Hongdian – M2 Black Forest Mini Pen with Soft Extra Fine Nib and Elegant Aluminium Shape – Short Pocket Pen (Khaki Green)

First of all - I'd just like to say I got this pen because I like my Brass Kaweco Sport pen. Very, very solid and practically the same size as this Hongdian M2. I love the size. Kaweco also make aluminium versions, but for a fraction of the price, I thought I'd try the Hongdian. So...the review. It comes in a wee cardboard box, which contains a nice sturdy aluminium box. It's actually a bit too long for the pen, but who's measuring. It's not going to stay in the box - this is a workaday pen, ideally sized for carrying around pretty well anywhere. I've attached photos showing the size - with cap posted and unposted. There's also one showing the Hongdian M2 and my brass Kaweco Sport. It comes with an ink filler, although you can also use 'standard' ink cartridges. I say 'standard' as my Kaweco and other pens also profess to use 'standard' cartridges, but their openings are too small for this pen. So - as long as you have the correct size cartridges (standard 'long', I think), you'll be fine. As I don't currently have a bottle of ink, I plumped for cartrdiges, as personally I do find them more convenient. However.....I don't know if it was a problem with the pen or the cartridge (or me!) - but I just couldn't puncture the cartridge seal with the pen. In the end, I had to use a pointy penknife. However, once installed and ink flowing (took quite a few shakes for this to happen), again, this worked fine. Now to writing - I haven't as yet crafted an essay with this pen, but I can say it writes very nicely and you can vary the ink flow nicely. This isn't to say that if you press hard (DON'T!) it floods - but if you use it with the 'correct' pressure' it has a nice flow. If you press it lighter, you can almost shade with it. Very controlled. My Kaweco has a 'Medium' nib, so I went for the 'Extra Fine', which I believed to be one step finer than the Kaweco Medium, which I actually find a wee bit too large. It's lovely - but - it doesn't quite suit my writing style, as I do tend to write small and the pen forces me to write larger, or else the ink just all all smooshes together. The Hondian M2 with super fine nib works just dandy - just right for my little scribbles. It's a very light pen, being aluminium, but it feels very solid and sturdy. It screws and unscrews well - both the cap on the pen and the barrel - and the barrel also has a rubber seal for extra security. Be careful you don't lose the seal, though, as it does have a tendency to roll off. It's maybe slightly too large - but it isn't loose and when tightened up, again it's absolutely fine. Just something to be aware of. Back to the nib, which doesn't appear to fill up with ink in use - just enough to impart the ink on to the paper, which it does in a nice smooth fashion. Obviously it isn't going to compete with the best of nibs, but I don't have any complaints. The pen feels very smooth to the touch and it sits in the hand well - although to use it unposted you would need a really small hand to have it sit right. So - posted it is. The cap fits well - it doesn't slip off and you can easily turn it to have the clip resting on your hand, as I do, to give the correct angle for writing. Once put where you like it, it stays put. The clip is spring loaded and it's nice and solid. #EDIT It's still as spring loaded as it was - however, I've nearly lost the pen on a few occasions (once I found it on our drive the next morning!), as it does NOT clip onto a pocket very well. It's just too smooth and it keeps sliding out of my pocket. It doesn't affect my enjoyment in using the pen, but I am worried that one day I'll lose it - all because the clip doesn't hold on properly (The Kaweco does...). The Midnight Blue is an absolutely gorgeous deep blue. So - overall, I really like this pen. It has a couple of small flaws, but the plus points far outweigh these, for me. It's already sitting in my pocket, next to my Kaweco, for day-to-day use. I have black medium in my Kaweco and blue fine in the Hongdian. Both work great - but I must say I couldn't now see myself buying an aluminium Kaweco (as I had been considering doing) - the Hongdiang M2 is just too good an alternative at an exceptional price. It's also finished very, very well. So buy one! I doubt you'll regret it. Oh yes - the company seem nice and friendly, too :)

I have 3 of these lovely Hongdian M2 pens now. They are beautiful writers and very reliable. I would say the nib/writing width is European - i.e. the EF writes like a Japanese F as they are wetter pens (hence smoother). If you want a thin line I would recommend EF over F. The included converters are also excellent - no leaking and they draw up a good fill of ink. The pens are well made with smooth-threaded bodies and caps. They are very compact so perfect for carrying around. Most pens in this budget have push-on lids which are not reliable to carry in a bag/pocket as they can come undone - this one is truly portable as it has a secure screw-on cap. I have lots of fountain pens (many much more expensive) and this pen is my favourite - I recommend it highly.

