Asvine and Hongdian

[mke]

I found a comment on the internet:

"Hong Dian is a legitimate pen company from China. Recently, the parent company, Asvine, has started offering pens marketed and sold under the Asvine name, too"

and Asvine is apparently owned by esybuy.

On their facebook page, they show also all new models of Majohn, so apparently they also own the Majohn brand.

 

To be double-checked.

[Shanghai Knife Dude]

Yes and no. 

 

I am also aware of this comment. The best way to describe this: partnership at limited certain level between HD and Asvine. 

 

As I don't affiliate with any of those, the best person to make clarification on this will be the traffickers. 

 

I dont care who owns whom. I care who to avoid, e.g. PenBBS. 

[Dan Carmell]

3 hours ago, Shanghai Knife Dude said:

Yes and no. 

 

I am also aware of this comment. The best way to describe this: partnership at limited certain level between HD and Asvine. 

 

As I don't affiliate with any of those, the best person to make clarification on this will be the traffickers. 

 

I dont care who owns whom. I care who to avoid, e.g. PenBBS. 

What’s the problem with PenBBS? They are quite popular and the pens I’ve handed from PenBBS seem well made. 

[mke]

It is a big mess:

Qiuming Li says she is the owner of esybuy: https://www.facebook.com/qiuming.li.3154/

Asvine also seems to claim to be "esybuy": https://www.facebook.com/asvinepen/

The address of Asvine corresponds to an apartment complex, not a production site: Google Maps

 

Let's see if I get an answer from Asvine. 

 

 

[mke]

@Shanghai Knife Dude Actually, how are the names Asvine, Hongdian, Majohn named/written in Chinese characters? Thank you.

 

[Dan Carmell]

28 minutes ago, mke said:

@Shanghai Knife Dude Actually, how are the names Asvine, Hongdian, Majohn named/written in Chinese characters? Thank you.

 

You’re going to get to the bottom of this, aren’t you? Be nice to have a definitive answer. 

[mke]

1 minute ago, Dan Carmell said:

You’re going to get to the bottom

Just a little bit more digging. 

[A Smug Dill]

3 hours ago, mke said:

how are the names Asvine, Hongdian, Majohn named/written in Chinese characters? 

[langere]

@mke, please let us know what you find out!

 

Erick

[Shanghai Knife Dude]

8 hours ago, mke said:

@Shanghai Knife Dude Actually, how are the names Asvine, Hongdian, Majohn named/written in Chinese characters? Thank you.

 

意斯华， 弘典， 末匠, in your order. 

[jthole]

I guess it’s a bit like what happened with saxophones years ago (I guess the Far East saxophone manufacturers space has consolidated a bit in the meantime), and what happened decades before with small Italian saxophone manufacturers; lots of hidden connections, no clarity about what is manufactured where, variable quality, and various brand names for exactly the instruments). By now, most of the “lemons” have gone, and the remaining brands have a consistent quality.

 

Some differences of course, saxophones are in a completely different price range, contain many more parts, and there are more parts that can wear or get misaligned.

[mke]

It is difficult to search as Google thinks it must show me mainly results from Japan which have these characters.

 

So, I asked Google Gemini what it knows - mixed with my findings:

• The owner of the Asvine pen company is Xiaohong Li. (The name of esybuy owner is also Li. Coincidence or not, unknown.) 
• Asvine is a registered trademark in the US: https://uspto.report/TM/86943357
• The same person also owns the Lanxivi trademark.
• They seem to be based in Zhejiang.
•  
• The company behind the Hongdian brand is Zhejiang Lishui Lantian Pen Industrial Co., Ltd..  Owner: Yonghe Huang
• Hongdian has a trademark in the US: https://uspto.report/TM/88693546
•  
• Some sources suggest that Moonman/Majohn is one of several brands manufactured by a large Shanghai-based pen company, Shanghai Jingdian.
•  

 

• Asvine is registered to an address in an apartment block
• Hongdian is registered to a production company in a production area (Google Maps).
• I haven't found the real name of the Shanghai Jingdian to locate it.

Doesn't really look as if they are related by ownership. Without access to Chinese business information, I guess nothing can be said for certainty.

 

 

a few things I found

Jinhao made by Shanghai Qiangu Stationery Co., Ltd https://qiangu.en.alibaba.com/

Hongdian Black Forest cost: 2.6 USD LINK

Baoer 3035 cost: LINK

a Safari-like pen 0.15 USD

[niuben]

从一个普通中国消费者角度来说 他们大概率是两个公司

[mke]

5 hours ago, niuben said:

从一个普通中国消费者角度来说 他们大概率是两个公司

Plus Majohn makes it three different companies who might work sometimes together (contract work).

 

 

[AceNinja]

19 hours ago, Shanghai Knife Dude said:

意斯华， 弘典， 末匠, in your order. 

From here, i would say the english name of Hongdian and Majohn is phonetically changed (not translate) from their Chinese name to english name.  Ie they've chinese name first, then phonetically changed to english letters.  The chinese name has meaning.

 

For Asvine, it is obvious they've English name first, then phonetically changed to chinese characters.  And the pronunciation is not even close?

Asvine: i read it like - Ass - Vine

意斯华: reads more like - yi si hua  ?  there's no meaning to this chinese name, only phonetic pronunciation.

 

Am I correct on my assessment?

[jthole]

Looking at the Asvine pens, I would also think they specifically target the worldwide market. So it makes sense to choose a name as well that is easily pronounced everywhere.

[Karmachanic]

6 hours ago, AceNinja said:

Asvine: i read it like - Ass - Vine

 

As it's spelled: As-Vine.  

 

[A Smug Dill]

3 hours ago, Karmachanic said:

As it's spelled: As-Vine.  

 

Or: a-Svine ?

[Dan Carmell]

1 hour ago, A Smug Dill said:

 

Or: a-Svine ?

Yah, das ist da swine! 😂 

[Shanghai Knife Dude]

15 hours ago, AceNinja said:

From here, i would say the english name of Hongdian and Majohn is phonetically changed (not translate) from their Chinese name to english name.  Ie they've chinese name first, then phonetically changed to english letters.  The chinese name has meaning.

 

For Asvine, it is obvious they've English name first, then phonetically changed to chinese characters.  And the pronunciation is not even close?

Asvine: i read it like - Ass - Vine

意斯华: reads more like - yi si hua  ?  there's no meaning to this chinese name, only phonetic pronunciation.

 

Am I correct on my assessment?

 

yes, you are an ace.