Chinese Pens Show And Tell.

[Mech-for-i]

Another batch of new pens.

Top to bottom

- Caliarts Ego 2 and 1, which are a little disappointing with somewhat scratchy nibs. They came with spare nibs and feeds but the spare feeds are black, not transparent.

- Lanbitou 3059. Despite being cheaper and not as pretty as the Caliarts, this pen has a very smooth nib. I like it better than the Caliarts.

- Penbbs 308, excellent pen, nice color, great finish, good nib. It looks similar to the Lingmo Lorelei but a little bigger in size.

- 3 Penton/SKB F20 limited edition (so they say). Looks good in photos, scratchy nibs and flimsy/garbage converters. I thought I would like them when I ordered but a little disappointed.

- Banmi Ferdinand, a tuned Jinhao 911, very smooth nib, scratched grip section. For writing, the nib is better than the nib on the Thebai Thyer - another tuned 911.

- Jinxing 28, good nib, comfortable in hand, rubber sack converter.

 

...

 

Might be I am lucky or might be my writing is just different , I had the Caliarts Ego-2 ( mine's the Blue acrylic opaque ) and also the Penton F20 Limited too while I do agree the Penton converter is not the greatest, mine , both Penton and Caliarts write reasonably smooth , well smooth as far as Fine and Extra Fine goes. they are not smooth as Euro Fine, but they are not yet Japaenese Fine either. I think the nib is quite clearly tailored to write in their native language which require a positive feedback or as some would say it, toothy, but not scratchy, at least not mine. How do you find the metal finishing on the Banni, is it the same as the Hero 338 / 339 and the Thebi .. I am contemplating buying one though I must admit I probably do not need another EF and certainly not another hood nib ... lol

[truthpil]

Sorry I did not catch your Q earlier, well I had not try, but others had, the pen itself use the nib unit similar to those in the New Moon and the unit / feed is no.5 ( Chinese #26 ) nib size compatible. I am still waiting for the M size nib version to be re-released

Thanks for your reply. I've got a green 308 coming in the mail. These do seem like the best homage to the Sailor Procolor out there. I'm hoping they re-release the M nib too! That absinthe colored demonstrator looks really nice.

[pomps]

 

Might be I am lucky or might be my writing is just different , I had the Caliarts Ego-2 ( mine's the Blue acrylic opaque ) and also the Penton F20 Limited too while I do agree the Penton converter is not the greatest, mine , both Penton and Caliarts write reasonably smooth , well smooth as far as Fine and Extra Fine goes. they are not smooth as Euro Fine, but they are not yet Japaenese Fine either. I think the nib is quite clearly tailored to write in their native language which require a positive feedback or as some would say it, toothy, but not scratchy, at least not mine. How do you find the metal finishing on the Banni, is it the same as the Hero 338 / 339 and the Thebi .. I am contemplating buying one though I must admit I probably do not need another EF and certainly not another hood nib ... lol

Well, my Caliart Ego has much better nib than the Ego 2 which came with misaligned tints. Out of my 3 Pentons, 1 has misaligned nibs and the tip is square, not round. The other 2 Pentons writes OK with some feedback but compared to my 0.38mm Duke Extreme which has the smoothest EF nib I have ever used, they are unimpressive.

About the Banmi, I dont have the Hero 338/339 but the finishing on the Banmi is the same as the Thebai. If you have the Thebai, then I don't think it's worth buying the Banmi.

[Ian the Jock]

Mech-for-i

On a totally different subject altogether.

Do you know what the Blue and Green pens are in the Visit to the Hero factory thread?

The blue is absolutely stunning (the green one probably is too, to those who like green....Bob ).

I know there are many, many, pens that us in the west have no idea about, but If Hero have these ones on show, they must be available, yes?

 

Fingers crossed.

 

Ian

[Mech-for-i]

Ian, those two are definitely one of the 21XX series pen, that series is a rather long running premium pen from Hero having been around since the 90's and each and every year Hero come up with some new finishing options and a new model number so you might see 2122, 2119 etc etc .. and those numbers are not in any order. But the overall styling and mechanics always stay the same ; C/C fill, 14K nib ( some even more up market version had 18K nib ) , premium material like Sterling Silver, Celluloid, Gold filled , and exotic wood had all been used. The one pictured looks like either hand crafted acrylic or celluloid. Price of the 21XX series obviously varies a lot depending on fitting, production ( is it a limited production, special theme production etc ... ) and materials.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Mech-for-i

[Mech-for-i]

Well, my Caliart Ego has much better nib than the Ego 2 which came with misaligned tints. Out of my 3 Pentons, 1 has misaligned nibs and the tip is square, not round. The other 2 Pentons writes OK with some feedback but compared to my 0.38mm Duke Extreme which has the smoothest EF nib I have ever used, they are unimpressive.

About the Banmi, I dont have the Hero 338/339 but the finishing on the Banmi is the same as the Thebai. If you have the Thebai, then I don't think it's worth buying the Banmi.

Well I can now rest about the Banmi ... really having too many of these vintage styled hooded nib already ..

