib sizes. Comparison with a Parker Duofold One of the things I wanted to investigate when getting this pen was just how much it was like a Duofold, so there follows a fairly detailed analysis. The capped length is almost the same, only the depth of the 'Crocodile' decal being the sum total of the length difference. When uncapped, the Crocodile is shorter than the International, even though it is more of the Centennial diameter. The Crocodile barrel tapers gently along its full length. The Centennial and International only taper over the last 20mm, and then by 2.5 degrees. The net effect is that the Crocodile can post deeper, and therefore more securely than the Duofolds. Overall feel of the pen materials: The first impression is that both the Duofold's and the Crocodile's are equally well finished. They both have the same shine, the gold plating is as well plated and, if anything, the bi-colour plating on the Crocodile nib is more accurate to the engraved lines than on my Duofold International. The barrel & cap material feels almost identical, except as noted at the end of this paragraph. The Parker material seems to have more pearlesence than found in my dark pen, but similar to that in my daughter's light pen. The pearlescence is found all round the pen too. The resin on the Duofold usually feels cold to the touch. The resin on the crocodile does not. The C806 is so similar in feel that tiny little things like this become noticable - if they were more different you'd never notice something like this. The proportions of the Crocodile are part way between the International & Centennial, and because of this, I think it looks better than the Centennial, but a bit too short & stubby when compared with the beautifully proportioned International. The section shape is very similar to the two Duofolds, being about half way between the two in diameter and length. The section material feels the same. The threads between the cap & barrel on the Crocodile are the biggest deviation between the two designs. The thread is a metal unsert bonded to the barrel in the Crocodile. I am not wildly keen on this aspect of the crocodile. It is fairly well made, but does not feel as luxurious as threaded resin on the Duofold. The Crocodile's cap & barrel finials are resin and, because it's a black/charcoal version of the barrel material, it is self coloured and interesting to look at. As with the self coloured finial material in the Duofolds, it will not show up small chips. The cap decal on the Crocodile is a stylised crocodile mounted on the surface of the pen. This looks interesting, possibly more interesting than the Duofold's raised 'Ace of Spades' decal. The Clip is a stylised crocodile. It looks reasonable, but a little on the tacky side compared to the restrained elegance of the Duofold's. The clip strength is similar to that of the Parker's. As with the Parkers, the Crocodile's cap lip is a separate item, however it is a metal insert bonded into the cap. The two cap lip rings are the same width and have the same spacing as the Duofold's. On the two crocodile pens, both cap lip rings can be spun around and really need to be stuck down. The Crocodile's cap lip is not as nice as the self coloured resin of the Parker. The nibs are difficult to compare, as both of my Duofolds have Broad Italics nibs (0.9 and 1.1mm wide). However, the Crocodile is a fine medium, and slightly more flexible than on either Duofold, and wrote with a normal, reasonably wet line out of the box. The feed works properly - which is more than the banner feed does on my International. The underside of the nib has obviously been modelled on the Duofold. The c/c's in the Duofold's differ from the Crocodile only in length (Parker is longer & slightly wider), engraved name and the fact the Parker is to a proprietary c/c nipple size, while the Crocodile is an international size. I regard c/c as disposable, so if they work, that's as much as I'm really willing to think about them. The balance of the Centennial is pretty much the same as the Crocodile. This is partly due to the fact the Crocodile & Centennial are very similar in shape, means that the feel is