HongDian Black Forest Fountain pen: An artist review
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- Опубліковано 8 лип 2024
- Hey my pen people!
In today’s video, I will be looking at the Hongdian Black Forest, a fancy little pen, and quite a bargain for its price! I am also conducting a test of the audience’s patience as I consistently confuse the terms “cartridge” and “converter.” Sorry. Hope it makes you laugh! But also sorry...
Here’s a link to the pen:
bit.ly/HngDnBlkFrst
For today’s ink selection, I am using an ink from Colorverse’s mini collection. This particular color is called “Conjecture,” and you can pick it up in a 3 pack with just about any color Colorverse makes for a pretty reasonable price! Check that out here:
bit.ly/ClvrsMini
Thanks! Please subscribe to my channel if you like what you see!
bit.ly/3iVayOb
Chapters:
00:00 introduction
00:36 parts and disassembly
06:39 Colorverse Mini Collection
08:19 practice strokes
13:37 drawing sample
21:40 final thoughts
Beyond the antidepressants I'm on, I ride my bike regularly, which helps keep the blues in check. Lately I'm doing a little meditation, but the jury is out on its efficacy. Looking forward to drawing is what gets me out of bed in the morning.
I know what you mean. Sometimes, I get to the end of my work day, and I just look down at my sketch pad like it’s dessert. My favorite part of drawing is that part where you get so lost in it that it doesn’t matter if it’s good, or if anyone sees it, or if you are even creating something meaningful. You’re just... making something. It’s like reading a good book that you’re writing yourself.
@@stepheninks thanks for sharing that ❤️
As always I appreciate the thoroughness of your reviews and the fact that you do them from an artist’s perspective. I like the addition of a little piece of art advice. Always look forward to new content from you!
Thank you David! I think that my schedule of uploading every 2 weeks really helps me to make things I’m proud of, rather than feeling pressure to upload once a week or even more than that. I think the next video I upload may feature something “familiar” to you!
Great to see a Lefty doing pen reviews! My Black Forest pen is inked with Diamine Writers blood which is practically the same colour as yours. You are also an amazing artist, I am in awe 😊.
That is kind of you to say. Thanks! I think lefties are the perfect pen/ink reviewers because if we can use a pen or ink without smudging, anyone can!
I have heard of that ink. The color is a good match for the Black Forest.
Thanks for a wonderful video. Love this pen. Wonderful writer. And, wonderful sketching pen now that I've seen your astonishingly beautiful artwork. You are so very gifted and talented.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Always great content Steven! Working on being as good as your drawings one day, you make it look effortless. My completionist type mind i think gets impatient & wants the detail out so its done but want it done right, idk hard to explain. God bless you & your family regardless!
Appreciate the kind words, Robert! One thing that helped me with my impatience with details (because I definitely suffer from that too) is to attack each piece in stages. Just pencils on one day. Just outlines the next, and final details on a completely different day. Knowing that I’ll quit for the day when I reach a certain step really makes me slow down and feel less pressure to rush things. It can be very meditative and helps me de stress at the end of the day.
Very well done~! Thank you, I just ordered mine today. Can't wait to get it~! 🙂
One of my all-time favorites!
Very nice review. And the artwork was awesome. Loving it👍
Thank you!
Wow! I really like the color of that ink. I'll have to put together one of their sample packs...
Colorverse is killing it with their inks! That just revealed their season 7 ink colors, which come in two packs, and I want them all!
The Amazon link I posted is probably most convenient, but if you’re Stateside, and you don’t mind paying a little for shipping, shigureinks.com lets you actually pick what three inks you want in your set. That’s where I would go if I bought again, but then again, I would probably want full size bottles next time!
We love the use of woven hatching here!
The swirly lines we think are a quick way of seeing the kind of line variations one may get while writing?
