Thanks Chris, I bought one and the fine nib does write very smoothly. Also thanks for showing how to manage the piston being stuck at the top. It took some perseverance with turning and sliding the magnet to remedy this but it's good now. I bought from Taobao and they shipped to Australia. ,It came very quickly but a bit expensive.
Very informative. Thank you very much. One thing... As now April 10, 2021, the Year of the Ox pens are as follows: 5350001-2021 Year of the Ox Regular F, 5350002-2021 Year of the Ox Round F and 5350003-2021 Year of the Ox Round M. Thus, one can guess, the digits, 001, 002 and 003 could have designated to the nib width in 2020.
A fantastic review for a spectacular fountain pen! very very pleasant and professional! I had intuited that you are an engineer. Congratulations on your professional explanation and presentation! very well! Thanks Chris!
Thanks for this review, Chris! I was anxiously awaiting your take on this pen to see if you love it as much as I do. I'm really excited to see it get a 10! Wow! Thanks also for mentioning and linking my video review. I've only been collecting and exploring for about a year compared to your 30+ years of experience, but I got really excited about this pen and tried my best to control my enthusiasm as this is the finest piece of art/engineering/design in a writing instrument I've ever seen. And thanks, as always, for your engineer's take on the pen. I learn something from every video of yours I watch. One of our colleagues over at the Penbbs Facebook Group "Taste the Rainbow" translated the TaoBao description of this pen and it indicated that there were only 500 pens being made with buyers having the option to choose the number of their pens. I never got that message otherwise I would have ordered #42 (Douglas Adams reference). Instead, I got #82. One FB member (a fellow Canadian) bought two and has #452 and #453. I don't know how they engraved that number on the rat's butt! LOL
I always like to confirm from multiple sources. Maybe you can get a picture of the # on the 3 digit pens? You & I got our pens the same day, #'s close together, like PenBBS is selling numerically. That may make sense. If the sold pens are in the high 400s, not many left.
I was planning on just getting it next year, but I think your video pushed me over the edge to buy one this year since it’s a limited edition, now on Etsy, and the ink bottle will be perfect for a 350 mL of Pilot Blue-black. This is all your fault for showing me such great pens!
I love the innovative design! I would love to try one, but I am at my limit. I will, however, put it at #1 as a grail pen! I loved the enthusiasm of this video, and I am glad you were able to own one of these beauties!
Thanks. I'm glad I could show it. When I saw it on Instagram, it was my focus to get one. There were challenges in the way, fortunately they were overcome.
That's definitely the first time I've ever heard of using "exciting music" for filling a pen haha. Loved the magnetism explanation as well. Just one comment on pronunciation, "taobao" is pronounced "tao - bow" ( "tao" as in "taoism" and "bow" as in "take a bow"). I noticed you got better at pronouncing it later in the video. :) As a 10 rating, I'm just going to have to grab one of these. Fun video, thanks a lot!
Great job! Always get excited when I see reviews pop up for items I've ordered because I know mine must be arriving soon. This one I'm even more excited about after seeing your favorable review along with Dougs. Gotta say like Doug I've got to thank (or blame) you on this one as it wasn't even on my radar (nor did I even know US purchasing agents for TaoBao was a thing) until I saw your post mentioning it. That may be a costly discovery if the handling and shipping fees weren't so close to being cost-prohibitive (I fancy myself a pen nut, especially for the well done Chinese pens... but I still have a bit of fiscal sanity, as tenuous as it may be... lol). More seriously (slightly), I really enjoy your reviews and my heart sinks when I hear about a no-pen-buying month... though I suspect like me those resolutions aren't always hard and fast ;-)
To lower the cost of buying from taobao, I use superbuy which is also a shipping agent, but ends up much less expensive. I bought a wingsung 698 14k with two bottles of ink and the total with shipping to the US was 43 dollars, of which 6 dollars was the shipping.
I looked at Superbuy found it had the same search issues that TF has. I believe it is a translation challenge, English search criteria on a Chinese web site. I could not find any PenBBS pens on Superbuy, tried long37penbbs (that worked on TF) search & no pens.
@@chrisrap52 yeah their search function isn't the best, so I tend to actually use taobao.com and then enter Google translated search terms. I then copy the link from taobao back to superbuy. This is definitely more effort, and takes some getting used to, but I think it is worth it. If you want I could send you all the taobao links that I have already found, such as the penbbs store.
