Hongdian 517D Review: A Brass Fountain Pen That Makes Nib Experimentation Cheap

Introduction

Some pens are ambitious and some are simply pleasant, and the Hongdian 517D belongs firmly in the second camp. It is a brass-bodied fountain pen with a rubberized coating, a stainless steel nib, and a price that hovers around the very low end of the hobby. Hongdian originally built pens for other brands before launching its own name, and that background shows in a pen that feels more considered than its cost suggests. This review looks at how it writes, how it is built, and why it works so well as a low-risk platform for trying new nib styles.

Build Quality and Fit and Finish

The 517D is built on a brass base and coated in rubber, which makes it grippy and genuinely tactile. If you enjoy pens with texture, this one delivers a satisfying in-hand feel without turning the pen into a glossy showpiece. The stainless steel nib carries a shiny PVD coating and a graceful curve, which gives the pen a more expensive look than its price implies. The metal threads are a nice touch, and the included converter is serviceable and does the job well.

Fit and finish are impressive for the money. The cap closes with a very satisfying snap, and the overall design is streamlined and basic in the best sense. One quirk: opening the cap requires a bit of leverage because it grips tightly, and the pen is a loose poster, meaning the cap will not stay securely on the back end while writing. If you prefer writing posted, that is worth knowing before you buy. The pen is a little on the short side, but long enough for comfortable, pleasant writing unposted.

Writing Performance: What the Fude Nib Feels Like

The standard configuration ships with a fude nib, a curved nib usually associated with expensive calligraphy pens. Here it costs a fraction of what a premium curved nib would. On smooth, almost glassy paper with a shading orange ink, the fude nib writes very smoothly, pushing a generous cushion of ink around the page. The line comes out bold and dramatic, a little like a magic marker, and the effect on envelopes is striking.

Two things to understand about the nib. First, the writing angle matters: keeping the pen more parallel to the paper gives the best results, so there is a small technique curve if you are used to conventional nibs. Second, do not expect dramatic line variation; the bold line is fairly consistent. Writing with the reverse side produces a needle-thin, faint line that is not particularly enjoyable, but the forward stroke is where the fun lives. A few pulls of the piston filler produced a full, satisfying fill, and the ink capacity supports the wet, expressive line this nib wants to make.

The Real Appeal: Swapping Nibs Without Worry

The strongest argument for the 517D is not the nib it ships with, but the ecosystem around it. Nibs come as complete assemblies, so changing one is as simple as unscrewing the section and hooking a different assembly onto the converter. If you normally write with a fine nib and want to try a broad or a fude, this pen lets you experiment without risking serious money on a pen you might not love.

That is the broader value of inexpensive pens like this: they open up parts of the hobby that would otherwise be out of reach. Instead of spending a large sum on a premium curved calligraphy nib, you can spend around six dollars here and discover whether the style suits you at all. With a bit of practice, a fude nib can become second nature, and it may unlock new shapes and lettering styles you would never have tried otherwise.

Buying Advice: Who Should Pick This Up

Hongdian, like many Chinese pen makers, sells this pen at a range of prices depending on where you shop, roughly from five to thirty dollars on international marketplaces, and around the twenty to thirty dollar range from domestic pen retailers. You can essentially choose what you want to pay and whom you want to buy from. At the low end, the value proposition is hard to argue with.

This pen suits anyone who wants a tactile, well-made brass pen on a tight budget, anyone curious about fude or calligraphy-style writing, and anyone who likes having a dedicated nib-experiment platform on the desk. It is less suited to writers who insist on posting their caps, since the 517D posts loosely and can feel frustrating in that use. If you write unposted and enjoy dramatic, wet lines, it is an easy recommendation. It also pairs beautifully with a rich, shading ink that shows off what the nib can do.

Conclusion

The Hongdian 517D is beautifully made, well crafted, tactile, fun to use, and well balanced, with the notable caveat that it is a poor poster. The fude nib rewards a little patience with bold, dramatic writing that makes everyday tasks like addressing envelopes feel special. Combined with easy nib swapping and a price that keeps expectations relaxed, it stands as one of the more interesting low-cost ways to explore a different side of fountain pen writing.