You might want to consider a blunt needle syringe - we got ourself a couple because we’ve inks in small bottles and it makes for cleaner, full filling direct into converters 😬
Thanks! I’m actually really proud of that texture because once, I had a pro illustrator look at my sketchbook, and while he mostly said nice things, he was really excited about when I used that texture on a drawing of a Panda, just because it was so unique. This was an illustrator whose talent I really admire, so I always tried to add that style into my art whenever I could.
I do have a blunt needle syringe, and I agree, it solves a lot of problems. I really do like that Colorverse included those mini pipettes, just in case you don’t have one!
EXCELLENT! The Black forest is my number one go~to pen but with a fude nib.... The line variations are impeccable!!! On a side note~ thank you so much for sending me your awesome little handmade sketchbook; oh man, it's such a joy to look at and have! And also thanks to your wife for the fantastic pair of socks!😜😜😜😜😜😜
That’s great to hear! My wife is unbelievably proud of her fancy Korean socks. I’m also really excited to hear you say that about the fude nib, because I bought one, but haven’t tried it yet. Now I can’t wait for my first opportunity!
Yay! Another astronaut drawing! Loving those hatch lines. :)
That's a very pretty Colorverse ink! I ended up getting a few bottles after seeing them featured in your video a few months ago. Expensive, but the packaging is too cute.
I have a real weakness for Colorverse ink! I have 4 bottles. The colors are so cool. These days I can’t make myself buy an ink that just comes in a boring bottle, and is called like “blue,” or whatever.
@@stepheninks Yep, I just adore their bottles! Haha. Speaking of blue, I have crystal planet. I love the bears on it and it’s a nice shade of blue. 😊 What’s your favorite Colorverse ink so far?
@@valc9726 I think probably the one in this video, Conjecture. They have so many science-themed inks that I want though! Got to get through some inks before I buy new ones though.
@@stepheninks Yea! I might try that one after i finish my other inks!
I've had this pen saved in my basket on Amazon for months not sure whether to buy it or not. Thanks for the review, I think I will finally get it :)
I really love this pen. People on this channel were recommending it to me for ages before I got it. HongDian also sells replacement nib sets that include a fude nib if you want to treat yourself :) solid recommend for those as well.
What a really neat way to fill in the space (sky?). Beautiful 😊
Thank you! 😊
I have been drawing with this pen with the Fude nib. I love it. I personally recommend the Fude nib for drawing over the straight writing nib. But that’s just my 2 pennies
I’ve been enjoying this nib a lot! I’ll definitely be using footage of other drawings I’ve done with it in this channel.
Great drawing and nice ink color!
Colorverse inks haven’t let me down yet! I really want something from their new season.
I'd love to see a video on any other nib sizes you might acquire. I like to see the different lines they put down, especially when you're writing.
Thanks for the suggestion! I do have some videos on alternate nib grinds and calligraphy nibs coming up, but if you want to see this pen with a Fude nib, check out my video about pen cleaning, and my video called “in defense of slow art.” It really like the Fude nib on this pen. So much so that I just keep that one on the pen permanently now.
I hope in 3yrs you've upgraded your lighting system!
Not really. I did get a new camera since the filming of this video, which definitely helps with the picture quality. But as a UA-cam hobbyist who doesn’t want to quit his day job, I’m just doing the best I can with what I’ve got.
Sweet review! And a nice line variation in your drawing. Finally decided to get the Hongdian 6013 and it's also awesome so far. Any ideas if you can replace the nibs and remove the feeder from the section that holds it?
Hi! Hongdian sells replacement nibs in a set of 3 (fine, extra fine, and fude) you can twist them out and add them in. I bought a set, and I’ll be showing them off in a video soon. As for removing the feed, I’ve tried to do it, but haven’t been successful so far. They might be glued together. The good news is that the replacement nibs are cheap, and work, so I would recommend that if you were trying to replace the nib.
I’m an artist who loves fountain pens, too, and I just ordered the green one with a bent nib! I hope it’s fun!!
