And some of the Chinese manufacturers like Boaer and Jin Hao has been turning out solidly build fountain pens at a fraction of the price of western prestige brands.
Also, a plug for Wingsung! They'll look very similar to twsbi or parker 51 at times, but imo they've added some little touches that improve on the twsbi.
Yes, definitely! I just bought a few Wingsung 3008s from eBay (a few dollars each, I think) and they're super-smooth. Couldn't believe I got a TWSBI-like piston filler for that cheap. Only downside to the cheap eBay pens is the shipping time...
Where do you buy them and are there any models in particular that you would recommend?
You'll find these on ebay or etsy a lot. Aliexpress too. I would recommend also Wingsung 601 (for the parker 51 vacumatic experience), the Wingsung 698 with a gold nib for a nice piston, Hero 100 for an aerometric parker 51... or if you want more modern designs, look for Moonman, Penbbs, Live In You brands.
I have a Pilot Metropolitan and it's okay. Are these Chinese pens significantly better?