Hi everyone, and Chris. I like this magnetic filling system. It is quite nice and different. My question here is if Taobao.com charges two times for the order. Do I understand it correctly that the first payment is for the pen and local shipping and handling and then comes the DHL shipping charge to get it us in the states...is that correct? I guess Taobao.com is the middle-man. I just ordered one, so I''m in the first step. Do you guys now how long it takes to get to step two for DHL possession and then to arrive in states.???
I bought through Taobao Focus not directly from Taobao. Taobao Focus is an agent in China who buys for you from Taobao. From what I read, Taobao does not ship outside of China. Please use the link I put in video description & read how Taobao Focus works.
@@chrisrap52 Thanks Chris, I had used the Focus to order mine yesterday. How long did yours take from order to delivery using DHL. If I recall from Doug's review, I think he said 5 days to a week...! If that's the case, that's pretty good. This is going to be my first PenBBS pen. So down the Rabbit hole I go.
The 5 days is shipping from Taobao Focus, not time from your order. The whole process took about 3 weeks for me. You'll get emails from TF when they order pen, receive pen & ship pen to you.
Después de usar el bolígrafo y obtener un segundo, todavía me encanta el bolígrafo, pero el relleno magnético es un gran desafío. El imán se pega, a veces es necesario desmontar la pluma para despegar el pistón.
The next thing PENBBS will come out with is an ink bottle to go with this pen. A metal piece on the top of the ink bottle that as you push the pen further down into the bottle it catches that magnetic piston and moves it upward as the pen travels further down into the bottle of ink. One handed filling system.
Mic was definitely better. In part because I could compare the sound to the last video I commented on, I could tell that the nib was fine. Without that comparison, I would generally say that I cannot tell by sound how smooth the nib is. Paper probably matters a lot. Several reviewers seem to use a very smooth paper (Rhodia), which also likely makes a big difference.
I'm a couple of months late, Chris, So I don't know if you'll read this. Have been using and enjoying the 492 for about 6 weeks when I discovered the magnet was disintegrating. I had to push the magnet out with a long chop stick. The magnet is literally breaking apart and the barrel is stained. Maybe i used a bad ink (PenBBS Garnet) but i just don't know. Very disappointed. Any problem with yours?
From you description, ink got past the piston seal which is between magnet & ink. That should not happen. Hope many times did you fill the pen? Before filling, did you do anything besides fill the pen? Like disassemble the pen. You pushed out piston which has a magnet means you unscrewed end of barrel. I have many PENBBS pens that use the same silicone piston that 492 uses. Have never had ink go past piston. I use many PENBBS inks.
@@chrisrap52 Yes, i had to push the piston out from the back because I couldn't budge the piston with the cap magnet. I even used a much stronger magnet to no avail. In terms of inks, on March 2nd I filled up with SBRE Brown. Didn't care much for the combo so pushed it out, filled the barrel with lukewarm water, emptied the barrel, and filled up the next day with PenBBS Garnet 234. Didn't notice any ink getting past the seal until about a week ago. I also noticed that the ink at the piston was now a greenish black (instead of the Garnet's normal Red-Purple color) It looks like the ink ate right into the metal. I have a lot of pens with pistons but I'm pretty sure this is the first pen I've used with a metal piston. And this is the first piston pen I've had to fail in this way. This seems very similar to those rusted Wing Sung cap screws. I really like the unique look of this pen (#176) but it's now a possible eyedropper if the ink wont leak from the rear magnet. I'm in no hurry to find out, LOL. Thanks for the quick response, Chris. Just wanted to give you the info. I can send you pictures if you're interested, or I can send you the whole pen. Thanks Again.
Did you rotate piston before trying to move it? It does stick, like the 309 piston, & you can rotate it with the magnet to free it up (I show in my video). I rotate as I move it up or down. When you removed piston, did you apply silicone grease? You could ask Beini on Etsy for a new piston assemble. The piston is silicon, the magnet is just a way to move the piston. Eyedropper use is also a good alternative.
@@chrisrap52 Yes. I tried everything shown in the video, the ink was stuck to the barrel like glue. I thought about it, and I decided I'm not interested in putting a glob of silicone in the back of the pen to seal the barrel for eyedropper use. I will see if i can replace the piston and clean up the stains on the barrel. Thanks Chris.