I have the bent nib for this Black Forest, and it’s a lot of fun! I used it in my video “In Defense of Slow Art.” Check it out if you want to see how it handles!
@@stepheninks awesome, thank you!
I have several of these and I love them. Wish they had a red one.
When you said that, I thought “no, they totally do…” because I feel like I’ve seen it, but I did a search and I’m seriously feeling like I got Matrixed here, because they don’t. They should though. They really should.
One of the reasons people draw the squiggly lines is to show if the pen has any line variation. So light upstroke Heavy downstroke to spread the tines, that nib is not meant to spread too much but usually it gives a little. In a lot of writing styles you make thin upstrokes and heavier downstrokes.
That makes sense. Personally, I really enjoy the pens that don’t have any variation. It’s nice to get consistent lines.
You got a fancier box. I just got the rounded end metal box 📦. I really like the pen 🖊️ It’s solid and sleek.
As long as the pen arrives undamaged, I don’t care how they ship it. I think this is their old packaging. I’ve only seen them in the metal box recently.
Just received the pen today. The post is very snug and for me, with large hands, it works fine. Excited to get black ink and start writing. Great videos and subscribed. Love the ink and seems the only way to get it is to buy the three mini set.
Colorverse does their inks in “seasons” so sometimes a color sells out, and they just don’t put it out again. I agree, it’s a beautiful color. And this pen is still one of my most reliable even almost 2 years later!
@@stepheninks I have been writing all day with it, getting the right fit so I go through periods with cap on, then capped. You are right, it is a bit too heavy with the cap. Love your insights, and your sketches.
Have you tried out the flex pen modification on jinhao pens?
I have, and that would be an interesting video to do in the future, because I have a lot of feelings about it. A quick take: while it does work, there are a lot of ways that the mechanism of the fountain pen is disrupted by the dip pen nib. You won’t have the full convenience of a fountain pen with the full flexibility of a dip pen. For me, I’d rather use the pen as-is. I may do that video though, so you can see it.
Is it F nib ? How is the line size compare with regular Jinhao M Nib? And did it feel smoother than Jinhao ? Anyway thanks for review 😃 I also really like your drawing.
This is an extra fine, so much thinner than a Jinhao M. Probably at least twice as thin. HongDian also makes this pen with an F and a Fude (bent) nib, which is really fun to use.
I’ve had really good luck with Jinhao and HongDian, and I would say they’re both pretty smooth. For drawing, I think I really prefer the HongDian to Jinhao, but I can’t really place why. Just a feeling. They both perform pretty well.
chinese extra fines are usually closer to western extra fines or even japanese mediums. wish more of these inexpensive chinese pens were available with “true”/japanese-width extra fine nibs
I find that’s generally true. I have noticed also that pens modeled after certain Japanese brands tend to have a thinner line? Maybe that’s just me though. I have a Lanbitou version of the Platinum Curidas that has a early identical nib to the real Curidas I own. Also a Jinhao 82 which I’m working on for a video now has a fine line that feel a bit like the Sailor Pro Gear Slim that it’s modeled after (the cheap version of it anyway). If you’re interested in that, I might check out the Jinhao 82, but not the Lanbitou (shoddy quality).
Hi.. thanks for this review,loved your cartoon.. bye'eeee..
Stop by any time!
Hi Stephen,
As part of the nib that you ordered, did you ordered a “fude nib” (bent nib)? I am planning to try such a nib and was wondering if the hongdian was a good choice.
Good luck with your channel!
I bought the fude nib separately in a pack that HonDian sells. If you see my video titled “In Defense of Slow Art,” you can see how the fude performs. I love it. In fact I’ve kept the fude on the pen and exclusively use it for that. The angle of the HongDian fude is a bit more comfortable for me than the angle of the Sailor Fude De Mannen (which is still a pretty decent pen for its price).
