Wing Sung 627 Review

[taike]

 

The Wing Sung 627 is a release that’s flown under the radar. Still, it has a lot going for it:

• It uses the same excellent No. 28 nib as the Wing Sung 626.
• 627 nib/section units fit on the 626 barrel (but not vice versa).
• It comes in three nib sizes: EF, F and M.
• A fine nib is standard but each pen also includes a second nib unit.
• The pen is a great size and the wood construction is superb.

Swappable nib-section units (almost)

The Wing Sung 627 nib and feed are pressed into a plastic sleeve that is itself fit in the section, the same construction as the 626. The sections on the two pens are the same length.

 

 

The materials are different obviously and the 626 section has an hourglass curve where the 627 section is simply tapered.

 

The threads on the sections are the same for both pens (though the threads on the 626 section are a bit longer) so, yes, the 626 barrel fits on the 627 section. Perfectly in fact. I’m not sure if I’m ready for that frankenpen, but …

 

 

Conversely, the 627 barrel doesn’t fit the 626 section. Not enough threads. Swapping is a one-way street.

 

A medium nib? That’s news

Left to right: Wing Sung 627 EF, PenBBS 306 F, Wing Sung 627 M, TSWBI 580 F & Wing Sung 626 F

 

One gripe about the Wing Sung 626 is that it’s only available with an F nib - despite pictures on selling websites of a medium nib in the same two-tone style with a heart breather hole.

 

Sadly, the 627 nibs are neither two-toned nor do they have heart-shaped breather holes (the extra-fine has no breather hole at all). But at least the 627 lets you see how a 626 M nib would write if one day it were to become available.

 

And the 627 with an M nib is a great pen in its own right. The EF is no slouch either.

 

At 32mm, the No. 28 Wing Sung nibs, while proprietary in size, are just about as big as a standard No. 6. They use a traditional tip angle rather than the slight upturn found on PenBBS nibs.

 

Sadly, the aftermarket for No. 28 nibs is tiny so they are tough to come by. Goulet isn’t an option.

 

One pen, two nibs. Not bad.

Throwing in an extra nib is also a way to get you to order two pens. So that’s what I did. Now I have the whole set of nib options: a pair of F units and one each EF and M.

 

Wow, that wood!

 

The 627 is offered in nine finishes: five resin models and four in wood. I was interested in the darker woods and picked rosewood and ebony.

 

The wood appears to be the genuine article. A look inside the barrel shows unfinished wood that’s different for the two pens.

 

The barrel is made of a solid chunk of wood with the finial chrome ring pressed over the end and plastic threads inserted and glued into the top. The construction feels solid, similar to the Delike Brass and Wood pen. The wood on both pens is smooth with a semi-matte finish. All really nicely done, actually. Much better than I expected.

 

Over the couple of months that I’ve had these pens, my appreciation for the wood construction has gone through the roof.

 

Since I don’t have any of the resin-finished models I can’t speak to that except to say that the wood models are lighter by 10g.

 

But what about the pen itself?

The Wing Sung 627 feels like it’s coming from a different tradition from the majority of other pens I’ve been using recently. European? Or a throwback to an older Chinese style? It has a retro vibe that I have a hard time putting my finger on. Maybe it’s the wood. Or the chrome section.

 

One thing I am sure of is that the pen is a good size. Excellent in fact. It feels substantial - a nice change from the very light acrylic pens I’ve been using lately.

 

Uncapped, the pen is 125mm in length and 21.4g (inked). That’s 4g heavier than a Lamy 2000 and 7g heavier than a TWSBI 580 (uninked). Those two pens are similar in length and diameter.

 

The pen is very comfortable in the hand. The contour of the barrel is excellent. The section feels natural and not too narrow.

 

It posts securely and fits well enough in the hand posted. At 33.6g and 165mm posted, it’s heavier than I like but not overly large.

 

The chrome section hasn’t proven slippery and the barrel threads are fine and unobtrusive. The cap comes off in 2¼ turns. Maybe a bit much but not overly annoying.