By the way, you deserve some free pens from PENBBS. I do not often order a pen because of a review. I did this time! Thanks for the always thorough, always thoughtful reviews!
I think you might have already know, but I just put it in the comments when I watch this video. The year 2020 is the Year of Mouse, according to the China Lunar Calander. The other logo is a lantern, which is an iconic symble for cerebrating. So the 492 pen you have is a limited edition for cerebrating the New Year of 2020 only.
Sooooo happy! I‘m a Penbbs fan since quite some time, but your review of this pen just blew my mind. So after some two hours on Taobao-Focus I finally found this little gem and ordered it right away. Thumbs up.... and loving your channel!!!
In the ordering “process” and what a process it is! Hoping for no hiccups. And how could I pass up a “10” from you!!! Thanks for the wonderful review job , as always!
Nice review. That's a beautiful pen. Wing Sung did a great job. I love the design...., but.... If I didn't always have my pen around my phone or my computer I'd consider it. I always wished they made a 323 with a clip and even a piston filler and this is more than I could have hoped for if they didn't include the magnetic filling system. It's a successful experimental design. Hats off to them for that. But I'm just around my computer and phone too much : ( and I wouldn't feel safe bringing it to work for the same reason of being around a plethora of electronic equipment.
@@chrisrap52 I agree. I think that for those that pen works for, they'll get a great pen. The only thing I wonder about is the cap seal and if the ink dries out quickly. I always wonder that when a pen has no inner cap. But PenBBS usually makes very good pens with regards to that. I recall having zero problems with my 309 and that was always inked with a permanent ink.
Most PenBBS pens do not have a cap liner. The inside of the cap is machines to seal against the section when capped. As with the design of the 492 & 309.
BBS = Bulletin Board Service. We older internet users (pre WWW) understand these old systems like Compuserve. PenBBS the company, grew out of a group of BBS users who would gather on the internet to discuss all things pens.
I have been saving up for the Cross Year of the Rat, because it's my year. But to be honest their nibs are boring. Had never heard of this Year of the Rat pen and I bought it before the video had a chance to end! Pressed "order" as you finished rating the pen! It really reminds me of some $300 demo pens. Will enjoy this one a lot while I wait for 2022 by which time the Cross version will be down to a good price. Now to wait for a shipment from China... during a Pandemic... with usps running out of funding... gonna just wait around~
I received my second 492, bought on Etsy, 3 weeks from order to delivery, yesterday. Same box, ink well, & # 323, under the 500 that were made. Hope you get to enjoy yours soon.
I've watched heaps of your videos but have never seen you mention where you are getting your penBBS ink. Would you mind posting a link to this? Thank you
Thank you Chris for the review. Wow ! Great pen , wonderful looks & a unique filling system that although you showed was patteted quite a while ago I have never seen in another pen. The price also seemed really very reasonable for what your getting . Thank you for sharing . :-)
You have never steered me wrong, so I used your link, set up my registration and bought one. The link worked great. Thanks very much for your continued pursuit of Chinese pens.
Help! Bought this after your 10 rating but it seems like I’m the only one unhappy with this pen. Contrary to the overwhelmingly great reviews I’ve watched, mine is toothy and super dry. Tried (1) smoothening the nib with my nail file, and (2)slightly widening the tines with a gapping tool first with .003, then .004; still without success. What else can I do? Ink: Sailor Soubuku #344 I’m a leftie Could any of these factors affect the scratchiness?
What size is the nib, an F or M? Toothy & scratchy not the same. Toothy is a lot of feedback. Have you looked at the nib under a loop? Times aligned? How does tipping look? Have you pulled out nib & feed? You could open up feed channel, use gapping tool. I have over 100 PenBBS pens, no nib is scratchy. Dry & toothy yes, to a degree. Some like a dry nib with feedback. Try another wetter ink. Try different paper. What nibs do you like? Let's us know how you resolve the nib.
chrisrap52 oh right. Well then “toothy” is the word. Got the Fine one. The tines look aligned through my naked eyes (will have to look for a loop?) and will have to try pulling out the nib and feed and opening up feed channel. Thank you so much for the suggestions.
