The 5 Best (Cheap!) Chinese Fountain Pens

Fountain pens are amazing - they elevate the act of writing, turning it from a necessity into a beautiful ritual that can center us and give us real enjoyment. But they are traditionally quite expensive. A "nice" fountain pen can cost anywhere from $50 to $500 (there are fountain pens above that price, but they're usually more a piece of art than a writing tool).

"Cheap" chinese pens have been around for a long time, but they've always had a reputation for inferior quality and shoddy quality control (QC). I strongly feel that this reputation is no longer deserved; quality has become extremely consistent for the major Chinese brands (Jinhao, Moonman/Majohn, Hongdian, Asvine, and the like). They're now REALLY giving European, American, and Japanese brands a run for their money in terms of value.

Without further ado, here are my 5 favorites from this year:

1. Hongdian M2

The Hongdian M2 is the first Chinese pen that blew me away. It's a slim pocket pen that is light, tough, and beautiful. It uses a cartridge/converter filling mechanism, which makes it really convenient for travel (you can get standard international cartridges for it practically anywhere in the world) and easy to clean.

I've been to Europe and all over the US with this pen, and it performs. AND IT'S $20! 

Note: I have heard that there is some variation in nib feel/quality, but I got an amazing nib with a writing experience that's significantly better than my Kaweco Sport (which is another pen I love in the "pocket pen" category).

Traditional alternative: Kaweco Brass Sport

If the Hongdian M2 appeals because it is a small metal travel pen, the Kaweco Brass Sport is the heritage-brand version of that idea. It is heavier, more substantial, and built to pick up patina as it rides around in a pocket or notebook case. It costs more, obviously, but it feels less like a clever bargain and more like an object you keep for years.

2. Asvine C2000 Ebonite

The Asvine C2000 fountain pen is a fantastic way to try out ebonite (vulcanized rubber, the same stuff that bowling balls are made of) without breaking the bank. A similar pen would cost you $300+ from a European, Japanese, or American maker. Ebonite is a wonderfully "human" material which feels warm and soft when you touch it. It's also got a perfect density for pens, giving them a bit of heft without feeling heavy.

This makes the writing experience absolutely beautiful. I have this pen in green ebonite with a stub nib that adds a dramatic flair to my writing and shows off ink properties like sheen, shading, and shimmer.

Note: There is a non-ebonite version of this pen, too – the ebonite version is available in green, red, or brown.

Traditional alternative: Pelikan M800 Souverän

The Asvine C2000 is a great low-cost way to try a warm, substantial material. The Pelikan M800 is not an ebonite pen, but it is the classic heritage-brand upgrade if what you want is a full-size, serious writer: piston filler, gold nib, beautiful balance, and the kind of fit and finish that makes the pen feel calm and inevitable in the hand.

 

3. Jinhao 82

The Jinhao 82 is essentially a super-low-cost clone of the Sailor Pro Gear Slim, a smallish cartridge/converter fountain pen. I find it to be a surprisingly ergonomic pen even though I have large hands; suitable for longer writing sessions even though it's quite compact.

It's a <$10 pen, and is actually one of the best starter fountain pens I can think of – I recommend it to new fountain pen users all the time because for the cost of a hamburger, you can see if the fountain pen hobby is for you.

Bottle & Plume alternative: Benu Talisman Peacock Ore

The Jinhao 82 is very obviously Sailor Pro Gear Slim-inspired. If you want the original idea, buy a Sailor Pro Gear Slim. I do not currently have one to point you to at Bottle & Plume, but if what you like is the small, colorful, personality-forward cartridge/converter role, the Benu Talisman Peacock Ore is the store alternative I would actually suggest: more sparkle, better materials, and a pen that has its own point of view instead of borrowing someone else's silhouette.

4. Majohn P140

This is a real step up; a piston filler (giant ink capacity) and a demonstrator (clear pen) that lets you see the ink swooshing around inside. Oh, and the Majohn P140 is a looker. I don't own this one but I hear so many good things about it on r/fountainpens – and such consistently good things – that I feel comfortable recommending it here.

It's also on my "saved for later" list, so the next time I allow myself an impulse purchase to celebrate something, this baby is going straight into my Amazon shopping cart.

Traditional alternative: Platinum #3776 Century Demonstrator

If the Majohn P140 appeals because it is a clear demonstrator with a more grown-up feel, the Platinum #3776 Century Ver. 2 Demonstrator is the heritage-brand version I would look at. It is not a piston filler, so you give up the giant ink capacity, but you gain Platinum's excellent cap seal, a 14k gold nib, and the refinement that makes a transparent pen feel like a serious writing instrument rather than just a fun experiment.

 

5. Majohn Wancai Mini (eyedropper!)

I feel weird posting a second pocket pen when there are lots of other good Chinese pens to mention, but this one is just so wild that it deserves a spot here:

How cool is this!? The Majohn Wancai Mini 2.0 is a tiny little thing when it's closed, though it uncaps and posts to become a relatively normal-length (fat and stubby, but a normal length! Stop looking at me like that!) pen. Positives:

• It's a demonstrator (clear) which makes it quite fun to look at when it's filled with ink.
• It's tiny.
• It's an eyedropper filler, which is maybe my favorite filling system (and certainly the simplest and most traditional): you simply unscrew the nib section and use an (included) eyedropper to fill the entire pen body with ink.

This pen is in my nightstand, ready to jot down late night journal thoughts or incredible ideas brought to me in my dreams.

No clean traditional alternative

The Majohn Wancai Mini is odd enough that I would not force a one-to-one Bottle & Plume alternative. A Kaweco Sport can cover the pocket-pen role, but it does not replace the tiny eyedropper demonstrator charm. If the Wancai is the thing you want, the Wancai is the thing you want.