What the heck, it's only a buck

Wed, 09 Mar 2016 02:05:31 -0400

The best deal in quality writing instruments going today is, without a doubt, the Jinhao X450. This pen, for only 99 cents shipped from China to the US, should prove to be a gateway drug into the good shit for anyone with good taste and frugal spending habits.

Buying the Jinhao X450 is easy. If you go out on eBay, you’ll find a bunch of them in all kinds of different colors. But you probably won’t find any for 99 cents… unless you know where to look.

Beware the Hooded Nib

Wed, 20 Jan 2016 00:54:03 -0400

I didn’t want to call out any particular pen today, though my image shows a Jinhao 699. The problem I’ve been observing spans multiple value brands from China, including Jinhao and Baoer. There are some nibs out there that should be avoided. Let me explain.

Most of the Chinese pens you’ll find for sale in the West come with a Medium nib. These nibs aren’t bad at all, but usually require five to ten minutes of fine tuning before they are particularly practical and enjoyable to write with. I’d already mentioned previously that the Jinhao broad nibs are, in my limited experience with them, not worth the extra effort or expense to procure.

Nib-Tuning on Notes from the Rabbit Hole

What the heck, it's only a buck

Beware the Hooded Nib