Writing instruments

The other JinHao pen I have is the X750, which is another sub-$10 pen that really writes well. It seems to only be available in a medium nib. It is a smooth writer, but the thicker line is not suited to my chicken-scratch handwriting. 

Because of the weight, the pen feels luxurious, but it also makes it pretty tiring for longer stretches of writing. I tend to do a lot of writing, and this pen is just a little too much for me to use all the time.

The other JinHao pen I have is the X750, which is another sub-$10 pen that really writes well. It seems to only be available in a medium nib. It is a smooth writer, but the thicker line is not suited to my chicken-scratch handwriting. 

Because of the weight, the pen feels luxurious, but it also makes it pretty tiring for longer stretches of writing. I tend to do a lot of writing, and this pen is just a little too much for me to use all the time.

Fully agree with you on the weight and the medium nib! For fast note taking I am okay with it, but for transcribing my note as a formally written prescription (I am a pharmacist), I prefer the find nib on my Metropolitan.

Now you got me thinking, yohannrjm, about the fine nib Jinhao I have! I prefer snap on caps at work, and this cap for the 601a is almost too tight. But I will use it Monday and see what I think!

A few weeks ago, I decided to check out another Chinese pen manufacturer: Hongdian. I had read a few reviews about them and the reviewers were all pretty impressed with the pens they had tried. The price range on these is significantly more than the Jinhao pens I spoke of in previous posts, but they are still relatively affordable (in the $20-30 range).

So I bought the Hongdian N8:


Now, I have to say that stylistically this is too ornate for me, but none of the Hongdian pens are subtle. I also have been challenging myself to try things out of my comfort zone, and this definitely qualifies. The other reason I bought this is that I get annoyed when Chinese companies rip off designs and make exact replicas of other maker's pens. These pens do have their own aesthetic, and I like that. Also, most of the bling is in the cap and this pen is best used unposted, so the cap is out of the picture most of the time.

The pen itself is very well-built. The barrel is solid, with no seam. The threads are thick and smooth. This is a cartridge converter pen and the converter is very solid. The section has a very slight taper to the nib, but no flare. The nib is a #6 size and is very smooth out of the box. While it may benefit from a little more tuning, it is certainly very nice. It has a little bounce and some flex. 

The resin/acrylic they use has really nice depth and the pen looks lovely in different lighting. It also is really well-balanced in the hand, with a solid feel (though it is not very heavy). I really enjoy writing with this pen. 

Honestly, if it had a slightly less flashy cap, I'd recommend it highly. 

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Here are some of my thoughts on the Chinese pens I have tried so far. These include the Jinhao X159 and X750, the Majohn Q1 and A1 and the Hongdian N8. Prices range from $9 (X159) to $30 (A1).

The questions I have been asking myself about these Chinese pens are:
1) Are each of the pens objectively good? 
     - Yes every pen I have tried so far has been good. The nibs are pretty nicely tuned and they write well and feel nice in the hand. They're good pens!
2) Are they good value? 
     - It's early days yet and maybe they will fall apart in a few years, but I'd say they are excellent value for money. They outperform pens that cost many times more. My thought from the build quality I've seen is that the simple resin/acrylic pens are your best bet for longevity as there is much less that can go wrong. Any anodizing, paint, or plating may suffer over time. 
3) Are they worthy pens if price is less of an issue? 
    - Again, I'd say yes. The low price is nice, but these pens have certainly performed as well or better than almost all the pens I have in the sub $150 range. If they cost $50, I'd still say these are excellent pens.

What you pen aficionados need

Stationery and shaving addiction disorders have a lot in common.