My exploration of inexpensive Chinese fountain pens is moving along nicely and has proven that there are good choices if you can live with the time it may take to receive your new companion. I found a good selection on eBay and quite a few at Etsy. Amazon has U.S. inventory of some models though others are only available through Chinese retailers. My pens have come from all three sources with a few taking over a month to arrive. Patience is a virtue that I lack so Amazon worked best for me.
To keep it simple, the Delike New Moon 2, marketed under several names including Majohn and Moonman, has the smoothest and widest nib. The Jinhao 82 has earned tons of admirers not only for its nib but for its bargain price and variety of colors. It is smaller, slightly more fine and less substantial than the New Moon. The Wing Sung 659 wrote the finest line of the three and is the same length as the New Moon but a tad more narrow in diameter. Its flow was somewhat inconsistent with Diamine Sepia but it is a shading ink so that may have contributed to that issue.
All of the pens wrote best with a light touch. Extra-fine nibs are sharp and will dig into paper at the slightest invitation. If that isn’t your cuppa, go for a fine nib. I have two due to arrive this week and will write about them soon. JanineScribbles on Instagram has some beautiful writing samples including comparisons of the New Moon and the Jinhao fine and extra-fine nibs.
This won’t be my final remarks on these three pens but I will say that the quality at the price point exceeded my expectations. The New Moon 2 remains my favorite but the Jinhao 82 is a very close second. The Wing Sung 659 lacks the visual style of the other two, and the nib due to its extremely fine tip, required more care in its use. For line drawing, it will do nicely, but would not be my choice for everyday writing. I don’t want to think about how to use the pen in my hand. I just want to write and the other two pens are better at that. Two Jinhao including converters for $15 at Amazon? Dang, I hate it when I enable myself.
It would only be fair to state that these pens can have issues including less than perfect nibs. My New Moon 2 EF came with a damaged nib that the seller replaced with a nib that is perfect. The three bent nibs that I have in that model are excellent as is the build quality for all of them.
A green New Moon bent nib/fude has been in my regular rotation for nearly three years so I am sold on that one. The Jinhao has only been here for a month or so and will require more use to decide whether or not it is a pen I might enjoy daily. A Jinhao medium nib and a New Moon fine nib should arrive this week to round out my nib tests or at least that’s what I told myself when I purchased them. Don’t remind me that there is yet another Jinhao that looks mighty appealing. Collectors gotta collect as if you didn’t know that already.
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