Your Best Cheap Pen?

January 7, 2015

Hehe! A week ago I was looking at the Baoer 388, for no particular reason, when I noticed it was $2.40 including shipping. Couldn't resist even though I didn't need it. I mean, $2.40, c'mon!

January 7, 2015

I own and have used droves of Chinese pens. The ones I reach for the most, though, are the Kaigelu 333 and Jinxing #28. Both buck the cheesy bling that's characteristic of Chinese pens and are very reliable and pleasant to use. The USD 19 Jinxing has been a revelation, in fact.

January 7, 2015

I'm going to have a jinhao 149 and x450 coming so we will see how those do, but rigt now the better if my toe twin pens is the blue cross Stratford (a hair smoother than the black one)

January 7, 2015

A Chinese BAOKE flighter pen that I bought for $ 2.50. It is the best of my cheap pens. It starts writing instantly even after remaing clipped to my pocket for a month or so. It really doesn't know what skipling is.

January 7, 2015

Not even close to be a contest here.

Wing Sung 590.

It's large, comfortable, nib has flex, mine is super wet too and no feedback at all.

Paid 4$ with shipping for it.

January 7, 2015

Jinhao 159, an excellent writer that fits very good in my hands.

January 8, 2015

Charles Ingersoll dollar pen often fairly cheap on eBay (20$) and nice full flex 14k nib

What gold flex nib fits into this pen? Please tell! I want one!

January 8, 2015

Hehe! A week ago I was looking at the Baoer 388, for no particular reason, when I noticed it was $2.40 including shipping. Couldn't resist even though I didn't need it. I mean, $2.40, c'mon!

I absolutely love this pen. It has a wonderfully smooth, slightly springy nib which just can't be beaten for the price.

January 8, 2015

My favorite 'inexpensive' pens are the Jinhao 599 (after nib smoothing), and my Jinhao X750 stainless steel. I have to admit though, on my X750 I have placed a 1.1 Goulet stub, and absolutely love writing with this pen. I can write with the X750 for extended periods without hand cramping. Just recently decided to give the X750 a rest, and currently toying with the Jinhao 950 porcelain. Inked it with Chesterfield Xircon, and the combination is nice. Good ink flow, however, it is the one pen I find best writing uncapped.

January 8, 2015

Hehe! A week ago I was looking at the Baoer 388, for no particular reason, when I noticed it was $2.40 including shipping. Couldn't resist even though I didn't need it. I mean, $2.40, c'mon!

For $2.40 I really do not blame you! Even if it does not totally satisfy you, you have not lost anything. You can always keep near the phone for messages.

January 9, 2015

I would say my Pilot Varsity.

Very cheap pen, but actually, the ink flow is nice.

-William S. Park

January 11, 2015

I own and have used droves of Chinese pens. The ones I reach for the most, though, are the Kaigelu 333 and Jinxing #28. Both buck the cheesy bling that's characteristic of Chinese pens and are very reliable and pleasant to use. The USD 19 Jinxing has been a revelation, in fact.

I received my Jinxing 565 a couple of days ago. Paid USD 17 on ebay. Truly good pen. Nothing about it that can make me quibble.

January 11, 2015

Pelikan Sailor and a Pen and Ink "Sketch" pen I bought over a year ago.

I don't have any Jinhao's yet though. Rectifying that in a few weeks.

January 11, 2015

Faber Castell Basic 15€

Kaweco Sport 8€

January 11, 2015

My best cheap pen is multicolor transparent / demonstrator Medium Oblique nib PLATIGNUM , ENGLAND pen that i purchased for PKR 70.00 / $00.70.

January 11, 2015

Luoshi 750, jinhao x450, the standby hero 616 (parker p51 homage), and believe it or not, I've been really pleased with a couple boxes of NOS Wing Sung 333's (one box pictured below).

They're SUPER cheap, I think they're the cheapest pens I own ($18 for 20 pens - WITH shipping). They needed to be fiddled with, but they're hardy little pens. Fairly frou-frou and girly for my usual taste, but they're pretty and they write pretty well. The only thing that makes me nuts about them is that the screw that holds the clip on (the black rounded ball at the top of the pen) is very badly threaded. You just about have to use some silicon tape (or glue or SOMETHING) to keep the clip from swiveling around if you clip the pens in your pocket. Otherwise, good to go! Edited to add: I've converted several to eyedroppers and haven't had any accidents yet.

Edited January 11, 2015 by AnnieB123

January 11, 2015

I received my first Jinhao x750 in red lacquer on Friday - and Wow fantastic value. Smooth and lovely. I order an x450 on Saturday. What's to loose? £2.99 inc shipping and just great value.

January 11, 2015

I have bought some Chinese and Indian pens lately. I'm quite fascinated by the Indian ebonite hand turned pens in all their robust simplicity. The chinese pen are more pretentious in their outer appearence but often they look somewhat cheap.

Two Jinhao 159 are excellent writers (the one is meant to give away to a friend who wants to try using a fountain pen).

A Kaigelu 316 is an excellent writer - until it begins to blurp, which it invariably does after 2-3 minutes with the tip downwards. Gotta take it apart to fix it.

A Gama Hawk eyedropper with a Jowo 1.1 stub nib. Nice writer. No blurping due to the Jowo feed. 4ml ink capacity. Despite the huge size, it's light and with great balance due to the ebonite body.

A Gama Jumbo clear demonstrator (same size as the Hawk) with a Chinese F nib on the stock wallity feed. Writes very smoothly. It does blurp when the ink runs low (normal with eyedroppers).

Nobody should expect these pens of oriental origin to write as well as say a Pelikan out of the box (though some actually does). They are best suited for those who can tinker a bit themselves to get them to perform as desired. But at those prices, how can one go wrong.