Time to assess recent additions and share the best of the lot with you.
For aesthetics, the Ferris Wheel Press Marquise is the clear winner. Note that it wrote very well with FWP ink so that duo is a winner.
Though I usually find metal pens to be too heavy, Asvine/Hongdian models won me over with their balance, length and nibs. The Carbon Fiber and the N2 are good enough to deserve regular use.
Nibs are somewhat unpredictable in the under $40 range though my Jinhao 82 pens have been reliable. Of the new nibs, two of the Asvine/Hongdian pens earned perfect scores.
The fine is a workhorse and the bent nib just plain fun but suitable for everyday writing as well. Smooth with a touch of feedback, both will get plenty of time in my rotation.
That brings us to ink and to be honest, I like some of my new ones but none are destined for my regular rotation. For that honor, an ink needs to have a unique color as well as outstanding properties and characteristics. It also has to make legible notes on mediocre looseleaf paper in my A5 notebook. Hongdian Sky Blue is at the top of the list performing well with the Hongdian 620 bent nib. It writes more like a broad nib that narrows to a fine than a fude that produces wide and varying lines like a brush.
So the overall winners came from Ferris Wheel Press and Asvine/Hongdian both of which were unexpected surprises.
As if you needed encouragement, these are the links at which my Asvine/Hongdian products were purchased:
Asvine/Hongdian Carbon Fiber Fine
What were your favorite acquisitions for 2025? Anything we should try in 2026?
An Inkophile's Blog 
