First thing to get out of the way: this Chinese pen is unabashedly hefty at about 50g listed weight. I measured it at 57g total with ink and 39g uncapped. It also has an amazingly smooth nib with a flat-bottomed feed and no breather hole (see below). The Yiren 827 is a very consistent and slightly wet writer, with no issues skipping, dropping ink blobs, and not so wet that feathering and bleed-through are big concerns.

The nib is a bit soft – not bouncy, but under a little pressure it broadens up a fair bit. Writes okay in reverse with an EF line (a bit scratchy though).

As far as the quality goes, the trim and finish feel well-made with bands adding some styling flourishes but nothing gaudy. It looks and feels classy, and has a nicely satisfying click and seal to the push-cap.

Now the problem: the balance is ATROCIOUS! Un-posted, the pen is incredibly back-heavy, putting uncomfortable weight on the muscles between thumb and forefinger. It’s unwieldy to maneuver when you want pivot around the grip, and leads to cramps after a page or so of writing. Lest you draw the wrong conclusion: I love a thick, weighty pen. With a nicer nib slapped on, my Jinhao 159 is a pleasure to use with its 12mm diameter grip and 30g uncapped weight — I sometimes use it with the full 48g posted weight. So, similar weight, but where the 159 feels solid and natural to hold, the Yiren 827 is awkward. Posting the 827 just adds insult to injury.

Fix the balance and this would be a great pen — I like it enough otherwise that I’m halfway inclined to try to find a way.