Best Inexpensive Chinese Pens

[Thier.]

i so wish the same...

He will, be sure of it ....

[SmoutKa]

What surprises me, is that most pens that are suggested here are imitations of Western pens.

Yes, Chinese industry does a whole lot of imitation. Parker IM, Mont Blanc 159, Seheaffer Dolphin, Sheaffer Triumph, Parker Sonnet, Parker 45, Lamy Safari all came along. And that is just what i recognize at first sight.

I feel like that is the recent past of chinese fountain pens. It could also be that I just don't recognize the pens copied by other designs... Still, typical chinese pens for me would be Hero 9296, Hero 1S8J, Hero 1T2Z, Baoer 3035 (recommended!), Jinhao 126 (highly recommended!). The recommended pens are in daily use as schoolpens. Bought for toughness (all steel), fine line (rest of the class works with ballpoints), and reliability. True knockarounds.

Or the heavily ornamented pens, with dragons, gems and the like. How about the Jinhao 'two dragons play the pearl'? Or the modest Jinhao 1200?

[Ian the Jock]

Modest jinhao 1200...love it. Hahaha.

 

I have the very modest silver barleycorn version, with gold dragon clip with red eyes.

And just to help keep the whole thing "understated", i have it as my dedicated Baystate blue pen.

Lovely.

 

 

Ian

[richardandtracy]

I, too, think it's impossible for the J1200 to be called 'Modest'. My silver one shouts 'Bling' with a multi kW amp, and my daughter's gold one even more so.

 

I do think that some Chinese home grown pens are utter tripe (like the Huashilai 2210 I reviewed here: https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/index.php?/topic/236998-huashilai-marbled-celluloid-2210/ ). There are pens, on the other hand, like the J5000 that are very nice.

As works of art, many of the Jinhao Dragon pens are superb. I don't think they are good pens, though, due to weight & balance issues. It depends on whether you write all day. For a 5 minute scribble, these would be good pens, on a par with a bp, but I wouldn't like to write a long letter with them. The Jinhao's with cobras on the top - well, that's just tacky.

 

I do acknowledge that I'm constrained by the Greco-Roman origin of the Western taste - consequently don't find things that stray outside it as attractive as I might were I to come from a different culture. It's not an excuse, just an explanation of why I may find some Chinese design 'tacky' or 'tasteless'.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[SmoutKa]

Blingy Jinhao 1200? Your own fault! Just get the black version.

But yes, I was a bit understated, there.

Or I just laid eyes on the 41 or those ball-playing dragons.

They raise the bar for blinginess.

[richardandtracy]

If that was available 7 years ago, I must have completely missed it. Don't think I did... (I did search a lot at the time)

However, I will agree it looks much less overstated.

 

As works of art, those dragon pens are good.

The cobra ones I was talking about for 'tackyness' are here: http://www.aliexpress.com/item/Jinhao-Snake-Fountain-Pen-Ancient-Grey-Cobra-3D-Pattern-Collection-Pen-18KGP-M-Nib/32267654307.html . This is the best, the chrome & gold are.. just awful.

 

Regards,

 

Richard

[SmoutKa]

LOL

If you write with one of those posted, you'll have RSI within a couple of pages. That - or you will develop colossal muscles on the writing paw!

 

By the way - What does MontBlanc need copycats for, if they do this themselves?

Don't get the feeling western pens can't be tacky. There is alwayt ST Dupont to prove you wrong.

Edited April 19, 2015 by SmoutKa

[richardandtracy]

I agree, and the Montegrappa 'Skull' pen (whatever it's model name was) designed by Sylvester Stallone. That was just awful.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

[Ian the Jock]

LOL

If you write with one of those posted, you'll have RSI within a couple of pages. That - or you will develop colossal muscles on the writing paw!

 

By the way - What does MontBlanc need copycats for, if they do this themselves?

Don't get the feeling western pens can't be tacky. There is alwayt ST Dupont to prove you wrong.

 

 

 

WOW .........Bling City.

And I thought the 1200 was "blingy"

I love the over the top-ness of my 1200, it is by far the blingiest pen I have, but I love it for that very reason.

