Wing Sung 601A Flighter half demonstrator experiment

[Johnny Appleseed]

I have been really enjoying Wing Sung 601 and 601A pens, particularly as travel pens. I am especially fond of a 601A steel-barreled “flighter” model as a really durable pen - especially because the steel cap attaches to a clutch ring attached to the steel barrel itself, rather than attaching to a less sturdy plastic section like the Parker 45.

 

One issue with the flighter version of the 601 A is that it does not have an ink-view window or any way of checking the ink level, so I am always torn between using a demonstrator version or the flighter. Finding out how easy it was to interchange parts opened some interesting possibilities. I know that you can swap out the barrel, but that takes away the whole flighter aesthetic. But what about the section?

 

The result was a flighter “half demonstrator” with a transparent section. Aesthetically it works for me, keeping the flighter look but adding the visible section.

 

However, it doesn’t get closer to an actual ink-view window, because the clear section screws on to a black-plastic barrel insert. You can see ink in the collector, but can’t tell if there is any left in the barrel. So, my question for any tinkerers in the forum - has anyone ever removed the plastic barrel insert? It would be really cool to replace it with a clear threaded barrel insert - maybe from the demonstrator barrel?

[Estycollector]

I to have enjoyed the Wing Sung 601 pens. I consider them a better Parker 51 new edition that the ones Parker introduced. 

[Dan Carmell]

3 hours ago, Estycollector said:

I to have enjoyed the Wing Sung 601 pens. I consider them a better Parker 51 new edition that the ones Parker introduced. 

I completely agree!

[Dan Carmell]

How about this as a solution, perhaps better combined with the clear section as well?

 

I bought this as is from Bobby at Chinese Pens (Etsy & AliExpress) and it has one of Bobby’s mini-bent nibs which are fun. You can buy these transparent barrels by themselves at several AliExpress shops still, I think. 

[Johnny Appleseed]

Dan,

 

yea, that is an option, but I am really looking for a way to keep the steel barrel. I take it nobody has ever taken out the plastic liner?

[Dan Carmell]

41 minutes ago, Johnny Appleseed said:

Dan,

 

yea, that is an option, but I am really looking for a way to keep the steel barrel. I take it nobody has ever taken out the plastic liner?

I haven’t heard about anyone doing that, for what that’s worth. I’m something of a fumble fingered type so I rarely tinker in that way—it’s always a disaster for me. 

[Armo]

I believe that the problem may be that, if you removed the black connector, what would you replace it with? The barrel and connector on the 601 demonstrators are molded as one piece. Maybe one from a 613 would be compatible?

[Johnny Appleseed]

It looks like the barrel of the flighter version has a black plastic liner, which appears to be almost identical in structure and internal diameter as the other barrels. I am slowly easing it out of the steel outer barrel with judicious application of heat and patience.

 

The clear barrel appears to have an identical outer diameter to the steel barrel, with thicker and stronger plastic. To do what I want to do will probably take some lathe work - either to trim off the threads and fuse them with the black plastic, or to reduce the OD of the demonstrator barrel. We’ll see if I can pull this off. Fortunately, the parts are relatively inexpensive.

[IThinkIHaveAProblem]

On 2/10/2025 at 5:22 PM, Estycollector said:

I to have enjoyed the Wing Sung 601 pens. I consider them a better Parker 51 new edition that the ones Parker introduced. 

 

On 2/10/2025 at 8:40 PM, Dan Carmell said:

I completely agree!

I have not seen the new so called 51 in person. But everything I’ve seen of it is an embarrassment. 
 

the 601 is a great pen. 

[Shanghai Knife Dude]

I used to suggest to Junlai (the actual maker of this wingsung 6xx till 2028) the "ink slot on steel case" (there was plastic inner layer anyway). But the hype was moved to silver, ebonite and gargantuan nibs in recent two years. There is no more resource on 601 gaisan. 

 

I see ink window, along with LIR are the two basic feature that I would demand on a pen. But it has not reached a market consensus. 

 

Current 601A is already a Gen II, with 2 or 3 more colors added to the party. One of the most prominent improvement is the "polished cap edge". And the only mechanism available is the the vacuum-piston (vacuum-plug is gone for inconsistency performance).  

 

The fun thing about Chinese pen is: you are still be able to see improvement over times. Your voice can be heard. 

[Greybber]

On 2/21/2025 at 12:08 PM, Shanghai Knife Dude said:

I used to suggest to Junlai (the actual maker of this wingsung 6xx till 2028) the "ink slot on steel case" (there was plastic inner layer anyway). But the hype was moved to silver, ebonite and gargantuan nibs in recent two years. There is no more resource on 601 gaisan. 

 

I see ink window, along with LIR are the two basic feature that I would demand on a pen. But it has not reached a market consensus. 

 

Current 601A is already a Gen II, with 2 or 3 more colors added to the party. One of the most prominent improvement is the "polished cap edge". And the only mechanism available is the the vacuum-piston (vacuum-plug is gone for inconsistency performance).  

 

The fun thing about Chinese pen is: you are still be able to see improvement over times. Your voice can be heard. 

Is there any chance new nibs for the 601A would appear?

[Shanghai Knife Dude]

On 2/25/2025 at 3:03 PM, Greybber said:

Is there any chance new nibs for the 601A would appear?

U mean new width? 

[Greybber]

I mean new production of the 601A Sheaffer type nib.

Currently, you can find only 601A pens on AE, but not single nibs for the model. I like the pen overall, but I would like to buy a couple of spare nibs to experiment grinding them.

[PenLovingE]

On 2/10/2025 at 2:07 PM, Johnny Appleseed said:

I have been really enjoying Wing Sung 601 and 601A pens, particularly as travel pens. I am especially fond of a 601A steel-barreled “flighter” model as a really durable pen - especially because the steel cap attaches to a clutch ring attached to the steel barrel itself, rather than attaching to a less sturdy plastic section like the Parker 45.

 

One issue with the flighter version of the 601 A is that it does not have an ink-view window or any way of checking the ink level, so I am always torn between using a demonstrator version or the flighter. Finding out how easy it was to interchange parts opened some interesting possibilities. I know that you can swap out the barrel, but that takes away the whole flighter aesthetic. But what about the section?

 

The result was a flighter “half demonstrator” with a transparent section. Aesthetically it works for me, keeping the flighter look but adding the visible section.

 

However, it doesn’t get closer to an actual ink-view window, because the clear section screws on to a black-plastic barrel insert. You can see ink in the collector, but can’t tell if there is any left in the barrel. So, my question for any tinkerers in the forum - has anyone ever removed the plastic barrel insert? It would be really cool to replace it with a clear threaded barrel insert - maybe from the demonstrator barrel?

Unfortunately, there is only one feed for the barrel nib: black