What Chinese Pens Are You Using Today?

[Helen350]

Inks: Chesterfield Antique Oxford & Chesterfield Turquoise

[Helen350]

Hero 329 with 328 cap. Hooded nib - writes a nice medium. Chesterfield Xircon. Apart from the round metal finial on top of barrel, just another Hero 616. Having had these pens for years, recently finding them in boxes I had packed away. Many years ago I had purchased these Hero pens, however, found them scratchy. Had used some of them to learn how to tweak a nib, and many "bit the dust" during the learning process.

 

[Mech-for-i]

Hero 329 with 328 cap. Hooded nib - writes a nice medium. Chesterfield Xircon. Apart from the round metal finial on top of barrel, just another Hero 616. Having had these pens for years, recently finding them in boxes I had packed away. Many years ago I had purchased these Hero pens, however, found them scratchy. Had used some of them to learn how to tweak a nib, and many "bit the dust" during the learning process.

 

well Helen, the 3XX series was definitely developed but definitely ( mechanical vise ) not the same as the 616. As an engineer, am rather intrigued by the development Hero put into these hooded nib from their 100 to 616 to 3XX, then to their current slim line ( integral feed/ink collector ). Which reminds me; I should really take out my 9630 to show off the latest

[Helen350]

 

well Helen, the 3XX series was definitely developed but definitely ( mechanical vise ) not the same as the 616. As an engineer, am rather intrigued by the development Hero put into these hooded nib from their 100 to 616 to 3XX, then to their current slim line ( integral feed/ink collector ). Which reminds me; I should really take out my 9630 to show off the latest

 

Thanks for that insight. What are your thoughts on the 616 Jumbo? The 9630 looks interesting. Looking forward to your snaps & review.

[Mech-for-i]

FOA, Hero never ever refer to their 616 as 616 Jumbo, actually their official naming for the two sizing is Mid size and Small size 616 , the size being referring to general fountain pen size, not a size specific to the 616. The 616 Jumbo ( mid size ) is pretty much a simplified Hero 100 ( aka Parker 51 ) mechanism which allow easier manufacturing / assembly with less parts but the design also build in more tolerance notably in the feed back bleed ( aka breather channel / breather tube combo ) the 616 also do not suffer from the 100's old design in flaw of cracking section ( due to too much stress placed on the material by the Sac/Feed/Ink collector assembly ). The feed is still a thin rod but the nib is slightly smaller in diameter and also shorter overall which mean there is less contact area between feed and nib which made it less prone to blurp but also made it drier. The 3XX series improve on the 616 by again simplifying the section/feed/ink collector/Sac assembly and using the section as the main structural holder ( the 616 and 100 sections pretty much hold the assembly instead of using the section as part of it.) The 3XX series used a wider diameter and longer nib which is one of the reason it tend to write quite smooth and relatively free flow and wet. Almost all the other brand's hooded nib use a similar construction as the 616 but using yet another sized nib ( shorter yet still by 1mm vs the 616 ). My opinion on the 616 is that its relatively reliable and decently engineered, but not exactly user friendly when tinkering ( disassembly can be tricky some time ) and like almost all these vintage models they are kind of build light, they just won't take much abuse. And the size of the pen is somewhat not quite right for me, but that's just me. For their price, however, one really cannot fault it. A workhorse type of pen it is, and that's about it.

 

Sometime in the early 90's Hero develop their ultimate hooded nib feed by ditching the separate ink collector and instead designed and build a series of single piece integral feed with collector on the feed , that is what you will be seeing these days in all those new hooded nib models which also explain why their section profile can be made as such ( many are pretty slim ) and that is what the 9630 have

[richila]

This is my second day using my Amber(orange) Crocodile 806. It is filled with Diamine Inferno Orange that was also a Christmas present.

[mehandiratta]

Today I am using Jinhao 889 (review) which is fitted with #5 Medium Nib and it is filled with KWZ IG #3 ink.

[richila]

So much fun to write with! by Richila, on Flickr

[Helen350]

Still enjoying "The Mighty Roo" - Kaigelu 316. Chesterfield Amethyst

[PenPaper52]

 

Today I am using my newly acquired Jinhao 250 inked with Lindauer Rot.

Love the way the pen feels and the way this nib in combo with the ink just glides across the paper.

 

Stay safe everyone and have a blessed Sunday!

 

Rita

[Tefolim]

a White Feather（WF） 136 capillary filling （with WF 71-2's ship aludur cap） + Hero 203 blue Ink

and a Guiguan 250 + Ostrich 331 carbon ink

[Guardy]

The usual combination: Wing Sung 233 (Pelikan blbk) and 322 (Pelikan dark green*), Hero 616 (Standardgraph violet**) and Kaigelu 316 (Pelikan royal blue) - especially the 322 and the 316 today.

 

Oh, I also inked up my Jinhao 159 again (Diamine Oxblood***) - it's actually more comfrtable to use than I remembered, and it certainly looks impressive when it's uncapped.
Capped, it looks... well, like a whale.

 

*Back when I was a wee kid, maybe 13 years old, I used almost exclusively Pelikan brilliant green for a year or so, while constantly complaning about the lack of actually pretty green ink cartridges. Well, now that's a thing that exists. Thanks, Pelikan. Unfortunately, I have a different favorite color by now...

 

**I know, I keep saying that without showing any actual proof, but Standardgraph violet is an excellent ink.

 

***Still fighting the urge to ink up ALL THE PENS with Oxblood, haha :')
What can I say, it's a really pretty ink.

[Helen350]

Hero 616 - inked with Chesterfield Turquoise (doing an indepth study on the Kingdom of God & Tabernacle Typology)

[richardandtracy]

Youngest daughter is taking an English exam as I type this, with her Hero 616. She loves it.

 

My Chinese pen of the day is the Jinhao X450 with a beautiful blue lacquer.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[MissChief]

Today, I'm using a Ratnamson ebonite eyedropper pen with an F nib. It one I won in a PIF here on FPN a while back. After reading Hari's instructions on how to fill an Indian eyedropper pen properly, this pen writes like a dream.

 

Oops... it's an Indian pen, not a Chinese pen. Feel free to delete this post if required.

Edited January 13, 2017 by MissChief

[Tefolim]

WhiteFeather 404 with WF134‘s 14k nib

I uesed it to wriite down someting so that my grandpa could understand what I mean.

[richardandtracy]

Today, I'm using a Ratnamson ebonite eyedropper pen with an F nib. It one I won in a PIF here on FPN a while back. After reading Hari's instructions on how to fill an Indian eyedropper pen properly, this pen writes like a dream.

 

Oops... it's an Indian pen, not a Chinese pen. Feel free to delete this post if required.

Don't worry, not that bothered, it always serves to remind us that there are other pens!

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[eliweisz]

Picasso 915 Ruby, M nib, inked with Diamine Classic Red. Writes like a charm!

[Helen350]

Picasso 915 Ruby, M nib, inked with Diamine Classic Red. Writes like a charm!

 

Eli, I do agree with you on that assessment! It is a true performer. Both the Picasso 915 and the Kaigelu 316 are treasures, and together they cost less than $60.

[eliweisz]

 

Eli, I do agree with you on that assessment! It is a true performer. Both the Picasso 915 and the Kaigelu 316 are treasures, and together they cost less than $60.

 

Quite right you are!