Wing Sung 3008

[Miaxina]

Thank you for the review Just saw these on eBay and came here, hoping someone can convince me otherwise but I guess not

[IndigoBOB]

I picked up a 4 pack: 3 out of the 4 had wobbly pistons. I really wish they didn't have the wobbly pistons cuz it does make them feel a little cheap, even though they are very inexpensive.

 

But despite that they seem and feel quite sturdy. I'd say if you're interested it could be worth giving a try for 1 on ebay since they are so inexpensive.

[Seele]

IndigoBOB,

 

The wobbly piston is a safety measure, offering a bit of a buffer against the piston getting accidentally operated, pushing ink out of the nib. But of course, the Version 2 of the pen with the "click" does the job even better, without going to the same lengths as Victo's 698 and 618.

[IndigoBOB]

That's good to know.

 

I am glad to hear that they upgraded the new version to a "tighter" design.

 

I still like the pen, but the wobble is simply not a preference of mine.

 

I do really like the option for exchanging out nibs.

 

Overall I was surprised how sturdy the overall pen felt and will be curious how it holds up.

[IndigoBOB]

Upon first impressions this is my favorite wing sung Piston filler.(3008, 698, 618).

The 698 is great, but this 3008 doesn't have that sharp feeling step down from the barrel and is more comfortable for higher grips. I prefer this over the 618, which didn't give me enough grip for me, which is preferential. I think the 618 is the sturdiest out of all of them, but the 3008 does still feel decently sturdy.

 

Nib is smooth with healthy flow OOTB, which was impressive. I was surprised. I did flush it out prior.

 

I think this pen may have a potential to compete with other starter pens at higher prices.

3008's section is more comfortable for me than the Pilot MetorP's which is better for smaller hands IMO and those who don't hold the pen up higher at the Metro's steep shelf.

3008 has a more comfortable section than the Lamy IMO, which is very preferential.

Feels more substantial than Nemosine singularity, which felt too light in my hand and didn't grip well when held higher up on the section, which was necessary for me since it was so lightweight, which is an advantage for others with differing preferences.

I prefer the section of the 3008 over the TWSBI Eco, which has a steeper slope to the section where the 3008 feels flatter and is easier to grip for me as a result.

 

Eco does feel sturdier, thicker, and the piston knob wedges tight, but I do like how I can twist the 3008's knob without it rising up as the Eco's does so as to allow me to prime the feed if I feel a need for deeper saturation of lighter shaded inks. When capped the Eco has more of an air tight seal than the 3008 I am using. I don't know if that is more than a concern at this point, but I'd be interested to hear what others say. The Eco is also about 10x the cost.

 

They do offer these in EF nibs on Ebay now from sellers with "Top Rated Plus" marks. The one I am using is a Fine from a seller on Ebay and it works with no problems. Chrisrap52 on Youtube was "Wowed" and I concur so far especially for the price you can get these at on Ebay.

 

Upon first impressions, I agree with this review. The nib worked surprising well OOTB and the only thing more impressive is the overall value especially with regards to the comfort this pen provides IMO, compared to other starter pens out there.

 

When it comes to inexpensive pens, I have been surprised by jinhao's being able to write as well as $100 pens with a Goulet or Franklin Christoph nib, I have been surprised by the ruggedness you can get out of a Hero 616 especially after sprucing the nib up with alignment and polishing, and now this 3008 at this value OOTB is starting to make it's way into this category of pleasurably practicable inexpensive pen options that might prove to be a descent starter/gateway fountain pen, as well as an every day pen, and maybe an EDC.

Edited October 30, 2017 by IndigoBOB

[bob_hayden]

I received a green one a few days ago. I agree with the original review except I would give it much lower ratings for aesthetics;-) But it writes great! Unfortunately, I always post my pens, and as already hinted the cap rides on the filling knob rather than the body. That seems incredibly dumb to me!

 

Mine has been sitting unused for a number of days and started right up for me. That is not a stringent test but it suggests it is not unusually bad about drying out.

 

On eBay I see a 3008 also labeled LORELEI that has a different style and appears to be a cartridge/converter pen as well as sellers selling 3003s as 3008s. You can now find actual 3008s for under $3 US but be careful to make sure you are getting the pen you want.

[DanielleE]

IndigoBOB,

 

The wobbly piston is a safety measure, offering a bit of a buffer against the piston getting accidentally operated, pushing ink out of the nib. But of course, the Version 2 of the pen with the "click" does the job even better, without going to the same lengths as Victo's 698 and 618.

I wonder if there is any way to tell in advance if the pen you order is the original version or the version 2.

[Seele]

I wonder if there is any way to tell in advance if the pen you order is the original version or the version 2.

 

DanielleE,

 

Since the modification to the piston is so minuscule , there's no way of telling, even if examples of both are side by side right in front of you. My new video explores this issue within a wider context though.

 

[IndigoBOB]

I wonder if there is any way to tell in advance if the pen you order is the original version or the version 2.

 

That's a good question. I don't know of anyway except for asking. I did see one Ebay vendor labeling their 3008's as "2018" versions, but I can't be certain if that is version II.

 

 

The 3008 I have right now and the others I have tested haven't had that locking mechanism. Mine does wedge itself into place when the piston is at its highest point and stays pretty secure, but it doesn't have that nice locking mechanism.

 

 

DanielleE,

 

Since the modification to the piston is so minuscule , there's no way of telling, even if examples of both are side by side right in front of you. My new video explores this issue within a wider context though.

 

 

 

Thank you for the video! I was wondering what the locking mechanism was like.

[Nyanzilla]

Are those pens made by different manufacturers who bought some componements from the same source, or do all come from the same factory which produces for different labels?

