Lingmo Lorelei Review

[Honeybadgers]

the acrylic ones are very much not a knockoff. I am desperately searching for a green acrylic one, but everywhere seems to be sold out.

[truthpil]

the acrylic ones are very much not a knockoff. I am desperately searching for a green acrylic one, but everywhere seems to be sold out.

Same here, the green ones have been completely sold out in China for months with no sign of getting back in stock.

 

The acrylic version is definitely worth owning.

[cattar]

I'm looking at this for a plumix nib

.

Why is the acrylic better than the clear?

Is there some reason other then the pretty?

 

 

Also can't find green anywhere.

 

Be aware these pens have a section liner that holds the nib/feed.

On the acrylic model, the clear liner sticks out beyond the end of the section.

On the translucent model, the liner is flush with the end of the section.

Edited August 30, 2017 by cattar

[truthpil]

The clear ones are just plastic and have a plug in the end of the barrel which theoretically could cause the barrel to crack like with the similarly designed Jinhao 992. On the other hand, the acrylic versions are made from much better material and have a barrel that is a single piece.

 

I agree with you though that the plastic sleeve sticking out the front of the acrylic versions is an eyesore. Other than mine coming with a messed up nib, that's my only complaint about the pen.

 

Seeing as the entire Plumix itself is an eyesore, putting a Plumix nib is the Lorelei is a major upgrade and I really enjoy the combination.

[cattar]

The procolor has a hollow button at the end of the barrel. (I have the blue one)

From the pics, the lorelei's button looks hollow too. The 992 button is solid.

 

Green is gone, so gotta pick another color.

[minddance]

I have a few of these and the flow was way too dry. I had a very bad experience with this pen on Rhodia paper. That said, flow can be adjusted and this pen is worth every penny - especially when ordered on taobao.

Edited October 11, 2017 by minddance

[truthpil]

I have a few of these and the flow was way too dry. I had a very bad experience with this pen on Rhodia paper. That said, flow can be adjusted and this pen is worth every penny - especially when ordered on taobao.

 

I had the same problem. The nib was basically useless and required a lot of tweaking to get to work write. Even though it functions now, I swapped it out with a smiley face nib from a Pilot Kakuno and now it's a perfect pen.

Edited October 11, 2017 by TruthPil

[minddance]

Kakuno is well made but i am not at my happiest with the somewhat triangular grip and that sealing system - or lack thereof- that dries inks. Also, for me, way too dry, even with a medium nib Kakuno, especially on Rhodia. Rhodia seems to dislike dry nibs.

Edited October 19, 2017 by minddance

[truthpil]

Kakuno is well made but i am not at my happiest with the somewhat triangular grip and that sealing system - or lack thereof- that dries inks. Also, for me, way too dry, even with a medium nib Kakuno, especially on Rhodia. Rhodia seems to dislike dry nibs.

I hear you. That's why the Kakuno nib in a Lorelei is the perfect combination. Lots of folks on here have used a brass shim to make the pilot nibs quite wetter. I go the other route and prefer to use the Pilot nibs with my wetter inks that flow too freely in my other pens. Even Platinum Blue-black (which has average wetness) flows wonderfully in my Pilot nibs. It makes them write smoother than most other inks, Pilot Blue-black included.

[IndigoBOB]

I am considering getting the Acrylic versions of this pen. Look like great gifts as well.

 

I was hoping someone or anyone could answer some questions. I would be very grateful, since this isn't one of those $2.00 pens like the Jinhao 992, or the W.S.'s 3008, 3003, ect.

 

Does this pen have a good seal when capped? I like the W.S. 698 cuz it has an inner cap, as does the 3003, and the jinhao 992.

 

Does it have drying out problems? Hard starting problems and skips not related to the nib but to how it seals?

 

I have some jinhao 992's on the way, but I like the idea that the acrylic version is sturdier, can be Eye-Droppered, comes in great colors, and can be nib-swapped with Pilot nibs.

[truthpil]

This pen doesn't have any inner cap to seal off the nib when capped like with the Jinhaos and other pens. I did notice some hard starts if I left the pen idle for a couple days, but nothing too annoying. The cap screws on quite well to make a decent seal. I don't think you'd be dissapointed with this pen.

[Honeybadgers]

I really wanted to like this pen because the colors on the opaque versions are so beautiful, but the nib on mine is trash.

I had hard starts on every single stroke (unless I mashed it into the paper) and found out under a loupe that the F nib has insane baby's bottom.

Sounds like another Chinese company with some quality control issues.

 

The redeeming quality of this pen is that it takes any of the nibs from Pilot's cheaper models. Mine is sporting a Plumix italic nib now and I'm looking forward to putting a nice smooth Pilot medium in it next.

 

 

A bad nib made on the pilot tooling is actually REALLY uncommon. I've got a half dozen of the pens that use this nib, including a lorelei, and they're all spectacular. Sounds like you just got really unlucky. Honestly, I've had far worse luck with visconti nibs.

