I have long been a fan of HongDian fountain pens and just discovered their Black Forest Rollerball pen. I got one today and find that it quite readily runs my favorite Energel, Sarasa, Pilot G2, Schmidt 888, Schneider Topball 850, Uniball refills, and more!

And with a short spacer, this pen will run Parker/Monteverde P refills too! What a find!

Wow. The pen is simple, solid, weighty, looks great and is as functionally reliable as a pen can be. Snap cap is quick, tight, and solid. No threads to bother with. Barrel length is compact - there is no back-weight feeling of any kind here. Post if you want, but why bother adding more weight back there?

The pen feels quite stable in the hand and the smooth grip section does not feel slippery, nor insecure, to me at all.

Though I have numerous copies of Sarasa Grand, Energel Alloy, Beiluner G04 & GO2, Lamy Al-Star, OHTO CR01 & CR02, Retro 51 Tornado, Machine Era Field Draftsman.... this $18 HongDian host is such an enjoyable pen to write with.

To my taste in size, weight, feel, and refill compatibility - I am thrilled.

They are on Amazon for $18 and I guarantee... these are a dream to write with and look great, too. No more plastic pen bodies for me. Metal all the way.

I’ve seen that some people have also had some issues with these but haven’t found any solution. I bought a pack and all but 2 were bad so I returned and got a different pack thinking I got unlucky. Well now only 2 work from this one. I’m so bummed out. This was such a huge splurge for me (I know, super pathetic but things are really tight but I thought it would brighten my spirits to get myself a birthday gift) it’s too late to return them since I tossed the packaging and receipt.

I have tried letting an alcohol soaked cotton pad sit on them per Google but that didn’t work. Has anyone had any luck getting these to work? Thank you to anyone who has any advice! I really appreciate the help.

Stamped with that iconic "PILOT 0.7 S10 S-SERIES", this cobalt blue beauty is an absolute mood-booster every time it hits the desk. While black and silver are classic, there's just something about this rich, translucent blue paired with the heavy-duty knurled metallic grip that makes you want to immediately start sketching or jotting down ideas.

A perfect blend of industrial utility and striking color. It’s impossible not to feel inspired with this in the lineup.

💬 Does a pop of vibrant color on your desk change your workflow, or are you strictly monochrome? 👇

How much different is the medium tip I am used vs the fine?

Hi!

A few months ago I bought two LAMY AL-STAR Safari Ballpoint pens. Unfortunately, I have now lost both of them (one in an airplane and one somewhere in campus).

I really liked the feeling of these pens (their size). There were some minor issues which makes me consider another pen:

1. The rubber protecting the clicker fell of after a few months - realized it was only attached using glue. It also broke within a few months.

2. The plastic around the pen clip also broke after a few months of heavy usage

3. The clicker sometimes got stuck, and you had to twist it manually (very small annoyance, but it happened regularly(.

Is there another ballpoint pen that is similar in form factor to AL-STAR Safari that could serve as a worthy replacement? Thanks!

What would you ask for?

Back from Caran d‘Ache store where the new collection has just landed. The design looks very nice irl, so will probably get the pen & pencil combo. The 10€ per scented pencil is a stretch though imo. What do you guys think about this design?

There’s something truly special about vintage Montblanc designs. The bold red barrel and that subtle white star poking out of a shirt pocket bring just the right amount of vintage charm to the workday.

Hi guys! 7 months ago, I bought my first gel pen and pencil (Uniball Zento and Kuru Toga Pipe Slide). I would’ve never expected it to come here honestly.

I arranged the pens and pencils in no particular order, but here they are:

Top Row (from left to right):

Pilot Fure Fure Opt 0.5 (broken clip - my favorite especially with 2B lead)
Uni Kuru Toga KS 0.5
Pentel Graphgear 1000 0.5
Uni Kuru Toga Advance Upgrade 0.5
Pentel Graphgear 500 PG515 0.5
Tombow Mono Graph Tune 0.5
Unbranded Aliexpress Metal Pencil 0.3
Uni Kuru Toga Pipe Slide 0.5
Baile Lead Holder 2.0
2x SAI Akashiya Brush Pens (idk how I got them)
few Sharpie highlighters
2x Montex 626 Highlighters
Expo Marker + Sharpie

Bottom Row (from left to right):

Pilot Metropolitan Fountain Pen - Black Crocodile, Fine Nib with Rohrer und Klingner Salix ink
3x Uniball One Limited 0.5 (Macaron colors)
3x Uniball Zento Limited - 1 each of 0.38, 0.5, and 0.7 (Japanese colors)
Pilot G2 Black 0.7mm (I have 5 more of these)
Pilot G2 Blue 0.5mm (I have 2 more of these)
Zebra Sarasa Vintage Pack 0.5mm
Flair V2 Blue ~0.7mm
Pentel RSVP Black 1.0mm
Uni Jetstream Lite Touch Black 0.7mm
Zebra Z-Grip Blue 0.7mm
Pilot Acroball 4+1 Multipen - 0.7 pens, 0.5 pencil
Pilot Frixion Black 0.7mm (I have 2 more of these + 5 extra refills)
Aptera Rollerball Black 0.5mm
Pilot Precise V5 Black 0.5mm
Pentel Energel Black 0.5mm

I would’ve had a few more, such as 2 more limited Zentos, a limited Uniball one, and a Deli 0.5 mechanical pencil, but I lost them. I have a few more things on order - namely a Pentel Kerry 0.5 and a Uni Alpha Gel Switch Kuru Toga 0.5.

I bought nearly all of this from AliExpress for dirt cheap. I’d say in total, $20-25 spent for all of these, not including a few (such as the American brands like Sharpie or Expo, the Sarasa Vintage, the Graphgear 1000, and the Pilot Metropolitan).

Hello everyone!

I would like to start journaling soon (with pen), but one of my main concerns is my journal getting wet and me losing all my work. I currently use gel pens for everyday use but I know it might bleed.

However, I want to also enjoy writing which means using a pen I like. Does anyone know what type of pen I should use which would last a while? I would also be okay using ballpoint if they last a long time.

I'm also currently experimenting with pens and finding out which ones are my favorite!

Thank you very much for your input!

How do Osmiroid and Platignum pens and nibs compare in general?

(asking as I have an osmiroid 75 set on the way but saw a listing for a platignum silverline set for 10 bucks that is remarkably similar)

Guyssssss.

I always seen from people in this sub raving about how reliable Energel RTX is and this is my first one.

Was in a Target-like store looking for the classic ones and these pink/cancer awareness ones were on clearance for $3 for a 3 pack.

She's pretty and writes so boldly, smoothly, dries pretty quickly. I get the hype.

(For anyone wondering about the extra brake in the passenger side lol, I'm a dmv certified instructor in NY state)

I bought this pen a few years ago. I can't find it online through image search. I'd love to buy another one of these.

Have a great day :))

My brother got gifted this pen by his teacher a few years ago and is now wondering the specifics about this pen. If anyone could help out it would be greatly appreciated.

Does anyone know whether these pens are hand-painted lacquer or stickers?

The price point makes me believe they are stickers, because no way fully hand-painted would be only 80CAD...

My partner loves the lacquer and maki-e, but isn't the biggest fan of fountain pens, so I was trying to find the same designs in a ballpoint.