[Seele]

Are those pens made by different manufacturers who bought some componements from the same source, or do all come from the same factory which produces for different labels?

 

Nyanzilla,

 

Without being an insider it would be pretty difficult to tell, but it is very unlikely that a high-volume pen manufacturer would want to depend on outside makers to supply everything pre-built. Also, it is also a known fact that, while the manufacturers are meant to be competitors, they still cooperate to some degrees when they can help each other if they can still make a bit of money; for example, it is more than likely that WSE had their nibs made by Hero on an OEM basis to their specifications.

[bob_hayden]

Are those pens made by different manufacturers who bought some componements from the same source, or do all come from the same factory which produces for different labels?

 

I suspect a more likely scenario is that the different companies buy from each other so that there may be few "ghost" manufacturers and a Brand X pen may be made in a Brand X factory of mostly Brand X parts. I am thinking here of the automotive and photographic industries in Japan where cooperation has long been more common than it used to be in the US. I use Pentax DSLR cameras and I think a couple "Pentax" lenses are from the independent lens manufacturer Tamron, while another indpendent, Tokina, has been involved with other "Pentax" branded lenses. One of the Tamron lenses is sold by a number of other camera makes under their own name. In these cases, Tamron came up with a hard-to-beat design with good optical qualities at a low price so it made sense to just buy lenses from them (or license the design). Possibly under the influence of Japanese auto makers, many US cars now use bits and pieces from everywhere. The V-6 in the original Chrysler minivan was made by Mitsubishi, and Mazda four cylinder engines can be found in many Fords. That's typical now. There are some extreme cases though. My mother's "Chevy Nova" was entirely Toyota, and Cosina made cameras sold under many brands (and licensed designs as well).

 

 

Cosina is also well known for manufacturing 35 mm SLR cameras to the specifications of other manufacturers and distributors, such as the Canon T60, the Yashica FX-3 (1979), FX-3 Super, and Super 2000, the Nikon FM10 and FE10, the Olympus OM2000, Konica TC-X, and various Vivitar models. (Wikipedia)

 

I think the original HP LaserJet printer had a Canon engine and my Pentax has a Sony sensor.

[maximme]

IndigoBOB,

 

The wobbly piston is a safety measure, offering a bit of a buffer against the piston getting accidentally operated, pushing ink out of the nib. But of course, the Version 2 of the pen with the "click" does the job even better, without going to the same lengths as Victo's 698 and 618.

very true

I was about to make the same reply

[maximme]

 

I suspect a more likely scenario is that the different companies buy from each other so that there may be few "ghost" manufacturers and a Brand X pen may be made in a Brand X factory of mostly Brand X parts. I am thinking here of the automotive and photographic industries in Japan where cooperation has long been more common than it used to be in the US. I use Pentax DSLR cameras and I think a couple "Pentax" lenses are from the independent lens manufacturer Tamron, while another indpendent, Tokina, has been involved with other "Pentax" branded lenses. One of the Tamron lenses is sold by a number of other camera makes under their own name. In these cases, Tamron came up with a hard-to-beat design with good optical qualities at a low price so it made sense to just buy lenses from them (or license the design). Possibly under the influence of Japanese auto makers, many US cars now use bits and pieces from everywhere. The V-6 in the original Chrysler minivan was made by Mitsubishi, and Mazda four cylinder engines can be found in many Fords. That's typical now. There are some extreme cases though. My mother's "Chevy Nova" was entirely Toyota, and Cosina made cameras sold under many brands (and licensed designs as well).

 

 

I think the original HP LaserJet printer had a Canon engine and my Pentax has a Sony sensor.

hahaha

the car industry,.....Volkswagen POLO was made by KIA completely from the ground up.

some of these things are soooo stunning, leave you speechless.

 

Swiss watches can't use "made in Switzerland" label cause 98% components aren't made in Switzerland....guess where are they made..

[minddance]

Can the piston on the 3008 be taken apart by a twsbi wrench for maintenance?

[Nyanzilla]

You don't need a tool. Just grab the metal ring near the turning knob and unscrew it.

[IndigoBOB]

very true

I was about to make the same reply

 

 

True, but it is a rather cheap feeling safety measure that the version II addresses. Out of a pack of 4 I tried out earlier one of them simply had a stiffer piston knob that proved to be more resilient a safety measure than the "wobble safety measure" purported to be so. In other words, safety measure or not that aspect of it feels cheap and it's nice to see them correct that aspect.

 

Despite that, the version I is still worth trying for the price, but I will say the version II would be much more worth having for the price.

Edited November 1, 2017 by IndigoBOB

[Ted A]

With mine, I can tighten the chrome ring and it seems to tighten up the know at the same time. There is still a little bit of wiggle but not a lot. It makes it feel more secure

[IndigoBOB]

With mine, I can tighten the chrome ring and it seems to tighten up the know at the same time. There is still a little bit of wiggle but not a lot. It makes it feel more secure

 

I found that worked with one of the 3008's I tried, but not with a couple of the others.

[TSherbs]

I received a green one a few days ago. I agree with the original review except I would give it much lower ratings for aesthetics;-) But it writes great! Unfortunately, I always post my pens, and as already hinted the cap rides on the filling knob rather than the body. That seems incredibly dumb to me!

 

Mine has been sitting unused for a number of days and started right up for me. That is not a stringent test but it suggests it is not unusually bad about drying out.

 

On eBay I see a 3008 also labeled LORELEI that has a different style and appears to be a cartridge/converter pen as well as sellers selling 3003s as 3008s. You can now find actual 3008s for under $3 US but be careful to make sure you are getting the pen you want.

 

Yeah, I posted mine yesterday and had an inky accident at work. Total user error. Hopefully won't happen again.