remarkably similar between the two radically different price pens. The other part of the reason is that the Crocodile centre of gravity is 68mm from the uncapped nib, while the Centennial's is 73mm. The close correlation makes one feel much like the other. The Crocodile is surprisingly close to being on a par with the Duofold. It is very much better than its price would suggest. It is a very fine attempt to produce a luxury type pen at moderate price point, and the aim is largely achieved. The one thing that really sets the Duofold on a different level is the range of nib options. The Crocodile gives you every size you want, so long as you only want a fine medium. I wonder when Chinese manufacturer's are going to realise that really good pens have alternative nib sizes? 　 Comparison with a Kaigelu 316 The K316 is so much like a Duofold Centennial, that there are many comparisons already made. The primary differences are: K316 has brass finials, the C806 has resin finials making the pen lighter.The K316 has a resin cap lip and resin cap-barrel thread. The C806 has metal parts. The resin thread feels better & higher quality.The K316 centre of gravity is 83mm from the nib, while the C806 is 68mm. This lower CG feels better, a great deal better. Once the K316 barrel finial is replaced with a resin one, it drops to 65mm from the nib, and feels the same as the C806.The C806 seems to post better. Value For Money At a price of £14, if getting a Western Pen you expect to get some fairly cheap and nasty moulded plastic pen with some stamped metal bits. You expect that it will last around 6-8 months before something terminal happens to a moulded plastic thread or the cap click wears out. You do not expect a turned resin pen. So.. On that scale it is blooming marvellous. Its general quality is closer to western pens in the £70-100 range. How does it rate against the Kaigelu 316? That is a bit more difficult to answer. The K316 has flaws that can be corrected (brass barrel finial & nib). This pen has different flaws that cannot be corrected (metal cap-barrel thread & painted metal cap lip), however, on the positive side it seems to start off as a more usable Duofold alternative. So, if you are prepared to modify a K316, your overall experience will be a little better with the K316. If, however, you do not wish to modify the pen, this Crocodile is better value for money. Conclusion The Crocodile 806 is a good quality pen at a very good price. The pen quality is comparable with western pens in the £70-100 bracket - I am thinking particularly of 'Worcester Pens' and similar small scale manufacturers who are trying to sit in a fairly uncomfortable mid-range between cheap & luxury pens. Despite the price, this is no cheap & nasty Chinese pen. Neither is the Kaigelu 316. That's what leaves me thinking that the main deciding factors between this and a K316 should be 'Can I get a C806 or K316 cheaper today' or 'Is it a colour I like'. There is not a lot else to choose between them. The C806 shows that China is emerging, as Japan did in the post-war period, as a serious quality manufacturing heavyweight and old prejudices need to be put to one side. European & North American companies really do need to look to their laurels in all high quality fields of manufacturing, as China is soon to be competing there too. Once they get their configuration control sorted, that is when the west really needs to do better. Sorry, I digressed. Back to talking about the pen. As a gift pen, people will think you have spent a fortune! I'm going to get another. Possibly one of every colour, and probably more 'Grey's' to see what other colours also count as 'Grey'. I think it is a superb value pen, if you try one, I'd be surprised if you don't agree with me. I hope this review helps. Regards, Richard. Useful Review links: Parker Duofold Centennial. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/134028-parker-duofold-centennial/ Parker Duofold International. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/189515-parker-duofold-international/ Kaigelu 316 Grey Amber. https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/204770-kaigelu-316-grey-amber/