chrisrap52 chrisrap52 I absolutely adore my 323 in galaxy and it’s the smoothest nib I’ve experienced (limited beginner’s collection of Lamy safari, pilot metro, TWSBI eco rosegold and platinum prefounte&plaisir). I got the same F mini fude they call it, the slightly upturned one? There’s a sweet spot for my 323 and I just couldn’t find it on my 492. Now that I’m thinking about it, as a leftie, I think I now would prefer a more practical round nib over a mini fude. Revelation 🤯
chrisrap52 UPDATE: omg omg omg! I removed the nib and feed, ran tap water over it for a few secs, replaced it and BOOM! Worked wonders. I don’t know the logic behind it but it worked OMG! Thank you, sir! 🤩
Wow , a perfect 10.... I thought you're going to rate it near 10 and not a 10 but it just shows how great this pen is for the relatively low price. It's just sad that this pen will definitely be an underrated pen by many. Imagine if some larger brand like Pilot, MB or others introduce this system, they would be showered with praises left and right. Might sound like a cliche but slap a large brand on this pen and it will be selling above $300 easily.
Unfortunately that is the nature of retail sales. Brand recognition carries weight & a price. I'm happy to let PenBBS be a little known brand. More for us.
What a fabulous pen, thanks for showing us. It is literally the first special edition pen I've ever desired. Though it is probably sold out by now, it's out of my price range, and the last thing I need in this life is another pen.
Mediocre concept of magnetic power which will wear off over time as the magnets become weaker ? then what after say 5 years of use as an edc would it last i wonder
Magnets have various lifetimes. Neodymium magnets will lose less than 1% of their strength over 10 years. And as Doug says, you could replace them. I doubt you'll need to during your lifetime.
Ok , cool so i update my address by some miracle on taobao , but a message pops up it won't ship to the UK when i try to place my order is there some one else that ships to the UK ?
You'll need someone from the UK to reply. My understanding in Taobao does not sell outside of China. That is why I used an agent, TaoBao Focus. They buy in China & ship to you.
Thanks Chris, I bought one and the fine nib does write very smoothly. Also thanks for showing how to manage the piston being stuck at the top. It took some perseverance with turning and sliding the magnet to remedy this but it's good now. I bought from Taobao and they shipped to Australia. ,It came very quickly but a bit expensive.
Glad you enjoy the pen. It is a great pen for many reasons.
I just received #41 today. Beautiful pen.
Very close to 42, a magical number.
My pen came in TODAY, and I a say WOW, too!! Mine is #189 and it writes wonderfully-yes, deserves the “10”
The second 10 !!!! 🤗👍👏✍
Very informative. Thank you very much. One thing... As now April 10, 2021, the Year of the Ox pens are as follows: 5350001-2021 Year of the Ox Regular F, 5350002-2021 Year of the Ox Round F and 5350003-2021 Year of the Ox Round M. Thus, one can guess, the digits, 001, 002 and 003 could have designated to the nib width in 2020.
Thanks. I ordered one in round M.
I've realized the "Sword Blade (?)" Fine nib is called as "Regular F" at the Official PenBBS shop at Etsy.
Correct.
I have ordered RM.
A fantastic review for a spectacular fountain pen! very very pleasant and professional! I had intuited that you are an engineer. Congratulations on your professional explanation and presentation! very well! Thanks Chris!
Another good looking and unique design fountain pen..love it.!!
Thanks Chris! A perfect review! I can never imagine seeing an all 10 mark pen! This makes me want to order one immediately!
Thanks for this review, Chris! I was anxiously awaiting your take on this pen to see if you love it as much as I do. I'm really excited to see it get a 10! Wow! Thanks also for mentioning and linking my video review. I've only been collecting and exploring for about a year compared to your 30+ years of experience, but I got really excited about this pen and tried my best to control my enthusiasm as this is the finest piece of art/engineering/design in a writing instrument I've ever seen. And thanks, as always, for your engineer's take on the pen. I learn something from every video of yours I watch. One of our colleagues over at the Penbbs Facebook Group "Taste the Rainbow" translated the TaoBao description of this pen and it indicated that there were only 500 pens being made with buyers having the option to choose the number of their pens. I never got that message otherwise I would have ordered #42 (Douglas Adams reference). Instead, I got #82. One FB member (a fellow Canadian) bought two and has #452 and #453. I don't know how they engraved that number on the rat's butt! LOL
I always like to confirm from multiple sources. Maybe you can get a picture of the # on the 3 digit pens? You & I got our pens the same day, #'s close together, like PenBBS is selling numerically. That may make sense. If the sold pens are in the high 400s, not many left.
