I'd like to share my opinion with anyone considering a low price fountain pen for drawing. I have 47 pens ranging in price from $5 to $400. And you know what? I can draw just fine with any one of them. If you buy one of these nice pens ( I recommend the Muji), and you are pleased with a drawing you made with it, DON'T assume that buying a nicer/pricier pen will result in an improvement in your drawings. On my current drawing, I am using pens costing $8, $9, $30 and $400 (each with different color inks). I defy anyone to tell which pen made which marks. Recently I bought a Jinhao 82 and the first time I used it, my thought was "this is all you need for drawing."
Agreed 100%. Also, you can’t assume that buying a more expensive pen will result in a nib that doesn’t need to be set up, a more comfortable body, etc. it’s very odd how some companies can do amazing things with 1/10 of what it costs for other companies to severely disappoint you.
Completely agree, I use a Jinhao 35 EF for sketching and my least affordable FP is a Safari, and no matter what I use, my drawings are still pretty bad 😂
You made some excellent points. I have some nicer pens that are used for journaling but I sketch with budget pens. That said, one still has to find a pen that feels right in the hand and does what you want it to do. I have a Jinhao X450 that feels bulky and unwieldy in my hand and a Jinhao 82 that I never liked. I also tried a Moonman S5 with Fude nib but never got the hang of that nib. The first time I used a Hongdian Black Forest with a long blade nib it was nirvana. I liked the weight, the grip fit my hand perfectly, and the nib suits my sketching style.
A note on the Muji Fountain Pen, they also have a Muji branded Platinum Preppy sold as the Muji Fountain Pen. Well-Appointed Desk blog has a good review of it June 27, 2023. So if someone is looking for the aluminum one, they'll want to watch out which it is -- although there's nothing to complain about with a plain white, minimalist Preppy either.
Even before you mentioned Hongdian M2, I already decided that my choice is M2. I bought 2 this year with 2 other nibs F and M (EF came with it). I wouldn't use any other for taking notes and carrying around. Great video.
i chipped my tooth recently too! It's the first time in years i've went to the dentist, i sprung for a bridge, which seemed to be the cheapest option. Now i discovered i have three cavities im getting filled this Monday, so pray for me! May the triune God bless you & your family always Stephen!
i love the Muji pen! got it after watching your video a while back and it has been a really trusty companion. among the other things you mentioned i really appreciate how compact it is
Thanks for your videos! I appreciate that you review exactly what I look for in fountain pens, as I enjoy drawing as well as collecting. Your comparison of cheap with more expensive ones are very informative.
I have two Hongdian M2s. One in Medium and on in EF. I ADORE those two pens. I have several pocket pens that range up into the 100s-but the M2 is often my EDC. Great line quality. Love ‘em.
It’s hard to justify spending so much when there’s a lot of great pens for so cheap. I love my Sailor and my Platinum gold nibs, but I’m frightened to death about taking them anywhere. So, I really need pens like this always.
I really want to acknowledge the many comments I have received to that effect. I’ve been building this community for the past 4 years, and I’m really grateful when people share their honest opinions about things I show off here, so even though my personal opinion is that the grip does not bother me, it might bother others, and that is worth dropping maybe one point, just to recognize that I’m not creating in a vacuum.
Great video. Do you find that on the delike brass pen the barrel unscrews either when you use it or in your pocket even? I am left handed as well and this was a real issue for me on this pen. I fixed it by adding a little teflon tape on the threads.
Interesting. I’ve struggled with this since I got the pen (maybe 3 years ago?) maybe I should buy another one and see if it’s different. It certainly posts securely, to be fair.
@@stepheninks I got the Black Forest in blue, with the gold-colored nib. It’s my favorite pen, and I’m waiting for the Pilot e95 to see if it’ll dethrone it.
I’ve used the Muji for about a year and it is a great pen. It’s my preferred Fine pen when drawing. Just recently it bought two M2 pens in Fine and Medium. They draw very nicely, but I find them a bit slippery sometimes. Since I hold my drawing pens back a little more, the threads can be a little irritating after a while. In general, I do like them and plan on taking them on a cruise later this month.
The thin metal on the nib makes them a bouncy joy to write/draw with. If someone needed a pen recommendation if I could just have one pen, I think it might be this one (although having only one pen is a horrifying thought)
is it me or the first Hongdiang looks inspired from the Rotring 600 Newton fountain pen and the second one is from the Kaweco Al Sports ? I have the Muji and it's almost great (the nib is bit skratchy at first ) . thank you for the comparison , cheers !
