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Hong Dian

mke
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mke Antique

mke

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What is known about this maker - apart from that their pens are of very good quality?

I am in love with their EF nib.

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MadAsAHatter Mint

MadAsAHatter

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Funny you're asking about Hong Dian. I was contemplating getting one of their pens just the other day. I don't have one and haven't bought the one I was looking at yet, but reviews I read were positive in general.

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mke Antique

mke

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I haven't investigated them in detail. A medium-close look at is all what I did. But they feel "not cheap"(ly made).

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Honeybadgers Donor Pen

Honeybadgers

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I have one - the "essential" - surprisingly nicely made. writes well. Doesn't seem to dry out. Very nice packaging.

Selling a boatload of restored, fairly rare, vintage Japanese gold nib pens, click here to see (more added as I finish restoring them)

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Mech-for-i Collectors Item

Mech-for-i

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Hong Dian's story is another OEM going their own branding kind of scenarios. The company had been in business doing OEM production of pens for the said market sectors ( aka gift ; mid range ; not student or school stationaries ) and doing it for some major names ( both fountain pen and fashion brands ) for well over a decade.

 

Going their own branding is just natural progression as far as business goes and part of the reason also due to changing market and wider general acceptance of Chinese made fountain pens and pens in general

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mke Antique

mke

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Thanks mech-for-i.

Where are they located? Do they have a homepage?

I searched for hong dian (红点?) but didn't find them.

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Paul-in-SF Antique

Paul-in-SF

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I bought a couple of the Forest series -- matte black all over including the nibs, barrel is knurled, but section, cap, and posting mount are not. Fairly slim pens, snap caps. They feel more like steel than aluminum They do have nice nibs, although a little small, what I would call a 3 or 4 without measuring. The F nib I got was reacting dryly to a fairly dry ink, so I flossed it a little and it perked right up. The EF was fine right out of the gate, although I don't know if the ink is wetter than the other one.

 

One weird thing: out of curiosity I tried to turn the nib to see if it was an exchangeable nib unit. It turned quite easily, but then at a certain point (out about 4mm) it just started free-wheeling, it would turn but it wouldn't come out any further, and I couldn't pull it out at that point either. When I started turning the other way, it immediately started screwing back in. I can do this repeatedly with both pens and it doesn't appear to harm them, but it doesn't appear to have any point either. If it's not an exchangeable unit why have it screw partway out? And if it is supposed to be exchangeable, why doesn't it come all the way out?

 

Any ideas?

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Karmachanic Donor Pen

Karmachanic

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Any ideas?

 

Only one. Did you remove the converter beforehand?

Add lightness and simplicate.

 

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Mech-for-i Collectors Item

Mech-for-i

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Thanks mech-for-i.

Where are they located? Do they have a homepage?

I searched for hong dian (红点?) but didn't find them.

Actually their brand name in Chinese is 弘典

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Mech-for-i Collectors Item

Mech-for-i

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I wonder if they produce or buy their nibs.

No idea here but the Mfr ; likely both though

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Mech-for-i Collectors Item

Mech-for-i

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Web issue again double post ( edited )

Edited by Mech-for-i
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A Smug Dill Museum Piece

A Smug Dill

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I bought a couple of the Forest series -- matte black _...‹snip›... out of curiosity I tried to turn the nib to see if it was an exchangeable nib unit.

I can confirm for you that the model has a threaded nib housing that can be unscrewed from the gripping section; I just tried it on the one we have here.

 

The Forest is a little too slender for my liking, but the 'stealth' look of the black version is what attracted me in the first place; so, as soon as I saw that it has similar looking brethren with more girth, I ordered one in a package that came with two (an EF and a Fude) nib units in a largish rectangular matte black tin.

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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MuddyWaters Collectors Item

MuddyWaters

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I can confirm for you that the model has a threaded nib housing that can be unscrewed from the gripping section; I just tried it on the one we have here.

 

The Forest is a little too slender for my liking, but the 'stealth' look of the black version is what attracted me in the first place; so, as soon as I saw that it has similar looking brethren with more girth, I ordered one in a package that came with two (an EF and a Fude) nib units in a largish rectangular matte black tin.

Did you receive it yet?

Link to a post about ergonomics I made: http://www.fountainpennetwork.com/forum/topic/343593-which-indian-fountain-pen-would-you-write-a-novel-with/?p=4179072

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A Smug Dill Museum Piece

A Smug Dill

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Did you receive it yet?

 

Yes, I ordered the HongDian Black Army General pen/set on 15/10/2019 and received it on 8/11/2019.

 

I just checked on AliExpress, and the price for it has gone up so much since!

I endeavour to be frank and truthful in what I write, show or otherwise present, when I relate my first-hand experiences that are not independently verifiable; and link to third-party content where I can, when I make a claim or refute a statement of fact in a thread. If there is something you can verify for yourself, I entreat you to do so, and judge for yourself what is right, correct, and valid. I may be wrong, and my position or say-so is no more authoritative and carries no more weight than anyone else's here.

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MadAsAHatter Mint

MadAsAHatter

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I bought a couple of the Forest series -- matte black all over including the nibs, barrel is knurled, but section, cap, and posting mount are not. Fairly slim pens, snap caps. They feel more like steel than aluminum They do have nice nibs, although a little small, what I would call a 3 or 4 without measuring. The F nib I got was reacting dryly to a fairly dry ink, so I flossed it a little and it perked right up. The EF was fine right out of the gate, although I don't know if the ink is wetter than the other one.

 

I ordered this exact one with an EF nib over the weekend. USPS says it's currently out for delivery.

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Ermennda NOS (New Old Stock)

Ermennda

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Hong Dian's story is another OEM going their own branding kind of scenarios. The company had been in business doing OEM production of pens for the said market sectors ( aka gift ; mid range ; not student or school stationaries ) and doing it for some major names ( both fountain pen and fashion brands ) for well over a decade.

 

Going their own branding is just natural progression as far as business goes and part of the reason also due to changing market and wider general acceptance of Chinese made fountain pens and pens in general

 

I remember a video of on aliexpress vendor that shows the factory, you can see for a moment that they are making other brands too.

 

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MadAsAHatter Mint

MadAsAHatter

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I got my Black Forrest in yesterday evening. I brought it with me to work and have been using it for the better part of the day. I have to say I am really liking it thus far. I may even have to get the off-white colored one.... Birch Forest I think.

 

Does anyone know if they have a model that uses a #6 size nib, or if they sell #6 nibs separately?

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mke Antique

mke

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the real company name is "Zhejiang Lishui Lantian Pen Co., Ltd." and HongDian is just a brand name.

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