Hongdian 100 Piston Fountain Pen Silver Steel, Iridium Medium Nib Calligraphy Pen, Smooth Writing Pen with Pen Case Set

So, I need to preface this review by saying that I have over four dozen fountain pens now. Writing with them is my happy place. However, when the first pen arrived, I could not get it to fill. I have several TWSBI piston fills, but this one confounded me. I was able to get just a few drops of ink in it to try out the nib, and that was it. Writing with the nib was as smooth as butter sliding over a hot skillet, and it laid down a smooth, heavy, wet line. I knew instantly that I had to have one that worked for my collection. So I packed it up, and back it went. The replacement has just arrived today. The new one glides over paper just as well. More importantly, however, the piston on it opened all the way up without any effort, and I understood that the original had a defect in the piston. This one was super-easy to fill, and held a lot of ink. I touched it to the page, and it just glided almost on its own. But let's get down to the things you want to know.1) Smooth, wet, juicy writer that lays down a thick line with no effort whatsoever.2) It does not skip at all when you flip it over to write from the top. It lays down a super-thin, clean line without really having any feedback even in this position.3) Holding the nib at a 45 degree angle from its point really doesn't make much of a difference when trying to get a little calligraphy style in your cursive writing. But, honestly, there's not a lot of feedback there. It's an all around smooth writing experience no matter which way I've turned it (apart from the obvious angles that lay down no ink at all).4) The pen posts. It posts very easily, and fits with the barrel over halfway up the cap. Read it's not just fitting at the tip.5) When the cap is posted, the pen is nearly twice as heavy, if not more, than it is unposted. This pen already has a little heft to it, which is a statement all on its own. With the cap on, however, it is very TOP-HEAVY. I don't care, but it may make a difference to you, as it affects the way you write with it.5) It's in my daily lineup now. I need to work out my wrist and forearm a little just to be able to use it as much as I write daily. However, Writing with it is pure joy... so, worth it.10/10 recommend. Unless you don't like heavy pens. Also, this pen is very textured. If you're sensitive to textures, be aware that the texture is rough, but not sharp around the barrel, but smooth in the grip area. Depending on how you hold your pen, you may feel the texture but rub against the crease between your thumb and forefinger.

When it comes to fountain pens, the joy of writing lies not just in the functionality but in the experience itself. This pen masterfully balances impeccable performance with an aesthetic that truly stands out. I am not sure how they managed to get this pen as smooth as it is at the price that it as low as this. For me personally, it feels premium, it is comfortable in my hands and looks great in person.If you’re searching for smooth writing paired with striking design, this pen won’t disappoint.I have bought a few more pens from this company.

I love the pen. It's so beautiful. I love the clip on the lid and I love that you can rest the lid on the bottom part of them pen as your write. Still getting use filling it up with the pen it self and makes if difficult if it's not a full bottle of ink.

It is a beautiful pen Smooth writer.Does not dry out...the best pen for not drying out...even while holding it without cap on while researching something..when then write the ink is right there. None of my other pens do this to this extent....this and my other Hondian, the N8. It also holds alot of ink.

Ordered the Long Knife Nib version. Shipping was Free One-Day with Prime, which was great. The pen, visually, looked stunning. Felt solid and balanced in the hand. Packaging and presentation, all 5/5, lived up to the pictures and advertising.The insurmountable issue was the piston plunger was defective. The plunger, a hard plastic, was warped, forming an ineffective seal. When attempting to piston fill from the ink bottle, the pen only drew in a couple drops of ink, not enough to even be visible through the ink window. I cycled to attempt a fill multiple (3) times, between attempted fills turning the pen nib-up to purge air and let gravity help pull in ink. Some ink did make its way into the tank, but went right past the piston because of the defective seal and onto the threading of the piston end. Not only that, but ink was also starting to leak directly out of the seams around the ink window.Figured I had bad luck and opted for a free replacement, which had a similar issue with the piston (see picture). Because of the irreparably warped plastic end, this piston was unable to draw any ink whatsoever. The replacement did not leak from the seams around the ink window, but regardless, it was unusable as a piston fountain pen.It appears the piston assembly for this pen is having a bad manufacturing batch issue which renders the piston-filling operation completely non-functional.Furthermore, the piston assembly in the one I received appears different than in the advertising and videos (see picture). The piston end's threading and housing on mine appeared to be brass, rather than the white (plastic? steel?) material in any of the videos or pictures, visible through the translucent body. Normally, I'd attribute higher quality to the brass, and wouldn't complain, but both the original and replacement I received both were uniquely brass and uniquely had defective plungers. Perhaps they replaced one of the original components with a seemingly higher quality alternative which ended up having quality issues with the plastic portion.Regardless, I can only recommend strongly against buying this until they sort the broken batch out.