Mini Review Wings (Wing Sung) 3001 Clone Of Pilot 78G

[bob_hayden]

Yet another clone, but clones are not all the same. Some Safari clones take the same cartridges as Safaris, while others take short internationals. And parts usually do not interchange. Some Pilot 78G clones take Pilot cartridges, some do not seem to take cartridges, and some take Parker or Lamy cartridges. This one seems to be in the last category, and for all practical purposes seems to be the same as the Yiren 358. (All parts seem to interchange.)

 

https://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/321330-yiren-358-with-ef-nib-for-those-who-like-it-smallest/

 

So I won't post another photo but will mention that the one that arrived today looked bright red in the eBay listing but showed up a rather dull wine red. (It actually looks quite nice, just not as expected.) As far as I can see one might as well buy whichever brand offers the color you want cheapest. These Wing Sungs are opaque and also come in black and white for about $1.66 US. The Yirens available at that price are transparent in clear, blue, green, and black. (Search for "358 fountain pen" to find these.) You can get the Yirens in other colors at higher prices, and in a set with an additional F nib for $3.98 US. You will essentially be paying more for the F nib than I paid for the pen with XF nib, but if you want an F nib, why not?-)

 

Oh, the listing called this a 3001A but on the pen it says only 3001.

[bfoutch]

Just received 4 of these from eBay seller jianlong123123. All four write very smoothly and are well made. Just injection molded plastic, but quite nice for the money. This was the fastest delivery to date from China to California - Just 7 days.

 

[KellyMcJ]

Very nice!!!! I had considered a 78G, and I love Wing Sung pens. Although I have one of their piston fillers and a second on the way, I don't think I need a cartridge one. However I must say they look fantastic!

[bob_hayden]

Mine showed up quite quickly as well.

 

bfoutch

turned up some colors I missed. Maybe I should have posted a photo of mine. The photo of a red one above is between the color in the listing and the color I received.

 

Mine continues to write well and I prefer it to the 78G I once had which was pretty scratchy. However, when I opened the pen just now there was too much ink on the nib and around the end of the section. I cleaned it up and will keep an eye on it. Anyone else seeing this?

[bfoutch]

"However, when I opened the pen just now there was too much ink on the nib and around the end of the section. I cleaned it up and will keep an eye on it. Anyone else seeing this?"

 

This has not been a problem for me. Hope the cleaning solved it for you.

 

Today I received a YIREN 358 clear version. I compared it to my WING-S 3001 and HERO 1202 and, other than the branding, these seem to be all the same pen with interchangeable parts. The YIREN does have a different converter, but that may be a substitution to maintain production. I have, however, not been able to remove the nib/feed on the YIREN or the HERO. Both are clear versions and both have extremely tight nib/feed units. They write well, so no reason to remove the nib/feed other than to install a nib of a different size. I will leave them alone for now.

 

After using the WING-S for a couple days, I am impressed by how smooth the nib writes. For an EF it has a very nice feel putting ink on paper.

 

 

 

[bfoutch]

I don't think I need a cartridge one.

 

Is it ever really a question of "need"...

[bob_hayden]

Do the three pens you mention all take the same cartridge/converters? I don't care if they are identical but can they be interchanged? My 78G clones seem to take Parker/Lamy cartridges rather than short international or Pilot. I say "seem" because the ink seepage could be caused by a mismatch. I usually go by the size of the hole in the converter supplied, which is larger for Parker/Lamy than for standard international. The Pilot is a whole other thing and not likely to be mistaken for anything else. I generally try to avoid those as I do not care much for the Pilot colors and they do not fit many other pens. There are multiple sources for inexpensive Lamy-compatible cartridges in a variety of decent colors.