Has anyone seen these pens for sale anywhere? I can't find this specific model anywhere. I've seen many with the funky dragon clip but this model seems to be styled after a Pelikan M800. http://www.picassopen.com/Upload/PicFiles/053-377.jpg

My first review has to be handwritten, hasn't it? http://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8501/28971094030_76a56e0ff4_c.jpg This is the most unlikely pen in my collection. More than a year ago, at the very start of my pen craze, a friend gave it to me and said: "I'm sure it's no more than a novelty piece, but try it - maybe the funny thing can write". Well, it can! The fine hooded nib is smooth as glass. Inked with Parker Quink Black, this little croco wasn't funny at all. A serious writer. However, after the second filling the Caiman started to misbehave. There were problems with ink flow, and I had to "boost" it with the piston. http://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8538/28971103310_d6b1898236_c.jpg Besides, the pen proved itself unsuitable for long writing sessions. The section is too thin (for my hand at least). Of course, there's an ornamental band you can grip at, but after a page or two you begin to hate it all: the section, the crocodile ornament, your fingers. The shape of the pen, its dimensions - all seem fit for posting. Save the cap itself. It refuses to sit on the barrel, so you have to use the Caiman unposted, no matter you like it or not. Back to the appearance. The hooded nib is "guarded" by two little jewels. Putting some imagination into gear, we can suppose that together they represent the caiman's head (eyes, snout, open mouth with a nib protruding from it). OK, so we've got a zoomorph pen here! The barrel and the cap are metal, laquer-coated. The coating is rather thin and prone to scratches. The clip is stiff, and it's very hard to slip the slip-on cap off. VERDICT: hardly usable. Smooth nib doesn't justify an ugly design and uncomfortable body. For laughs I received it, for laughs I keep it. http://c4.staticflickr.com/9/8428/28643899243_e22f3a889a_c.jpg What a shame! I wrote "Cayman" (like Cayman Islands), and the little pet is called "caiman", yes, with an "i". Shame on me! A bit of trivia: Caimans live in Central and South America, rather far from the river Nile, so the choice of ink (in French, Eau de Nil means "Nile Water") is not SO obviousDo you know that Crocodile's flagship pen, a Duofold wannabe, is marketed as "Fierce Alligator", no less? http://c5.staticflickr.com/9/8602/29230639036_9b5a3a0928_c.jpg http://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8075/29230625896_439455563b_c.jpg http://c7.staticflickr.com/9/8484/29164393702_38d1421763_c.jpg Specs: Length - Capped 5.375" - Uncapped 4.75" - Posted 5.875" Diameter - Grip .34" - Barrel .48" Weight - 22 g. (source: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/235187-chinese-pen-reviews-c215-y016-j163-j3000-specifications/) Another review, more positive: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/234955-chinese-pen-reviews-crocodile-215/ And one more, very positive: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/287824-crocodile-215/

So I've been using fountain pens for about six months. I started with a Sheaffer Viewpoint 1.1mm that I found at Staples. Since then, I've picked up a couple Metropolitans, a couple Ahabs, a Monteverde Invincia, and a Plumix (love that nib!). Recently, I went a little berzerk with eBay and picked up a (bleep)-load of Chinese pens. As they come rolling in, I'd like to share my thoughts with everyone on their performance. My first contribution in the Pen Reviews section is for the... CROCODILE NCR64 Green Marble Celluloid Fountain Pen Price: $18.50 Nib: Medium, Steel, 22KGP/two-tone Country of Origin: China Filling System: Piston / Cartridge (International Standard, I believe) http://www.gizmosauce.com/img/ncr64_01.jpg Appearance: 10 / 10 Immediately upon seeing this pen on eBay, I fell in love with it's looks. The Green Marble looked beautiful, and although somewhat tacky, I thought the crocodile styling of the clip and finial looked cool. When the pen arrived, it