Stephen, good to see you again sir. Love this video as I own everything but the Go (have the Eco instead) and the M2 (soon to be purchased). I was daily driving the Muji up until I found out it was discontinued so now it stays in my pen case or at the house. I have the Black Forest in the green version with a blade nib and have found that to dry out (not sure if it is the ink or the cap, more to follow). Just picked up the Jinhao 85s for less than $20 and it is great, have been daily driving this and the Jinhao 65 on your recommendation and I love them. I have an extra one in black if you would like to dm me your po box it's yours.
Very generous of you. I would love if you passed that pen on to another person just getting stared in their journey, seeing as I already have a 65! Personally I haven’t had a lot of drying issues with my Black Forest, unless I leave it unused for a long time (which to be fair, most pen start rough after long periods of inactivity), but probably the local climate, temperature, and environment play a factor in how pens and inks interact, so I know that can’t be a universal truth.
On the Black Forest's posting, I think there may be a bit of variance/quality control -- for mine (a Blue Forest version) the cap does fully post on the back without any gap like we see on yours. That said, the extra few millimeters of posting depth doesn't make the balance okay, so it's still rather back-weighted when posted, so it's more confirming they didn't design it to have a weird gap, and I can say it feels 100% secure... but I wouldn't want to use it that way for any extended period of time.
Will add that I absolutely love the pen though, body/design and the great fude nib. The skinny, straight barrel is nice as a drawing implement in particular -- it fits in cases/rolls sized for pencils, markers, or brushes where some of my other favorite fountain pens don't.
what about the asvine v126? I remember that you quite liked that, but the other pens were quite nice too! thank you for the video! Edit, maybe it is just above 20$
For me, the TWSBI Go is really a disappointment. The filling mechanism is great, but the grip is annoying, the nib skips and the build quality is quite poor. Just my opinion though. Great video! Thanks.
I'd like to share my opinion with anyone considering a low price fountain pen for drawing. I have 47 pens ranging in price from $5 to $400. And you know what? I can draw just fine with any one of them. If you buy one of these nice pens ( I recommend the Muji), and you are pleased with a drawing you made with it, DON'T assume that buying a nicer/pricier pen will result in an improvement in your drawings. On my current drawing, I am using pens costing $8, $9, $30 and $400 (each with different color inks). I defy anyone to tell which pen made which marks. Recently I bought a Jinhao 82 and the first time I used it, my thought was "this is all you need for drawing."
Agreed 100%. Also, you can’t assume that buying a more expensive pen will result in a nib that doesn’t need to be set up, a more comfortable body, etc. it’s very odd how some companies can do amazing things with 1/10 of what it costs for other companies to severely disappoint you.
Completely agree, I use a Jinhao 35 EF for sketching and my least affordable FP is a Safari, and no matter what I use, my drawings are still pretty bad 😂
You made some excellent points. I have some nicer pens that are used for journaling but I sketch with budget pens. That said, one still has to find a pen that feels right in the hand and does what you want it to do. I have a Jinhao X450 that feels bulky and unwieldy in my hand and a Jinhao 82 that I never liked. I also tried a Moonman S5 with Fude nib but never got the hang of that nib. The first time I used a Hongdian Black Forest with a long blade nib it was nirvana. I liked the weight, the grip fit my hand perfectly, and the nib suits my sketching style.
The M2 is a fantastic pen! Great video! That drawing cracked me up. Thanks for the video, Stephen. Enjoy your ice cream. 🎉
A note on the Muji Fountain Pen, they also have a Muji branded Platinum Preppy sold as the Muji Fountain Pen. Well-Appointed Desk blog has a good review of it June 27, 2023. So if someone is looking for the aluminum one, they'll want to watch out which it is -- although there's nothing to complain about with a plain white, minimalist Preppy either.
I really love my Hongdian M2 and plan on getting another soon. I also think the cats on the finial are a really cute and fun adornment.
This was a surprise find for me. It’s a few steps above the bare minimum expectation of have for a pen of this price. Definitely worth it.
Wonderful video, thank you.
Even before you mentioned Hongdian M2, I already decided that my choice is M2. I bought 2 this year with 2 other nibs F and M (EF came with it). I wouldn't use any other for taking notes and carrying around. Great video.
i chipped my tooth recently too! It's the first time in years i've went to the dentist, i sprung for a bridge, which seemed to be the cheapest option. Now i discovered i have three cavities im getting filled this Monday, so pray for me! May the triune God bless you & your family always Stephen!
great choices especially your top three. I love my Muji and M2.
i love the Muji pen! got it after watching your video a while back and it has been a really trusty companion. among the other things you mentioned i really appreciate how compact it is
Thanks for your videos! I appreciate that you review exactly what I look for in fountain pens, as I enjoy drawing as well as collecting. Your comparison of cheap with more expensive ones are very informative.
Thanks! I would do more of them if I had more expensive pens. But I keep finding these great ones that don’t cost much!