💗💗💗
How has this pen held up for you since last year? I can't get this pen to consistently write for more than a day. Have you had any similar issues?
I've cleaned it out and refilled it multiple times, and while it'll initially work after filling it, a day later or so and there is zero ink flow with the pen. The ink I use works fine in my other fountain pens, so I doubt its an ink issue. And the cap seems to seal fine. I would imagine if it was a nib or feed issue I wouldn't be able to get the ink to flow at all. So I feel like something must be drying up somewhere. And the only thing I can think of is the unorthodox spring agitator in the cartridge converter. It seems much larger than the standard tiny balls that are most often used as ink agitators and seems to like to get semi-stuck in either the top or bottom of the converter. So I suspect that perphaps the spring is settling and allowing the ink to dry around its sides and creating a clog.
Mine still works really well. Sorry to hear of your troubles.
Two thoughts if it is truly the nib/feed. If you have some brass sheets, you can shave some small bits from the center of the tines (this usually helps when they are too tight). If the feed, you can buy separate nib/feed units for this pen. I have some. There’s a link to them in my video “in defense of slow art.”
I have quite a few converters with the spring instead of ball bearing setup, and they haven’t ever clogged on me. Do you still have a cartridge for the pen? That would be one way to test to see if it’s the converter. Amazon does sell HongDian converters as well (unfortunately this is not a standard international situation) but I don’t know why a new one would behave any differently if you suspect the spring. They all have that too.
@@stepheninks Thanks for the tips. Ill give em a shot.
I have a question about the Hongdian Black Forest and waterproof pigment ink, if that’s okay? 🙈 I have the Hongdian Black Forest pen with the fude nib, and I absolutely love everything about this pen… except that I can’t seem to get it right with waterproof pigment ink like DeAtramentis document ink and SketchInk. (I do a lot of line and wash drawings and urban sketching so I need waterproof ink.) It works beautifully for a day or two and then it dries up and gives me inconsistent lines with bad skipping. I have a TWSBI Eco and a few Platinum Preppys which all use the waterproof inks and never dry up, even if I don’t use them for 6 months, but none of them have fude nibs and my Black Forest creates the most lovely lines, especially for urban sketching, but it just isn’t reliable or useable unless I literally clean and refill the ink every second day. Have you used waterproof ink in yours? Do you have any thoughts on what I should try to get it to work consistently with waterproof ink? Or should I just use regular fountain pen ink in it and use it for pen and ink drawings only? I fear that the Black Forest pen just doesn’t have a good enough air seal to stop the waterproof pigment ink from drying up very quickly, but idk if it’s just mine or if other people have experienced the same thing.
I have to say that I have not had a problem with my Fude HongDian drying out. I am learning that environment pays a huge factor in this, and I live near the Pacific Ocean, so the weather where I’m from is slightly wet all year round with mild temperatures, so I may not be the ultimate guide on unforgiving climates. I kind of wonder if a HongDian pen with a threaded cap would be better sealing? Or perhaps a different ink? I really love De Atramentes Document Black, but have you tried Platinum Carbon Black? That’s another waterproof ink I have had a lot of luck with. I’ve never heard of SketchInk. Is that a fountain pen ink?
Another trick I’ve learned from viewers of this channel is to dip the nib in water if it dries out. Since you’re an urban sketcher, maybe you would have that available to you? If you want to try an other Fude nib pen, the Sailor Fude de Mannen isn’t as pretty, but it’s cheap and has a nice nib. I recommend the black one over the green one, because the angle is more comfortable.
Thanks for such an informative response! Yes, SketchInk is a fountain pen ink. It’s a range of pigment-based waterproof ink in the Rohrer & Klingner brand. It’s FANTASTIC! Designed for fountain pens and specifically for sketching. I think there are around 8-10 colours, so it’s not a massive colour range, but they’re beautiful inks and the lines don’t budge, even with heavy watercolours washes on top.