didn't disappoint...at least not in that regard (more on that later). The green marble of the cap and barrel is, in my opinion, stunning. It has a shimmery/iridescent quality to it that glows and sparkles in the right light. The finial, section, and end cap all have a similar marble pattern, but they're all black. It's a subtle detail, but one I really appreciate. The crocodile clip is pretty tacky in person, too, but I love it, rhinestone eyes and all. There is also a gold crocodile emblem on the top of the finial. Not as tacky as the clip, but fits the motif of the pen to a tee. I absolutely love the way this pen looks. http://www.gizmosauce.com/img/ncr64_02.jpg http://www.gizmosauce.com/img/ncr64_02b.jpg http://www.gizmosauce.com/img/ncr64_02c.jpg http://www.gizmosauce.com/img/ncr64_04.jpg http://www.gizmosauce.com/img/ncr64_05.jpg Build Quality: 4 / 10 The NCR64 seems fairly weighty at first, but all the weight is in the cap, which must be made of some sort of metal. The rest of the pen is mostly plastic. The threads inside the cap are metal, but the coupler on the barrel is plastic, so it feels cheap to screw the cap on and off. When the pen arrived, there were some tiny black plastic pieces in the converter. I fished them out, but wasn't sure where they came from until I washed the pen. The little black pieces were from the post inside the section that the converter installs on. Only a small portion of the post remained, so the converter would attach to the section, but not tightly. I had to fill the converter with a syringe, insert it, and tape it to the section to keep it in place. It's a kludge, but it's working. After I got the converter in place, I did some writing, and when I went to screw the cap back on, it didn't stop turning. The threaded coupler came unglued from the barrel, so I had to glue it back in place and let it dry overnight. For a pen that cost $18.50, I find these defects absolutely unacceptable. http://www.gizmosauce.com/img/ncr64_09.jpg http://www.gizmosauce.com/img/ncr64_07.jpg http://www.gizmosauce.com/img/ncr64_08.jpg Nib: 4 / 10 I wasn't sure what to expect from the medium nib. I know some Chinese companies fall in line with Japanese companies and their medium nibs are ground finer and compare to western fine nibs. I hoped that was the case with Crocodile. It's not. The nib is pretty fat, even for a medium. I have small handwriting, so I prefer a fine or extra fine nib. Writing with this pen is like writing with a crayon. If I force myself to write larger letters, it looks decent. There are random hard starts, but they're few and far between. The only other complaint I have is that the line is not consistent. The nib seems a little mooshy and will "mash" the line every once in a while. For example, in my writing sample below, look at the "o" in Algernon and the "ac" in Blackwood. I don't like that. I like a nice, consistent line. I will say, though, that the nib is super smooth. There is practically no feedback at all. The nib just glides along the paper. If it wasn't for the fat, inconsistent line it puts down, I'd love this nib. I always like to check out the imprints on these nibs. This one has another crocodile on it, but I'm not sure about the words engraved. Either I'm going blind, or they botched the letters. To me, it looks like it says this: 22K GP CR0Co ROMEDILE http://www.gizmosauce.com/img/ncr64_03.jpg http://www.gizmosauce.com/img/ncr64_03b.jpg http://www.gizmosauce.com/img/ncr64_10.jpg Comfort: 10 / 10 I've done quite a bit of writing with this pen, and it's very comfortable. My hand didn't cramp up once. The pen is easy to hold despite the smooth, plastic section. The pen posts securely, and it's comfortable to write with it both posted and unposted, although I have small hands, so I prefer to write with it unposted. Overall Score: 28 / 40 I think this is a really beautiful pen, but for $18.50, I expect better build quality. If I can ever find another one on eBay for cheap, I may buy it for parts (to replace my section). And once the current ink runs out, I may try to find an EF nib for it. I could probably turn this into a pretty nice writing instrument.