This is an excellent product, very well made, solid and feels good to write with. The nib (I got the extra fine) is very good, it writes well with good ink flow. It is a solid pen that I am very pleased with. I've only had it for a short time so I can't comment on whether the cap keeps the nib from drying out. The only reason I haven't awarded it 5 stars is that despite having an excellent spring loaded clip, which is great to attach it to my notebook, on my pen the clip is not quite centred on the pen cap, but is slightly to one side. This doesn't affect its use, and most people probably wouldn't notice it, but it is a detail I am reminded of every time I look at the pen. However, overall I am very pleased with my purchase and have to say the pen is actually fantastic value for money for the quality you are getting. I'm sure it will give me great service for years, if not for life.

This pen is an absolute gem. It feels so high quality (apart from the clip which feels a tiny bit loose side-to-side, but is hinged and works well), it’s a great size, it writes smoothly. I’m carrying with me all the time. I’m definitely going to buy other colours. Absolutely fantastic pen at this price. Buy one, you will not regret it.

This is an excellent writing tool. I'm one of those that choose to write in ink still and have had various ink pens over the years, a Rotring being my last and favourite purchase. I wanted a replacement but did not want to pay big money for the branded names as I don't use pens as much as I used to. This pen is small but not tiny and when the cap is place on the body it becomes a well balanced writing tool. The best bit though is the way the ink flows every time you reach to use it, I have had a number of more expensive pens that do not write anywhere as nicely as this on demand. A more common thing being the ink had dried and it took several pen strokes to activate the nib. For my needs this is 5*, maybe not for the purists or those with deeper pockets, it writes smoothly and and demand every time.

A nice pen that looks expensive and writes very well. Flow is good and doesn’t skip. However the smooth metal material makes if uncomfortable to hold and it is also quite heavy so I don’t see it being one I will use very often.

It's an attractive looking pen but very small to hold, you definitely need the the cap pushed firmly on the end to improve the grip and balance in the hand. When writing, it's surprisingly comfortable and smooth, there's a real sense of quality despite the low cost. The clip feels like it might be a little fragile, but overall the pen feels quite robust and durable.

I ordered extra fine nib and it’s far from fine tbh. It writes very thick so lord knows how thick the normal nib writes. Other than that the quality seems pretty good. Unfortunately, you have to unscrew the cap, which is a bit annoying but not the end of the world. Very disappointed about the nib though, hence only two stars.

Excelente pluma muy bonita, la calidad de la escritura tambien me gustó mucho. Compre Nib (EF) y me pareció muy bueno, pero eso depe de tu letra. En palel común no se marca atrás.

Really compact (perfect for A7 size notebook), solid aluminium body and really nice point for the prize! Great to cary around.

Küçük ve tam istediğim gibi, cebime atıp sürekli yanımda taşıyabiliyorum. Pirinç gövde sayesinde oldukça sağlam duruyor. EF nib adeta kayarak yazıyor. Lamy EF ile F arası bir kalınlıkta yazıyor. Tek eleştirim, klips küçük bir pim ile monte edilmiş, hafifçe sağa sola hareket ediyor. Umarım bir süre sonra gevşemez veya kırılmaz.

Superou todas as espectativas

La pluma Hongdian M2 en versión latón está muy bien diseñada y construida. Se siente muy sólida en la mano y, pese a ser una estilográfica de bolsillo, su peso la hace lo suficientemente sustancial como para escribir con firmeza. Los mecanizados son muy precisos; el clip es algo menos fuerte que en la M2 de aluminio, pero cumple perfectamente su función. Compré la versión con plumín <EF> extra fino y, en realidad, es casi más un <SF> o un <SMF>. La S se refiere a soft, ya que sin ser flexible, sí que muestra una variación de línea sorprendente para un plumín tan pequeño. Para mi gusto, es un algo más húmeda de lo que me gustaría, más incluso que la M2 de aluminio que tengo. Solo la he entintado con Platinum Carbon Black (resistente al agua). Quizás con otras tintas más secas, tipo Pelikan o Waterman, no notaría tanto que es una manguera de tinta. En definitiva, una pluma elegante, bien construida y a un precio inmejorable, teniendo en cuenta que trae su propio conversor para usar la tinta que prefieras. Una muy buena pluma para escribir, que con la variabilidad de trazo y el plumín suave que tiene resulta muy agradable. Para dibujo también, pero siendo tan húmeda no resulta quizás la mejor para trazo detallado y tramas (crosshatching).