When I first got it, I showed it to my 18 yr old son, and he said, wow! cool pen, so It must be lauded as it is the pen that keeps me "down with the kids" .

Ian

Edited April 20, 2015 by Ian the Jock

[Thier.]

I agree, and the Montegrappa 'Skull' pen (whatever it's model name was) designed by Sylvester Stallone. That was just awful.

 

Regards,

 

Richard.

Just !!!!!! I've never seen such an ugly pen .......

[rwilsonedn]

OK, something a little different. I have an older (but not really vintage) Golden Star school pen that is a wonderful writer. It is made of light plastic, red with a large transparent ink chamber. It's a syringe filler, so the capacity is great. Which is a good thing, because the M nib is deliciously wet. The nib is a small, untipped, gold-toned steel number that was initially rather scratchy, but smoothed beautifully with just a few strokes on the micromesh. (Much more and I would have had a stub!)

All in all, it's a wonderful, light, fragile little pen that performs way above its price of about $1. I'm sure heavy use would wear it out, but in and out of the rotation, it does just fine: joy all around.

ron

[Thier.]

Another great and cheap chinese pen is the jinhao Porcelain ....

[Regulateur]

Another great and cheap chinese pen is the jinhao Porcelain ....

Totally agree! Got 2 Jinhao 950, the dragon for my 8 year old daugther and the bamboo for me. They came in last week. I am new to Chinese pens and I didn't know what to expect in terms of quality. Both pens have flawless fit and finish and are superb writers. Nib draws a wet fine line, no skipping, no hard start.

[pcravis]

big pen hinhao 159 / standard pen jinhao 599 /demi pen jinhao 886

Edited June 24, 2015 by pcravis

[______Zaphod_Beeblebrox]

Are not them all inexpensive?

 

I thought for sure there would be a hi-end Pen company in China but I have yet to find out who it is.

 

Please, if you know of a Chinese company that makes precession writing instruments in limited quantities I would love to know about it.

 

I know the chinese can manufacture some wonderful things because in times past and present I see thing every day that are of fine quality and made in china, but this comes at a price, just like all fine things.

 

I have exquisite things Fountain pens from, Gernany, Japan, Italy, United Kingdom. I think it would be great if I could find a pen company in china.

[pcravis]

Are not them all inexpensive?

 

I thought for sure there would be a hi-end Pen company in China but I have yet to find out who it is.

 

Please, if you know of a Chinese company that makes precession writing instruments in limited quantities I would love to know about it.

 

I know the chinese can manufacture some wonderful things because in times past and present I see thing every day that are of fine quality and made in china, but this comes at a price, just like all fine things.

 

I have exquisite things Fountain pens from, Gernany, Japan, Italy, United Kingdom. I think it would be great if I could find a pen company in china.

look https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/282490-a-demonstrator-piston-hero-100-yes-sir/

[fly_us]

Another great and cheap chinese Jinhao pen with carved shells ..... I've just changed the nib .....

 

 

Wow, it is a beautiful pen.

[4lex]

Are not them all inexpensive?

 

I thought for sure there would be a hi-end Pen company in China but I have yet to find out who it is.

 

Please, if you know of a Chinese company that makes precession writing instruments in limited quantities I would love to know about it.

 

I know the chinese can manufacture some wonderful things because in times past and present I see thing every day that are of fine quality and made in china, but this comes at a price, just like all fine things.

 

I have exquisite things Fountain pens from, Gernany, Japan, Italy, United Kingdom. I think it would be great if I could find a pen company in china.

It is not exactly precision writing instrument in limited edition but I am yet to find a western made fountain pen under 150$ that is as good as my Hero 100 in brushed steel version that costed me 50$

Edited July 30, 2015 by 4lex Mood

[Thier.]

 

Wow, it is a beautiful pen.

 

Thank you. I've just gave it a good flex nib ...

[Uncial]

I bought a Jinhao Spider and a Hero Skeleton all for under €20

Will post here as to what they are like when I get them. They are both MB rip offs, but they are careful to label themselves as 'Mont Pens' and the snow peak has more splurgy bits so it looks much more like a bird splat.

I can't say I'm expecting incredible quality, but it will be the closest I ever get to owning a MB skeleton!