Fascinating review Doug! ;-)
@@chrisrap52 From what I understand, only the first 99 were numbered. The earliest purchasers were invited to request a preferred number.
Then I wonder why some say the have #400+. I've asked how the number fit on the rat's butt.
@@chrisrap52 I would be nice for everyone to get a numbered pen, not just the first movers.
I was planning on just getting it next year, but I think your video pushed me over the edge to buy one this year since it’s a limited edition, now on Etsy, and the ink bottle will be perfect for a 350 mL of Pilot Blue-black. This is all your fault for showing me such great pens!
I accept full responsibility. 😌
I love the innovative design! I would love to try one, but I am at my limit. I will, however, put it at #1 as a grail pen! I loved the enthusiasm of this video, and I am glad you were able to own one of these beauties!
Thanks. I'm glad I could show it. When I saw it on Instagram, it was my focus to get one. There were challenges in the way, fortunately they were overcome.
Thank you, Chris.
PreOrder just came up on Etsy PENBBS store! :) Had to have it.
First preorder sold out a few days ago, I ordered my 2nd then. Glad to see it back. Lucky you got one.
That's definitely the first time I've ever heard of using "exciting music" for filling a pen haha. Loved the magnetism explanation as well. Just one comment on pronunciation, "taobao" is pronounced "tao - bow" ( "tao" as in "taoism" and "bow" as in "take a bow"). I noticed you got better at pronouncing it later in the video. :) As a 10 rating, I'm just going to have to grab one of these. Fun video, thanks a lot!
Pronunciation has always been a challenge for me. Thanks for the help.
Wow a 10! Such an interesting pen, great collectors item!
Great job! Always get excited when I see reviews pop up for items I've ordered because I know mine must be arriving soon. This one I'm even more excited about after seeing your favorable review along with Dougs. Gotta say like Doug I've got to thank (or blame) you on this one as it wasn't even on my radar (nor did I even know US purchasing agents for TaoBao was a thing) until I saw your post mentioning it. That may be a costly discovery if the handling and shipping fees weren't so close to being cost-prohibitive (I fancy myself a pen nut, especially for the well done Chinese pens... but I still have a bit of fiscal sanity, as tenuous as it may be... lol). More seriously (slightly), I really enjoy your reviews and my heart sinks when I hear about a no-pen-buying month... though I suspect like me those resolutions aren't always hard and fast ;-)
To lower the cost of buying from taobao, I use superbuy which is also a shipping agent, but ends up much less expensive. I bought a wingsung 698 14k with two bottles of ink and the total with shipping to the US was 43 dollars, of which 6 dollars was the shipping.
I looked at Superbuy found it had the same search issues that TF has. I believe it is a translation challenge, English search criteria on a Chinese web site. I could not find any PenBBS pens on Superbuy, tried long37penbbs (that worked on TF) search & no pens.
@@user-kw9qu2gz8v Thanks for the tip, I'll check them out.
@@chrisrap52 yeah their search function isn't the best, so I tend to actually use taobao.com and then enter Google translated search terms. I then copy the link from taobao back to superbuy. This is definitely more effort, and takes some getting used to, but I think it is worth it. If you want I could send you all the taobao links that I have already found, such as the penbbs store.
Great, put links in a comment so we all can see them.
Mr. Chris, good morning! Is there still a store (website) that sells PenBBS 492 2020 Fountain Pen?
I don't know. Do a Google search. Thanks for watching.
Hi everyone, and Chris. I like this magnetic filling system. It is quite nice and different. My question here is if Taobao.com charges two times for the order. Do I understand it correctly that the first payment is for the pen and local shipping and handling and then comes the DHL shipping charge to get it us in the states...is that correct? I guess Taobao.com is the middle-man. I just ordered one, so I''m in the first step. Do you guys now how long it takes to get to step two for DHL possession and then to arrive in states.???
I bought through Taobao Focus not directly from Taobao. Taobao Focus is an agent in China who buys for you from Taobao. From what I read, Taobao does not ship outside of China. Please use the link I put in video description & read how Taobao Focus works.
@@chrisrap52 Thanks Chris, I had used the Focus to order mine yesterday. How long did yours take from order to delivery using DHL. If I recall from Doug's review, I think he said 5 days to a week...! If that's the case, that's pretty good. This is going to be my first PenBBS pen. So down the Rabbit hole I go.