Hello. I have been running a pen store on eBay and have been wanting to get my chinese pens directly from the companies or a licensed distributer, Has anyone done this? Thanks Pace

HisNibs.com update -- Re-stocking from China Greetings all, As it does periodically, Monteverde is retiring some pens to make way for new models. Unfortunately, two of my personal favorites are being effected, the Regatta and the Prima, and I question the wisdom of the decision. We've also just received a large re-stocking of models from China. A few of our favorites were not available this time, but the vast majority were. I'll only mention a couple of the models in this newsletter, but please just go to the homepage http://www.hisnibs.com to see them all listed as 'back in stock'. As this newsletter goes out to a mailing list of thousands of customers, please understand if there's a delay in answering your email queries or orders after one of these is sent. We will respond in order received and as soon as possible! Join us on our Facebook HisNibs.com fan page which can be reached directly at https://www.facebook.com/HisNibs1. Come join us for what has become a lively meeting place for news about pens, ink and handwriting. On the blog...Gorilla reunion ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~in this issue * Monteverde Regatta line retired * Monteverde Prima selection reduced * Jinhao Wooden Chariot * Hero 616 series * Duke '2009' * Picasso Candle Flame * Jinhao Black Dreadnaught * Black leather 48-pen case * Baoer 8-Horse series * 'His Nibs' page on Facebook * On the blog...Gorilla reunion ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Monteverde Regatta line retired http://www.hisnibs.com/MonteverdeRegattaGroupRandom2_small.jpg Why Monteverde has decided to retire the magnetic-capped Regatta is beyond me. Even if sales have leveled off at this point, the innovative magnetic cap (which provides the ease of a slip cap and the security of a screw cap) should argue for its continuance. The Black/Black version has totally sold out, but I've just laid in a final supply of the Chrome/Black and the White/Blue fountain pens, so jump now if you want to add one of these really neat pens to your collection. "Norman, I have received the new pen and ink, and am thoroughly delighted. My handwriting still stinks though. This is a wonderful pen and I look forward to writing with it more and more over the years...Maybe I will even get a few more nibs to go with it!" B. C., Athens, GA "My pens arrived today! I LOVE them both. I remember that you said the F nibs were like an extra fine, but both of these pens are perfect for me! The Invincia (which is much better looking in person-the finish is very luminous) is slightly finer than the Regatta, but I think these will both be daily writers. I love how heavy they both are, and the magnetic closure on the Regatta is very nice. Wonderful pens at a terrific price!" T. D., Anna, TX "Dear Norman: My Monteverde Regatta chrome and black fountain pen arrived today, as did the Private Reserve Purple Mojo bottles. I am absolutely delighted, and although I have only written a couple of sentences with it, I am confident I am going to love it as much as I did my Mont Blanc Ramses II predecessor. So back into the real art of penmanship again - whoopee. thank you." E. L., New Zealand "Hello Mr.Haase, i just got my pen today and it's awesome, it writes so smooth. I just want to thank you for the great review on Youtube, and the great customer service." W. A., New York, NY "The "Monteverde Regatta" as breath taking as a sail catching wind in the Caribbean. Writes with a strong line and holds it's course well." V. B., Naples, FL Read more here... http://www.hisnibs.com/regatta1.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Monteverde Prima offerings reduced http://www.hisnibs.com/PrimaFPGroupSpread2_small.jpg Although the Prima still seems to be 'hanging around' (and probably my personal favorite of Monteverde's current line-up, for what that's worth), a number of the colors/pattterns have been retired. The Black is gone. However, Monteverde found two each of the Brown Stripes, Blue Stripes and Brown Swirl to send to me. I had previously listed the first two as 'permanently retired', so am glad to receive these...but I'll soon have to post that same description again. Act fast if you're interested. "Hi Norman. Just wanted to give a big thank you as the green Prima came this morning. Love it! I saw this pen when it first came out and was immediately struck by the luminous green, as I have an excellent collection of 1920s OS jade Sheaffer Flat=Tops. You tuned the nib perfectly, and I mean perfectly. I like them extra-fine and pretty dry, and this F nib completely fills the bill. This one will become a daily user. I also appreciate your kind and personal note that you put in with it. That makes dealing with you a pleasure, and makes me feel like an individual. The website is also very personal, and is one of the