So I've acquired a few fountain pens over the last couple of months and I've learned a lot about what I like and what I don't. One example of this is nib size. I prefer #5 nibs to #6 nibs. I seem to like to write with my hand rather close to the paper and the long #6 nib is just a bit longer that I like. I also learned that I like hefty pens as opposed to light pens and I like round sections better than triangular sections. I was able to learn all this only spending $10-$15 (although I spent much more, it wasn't necessary to learn what I know now).
I have an inexpensive pen lineup but is is very adequate for my needs and uses.
So I have 5 Jinhao pens (3 of them have better quality German nibs)
3 Baoer pens (great quality and value all things considered)
1 Waterman Laureat (amazing writer, not crazy about the look however looks very vintage)
1 Lamy Al-Star (solid pen, mostly use for journal writing)
1 Sheaffer View Point (bought it for $6 to try out stub nib, I fell in love with it. Currently uninked)
1 Nemosine Fission (classy simple pen, one of my daily carry pens)
1 Hero 266 (very fine nib, inked up with Sheaffer red ink as a corrections pen on my desk)
I have taken a few of these pens and replaced the nibs. My favorite pens is the Jinhao 8812. It's absolutely beautiful with a rose wood barrel, it feels very solid in the hand and looks much more expensive. I paid about $5 for the pen and $10 for the Nemosine #5 nib (f). It's such a smooth writer and the feel of the nib is outstanding in comparison to the original Jinhao nib. I've noticed the Jinhao nibs, while very serviceable are a bit thinner gauged than more expensive nibs. Simply put they are cheap but they all have written well for me. Below is a picture of the 8812 with the Nemosine nib.
I also took a Jinhao X750 and put a Knox 1.9mm stub nib (#6) on it
I put a Knox 1.5mm stub nib on a Jinhao 159 (#6)
I put a Nemosine 1.1 stub (#5) on a Baoer 3035 .
Knox makes Nemosine's nibs so they are virtually the same quality as far as I can tell. I use these pens for letter writing and filling out envelopes for business letters (I send several out everyday).
I have pictures of them below
On the left is the 750 with the 1.9mm stub and on the right is the 159 with the 1.5mm stub
The 750 is uninked right now but I wrote all my Christmas cards with it and used Sheaffer Skrip red.
The 159 is inked up with Waterman Serenity Blue.
Below is the Baoer 3035 with the 1.1mm stub
It is currently inked up with Private Reserve Black Magic Blue which is almost the exact shade of purple as my company color so all of my thank you letters are written with this pen.
The 3 pens I carry (usually only 1 at a time and I keep one in my vehicle) are the Jinhao 8812, the Nemosine Fission and the Jinhao 886 (smaller black one) and 90% of the time they have Mont Blanc Blue Black. The rest stay on my desk except for my Lamy Al-Star which I use for Journal writing. I Keep 3 inked up on my desk at all times, One with Sheaffer Skrip red, one with Aurora Black and the other with Waterman Serenity Blue and all are only used for business purposes and sales proposals for clients. The rest stay uninked but clean and ready for use when called upon.
I have an inexpensive pen lineup but is is very adequate for my needs and uses.
So I have 5 Jinhao pens (3 of them have better quality German nibs)
3 Baoer pens (great quality and value all things considered)
1 Waterman Laureat (amazing writer, not crazy about the look however looks very vintage)
1 Lamy Al-Star (solid pen, mostly use for journal writing)
1 Sheaffer View Point (bought it for $6 to try out stub nib, I fell in love with it. Currently uninked)
1 Nemosine Fission (classy simple pen, one of my daily carry pens)
1 Hero 266 (very fine nib, inked up with Sheaffer red ink as a corrections pen on my desk)
I have taken a few of these pens and replaced the nibs. My favorite pens is the Jinhao 8812. It's absolutely beautiful with a rose wood barrel, it feels very solid in the hand and looks much more expensive. I paid about $5 for the pen and $10 for the Nemosine #5 nib (f). It's such a smooth writer and the feel of the nib is outstanding in comparison to the original Jinhao nib. I've noticed the Jinhao nibs, while very serviceable are a bit thinner gauged than more expensive nibs. Simply put they are cheap but they all have written well for me. Below is a picture of the 8812 with the Nemosine nib.
I also took a Jinhao X750 and put a Knox 1.9mm stub nib (#6) on it
I put a Knox 1.5mm stub nib on a Jinhao 159 (#6)
I put a Nemosine 1.1 stub (#5) on a Baoer 3035 .
Knox makes Nemosine's nibs so they are virtually the same quality as far as I can tell. I use these pens for letter writing and filling out envelopes for business letters (I send several out everyday).
I have pictures of them below
On the left is the 750 with the 1.9mm stub and on the right is the 159 with the 1.5mm stub
The 750 is uninked right now but I wrote all my Christmas cards with it and used Sheaffer Skrip red.
The 159 is inked up with Waterman Serenity Blue.
Below is the Baoer 3035 with the 1.1mm stub
It is currently inked up with Private Reserve Black Magic Blue which is almost the exact shade of purple as my company color so all of my thank you letters are written with this pen.
The 3 pens I carry (usually only 1 at a time and I keep one in my vehicle) are the Jinhao 8812, the Nemosine Fission and the Jinhao 886 (smaller black one) and 90% of the time they have Mont Blanc Blue Black. The rest stay on my desk except for my Lamy Al-Star which I use for Journal writing. I Keep 3 inked up on my desk at all times, One with Sheaffer Skrip red, one with Aurora Black and the other with Waterman Serenity Blue and all are only used for business purposes and sales proposals for clients. The rest stay uninked but clean and ready for use when called upon.
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