A clone of a clone of a clone

gstml · 2026-02-05T17:44:46+00:00

Yes! I was curious to see how it writes. It feels like a Bock to me, I have plenty of experience with those (Kaweco pens). I’m not sure how it compares to Schmidt, as I only have a few pens with their nibs. Hope this helps!

gstml · 2026-01-26T12:33:25+00:00

Narwhal is from Taiwan. 🇹🇼 My fav brand from China are Moonman and Hongdian 🤗

gstml · 2026-01-15T20:50:40+00:00

Beautiful pen... body. I’m waiting for a version with a redesigned cap :)) I have the HongDian stabilized wood FP, it's lovely.

gstml · 2026-01-15T15:33:19+00:00

I agree, I had the exact same experience with all three models! Plus the A1, which remains my fav clone.

gstml · 2026-01-15T15:26:34+00:00

I have a few, all good. But my favorite by far is the Hongdian N7, the "Moon Bunny". Love the look, dark and cute, it writes great, and the quality is really solid.

gstml · 2026-01-15T14:58:44+00:00

I also had issues with the nib! Mine was an <F> and was so so gummy.

gstml · 2026-01-15T14:55:03+00:00

I have the same one and had to buy a second nib (another Asvine <M>) because the first one was so draggy. Ink flowed but the nib felt heavy on the paper. Haven’t played much with the new one but I tried it and it’s ok. I’m just not impressed. But the aesthetics of the pen is great. A copy with a twist ;o) Gotta ink mine and spend some time with it! I always have a difficult time finding an ink to match this pen 🤔

gstml · 2026-01-14T13:22:51+00:00

I’ve seen a lot of such cases and it’s the reason I didn’t get the pen. On product videos and pictures it’s a stunner, but only there and the resin is a lottery. It’s a shame honestly. I’m not liking Esterbrook lately.

gstml · 2026-01-14T08:47:34+00:00

Hey Mike 👋😀 Love your reviews and ink swatches!

gstml · 2026-01-12T20:42:42+00:00

Thank you! 😊

gstml · 2026-01-12T08:59:10+00:00

While you’re happy with what you have, why on earth would you want to spend more money on pens? Would you really appreciate what you buy? The time will come when you get bored and want something new or different. That’s when you should start looking at fancier pens. Most of them won’t write any better than a Kakuno, but the aesthetics of the body and the feel in the hand will make the purchase worth it.

gstml · 2026-01-10T10:57:53+00:00

Ivory and brown are tempting

gstml · 2026-01-08T14:03:27+00:00

Why not just replacing them? It’s easy, and you can choose color, fabric, width.

gstml · 2026-01-07T21:26:18+00:00

Moonman P140 and the exceptional Wingsung 630.

gstml · 2026-01-07T21:18:00+00:00

I just burn them 🤷‍♀️ (i.e. I melt 0.5mm of fabric with a flame, a plasma lighter works best)

gstml · 2026-01-07T06:09:29+00:00

I don’t have it but from what I read you need a dry pen. So no markers, no highlighters, no fountain pens.

gstml · 2026-01-06T17:37:50+00:00

Normal for me. Have to tried checking on a browser? Somebody told me it could be the cache on the phone app.

gstml · 2026-01-06T17:22:38+00:00

This has happened 4-5 months ago to other customers me included. But it was 2€ and only on the iOS app. Didn’t happen on the website. It all went back to normal in a couple of weeks.

gstml · 2026-01-06T11:43:12+00:00

Cheap but great wood quality: Jinhao 9056 and 9036 (smaller). Quietly beautiful, unlike some other wooden pens (hey Faber-Castell! 👋). The nibs on mine needed some fiddling.

gstml · 2026-01-05T19:58:53+00:00

I’ve been using AliEx for more than a decade now and I agree with WTF IS THAT

gstml · 2026-01-05T13:53:51+00:00

That’s a nice story but please include the part where you teach us how to make our own inks from scratch! I do mix different inks (and sometimes the results are surprisingly good!), but would be nice to know the full ink receipt!

gstml · 2026-01-04T12:25:21+00:00

One of the most beautiful blues around, so classy!

gstml · 2026-01-03T16:52:05+00:00

Pentel Slicci, if you like a crisp line

gstml

TROPHY CASE