I’m from South Africa. We unfortunately don’t have access to many pigment fountain pen inks, but we have an online pen shop which sells SketchInk and Platinum Carbon, though I haven’t yet tried the Carbon ink since I have black SketchInk and black DeAtrementis document ink (which a friend from the US brought for me when she came to SA for a visit.) But you’re not the first who has said they’ve had good results with Platinum Carbon in pens which tend to dry/clog, so I think I’ll give it a go. I’ll definitely try the water dipping technique. I also live at the coast, and it’s pretty high humidity here all year round, and never gets very cold, so I don’t think climate is playing a role. I might buy another Black Forest with fude nib and see if maybe my first one is just a dud. I love the feel of the pen, the satisfying feel of putting the cap back on the pen, and the fude nib is sooo great for drawing, so it’s not a chore to own two Black Forests, even if I can only use tiny amounts of ink at a time. It would actually be handy to have two different colour inks in the pens to be able to use at the same time.
Otherwise I might try your suggestion and have a look at other HongDian pens with threaded caps.
@@theaveragejojo9711 another thing I just thought about would be paper. Watercolor is a bit more dry, Tomoe River and Clairfontaine are more wet, while Bristol and sketchbook papers are somewhat in the middle. The performance of the pen is really a combination of three things; the pen, the ink, and the paper. At least in my experience.
Okay, that could be a contributing factor because I’ve only used the Hongdian pen on 100% cotton watercolour paper. Saying that though, my TWSBI Eco and all my Platinum Preppys work well on the watercolour paper, so I think it has something to do with my Black Forest’s seal not being airtight enough. I think I’ll order another one and see if it does any better. I’ll let you know here if I notice an improvement.
Can u change the nib? Like with a g nib
I’m not sure how you would do that, as the nib section is connected to a threaded assembly, as you can see in the video.
HongDian does sell a few other nib units that fit this pen. The one shown here is an ef, and they also have f, and Fude options.
Mine is a fude nib - came in a rather nice metal box, though without a convertor, which I had to buy separately. I use carbon black ink with it, which it seems happy with - the Hong Dian ink is very soluble in water: fine if that's what you want, though it isnt what I want. Mine posts very easily and firmly, though I prefer to draw with it without the cap. I do agree that it likes good quality paper. If you want line variation, get a fude nib: but you're doing fine without it; hope you're still posting videos.
I am! Thank you for your comment. I actually have a video where I replace the nib on my Black Forest with a Fude. I liked it so much, it’s still on there to this day!
Hey, may I ask?
1) What if something happens with the nib(brokes, for example), is it possible to get a second nib? Are nibs of this pen swappable?
2) If yes, what nibs are suitable for this? Only Hongdian's or other companies' nibs too?
Can I put flex nibs into it? Zebra G, omniflex, FPR nibs...
Hello thank you for you question.
HongDian does sell replacement nibs. As far as I’m aware, they are the only ones which can fit in this pen. They come as a unit with the feed attached.
@@stepheninks Hm, okay, what about the fountain pen writing technique? Are there any nibs that can allow me to create thick upstrokes and thin downstrokes? I have suxh a writing style and if such a nib exists - perfect.
@@user-xf9hb8zo5c dip pens are usually better for that type of writing. I do know that in more expensive pens, such as the Pilot Falcon and Platinum 3776 in soft fine (I own a 3776), line width can be achieved.
On the less expensive side, there are pens by Noddlers (Neposet, Ahab, and Konrad) as well as Fountain Pen Revolution that are available with flexible steel nibs which can achieve a variable line width. I have not really enjoyed these pens myself, but others on this channel seem to.
One that I would really like to try which is somewhat between the two in price is the steel omniflex nib you can get in Conklin pens. I have actually heard that that one is great.
