Chinese Knock-Off Pens?

[Larina_1248]

I've spent the day scouring the net for a new pen to buy and I keep coming across very cheap Chinese pens, many of which are clearly copied off Lamy, TWSBI, Parker, etc. designs. Some of these pens, like a bunch of different Wing Sungs, sell for under $5, but they get surprisingly good reviews from people who've bought them, including in comparison with the better-known brands. I've even seen gorgeous-looking acrylic pens from under $20 on Ebay. Frankly, I'm confused. I had some suspicion that companies jack up prices a little just because they can, but all the same, the work and the materials that go into most fountain pens (especially acrylic pens) seem to be worth WAY more than the <$20 cost of the Chinese pens. I'd understand it better if the Chinese ones were very bad quality, and some of them are, but a fair amount seem to boast of a fairly smooth nib and decent build quality. I've even seen Chinese acrylic pens on Ebay that have an original design, and a good one at that...but for a tiny fraction of the price we're used to seeing with more conventional brands. Has anyone here had enough experience with these Chinese pens to explain how this is possible? Setting aside the possible ethical questions of using obvious replica pens, are these worth buying?

 

Thanks!

[Mech-for-i]

FOA, you should check out the Chinese fountain pen section on this forum as those who actually collect and use multitude of Chinese fountain pens discuss all manner of questions regarding. And now to your question. Let me phrase it this way, this particular inquiry is somewhat over generalized and it would be a bit too hard to lay down an answer. Chinese fountain pen is not like a single brand with a restricted range. There is a rather astonishing large number of brands which operate on different level and market to different sector.

 

But let's just step back and realize that with todays industrial scale production, fountain pen actually can be manufactured at pretty low cost. And even material like the acrylic stated , when produced in industrial scale, is fairly low cost too. Can we take note of pens like the Platinum Preppy, or the many of the school pens ... this pretty much tell you that despite thinking of fountain pen as high end among pens, actually the pen itself is mature technology and can be made fair economically. And one had to consider, the Asian, in particular the home market is where most the Chinese Mfrs tailor for and that market is a rather big and lively one. Economy of scale simply wins out here.

 

What you are seeing to me is reflection of different approach to different market to different Mfr. Most conventional brands these days are not selling pens as say pens, they are selling them as up market accessories; Asian pen Mfr , though are mostly seeing that they are making pens , and just pens .... for most part. That's why while Sailor would have top dollar KOP , their ( better ) entry level Neo Ace still are just well pens that cost only 1000 JP-YEN SRP, just as Platinum had their Preppy. Chinese Mfr had their ( many ) different models. There are some of these pens in more up market design and priced so; though they are not quite priced as say most conventional brand so to speak. That is they sell on volume ( which they can in Asian and home market and now the world ) instead of on high profit margin.

[max dog]

With modern fabrication technology its possible to make good knock offs. So its up to us consumers to decide do we want to support it and let the Lamys, Parkers and TWSBIs who invested in the original designs die on the vine.

[oneill]

Can I answer this question once and for all if you don't like what collectors have been buying for years and who have large collections of these very affordable pens and who continue to buy these fabulous pens,then don't risk your precious dollars on them. leave them for people like me who appreciate them.For instance I have been buying Jinhao, Baoer same manufacturer for quite a while and have a very large collection of them, every tradesman who does a job at my place is given a Jinhao or Baoer in appreciation of the job that they have done for my wife and I, My Doctor has one My skin specialist has one, my Electrician has one and because he is a Pom like me he had

the nerve to ask me for one for his wife,my hairdresser has one, the specialist who did my colonoscopy has one,My painter has one. should I continue,what I would say about them is that if there is a problem with a pen that I have given the recipient contacts me for advice which I am happy to give or point them in the direction of this forum as there are answers to every problem to be encounterd with one of these very affordable pens.Trust Me,Oneill

Edited November 24, 2017 by oneill

[Uncial]

They tend to be more homage than copy, but essentially they haven't had to spend on design, advertising and marketing and testing probably isn't high on the agenda, tolerances can be pretty lax and materials won't exactly be top notch. Lots of these designs are out of copywrite/patent so anyone on the planet can reproduce them if they like, it just happens that the Chinese are currently doing it. Add to this the fact that the Chinese government currently subsidises its manufacturing and you end up with a cheap pen. Some of them are great pens and some of them are junk, but many people feel that at the price they come in at it is worth the risk. Personally I have had generally good experiences with Chinese pens and it is almost exclusively the 'knock off' types as you put it that have had the issues. I guess this is because they alter small aspects of the design that sometimes exposes problems. For example; I bought a Wing Sung recently that looks awfully similar to a TWSBI AL, but it's lighter, not quite as long, has differing barrel design and clip design. The piston is loose and feels flimsy, as does the stamped metal clip and nib, the pen isn't pleasing in the same way that the TWSBI is tactile and enjoyable to hold and the inner AL bits on the Chinese pen look a bit...well, cheap. But it was a cheap pen and I might get a few years work out of it before it dies and I think I paid what I would expect to pay for a pen that will probably not be in my collection forever.

[TSherbs]

Yes, they are worth buying! Great value for the money.

[mitto]

They are like for free.

