Lanxivi 12-Piece Jinhao Fountain Pen Set Review

Quick Overview

For the past several decades, ballpoint pens have been most people’s writing tool of choice. It’s easy to understand why. They’re mass-produced, disposable, and easy to use.

A funny thing has been happening in the last few years, though. As smartphones, keyboards and cameras have become ubiquitous, old-school fountain pens have made a comeback. A fountain pen isn’t just a writing implement--it’s a way to write more beautifully, so it’s perfect for a world where handwriting is used on special occasions.

Lanxivi 12-Piece Jinhao Fountain Pen Set

Chinese pen maker Lanxivi is a subsidiary of Shanghai Hero Pen Company. Hero has been manufacturing high-quality fountain pens since 1931, and they were initially known as Wolff Pens but changed their name to Hero in 1966. They are currently the largest pen manufacturer in China.

Other Hero brands include Wing Sung, Lucky, Huafu, Xinming, Guanleming, Xinhua and Gentleman. Lanxivi is their budget line, but these pens are still made by some of the best in the business.

Who Is This Product For?

This set is ideal for aspiring artists and beginning calligraphers. It has high enough quality that your pens won’t prevent you from learning, and the variety of pens allows you to work with up to twelve different colors at once. They’re also good if you want to sign documents with a fountain pen, but don’t want to spend a fortune on a designer pen.

If you’re an experienced artist who wants a high-quality set, there are better ones on the market. That’s not to say that these are bad pens. They’re reasonably well made but just not as high-quality as some of the more professional tools you can buy.

The one area where we found the Lanxivi 12-Piece Jinhao Fountain Pen Set falls short is the nibs or the pen, which are very hard. As such, there’s an extremely fine line between touching the paper and tearing it. Nonetheless, the price is less than you’ll pay for some standalone pens, so these can also make great stocking stuffers if you have lots of grandkids.

What’s Included?

The pens come in a folding plastic tray that’s stored in a cardboard sleeve. Each pen has its little slot inside the tray, so they’ll stay neatly organized no matter what happens to the package. That being said, ink is not included with this set, so you’ll have to purchase it separately.

Overview of Features

The pens in this 12-piece set have different colors, each with sculpted swan-head caps that manage to look elegant even though they’re made of plastic. Each pen also has a refillable cartridge for bottled ink and a screw-together body that’s easy to take apart in seconds. If you prefer ink cartridges, you can use those too. That is because the pens accept standard international fountain pen cartridges, which are available worldwide.

All of the pens have the same nibs (fine or extra fine, depending on your selection). They’re also all straight. Since proper calligraphy requires pens with bent nibs, this isn’t a true calligrapher’s set.

How to Get the Most Out of It

To begin with, you’ll need to fill your pen with ink. Lanxivi has put out a couple of short video guides that make this as simple as possible. Here they are:

How to Fill a Fountain Pen with Bottle Ink:

How to Fill a Fountain Pen with Cartridge:

The important thing to remember when using any fountain pen is that they don’t have the same feel as a ball-point pen. The ink flows through channels in the nib and is drawn out by the absorbent paper.

For that reason, they perform better when they stay in contact with the paper, like when you’re writing in cursive. Writing block text can be difficult since the constant starting and stopping can cause the ink to flow poorly.

Alternatives

If you’re looking for an even better set of multiple pens, Shanghai Hero Pen Company’s 15-Piece Hero 9296 Set is a great upgrade. The price is about four times what you’ll pay for their Lanxivi line, but these pens are a lot more rugged.

The shells themselves are manufactured from a harder plastic, and the clips are metal instead of plastic. The nibs are 18-carat gold plated, so they have a very soft touch as you’re writing.

Like the Lanxivi pens, these accept bottled ink or standard cartridges. This is a better product for experienced artists or calligraphers who want a serious pen for professional work.

Conclusion

The Lanxivi 12-Piece Jinhao Fountain Pen Set is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to try their hand at calligraphy or fountain pen sketches. It’s a great gift for grandkids who are aspiring artists, or if you’re looking for gifts for coworkers.

This is one of the best beginner pen sets you’ll find at this price point.