Sanyal Soumitra's Mini Chinese Pen Reviews

[mrmohitmishra]

Dear Sir, thank you for the kind words. These low cost pens give a huge variety and each deserves a mention- it all started with that in mind. However, once started, I found it is time consuming as well-so it would keep me busy for a while. I am almost done with my Chinese pens-save about 50 odd pens remaining to photograph. For Indian pens both vintage & contemporary there are about 100 pieces. Also there are some vintage/ current pilots/ sheafers/etc- not many though. All these wil take some more time.

I am not a sir, Sir..

I am looking forward to those photographs and reviews.

It's quite a catalogue sir. This is a great work. Something rarely attempted by even most avid pen collectors.

I will link this blog to my future reviews. I am quite sure about it.

Thanks for this wonderful work.

[deepak23]

That nib on the Kaiduoli reminds me of the Kaigelu nibs, with the kangaroo in the center. On the Kaigelu the roo faces to the left, and on the Kaiduoli it faces to the right. However, the Kaigelu nib is much more decorative. Interesting!

Only a matter of time before they started knocking off knock-offs. Whatever said, these are certainly eye-catching...

[a_m]

Only a matter of time before they started knocking off knock-offs. Whatever said, these are certainly eye-catching...

 

I think, by knocking off every conceivable FPs, the Chinese pen industry has only devalued itself to a situation where people think that it is "cheap" and can be easily ignored - though often they can write as well as any Western pen. I am sure there are Chinese FPs that are equally pricey (and "high quality") as Western Fps, but are either not known or not talked about.

 

 

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[mrmohitmishra]

 

I think, by knocking off every conceivable FPs, the Chinese pen industry has only devalued itself to a situation where people think that it is "cheap" and can be easily ignored - though often they can write as well as any Western pen. I am sure there are Chinese FPs that are equally pricey (and "high quality") as Western Fps, but are either not known or not talked about.

 

 

.

China mass produces the Fountain Pens like various other things often getting considerable subsidy in terms of taxes and bills. Secondly, the Labour is quite cheaper. This leads to substantially low costs than many western counter parts. The people who buy such pens have lesser purchasing power than westerners. The fountain pens are manufactured keeping them in mind. Just like India. Where,if you leave the hand made pens, the most premium of factory made pens would seldom cost more than say 2000/- INR. These pens are not say a collectors item for a fountain pen enthusiast. They are rather decent writing instruments at a substantially low costs.

I think the greatest role of these pens is that inaugurate the uninitiated to the use of Fountain Pens who can try these, in country like ours, without risking much.

Art keeps in mind the beauty and the aesthetics. Business is run purely for profits. But thanks to these invisible hands of the market,we are getting a real good VFM.

There are costlier fountain pens made in China, but they usually import gold nibs. Ebay has tons of them.

[a_m]

China mass produces the Fountain Pens like various other things often getting considerable subsidy in terms of taxes and bills. Secondly, the Labour is quite cheaper. This leads to substantially low costs than many western counter parts. The people who buy such pens have lesser purchasing power than westerners. The fountain pens are manufactured keeping them in mind. Just like India. Where,if you leave the hand made pens, the most premium of factory made pens would seldom cost more than say 2000/- INR. These pens are not say a collectors item for a fountain pen enthusiast. They are rather decent writing instruments at a substantially low costs.

I think the greatest role of these pens is that inaugurate the uninitiated to the use of Fountain Pens who can try these, in country like ours, without risking much.

Art keeps in mind the beauty and the aesthetics. Business is run purely for profits. But thanks to these invisible hands of the market,we are getting a real good VFM.

There are costlier fountain pens made in China, but they usually import gold nibs. Ebay has tons of them.

 

 

You are only looking at FP prices from Foreign Exchange point of view, not from view of Purchasing Power. To rather illustrate it, a Masala Dosa in India price starts from Rs. 50; in New York it starts from USD 5. So is the thing with FPs.

 

Brands like Crocodile / Picasso is generally higher priced. I have two of Crocodile pens and find them to have very good nib quality. There is Hero 100 with 14 K gold nib (but I dont have them).

 

Besides if you think Chinese dont have purchasing power, you should read this WSJ article

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203707504577008591194801860

[sanyalsoumitra]

Lanbitou 837

 

[sanyalsoumitra]

 

 

You are only looking at FP prices from Foreign Exchange point of view, not from view of Purchasing Power. To rather illustrate it, a Masala Dosa in India price starts from Rs. 50; in New York it starts from USD 5. So is the thing with FPs.

 

Brands like Crocodile / Picasso is generally higher priced. I have two of Crocodile pens and find them to have very good nib quality. There is Hero 100 with 14 K gold nib (but I dont have them).

 

Besides if you think Chinese dont have purchasing power, you should read this WSJ article

 

http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052970203707504577008591194801860

I have a crocodile 702 , cost me about $ 60 at a Chinese supermarket. Same pen when it comes to e-bay listing will perhaps cost $ 10 less as you don't have to pay the VAT. But seller gets to roll the money for 60 days, he is not losing. I have a hero 100 14K, cost me about $ 48 in China, e-bay price is around $ 39- a flawless construction. In China many more people buy fountain pens and there is a lot of variety. Chinese pen market, appears to me, does not have to depend on foreign markets, just domestic market is enough for sustaining the industry. Exports are an extra market to them. Any Chinese pen above $12 e-bay price generally has a very good nib.

Edited December 20, 2014 by sanyalsoumitra

[sanyalsoumitra]

Repair and testing of two Chinese pens today :

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sanyalsoumitra]

HERO 581 - a fine model, perhaps discontinued now.

 

 

 

 

[WateryFlow]

This thread is super helpful, but I feel it could be made even better with an index at the beginning

[stuartk]

Thank you for posting these. I'm finding them very interesting.

[sanyalsoumitra]

Playboy pen

 

[TSherbs]

This is my dream thread! I just discovered it. I am going to browse it for hours. Thank you, sir!

[Sailor Kenshin]

I love seeing the variety!

[hbdk]

This is a really wonderful thread!

 

That Lanbitou 837 is very nice - I can't seem to find it anywhere. Anybody knows of a seller?

[Tefolim]

The design may come from Pilot Super U Roof Pen and simplified. Chinese call it 鸭嘴尖 Duck mouth nib or 三角尖 Triangle nib. 440 Hero, Hero 240, Hero 121, Hero 124, Wingsung 765, Temple of Heavem 792 and so on used this kind of nibs.

[Mech-for-i]

The design may come from Pilot Super U Roof Pen and simplified. Chinese call it 鸭嘴尖 Duck mouth nib or 三角尖 Triangle nib. 440 Hero, Hero 240, Hero 121, Hero 124, Wingsung 765, Temple of Heavem 792 and so on used this kind of nibs.

 

I don't think so, the Pilot is really still a square off nib , the Hero is more a normal nib with simplified construction, doing away with the curve and the curvature required in norminal nibs and replaced them with just straight bending in the mid along the axis and straight cut line for the shape of the nib. The feed is still the same old thin rod but enlarged on the end to accept the nib, Platinum do the same for their Preppy / Plaisir.

[Tefolim]

I don't think so, the Pilot is really still a square off nib , the Hero is more a normal nib with simplified construction, doing away with the curve and the curvature required in norminal nibs and replaced them with just straight bending in the mid along the axis and straight cut line for the shape of the nib. The feed is still the same old thin rod but enlarged on the end to accept the nib, Platinum do the same for their Preppy / Plaisir.

 

Ah...... I wanted reply the Hero 240......

The nib looks like Pilot Super U パイロット　スーパーＵ .