Summary

Jeff reviews the Hongdian Black Forest Fountain Pen, detailing first impressions, ease of use, and value for cost, and concludes it's a high-quality, affordable pen suitable for everyday use.

Abstract

In a recent article, Jeff shares his comprehensive review of the Hongdian Black Forest Fountain Pen with an extra-fine nib. He expresses his enthusiasm for pens and stationery, particularly fountain pens, and notes the pen's appeal to like-minded aficionados. Jeff evaluates the pen across three categories: first impressions, ease of use, and value for cost. He appreciates the pen's packaging, its lightweight feel, and the smoothness of the knurling on the barrel. The pen's functionality is commended for its smooth operation and ease of filling, although it lacks included instructions. Jeff purchased two pens to use with different inks and reports high satisfaction, despite minor bleeding and sticking issues with certain inks, which he attributes to the ink rather than the pen. He recommends pairing the pen with quality paper and rates it highly for its balance of affordability and daily usability.

Opinions

Jeff is impressed with the pen's quality relative to its cost.
The metal tin and foam insert packaging is considered well-done and reusable as a travel case.
The pen's lightweight and smooth features are positively received.
The absence of instructions with the pen is noted, but the supplementary guide and tutorial video provided by the seller are appreciated.
The pen's performance with two different inks, Pilot Iroshizuku and Cast Iron, is generally favorable, with minor critiques on ink behavior that are not attributed to the pen itself.
Jeff highly recommends using premium paper, such as the Fabriano EcoQua Dot Grid Note Pad, to enhance the writing experience.
The pen receives high marks for value at both its sale and regular price points.
Jeff suggests that the Hongdian Black Forest Fountain Pen is a worthy addition to

300 Words 01/20/2024 | My Review of the Hongdian Black Forest Fountain Pen.

In Extra Fine Nib.

Screenshot of an Amazon listing photo for the Hongdian Black Forest Fountain Pen.

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Hello All,

If you haven’t noticed by now I am a bit of a pen and stationary add…enthusiast. Yeah enthusiast lets go with that.

Nothing is more soothing than sitting down with a warm drink, a new notebook, and a nice pen.

The blank page brims with possibilities, and I can’t wait to dive in.

I think this enthusiasm started in a vain attempt to improve my handwriting.

If only I had the right pen then my handwriting would improve I thought. Spoiler alert: I’m still searching for the right pen.

My enthusiasm for pens and stationary is compounded further when I meet like minded folks. r/fountainpens is the most dangerous place for my wallet. Although, a certain Skool community may become a close second with how things are going inside. I don’t have to go far to find a new friend who is an avid fountain pen lover.

Once you find them it can become quite difficult to not succumb to purchasing yet another pen. In fact after seeing someone else acquire another pen, I purchased two pens myself.

Fountain pens are like Lays potato chips. You can’t buy just one.

Here is my review of the Hongdian Black Forest Fountain Pen, and why I bought two.

I’m going to break this review down into three categories: first impressions, ease of use, value for the cost.

First Impressions

I bought both pens off of Amazon. They came in standard Amazon packaging, and in a nice metal tin with a foam insert. I thought they packaged well. My first impression was that they were a high quality for the cost provided. The tins will make a nice traveling pen case, and the foam inserts hold the pens securely.

My first impression was that the pen was light in my hands, and that the knurling on the barrel was smoother than anticipated. The cap has a nice seal to it and glides off smoothly. The pen also came with a converter installed.

Overall I was impressed both pens but not blown away.

I give them a solid 8/10 in the first impressions category.

Ease of use:

Both pens functioned well out of the gate. They both unscrewed nicely and the converters were easy to fill. The pens themselves did not come with any instructions for use, but the company selling them emailed a nice guide and tutorial video with the purchase.

The reason I bought two pens is so I can use two different inks when taking notes. I filled the first pen with PILOT Iroshizuku Bottled Fountain Pen Ink, Shin-Kai, Deep Sea (Blue Black) 50ml Bottle, and I filled the second pen with Cast Iron by The Brimingham Pen Company.

Both pens write incredibly well. However, I did notice that the Pilot ink tends to bleed on normal paper, and the Cast Iron will stick slightly on the up stroke. I’m sure that has more to do with the inks than the pens themselves.

Overall I’m incredibly satisfied with both pens and how they function so far. My one recommendation is to make sure you pair the pen with an equally nice notebook or paper. I’m currently writing on Fabriano EcoQua Dot Grid Note Pad and it takes the ink well without bleeding or ghosting.

I give the pens a 9/10 for ease of use.

Value for cost:

I bought both pens on sale for $16.00 (15% off of their normal $19.99 price point). They are nice enough to feel nice in the hand for every day use, but not so expensive that I would feel bad if they got scratched or dinged.

Based on the points above I give them a 10/10 at either price point.

The first pen review is in the books. Let me know what you think. Do you have a current favorite pen or ink that I should know about?

Regards,

Jeff

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