 

I am curious about the clear versions. Are they the same (apart from the nib/feed) as the jinhao 992? If so, do they have the cracking issue? The acrylic versions have a solid barrel with no plug and as such are super durable (and GREAT for eyedroppering as they're semi-translucent)

 

I've also noticed no hard starts. It's got no inner seal, but it's got a lot of threads. At least, the acrylic one.

Edited November 11, 2017 by Honeybadgers

[WJM]

Some time ago I got a yellow acrylic Lingmo Lorelei. A beautiful pen, unfortunately so far I have bad luck with it.

Ink flow. At some point, after a few sentences, it just stopped writing. I flushed the pen with water with dish soap, Didn't help. I did it again, also I removed the little steel something moving inside the converter and changed the ink. I don't know what but something helped, at least I think so.

The nib. It had missaligned tines which made it annoyingly scratchy. I tried to adjust it, and after seemingly doing it, the tines after a few sentences written went back to their previous position.

So I've decided to change the nib. I ordered a Pilot Plumix B (0,7 mm stub). Before it came I think I finally managed to adjust the Lingmo nib properly. It wrote rather smoothly. But, when I got the Plumix I swapped the nib anyway. Pilot nib is obviously an upgrade, isn't it?

Well, it wasn't. The pen with the Plumix nib writes... sometimes. And sometimes it doesn't. It has starting problems, skips sometimes and overall it feels unpolished, just isn't very pleasant to use.

I don't know what now. I'm considering swapping the nibs back.

[IndigoBOB]

 

Some time ago I got a yellow acrylic Lingmo Lorelei. A beautiful pen, unfortunately so far I have bad luck with it.

Ink flow. At some point, after a few sentences, it just stopped writing. I flushed the pen with water with dish soap, Didn't help. I did it again, also I removed the little steel something moving inside the converter and changed the ink. I don't know what but something helped, at least I think so.

The nib. It had missaligned tines which made it annoyingly scratchy. I tried to adjust it, and after seemingly doing it, the tines after a few sentences written went back to their previous position.

So I've decided to change the nib. I ordered a Pilot Plumix B (0,7 mm stub). Before it came I think I finally managed to adjust the Lingmo nib properly. It wrote rather smoothly. But, when I got the Plumix I swapped the nib anyway. Pilot nib is obviously an upgrade, isn't it?

Well, it wasn't. The pen with the Plumix nib writes... sometimes. And sometimes it doesn't. It has starting problems, skips sometimes and overall it feels unpolished, just isn't very pleasant to use.

I don't know what now. I'm considering swapping the nibs back.

 

 

 

Personally, I have felt the same about the Pilot Plumix nibs. I haven't tried it with my more lubricated inks, which I think would help, since I gave it away for the reasons you stated.

 

Though if you have inkflow problems it will make the plumix nib have that even more "unpolished" feeling.

 

Going through a typical Troubleshooting: If the pen is flushed, and you have tried a wetter ink, and the nib has been adjusted, it makes me wonder how the feed looks.

[truthpil]

Personally, I have felt the same about the Pilot Plumix nibs. I haven't tried it with my more lubricated inks, which I think would help, since I gave it away for the reasons you stated.

 

Though if you have inkflow problems it will make the plumix nib have that even more "unpolished" feeling.

 

Going through a typical Troubleshooting: If the pen is flushed, and you have tried a wetter ink, and the nib has been adjusted, it makes me wonder how the feed looks.

Pilot Plumix nibs have always been very dry writers in my opinion. I use them to tame some of the most unruly Noodler's inks that spread and bleed like crazy with other nibs. I've also found them to be very smooth nibs, but since they are more italic than stub, the sweet spot can be small.

 

I concur that it sounds like an issue with the feed. Your might need to gently floss the ink channel.

[Honeybadgers]

 

 

Personally, I have felt the same about the Pilot Plumix nibs. I haven't tried it with my more lubricated inks, which I think would help, since I gave it away for the reasons you stated.

 

Though if you have inkflow problems it will make the plumix nib have that even more "unpolished" feeling.

 

Going through a typical Troubleshooting: If the pen is flushed, and you have tried a wetter ink, and the nib has been adjusted, it makes me wonder how the feed looks.

 

 

I find the pilot stub nibs intolerable out of the box. That said, they're super easy to fix and turn into a really, really nice cursive italic.

 

Get some 1600(ish, 12-1800 are fine) grit sandpaper and some micro mesh. Hold the pilot nib perfectly vertical to the sandpaper and sand for a good minute or two until it's nice and square. Then, holding it at your preferred writing angle, do some very short, quick motions up, down, and rotating side to side just to knock off any burrs. Then smooth it on micro mesh. It's really, really easy (far easier than trying to grind an iridium tip) and results in a super crisp cursive italic that's also very smooth and easy to use, much like the SIG of franklin cristoph or the semi-cursive of the parson's essential.

