Top 10 Chinese Fountain Pens of 2018

[@barrylevitt1170]

The Moonman M100 I recieved had a buttery smooth nib with average ink flow. Excellent review; very well organized and presented.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Thanks! Even with all the flaws of the M100 I love the material the pen is made of.

[@davidanderson3425]

That was a really interesting video for me. The No.1 choice came as a surprise. I have some, but not all of these pens. I think I'll be buying one or two more after watching this. Merry Christmas, Aaron.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Thanks. Merry Christmas to you as well!

[@jeffreytopman6701]

THE FIRST CHINESE FOUNTAIN PEN I EVER KNOWB WHEN I WAS YOUNG IS "HERO" AND "WING SUNG" .

[@vincidelaunc1799]

haha I'm writing with the 601 while listening to you and you put a great smile on my face. My favorite EDC this year for sure.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Mine as well! Happy Holidays!

[@vincidelaunc1799]

@@aaronspenvideos4420 best wishes to your family!

[@rztour]

That was a great video and a blast to watch. Sweet spot aside, a hooded nib is not the best look for me, or the sloppy look of a demonstrator-type pen, but I 100% agree with the idea that writing with a pen you feel looks great makes you feel likewise. Well said! Easily my favorite was the BBS 323. I'm going after that one for sure! That's just flat out beautiful.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Thank you. I love my 323!

[@maccaj6565]

No need to apologize for long videos, some of us still have decent attention spans! I threw a zebra G nib in my x450 and loved it so much I decided I need to get more x450s as soon as possible (I have 3, but one of them came with a freakishly excellent nib that I don't want to mess with, and the other is one of the pens I hand to other people, so I need to get 2-3 more if I want to have multiple zebra G frankenpens). Re: the feed keeping up with flex writing, if you want a reasonably safe way to widen the channel, a brass shim works well. If you search "brass sheet" on ebay et al and check the listings marked "railway supply" or similar, you'll find a pack of brass sheets in 3 different sizes - the middle size is what Goulet, Anderson etc sells with their pen tuning supplies, the thinner one is good for nib flossing, and the thickest one is the one I use to widen feed channels. I'm sure it's possible to screw up a feed doing it even with a brass shim, but my hands *do not* work well (cerebral palsy and rheumatoid arthritis) and I still haven't managed to screw up a feed doing it with a brass shim, so it's fairly klutz-proof, certainly safer than trying to do it with an xacto. How do you like the FPR ultra flex vs the zebra G? I haven't seen anyone do that comparison yet, so I'm curious. I have the pocket moonman (wancai) and love it... really need to get an M2. Agree about the Pen BBS nibs... I love the pens but the nibs make me crazy because they're so... pedestrian. Nothing wrong with them per se, they certainly work, but their lack of character means I don't tend to reach for mine. Haven't gotten brave enough to switch out the nib yet, for the reasons you mention. Merry Christmas, hope you have a great one.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

I will look into the brass shim. I have some basic ones that I purchased from goulet, but like the idea of having different sizes. I really like the ultra flex, but it is difficult to fit inside of different pen sections. It seems to have wide shoulders, but I was able to make it work in the x750. I personally like both the g-nib and the ultra depending on what type of paper or what feedback I want. The ultra is smoother as it has tipping material, but I really like the scratchiness of the zebra nib sometimes. They both flex really well. I will maybe put together a comparison video down the road. Merry Christmad to you as well!

[@chrisken8902]

yeah, I heard thet putting a Zebra G flex nib into a Jinhao x450 is just AWSoooME !!

[@maccaj6565]

@@chrisken8902 It's lots of fun and definitely worth doing if you like flex. Have to be a little careful on upstrokes though - it's quite scratchy even on Rhodia and Clairefontaine paper (because the unflexed nib really is a needlepoint), so it's easy to get teeny tiny ink spatters on the surrounding area. But for about $1 a nib for uberflex, it's super affordable to give it a go.