[bfoutch]

Do the three pens you mention all take the same cartridge/converters? I don't care if they are identical but can they be interchanged? My 78G clones seem to take Parker/Lamy cartridges rather than short international or Pilot. I say "seem" because the ink seepage could be caused by a mismatch. I usually go by the size of the hole in the converter supplied, which is larger for Parker/Lamy than for standard international. The Pilot is a whole other thing and not likely to be mistaken for anything else. I generally try to avoid those as I do not care much for the Pilot colors and they do not fit many other pens. There are multiple sources for inexpensive Lamy-compatible cartridges in a variety of decent colors.

I just checked and all three pens can interchange converters.

 

However, they are too loose on a Jinhao (international size like the 992 or X450) and the international converter from a Jinhao is too tight (will not slip on).

 

A LAMY converter will squeeze on pretty easily, but the converter from these three pens is way too loose for the LAMY.

[bob_hayden]

Oh no, not yet another hard to tell apart cartridge size! My brick red one is inked and I don't want to make a mess experimenting with that so I just ordered a clear one for research purposes;-) I am wondering if these are made for the Hero 359 cartridges that are semi-interchangable with Parker/Lamy. That would be a disappointment due to the very limited choice of ink colors. I hope to try those plus Lamy, Parker, Thornton, majus, and Monteverde.

[bob_hayden]

Update

 

Today I received four more 3001s -- 8 days from China to the Eastern US of A! (OTOH I ordered a clear one three days earlier and that has not arrived.) Some general observations after cleaning and inserting cartridges (since there are questions about what cartridges work in 78G clones). The nibs on the new ones are also marked extra fine but they write closer to fine. Various cartridges purported to fit Parker or Lamy pens seemed to fit more or less. All worked in the end but some were very hard to puncture. Unlike the similar Yiren model, the gold trim rings between barrel and section on these were all attached rather than loose (and so soon lost).

 

I tried a Lamy Violet cartridge in the white pen and it took it readily. Initially the pen was quite scratchy. The tines proved to be clearly out of alignment. A little thumbnail pressure fixed that and the pen then wrote well.

 

After a mighty struggle I managed to get a Levenger Gemstone Green cartridge into the dark green pen. This was one of the long discontinued cartridges that fit Lamy and Parker on one end and standard international on the other -- a clever idea abandoned by Levengers but reincarnated by Thornton. Pen wrote well and appeared to be the widest nib of the lot though it could be the ink as well.

 

I put a black Parker cartridge from France in the black pen because I had problems with Parker cartridges in two different Yiren 78G clones. There the cartridges were hard to pierce, hard to tell if they were pierced, and leaked where they are supposed to seal to the section. In the 3001 the Parker cartridge was fairly hard to pierce but once done there was no doubt. No leaks so far but as none of the pens in this batch are see-through models it will take longer to show. Pen writes very well.

 

A Hero Blue-Black 359 cartridge popped right into the dark teal pen and wrote well though dryly (as expected). That has been my experience with this ink which is under suspicion of being an iron gall ink. In any case, it flows reluctantly and puts down a fine blue line that dries light grey. I have heard that the part that punctures the cartridge in the Hero 359 is similar but not identical to the diameter of the corresponding part in Parker or Lamy pens. I have not had trouble using Parker or Lamy cartridges in the various Hero Safari clones but have had leaks with the Yiren 78G clones. In particular, red Parker ink continues to ooze out into the barrel of the clear Yiren, which now looks like an eyedropper low on ink. The fact that the 359 cartridge fit so well suggests that the dimensions of the Wing Sung may match the Hero 359 rather than Lamy or Parker pens.

 

As many of you only use bottled ink anyway, the issues over cartridges may be moot. The red 3001 I bought weeks ago was filled with bottled ink back then in the supplied converter and has been working fine all along with no sign of leaks. These are great pens for the money if you would like something in the F to XF range that writes, in my experience, more smoothly than a 78G or a Pelikan M200 fine -- for $1.44.

[bob_hayden]

My clear 3001 arrived today. I wanted to know if it would have leaks with Parker cartridges as my Yiren 78G clones do so I decided to throw it a challenge and put in a Parker Penman Ruby cartridge. Some difficulty getting it in there but no leaks yet. I rechecked the black one from a couple days ago that had a black Parker cartridge in it and no leaks there either. The clear pen should be a better test as leaks will be easier to see than black ink on black pen.

