Review on Hongdian Raw Brass Fountain Pen Extra Fine Nib Classic Design Smooth Writing Copper Pen With Converter And Pen Case Set by Robert Patton

I rarely do reviews, but I just purchased my 5th Hong Dian (that's how it's written on the cap) fountain pen. As much as I don't want everyone to clamber on board and drive up the price of these little beauties, I've gotta give this company some love for creating a really well-made fountain pen on the cheap.I've tried several other 'affordable' brands of fountain pens and have been, generally, not WOWed. I have three go-to brands in this category, of which Hong Dian is one.The colors in the 'Forest' are more muted in person than they appear online. The green is almost a drab olive. However, the image of Purple Forest (as well as the blue) is the closest to a true representation of the actual barrel color. I was originally a bit disappointed in the barrel colors, but I've quickly gotten past that.The pens are actually pretty dang good! I was skeptical about the quality but my first one was on deep discount. I've since purchased 4 more of these pens.They work beautifully out of the box with no fussing over the nib. The ink converters come with the pens, making this an insanely good value for the money.I have a thing for fine nibs and Hong Dian does not disappoint. The EF nibs are the thinnest I've encountered among any brand. The EF are advertised as .04mm (their Fine at .05mm) although they feel like .035mm. The ink flow is perfect, with no skips or bloops. Although, I admit that I occasionally get some minor skipping with the bent nib if that pen hasn't been used in a day or so. The bent nib requires constant use. (I hate to say this, but I prefer the Sailor Fude bent nib and the Pilot stub nib to the Hong Dian bent nib because of that skipping.) The EF nibs, though, write perfectly even if they haven't been used for a few days, like over a long weekend. While quality inks are preferred, the Forest line still writes like a dream when used with cheaper inks. They create thin lines that are as equally suited to ink sketching as they are to letter-writing.In a nutshell, I've got a small collection of fountain pens. The wallet can only stretch so far so I've enjoyed trying out some of the different affordable lines. I am a big fan of the Pilot Metro and Dryden Designs. Among my three favorite lines of Affordable Pens, Hong Dian vies for first place with Pilot Metro.Dryden Designs have rich, creamy colors and a sioothing weight behind them. Their Fine nibs feel a little thick for my taste, but there's definitely a place for them in daily life.Pilot Metro are a good value, come in a variety of fun colors, and write beautifully. Their Fine nibs are true and produce a thin line. The Pilot Metro are rather light, however, compared to Dryden and Hong Dian.The Hong Dian Forest pens weigh only slightly more than the Pilot Metros, but the weight of the cap on the end of the pens give the impression of them being far more heavy. This not a complaint, as they are well-balanced and the weight of the pen is welcome when writing fine, detailed lines.I have surprised myself because, over the course of the pandemic, Hong Dian's Forest line has become one of my favorite pens. After a year of using these pens, I'm even happier now with them than I was in the beginning. I use them daily and, although I'd hate to lose one, they are affordable enough to replace should a Terrible Thing happen to one. I've even branched out to try other Hong Dian fountain pen lines based on the success of the Forest line.I am super pleased with this pen and highly recommend it, particularly if you enjoy EF nibs.