The 5 days is shipping from Taobao Focus, not time from your order. The whole process took about 3 weeks for me. You'll get emails from TF when they order pen, receive pen & ship pen to you.
@@chrisrap52 Thanks Chris. That's still not bad at all.
Oaohhhhh 10 en calificación. Aún ahora mantiene esa calificación¿¿¿
Después de usar el bolígrafo y obtener un segundo, todavía me encanta el bolígrafo, pero el relleno magnético es un gran desafío. El imán se pega, a veces es necesario desmontar la pluma para despegar el pistón.
Watched your video; ordered the pen. Simple. You're convincing!
The next thing PENBBS will come out with is an ink bottle to go with this pen. A metal piece on the top of the ink bottle that as you push the pen further down into the bottle it catches that magnetic piston and moves it upward as the pen travels further down into the bottle of ink. One handed filling system.
I like that idea. Great creative thinking.
But then you pull the pen back up...
Mic was definitely better. In part because I could compare the sound to the last video I commented on, I could tell that the nib was fine. Without that comparison, I would generally say that I cannot tell by sound how smooth the nib is. Paper probably matters a lot. Several reviewers seem to use a very smooth paper (Rhodia), which also likely makes a big difference.
Glad sound is better. Yes, Fabriano paper has more texture, less coating, more feedback, which I like.
I'm a couple of months late, Chris, So I don't know if you'll read this.
Have been using and enjoying the 492 for about 6 weeks when I discovered the magnet was disintegrating. I had to push the magnet out with a long chop stick. The magnet is literally breaking apart and the barrel is stained. Maybe i used a bad ink (PenBBS Garnet) but i just don't know. Very disappointed. Any problem with yours?
From you description, ink got past the piston seal which is between magnet & ink. That should not happen. Hope many times did you fill the pen? Before filling, did you do anything besides fill the pen? Like disassemble the pen. You pushed out piston which has a magnet means you unscrewed end of barrel. I have many PENBBS pens that use the same silicone piston that 492 uses. Have never had ink go past piston. I use many PENBBS inks.
@@chrisrap52 Yes, i had to push the piston out from the back because I couldn't budge the piston with the cap magnet. I even used a much stronger magnet to no avail.
In terms of inks, on March 2nd I filled up with SBRE Brown. Didn't care much for the combo so pushed it out, filled the barrel with lukewarm water, emptied the barrel, and filled up the next day with PenBBS Garnet 234. Didn't notice any ink getting past the seal until about a week ago. I also noticed that the ink at the piston was now a greenish black (instead of the Garnet's normal Red-Purple color) It looks like the ink ate right into the metal.
I have a lot of pens with pistons but I'm pretty sure this is the first pen I've used with a metal piston. And this is the first piston pen I've had to fail in this way. This seems very similar to those rusted Wing Sung cap screws.
I really like the unique look of this pen (#176) but it's now a possible eyedropper if the ink wont leak from the rear magnet. I'm in no hurry to find out, LOL.
Thanks for the quick response, Chris. Just wanted to give you the info. I can send you pictures if you're interested, or I can send you the whole pen.
Thanks Again.
Did you rotate piston before trying to move it? It does stick, like the 309 piston, & you can rotate it with the magnet to free it up (I show in my video). I rotate as I move it up or down. When you removed piston, did you apply silicone grease? You could ask Beini on Etsy for a new piston assemble. The piston is silicon, the magnet is just a way to move the piston. Eyedropper use is also a good alternative.
@@chrisrap52 Yes. I tried everything shown in the video, the ink was stuck to the barrel like glue. I thought about it, and I decided I'm not interested in putting a glob of silicone in the back of the pen to seal the barrel for eyedropper use. I will see if i can replace the piston and clean up the stains on the barrel. Thanks Chris.
By the way, you deserve some free pens from PENBBS. I do not often order a pen because of a review. I did this time! Thanks for the always thorough, always thoughtful reviews!
I think you might have already know, but I just put it in the comments when I watch this video. The year 2020 is the Year of Mouse, according to the China Lunar Calander. The other logo is a lantern, which is an iconic symble for cerebrating. So the 492 pen you have is a limited edition for cerebrating the New Year of 2020 only.
Thanks. Mouse not Rat? I just got my 2nd No, 323. Will do a video on the mechanics of filling as many seem to have a challenge with that.