[truthpil]

Hello again to all my FP friends,

 

Here is my haul from "Chinese Black Friday" that just arrived today:

 

 

Quick comments after using these pens for a few minutes:

 

Lecai Acrylic Eyedropper = This is the epitome of a demonstrator eyedropper. It feels great in the hand, but the nib has a sweet spot that doesn't fit my writing angle. I'll definitely be swapping out the nib for something nicer.

 

Penbbs 266 = The nib is slightly bent to create more smoothness (like classic Waverly/Waverley nibs), but is nothing to write home about. The pen is very well constructed with clear rubber O-rings all over the place so eyedropper conversion will probably work. The acrylic is also gorgeous. If anyone likes the Jinhao 992 or Lingmo Lorelei but wishes those pens were bigger, than this pen is for you. This pen is longer and wider than both, but perfectly balanced, lightweight, and fabulous to hold. Here's something that will make some of you want to grab one of these ASAP: it takes #6 nibs! I just put the #6 nib from my Nemosine Singularity in it with utmost ease. I think I'm going to have to grab a few more of these for my JoWo #6 nibs.

 

Jinhao 992 = Nothing more needs to be said about this pen, except that the "red" version is more like a dark salmon color. The nib (two-tone as opposed to the single-tone steel on the original 992) is wicked smooth but mine came in the mail with stress fractures already in the barrel. The plastic is just too brittle on these pens.

 

Delike New Moon 2 = This pen is also beautiful, but not as well constructed as the Penbbs 266. The converter has to be jammed into the section because the section is too thin, and it's a little frightening to do so because both are thin metal. However, the bent nib makes for an interesting writing experience. They bent an EF nib so that it writes like an F on the down stroke and an M on the side stroke. I believe it's a subtle version of the Asian fude nib used to mimic writing with a brush. I ordered mine with the F nib, but the seller threw in an EF nib unit free of charge.

 

Delike Alpha = I really like the brushed finish on this new model, but it's too heavy for me to write with posted. This pen is a tank than can probably handle anything and would be great as a jotter to throw around on daily adventures. The nibs are the same as those on the New Moon 2. I got mine with the EF nib and was delighted with how well it writes. There's some feedback, but it's pleasant, and a tiny bit of give to the nib is very nice.

 

*ALL of these pens have removable nib units, but they are proprietary to each brand, so you can only swap between the New Moon 2 and Alpha.

**Warning: Both Delike pens had been tested with red ink at the factory and not cleaned. You'll need to clean these pens before your first fill.

 

Some summary thoughts:

 

- Cheapest construction = Jinhao 992 (if they would just use better plastic these pens would be amazing)

- Smoothest nib = Jinhao 992 (without question)

- Best design = Penbbs 266 (although mine has something wrong with the converter so that it won't sit strait in the pen, but rubs the inside of the barrel when I screw the barrel back on)

- Biggest surprise = the EF nib on the Delike Alpha (which is identical to the EF nib that comes with the Delike New Moon 2). It feels smoother and bouncier than any of my Pilot Penmanship nibs. This is really a great nib if you need an EF. I'd say the line width is somewhere between a Japanese and Western EF.

 

 

 

 

 

SDG

[Mech-for-i]

some haul indeed and mine is still in fright but I got to share this, PenBBS tease us with a news yesterday

 

 

That's 3 different filling, Vac Filling, Piston, and Vacumatic .. yes look like we will be seeing them in future ones .. I can't wait to get my hand on a Wing Sung 618 in Vacumatic non-demo version , pls make it in that 698 lake blue .. pls .....oh and they also announce their next pen, the PenBBS Model 309 Piston Filler

 

Edited November 16, 2017 by Mech-for-i

[EBGBs]

.....oh and they also announce their next pen, the PenBBS Model 309 Piston Filler

 

 

I love those! All of them! Colours flashy enough that you'd swear they glow in the dark... Exaaactly my type.

Did they provide any release date?

[Mech-for-i]

Well, no timeline mentioned by PenBBS yet , we shall see

[truthpil]

 

That's 3 different filling, Vac Filling, Piston, and Vacumatic .. yes look like we will be seeing them in future ones .. I can't wait to get my hand on a Wing Sung 618 in Vacumatic non-demo version , pls make it in that 698 lake blue .. pls .....oh and they also announce their next pen, the PenBBS Model 309 Piston Filler

 

 

 

And just when I told my wife no more pens for this year. Would love to try the piston and vac fillers; I just hope they make some non-demo versions. I'm really impressed by how well thought out the design is on the 266/308, so I can't wait to see what they do with the 309.

[Tefolim]

I wonder whether there would be Snorkel.

[apvm]

1st time with Chinese pen, Jinhao 992 coffee transparent. Wancher Brown ink. suppose to be medium fine, anyway very smooth but I prefer it to be finer. Anyway for a $2 pen, it is not bad but I still prefer either a Petit 1 or preppy over it. Nonetheless, not a bad pen for $2. By the way, the Wancher Brown ink is cool.