 

The clear pen showed up with a dry XXF nib. I spread the tines a bit and now have a very nice XF.

[bob_hayden]

Another update. I have been carrying the black 3001 in my pocket every day now for a while and it continues to write just fine. The "gold" trim band around its waist was about half gone after a day in my pocket which does not carry any heavy abrasives. Now it is all but invisible. There is very slight leakage of ink inside the barrel from the Parker cartridge. The clear 3001 with a Penman cartridge still shows no sign of leaks. I had a lot more leakage with the two Yiren 358s into which I put Parker cartridges. So given that and the fact that all my 358s had loose trim rings and no 3001s did, I prefer this Wing Sung 78G clone. The one catch is that the two lines offer different color choices so there may be a conflict between fashion and practicality;-)

[bob_hayden]

Ooops, I spoke too soon! Yesterday I tried to write with the black 3001 and got ink all over my hand. Investigation showed that the leak was internal and that by now a lot of ink had leaked out where the cartridge joins the section. Hence I have to say that any superiority of the 3001 over the Yiren 358 with Parker cartridges may just be due to sampling error. I still see no signs of trouble with the 3001 that has a Penman cartridge in it but those cartridges are now extinct and did not appear to be the normal Parker cartridges -- quite clear, for example, rather than cloudy plastic. And no trouble with any Lamy-like cartridges. Since those are available from Lamy, Monteverde, Thornton, majus and perhaps others the inability to use Parker cartridges may not be a big deal. But I do wish the sellers in China would at least tell us what cartridges DO work in their pens!

[truthpil]

Thanks for the detailed updates. I bet these pens are designed to take Hero cartridges which are more ubiquitous in China than international standard ones.

 

I'm trying to decide right now between buying a 3001, Yiren 358, or another 78G+ to replace an old 78G I wore out. Has anyone else compared the three of these pens.

 

My 78G+ medium nib is wonderfully smooth, but I need to get a fine nib now.

[bob_hayden]

Do you mean the Hero 359 cartridges? Are those common in China? I don't think the more usual approximately standard (on eBay USA) Hero cartridges would work. I think I have half a dozen each of the Yiren and WingS pens and those have been excellent other than the ambiguity in what cartridges they take. The only difference I see is that the trim rings fall off the Yirens and the color selection is a bit different. The trim rings are a big pain for me as I wash my pens frequently and these rings will go down the drain if I do not remember to take special care. I have the same issue with one of the Safari clones but its trim rings are larger and more conspicuous and too big to fit down the drain. Still, I have managed to lose at least one.

 

I only had two or three nonplussed 78Gs and I did not care for any of them. The F was quite fine and similar to these Chinese pens but not nearly as smooth. I would not be surprised if the real Pilots lasted much longer. I do not know what the prices are like in China but here you could buy six WingS and six Yiren for the price of one Pilot. For me it matters that the Pilots take proprietary cartridges which cost a lot more than generic ones for Lamy which seem to fit the Chinese pens, plus I did not care for most of the colors offered by Pilot, while several brands of cartridges with colors I like fit the Chinese pens and cost less. Of course, that is not an issue if you do not use cartridges anyway. Between the two Chinese brands you have a lot more choices of pen color.

 

My advice would be to buy two WingS and two Yiren in the colors of your choice and if not a one works out consider the Pilot;-)

[truthpil]

Do you mean the Hero 359 cartridges? Are those common in China? I don't think the more usual approximately standard (on eBay USA) Hero cartridges would work. I think I have half a dozen each of the Yiren and WingS pens and those have been excellent other than the ambiguity in what cartridges they take. The only difference I see is that the trim rings fall off the Yirens and the color selection is a bit different. The trim rings are a big pain for me as I wash my pens frequently and these rings will go down the drain if I do not remember to take special care. I have the same issue with one of the Safari clones but its trim rings are larger and more conspicuous and too big to fit down the drain. Still, I have managed to lose at least one.