 

Back to the nibs

If I had to choose just one, I’d probably go with the fine nib. Picking two is tough. I just haven’t made up my mind.

 

 

Extra Fine
A true extra fine. While the nib is not overly wet, it’s not at all stingy. Just about right. I hadn’t written with this fine a nib in some time. It was fun to rediscover one of the things that drew me to fountain pens in the first place. The EF offers the greatest line variation of the group.

 

Fine

The fine is an excellent nib, the smoothest of the lot. It is generous with a great sweet spot. The line is significantly bolder than the EF. For me, it’s perfect for general writing purposes.

 

Medium
True to form, the medium nib gives yet a broader and wetter line. Oddly, it’s not as smooth as the fine. Maybe it’s just the example I received. I think I still need more time to appreciate this type of nib and the more expressive writing it lends itself to.

 

So why isn’t everyone talking about this pen?

I guess wood pens are a tough sell. For Chinese pens, acrylic is the material of the moment.

 

Maybe it’s the chrome section. Too much of a throwback? I’ll admit that I wasn’t thrilled about it when I first spotted this pen. Now I’m not bothered and actually like the extra bit of weight it gives to the front of the pen.

 

To my mind the Wing Sung 627 hits it out of the park. It’s a great size, feels wonderful in the hand and writes superbly. I’ve come to think of the the style of the pen as understatedly successful.

 

This pen is a sleeper. At US$13 plus shipping on taobao, it’d be a fine value with just one nib. But you get two.

 

More photos and comments here.

Edited November 12, 2018 by EDC

[bass1193]

Fantastic review! As a lover of Chinese pens, I can't thank you enough for this. I don't know how I missed this one!

[Lomi]

This pen is a sleeper. At US$13 plus shipping

 

typo? maybe a US$23 because 149CNY for just a pen = 21$ and prices at ebay is around 23$

 

Greate review tho, missed this pen in any reviews or online shops that i watched, and not a fan of this flat silver cap and bottom but pen overall and especially wood looks really good indeed.

[taike]

typo? maybe a US$23 because 149CNY for just a pen = 21$ and prices at ebay is around 23$

 

Greate review tho, missed this pen in any reviews or online shops that i watched, and not a fan of this flat silver cap and bottom but pen overall and especially wood looks really good indeed.

 

149 is the list price. The store price is currently CNY89.88 - so US$12.90. That's about the same as when I got the pens a few months ago. It was a bit cheaper for the 11.11 sale.

 

I had the same reaction to the metal parts when I first saw the pen but have come around since. I took the leap because it appeared to share the name nib as the 626. Having that borne out is for me the underlying story of this pen. I like the idea of Wing Sung creating more value around this family of nibs but we'll have to see.

Edited November 12, 2018 by EDC

[Lomi]

 

149 is the list price. The store price is currently CNY89.88 - so US$12.90. That's about the same as when I got the pens a few months ago. It was a bit cheaper for the 11.11 sale.

 

I had the same reaction to the metal parts when I first saw the pen but have come around since. I took the leap because it appeared to share the name nib as the 626. Having that borne out is for me the underlying story of this pen. I like the idea of Wing Sung creating more value around this family of nibs but we'll have to see.

oh i need to be registered to see the actual price, its 89.88 for me now too after registration, but not sure how is comfortable to order from taobao if you outside of asia

 

(yea its 200CNY only for delivery for me from this store, ty for info anyway)

Edited November 12, 2018 by Lomarion

[taike]

[snip]

 

(yea its 200CNY only for delivery for me from this store, ty for info anyway)

 

Yikes. that's no bargain.

[5thhistorian]

Thanks for the review! I've been waiting for someone to check out this pen since it looked almost too good to be true on Ebay.

[AidenMark]

The factory installed Fine is a superb nib. In contrast to most far eastern nibs, it's broader than one would expect - more of a fine medium. It writes very, very well - perhaps the best Chinese nib for cursive writing yet.

