More often that not, my desk is my pocket. But everyday desk items doesn't have the same ring.
Just ordered one from ChinesePen on Bobby on Etsy, Tiger finish. Price was $23. I was charged NJ sales tax. FIrst time ever on a Chinese purchase. Your review encouraged me to order along with the new 626 in brown. Was last one Bobby had. I enjoy the Moonman nib on the N3 more than the Schmidt nib on the M100. Looking forward to the 33mm nib. Any idea why the Chines #6 nibs are slightly shorter than the German #6?
@cr Hope you like it! Glad to hear the Etsy price is so near to taobao. I'm tempted by the red ebony but will likely hold off for a bit.
I can't recall having seen any discussion of the origins of Chinese nib sizes so don't really know when and how they landed on 35mm (and why that is a bit smaller than a #6). Likewise I don't know if there's a particular reason for the correspondence between Chinese 26mm nibs and #5. 21mm is also a standard size. I'd like to learn more.
I bought the M6 Ebony and swapped the nib to JOWO 18K M #6. I also bought the "Red Ebony" but it isn't as red as shown in the picture.
It is now my edc and I can confidently carry it everywhere without worrying about scratches and wear because it is inexpensive. Very happy with my "poor person namiki emperor". (I know it isn't urushi but the material and size makes it feel really luxurious)
That's quite the upgrade! How soft is the 18K nib? I'd love to see some pictures of how it writes for reference - and temptation!
Pictures can be deceiving, unfortunately. But sometimes you get a pleasant surprise. I find the amateur pictures on eBay to be more accurate than the professional ones.
The 18K was a bit too soft and wet. I was afraid to flex it too much.
I also managed to swap the feed, so I wasn't experiencing any flow issues. All in all, it's a great edc that writes wonderfully, looks beautiful, and I don't have to baby it (except for the nib).
I never owned a high-end Pelikan or Mont Blanc, so I have nothing to compare to.
I am starting to treat these pens as nib holders. And Moonman is simply the best. I had another M1 which I fitted with a JOWO Arrow + Architect Grind. Also my edc.
(sorry not a site regular, this is the only post that talks about this pen in depth. great work.)
Agree and also agree that the Moonman pens are great in that role. The nib units are super easy to work with.
But I had a moment today I have to share. I posted the pen with too much force and split the cap! I don't write with the pen posted but in this case I was doing a comparison.
I've since glued the crack so the damage is cosmetic.
Lesson learned: the cap on the M6 is going to let you know if you do it wrong!
Here's the real headline:
Moonman has released their own No. 6 nib - and it's a winner!
It comes in the new Moonman M6, a medium-sized, cigar-shaped wooden pen. If you want, you can stop now and go get one. Otherwise, read on...
The Moonman M6 comes in 4 finishes. I'm a fan of ebony, so that's what I picked.
While not oversized, the pen is solid, girthy and feels substantial. It's unlike any other Moonman pen in my collection. My mind goes to Japanese cigar pens but I don't have any clear comparisons to hand.
Nib Center Stage
The Moonman #6 nib is standard size, i.e. a little larger than nibs from PenBBS and Natami.
From it's shape and the spiffy two-toned design (including a nice downturned crescent breather hole), it looks like Moonman has commissioned their own nib. Happy days for pen lovers!
From what I can tell, the nib is not part of a screw-in nib unit but is pressed with the feed into a sleeve in the section. I have not yet attempted to remove the nib and feed to figure things out exactly.
All the pens come with gold trim and a dark brown plastic section. The section tapers toward the nib but is otherwise flat.
The cap comes off in a scant 3/4 turn, with metal threads on the barrel and threads machined into the wood of the cap. The threads on the M6 are a bit more coarse then those on the Moonman N3.
The cap is relatively thick without overly disturbing the profile of the pen. I imagine to avoid potential cracking.
The cap has a plastic liner which has, so far, kept the pen from drying out. MOONMAN is engraved along the base of the cap. centered under the clip. The clip itself quite stiff and looks to be made of a solid piece of metal. It is anchored with a screw under the liner. The bottom of the clip curves out to fit over pockets.
The section and barrel both have metal threads, giving the pen a bit more weight and durability. The supplied converter is functional if non-descript. I did not confirm whether it is international standard.
Dimensions
Inked, the pen is just over 30 grams capped
Uncapped, it's close to 19 grams, near my favorite weight for larger pens.
Capped, the pen is 140mm so roughly the same as a PenBBS 308, Natami Inception or Lamy 2000.
Uncapped, the pen is 125mm, so smaller than the PenBBS but larger than both the Natami and Lamy.
In a pinch, it is possible to post the pen. In fact, it posts pretty well. But I've never been a fan of wood on wood posting so don't plan to write that way. Leave a comment if you really want the posted length.
Putting Pen to Paper
Unlike the Fuliwen 016 and Round F nib on my PenBBS 471, the nib on the Moonman M6 didn't require any tuning to get it writing well. Nice.
The nib is listed as 0.6mm and marked as a fine on the nib (the F in the circle at the base of the nib).
Normally Chinese F nibs are given as 0.5mm and M nibs as 0.7mm. So this is a medium-fine. And it writes like it. A generous F. Not as broad a line as a PenBBS Round M.
This pen is a fine writer, no doubt about it. It's balanced and comfortable. Easy to hold in a range of positions up and down the section. I like the texture of the wood.
At just over US$22 plus shipping on taobao, the Moonman M6 is about US$5 more than the Moonman N3. It's also wood so perhaps not to everyone's taste. Perhaps also the relatively girthy diameter.
But the nib is the difference-maker. The Moonman M600 with a Schmidt #6 nib at US$44 is twice the price. The Moonman M600 Checkerboard, also with a Schmidt #6, is almost US$60.
The Moonman M6 is a quality pen in its own right. I can recommend it full stop. But as a harbinger of more good things to come from Moonman based on this new nib, it deserves special attention.
5.12 Update
Turns out the the pen does use a screw-in nib unit. Everything comes out - and apart - more easily than I expected. Another big plus for the pen.