 

I only had two or three nonplussed 78Gs and I did not care for any of them. The F was quite fine and similar to these Chinese pens but not nearly as smooth. I would not be surprised if the real Pilots lasted much longer. I do not know what the prices are like in China but here you could buy six WingS and six Yiren for the price of one Pilot. For me it matters that the Pilots take proprietary cartridges which cost a lot more than generic ones for Lamy which seem to fit the Chinese pens, plus I did not care for most of the colors offered by Pilot, while several brands of cartridges with colors I like fit the Chinese pens and cost less. Of course, that is not an issue if you do not use cartridges anyway. Between the two Chinese brands you have a lot more choices of pen color.

 

My advice would be to buy two WingS and two Yiren in the colors of your choice and if not a one works out consider the Pilot;-)

 

Yeah, the Hero 359 cartridge packs are everywhere because their Lamy Safari clone seems to be the most popular FP in the country at the moment (I see them in just about every class I teach).

 

Thanks for the good information!

 

The ring issue is definitely a deal breaker for me with the Yiren. The Hero 5028 calligraphy set has the same ring issue and it drove me crazy every time I wanted to switch nib units or clean the pen.

 

I have four original 78Gs and one 78G+. The 78Gs all worked wonderful with about as smooth a nib as you can get for a Japanese fine, but I noticed them getting scratchier over the past 3 years I've used them. The 78G+ medium is near butter smooth, but we'll see how long that lasts. I'm pretty gentle to my pens, so I was really surprised about the change in nib feel. The same thing has happened with a couple of my Plumix italics.

[bob_hayden]

Oh, get a Sheaffer Dolar Pen -- those will only write better with age!-) (Just kidding. Though some are marked F they may or may not be any finer than ones marked M.)

[truthpil]

Oh, get a Sheaffer Dolar Pen -- those will only write better with age!-) (Just kidding. Though some are marked F they may or may not be any finer than ones marked M.)

 

The Ebay hunt for an NOS Sheaffer "cartridge pen" is on. I want one of the 50's round-ended models still in the blister pack just to make sure someone hasn't messed up the nib already. After some time with a loupe and thumb, my mediocre specimen with F nib is writing smoothly, so now I "need" an M to complete the collection. I really enjoy how wet they write!

[RoyalBlueNotebooks]

Got mine today, 19 working days, 27 in total.

 

I got two, color was random but I'll never buy two pens if the color is random because I received two red pens. /Sigh/

 

My first impression was overall negative, the pen body is thin plastic, full of scratches, the clip of the cap unscrewed almost as I touched it, and sometimes when I unscrew the cap, the section starts to unscrew from the barrel.

 

The nib pleasantly surprised me though. It's so smooth!

 

I'm curious to see how the cap and feed keep the nib properly wet overnight or during long writing sessions.

[bob_hayden]

I am wondering if the colors are "random" because the seller only orders one monochrome box at a time and has no way of knowing what will be on hand the day your order arrives. I once got five Hero 50s in :random" colors from jewelrymathematics and all five were the same color!

 

I have encountered no issues with things screwing on or off. I am not sure how thick you wanted the plastic to be but mine seem strong enough and comparable to the Jinhao 991. They have not had any cracks which I have experienced with the thicker 992 and 599.

 

Today I had three of these still inked from my tests last July and August. In one the ink had completely dried out so that none was left in the cartridge. The other two started after a bit of fussing. I would have considered it acceptable if it had been a couple weeks but it was several MONTHS! Out of curiosity, I tried the three Yirens still inked and three out of three started with some fussing. Among the five that started was one with a Parker Penman cartridge, often regarded as the champion of pen clogging. So I am pretty happy with the Wing Sungs, less happy with the Yirens only because of the vagrant trim rings.