What Chinese Pens Are You Using Today?

[Jennings]

Still got my Hero 329...waiting for my Jinhao 159 and Kaigelu 316 to arrive. The Hero's always started first time even after a weekend of no use. I'm hoping the more fancy pens I'm waiting on do the same thing

[51ISH]

No, I've never had the problem of any of mine drying up, least of all the K323. That Diamine is a colour I've never used, but I have used Diamine Turqoise in mine & never had a problem.

Just wondering if the cap is fully sealed. Does air escape if you blow into it? Doesn't on mine, so if it does on yours there may be an air leak somewhere.

 

Today I have my Huashilai A-053 with me. I'm trying to love it.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

Thanks Richard I'll have a look at that and maybe try a different ink....just use it a bit and see what happens

 

Oh nearly forgot no FP's for me today...just BP at work

Edited October 8, 2012 by 51ISH

[doji33]

Vintage Hero 841 and Wing Sung 220

[J.R.]

Baoer Skywalker, loaded with Diamine Imperial Blue. Backed up with a Wing Sung 233. The W/S is ugly as sin, unbelievably cheap and a terrific writer. (For my illegible hand !)

[lovemy51]

today: Hero 395

[alc3261]

Today the Guanleming 2001 Demonstrator, the "Baystate Blue Pen" with BSB in it!!

[richardandtracy]

I got my Lamy Vista and thought it would be the perfect pen to have as a BSB pen. WRONG. The BSB softened the feed so much in 4 days that the nib peeled back like a rotten fingernail. Oops.

I may have to investigate the Guanleming as a BSB pen. How broad is the nib? I have looked at the YCGao pens & it looks very fine to me. I will, with reluctance, put up with a nib as fine as the US Medium, but much prefer a UK Medium or fatter. There is no way I'm ever going to use a Fine again.

 

 

Today I have two Huashilai's with me, the A-053 and the 2210. While both pens were cheap (£3.56 and £4.99 inc postage respectively), I really don't find them inspiring. They're just workhorse pens that are instantly forgettable.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[JemC]

I may have to investigate the Guanleming as a BSB pen. How broad is the nib? ... There is no way I'm ever going to use a Fine again.

The Guanleming 2001 definitely writes a fine line. I'd say somewhere between Japanese & Western fine. So probably not up your ally. But it's a great little pen.

[richardandtracy]

Thanks.

I have a few H616's that I never use because they are too fine for me, along with a really excellent Jinhao 321. I simply cannot get on with really fine lines, so these excellent pens remain under-used.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[KrazyIvan]

Richard,

 

If you don't like the 616, you will not like the Guanleming.

[51ISH]

No, I've never had the problem of any of mine drying up, least of all the K323. That Diamine is a colour I've never used, but I have used Diamine Turqoise in mine & never had a problem.

Just wondering if the cap is fully sealed. Does air escape if you blow into it? Doesn't on mine, so if it does on yours there may be an air leak somewhere.

 

Today I have my Huashilai A-053 with me. I'm trying to love it.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

Absolutely spot on Richard.....the cap leaks like a sieve ......

 

Oh....using my Jinhao 159....Richard if you don't like fine lines Mate....you really should try one of these

 

And my Dolce-Vita Naranja....not sure who makes these as it came from Japan... Kaigelu has been suggested...but I think not to be honest....might have to get me another one of these...if only the converter was a bit better...

Edited October 9, 2012 by 51ISH

[richardandtracy]

I've been wondering about a J159. robofkent was kind enough to let me try one of his at a craft fair I attended, and the nib was superb - smooth and broad. The size of the pen did put me off a bit though. I love the Parker 61, which is nice & slender, and the pens I make tend to be the same. The J159 cannot be accused of being slender, or even merely 'large'. It's HUGE.

 

Still thinking.

 

There is one from 'Jojo and you' for £5.62 inc postage at the moment. Very tempted. And it's cheaper than a good quality broad nib from Oxonian. Now do I get the pen or the MT2/ER32 collet chuck I need?

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[richardandtracy]

Forgot to state today's pen.

 

My Charcoal K316.

I went to a craft fair last Saturday to sell a few pens and wrote a letter during the quite time around lunch. When a customer came over I put it down, and the pen rolled against the back of my display of bp's, rb's and fp's. Naturally, it was the one the customer noticed, thought was amazing and wanted to buy!

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[51ISH]

I've been wondering about a J159. robofkent was kind enough to let me try one of his at a craft fair I attended, and the nib was superb - smooth and broad. The size of the pen did put me off a bit though. I love the Parker 61, which is nice & slender, and the pens I make tend to be the same. The J159 cannot be accused of being slender, or even merely 'large'. It's HUGE.

 

Still thinking.

 

There is one from 'Jojo and you' for £5.62 inc postage at the moment. Very tempted. And it's cheaper than a good quality broad nib from Oxonian. Now do I get the pen or the MT2/ER32 collet chuck I need?

Regards,

 

Richard.

 

Well, both of course

 

It will soon be too chilly in Blighty to be working in that garage anyway

 

Oh, nearly forgot....Dolce-vita Naranja again today....still waiting on my K356.

 

Any suggestions for a cure to my cap air leak on my K323 ???

 

Oh and don't say ask for a new cap ....tried that already

Edited October 10, 2012 by 51ISH

[richardandtracy]

Where is the cap leaking, and how big is the leak? If it's something not sitting tightly enough together a tiny touch of superglue may fill the space.

 

As for my workshop, hmm. It will get cold soon, but I do work in it until the temp reaches -2 or -3C. I need to re-work my home made tap for my Oxonian supplied nib units, and it will be much easier to mill the tap if it's in a collet chuck in my rotary table rather than in a cobbled together fixture to hold my 3 jaw lathe chuck to the rotary table. The table is MT2, and at the moment I only have an MT4 ER32 collet chuck. Irritating really.

 

Todays pens are a K316 and Huashilai 3000. For some reason the Kaigelu is getting much more use!

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[Seele]

A rebuilt early Hero 330 in green, loaded with Hero 203 blue ink; retro-classic style!

[TMac]

I have my Amber Kaigelu 316 inked with R & K Magenta. I really like this pen and it keeps showing up in my rotation frequently.

[reval]

For occassions when I don't have my "deluxe pens" $$$ pen at hand, I constantly seem to pick either one of my Ahabs/Kondrad or one of my Jinhaos 159s. I am so happy with these pens that my mid-range pens get little use lately.

[robofkent]

I'm using two Nemosine Singularity pens with M nibs, purchased from xfountainpens.com (in the USA). One is Cardinal Red and the other Ivory and they both have beautiful smooth nibs and I love the traditional shape although the plastic feels a little on the cheap side (well it is a cheap pen!). The Cardinal Red one has a crack under the silver band on the lid, which I have read, is a weak point. The pens come with a 3 year warranty so have sent an e-mail to Nemosine to see if I can obtain a replacement lid.

[auto winder]

Today I'm testing my new blue Kaigelu 356. I like it a lot so far!