best on the web---if not THE best. Thank you x 100 for another excellent purchasing experience. I hope your business multiplies greatly. Others can take lessons from you." S. D., Luthrerville MD "Dear Norman, I have just received the pen and it is superb! The nib is wonderful and a delight to write with. Thank you so much for your frank and excellent advice. I have told my wife that I am thinking of buying another of these wonderful pens with the outstanding stub nib! Warmest regards and I am going to buy the Monteverde turquoise ink for all my official signature work." G. A., New York, NY "Mr. Haase, I received my Monteverde Prima yesterday and got it cleaned up as you instructed and filled with ink and then put pen to paper. I love it. It writes great and keeps up with the pace I write at nicely. Every once in a while it has a little trouble starting But that could be my fault and it isn't a problem really at all. I have been writing different things with it all morning. I also wanted to thank you for the prompt responses to my questions, the quick delivery of the pen, and the personal note. That type of customer service goes a long way with me and you can bet I will be ordering again very soon. Merry Christmas!" A. C., Odessa, MO Many more testimonial here: http://www.hisnibs.com/prima.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jinhao Wooden Chariot http://www.hisnibs.com/JinhaoWoodenChariotPosted2_small.jpg "I received the Jin Hao Wooden Chariot, and Dancing Dragons today. They are truly works of art as well as reliable smooth- writing pens that actually write better than many of my expensive European models. Thanks for your kind attention, first class service and the hand written note. I look forward to purchasing more pens from you in the near future." K. G., Columbus, OH See more photos here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/wooden_chariot.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hero 616 series http://www.hisnibs.com/Hero616GroupRandom_small.jpg "Dear Norman, thank you for drawing my attention to the new 'old model' Hero 329s. I would like to order one in dark green, and I would be grateful, if you could send me a PayPal invoice. The 616 arrived two weeks ago. What did you do to the nib? It is very smooth and lays down a slightly thicker line than my other 616s. That's perfect for me. At the moment I use it more often than my Parker 51s where the medium nib tends to be a little too broad for my hand-writing. This is more than just a simple knock-off. In terms of balance, reliability and design it is an exceptionally good pen in its own right. If the old 329 is similar than I will be very happy. Thank you for going to all that trouble for such 'cheap' pens! I have many more expensive ones in my collection, but I do not have the same fun in using them. With thanks and warm regards", C. S., Tübingen, Germany "Hello Norman, Just to let you know that the Hero 616s arrived a few weeks ago, and I've been using them since then. I couldn't be happier with the way they write. The fine point is just what I wanted and it writes beautifully. These pens are absolutely amazing value and your service was excellent. Thank you." M. D. S., Australia "Norman: Received the Hero 616 and Pilot 78G today. Must say they're great--properly tuned and ready to go to work! The 616 writes just like my beloved Parker 51 Flighter (I'll use it for travel since the Flighter has become to valuable to lose). The Pilot with the F nib is perfect for my research notebooks (where I tend to write with very small handwriting). Thanks! Fine pens and great service. Have a great day!" M. D., West Jordan, UT "Hi Norman, I received my 616 yesterday. I wrote about twelve pages with it last night and I'm very pleased - as far as I'm concerned the nib is perfect. I don't remember exactly where I saw your site recommended, but I'm glad I did! I'll certainly order again from you in the future." J. C., Chattanooga, TN Read more here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/%27616%27_series.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Duke '2009' http://www.hisnibs.com/DukeChaplinPosted_small.jpg "...the Duke 'Niner (nee Charlie Chaplin) arrived today and all I can say is OMG! I feel like one of my many nieces when their hair does exactly what they want it to. This thing is so bitching, Norm...And I must say that your "tune-up" has revealed to this poor scribe what a FP is actually supposed to write like. I thought my Sheaffer was all that and a bag o' chips, but the 'Niner beats it hands down. I don't know what you did, but Norm you've got to tell me, because I've got a dozen FPs that don't work quite right and I must get them working at least in the neighborhood of this one." M. H., Salt Lake City, UT See more here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/2009.