I have two Hongdian M2s. One in Medium and on in EF. I ADORE those two pens. I have several pocket pens that range up into the 100s-but the M2 is often my EDC. Great line quality. Love ‘em.
It’s hard to justify spending so much when there’s a lot of great pens for so cheap. I love my Sailor and my Platinum gold nibs, but I’m frightened to death about taking them anywhere. So, I really need pens like this always.
Why did you mark the Go down for what other people think of the triangular grip, despite you having no problem with it?
I really want to acknowledge the many comments I have received to that effect. I’ve been building this community for the past 4 years, and I’m really grateful when people share their honest opinions about things I show off here, so even though my personal opinion is that the grip does not bother me, it might bother others, and that is worth dropping maybe one point, just to recognize that I’m not creating in a vacuum.
Great video. Do you find that on the delike brass pen the barrel unscrews either when you use it or in your pocket even? I am left handed as well and this was a real issue for me on this pen. I fixed it by adding a little teflon tape on the threads.
That's odd. My Hongdian Black Forest posts phenomenally well. That's one of its selling points.
Same!
Interesting. I’ve struggled with this since I got the pen (maybe 3 years ago?) maybe I should buy another one and see if it’s different. It certainly posts securely, to be fair.
@@stepheninks I got the Black Forest in blue, with the gold-colored nib. It’s my favorite pen, and I’m waiting for the Pilot e95 to see if it’ll dethrone it.
surprised to see the delike making it, its been a long while see anyone mentioning them. Lovely pens
Hard to find too. I had to post an old AliExpress link in order to show where you can find one. Solid build.
Gracias por tus videos Stephen, me han ayudado muchísimo!
gracias por mirar!
I’ve used the Muji for about a year and it is a great pen. It’s my preferred Fine pen when drawing. Just recently it bought two M2 pens in Fine and Medium. They draw very nicely, but I find them a bit slippery sometimes. Since I hold my drawing pens back a little more, the threads can be a little irritating after a while. In general, I do like them and plan on taking them on a cruise later this month.
The thin metal on the nib makes them a bouncy joy to write/draw with. If someone needed a pen recommendation if I could just have one pen, I think it might be this one (although having only one pen is a horrifying thought)
Jinhao 10 with an EF nib. .Pretty and solid. Wonderful nib..
Haven’t heard of that one. I’ll check it out!
is it me or the first Hongdiang looks inspired from the Rotring 600 Newton fountain pen and the second one is from the Kaweco Al Sports ? I have the Muji and it's almost great (the nib is bit skratchy at first ) . thank you for the comparison , cheers !
Stephen, good to see you again sir. Love this video as I own everything but the Go (have the Eco instead) and the M2 (soon to be purchased). I was daily driving the Muji up until I found out it was discontinued so now it stays in my pen case or at the house. I have the Black Forest in the green version with a blade nib and have found that to dry out (not sure if it is the ink or the cap, more to follow). Just picked up the Jinhao 85s for less than $20 and it is great, have been daily driving this and the Jinhao 65 on your recommendation and I love them. I have an extra one in black if you would like to dm me your po box it's yours.
Very generous of you. I would love if you passed that pen on to another person just getting stared in their journey, seeing as I already have a 65! Personally I haven’t had a lot of drying issues with my Black Forest, unless I leave it unused for a long time (which to be fair, most pen start rough after long periods of inactivity), but probably the local climate, temperature, and environment play a factor in how pens and inks interact, so I know that can’t be a universal truth.
On the Black Forest's posting, I think there may be a bit of variance/quality control -- for mine (a Blue Forest version) the cap does fully post on the back without any gap like we see on yours.
That said, the extra few millimeters of posting depth doesn't make the balance okay, so it's still rather back-weighted when posted, so it's more confirming they didn't design it to have a weird gap, and I can say it feels 100% secure... but I wouldn't want to use it that way for any extended period of time.
Will add that I absolutely love the pen though, body/design and the great fude nib. The skinny, straight barrel is nice as a drawing implement in particular -- it fits in cases/rolls sized for pencils, markers, or brushes where some of my other favorite fountain pens don't.
what about the asvine v126? I remember that you quite liked that, but the other pens were quite nice too! thank you for the video!
Edit, maybe it is just above 20$
Stay tuned. Filming that video as we speak!
I unapologetically love my TWSBI Gos ... I have five of them
I think I finally prefer my GO to my Eco after much use and pondering.
Could you review the Jinhao 88 (the arrow clip one if possible)
I’ll look into it.
For me, the TWSBI Go is really a disappointment. The filling mechanism is great, but the grip is annoying, the nib skips and the build quality is quite poor. Just my opinion though. Great video! Thanks.