[Qoan]

They tend to be more homage than copy, but essentially they haven't had to spend on design, advertising and marketing and testing probably isn't high on the agenda, tolerances can be pretty lax and materials won't exactly be top notch. Lots of these designs are out of copywrite/patent so anyone on the planet can reproduce them if they like, it just happens that the Chinese are currently doing it. Add to this the fact that the Chinese government currently subsidises its manufacturing and you end up with a cheap pen. Some of them are great pens and some of them are junk, but many people feel that at the price they come in at it is worth the risk. Personally I have had generally good experiences with Chinese pens and it is almost exclusively the 'knock off' types as you put it that have had the issues. I guess this is because they alter small aspects of the design that sometimes exposes problems. For example; I bought a Wing Sung recently that looks awfully similar to a TWSBI AL, but it's lighter, not quite as long, has differing barrel design and clip design. The piston is loose and feels flimsy, as does the stamped metal clip and nib, the pen isn't pleasing in the same way that the TWSBI is tactile and enjoyable to hold and the inner AL bits on the Chinese pen look a bit...well, cheap. But it was a cheap pen and I might get a few years work out of it before it dies and I think I paid what I would expect to pay for a pen that will probably not be in my collection forever.

 

+1

 

I don't think most Chinese pens make for a nice pen collection if you are a collector and want a flock of beautiful pens that may well survive you, but if you just happen to enjoy writing with a fp they are worth many a try, specially if you intend to carry some of them daily and (as me ) aren't that careful with your pens outside home.

[minddance]

Good pens for lending out to colleagues who always love to borrow pens from you.

[torstar]

depends what you want

 

1) a good knockoff that works and can be a conversation piece; or

 

2) you think you are going to get a MB Carnegie for $10 and feel good about your superbargain

[Ian the Jock]

For me, fountain pens are no more than a hobby, and most importantly, an easily accessible FUN hobby, Therefore, my thinking is.

Why save up and buy a Parker Sonnet, with probable issues and a (bleep) nib, for £60 when you can buy the improved Baoer 388 version with a better nib for £4, and a whole bunch of other pens as well.

 

A bit of competition didn't hurt Ford did it?

If the products are good enough they'll live.

If there is a cheaper, probably better alternative, then for me, it's a no brainer.

 

Ian

[parkergeo]

You have to remember that it's also possible to counterfeit a counterfeit, and just as a copy of a copy loses resolution, so do some of the very cheapest Chinese pens, because they may not have been made by the same manufacturer as the versions that are getting good reviews.

 

I've found some very nice Heros, but they are the ones that sell in the $20-40 range, not the really cheap pens. A HERO 1079 Lacquered Black all-metal (including the section) Parker 45 homage is my current everyday carry pen, but I did have to swap nibs to something that was a bit more medium than the very fine that came with the pen. This is another plus about these inexpensive pens - many of the nibs can be swapped with similar models, so buy a few and see what works for you. I had to buy a few Parker 75 clones until I found a Hero 200A that was high enough quality to fit the bill as something I could carry around with less risk than bringing my sterling 75 on trips.

[Tweel]

OT: I sometimes see the delicate term "homage" used, but I don't think you properly pay tribute to a person by walking around in their clothes and never mentioning their name.

[Bluey]

Has anyone here had enough experience with these Chinese pens to explain how this is possible? Setting aside the possible ethical questions of using obvious replica pens, are these worth buying?

 

Thanks!

For the same reason why Apple, Burberry, Armani, Montblanc and almost every other Western company outsource their production to China.

[jekostas]

OT: I sometimes see the delicate term "homage" used, but I don't think you properly pay tribute to a person by walking around in their clothes and never mentioning their name.

 

Why does this always, always, come up when discussing Chinese pens? Copies and "homages" come from every country on the planet, the US included.

[Qoan]

OT: I sometimes see the delicate term "homage" used, but I don't think you properly pay tribute to a person by walking around in their clothes and never mentioning their name.

 

Actually they do mention their names from time to time: https://es.aliexpress.com/item/Dise-o-Original-aut-ntico-H-roe-359-safari-pluma-0-5mm-regalo-14-color-Dazzle/32838301960.html

 

Anyway, they don't even need to make a "homage". They found a ready and free to use design and decided to produce it. As many others have done and will probably keep doing.

 

 

 

Why does this always, always, come up when discussing Chinese pens? Copies and "homages" come from every country on the planet, the US included.

 

People are afraid Chinese companies would eventually kill American and European producers and, as they wouldn't like so, they try to discredit them by all means. Which just means that Chinese companies are probably succeeding, as if you are not a threat you're not spoken about

[Tweel]

 

Why does this always, always, come up when discussing Chinese pens? Copies and "homages" come from every country on the planet, the US included.

Okay... But I didn't mention China, I commented on the use of a word -- and I didn't introduce the word to the topic.

[jekostas]

Okay... But I didn't mention China, I commented on the use of a word -- and I didn't introduce the word to the topic.

 

In a thread about Chinese pens.

[Bluey]

 

People are afraid Chinese companies would eventually kill American and European producers and, as they wouldn't like so, they try to discredit them by all means. Which just means that Chinese companies are probably succeeding, as if you are not a threat you're not spoken about

It's worth noting that China is one of the more innovative countries.

https://www.economist.com/news/briefing/21729429-industries-and-consumers-around-world-will-soon-feel-their-impact-chinas-audacious-and

https://www.economist.com/news/leaders/21729430-does-it-play-fair-how-china-battling-ever-more-intensely-world-markets

 

In the real world, China is no more a copycat than companies the West.

[Ian the Jock]

 

Why does this always, always, come up when discussing Chinese pens? Copies and "homages" come from every country on the planet, the US included.

2 reasons.

SNOBBERY & FEAR.

 

Ian