When it comes to fountain pens I have a strong set off aesthetic preferences. I'm not going to write about them in detail here, but one outcome is that the pens I'm drawn to tend to be either very old or very modern in style. One pen I've always admired from the former category is the Parker Duofold. However, Parker's list price has ensured that to date this admiration has been from afar.
Now, Chinese Duofold clones are not new: frankly people have been building cheaper copies of it since it was first released. As an exaple, I had a look at the Kaigelu 316, but I read that it is pretty heavy and poorly balanced, while I favour a light pen. In addition, they don't have the best reputation for quality control, leaving you with that cheap and nasty feeling.
Two new brands from China have been getting a lot of attention recently: Moonman and PenBBS. They are a step up from a lot of Chinese pens (from "disposable" to "affordable") and the word on the street is that they don't feel like cheap knock-offs. Then I saw that Moonman had a Duofold copy in a blue colour not unlike Pelikan's recent M800 ocean swirl (another pen with a list price to keep admirers at a distance). Priced at about twenty pounds I figured it was worth the gamble, so I ordered this pen about two weeks ago from Etsy. It arrived on Tuesday and I've been getting to know it since.
My initial impressions have been really positive: the acrylic is nicely polished, all the gold trim looks decently plated (although time will tell on that score), the cap bands are seated nicely in the groves turned for them. Uncapping the pen takes 2 3/4 turns, more than I'm used to. I would rppefer this to uncap in 1 turn like my Pelikan M200, but it's hardly a deal-breaker. Capping and uncapping the pen feels similar to the Pelikan or my TWSBIs, not sloppy or low tolerance.
With the cap off I noticed a solvent-like smell, not very pleasant but familiar from somewhere. Where do I know that smell from? It comes back: the machine shop, turning plastic on a lathe. There's the same smell when I undo the barrel to access the converter, and looking at the finish on the inside of both I strongly suspect that they have been turned, not injection moulded. I was not expecting that at this price point. Unscrewing the barrel things wiggle a bit more than the cap, not a premium feel. But again, I'm not going to die in a ditch over it. The pen fills with an international standard converter, move along people, nothing to see here. At least its not proprietary.
And down to business: the nib. When I ordered I had a choice of fine, medium or "bent". The latter was quite tempting, but I went with the medium: I don't want no trouble. I think Moonman only do fine, so installed nib is from Jinhao: it writes a line roughly the same width as my Lamy 2000 medium, and the Pelikan M200 fine. Flow is about right, not too wet, not too dry, and the nib is smooth. All worked fine out of the box with no tinkering required, no hard starts, no skipping even if I really scribble. No drama, but maybe no fun either: I like the two-tone nib with the chariot on it, but it is a nail: no bounce to it.
Holding the pen in the hand, it feels well balanced. The section has some metal in it, with the rest of the pen being acrylic this tips the balance subtly away from uniform, biasing it towards the nib as things should be. The weight is good too: those who equate mass with quality will feel disappointed; I just feel the promise of extended writing sessions without fatigue. The section tapers in, then flares towards the nib: as pleasing to the eye as it is on the fingers. I have no issues taking notes for an extended period with the pen; weight, balance, length and girth are perfect.
I write without posting; if you must post you might be advised to skip this model. It does post, but not very deeply and it does not feel terribly secure.
Standard rogue's gallery, top to bottom:
Lamy 2000
TWSBI Eco
Moonman M600s
Pelikan M200
Parker 51
Overall im very happy with the Moonman M600s. I love the acrylic (I've not even tried to take a detailed photo of it, I have neither the equipment, nor the skill), I love the style and the ergonomics are spot on for me. I had my reservations: that I might think it a poor imitation of the real thing, but it feels much more expensive than it is. I'll update this thread with any observations from using the pen longer term, but for now I might even go as far as to recommend it.
Now, Chinese Duofold clones are not new: frankly people have been building cheaper copies of it since it was first released. As an exaple, I had a look at the Kaigelu 316, but I read that it is pretty heavy and poorly balanced, while I favour a light pen. In addition, they don't have the best reputation for quality control, leaving you with that cheap and nasty feeling.
Two new brands from China have been getting a lot of attention recently: Moonman and PenBBS. They are a step up from a lot of Chinese pens (from "disposable" to "affordable") and the word on the street is that they don't feel like cheap knock-offs. Then I saw that Moonman had a Duofold copy in a blue colour not unlike Pelikan's recent M800 ocean swirl (another pen with a list price to keep admirers at a distance). Priced at about twenty pounds I figured it was worth the gamble, so I ordered this pen about two weeks ago from Etsy. It arrived on Tuesday and I've been getting to know it since.
My initial impressions have been really positive: the acrylic is nicely polished, all the gold trim looks decently plated (although time will tell on that score), the cap bands are seated nicely in the groves turned for them. Uncapping the pen takes 2 3/4 turns, more than I'm used to. I would rppefer this to uncap in 1 turn like my Pelikan M200, but it's hardly a deal-breaker. Capping and uncapping the pen feels similar to the Pelikan or my TWSBIs, not sloppy or low tolerance.
With the cap off I noticed a solvent-like smell, not very pleasant but familiar from somewhere. Where do I know that smell from? It comes back: the machine shop, turning plastic on a lathe. There's the same smell when I undo the barrel to access the converter, and looking at the finish on the inside of both I strongly suspect that they have been turned, not injection moulded. I was not expecting that at this price point. Unscrewing the barrel things wiggle a bit more than the cap, not a premium feel. But again, I'm not going to die in a ditch over it. The pen fills with an international standard converter, move along people, nothing to see here. At least its not proprietary.
And down to business: the nib. When I ordered I had a choice of fine, medium or "bent". The latter was quite tempting, but I went with the medium: I don't want no trouble. I think Moonman only do fine, so installed nib is from Jinhao: it writes a line roughly the same width as my Lamy 2000 medium, and the Pelikan M200 fine. Flow is about right, not too wet, not too dry, and the nib is smooth. All worked fine out of the box with no tinkering required, no hard starts, no skipping even if I really scribble. No drama, but maybe no fun either: I like the two-tone nib with the chariot on it, but it is a nail: no bounce to it.
Holding the pen in the hand, it feels well balanced. The section has some metal in it, with the rest of the pen being acrylic this tips the balance subtly away from uniform, biasing it towards the nib as things should be. The weight is good too: those who equate mass with quality will feel disappointed; I just feel the promise of extended writing sessions without fatigue. The section tapers in, then flares towards the nib: as pleasing to the eye as it is on the fingers. I have no issues taking notes for an extended period with the pen; weight, balance, length and girth are perfect.
I write without posting; if you must post you might be advised to skip this model. It does post, but not very deeply and it does not feel terribly secure.
Standard rogue's gallery, top to bottom:
Lamy 2000
TWSBI Eco
Moonman M600s
Pelikan M200
Parker 51
Overall im very happy with the Moonman M600s. I love the acrylic (I've not even tried to take a detailed photo of it, I have neither the equipment, nor the skill), I love the style and the ergonomics are spot on for me. I had my reservations: that I might think it a poor imitation of the real thing, but it feels much more expensive than it is. I'll update this thread with any observations from using the pen longer term, but for now I might even go as far as to recommend it.