[@vwood2]

Thank you Aaron, I really enjoyed this! It’s jam packed with interesting commentary on each of the pens. Even a bit of suspense with the count down 😅. I was surprised by your number one as well, expecting the M100. Great video - so well done! Thanks and best wishes for a happy holiday.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Happy Holiday to you as well!

[@Richard1855]

A very presented video and interesting 24mins and 58 secs (:-). I have 60% of your Top 10 and have also swapped two-tone Goulet nibs with my PENBBS 308 and 323, making them from good pens to excellent pens. I have included in my Top 10 the Moonman 80 Retro(Parker 45 twin) and the recently released KACO Edge. My Wing Sung 601, I experimented by swapping the nib with a 0.5mm bent nib (purchased on ebay - set of 4 nibs 0.5mm-0.8mm) and made it super smooth and wet, and is part of EDC pen pouch that goes to work with me. Thanks for sharing and I have a phrase I use frequently: "Life is too short not to use a fountain pen". Merry Christmas and Happy New year to you.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Thank you so much! I still have not purchased the edge, but keep hearing solid praises about it. Merry Christmas to you as well.

[@steventrosiek2623]

Thanks for a great video. Very nicely done. I don't think it was long at all because I sure learned a lot from you.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Thank you!

[@chrisrap52]

Overall well done, nice range of Chinese pens. There are so many good ones hard to rank them. My surprise no 308. The same shape as S1 & M100, larger size & perfect section for me. I like PENBBS #6 but have swapped out many & reshaped lots of fins. And like the 323, amazing range of acrylics. For me, the nib on the 618 is better than the 601. Love the 601A. Most of these pens come in a great variety of colors. Anyone could find one they love. Also, prices vary, everyone should search eBay for the best price. Happy holidays to you & a great 2019.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Thanks Chris! I was tempted to put my 308 on here, but it just did not make the cut for me. I have not purchased the 601a but plan to soon. I think I will really enjoy the nib. Happy Holidays!

[@defaultname8080]

Awesome 2018 review on Chinese writing instruments....great job

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Thank you!

[@connie4849]

Thanks for posting. I just started collecting Chinese pens! I needed this info.

[@不死原飴羽]

LOL the new moon man s1 look exactly like Edison Nouveau Premiere without gold ring in the cap, it looks definitely fantastic even the design not so original tho, I own a nouveau and yes, these shape is definitely one of my favorite and it do feels a little bit small than average pen but overall is really nice

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

I agree with you. They were definitely going for that old school type design

[@craftynurs3434]

Great video, I was looking for the best Chinese pens. You talk about all the details in the pen. I have a question about the chinese fountain pens that you talked about. I would like to switch the tip for an FPR ultra flex nib. Which ones would fit that?

[@alexmood6407]

Wing Sung 601 is my favourite Chinese pen as well. Some of the Moonman acrylic is as good and well finished as some of my Visconti and Edison pens that are $300 more expensive. What let’s Moonman and PenBBS down is the nib and metal parts quality. It is not where some top Italian and German pens are. I agree on Moonman 100 as well. Great pens, both of mine have solid nibs. Unfortunately both of mine are prone to cross threading. Other than that they are as well made as Edison or Franklin Christoph.

[@rickcroucher]

Thank you. I love the pens I have made in China. Several of these I was not aware of. Now that I have watched your video I will have to go find them. Good reviews.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Thank you

[@toddpayne]

Very informative video. Thanks for all of your effort. My ebay vendor just cancelled my order fro 2 Moonman M100's so I am a bit irritated not to join the club but bygones...Hadn't looked at the 601 as I am a huge PenBBS fanboy. A bit of constructive criticism since you mention the pleasure of aesthetics -- perhaps you could clean up your pen tray background a bit or shift to something more visually pleasing. Your tray's dust etc is pretty prominent in 1080P HD video and I'm sure you want to present your pens in their best light.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Sorry to hear about your m100's. Thank you for the feedback and have a great Holiday.

[@speedbird8987]

I think the Moonman M2 is a great looking pen - but I love minimalist designs 😎 I put a goulet nib on mine and it’s a great writer too.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

I agree! It is a very nice pen. I have not purchased the goulet #5 nibs, but have several #6. What nib grind did you purchase?

