HONG DIAN Hongdian 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 :)

I have been very pleasantly surprised by this mini fountain pen. I have smallish hands so have been looking for a pen that isn't too rounded or bulky. Love the brushed aluminium feel and the colours (check out the video to see), and it has a bit of heft but is definitely not heavy. What I love most is the feel of the nib on the paper - I use Rhodia notebooks for work and it is hard to describe but the feel of the pen across the paper is crisp yet super smooth; smooth in a way that I have not experienced before... I also picked up the pack of 3 nibs (fine, extra fine and bent nibs) so I could swap out nibs as I choose. I get ink shading with both fine and medium nibs - yet to try the others. Reasonable price and have brought a couple as b'day gifts for my fountain pen-loving friends. My hands are small enough that I can use it without posting the end and that gives a real feeling that it's an extension of my fingers, but posting is solid and doesn't move. Super compact, gorgeous colours, writes beautifully, very happy.

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

Absolutely superb pocket pen which honestly is better than my Kaweco's. Aluminium is standard for M2's but I liked the look of the Brass version. Being made of Brass makes it heavier but coupled with the small size gives the pen a solid, "dense" feeling in the hand which is very satisfying. Only & a quarter turns to uncap which is excellent for a pocket pen.The spring clips main function is to provide a roll stop, the Kaweco's don't need this due to body shape. Does work OK but it grip isn't super tight. Of no concern for me as I never added a clip to my Kaweco's due to their small size.The nib is excellent, another Chinese "Knott" engraved nib, very smooth and wet when writing.An interesting observation is that Hongdian didn't just produce a Brass version of the M2 as an exact duplicate of the Aluminium M2's. Brass is significantly heavier, it looks as if it was produced by machining bar stock, and posting the pen, which as with the Kaweco, you need to do, would make the pen unbalanced. However, they made the Brass version so that it posts more deeply on the body and this adjusts the balance point making the pen very comfortable to use. An attention to detail that should be commended.

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.