@@stepheninks That's just weird that absolutely everyone teach everybody that upstrokes should be thin, downstrokes - thick but novody explains why. Either the nib will break, if I try to make an upstroke thick, or the paper will tear or nothing will happen and I will really easily get a thick upstroke which will be just non-standard for modern calligraphy. This misunderstanding creates problem of "Do I need a special-special nib for that, or it's impossible at all, or any nib can do that but it's just not popular".
I think upstrokes are naturally thinner because the function of a flexible nib is to open up (wider) when pushed down, and close again (thinner) when pushed out from the other side. Different strokes for different folks though. You might enjoy an oblique nib, which you hold at an angle? Another thing to look into is custom nib grinds. There are a lot of weird/interesting things a nib smith can do to your pen to give you a custom experience. The only downside there is that they would probably charge you an extra 50-60USD on top of whatever the pen cost.
I am subscribing when you wrongly said converter as cartridge 🤣
I’m afraid if that is your criteria, you will have to subscribe to my channel multiple times.
The box and packaging looks very similar to Parker boxes.
That’s interesting. I don’t own any Parkers to compare it to. I wonder if HongDian is one of those Chinese companies with former affiliations to Parker? Would be interesting if there were some way to find out.
I really wanted to like this pen, but ended up disappointed. The thing I really liked about it is the sleek minimalistic design. It feels great in the hand, very solid build, and the way the cap claps back on... chef's kiss. There's something inside it that makes the fit really tight until the very end where it makes a pleasant click. Loved it.
What disappointed me however is the fact that it kept skipping (the F nib at least). I tried washing the pen multiple times, polishing the nib, and adjusting the feed, but I would get the same result. Dry horizontal lines and wet vertical lines. Made for a horrible writing experience.
I don't have too much experience with fountain pens, only tried two different ones so far, but the Pilot Penmanship was vastly superior when it came to actual writing. It's strange that Hongdian went with this feed system where you can't take out the nib. Aside from making it harder to clean, it's virtually impossible to align the nib better if it was poorly assembled. Were it to write well consistently, would've been my favorite pen hands down. Alas.
Aww that’s a bummer, because my pen never did that. I enjoy it still, and it’s build like a tank. Even after several years of abuse, it still runs as smooth as the day I got it. That’s one of the things that really makes it hard to choose great things, because some of the more budget brands can have wild variances in their quality control. If you’re looking for something more consistent, I might recommend a lower end offering from a more established brand like Pilot, Platinum, Sailor, Kaweco, or Lamy. I think a lot of those pens are on par with my experience with the Black Forest.
I'll look into them, thank you!@@stepheninks
Can I ask what's the pattern's name?
Do you mean the sky pattern? It’s a form of hatching for sure, but I just kind of made it up as I went along.
@@stepheninks Oh，yes. Thanks! I will try figuring your pattern.
@@jzm99 if you’re interested, I can try demoing it in a future video. It’s pretty simple to figure out. Kind of like a basket weaving pattern.
Wow! That will be so great! I was drawing a bamboo basket and was lost in the pattern🤭 Please do so, thank u. It's relaxing to draw repeated pattern.
Looks like Otto Hutt Design04
Yeah, I can see that.
I subscribed because you are lefthanded. I am lefthanded as well. We are few
And together, we will rule this planet.
@@stepheninks If it's only us then, we'll have to make sure anyone else has LEFT. Muhahaha
How the hell do you write with the wrong side of the nib ?! Wow !
It’s called reverse writing. Not all pens can do it well, but my favorites (including this one) are able to do it. It really helps with drawing.
IF YOU ARE AN ARTIST, WHY ARE YOU DOING A STENCIL ??? 16:40 TIME MARK .
Ummmm what?
1: no I didn’t.
2: artists can use stencils. I would never disrespect another artist in that way over a stencil. There are no rules.
Dude, either write larger or use zoom.
Okay dude.
@@stepheninks but overall everything is good. You have good videos. I love writing in ink, so I'm watching.
The grip zone is horrible ~~
Is it? It seems
To work for me, but everyone has their own style.