 

The 2nd spare nib/section is a medium. I had high hopes. Once installed it completely refused to write. I inspected it (tines were good, didn't seem blocked), cleaned it, soaked it, treated it with ultrasound and reinstalled it. It began to write - reluctantly, skipping occasionally and giving up after a page. No idea what is wrong with it. Nothing visible certainly.

 

If the M had been installed at the factory rather than that great F I think I would have been disappointed in this pen. As it is, it's not worth quibbling about a great looking, great writing pen with a duff spare section, but maybe there are some QC issues around the nibs.

[woleizihan]

I will not recommend this pen. The body thread on this pen is very very very fragile. It's a separate thin plastic piece attached to the barrel as opposed to being casted/turned as part of the body.

 

Be very very very careful when you screw the section back or screw on the cap because any cross threading will literally break the body threads. By break, I mean the entire plastic piece with the threads will crack Mine broke when I was screwing back the cap. There was also a video review on the pen, in which the reviewer also mentioned the same problem with his pen.

 

To give some background, you probably think I'm exaggerating or just careless, which is what I was thinking when I saw the video review. Until it really happened in a day. There are many other great Chinese pens out there, so just avoid this one.

[taike]

The factory installed Fine is a superb nib. In contrast to most far eastern nibs, it's broader than one would expect - more of a fine medium. It writes very, very well - perhaps the best Chinese nib for cursive writing yet.

 

The 2nd spare nib/section is a medium. I had high hopes. Once installed it completely refused to write. I inspected it (tines were good, didn't seem blocked), cleaned it, soaked it, treated it with ultrasound and reinstalled it. It began to write - reluctantly, skipping occasionally and giving up after a page. No idea what is wrong with it. Nothing visible certainly.

 

If the M had been installed at the factory rather than that great F I think I would have been disappointed in this pen. As it is, it's not worth quibbling about a great looking, great writing pen with a duff spare section, but maybe there are some QC issues around the nibs.

 

The more I use use it, the more I like the fine nib. I'm also very favorably impressed by the EF, especially for smaller ruled notebooks and more absorbent paper.

 

Those are the two in my pens at present. The M nib is on the sidelines. Not what I predicted when I got the pens, but I guess you never know.

 

Having said that, with a little attention, I got the M assembly apart successfully to inspect, clean etc. Back together, it writes well for me.

 

[taike]

I will not recommend this pen. The body thread on this pen is very very very fragile. It's a separate thin plastic piece attached to the barrel as opposed to being casted/turned as part of the body.

 

Be very very very careful when you screw the section back or screw on the cap because any cross threading will literally break the body threads. By break, I mean the entire plastic piece with the threads will crack Mine broke when I was screwing back the cap. There was also a video review on the pen, in which the reviewer also mentioned the same problem with his pen.

 

To give some background, you probably think I'm exaggerating or just careless, which is what I was thinking when I saw the video review. Until it really happened in a day. There are many other great Chinese pens out there, so just avoid this one.

 

That's a drag! Sorry to hear it. I covered the thread fail issue in my longer-form review. I silicon greased up the threads when I got the pens to hopefully forestall the possibility. So far so good for my pair.

 

Seems a shame as over time I've come to regard this as a terrific pen for its size, weight and balance. I'm a huge fan of the #28 nibs. They are really outstanding.

[WarrenB]

Now that rosewood in particular makes for a handsome pen. Wonderful depth of red - and I don't personally think the chromed trimmings detract from it. In fact I prefer the look over the 626.

 

A very entertaining and informative review, thanks!

[Honeybadgers]

polished section = instant nope.

[taike]

Now that rosewood in particular makes for a handsome pen. Wonderful depth of red - and I don't personally think the chromed trimmings detract from it. In fact I prefer the look over the 626.

 

A very entertaining and informative review, thanks!

 

If I had to pick just one, I'd go for the ebony. But that's just me. I'm still on the fence about getting the other two wood models. Four versions of the same pen seems a bit over the top.