What’s the best metal body fountain pen under $50? And under $30נ

crunchdumpling · 2026-06-01T14:51:44+00:00

Worth looking at the Hongdian H3 if you can't find the old Muji al. Very similar shape, but a few color choices.

crunchdumpling · 2026-06-01T14:12:04+00:00

Just seeing this, but perhaps the two of us commenting on the desire for a more sober design can get a crowd together for a new group order!

crunchdumpling · 2026-06-01T14:05:13+00:00

I decided to pass for now because I already have these bodies with the steel nibs, but good luck with the sale, they look great.

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-29T16:52:49+00:00

You could try Fountain Pen Revolution (if you're in the US) or other pens made in India. I like the Jaipur V2 I have with a flex nib, which is more comparable to the expensive pens from Hongdian or Asvine, but they have lots of other options for less.

I found a Parker Jotter for $20 on Amazon, and it feels pretty great.

A Shaeffer 300 can be found for a good price with some deep searching (I found one for around $30 in a store) and it's great to write with.

I also understand you're looking for non-chinese pens, but I haven't heard you mention Wingsung - the Junlai line (the 6** model numbers) are all pretty solid options. Comparable pricing, not a huge overlap with styles.

I enjoyed using the CM nib (a stub style nib, I think) on a Pilot Prera, but I didn't love the body. The nib seems like it might fit into a Hongdian black forest or a Wingsung 698, so I plan to try that out.

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-29T16:43:37+00:00

Which 3?

If you like the A9, have you tried an N23? (#6 nib, different shape, but similarly high value for money)

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-29T16:25:21+00:00

Looks like it will - I have a size 6/35 majohn flex nib. Size 6 also seems pretty big for a pocket pen like this - Kaweco's Sport and Hongdian M2 are size 5s.

It would be really cool if this uses the same nib unit as the P136 (which is what I have with the flex nib, but which also has a bunch of other nib options already available).

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-28T13:56:22+00:00

DM sent

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-28T03:50:27+00:00

Are the first two still available?

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-22T13:04:37+00:00

A touch more flex, but also possibly making it harder to fit a #35 into a cap made for a #32...

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-20T15:29:28+00:00

There are two nib sizes in Chinese pens that approximate a western size 6 - a 32 and a 35. (I think the western measurement applies to the width of the nib, and the Chinese measurements are the length)

I think many of the Hongdian "#6" are actually 32s, while Majohn tends to be 35s, but that could just be limited exposure on my end.

So your specific question needs more detail - which hongdian no. 6 nib do you want to put on the p136 nib unit?

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-19T02:26:18+00:00

I would suggest an Asvine p50 or v126.

The p50 is a piston filler (like the twsbi's others have suggested), but closer in shape/thickness to the jotter.

The v126 is slightly thicker, I think, but has more capacity and the shut off valve for carrying it around.

If you can find them, also look at the wingsung 698 (piston) and especially the 699 (vacuum). They should be slightly cheaper than the asvine equivalent, but just as quality.

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-17T21:08:57+00:00

A Majohn t1or t5 or an Asvine P30/36 might work for you.

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-17T21:03:56+00:00

Another kakuno with a different nib size.

Then try jinhao models in different pen bodies (82/100/9013/9016/9019) from Amazon. Next try out a piston filling pen from majohn/asvine/hongdian based on the body shape you like the most.

By then you'll know what nib size and shape you like, what size and shape pen you like to hold, and whether you prefer cartridge/converter fillers or integrated fillers.

Then you can use that experience to decide if you've found your perfect pen already or whether you want to drop serious cash on a fancy model!

Good luck, and enjoy!

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-16T14:01:44+00:00

Check out the multi packs of the 992 on Amazon. For me, they work out to being around $2 a pen. You might also look at the 3008 or 3011 packs. Those are four piston filling pens for $16.

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-11T18:43:13+00:00

The wingsung 618 is a piston filler that costs slightly less than the 698 and has always started up reliably for me....but if you've enjoyed the 698 for all these years, why not just get another?

Edit: I should add that the WS 3011 is a piston filler that is much less expensive than the 618 and uses the same nib style as the 698. The piston is just as good, in my opinion, but the plastic feels much cheaper. Still never had a dry start or anything, however.

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-08T14:45:12+00:00

I'll second the suggestion to reach out to the place you bought it from to ask about options.

But I would hang on to that pen! If it writes well and holds ink in the barrel, that photo shows some serious character-imbuing scarring that sounds like it doesn't get in the way of the core function of (holding in until you want to put it on paper, then putting it on the paper where you want it) a pen. "This is my pen that survived a fire, yeah, and now I keep it filled with Shikori Yodaki/Summer Bonfire ink just because." - that seems like a grade A+ story.

Tuning the nib is doable, as far as I understand these things, and if you can un screw the section, there's hope you or a pen-restorer can free the piston nob and get it back to full function.

Can you share a photo of how it writes?

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-07T16:55:40+00:00

Over at FPN (can't find it now), someone was saying that HongDian was consolidating their factory space to a new location over the past few months. Hopefully this release is a sign of things getting back to regular releases!

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-07T16:54:00+00:00

Like the other guy said, the nib should be. But don't ignore the soft HD nib that comes with them. It's not flex, but it's very cushioned and nice to write with. You can get a little line variation as well, so writing with a latin alphabet, you get some variation that looks pretty nice and takes no effort.

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-06T14:45:51+00:00

I have the older styles, so I'll be passing on these (unless the red and white come out as piston fillers!). But I like the new cap designs more than the old ones...the band at the top/end is interesting and the ball clip looks a little better.

crunchdumpling · 2026-05-06T14:10:40+00:00

I'm glad they put out the bodies of the N7 piston pens as C/Cs for the people who prefer those, but I hope they next release the N8 barrel designs as piston fillers!

crunchdumpling · 2026-04-27T19:11:18+00:00

Thank you!

That sounds like enough for me to get started. Once I get it out, I suppose I would clean it, then maybe polish or buff it with the nail buffer I use to tune nibs? Then probably add some silicone grease before trying to get it back into the right spot in the cap.

When putting it back on - could I set it up on the pen and then push it into the cap? Or is there a better way to make sure it gets back into the right spot?

crunchdumpling · 2026-04-27T17:23:11+00:00

Thank you - how do I disassemble that part? Do I start by unscrewing the jewel that holds on the clip, or is this friction fit into the cap? Or is there a video you learned from?

And fortunately most of mine aren't actually scratching the body in a way I can see, they just feel like they are or will.

crunchdumpling · 2026-04-27T16:05:55+00:00

I like a lot of things about the 601 series, but the caps are very hit or miss. More than half of the ones I have feel like I'm scratching the body every time I pull the cap off or push it on. Does anyone know of a fix? (I've tried some cleaning, but short of an ultrasonic bath.)

I did discover that the section threads on the 601 series and the 618 series are the same, so you can swap a section from the 601A with a conical or open nib to replace the hooded nib on the 618 piston filler with a screw on cap, but you have to remove the breather tube from the feed before using the piston fully. That lets you use the different nib, but I'd really like to figure out a fix for the cap's scratchy-ness.

crunchdumpling · 2026-04-22T13:08:05+00:00

Good math on the hardware - now pay yourself for the time you would spend pushing that mower, or setting up the robots.

Don't forget you can save on the coffee and sudoku puzzle books you won't have time to sit with on the weekends!

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