Sooooo happy! I‘m a Penbbs fan since quite some time, but your review of this pen just blew my mind. So after some two hours on Taobao-Focus I finally found this little gem and ordered it right away. Thumbs up.... and loving your channel!!!
In the ordering “process” and what a process it is! Hoping for no hiccups. And how could I pass up a “10” from you!!! Thanks for the wonderful review job , as always!
Nice review. That's a beautiful pen. Wing Sung did a great job. I love the design...., but....
If I didn't always have my pen around my phone or my computer I'd consider it. I always wished they made a 323 with a clip and even a piston filler and this is more than I could have hoped for if they didn't include the magnetic filling system.
It's a successful experimental design. Hats off to them for that. But I'm just around my computer and phone too much : ( and I wouldn't feel safe bringing it to work for the same reason of being around a plethora of electronic equipment.
Then a pen with a magnet is not for you. I agree it is not a pen for everyone.
@@chrisrap52 I agree. I think that for those that pen works for, they'll get a great pen. The only thing I wonder about is the cap seal and if the ink dries out quickly. I always wonder that when a pen has no inner cap. But PenBBS usually makes very good pens with regards to that. I recall having zero problems with my 309 and that was always inked with a permanent ink.
Most PenBBS pens do not have a cap liner. The inside of the cap is machines to seal against the section when capped. As with the design of the 492 & 309.
The logo on the clip and piston head edge is a celebratory chinese (or asian really) lantern!
Yes, exactly
Chris,
Thannks for sharing. Is there anywhere else to order this pen from? I've read horrible experience and stories about ordering from TaBao.
Taobao Focus makes buying easier. There is no Etsy, Amazon or eBay easy button way.
Thanks Chris. I'll pass on this. Would love to have one in my collection.
@Hekat the Evil B-tch I appreciate your concern. But the negative reviews outweigh the good.
Also can we officially call 2020 “The Year of the Filling System”?
Perfect. 😊✒️⚙
Has anyone discussed or know what the BBS in PENBBS stands for?
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulletin_board_system
BBS = Bulletin Board Service. We older internet users (pre WWW) understand these old systems like Compuserve. PenBBS the company, grew out of a group of BBS users who would gather on the internet to discuss all things pens.
I wonder what kind of netiquette they would have in Shanghai then.
Thank you!!
Wow that cap is beautiful. I can however understand why some may dislike it
Mostly those that have only seen pictures. In person it looks great & works well.
I have been saving up for the Cross Year of the Rat, because it's my year. But to be honest their nibs are boring. Had never heard of this Year of the Rat pen and I bought it before the video had a chance to end! Pressed "order" as you finished rating the pen! It really reminds me of some $300 demo pens. Will enjoy this one a lot while I wait for 2022 by which time the Cross version will be down to a good price. Now to wait for a shipment from China... during a Pandemic... with usps running out of funding... gonna just wait around~
I received my second 492, bought on Etsy, 3 weeks from order to delivery, yesterday. Same box, ink well, & # 323, under the 500 that were made. Hope you get to enjoy yours soon.
@@chrisrap52 oh wow you even got a second one, it must be that good. It'll be my first PenBBS too, I can't wait.
My first & only pen rated a 10 !! 😍✍
I've watched heaps of your videos but have never seen you mention where you are getting your penBBS ink. Would you mind posting a link to this?
Thank you
vanness1938.com/
Thank you Chris for the review. Wow ! Great pen , wonderful looks & a unique filling system that although you showed was patteted quite a while ago I have never seen in another pen.
The price also seemed really very reasonable for what your getting . Thank you for sharing . :-)
You have never steered me wrong, so I used your link, set up my registration and bought one. The link worked great. Thanks very much for your continued pursuit of Chinese pens.
Thanks for the support. Enjoy the pen.
Help! Bought this after your 10 rating but it seems like I’m the only one unhappy with this pen. Contrary to the overwhelmingly great reviews I’ve watched, mine is toothy and super dry. Tried (1) smoothening the nib with my nail file, and (2)slightly widening the tines with a gapping tool first with .003, then .004; still without success. What else can I do?
Ink: Sailor Soubuku
#344
I’m a leftie
Could any of these factors affect the scratchiness?
What size is the nib, an F or M?
