Fountain Pen Review: The Hong Dian 525 with a Mini Fude Nib

[@umakarunakaran4626]

I love that racing green sort of colour, definitely a big selling point for me 😂

[@JG3Reviews]

The green really is quite nice.

[@susanbeckett9347]

Great review. I’m on the Hong Dian bandwagon now, too.

[@paulherman5822]

Nib looks similar to the standard "Bobby" ones and the PenBBS ones. Making me interested. So I now have another one to add to my "want to get" list. Thanks for the great review! Hong Dian may be a "late to the game" company, but that seems to be to their advantage, as they are really turning out some really nice pens.

[@robertreid7221]

Thankyou for this review James, I have just found the Magenta version of this pen and have fallen deeply in love with it. It will be my October / November pen acquisitoin

[@JG3Reviews]

Enjoy! I didn't realize they had that until I was putting the link in the description.

[@i.c.3157]

The 525 is one I have been going back and forth but haven't yet pulled the trigger. I like the dark blue and brown finishes however there isn't much options when it comes to nib sizes but at least it's a #5, its got a free converter as well a steel section that's tumbled, an the clip isn't odd looking like the studio (IMO) and the price is only $13 which is pretty damn good. Thanks for making this review, as it was most useful, keep up the good work.

[@deezem5294]

This pen is very nice, writes like a dream. However, the sound of the grip rubbing against the cap when capping disturbs me a lot. Just nitpicking though. Other than that, the pen is very good overall. Okay so now the problem is gone and theres not annoying scraping sound so this pen is basically perfect. a year and a half later, this pen is still one of my favourites. Its sort of my throwaround pen. its reliable and resistant, having withstood a lot of accidental drops and even a wack off the table. The only damage it sustained is some small rubbing off of the coating and also small dints.

[@mediaconsumption3972]

Haha appreciate the updates

[@tiantuatara]

I liked everything about the Studio except I hated the grip and sold the pen. This 525 looks like a nice alternative.

[@JG3Reviews]

Lamy really should make the black rubberized grip that is on the stainless model available across the range.

[@tiantuatara]

@@JG3Reviews I totally agree. And not at an inflated price like when they did the all black version.

[@martinlebl631]

@@JG3Reviews That is the section that should be the default, or at least an option.

[@TheNightowl001]

Congratulations! You've now made me add ANOTHER pen to my incredibly long Wish List! Nice review and the pen does look really nice. I have a Hong Dian 516 (my first Hong Dian pen), and now I have the blue Light of Hope, and the Black Forest on the way (all in EF). I really, REALLY like the Hong Dian EF nibs.

[@bobglazauskis6720]

I love fude nibs. I do not write with my fountain pens, as I am a Urban Sketcher Artist. The fude nibs are great for pen and ink artists in the vast amount of line variation you can get from fine to broad lines. I have a few of the Hong Dian forest series and I am guessing with larger fude/bent nibs. Not that I need another fountain pen. But Will probably buy the 525 to see what the mini fude is about. May even give me finer line variations than the forest fude nibs. Which will be a nice addition for small artwork or ultra fine cross hatching and line effects.

[@martinlebl631]

Fude nibs of all sizes are fun, especially if you load them with shading ink, shimmering ink, or sheening ink. It really makes those pop, as some of those properties only come out with larger ink coverage on paper.

[@JG3Reviews]

I can see the benefit, and wish I had that talent (hey, I bet line variation in stick figures could help). Half my instagram follows at this point are of people who share their sketches. Our daughters are the artists in the family.

[@bobglazauskis6720]

JG3 Reviews. I have my share of fountain pens. I love my 3 Diplomat Aero's which are my most expensive. For me I love the feel and weight of them and they make nice marks. But with having the fude nibs they add a new dismention, Its like having several fountain pen with widths all in one pen just changing the angle or rotation of the pen and varying the pressure. And with sketching on location. I need to only carry one pen to achieve the results of 3 or 4 pens. Have your daughters tried using pen & ink? If not they are worth trying. Lots of artists fear and are intimidated by them either because the fear mistakes you can’t correct or they find the hatching and cross hatching and techniques to tedious. For me I find it therapeutic. I use document inks like De Atramentis Document Black a lot for single color work or in conjunction with watercolor paints and water soluble inks in conjunction with a water brush to create tones and values. Thanks for the reply. I really enjoy watching your pen reviews to. Nice chatting with you.

[@catmyc]

Great video James! Interestingly I have the same Lamy Studio pen and also the Hongdian Black Forest that appeared in this video. Personally I have to say that the 20-euro Hong Dian pen has beaten the 50-euro Lamy completely, not to say that this Hong Dian pen sells only for around 50 Yuan (about 7 euros and shipping fee included!) in China!

[@irule102]

I feel you could say this was inspired by the Lamy Studio. Enough that I could say they look similar, but it has enough differences as well to tell it is it's own pen and is clearly not a Studio. You can get that similar look without the price tag. Maybe it's just the way it looks over the video but this colour actually looks quite similar to the Aquamarine Studio from 2019.

[@wingssj]

You are a pen Master!! Great reviev!! Good Job!! Pozdrawiam 😎

[@edisontrent5244]

I like the magpie model I purchased - it may need a bit of nib work, but the weight and build quality were nice. I also puchased the 6013, which writes excellently.

[@praneetrane2993]

Nice one!

[@ProXPro106]

Hey James! Can you check out the Hero 3802? It's got a really weird hooded nib design that I've never seen before and I can't seem to find anything about it. Brilliant video, as always!

[@gregcooper8466]

Nice looking pen. I have a Lamy Studio in terra cotta, and really like the pen. Interesting nib. I don't have much variety in nibs (mostly fines or mediums), but I have wondered about the fude nibs. Does it take a while to get used to the fude nib? Do you have a regular fude nib to compare to this mini fude nib? Thanks, James!

[@amyr.862]

A regular sized fude will write really broad at lower angles. To get a F or EF line you have to hold it close to vertical like a technical pen. The bend on this Hongdian is so small that you shouldn't have to do anything special. The line weight is more subtle than a full size fude. It's like a waverly nib, a fine point that doesn't snag the paper.

[@Mity_Moose]

James, great video. Please invest in one of those hobby magnifying glass and light sets. I would have loved to have seen that inscription up close to read it. I am sure you could focus your camera through the glass but it would need to be on a tripod to keep still. I really do enjoy your reviews. And, I think an extreme close up will benefit greatly. Thanks man.

[@JG3Reviews]

Thanks. Good idea. Here is a link to a close up of the nib. photos.app.goo.gl/kvYcS1rU42tCLUXF9

[@ciochinabogdanvasile]

I love my dicawen 889

[@carlobi]

I just received mine today and it's definitely not an ef fude nib that I got.

[@adrianbaetiong298]

Any news on the matte finish after a year?

[@JG3Reviews]

So far, so good. No issues on mine.

[@eugk1364]

​@@JG3Reviewsmine got issues with the grip section finish

[@HumbleBearcat]

@@eugk1364 What kind of issues do you have compares to new?

[@ichirofakename]

Some manufacturers call this style of nib a Waverly.

[@GtavoMN]

Does this pen includes ink out of the box??

[@JG3Reviews]

No, it did not.

[@wittwittwer1043]

I have a Lamy Aion, which is similar to that pen. I don't like writing with it. Its aluminum body is cold to the touch, and its design is uninspired. I have two Hongdians, but both are of conventional design: An N7 and an N8, both are attractive designs and good writers.

[@praneetrane2993]

Pen link missing

[@JG3Reviews]

Added now. I hit publish THEN noticed. lol