What Chinese Pens Are You Using Today?

[Aquaria]

Hero 616, my "Baystate Blue" tester pen. I have something like 10 of these Hero pens floating around, so why risk one of my "good" pens with an ink of Baystate Blue's reputation? As for BSB...

 

As soon as that color went on the page, I thought--I've seen this color, already. I don't remember where or when, but I've seen it. Maybe in the 60s or 70s when I was a kid. I'm getting vibes of my childhood from it, so it's probably from then.

 

I'm torn about it, though. Sometimes I like it. Sometimes I'm meh about it. Mostly, meh wins out. I doubt that I'll ever buy a whole bottle of it.

[Manalto]

Private Reserve 'Tanzanite' has a nostalgic look to it for me. I like the 'blurple' color though; reminds me of mimeograph.

 

A tiger-eye Kaigelu 316 is the pen for today (and many days before and many days to come). I opened up the feed a bit with the thumbnail trick and it's a smooth, juicy writer now. My only gripe with the pen is its difficulty starting after sitting idle (capped) for even a brief period of time.

[eliweisz]

A tiger-eye Kaigelu 316 is the pen for today (and many days before and many days to come).

 

Same here. No hard starts, though.

[Zookie]

Today I'm using a green Yiren 359 with Koh I Noor green ink. It's a surprisingly nice pen considering it cost a whopping 1.50 US, and has a really fine EF nib.

[Helen350]

"The Mighty Roo" 316. Inked with Iroshizuku Kon Peki

[Flounder]

My trusty Kaigelu 316, both sleek and dependable.

[richardandtracy]

My charcoal K316, lovely, but very tired now. The plating is more brass than any other colour. Where plating is still extant it's mostly grey/silver coloured with copper showing around the worn edges. IIRC to plate brass you plate with copper first, then nickel and finally with the finish plating. The wear I'm getting seems to confirm this.

 

My other pen today is a blue lacquer Hero 7022 with Noodler's Bay State Blue in it.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[Guardy]

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n522/Guardevoir/Pen%20and%20Writing%20Stuff/DSC_0040.jpg

 

Wing Sung 322. This pen is such a darling. I've never seen a better XF nib, and it's the only one of my Hero/WingSung bunch that doesn't suffer from major hard starts.

 

Currently debating getting a red one, to match my guitar picks. If I do, I'm probably going to get one for my accordion teacher, too, since the really took to this one.

 

(The quote is the beginning Ecce Gratum from the Carmina Burana, by the way. I took a medieval Latin course at Uni last semester, and ended up listening to a particular reconstruction of this thing more than I probably should have)

[Manalto]

Guardy, I'm curious about the 322, because I could use a reliable XF nib too. Is the pen standard size?

[Guardy]

Well, it's definitely not a big pen... but it's very light, very well balanced (when unposted) and has a nice long grip section, so it's not as uncomfortable as it looks.

 

I snapped a quick comparison picture:

 

http://i1138.photobucket.com/albums/n522/Guardevoir/Pen%20and%20Writing%20Stuff/DSC_0030%201.jpg

 

It really does look smaller than it feels.

[sodul]

Today I have been using a green JinHao 159, a blue JinHao 159 and a Baoer 388. I like the 159 so much that I have most colors for it: black, blue, red, yellow, orange and purple. I have a white and a champagne on the way. There is a silver model as well but I'll wait a bit before getting it. All of them are chrome trim, not golden.

[Mech-for-i]

Today I am experimenting with a new nib. Inked up my Frankenstein-pen constructed with a Wing Sung 801 section / ink reservoir; Hero 442 barrel; New Youth 30 feed; Wing Sung 233 cap and the new Hero type 2 Calligrsphy / Fude nib I have in parts reserve.

 

This particular version of fude nib is IMHO best suited for beginner who's trying their hand on these kind of nibs

[richardandtracy]

Today's pen is my dark grey Crocodile 806. Haven't used it for a while (month or so), left with ink in it, and it started up immediately. Nice pen.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[richila]

Today I am using my newest pen, a Delike alpha in Bronze with an extra fine nib. It is even finer than my hooded nib Baoer. It is filled with Diamine Evergreen.

Edited February 23, 2017 by richila

[Manalto]

Well, it's definitely not a big pen... but it's very light, very well balanced (when unposted) and has a nice long grip section, so it's not as uncomfortable as it looks.

 

I snapped a quick comparison picture:

 

 

Thanks very much for taking the photo; it gives me a good idea of the 322's size.

[richardandtracy]

Today's pen is my Shimmering Aurora Baoer 801.

It has finally started to succumb to my acid skin, with the paint on the cap finial beginning to blister. The rest of the finish is still intact.

http://i771.photobucket.com/albums/xx356/richardandtracy/Reviews/Baoer%20801%20Photo2_zpsrtjlqbla.jpg

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[DeanKW]

Today I'm using a Hero 616 Jumbo with Shaeffer Skrip Blue and a Hero 338 with Noodler's Black. I've long used this 616, but only recently tuned the 338 to my liking. The tines had been so close together there was essentially no ink flow. Now it's a thing of beauty.

 

http://i.imgur.com/sYSM6rx.jpg

[DanielJade]

Have a collection of Jinhao (and as an illustrator, they are great - sort of the «Mont-Blanc» for the poor!). To my taste, the Jinhao 159 comes first but the X750 and 450 series are quite fine and smooth as is the 159. For the price one can not ask for better. I'm not into pen as a «collector» but mostly as an illustrator who needs interesting and generous nibs! I don't care for for the «dress» of a pen as much as I care for its soul (the nib)! though some Jinhao a quite solid (full metal) and behave very nicely in one's hand and, looks great. These are excellent choices for a beginner (and I don't work for Jinhao - but I work with their products)!

[Helen350]

Hero 616 Jumbo. Chesterfield Antique Mariner. Working on a study of the Book of Judges.

[Guardy]

Kaigelu 316 with something that may or may not be Standardgraph cornflower blue*. It's a beautiful color; almost comparable to Pelikan turquoise, but prettier.

It's a good match for my amber/tiger's eye 316 - if you can't match the ink to the barrel, going the opposite way and choosing complementary colors is pretty fun. Besides, my K316 has an odd, surprisingly broad nib**, with an almost stub-like character to it, which plays very well with this particular ink.

 

*I love Standardgraph inks, but they're notoriously bad at putting the right label on the right ink bottle. Thus, the ink may actually be sky blue. It's hard to tell.

**It's supposed to be an M nib, but that is not an M nib.

 

/EDIT: also, @Manalto: You're welcome, glad I could help!

Edited February 26, 2017 by Guardy