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Picasso Candle Flame http://www.hisnibs.com/PicassoCandleFlameAngledCap_small.jpg "Norman, hope this email finds you well. I enjoy the Picasso Candle Flame pen a bunch-I'm sure it has a lot to do with your nib prep but it writes smoother than any Pen I own. I'm requesting 2 more. Thanks." R.F., N. Andover, MA "Dear Mr. Haase, thanks so much - I received my "Candle Flame" pen today. It's a real beauty. I usually like to try out a pen in the shop, so I wasn't sure how much to expect from one I bought online. I'm glad to report it writes wonderfully and feels great in my hand. I'll be keeping an eye on your website for new pens. You have a bunch of other interesting models, but it looks like they sell out pretty quickly - I'll have to stay on my toes. Thanks again and all the best!" J. K., Berkeley, CA Read more here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/candle_flame.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Jinhao Black Dreadnaught http://www.hisnibs.com/JinhaoBlackDreadnaughtPosted_small.jpg "Norman -- Thanks for continuing to send the updates. This time it reminded me that I had been meaning to write and tell you how much I've enjoyed the pens gotten from you. That "dreadnaught" is one heckuva pen! Probably the bulkiest pen I own at this moment. I had to find a special pen case to carry it around since it wouldn't fit into the one I normally carry. Even at that size, I find I enjoy it and tend to carry it most days, filled with Waterman purple. The nib is amazingly smooth and always starts right up; the line definitely leans toward the broad side of medium, which I very much prefer." J. T., Marietta, GA "The Dreadnaught FP arrived today . . . it's perfect! The wide girth, nice center of gravity (even when posted), and smooth-writing medium-to-broad (always my preference!) nib makes it my favorite writing instrument. It's every bit as good-if not even better-as you-know-who. . . I might have to purchase another color to have two in my collection. Definitely a superior pen!" C. H., Twinsburg, OH "Hi, Norman, My new Jinhao Black Dreadnaught arrived today. I was so eager to try it, I dipped the nib in ink and wrote with it before even following your washing instructions. Afterwards, I washed it. It fits well in my hand. I very much like the size and weight of the pen. Also, the nib glided over paper smoothly. I was too late to order it the first time you stocked it -- my bad. I am happy you brought it back, and that I bought it this time. Happily Writing," R. D., Melbourne, FL More photos here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/dreadnaught.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Black leather 48-pen case http://www.hisnibs.com/PenCasesBrown48Filled3_small.jpg More pen cases here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/pen_storage.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Baoer 8-Horse series http://www.hisnibs.com/Baoer8HorseAngledPair2_small.jpg "I received the inks and the surprise pen last Monday, which would have been October 1st. I absolutely love the Baoer 8 Horses pen. It writes like a dream and moves across the page so quickly I have to make sure I don't end up scribbling words that don't exist! It's filled with the Private Reserve Velvet Black and I love the ink. I knew I needed black, but I didn't know I would enjoy it so much. Who knew such a 'boring' color could be so much fun to use...I still can't believe how a pen could float across a page. I almost feel guilty that I want to use it more than the other two I have. It might be new pen addiction, but honestly, the pen is simply amazing." K. B., Etna, CA "Thanks Norman for the prompt shipping and careful packaging! I already had one of these "8 horses" pens and it is indeed a challenge to count all 8! It's a great pen and one that I could afford to give as gifts to friends who feel they cannot afford a good fountain pen. This one writes better than my vintage mabie-todd." C. F., Dallas, TX "Hi Norman, I'm gonna rave about the Baoer 8 Horses that came today. It is the smoothest nib I have ever used! That includes many $100-200 pens in my collection. Nobody is going to believe that this is a $20 pen. The brass construction gives it a solid feel, and it balances perfectly in my hand even when posted. I have the bronze finish, and am running Pelikan Brilliant Brown - makes for a nice combination!" T. T., Ann Arbor, MI More photos here... - http://www.hisnibs.com/eight_horses.htm ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 'His Nibs' page on Facebook http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v167/hisnibs/HisNibsFacebookimage.png Join us for daily news updates from around the world about fountain pens, ink, handwriting and more! Click here to visit our Facebook page - http://facebook.com/hisnibs1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the blog...Gorilla reunion A video showing a former 'keeper' being reunited with a his gorilla charge, back in the wild. See the May 13th entry here... - http://hisnibs.blogspot.com Regards, Norman Haase His Nibs.com