HONG DIANHongdian M2 Black Forest Mini Fountain Pen, Fine Soft Nib & Sleek Shape Aluminium Short Pocket Travel Pen (Caramel Brown)

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 :)

This is such a nice pen to write with, it has quickly become my first choice to use.The fine nib is ideal for neat and clear writing. It's smooth on the paper but has just enough friction that it's easy to control. It's well made in metal which seems to be aluminium. It had a smooth surface, but the flare at the bottom is enough to stop fingers slipping onto the nib.The long cap is screwed on, and unscrews with a satisfying finger spin. It posts securely - and given the short size of the pen, it needs to be posted for comfortable use, for my big hands anyway. The clip is robust with a spring mechanism, and holds the pen securely in a shirt pocket.All in all, this is a lovely pen. I have several other fountain pens to compare it to as well, up to several times the price. I liked this one so much, I bought another in a different colour.

Very handy small pen. Definitely needs to be posted when you use it so that it sits comfortably in your hand. Only minor concern is that cartridges need a lot of force to inser and the small nib body makes this slightly harder than it should be. Smooth flow through the nib and very good value for money

The M2 is extremely well made and has a fantastic finish. The size is great for taking out and about. The spring loaded clip is a nice touch. Great pen for drawing and sketching - can be used at a shallow angle too.The cap gives a good seal and the nib doesn't dry out. There are different nibs available in packs of 3 F/EF/BENT to fit this pen. I find it lays down ink best with the lightest pressure which is great for sketching.The converter makes it easy to fill with your choice of ink - I use Platinum Carbon mainlyOverall I am very impressed with this pen!

This looks great in the grey colour.It's a small pocket pen and does have a reasonable ink capacity as the converter is quite wide.Very well made and finished. The grip section is slim and a bit slick so in my medium size hand I would have preferred it to be either wider or textured.The clip is excellent.I have to use it posted as it's only 100mm long without the capBasically it's a good looking pen that writes really well. The "fine" nib writes more like a medium.

This pen is roughly in the style of the famous Kaweco Brass Sport, a much loved pen. This Hongdian pen writes about as well as that Sport (if you get a good nib, it seems to vary) – that is to say, well – and is heavy, solid, and well made. The cap posts on the back of the pen well, both securely and without a metal-on-metal grinding sensation, due to a plastic liner in the cap. But it has two big design flaws (IMHO at least), first the brass has a plasticy-feeling lacquer applied to it, and the second is the clip is weak bordering on useless. One of the reasons the Kaweco brass pens are so popular is the brass patinas (gets darker and more matte) over time and becomes unique to you, as well as becoming more grippy and more low key, less showy and less blingy. I can't understand why Hongdian would apply a slick plastic coating to this pen; it removes most of the appeal of brass as a material. To make matters worse, the coating can't even be easily removed. Then there is the clip... the spring in it is far to weak and the pin holding it top the cap is loose-fitting and looks like it'll fall out and get lost (probably along with at least the clip, if not the whole pen). I guess they designed the spring for the aluminium version (which is a much lighter weight pen) as for this heavier brass pen it's no where near strong enough. At least it works fine as a roll-stop I guess. All in all, I think for most people, this won't be the brass pocket fountain pen they actually want, so in that sense it's probably overpriced too.