[@speedbird8987]

I got a medium. I replaced the nib partly because I wanted a broader nib and partly because I wanted a silver nib, which I thought would look better on the pen. Because of your video I have ordered a Moonman M100 and an S1!! But I’ll probably try out the stock nibs before I swap them out 😄 Thanks again for a great video.

[@TheDanielbarboza]

Great video and a nice list! Thank you!

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Thank you!

[@magnoliamike]

I have a 601 A in my eBay watch list . I really like the filling mechanism

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

601 is a great pen!

[@neilpiper9889]

Jinhao nibs have improved since I bought my first 159. They were good but now they are great.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Quality of Chinese pens and nibs across many brands have improved tremendously! I will say that I keep all of my Jinhao nibs and either put them back in the pens or repurpose for others.

[@RightWing1]

My Jinhao 750 broke, the clip broke off taking the top of the cap with it and even supergluing didn't sort it out. The nib is good though.

[@alexmood6407]

No Cross, Sheaffer or Monteverde pens? They are Chinese made pens as well.

[@magnoliamike]

I have my first Chinese pen in the way. The 3003. If I like this I’ll get the 698 next because that’s the one I really wanted to get

[@davidingham2216]

Nice video / thanks for the effort

[@wiebesz]

Do you know if there is a Chinese pen that looks like the Diplomat Aero?

[@santauxia]

I don't see any reviews of the Jinhao X250. For me its a great pen, the best Jinhao. IMHO.

[@davidwright8432]

One thing it'd be nice to mention in all cases is whether the pen posts - does the cap fin on to the end of the barrel for use? this affects the balance and can help - or hinder - use. I'm surprised you didn't look at Jinhao Chinese Dragon pens - all metal, bas-relief sculptured dragons, with little tiny red glass eyes! google (or on amazon) enter 'Chinese Dragon fountain pens' - and be delighted! Wide range of prices for the same pen, tho - shop around! Thanks.

[@Holawood]

What ink was used for the quote? It's beautiful

[@chrisken8902]

"Good! ... G-o-o-o-o-d !!" (emperor Palpatine)

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

😉

[@onionoilx9299]

I’ve got a blue wingsung 601 and it’s great except the nib is not as smooth as I expected

[@sherinzadakhudukhel6342]

Nice selection

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Thank you

[@basicdose.9872]

We love china.

[@peterArtStudio582]

i like moonman c1, what do you think？

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

One of my favorite pens. If I ever get around to it I will update this video. So many great pens have been releases since this video.

[@nelsondcunha3156]

I bought two fountain pens baoer 68 and a hero 901. Are my first pens and I love them but I will buy more fountain pens.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Cool! Hope you enjoy them. There are so many cool and affordable pens out there

[@nelsondcunha3156]

@@aaronspenvideos4420 Thank you sir and have a good night. I tried to find red ink but seems isn't easy,my idea was my red baoer 68 have red ink and my other have the black ink,I didn't find red ink so I bought blue ink for my baoer 68.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

Try iroshizuku momiji. It is my favorite red ink

[@nelsondcunha3156]

@@aaronspenvideos4420 i will try, thank you sir. Here in Portugal is hard to find red ink...

[@korhanaydemir8366]

Hi which one is the lightest in the list?

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

I would say the moonman m2 is probably overall the lightest pen on this list.

[@korhanaydemir8366]

@@aaronspenvideos4420 thank you!

[@binghaochu8770]

In China its very easy to buy these pens.

[@neilpiper9889]

My 3 best Chinese pens of the moment are the Wing Sung 618 clear demonstrater, the Jinhao 156 in green and the newish gunmetal version of the Jinhao 163.

[@aaronspenvideos4420]

I need to get the 618. I keep having people comment that they really enjoy the pen. The jinhao 156 is a nice looking pen

[@rjjone2]

Hey just curious if you are LDS. I noticed your quote. I am too. Here in Indiana.

[@eileengoldenberg270]

Overuse of “guy” ...pens are female, didn’t you know?.