July 30, 2026
Pens from China -- Hongdian
I ran across this review of the "Black Forest" by Doodlebud:
This is a nice thin converter pen.
For the price of $17 on Amazon, it looked worth a try.
There are countless variations, along with "White Forest" versions.
Interestingly, the Amazon listings flip between Asvine and Hongdian.
I have heard that there is some connection between Hongdian and Asvine.
Some say that they make parts for one another, but it may go deeper.
I ordered one, and am very happy with it. I ordered one with an EF nib and
it writes like a Japanese F nib -- which I am pleased with.
The pen itself is metal, with a nice heavy feel and is beautiful.
Remarkable for the price. The cap snaps on, and so far has been doing just
fine keeping the nib from drying out.
Long knife (nib)
The following post has fascinating information. Long knife is a misnomer or overly
literal translation. Sailor has a Nainata Togi specialty nib of the same sort.
These nibs get marked NMF
One person says it is like a cross between an EF nib and an Architect nib.
I ordered a Hongdian Black Forest variant (for $20) with a carbon fiber housing and a Long Knife nib.
Stay tuned for my comments.
M2
This is a tiny all metal pen (aluminum or brass) for $20.
Probably not my thing -- I would want to read reviews.
It comes with a converter.
Feedback? Questions?
Drop me a line!
Tom's Pen Info / tom@mmto.org