[truthpil]

1st time with Chinese pen, Jinhao 992 coffee transparent. Wancher Brown ink. suppose to be medium fine, anyway very smooth but I prefer it to be finer. Anyway for a $2 pen, it is not bad but I still prefer either a Petit 1 or preppy over it. Nonetheless, not a bad pen for $2. By the way, the Wancher Brown ink is cool.

 

Yeah, if you want an extra fine nib, then most Jinhaos are too broad in general.

For someone who likes the fine~medium/fine on the Jinhao 992, then a 991 is perfect and superior to a Pretit1 or Preppy.

[oneill]

Another batch of new pens.

Top to bottom

- Caliarts Ego 2 and 1, which are a little disappointing with somewhat scratchy nibs. They came with spare nibs and feeds but the spare feeds are black, not transparent.

- Lanbitou 3059. Despite being cheaper and not as pretty as the Caliarts, this pen has a very smooth nib. I like it better than the Caliarts.

- Penbbs 308, excellent pen, nice color, great finish, good nib. It looks similar to the Lingmo Lorelei but a little bigger in size.

- 3 Penton/SKB F20 limited edition (so they say). Looks good in photos, scratchy nibs and flimsy/garbage converters. I thought I would like them when I ordered but a little disappointed.

- Banmi Ferdinand, a tuned Jinhao 911, very smooth nib, scratched grip section. For writing, the nib is better than the nib on the Thebai Thyer - another tuned 911.

- Jinxing 28, good nib, comfortable in hand, rubber sack converter.

 

 

Another batch of new pens.

Top to bottom

- Caliarts Ego 2 and 1, which are a little disappointing with somewhat scratchy nibs. They came with spare nibs and feeds but the spare feeds are black, not transparent.

- Lanbitou 3059. Despite being cheaper and not as pretty as the Caliarts, this pen has a very smooth nib. I like it better than the Caliarts.

- Penbbs 308, excellent pen, nice color, great finish, good nib. It looks similar to the Lingmo Lorelei but a little bigger in size.

- 3 Penton/SKB F20 limited edition (so they say). Looks good in photos, scratchy nibs and flimsy/garbage converters. I thought I would like them when I ordered but a little disappointed.

- Banmi Ferdinand, a tuned Jinhao 911, very smooth nib, scratched grip section. For writing, the nib is better than the nib on the Thebai Thyer - another tuned 911.

- Jinxing 28, good nib, comfortable in hand, rubber sack converter.

 

CONGRATS ON THE MAGNIFICENT PHOTOS,YOU SHOULD NAME YOUR CAMERA AND HOW YOU TOOK THE PHOTOS

They are just fab and we all need to know how to get photos like this,so PLEASE give us instructions on HOW.Oneill

Could you please name the pens in the second photo.

Edited November 19, 2017 by oneill

[oneill]

I'm sure it was memorable Oneill, footballers in the 70s certainly knew how to party.

Not like nowadays.

 

I've been using my big 1200 non stop since I inked it up yesterday, it's magical, and it was a bonus when I discovered my Graffico notebook that I use for writing down orders is Baystate Blue friendly...whoo hoo, so I've been using it for everything.

 

Ian

The FIFA referee I was telling you about Donald Campbell would love your notes which are in Glasgow Rangers BLUE, I gave him a Fountain Pen in Rangers Blue and some Rangers Blue ink which delighted him, I don't think he will ever use it in case it breaks.!!!! Trust Me, Oneill

Edited November 19, 2017 by oneill

[pomps]

 

CONGRATS ON THE MAGNIFICENT PHOTOS,YOU SHOULD NAME YOUR CAMERA AND HOW YOU TOOK THE PHOTOS

They are just fab and we all need to know how to get photos like this,so PLEASE give us instructions on HOW.Oneill

Could you please name the pens in the second photo.

Oneill, I took this photo with my HTC M9 phone. The camera on my phone was garbage because its protective glass over the lens was broken. You can see gray smudges all over the photos, they are dust that got into the lens unit and cannot be cleaned. Pens were placed on a notebook on my desk with a yellow desk lamp shining directly on them, that' all. If you think my photos are good, then it is by pure luck, I have no knowledge of photography at all.

Edited November 19, 2017 by pomps

[apvm]

A Jinhao 500 arrived today, a heavy pen, heavier than my X750. A Hero 1202 transparent also arrived. Will play with them with Wancher ink when I have time.

[oneill]

Oneill, I took this photo with my HTC M9 phone. The camera on my phone was garbage because its protective glass over the lens was broken. You can see gray smudges all over the photos, they are dust that got into the lens unit and cannot be cleaned. Pens were placed on a notebook on my desk with a yellow desk lamp shining directly on them, that' all. If you think my photos are good, then it is by pure luck, I have no knowledge of photography at all.

 

You are a Marvel,the photos look great to me if you can improve WOW, I only wish I could do as well,keep up the good work.Oneill.

[Ian the Jock]

A Jinhao 500 arrived today, a heavy pen, heavier than my X750. A Hero 1202 transparent also arrived. Will play with them with Wancher ink when I have time.

The 500 is a nice pen, very well balanced, and a pleasure to write with.

One of my favourite Jinhaos.

 

Ian