Toothy & scratchy not the same. Toothy is a lot of feedback. Have you looked at the nib under a loop? Times aligned? How does tipping look? Have you pulled out nib & feed? You could open up feed channel, use gapping tool. I have over 100 PenBBS pens, no nib is scratchy. Dry & toothy yes, to a degree. Some like a dry nib with feedback.
Try another wetter ink. Try different paper. What nibs do you like?
Let's us know how you resolve the nib.
chrisrap52 oh right. Well then “toothy” is the word. Got the Fine one. The tines look aligned through my naked eyes (will have to look for a loop?) and will have to try pulling out the nib and feed and opening up feed channel. Thank you so much for the suggestions.
chrisrap52 chrisrap52 I absolutely adore my 323 in galaxy and it’s the smoothest nib I’ve experienced (limited beginner’s collection of Lamy safari, pilot metro, TWSBI eco rosegold and platinum prefounte&plaisir). I got the same F mini fude they call it, the slightly upturned one? There’s a sweet spot for my 323 and I just couldn’t find it on my 492. Now that I’m thinking about it, as a leftie, I think I now would prefer a more practical round nib over a mini fude. Revelation 🤯
chrisrap52 UPDATE: omg omg omg! I removed the nib and feed, ran tap water over it for a few secs, replaced it and BOOM! Worked wonders. I don’t know the logic behind it but it worked OMG! Thank you, sir! 🤩
Glad it worked. Pens are a complex & simple devices. Thanks for sticking with this. Thanks for watching. Stay safe & healthy.
Does anyone one know what BBS means?
Bulletin Board System. Before the Internet, was a way to share. Think of an electronic bulletin board. People can post & respond. All text based.
@@chrisrap52 Thanks for sharing that!
Wow , a perfect 10.... I thought you're going to rate it near 10 and not a 10 but it just shows how great this pen is for the relatively low price. It's just sad that this pen will definitely be an underrated pen by many. Imagine if some larger brand like Pilot, MB or others introduce this system, they would be showered with praises left and right. Might sound like a cliche but slap a large brand on this pen and it will be selling above $300 easily.
Unfortunately that is the nature of retail sales. Brand recognition carries weight & a price. I'm happy to let PenBBS be a little known brand. More for us.
Great video, great pen, and if anyone is "worthy" of this pen, it would be you.
Thanks. You are also worthy.
Really really really interested in this! Top review.
Love the simplicity of an eyedropper pen.
What a journey!
Welcome aboard. 🤗🚂🌈
Lovely pen, although i think it could turn out to be a bit fiddly to fill/clean. Doesn't mean to say I don't want one!!
It is simplicity itself to clean.
FerryPen You can easily unscrew it, take out the piston, and scrub the inside without much effort.
What a fabulous pen, thanks for showing us. It is literally the first special edition pen I've ever desired. Though it is probably sold out by now, it's out of my price range, and the last thing I need in this life is another pen.
Super cool filler mechanism! I'm pretty sure "taobao" rhymes with "bow-wow"
Thanks, I'll try that pronunciation.
I feel the three milliliters of ink are claiming a generous M 'rose gold' nib. Then it would be a 10+
That said, Rat#91 is happy about receiving the F
Glad to hear Rat#91 is happy, says Rat#97.
Even if you do not believe in these things, like What-I-ink says, you would deserve the first numbers.
Thanks. In my world I deserve nothing, I enjoy what life brings me.
If Thanos used a fountain pen...
He'd use the Jumbo Eyedropper you'll see in my next video. Now if you mentioned Magneto, you'd be right on.
Mediocre concept of magnetic power which will wear off over time as the magnets become weaker ? then what after say 5 years of use as an edc would it last i wonder
The piston/magnet unit is in two pieces. The piston unscrews from the top of the magnet and would be easy to replace.
Magnets have various lifetimes. Neodymium magnets will lose less than 1% of their strength over 10 years. And as Doug says, you could replace them. I doubt you'll need to during your lifetime.
Ok , cool so i update my address by some miracle on taobao , but a message pops up it won't ship to the UK when i try to place my order is there some one else that ships to the UK ?
You'll need someone from the UK to reply. My understanding in Taobao does not sell outside of China. That is why I used an agent, TaoBao Focus. They buy in China & ship to you.
The pen may be a phone killer.
I suggest you keep them apart to avoid any incidents. Water also kills most phones.
Wow! A perfect 10 with all the checks? I'm still pinching myself. 🤯🤯🤯