[truthpil]

 

 

I find the pilot stub nibs intolerable out of the box. That said, they're super easy to fix and turn into a really, really nice cursive italic.

To be fair to Pilot, the pens are designed for calligraphy instead of regular or prolonged writing. Heck, that ugly pen body isn't worth being seen anywhere other than in an artist's tool box.

[IndigoBOB]

 

 

I find the pilot stub nibs intolerable out of the box. That said, they're super easy to fix and turn into a really, really nice cursive italic.

 

Get some 1600(ish, 12-1800 are fine) grit sandpaper and some micro mesh. Hold the pilot nib perfectly vertical to the sandpaper and sand for a good minute or two until it's nice and square. Then, holding it at your preferred writing angle, do some very short, quick motions up, down, and rotating side to side just to knock off any burrs. Then smooth it on micro mesh. It's really, really easy (far easier than trying to grind an iridium tip) and results in a super crisp cursive italic that's also very smooth and easy to use, much like the SIG of franklin cristoph or the semi-cursive of the parson's essential.

 

I might give it a try. I have a Jinhao 992 on the way I'd like to put my spare Eco 1.1 stub on. If that isn't up to par I might try a plumix nib and maybe smooth it out. I do have 8000 and 12000 micromesh on hand.

 

I still think a very lubricated ink might make a significant difference.

 

I have a Goulet 1.1 stub in an x750. I found it writes really well with the highly lubricated Sailor Jentle Miruai, but it's a bit wide sometimes for me, and for some reason wider than the Eco 1.1 stub despite the equivalent sizing.

 

I still have yet to try Nemosine 0.6 and 0.8 stubs. I wonder if they are easier for longer writing sessions.

 

I can handle 1.1 stubs in short bursts and I like the change it brings to my writing, but I can never really enjoy them for anything longer than short bits of writing. But they are fun and I like having one in my rotation. I guess my hand writing isn't refined enough yet lol.

To be fair to Pilot, the pens are designed for calligraphy instead of regular or prolonged writing. Heck, that ugly pen body isn't worth being seen anywhere other than in an artist's tool box.

 

 

And it's in a $10 pen.

 

It is an ugly pen lol.

[truthpil]

YMMV, but my experience having used Plumix nibs on and off as daily writers for a few years is that with a wet ink someone who is used to writing with edged nibs (not changing nib angle or rotation while writing is essential) can get the smoothest writing experience out of them. I've had Plumix nibs write as smooth as glass with inks like Noodler's Hunter Green and Luxury Blue. I've had the same lovely experience with the smaller Pluminix nibs as well. By contrast, my only 78G B stub is so dry that's unusable even after I spread the tines with a brass shim.

 

 

 

 

I have a Goulet 1.1 stub in an x750. I found it writes really well with the highly lubricated Sailor Jentle Miruai, but it's a bit wide sometimes for me, and for some reason wider than the Eco 1.1 stub despite the equivalent sizing.

 

I've had the same experience. My Goulet 1.1 stub in a X750 was what motivated me to get a 1.1 stub ECO when they came out (my thinking was, "$20 more than the nib and you get a whole pen with free shipping!"). However, the ECO 1.1 does write drier and a thinner line than the Goulet. It writes a little wetter in the 992 and will most likely stay in there for good. ECO nibs are too expensive, so it looks like my ECO is just going to have to rot in the drawer, nibless and forlorn.

Edited November 13, 2017 by TruthPil

[IndigoBOB]

YMMV, but my experience having used Plumix nibs on and off as daily writers for a few years is that with a wet ink someone who is used to writing with edged nibs (not changing nib angle or rotation while writing is essential) can get the smoothest writing experience out of them. I've had Plumix nibs write as smooth as glass with inks like Noodler's Hunter Green and Luxury Blue. I've had the same lovely experience with the smaller Pluminix nibs as well. By contrast, my only 78G B stub is so dry that's unusable even after I spread the tines with a brass shim.

 

I've had the same experience. My Goulet 1.1 stub in a X750 was what motivated me to get a 1.1 stub ECO when they came out (my thinking was, "$20 more than the nib and you get a whole pen with free shipping!"). However, the ECO 1.1 does write drier and a thinner line than the Goulet. It writes a little wetter in the 992 and will most likely stay in there for good. ECO nibs are too expensive, so it looks like my ECO is just going to have to rot in the drawer, nibless and forlorn.

 

 

I imagine I'll follow suit with the Jinhao 992-Eco 1.1 stub combo.

 

Thank you for you input on the Plumix. I might have to give it another try because I did like its width very much when I had it. I thought the tines were quite stable as well. Stubs can become scratchy so easily.

 

Unfortunately I trialled the Plumix in my early and ignorant days of fountain pens before I acquired any sufficiently lubricated ink and proper know-how. I do have a couple Wing Sung 3003's on the way that may need such an upgrade.

Edited November 13, 2017 by IndigoBOB